Madrid, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Kansas City Chiefs

Spain's national “futbol” team won the World Cup on July 11th, 2010. The No Reservations crew just happened to visiting Madrid at the time (the boss always seems to end up in the right place at the right time). The win was much bigger than sports. It marked a significant day in history when this large and diverse country found a moment of pride after a less than lustrous 20th century.

The clash between old food tradition and rebellious new creativity is especially prominent in Madrid. Bourdain hits a few spots stuck in time. These are the type of places Bourdain is known to love; young, fresh, and exciting restaurants. Bourdain visits one of the most difficult to visit in all of Europe, which is booked to a point that the owner and service manager had to open the joint specially for Bourdain…on their wedding day! Moral of the story? Never get married.

The one thing Spanish, that both Bourdain and I love above all others, is the swine. To be more specific, Jamón Ibérico ham. It can only come from the rare black hoofed pig, and must be raised in the western region of Spain. It is then cured for about four years at a precise level of humidity. A life without sweet ham is a nasty sin. Bourdain has been to Spain on many occasions, but never has he explored Madrid in such detail. You can catch an all-new Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation, this Monday at 9pm Texas Time, only on the Travel Channel.

Timothy Braun
Austin, TX
September 11th, 2010

Five Easy Pieces (a quintet of other matters on my mind).
1.) On this anniversary of the terrible attacks on New York, and DC (and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania) I am always annoyed at the political twits that invoke this day who weren’t there (I am looking at you, Former Half-term Gov of Alaska). I was in New York, and the matter that made the whole attack human for me was the silence after, how quiet the New York became. The silence was terror for me, and brings me to one of my favorite Richard Foremen quotes, “Silence is not golden”.
2.) I love Phil Davison. He has a master’s degree IN COMMUNICATION!
3.) The beverages at Eastside Show Room (pictured) are to die for. The other night I had a French 75 with an old NYC amigo in town. I could visit this joint every night.
4.) This week the AV Club asked the “Time Travel Theoretical” with Patton Oswalt and roger Ebert. You can catch it here. My answer? I would be interested in the 1920's in either New York or Paris. If I am in NYC I could hang out a speak easy, catch The Wild Party, observe Dorothy Park and her Vicious Circle (I would love to hear Harpo Marx speak), catch the birth of the Off-Broadway movement, and see Babe Ruth play for the Yankees. That, and the NY Giants where formed in 1924. However, if I choose Paris I could loiter around Shakespeare And Co. or Les Deux Magots, hang with Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott (I'd probably flirt with Zelda) and mingle with a half-blind James Joyce. That, and try my best not make Picasso angry. Oh, and the FOOD!
5.) With the return of football, I think Kansas City might be my surprise team this year.