Madrid by Maria Paz Moreno

Author:Maria Paz Moreno
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD
Published: 2017-10-14T04:00:00+00:00

In operation since 1870, Mantequería Andrés is a gourmet ultramarinos shop that carries hard-to-find Spanish delicacies such as the sweet pastries piononos from Andalusian Granada, artisan cheeses from Asturias, and fresh milk from Madrid’s nearby mountains. Another similarly historic shop, Mantequería A. Cabello—previously Casa Varona—first opened its doors in 1877, and its large window still features numerous kinds of canned goods, artisan oils and vinegars, pasta, fruit jam, legumes (both dried and in jars), sweets and artisanal pastries, and many other old-fashioned foodstuffs.

Another of the oldest food shops is Hijos de Lechuga, a butcher shop that has been providing fresh meats since 1840. This shop’s excellent reputation during the nineteenth century made it a supplier of the Royal Palace, as well as high-end hotels such as the Ritz and the Palace and the houses of Madrid’s aristocracy. Located in historic Calle Mayor, the store was remodeled in the 1960s, when its traditional appearance was replaced by a more contemporary one. Today, Hijos de Lechuga continues to sell top-quality meats, both fresh and cured, such as hams, chorizos, and morcillas, as well as cheeses and legumes, and to keep up with the times, the business has now expanded to allow online orders and even offer a home delivery service.

A seller of wine and liquor since 1895, Vinos y Licores Madrueño is a real Madrid institution. It was funded by the entrepreneurial Mariano Madrueño, who purchased a large commercial space on Calle del Postigo de San Martín across the street from the medieval monastery of Las Descalzas Reales. The space’s large dimensions, roughly sixty-four hundred square feet, allowed Madrueño to build a shop, a wine cellar, and even a laboratory, as well as a spacious basement for storage. In his laboratory, he created new liquors, syrups, and vermouths using different wild herbs and artisanal techniques. He built a flourishing business selling his many flavors of syrups in bulk, in addition to the much-sought-after aromatic vermouth wines. The shop is still run by the Madrueño family and is now in its third generation of owners. It maintains its classic charm, with old wooden shelves, alembic stills, and barrels. The distillery stopped producing its own liquor in 1999, however, and began specializing in selling select Spanish wines and liquors from around the world, as well as hosting frequent tastings and wine and liquor appreciation classes. Unfortunately, the future of the store at its current location is uncertain given the building’s precarious situation due to its age, lack of maintenance, and numerous structural issues.22 The savvy Madrueño family, however, has opened a second location on Calle Calatrava to keep their robust business going, and they also sell their products online.

No review of Madrid’s centenary stores would be complete without the inclusion of Los Ferreros. The great-grandfather and great uncle of the store’s current owner arrived from León in 1898 and opened this ultramarinos store on a street adjacent to the Plaza Mayor, which at the time was the city’s main commercial area; the store was later converted to a butcher and sausage shop.

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