I'm hesitant to suggest Cafe Madrid in the Knox/Henderson area to any of my vegan friends in blogland. While there really are plenty of vegan options, ordering can be tricky, and the outcome is less than fantastic. I'd been craving setas al ajillo (strange craving, I know) and Spanish wine all week, so I set up dinner with some friends at Cafe Madrid last night. Their tapas menu and wine list looked promising, so I was excited to try the place. 
Our server was great! He suggested a couple of wines and helped me decipher the menu to accommodate my dietary needs. None of my selections were terrible, but I felt they were overpriced and, quite frankly, boring. It's awfully hard to mess up fried potatoes, but Cafe Madrid came pretty close with my patatas bravas, which were slightly undercooked, yet tasted a bit burnt. 
The espinacas pirineos and the obviously pickled espárragos blancos were palatable at best, but my setas al ajillo were a complete disappointment! Typically sautéed in olive oil and garlic, these mushrooms tasted more like they were nuked in red wine, vegetable oil, and a dash of garlic salt. Had it not been for the excellent service and fabulous wine, dinner at Cafe Madrid would have been a total bust. I might be convinced to revisit the place for further wine exploration, but I'll be sure to tote a bottle of Bragg to tweak my tapas.
10 comments:
That is such a bummer about Cafe Madrid.
I know! I really wanted to love it. Maybe they were having an "off" night...
You are my official vegan go-to guru. I need help once again. I am searching for vegan bread due to a thyroid/iodine issue. What do you suggest?
Check out Rudi's Organic. So good for sandwiches!
http://www.rudisbakery.com/home
Also, Whole Foods, Panera, and Eatzi's all carry several freshly baked loaves that are vegan.
i hate it when i encounter that at restaurants. i am super grateful when any place can be accomodating though. btw, i always carry a few tupperware containers in my kid's diaper bag with nooch, bragg's, and i always smuggle tofutti better than cream cheese in bagel shoppes.
I second the "bummer"...but your honesty is refreshing! Sometimes I wonder about all the rave reviews in blogland :)
Thank you for the validation, Lisa! I totally know what you mean. I struggled with this post because, like I said, it wasn't a bad experience...but it wasn't great. Just keepin' it real :)
That's too bad. I've only been to Cafe Madrid once (Oak Cliff location) and it was good but not great. I miss Hola for tapas :(
True story, Heather! Hola was great! And it had that real Spanish feel...a little dirty and rough, but in a good way :)
Hi Eddie,
I'm enjoying your restaurant reviews. Kudos for keeping it real. May I send you some information about Nana at the Hilton Anatole? Chef Anthony Bombaci recently introduced two lavish tasting menus, a lacto-ovo vegetarian menu and a vegan menu. Both menus feature a seven-course and ten-course sampling, professional wine pairings and à la carte options. I'd love to send you the press release that describes Deconstructed Green Bean Casserole, Liquid Baked Potato and Grilled Leeks.
Thank you for your time.
lori at friedman pr . com
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