Lauren Aloise is a young American woman who first fell in love with Granada, later Seville and, finally, Madrid. She started Madrid Food Tour because she wanted to share her enthusiasm for Spanish food and ingredients with food lovers from all around the world. Lauren loves introducing people to new food and drink and explaining the background of traditional Spanish dishes. She believes that one of the main things Spaniards are resoundingly proud of is their food and the top quality ingredients found in the Spanish kitchen. Her aim is to pass along their pride and enthusiasm to each of her guests in Madrid.

Lauren and I met up in Sevilla last month and enjoyed an afternoon tapeo together, during which we swapped stories about our experiences in Spain and also talked about our work in the food and tourism industry. This week we decided to swap a set of questions and share them on our blogs.

You can find my answers here.

Here are Lauren’s answers…

Did you ever expect to work in the food and tourism industry?

Absolutely. I’ve worked in kitchens since I was 16 years old and have loved eating and cooking for as long as I can remember. In university I studied business with a concentration in hospitality and tourism, as well as Spanish language. You can say I’m one of the few people actually using their degrees! I used to want to go to culinary school, unfortunately at some point that dream was put on the backburner. At some point I’d still love to take some professional cooking courses here in Spain.

What tapas do your tour guests find surprisingly delicious?

The simple things usually surprise my guests the most– a homemade alioli sauce or how addictive fried peppers (Pimientos de Padrón) can be! Another surprise for some of my more daring guests have been mollejas, known in English as sweetbreads, which here in Madrid are usually a sheep’s neck gland sautéed in olive oil and served with lemon. They really are quite delicious.

If you could eat at any restaurant in Spain, free of charge, which would it be?

It’s toss up between Arzak and El Celler de Can Roca. I want to see if these places truly live up to the hype! (I’m sure they do).

Churros or porras?

I prefer the thicker porras, served piping hot and covered with sugar.

Tortilla de patata—with or without onions?

Definitely with—and caramelized onions are even better.

One Spanish ingredient you couldn’t live without?

There are a lot of great ingredients in Spanish cuisine, but extra virgin olive oil is “the one”. It even comes before Spanish wine on my list!

Often the service at Spanish restaurants is a bit rough around the edges—does iffy service bother you, or is it worth it for the food?

Iffy service doesn’t bother me anymore—I primarily go somewhere for the food. However, really bad or rude service will definitely make me think twice before revisiting a place.

What restaurant niche is missing in Madrid?

It’s tough because Madrid has virtually anything, but I think it could use a lot more ethnic Asian restaurants and at better prices. Ethnic food in the US is often the cheapest thing you can eat, while here even the tackiest places charge an arm and a leg. I hate paying for bad food.

What niche is oversaturated?

I might be criticized for saying this, but I think that there are too many traditional bars. If you live outside of the center (like myself) it is difficult to find any sort of variety. The streets surrounding my apartment in Ciudad Lineal are crowded with repeats of the same exact menus—I love traditional food when it’s well prepared, but why can’t businesses change up their offerings just a little bit?

What is your favourite place in Spain?

Andalusia in general is incredible, and I adore Granada, Seville and Cadiz. Madrid is an excellent big city; there is so much to do and lots of great opportunities. I’ve yet to explore the Costa Brava, Asturias, and San Sebastían, all of which I hear are incredible places. Basically, I love each and every region I’ve visited so far.

Madrid Food Tour is the newest culinary tour company to take off in Madrid. As a busy, cosmopolitan city, Madrid offers visitors a countless number of dining options. But, like with any touristy capital, the hidden gems can be difficult to find among the flashy tourist traps. Madrid Food Tour takes food lovers (tourists, expats and even locals) off the beaten path and into some of the city’s most delicious eateries. Some are hidden secrets that only locals know about, while others are famous Madrid institutions—but still easy to miss if you haven’t done lots of research.

We offer a variety of different tours such as the Signature Tasting and Market Tour and the more thematic Tapas and Taverns Tour or the Gourmet Tapas Tour. Our biggest concern is providing tour participants with great value—we hope that you taste new things, love what you try, and learn about Spanish history, culture, and cuisine.

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