The Asociación de Gourmets de Madrid (Madrid Gourmet Association) is one of my regular and favourite meeting places, and no longer for networking, since we all know each other, but to enjoy the finest food every month.
The Association was founded in Madrid in 2009, following in the footsteps of the one in Tarragona, which was born in 2001. It’s a non-profit organisation, and its aim is to enjoy the best restaurants in the region every month and discover the finest examples of Spanish cuisine, accompanied by a winery whose wines are paired with the food and by a distinguished guest.
I always joke that I cancelled my Canal+ subscription to spend the money on the Association’s monthly dinner instead, and it’s well worth it. The dinner costs members €60, and it’s a selection of the restaurant’s best dishes, no fewer than 3 courses, sometimes 5 or 6, plus dessert and 4 or 5 different wines to go with each dish. So, as you can imagine, it’s a real feast we treat ourselves to every month.
It’s an open association: you just have to come along with a member. There are just over 40 of us, and you’ll find us all in our groups on Facebook, with more than 1,200 members, and LinkedIn, with more than 600, where we post relevant news from the world of gastronomy. The most active members are Javier San Martín, a former executive at Deoleo, and the association’s president, Ignacio Pulido.
Our Honorary President is Luis María Ansón, who devoted an article to the association’s first anniversary in his newspaper.
Some of the guests of honour we’ve had, who have helped us round off a perfect evening, include:
Carmen Linares, a flamenco singer I’m a big fan of- Antonio Catalán, founder of AC Hoteles and a proud Navarrese
- Álex de la Iglesia, one of the best film directors in our country
- Carlos Falcó, businessman, winemaker and olive oil producer
- Carlota Mateos, co-founder of Rusticae
- Andrea Tumbarello, chef at Don Giovanni and perhaps one of the most entertaining so far.
- Here’s the list of everyone who has come along: politicians, artists, bullfighters, journalists…
Some of the Madrid restaurants where we’ve met, another perfect excuse to get to know them on a Tuesday, when things are quieter:
- Vía Vélez
- Combarro
- El Chaflán
- El Mesón de Fuencarral (spectacular, we couldn’t finish everything)
- Palacio de Cibeles
- Lhardy
- Restaurante Lua
- AC Santo Mauro
- El Oso
- Don Giovanni, and the list goes on and on 🙂
An important chapter is the guest wineries each month, which surprise us with their wines to achieve the perfect pairing:
Bodegas Trus, from Ribera del Duero- Bodegas Habla, from Extremadura (wow, what wines!)
- Martín Códax, from Rías Baixas
- Bodegas Enate, Somontano
- Las Moradas de San Martín, Madrid
- Bodega Ysios, Rioja
- Bodegas Zuazo Gastón, Rioja…
As you can see, we don’t leave a single corner of the Iberian Peninsula unexplored, we even have wines from the islands, and in every case it’s the winemaker or the sommelier who tells us the story of the winery and how the wines are made. I have a folder with photos of all the ones I’ve tasted, but the best thing is to download the Vivino APP and keep your notes there and see the ratings of other wine lovers.
In this respect, special mention must go to our member in charge of selecting the wineries, Almudena Pérez Salas, director and founder of Cata y Vino, sommelier and wine-tasting teacher. I’m the secretary; I take good note of everything 😉
If I’ve convinced you, here’s the info on joining the club.
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