Spanish.
Lakeview: 300 Harrison Ave . 504-482-2757. Map.
Dinner Monday-Saturday.
Casual.
AE DS MC V
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
The cooking of Juan Hernandez has always blown me away. While sticking mostly to Spanish classics (as opposed to that chemistry-set cooking coming out of Barcelona these days), he turns out an array of lusty dishes that will seem fresh and new to most local eaters.
WHY IT'S GOOD
Even the most innocuous-sounding dishes manage to be exciting at Madrid. Case in point: the potato and cheese omelette (called in Spain a tortilla, but to avoid confusion they don't use that word here). It looks like. . . well, a flat omelette. It's so good you can't stop eating it, even though it's big enough to split four ways. The halibut with Serrano ham (the latter is an ingredient found throughout the menu, as it would be in Spain) is one of the three or four best fish entrees I've had in the last year. The paella comes out hot, riddled with good ingredients, and so good that even though it too is more than one can finish, you give it a try.
BACKSTORY
Madrid first appeared in 2004, taking over the space where Taqueros was before moving into town. Two guys named Juan ran it as a combination Mexican and Spanish restaurant. The location was terrible, though, and one of the Juans left. Juan Hernandez reopened Madrid in 2009 in a former convenience store in Lakeview. It became immediately too popular, then not popular enough as the street got torn up for repairs. All is well now, and the limited early menu has evolved into a rich trove of Spanish treasures.
DINING ROOM
The main dining room is darkish and quiet, with candles actually giving much of the light, with a small, useless (because they have no liquor license) bar in the back. To the left of the entrance are a few tables in a brighter, more utilitarian space that they share with the open kitchen. The chef can be seen cooking everything himself, and talking with the regulars. The waitress is family and grew up with this food.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
Garlic shrimp.
Sauteed calamari with a sauce of its ink.
Piquillo peppers stuffed with lobster and shrimp.
Mussels Madrid (spicy tomato sauce).
Spanish tortilla (a thick, flat potato omelette).
Mushrooms stuffed with shrimp and Serrano ham.
Serrano ham tomato bread.
Minted lamb meatballs.
Cheese selection.
Fish soup.
Castilian soup (garlic and egg drop in chicken broth).
Beet salad with goat cheese.
Blue cheese and tomato salad.
Paella.
Halibut with Serrano ham and olives.
Pork loin with mushroom cream sauce.
Lemon garlic chicken.
Sauteed rabbit with vegetables and tomato.
Lamb chops with couscous.
Braised lamb shank.
Grilled beef tenderloin with blue cheese demi-glace.
Orange flan.
Spanish cheesecake with walnuts.
FOR BEST RESULTS
There is no liquor license here; bring you own wine (no corkage fee). The current trend in Spanish food emphasizes tapas. If that vogue has grabbed you, know that Chef Juan's "tapas," far from being a bite or two, are almost big enough to serve as entrees. Order as you would at Mosca's: three appetizers or entrees is enough for four or even five people.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
The liquor license would be helpful.
FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
- Dining Environment +1
- Consistency +2
- Service +1
- Value +1
- Attitude +1
- Wine and Bar
- Hipness +1
- Local Color +1
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Romantic
- Open Monday dinner
- Unusually large servings
- Good for children
- Easy, nearby parking
- Reservations accepted
ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS
While it can't be said that Spanish food is like Creole cooking, the two have a spirit in common, and the stuff is easy to love. New Orleans has always had a few Spanish restaurants, but in the last decade we seem to be encouraging more of them to open. This one may have the best cooking of them all.
The Harrison Avenue restaurant community--which looked at first as if Katrina had dealt it a death blow, with some of the city's deepest flooding--has bounced back to become bigger and more interesting than it ever was before. Madrid is a major addition to the scene. And Susan Spicer's new place is not far behind.
This review was updated with new information on 4/30/2010.
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