Page 89 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2022 DISCOVERING MADRID

Churros & Chocolate

We only felt a little guilty devouring one of chocolate or a cafe con leche (coffee with milk).
Spain's most loved treats, churros con choco- They normally aren’t eaten for dessert. But not
late. It’s one sweet treat you can’t leave Madrid all churros are equal, and we’ve found two
without trying, Beside calories and cholesterol places in Madrid where the churros and choco-
what’s not to like - it’s a crispy, fried-to-perfec- late are perfect.
tion ridged donut that’s served hot from the We would never have found unassuming
fryer and dipped in delicious thick hot choco- Chocolat Madrid if we hadn’t taken the Devour
late. It’s usually fried in a straight or coiled day tour. Born in 2003 and perched on a street
shape that resembles the horn of a churro corner in Barrio de las Letras, the small shop
sheep, hence its name. was the dream of Juan Alfonso who has made his
Churros aren’t new to us. We used to buy churros establishment one of Madrid’s favorites.
them room temperature sprinkled with cinna- You can find Juan in their tiny kitchen proudly
mon sugar, in Mexico or Old Town San Diego. making the two classics - the coiled churros and
But they don’t compare to the ones you thrill to porras, its thicker, stick-straight cousin. They
in Spain–super crispy on the outside and spongy are presented with cups of thick house-made
in the middle. chocolate that customers eat with spoons after
Churros tempt travelers all across Spain as a devouring their churros. You’ll want to duplicate
sweet breakfast or mid-morning or mid-after- this at home, but don’t ask Juan for the recipe:
noon snack and are always served hot, with the It’s a closely held secret.

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 89