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MADRID BITES: Casa Mortero

April 18, 2022

On our last day in Madrid, during our April 2022 trip we had lunch at a chic restaurant with many distinctions callef Casa Mortero. The main reason TD chose it is that it was in the Michelin Guide 2022. It was the perfect last Madrid bite & left us wanting to go back for more!

The weather had turned cold, but it was a nice walk to the Casa Mortero drinking in the gorgeous Madrid architecture. Because we arrived at 1pm, there was no competition for tables.

CHIC MODERN INTERIORS

I have a think for shades of mint & turquoise + modern simple interiors so I simply fell in love with Casa Mortero upon entering.

DELICIOUS SPANISH FOOD

Knowing it’s listed in the Michellin Guide we were super excited. Just because it’s on the Michellin Guide, it doesn’t mean it was expensive or too fancy. In fact the food was quite rustic and we loved it.

QR code menus because it’s still the pandemic, even if they removed the mask mandate in public transport on our last day.

Look how excited DiploBaby looked. I guess he could smell the food cooking. And he loved the bread of course.

I usually get white or rose, but since we were having meaty dishes, I decided to have a glass of red. It was delicious.

AMUSE BOUCHE

It’s the little details that set restaurants like Casa Mortera apart, like when they serve AMUSE BOUCHES. This was a surprisingly sweet bite with mango.

An amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule is a single, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre. Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons but are served free and according to the chef’s selection alone. 

– WIKIPEDIA

TAPAS

Salty GILDAS are usually a “skewer of briny olives, a salt-cured anchovy, a pickled green guindilla pepper, and (sometimes) a gherkin pickle or sundried tomato.” It is “one of the most popular pintxos found on bar counters in the Basque Country. It is “green” – meaning “raunchy” in Spanish.” Restaurants usually sell Gildas per stick.

This is TD’s favorite tapas called PIMIENTOS DE PADRON. It’s basically small, green peppers Padrón, Galicia, in the northwest part of Spain + oil. + salt. I normally hate bell peppers, but I make an exception for Pimientos de Padron because they are so tasty! This one from Casa Mortero has to be the best I’ve had so far.

MAIN DISHES

Delicious moules or mussels! I can’t recall now if it came with fries or just the bread.

The star of this meal was definitely the TORREZNO with “meneás” potatoes and paprika mash. I just wish we had rice to go with it LOL!

It deserves a 2nd picture from another angle.

For me the DUCK RICE with wild asparagus and crispy skins was a little bit too meaty. I don’t usually eat duck so I had the rice and the crispy chicharon.

DESSERT

The desserts were delicious & the coffee excellent. The CHEESECAKE WITH TOFFEE ICE CREAM was enjoyed by DiploBaby. Of course we had to try their TOASTED MILK FLAN with Extra Virgin Olive Oil brought us back home to the Philippines because it’s exactly like our LECHE FLAN, which is based on the Spanish dessert, only sweeter IMO.

I appreciate the emphasis on high quality, natural, ecological ingredients by Casa Mortero. You can tell that each detail in the restaurant has been carefully thought out.

LIQUID GOLD

This ORO PARQUEOLIVA was so precious that the waiter would be the one to pour it out in small bowls for dipping bread. We had to ask for more if we wanted because it’s very special.

We enjoyed it so much, we asked where we could buy it. They were so nice & sold us a bottle which is more convenient for us because it was our last day already.

AWARD-WINNING FOOD

It’s no surprise that Casa Mortero has bagged a couple of awards. Even if you are not in the neighborhood, I still highly recommend going out of the way to eat here. The highlights for me are the BREAD, EVOO, PIMIENTOS DE PADRON & TORREZNO. We will be back for sure!

SEE THE REST OF MY MADRID RECOS HERE

CASA MORTERO MADRID

MENU
Tues – Thurs 1–4 pm | 8:15–11 pm • Fri – Sat 1–4 pm | 8:15–11:30 pm • Sun – Mon closed
C. de Zorrilla, 9, 28014 Madrid, Spain
+34910595570
RESERVE A TABLE
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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @dip I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @diplobaby. I love how his eyes light up. Before I was a parent, there was no reason to decorate.

Glad there is now a @gifi.ch near us with affordable HALLOWEEN DECOR & COSTUMES. 🧛‍♂️ 

I hope you enjoy seeing what they have in this short video! 👻 

It’s not lost on me how much plastic is used during Halloween, from the polyester costumes to the decor elements. 

ECO TIPS:

🎃 I usually slowly built up my Halloween decor. I buy 2-4 pieces each year

🎃 I take good care of them & store properly so I can reuse for years to come. It’s never singe use!

🎃 I also don’t throw away as much as possible. If there is damage, I repair.

🎃 If i dont use something anymore, I pass them on to others by selling it for a fraction of the price on Marketplace.

🎃 If it doesn’t sell, I pass them on the Pay it Forward Nyon group or place them in the donation pile in our dechetterie where others can take them.

🎃 if it’s not repairable, I take it apart so that the materials can be recycled.

🍭 As for TREATS, I hate the PLASTIC wrapped candy 🍬 so we usually give PAPER wrapped mini chocolate bars.

⛑️ HEALTH TIP:

If a piece of decor or costume SMELLS STRONGLY OF PLASTIC, DO NOT BUY IT! That’s toxic VOCs leaching into the air. It’s not good for you!

What about you? How do you try to have a sustainable Healthy-ish Halloween?🤪

I usually go in the same costume every year. Change is overrated lol. What about you? Do you know what your wearing this year?

#UDWinGeneva #udwholidays #udwhalloween
HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport? We are very lucky th HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport?

We are very lucky that the Geneva Airport is very near because it is located 4 km northwest of the city centre. It takes us less than 15mins by car & is easier to get to than airports outside the city.

BUT also means that many of the Geneva residents suffer from AIRCRAFT NOISE POLLUTION. 

In some parts of Geneva, like Vernier, Meyrin, Bellevue, Versoix, etc will have the airplane pass on top of you or very near you. This is something to consider when you are MOVING TO GENEVA & looking for a home.

When we were in @bioparcgeneve recently, it felt like airplane after airplane was going overhead every few mins. The poor animals were screaming each time.

A  report by the European Environment Agency(EEA) in 2017 said that 12% or 73,500 Geneva residents have their hearing disturbed by aircraft noise. Probably the figures have risen with the natural increase population & travel?

“The EEA describes noise as a pervasive pollutant that directly affects the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. Populations exposed to high noise levels can exhibit stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All of these can contribute to premature mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reckons that humans exposed to noise levels above 40 decibels at night experience adverse health effects.

Across Europe it is estimated that noise contributed to at least 900,000 additional cases of hypertension in 2011.” - @le_news_ch 

DID YOU KNOW that owners of homes affected by the noise can request for soundproofing to be paid for by GVA? 

Check if your home meets the conditions for FREE SOUNDPROOFING c/o Genève Aéroport here:

https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Geneve-Aeroport/Questions-Reponses-FAQ/Bruit#

SAVE or SHARE this now with someone you know who might be moving to Geneva or is already suffering from aircraft #noisepollution. 

#UDWinGeneva #UDWgenevagoodtoknow #expatingeneva #diplofamily #expatlife #genevaswitzerland #expatingeneva #filipinoingeneva #pinoyingeneva #movingtogeneva #movingtoswitzerland #movingtogeneva #genevaexpats #switzerlandexpatlife #geneva #genevaswitzerland
MERCADONA HAUL Whenever we go to Spain, we love t MERCADONA HAUL

Whenever we go to Spain, we love to go to @mercadona. It might be small but has a good affordable selection. It’s my thrifty Spanish MIL’s favorite.

We were so lucky that we had a @mercadona right beside our hotel Marina Badalona. Very convenient.
Our favorite things to bring home are:

☕️ frozen porras (bigger than churros)

🐑 baby lamb chops (the only lamb I eat coz it’s not malangsa & all you need to do is fry till crispy in olive oil with S&P) it’s called Chuletas Cabrito but TD calls it lechal 

🐽 chicharon or crispy pork rinds

🥔 Homemade potato chips. The best potato chips for me are from Spain. I don’t know how it’s so much yummier! The olive oil???

🎣 canned Sardines & tuna for me and Yaya B

TIPS:

🧊 For frozen items, we usually ask the hotel before we buy if they can put it in their freezer until we fly.

✍️ I usually bring different sizes ZIPLOCK BAGS, MASKING TAPE & MARKER when we travel so we can put everything in, label with our name and room number.

📸 then I take a photo so we can just show it to the staff and they can easily find it in their freezer.

✈️ When it’s time to pack, I placed our beach towels around the frozen packages coz I know they will SWEAT & I don’t want our other things to get wet 💦 

What  grocery do you usually like to shop for when in Spain? Where do you buy them?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries #udwtraveltips #udwtraveltip #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW C FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW Calisthenics Park 

📍Chem. des Tuileries 140, 1293 Bellevue

After the lovely BIOPARC we headed across to this chill park with ample PARKING that had so many things for kids & anyone who wants to move & work out:

⚽️ The kids wanted to kick around a football so we borrowed a ball from @boxup.app (they also have pumps, 🏓, 🏐, 🏀, etc) just download the app & turn on your Bluetooth & follow instructions! Return after 3hrs.

👟 Outdoor gym - this was a huge hit with the kids

⚽️ football - this too!

🏀 basketball court

🏓 Ping-pong 

🏐 Beach volleyball court

🤸🏻 Monkey bars

🛝 small playground

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon guys @lidia_otilia_botezatu! 
How lucky are we to have these beautiful, clean open spaces. And the free rental gear is AMAZING! so convenient.

This is in Geneva, about 15mins drive from where we live.

SAVE THIS on your list of PARKS to visit!

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. It’s not as close as the bioparc but bring earplugs/earphones if you are sensitive.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
BIOPARC GENÈVE Yesterday was a holiday in Switze BIOPARC GENÈVE

Yesterday was a holiday in Switzerland (except for Geneva). It was raining & miserable so I wanted to take @diplobaby out for a few hours. Thankfully midafternoon it stopped raining.

We met with our friends @lidia_otilia_botezatu in @bioparcgeneve and had a lovely time in this volunteer run zoo.

TIPS💡

🆓 It’s free for families on your FIRST visit!

🦢 you walk inside animal enclosures so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stepping on poop. We wore boots & happy we did

🅿️ there’s parking inside on wood chips, if it’s full there’s another pavement parking (free up to 4hrs) across the roundabout 

🦔 Do not feed or touch the animals no matter how cute they are

🗺️ There are 2 routes (purple & blue) and 1-1.5hrs #diplshould be enough 

❎ Park closes at 4pm

SAVE THIS NOW if your looking for a fun & not too you can do in well und2hrs. It’s nice that you can go inside unlike most zoos so it’s quite unique.

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. @diplobaby who is super noise sensitive did not mind as much as I thought he would because he was so entertained by the animals.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
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