La Ración: Supplying Madrid with Spanish comfort foods during the lockdown
Food is a source of pleasure for many right now. It’s a privilege to be able to bring a little bit of joy into people’s lives.
For those craving Spanish bar food like fresh tortilla de patata, croquetas and empanadas during the lockdown, look no further than La Ración. The delivery-only restaurant was started by friends of mine, Iñigo Vega and Miguel Moreno, last year. While I don’t usually order much take-out, the lockdown seemed like a good chance to give their food a try. And it was well worth it.
La Ración offers delivery of freshly-made Spanish specialties across central Madrid. While the menu is minimalistic with just a few items, I was impressed by the customizability of the tortilla de patata (Spanish omelette). I ordered mine “juicy” (jugosa) and with added onion. There was also the ability to add several other ingredients, such as red pepper, cheese, chorizo sausage, and Spanish ham.
I wasn’t disappointed with the results, the tortilla arrived warm, and seemed fresh out of the pan, nothing to do with store-bought, pre-made tortilla. As you can see in the photos, the egg was “juicy” as requested! I also really enjoyed the ham croquetas, which had a great texture and fresh, homemade taste. I also tried the tiramisu, which was creamy and delicious, although very light – I ate it in a couple of bites!
The food sector has been one of the hardest hit by the state of alarm caused by COVID-19 that has put Madrid’s 3 million residents into lockdown. Strict hygienic protocols were put into effect overnight, meaning restaurant owners had to quickly adapt, or shut their doors.
Iñigo and Miguel’s business – which they launched just last year – had an advantage, since they were already focused on selling via online delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, as well as directly through their own website, laracion.menu.
I asked Iñigo about his experience adapting to the current environment, and he said that at first he wasn’t sure what the impact of the lockdown would be.
“There was a lot of fear at first, and business dropped,” he said. At the same time, he had to invest in following all the protocols: getting masks, gloves and disinfecting gels to use daily in their kitchen.
However, about a week into the lockdown, orders started to increase.
“People have gotten tired of cooking and since they can’t go out they are turning to delivery,” he said. “There is a huge demand for traditional food like: croquetas, tortilla de patata, so we were in a really good position with our concept.”
Questions over whether it’s safe to order delivery, have since been quelled through informative news articles. La Ración has gone above and beyond what’s required by law, and they include a list of the measures they take on each delivery.
Now, they are seeing a trend of people buying food for others as a special surprise. “We see a lot of people making orders for their parents,” Iñigo said. “Food is a source of pleasure for many right now. It’s a privilege to be able to bring a little bit of joy into people’s lives.”
With the lockdown extended until at least April 26, these trends seem likely to continue in the near term. And, with many people eating more take-out than ever these days, many could continue to order from their favorite restaurants, even in the longer term.
That’s the hope of business owners like Iñigo who have made a strong bet on delivery. “Tortilla de patata is going to be the new pizza,” he said.
Personally, I’ve ordered more take-out in the last few weeks than in the entire year prior. So, he might be onto something! Although, after this lockdown, one of the first things I’ll do is head to my favorite neighborhood bar and enjoy Spanish bar food in its natural habitat.
La Ración
- Website, Facebook & IG: @laracion.menu
- Delivery only