Cafe Madrid is absolutely my favorite(ist?) restaurant in the valley for so many reasons (but I'm going to try really hard to put them all down here so that if you read this, you'll think about checking it out).
This is a picture of me (I'm the guy on the right in the white shirt), my friend James (who's basically an amateur Chef, my friend Meg (the blond), my partner-in-crime in going out to eat Gary Atwood (middle of the two girls), and my best friend Tomeka Munford (black woman on the right). James and Tomeka were visiting me from out of town and this was the last place we went to on our list of places to check out in the Salt Lake Valley and it turned out to be the best.
J.C., the host, is absolutely amazing. When he says "Welcome...welcome...to Cafe Madrid. This is your house..." he means it. The hospitality is top notch and the food is its unparalleled equal. Your glass never gets even half empty and the waiters are there at your beck and call to make sure that your dining experience is unforgettable.
Oh...and the food...yum.
Did I say yum? It bears repeating so...yum X2.
Everything on the menu is absolutely perfect. I love the Payaya because it comes with little mussels in the saffron infused rice with these huge grapefruit slices on the side. They don't always have it available so you're really lucky if you go and they happen to be serving it.
And the Croquettas are so delicious that I really only have to text my friend Gary with the single word "Croquettas!!!" followed by the obligatory three exclamation points to get an equally excited response. It's like we're on the same wavelength or are perhaps telepathic. But this doesn't mean you need super powers like telepathy to enjoy this restaurant. Actually, all you really need is the craving for super fine dining and the need to feel pampered.
It's also fun to go with someone who is fluent in Spanish. My friend Gary ordered everything for us in Spanish and when it came to desserts, he just said, "We'll take the first five." That was fun. If you intend to go to Cafe Madrid, it's best to make a reservation.
When I took my parents there over Christmas, when my dad got up, someone even came forward to help him out of his chair. How cool is that? I've never seen that at a restaurant.