• Mythical Lucio: Covid passed, won Filomena and did not want a Michelin star: "Arzak told me to go cojones"

The gastronomic adventure of Santiago Pedraza and Carmen Carro, the two hoteliers in charge of Madrid's Taberna Pedraza, began in the crisis of 2008. Although sometimes the cliché is true that in crises there are many opportunities or that great ideas come out of them, the path is evoked with a bittersweet taste. "I remember that time with absolute terror because of the number of friends who called me telling me they had lost their jobs. Carmen lost hers when she was 45. For us it was a real shock because we knew that there was practically no chance of finding another job opportunity. Our friends told us that they were firing people or they were the ones fired," Santiago Pedraza (56) tells LOC.

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Until then their working lives had nothing to do with hospitality. They met in the classrooms of Tourism in the year 87 and, after graduating, both found work. "She was in a travel agency and I was in tourism in the Community of Madrid. Then we changed sectors and I joined an Italian company that manufactured raw materials for bakeries and Carmen in the human resources department of an aesthetic company."

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When they dispensed with Carmen, Santiago asked her what she wanted to do and her answer was: "Cook." Then they undertook a journey throughout Spain in which they found towns like Betanzos, where the tortilla is an institution. With that idea (and their own tortilla) they opened their first store on April 10, 2014 at 40 Ibiza Street. "He was only 48 meters tall and we took him because he didn't have a transfer. Since we were new, everyone gave us advice. For example: 'You have to have cash to last six months as if you didn't sell anything.' I didn't even have for the next six hours."

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The omelette was liked and the plan worked. In two months the place had become too small so they took the one next door, Ibiza 38. They then doubled the bet and opened Carmen Casa de Cocidos. On the way, Carmen had to sleep in the premises because the couple lived in Aranjuez. But soon they got a flat thanks, curiously, to Natalia Verbeke. "He put an image of the tortilla saying that he liked it a lot and the next day two girls from a real estate agency came to whom I told my story and offered me a flat. I stayed with him without seeing him and that's how we managed to be close to the place."

If the origin of your tortilla is in Betanzos, the stew is in the Toledo town of Los Yébenes. Santiago's grandfather was shot by the Republican side in the war and his grandmother had to raise her two children, whom she was able to give studies thanks to having a store. Santiago's father graduated in Naval Engineering. He traveled to Asturias, where he met his wife, the first architect of the stew of Taberna Pedraza. "My father took my mother to Los Yébenes and my grandmother served them cooked, which was what the townspeople practically ate every day in the 60s. He wanted to improve the recipe and refine it and also transfer that wisdom. Carmen's stew started from the recipe my mother taught her."

I think we will be like Doña Julia de Asturianos, we will not retire

On February 13, 2019, they opened the doors of the Taberna Pedraza on Recoletos Street, a 500-meter venue in which they merged the two concepts of Ibiza 40 and 38. Carmen continues to make one of the best valued stews in the capital and Santiago has specialized in grilling. Their business model is to be bosses and employees and they plan to continue doing so, without delegating. "This is a restaurant that is going to be associated with names, so this exists because we are here. They have a part of risk, of slavery, but that is the model. We have not missed a day. La Tasquita, La Buena Vida, we reflect on those types of places." Although he still has that time left, Santiago does not think about retirement. He has the feeling that he will never retire, Lucio-style. "I think Taberna Pedraza will become small but I don't think there will be retirement. We will be like Doña Julia de Los Asturianos. Lucio is also a PR, a genius. He has done a lot for Madrid."

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The couple has three children but none of them has felt the call of hospitality. "My son is a computer engineer and works in the US and my daughters study Biotechnology and Law and Business Administration. But hey, I'm not worried about continuity, we still have a lot to offer."

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Taberna Pedraza has 12 employees among which is Santiago, who is required to prepare bread while this conversation occurs. At his tables he attends to all kinds of well-known people although he recognizes that the best client "is the anonymous one". His letter achieves the consensus of various ideologies, from Zapatero to Santiago Abascal. It also attracts artists such as Antonio Banderas, who just a few days ago went to eat. "I don't like to brag about the well-known people who come to Taberna Pedraza. The good hotelier is discreet."

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