A quick scan of guidebooks and the web usually reveals the most famous and trendy eating places in any city. But it’s much harder to get a handle on how people shop and eat every day. Providing such a peek at daily life was just what Lauren Aloise had in mind when she introduced her tour of the Huertas neighborhood that Pat described in her new book 100 Places in Spain Every Woman Should Go from Travelers’ Tales Press (travelerstales.com/100-places-spain-every-woman-go/).

An American married to a Spaniard, Aloise launched Devour Madrid Food Tours (madridfoodtour.com) in 2012. The tour of the Huertas neighborhood is one of several options led by Aloise and her small band of guides, all of whom are devoted foodies. Located just off Puerta del Sol, Huertas is one of Madrid’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods. Walking the narrow, somewhat hilly streets “is like a day in the life of a Madrileña,” says Aloise. The eating and shopping are “not that far off from what someone would do in a couple of days.” So are the tastes.

One of the highlights of the tour is a stop at the recently revitalized Mercado Antón Martín (above), one of Madrid’s traditional neighborhood food markets. “When I moved to Madrid, the market was half empty,” says Aloise. “Now it’s filled with a lot of new vendors.”

Pleasures of the Huertas streets

The tour group also hits a number of smaller places off the beaten path in colorful Huertas. They might taste hot chocolate and freshly made churros, Spain’s famous mountain hams, the just-fried potato chips that Spaniards are so fond of, and a variety of Spanish cheeses. A stop at one of the oldest grocery stores in the city is a chance to taste jams, honeys, and olive oils and perhaps even select some to take home. “It’s everything a Spaniard would have in her pantry,” says Aloise.