Category Archives: Food

Food Run-Down: Venice, Italy 2009

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After a lost food notebook scare (from our Portugal and Spain trip), I’ve decided to start digitally documenting the meals enjoyed during our travels.  These posts won’t be too detailed, but I will include where we ate, what we ordered (and some pictures), how much it cost, and an overall comment on the food/restaurant.  I’m starting at the beginning with Venice 2009 and will work my way through London 2012.  So, without further ado: Venice!

With a few exceptions, our food choices in Venice focused on anything from the sea. Since it was a first trip to Italy for the both of us, we also made sure to try pasta and pizza, the Italian staples here in the US.  Nothing we had was disappointing and after this trip we have continued dreamt of the Venetian cuisine.

One tip I’ve recently read is to visit the morning fish market to see what’s for sale – that will give you an idea of what is fresh from that day when you are ordering fish later that night for dinner.  I didn’t even think of that on this trip, so I stuck to whatever sounded delicious (and it never led me astray). 

Meal: Dinner at Trattoria Povoledo (Sept. 4, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) Collalto Chardonnay – €20
    (2) Spaghetti ai frutti di mare (seafood pasta) – €15
    (3) Prosciutto pizza – €12

Trattoria Povoledo, Venice, Italy

  • Price: $$ – not bad for a (presumably) touristy restaurant right on the Grand Canal.
  • Overall thoughts: I was so happy with our first meal in Italy.  Yes, it was on the Grand Canal, so while it may have been a touristy place, the prices were reasonable and the food was fresh and light.  My seafood pasta was delicious (the spaghetti was cooked al dente, perfection!) and Ryan’s pizza was so good that I wanted to order pizza the next day (I used to eat pizza very rarely, so this was a big deal!).  The view was also a huge plus.  We had just arrived in Venice, so it was my chance to admire the Grand Canal for the first time.

Meal: Lunch at Trattoria Locanda al Raspo de Ua in Burano, Venice, Italy (Sept. 5, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) half liter of Prosecco – €4.50
    (2) steamed mussels with lemon
    (3) Frutti di mare pizza

Trattoria Locanda Al Raspo de Ua, Burano, Venice, Italy

  • Price: $$ – the total bill was right around €25, and we left about €2-3 for the tip.
  • Overall thoughts: A great choice for lunch in Burano.  It was very crowded, but we were able to sit right away and didn’t have to wait long for our food.  The mussels were delicious (especially with extra lemon juice squeezed on top) and the seafood pizza was very unique, but tasty!  I would definitely consider revisiting on another trip to Burano.

Meal: Snacks in Venice (Sept. 4 & 5, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) gelato
    (2) panini
    (3) cappucino

Snacks in Venice, Italy

  • Price: $ 
  • Overall thoughts: the gelato was creamy and rich everywhere, and the flavors were inventive compared to the standard ice cream shops in the US.  I’d maybe skip the sandwiches, which were just okay (were sold just off of Piazza San Marco and were €4 each).  The cappuccino stop provided a quick rest during the busy day, and it’s something we should have made time for more than just once!

Meal: Dinner at Alle Testiere (Sept. 5, 2009)

  • What we ordered:
    (1) mixed seafood appetizer from the Adriatic Sea (with lobster, cuttlefish, shrimp, octopus, spider crab, anchovy, baby calamari, and a toasted baguette topped with a mixture of cod, milk, vegetable oil and garlic) – €18
    (2) Sea bream fillets with fine herbs and citrus sauce – €25
    (3) Prawns with coriander, ginger, and lime sauce (it was also served with polenta, which was a pleasant surprise!) – €25
    (4) bottle of chardonnay – €24

    Alle Testiere, Venice, Italy

  • Price: $$$$ – the bill came to €95 for one shared appetizer, two entrees (€25 each), a bottle of wine, and a bottle of water. 
  • Overall thoughts: absolutely fantastic.  This is the type of restaurant I wish we were always able to find.  We were extremely lucky – we were looking for a different place and stumbled upon Alle Testiere around 10:00pm.  Unfortunately, they had a limited menu, but they agreed to sit us at the one free table.  We later found out that they have two seatings for dinner and we were about 45 minutes late for the second one. Even with the limited menu (no pasta), the meal exceeded our expectations.  The appetizer started a continuing trend of ordering mixed appetizers featuring specials from the area (it also began my love for cuttlefish).  A great find, and a restaurant I will track down again the next time I’m in Venice.

Meal: Breakfast at Al Doge Beato Hotel (Sept. 6, 2009)

  • Included: croissants, rolls, butter, jam, nutella, juice, and tea
  • Overall thoughts: it was great to have the breakfast included in the hotel.  We missed it our first morning because we were out and about so early.  It was much better than paying €5+ for a smaller croissant and a bottle of juice! 

Breakfast in Venice

 Meal: Lunch at Hostaria Galileo (Sept. 6, 2009)

What we ordered:
(1) half liter of house white wine – €8
(2) tagliatelle with shrimp and zucchini – about €12
(3) fried calamari – about €12

Hostaria Galieo, Venice, Italy

  • Price: $$ – a bit expensive for small portions, but it wasn’t bad.
  • Overall thoughts: the food was delicious and the are was tucked away from the main tourist route.  

Meal: Dinner at Hotel Principe (Sept. 6, 2009) – the engagement dinner!

  • What we ordered:
    (1) bottle of Prosecco
    (2) sliced raw fish seasoned with oil and Sicilian citrus fruits
    (3) pappardelle du funghi porcini (pappardelle with porcini mushrooms)
    (4) riccioli di grano duro con asparagi di bassano capesante nostrane (homemade pasta with scallops and asparagus) 
    (5) tortino caldo al cioccolato con crema alla vaniglia (warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream)

Hotel Principe, Venice, Italy

  • Price: $$-$$$: I didn’t write down pricing information, but made some guesses in my notes (maybe around €15 for the appetizer and each entree).  
  • Overall thoughts: Another great view, if you aren’t trying to stay away from restaurants on the Grand Canal.  I think the raw fish appetizer was salmon, and it was fresh and tart (from the citrus).  It satisfied my “sushi craving” during the Italy portion of our trip!  The homemade pastas surpassed my expectations and the unusual combinations (scallops and asparagus!) played with our tastebuds.  It was a great way to celebrate our engagement!

Our next trip to Venice will feature similar foods (fresh seafood being the main objective), but more attention will be paid to choosing the restaurants.  I wish I had a better memory of my thoughts on the food, but luckily my journal provided some insight and brought me back to Venice for a few moments.  My stomach cannot wait to get back to Venice to experience some of the best seafood and pastas that it has ever tasted!

Indian Food in Central London

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Many of London’s Indian communities lie on the outskirts (particularly Southall near Heathrow Airport), but we found it very easy to find authentic Indian cuisine in Central London.  We regularly eat Indian food in California, and I spent a month in India during a college summer, so we thought we knew what to expect—but our expectations were surpassed in both of our Indian dinners in every way (and at a fairly reasonable value given London’s high dining prices).

We were so excited about Indian food in London (or maybe it was we were so not excited about British food), that we ate Indian food our first night.  After doing some background online research from our hotel, we decided to try Punjab near Covent Garden.  Although the restaurant was extremely crowded upon arrival, the wait staff found us a table for 2 very quickly.  Punjab specializes in North Indian food (which is mainly what is found in the United States).  Their menu offered some of our favorites (all of which we ordered): samosas, chicken tikka masala, saag panner, and naan.  Ironically, we enjoyed the food with a California Chardonnay, which paired excellently.  Despite being in Central London, many of the other clientele were British Indians (which is a good sign).  Our bill for £47 was probably one of our lowest in London.

Several nights later, we were again hungry for Indian.  We decided to be more adventurous, and selected a South Indian restaurant in the West End called Woodlands, this time found using a Rick Steves’ guide.  South Indian food is not nearly as common place in the United States (most of what they offered, Kristin had never tried).  A common menu item in South Indian restaurants is thali, a complete meal including a variety of dishes, traditionally served on a platter with metal bowls (picture above).  The Woodlands menu was completely vegetarian, and our thali included many tasty items, including the following:

  1. IdlIdlii: A pillow of rice and lentils, often served with chutney (coconut and vegetable at the Woodlands).  In India, idli is actually often served as a breakfast dish.  It is a very traditional South Indian dish and can probably be found in many different restaurants in London.  Our idli was served as an appetizer, before the actual thali platter.  We found it extremely satisfying!
  2. BhajjiaBhajjia: Fried onion fritters, also served with chutney (coconut in our case).  Bhajjia can also be made with carrots, peppers, and potatoes.  We found that it was a decent substitute for the samosas we usually order at North Indian restaurants.  The portion size at the Woodlands is just perfect, and the fried onions paired very well with our white wine.
  3. DosaDosa: A crepe made with a batter of lentils and rice (again served with a selection of chutneys).  It’s hard to find anything tastier than good dosa when cooked perfectly.  In America, probably the closest thing you can find to it is a pancake.  It is common to find a variety of dosa on a menu.  Although we had potato dosa with our thali, Woodlands also offered spicy, mushroom, and onion.Korma
  4. Korma: When the thali tray comes out, one of the best things to do is mix up the various curries with the rice.  One of our favorites to mix was korma, a mix of vegetables cooked in a creamy yogurt nut sauce.  The korma at Woodlands was made with a cashew sauce and included green beans, sweet potatoes, and peas.

We enjoyed it all, except for the dessert, which was a little exotic, and again selected a white wine, which paired excellently with the food. We found ourselves sitting next to many locals and, although our bill was slightly higher, it was reasonable for London.  All in all, the dinner was a very unique experience.

Our two Indian meals ended up being a trip highlight, and we look forward to finding delicious Indian food next time we visit London.  Given the limited allure of British food, visitors should certainly try and include at least one Indian meal on their London itinerary.

Markets in London

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Visiting markets is always a fun way to mix in with locals and tourists alike.  We tried to visit a few during our stay in London, but with so many other attractions on our list, we barely made a dent.  Time Out London has information about many of the markets – check it out before your visit!

The Borough Market is open for lunch Monday-Wednesday, but the market is in full force on Thursday-Saturday (we visited on a Thursday).  We took the tube to the London Bridge station and walked around the area before entering the nearby market.  Unfortunately we ate lunch before we got there – the sausage stall near one of the entrances of the market smelled delicious.  Definitely plan on buying food from one of the many stalls and eating lunch there.  The only negative is that there wasn’t much seating, but with something like a sausage, you can walk around while you eat.  We did manage to save room for a blueberry tart – one of the dessert stalls was handing out samples and we needed more than that small taste.  

Dessert stall at Borough Market

The majority of the stalls were occupied by food vendors.  Aside from lunch and dessert foods, we saw cheeses, spices, meats, seafood, veggies, fruits, nuts, and more.  Before we left, we were tempted by the caramel, cinnamon-apple smell of hot mulled cider.  We each ordered the drink and we were surprised at how strong (alcoholic) it was.  It was still good, especially after the initial sip, but the sweet smell threw us off.  Do visit the Borough Market, do plan to eat lunch (and dessert) while you’re there, and do shop around and enjoy the stalls!  You will not regret it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portobello Market, Notting Hill

Portobello Road Market is another one not to miss.  It’s located in the colorful Notting Hill neighborhood and the line of stalls seems endless.  While the market is open Monday-Saturday, Saturday is the full market day, with antique stalls and other stalls selling a 

variety of goods.  Unfortunately for us, it was raining all day Saturday, but we didn’t want to miss the excitement.  We browsed through stalls and stores and managed to ignore the rain until the food stalls opened around 10am (we got there early to try to avoid the crowds, but it was still crowded).  We tried a hodgepodge of food – greek appetizers, bruschetta, and a warm cheddar & leek quiche.  The food was cheap and quick, and we quickly snacked while trying to stay dry.  The Portobello Market is huge compared to Borough Market, so if you have time, plan to spend at least a few hours browsing the shops and stalls.  Arrive early (to beat some of the crowds) and stay for an early lunch to get the most out of your visit. 

I wish we had been able to spend more time at both markets (and even better – if we had been able to use some of the fresh food to cook our own meal!), but it’s something to look forward to on our next trip to London.  Definitely plan a visit to at least one of the markets.  It’s a great way to spend time between museums, enjoy a tasty snack, and maybe find a souvenir or two!

Day Trip to Brussels from London: Too Ambitious?

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I’ve always wanted to ride the Eurostar through the Chunnel Tunnel, but never had a good opportunity.  On our recent trip to London, I convinced Kristin to agree to a day trip on Eurostar to Brussels.  In addition to the train ride (which was exciting enough to justify the trip for me), we also planned on seeking out three Brussels experiences: 1) mussels, 2) Trappist beer, and 3) chocolate.  We actually accomplished our goal, but in the end, the trip was way more stress and hassle than it was worth.

We didn’t finalize our decision to go to Brussels until just several weeks before our trip.  Unfortunately, by this time, fares crept up and we ultimately needed to consider price in our train selection.  We opted for the 10:57am departure from London, putting us in Brussels at 2:05p (2 hour train + 1 hour loss due to time zone change) and the 6:56pm departure from Brussels, putting us in London at 7:57pm (2 hour train ride – 1 hour gain due to time zone change).  Ideally, we would have chosen an earlier departure, but it was too expensive at the time of booking.  We ended up paying £89 per person round trip for the train trip.

Grand PalaceUpon arrival in Brussels, we set out for the center of town, which surrounds the picturesque Grand Palace (photo on the left).  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that the Eurostar drops travelers at the Brussels Midi station, well outside the center of town, until we were nearly halfway there.  We spent about 25 minutes walking in the rain to traverse the distance to the Grand Palace.  We later realized that this journey is much more efficient by a train transfer to Brussels Central, which is included in the price of the Eurostar ticket and takes less than 5 minutes (with frequent trains).

After taking in the Grand Palace, we opted to dine at Chez Leon, well regarded for their mussels.  On the way, we passed through Restaurant Row, with overzealous restaurateurs chasing us away from our restaurants.  After sitting down at Chez Leon, we ordered a starter of escargot in addition to individual orders of moules-frites (mussels & french fries).  Although we always like mussels, we were a little disappointed that Chez Leon’s food was not spectacular, and Kristin actually disliked the celery included in the preparation of the mussels.

Our next stop was the Delirium Cafe, which happened to be a block away, in search of a Trappist beer.  After entering the cafe, we were informed that many of the specialty beers, including the much sought-after Rocheford beers, were only available downstairs.  Upstairs, they have a great selection of beers on tap.  We really liked the atmosphere upstairs, so we decided to sample what they had to offer on tap.

The upstairs of Delirium Cafe, with many beers on tap!

 I still managed to try a Trappist beer, the Chimay Triple, which they offered on tap.  Meanwhile, Kristin tried a very unique green, wheat beer, called Floris Cactus.  We finished with a special Christmas beer, the Delirium Noel, which despite being very alcoholic (10% ABV), was extremely drinkable. On the other hand, the rehab for alcoholics is available for those who want to stay out of alcohol forever. We could have stayed for a while (and in fact this experience was probably the highlight of Brussels), but we still had one more priority to check-off before our train departure: chocolate!

Saint HubertMany of the chocolate shops in Brussels are concentrated near Les Galeries Saint Hubert (see photo to the right), the covered mall near the center of town.  After checking out several of the famous shops (we eliminated Godiva since it is so ubiquitous in the USA), we decided to taste some chocolates at Neuhaus.  We were blown-away by several of the chocolates, including those flavored with hazelnut.  We ultimately took home 2 boxes, which we have been slowly eating since our return home.  We also found a small independent chocolate shop to grab a Belgian waffle with chocolate, and it was delicious!

The quick train transfer from the much-closer Brussels Central train station to Brussels Midi was very slick, and we arrived with plenty of time to go through immigration (with a new passport stamp!) and board our train home.  We slept nearly the entire way, arriving in London with an appetite for dinner on the way home.

Ultimately, it was an interesting experience.  However, London has so much to offer and we found ourselves wishing we hadn’t spent the time or money to go to Brussels.  Most guidebooks recommend Bruges over Brussels as the place to visit in Belguim, but it’s just not feasible to make it that far on a day trip.  Even with our regret, we can now say we’ve seen the capital of Europe, and I can check off my lifetime ambition of taking the Eurostar through the Chunnel.

Afternoon Tea in London

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Afternoon tea is everywhere in London and it’s something I’ve dreamed about ever since we planned our trip.If you are an avid tea lover like me, you can also taste varieties of tea from Atlas Tea Club because they create an experience with each cup you sip. What could be more “London” than sitting in a warm dining room, drinking tea and eating scones, while the wind and rain pound against the building?

It is so common in London and we easily took part in the ritual two times during our weeklong stay.  However, I didn’t know anything about the history of afternoon tea until after we returned.  I found this site, which gives a brief history lesson:  In the nineteenth century, Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, started the tradition of afternoon tea as a late afternoon snack between breakfast and dinner.  She eventually started to invite friends to tea and the practice caught on among society.  Afternoon tea is generally served around 4pm and is not to be confused with “high tea” – this was traditionally served to the middle and lower classes and it consists of a heavier meal served later in the day (5 or 6pm) as a substitute for dinner.

Even without the above history lesson, we were able to enjoy our afternoon tea.  Our hotel was just down the street and across the way from The Ritz, but we opted for the cheaper and still opulent dining room of The Wolseley for tea-time experience.

I must apologize for the pictures – some are from my iPhone and the room was dimly lit, resulting in less-than-stellar pictures.  But I can assure you that the experience was first class, and I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting London.  It’s a great way to unwind and refuel after a long day of exploring.

We tried the champagne tea the first time around, which includes a glass of champagne (before the tea) and extra treats to eat with the tea.  In addition to the fruit scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam, the champagne tea comes with an assortment of pastries and sandwiches.

The patries included a coffee eclair, cheesecake, chocolate cake, a lemon tart with burnt sugar on top, a pink & yellow checkered cake with fondant (or something like that) around the outside, and a pistachio and cherry “cookie sandwich” – it had pistachio cookies or pastries on the top or bottom and a cream or mousse in the middle.

The sandwiches came out crustless (just as I had imagined!), cut into dainty rectangles.  There were five sandwiches, each with two rectangles so we didn’t have to worry about sharing.  We had the following: smoked salmon, cucumber, celery & cream cheese, chicken & tarragon, and egg salad.  My favorites were the smoked salmon and the celery & cream cheese, but they were all delicious (we ate the sandwiches with our champagne while we waited for our pot of cream tea to come out).

We ordered the Wolseley Afternoon Blend, which I had with cream and sugar.  The homemade fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam were the perfect complement to the tea.  We opted for the cream tea on our second visit and we were rewarded with a total of 6 fruit scones.  I did not miss the pastries and sandwiches and left without feeling stuffed.

Unless you are looking for a substantial amount of food, I would recommend the cream tea.  Not only can you save money, but the scones are the star of the show and plenty of food for a snack to hold you over until dinner.  And you will get the same great service and sit in the same fancy dining room.

While I can’t comment on the hundreds of other tea places around town, I imagine that the experience is similar (though the prices can get much higher).  The prices at the Wolseley were £9.75 per person for the cream tea (tea and scones), £22.50 per person for the afternoon tea (which added the pastries and sandwiches), and £32.50 per person for the champagne tea (afternoon tea + champagne). It’s served from about 3:00pm to 6:00pm, depending on the day of the week, and reservations are accepted but not required.  We walked in both times – the first day we were seated right away, and the second we waited in the bar area for about 5-10 minutes.

I’m not sure how often those living in London can actually enjoy afternoon tea, but I highly recommend it as a tourist!  It was definitely a highlight of the trip and a way to take a breather from our busy day and be spoiled for an hour.