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| For those few people out there who still read my little blog, I present to you "Eating My Way Through Europe." As many of you know, I went on a Mediterranean cruise thru Crystal Cruises -- high class all the way. But before that, I spent a few days in London with MixyGirl. I hope to post one city every 2 days except for London and Rome, which will probably take a few posts each. 
Cities visited:
London, Dublin, Cork, Oporto, Lisbon, Gibralter, Barcelona, Monte Carlo / Monaco, and Rome I was going to give a little history lesson on each of the cities, but it's going to take way too much time, and you guys can look it up in wikipedia.  SO.. as the title describes... I'll be focusing mainly on food.. and I'll also give a brief overview of the places I visited just to give you an idea of what the environment is like (for a tourist, that is). I'll also try to give you some interesting observations here and there. Overall, I took over 1000 pictures, and that doesn't even include the ones with people in them! Obviously, I won't be posting all of them on this site, but I'll provide a link to them for each city (or the final post for each city) in case you want to check 'em out. London (part 1)  First stop in London was, of course, food-related. MG and I went to North Sea Fish Restaurant (recommended by CheesePanda), and it did not disappoint. The fish n' chips were outstanding (compared to what i've had in North America), but the highlight of the meal was definitely their homemade fishcakes (insanely good).   
1) Homemade fishcakes 
2) Skate fish n' chips
3) Cod fillet fish n' chips  
Above Beers: Bitburger and Wells Bombardier - Bitburger was just an average light beer - nothing to write home about. Bombardier was better - nice bitter malt. Next stop, the famous Covent Garden. Also, for you "Lost" watchers, where Charlie saved a woman who was being mugged. Covent Garden is basically an outdoor marketplace with tons restaurants, pubs, and stores.   
A typical scene pretty much all over the UK is the sight of people spilling out of pubs. I guess the deal is you can't smoke inside of pubs, so a lot of people just drink their beers outside. Wine and cocktails are definitely not part of the norm in the UK. Beer, unsurprisingly, is the way to go. This warms my heart.  So our final stop of the evening was one of MG's favorite spots, West Cornwall Pasty Co. A pasty is basically a handheld meat pie. In my opinion, everything should be handheld and portable (i.e., pizza, hot dogs, burgers, nacho cheese chalupas, etc.). Anyways, these were delicious, and we actually made a repeat visit a couple of days later.   
The pasty shown is the Traditional version with potato, turnip, onion, and diced steak. Totally hit the spot. We washed it down with Skinner's Cornish Blonde and Strongbow Cider. Both were pretty refreshing and easy to drink. Mm.. meat pie...why are you so far away? The next post will feature a gigantic drumstick. | | |
| So tomorrow, I'm heading to Europe with my family! Yep, for the next few weeks, I'll be hanging out in London, cruisin' (literally) around the Mediterranean, and then chillaxing in Italy for another week and a half or so. I promise to return with tons of pictures. :) But just to remember me by... here's something I ate at Typhoon (near Santa Monica airport) this past weekend: Waterbugs (stuffed with chicken) 
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| Ah yes, the 3rd and final installment of my romp in the lovely Bay Area. Tony's Seafood (Marshall / Tomales Bay)   Ally and I decided to venture out to get some bbq oysters, and let me say that it certainly was not a wasted trip. Beautiful day, scenic views.... We had other items (cioppino and crab), but they honestly paled in comparison to the bbq oysters. If you're looking to get good general seafood, maybe this isn't the best place (IMHO), but for bbq oysters, it definitely hits the spot. Foreign Cinema (SF City) 
Pretty hip vibe, overall good food, and cool crowd. This restaurant's gimmick is basically that they show a movie on the wall while you're dining -- only, no one really watches the movie -- just a nice backdrop to keep things alive. They showed "Breakfast at Tiffany's" while we dined. I'd recommend going there at least once 'cause it's just different --- and a pretty large expanse of space for being so hidden in the Mission District. Just go -- it's cool.   
1) Beef tartar, fried herbs, waffle chips, fried capers, horseradish sauce
2) Mushroom-stuffed Squab, artichokes
3) Skate wing, fingerling potatoes, leek puree Notes: If you want really innovative dishes that will blow your mind, then this may not be up to par for you. But if you just want a solid meal in a cool environment where you can people-watch and have tasty drinks with friends... look no further than Foreign Cinema. And last, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST.... Old Port Lobster Shack (Redwood City) This place is freakin' amazing. I think the lobster roll just might beat out everything I've ever had in San Francisco -- during this trip, previous trips, and my 5 years of living there. Those of you who know me know that I'm always aiming to get a "food experience"... I love trying new types flavors, and I'm absolutely amazed when chefs can put something together so complex yet harmonious. But sometimes, you don't need to complicate a dish to make it good. If the quality is good, it'll speak for itself. I think that's why I love sushi so much -- because it's so simple and pure. So is the case with the lobster roll at Old Port Lobster Shack. But first...   
1) Steamer Clams ("Steamers")
2) Beer-battered Fish and Chips
3) Lobster Macaroni and Cheese This was my first time having steamers -- gotta wash out the sand first and then dip in butter (HELLO). I had some trouble at first getting the brown layer off of the foot of the clam, but I got the hang of it eventually. I'm such a West Coaster.. haha. I didn't actually try the fish and chips, but I was told by Greedymonger that they were good. The lobster macaroni and cheese was tasty and not as rich as I thought it would be. Most importantly, fresh lobster chunks on top. 
LOBSTER ROLLS!! I admit, I'm not usually a huge fan of lobster. I mean, I like it, but I don't go out of my way to get it. In fact, I've always liked the Chinese-style lobster more than the American preparations. Well, until I tried OP's lobster roll. It looks simple, and the beauty of it is that it IS simple. No gimmicks.. nothing to mask the flavors. The one closest to the camera is the Naked Lobster Roll and the one further back is the Maine Lobster Roll (mixed with Hellman's mayo, green onions, salt & pepper). They fly in lobsters from the East Coast several times a week, so they're always fresh. And I've been told that they have their buttered New England top-loading hot dog buns freshly baked. To give you an idea of how good it was... I actually felt sad when I had only one bite left. I let out a big sigh in remembrance of the good times.. the first bite.. the subsequent bites.. oh, juicy lobster... For those of you in the Bay Area... you're really missing out if you haven't visited this place yet. If I was up there, my cholesterol level would be off the charts. And I just might be okay with it. It's that good. | | |
| New Kapadokia (Turkish Cuisine) - Redwood City    1) Kofte Kebab - 5 miniature hamburgers, seasoned with Turkish spices, flame-broiled to perfection and served with rice pilaf
2) Sebzeli Guvec (Vegetable Lamb Casserole) - lamb cubes, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, and pepper paste, baked in casserole and served with rice pilaf
3) Sarma Beyti Kebab - skewered ground spicy beef wrapped with lavas bread and topped with homemade tomato sauce and garlic yogurt  Notes: This was my first time eating Turkish food, and I was quite impressed. Everything was really palatable, and my Sarma Beyti Kebab was awesome! It was even good out of the microwave the next day. Something about Turkish spices really agree with me... kind of peppery and tart, but also refreshing and light. Time to find some Turkish cuisine in LA... Zuni Cafe (SF City)   
1) House-cured anchovies with celery, parmesan, and nicoise olives
2) House salt cod and mussels roasted in the brick oven with spicy romesco, spinach, and chickpeas
3) Bellwether Farms ricotta gnocchi with butternut squash and sage  4) Chicken for two roasted in the brick oven; warm bread salad with scallions, currants, and pine nuts
This is their most popular dish, and I do believe it lived up to the hype. The chicken was really well-seasoned and juicy.. etc etc.. but the most impressive thing about this dish was the toasted, broth-soaked bread and vinaigrette... oh man. ohhhh man. I'm telling you, it's great stuff! Maybe I like it so much 'cause stuffing is my favorite part of Thanksgiving.. and I've always wished stuffing was more readily available throughout the year... like Cadbury creme eggs or hot toddies. And I can't believe cheese balls are discontinued on the west coast!!! Sorry, that was totally unrelated, but I've been upset about that for the last month. Stay tuned for the next installment.... | | |
| Gary Danko (SF City) First of all, thanks to Turtling and Greedymonger for letting me crash at their place for a week in SF. They took me to some really great restaurants. Eating was such an integral (and heavily recurring) part of my time there that it really was a miracle I didn't have to roll myself back down the coast. (pause for visual) So the first restaurant I'll be posting about is the highly-regarded Gary Danko. I don't normally like to post up Zagat ratings, but this place has a very impressive 29/30 (tying with French Laundry, which I have yet to grace with my presence). But for some reason, the higher the rating, the more skeptical I am. No need for that though, 'cause this place rocked! Great food and amazing service. I usually expect pretty snobby staff from an upscale restaurant, but it was the best service I've ever had at any restaurant - hands down. The waitstaff was attentive and the fromagiere/sommeliere were both extremely helpful. One of the waitstaff even stopped me on the way to the restroom so she could check if it was occupied before I made the effort to walk the10 more paces necessary to reach the door (nice touch). At the end of the night, they had my jacket ready to put on me (nice touch). They also give all their customers little tea cakes to eat later on. As usual, I asked for a copy of the menu, and they did one better... Gary Danko himself signed it! 
Without further ado, the food:  Bison Tar Tar (amuse bouche)   
Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions and Rhubarb
Risotto with Lobster, Rock Shrimp, Zucchini and Meyer Lemon
Winter Root Vegetable Soup with Pancetta and Onion-Thyme Marmalade   
Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Spaghetti Squash, Cipollini Onions, Sour Cherries and Almonds
Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Cabbage, Shiitake Mushrooms, Wild Rice and Yuzu
New Zealand Snapper with Fingerling Potatoes, Fennel, Rock Shrimp and Blood Orange Puree
   Roasted Loin of Bison with Wild Mushrooms, Onion and Herb Spaetzle
Wild Mushroom Stuffed Quail with Braised Red Cabbage and Butternut Squash Puree
Lemon Herb Duck Breast with Duck Hash and Rhubarb Compote   Cheese Platter (going clockwise from 1 o'clock)
Roaring 40's Bleu (Australia) - medium creamy bleu
Mimolette (France) - fruity, nutty
Rochetta (Italy) - mild, milky
Soumaintrain / Epoisses (France) - insanely pungent  
Blueberry French Toast with Maple Syrup Emulsion and Salted Almond Ice Cream
Non-Cholesterol Meye Lemon Souffle with Blackberry Sorbet Final Notes: Overall, I think it lives up to the hype. The food was pretty solid - clear standouts (to me, at least) were the bison tar tar, scallops, and quail. I think what put them over the top though was the impeccable service. Anyone who lives up in the Bay Area should try this place out at least once -- preferably twice or more. More posting to come! | | |
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