Paris has a myriad of restaurants, bars, and specialty shops clustered throughout the city’s twenty arrondissements. In need of a French comic book or two? Visit the row of comic book shops on rue Dante in the 5th Arrondissement. In Paris, restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisine are also found gathered together in concentrated areas. The following streets are where you'll find authentic ... Read Full Article
The Ravenous Traveler’s Guide to the Food of the Netherlands
Even though the Netherlands isn’t famous for its food and even though the country appears to be populated by skinny, beautiful people, it still loves to eat! On my recent trip to North Holland, I set out to find quintessentially Dutch foods, and I was surprised by the variety of ingredients used, many of which I wouldn’t have expected, such as smoked eel (aka gerookte paling) and locally ... Read Full Article
The Best Places to Eat (and Drink) in Edinburgh
One of the better lines from the movie, So I Married An Axe Murderer, is when Mike Myers’ character says, “I think most Scottish cuisine is based on a dare.” While certainly not a universal truth, who could argue that the Deep Fried Mars Bar was not the result of a sober conversation. But, overall, Scottish food gets a bad rap. Edinburgh is not short on culinary delights. Whether you are ... Read Full Article
Douja D’Or: Asti’s Celebration of Food and Wine
Douja D’Or , which means Pitcher of Gold, is a ten-day celebration of the outstanding wines and foods of the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy. Wine production is hugely important here. In the Piedmont province of Asti, miles of vineyards stripe the hillsides, growing fat clusters of grapes that will become some of the world’s best wines.From old Nebbiolo vines come the deep, ... Read Full Article
Eating the Adriatic – Finding an Authentic Venetian Restaurant
Finding an authentic Venetian restaurant is sometimes difficult; of all the cities in Italy, Venice is the only one that regularly serves bad food. In Italy, a bad restaurant doesn’t last long, because everyone knows what a traditional dish is supposed to taste like. If you can’t hack it, you’re out of business... fast. The Veneto region is the origin of many of Italy’s most iconic ... Read Full Article
Where to Eat in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik teems with restaurants, but the city’s culinary reputation isn’t very good. Investors have opened sub-par restaurants beside classic restaurants, and, between the menu and the decor, it can be tough for the visitor to tell the two apart when deciding where to eat in Dubrovnik. To help weed out the bad from the good, I compiled this list of restaurant recommendations on my ... Read Full Article
Eating the Adriatic – Continental Cooking in Zagreb, Croatia
For better or worse, Croatia invites comparisons. The coastal towns and the cuisine of the Dalmatian Coast and the Istrian Peninsula remind me of Italy, and Zagreb, the metropolitan capital of Croatia whose restaurants feature a Continental cooking style, reminds me of a mini-Vienna. Croatia is a young country, fully established in 1995, and perhaps this is why it’s so tempting to make ... Read Full Article
Eating the Adriatic – Traditional Dubrovnik Dishes
I see now why Lord Byron called Dubrovnik “the pearl of the Adriatic.” With numerous beaches around the city center, giant medieval walls, and an identity all of its own, Dubrovnik has been an important tourist destination for 75 years. It’s the ideal place to begin a culinary trip through Croatia and taste some traditional Dubrovnik dishes.This morning I ordered two of the local pastries: ... Read Full Article
Eating the Adriatic: Dubrovnik, Croatia
I woke up at 5:30 this morning in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dubrovnik is a photo waiting to happen. It’s a walled city (think of a mini Great Wall of China) built right along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. As it was my first morning in Europe, I gave into jet lag, got up, and left my hotel. Just a few stone steps later, I stumbled upon a bustling farmers’ market on the shore of Gruz Bay. The ... Read Full Article
Eating My Way Through Venice
Before departing New York, I joke that I am going to Italy to get my Eat Pray Love on—but as soon as I step off the vaporetto (water taxi) that brings me from Marco Polo Airport, I decide these first few days in Venice will be focused on eating. Everything looks so amazingly good thatfiguring out what to eat nearly…consumes me. What do you do when your biggest decision of the day is what ... Read Full Article