Posts tagged Travel

There are a lot of tapas joints in Barcelona. While I’m sure even the most mediocre ones there are still better than most places you can go to in London, I was looking for some really great tapas when I was in Barcelona in January.

I didn’t have to look further than Cervecería Catalana. This place had everything you could possibly imagine by way of tapas and the ingredients were impossibly fresh. 

It was so good I went two days in a row and contemplated a third. 

OMG. Anthony Bourdain travel guides.

I am a huge fan of foie gras. I know it’s not the most humane of foods, but it’s heaven on your taste buds. Earlier this year I went to Bergerac, a small town near Bordeaux where a lot of foie gras is made. I saw a duck being force fed and it didn’t put me off spending the next two days gorging on foie gras. This particular foie gras terrine is from a little restaurant called L’Imparfait in the heart of vieux Bergerac.

I am a huge fan of foie gras. I know it’s not the most humane of foods, but it’s heaven on your taste buds. Earlier this year I went to Bergerac, a small town near Bordeaux where a lot of foie gras is made. I saw a duck being force fed and it didn’t put me off spending the next two days gorging on foie gras.

This particular foie gras terrine is from a little restaurant called L’Imparfait in the heart of vieux Bergerac.

Every city worth eating in has a signature street food snack. In Florence it’s stewed tripe on a Tuscan bun with a little sauce. Mmmm. Tripe sandwich.

Every city worth eating in has a signature street food snack. In Florence it’s stewed tripe on a Tuscan bun with a little sauce. Mmmm. Tripe sandwich.

Trumped only by Kasteel, Duvel is my second favourite Belgian beer. Much lighter and drinkable for a longer period of time versus the darker, more broody Kasteel.

Trumped only by Kasteel, Duvel is my second favourite Belgian beer. Much lighter and drinkable for a longer period of time versus the darker, more broody Kasteel.

Deep fried squash blossoms from Buca Mario in Florence. Where can I find these in London?

Deep fried squash blossoms from Buca Mario in Florence. Where can I find these in London?

So I watch/read a lot of Anthony Bourdain, so he is a big influence on where I want to travel and what I want to eat when I get there. On his show about Tuscany, he went visit a lardo maker and I was immediately curious. Basically, lardo is pig fat (just the fat and nothing else) cured with rosemary and other spices. It’s bacon without the meat part. Amazing right? Of course lardo was on my list of things to eat when I went back to Florence this past summer. So I had sliced lardo from Colonnata, the place where lardo has been made since Roman times apparently. It was really good. Not so good that I would risk a coronary to have it every day, but good enough for me to have on my once a year trips to Italy.

So I watch/read a lot of Anthony Bourdain, so he is a big influence on where I want to travel and what I want to eat when I get there. On his show about Tuscany, he went visit a lardo maker and I was immediately curious. Basically, lardo is pig fat (just the fat and nothing else) cured with rosemary and other spices. It’s bacon without the meat part. Amazing right?

Of course lardo was on my list of things to eat when I went back to Florence this past summer. So I had sliced lardo from Colonnata, the place where lardo has been made since Roman times apparently.

It was really good. Not so good that I would risk a coronary to have it every day, but good enough for me to have on my once a year trips to Italy.

Anthony Bourdain in Singapore, sucking bone marrow out of stewed mutton bones. Heaven.

The first time I saw burrata was on a Jamie Oliver show. I subsequently spent my first trip to Florence in 2005 dragging my poor friend all around the city looking for it. When I finally found it, I was in heaven. Every time I see it on a menu, I order it. For those of you who don’t know burrata is a fresh Italian cheese from the mozzarella family. The outside of the cheese is classic buffalo mozzarella and the inside is a combination of cream and mozzarella. This past summer in Florence, I had a tomato and burrata salad that by far was the best way you can ever have burrata prepared. While I do not remember the actual name of the place, I do know it was a wine bar that is directly across from the Pitti Palace. I can find it when I go back. This is the only way to eat burrata.

The first time I saw burrata was on a Jamie Oliver show. I subsequently spent my first trip to Florence in 2005 dragging my poor friend all around the city looking for it. When I finally found it, I was in heaven. Every time I see it on a menu, I order it.

For those of you who don’t know burrata is a fresh Italian cheese from the mozzarella family. The outside of the cheese is classic buffalo mozzarella and the inside is a combination of cream and mozzarella.

This past summer in Florence, I had a tomato and burrata salad that by far was the best way you can ever have burrata prepared. While I do not remember the actual name of the place, I do know it was a wine bar that is directly across from the Pitti Palace. I can find it when I go back.

This is the only way to eat burrata.

I’m not a huge fan of beer, but I will never say no to a Belgian beer. Specifically, I will never say no to a Kasteel beer. Rich, slightly sweet, complex and 11%. Who says no to that?

I’m not a huge fan of beer, but I will never say no to a Belgian beer. Specifically, I will never say no to a Kasteel beer. Rich, slightly sweet, complex and 11%. Who says no to that?