Why I Love San Francisco

This past July, I went to San Francisco to visit a friend, and with every moment I fell more in love with this city than I already am.  Here’s why.

Natural and Architectural Beauty:

A gorgeous Bay day

Palace of Fine Arts

Coit Tower

The Golden Gate Bridge peeking out through the fog

All my 90’s kids will recognize these from the opening credits of Full House.  The Painted Ladies in Alamo Square are the epitome of the Victorian era homes in San Francisco.

The Ferry Building is one of the must-go places for me every time I go to the city.  Inside, you can find all kind of artisan food mongers, butchers, creameries, coffee shops, and restaurants.  It’s my heaven.  Turns out, the actually ferry leaves from here as well, who’da thunk it?

To me, the Transamerica building is the building that makes the San Francisco skyline. Well, that and the bridges.

Go ‘Murica!

The Food:

The food scene in San Francisco is so wonderful.  As I’m sure you’ve picked up by now, bad food is a deal breaker for me.  Luckily, San Francisco and I can continue our love affair, because this is the food mecca of the US. The plethora of fresh produce and locally made goods makes each trip to the farmers market or a restaurant a special treat, and actually makes you excited to eat healthy. Imagine that.  Like this proscuitto with almonds and piquillo peppers from Bar Jules in Hayes Valley. Okay, so maybe proscuitto isn’t healthy, but I’m willing to look the other way on this one.

Or their fantastic chocolate cake.  I couldn’t wait to taste the fresh whipped cream before taking the picture.

My fave in the city

farm:table is one of my favorite places to go in the city.  Their menu is different everyday depending on what’s fresh, and then tweeted to their loyal foodie followers.  Seating is limited in their tiny space, but if you’re lucky you can catch a table outside and enjoy a rare sunny day, an egg and bacon sandwich on a housemade bisquit, and a latte with a friend.

The perfect remedy for a hangover is this s’mores rootbeer float from Cole Valley’s The Ice Cream Bar Soda Fountain. Trust me on this one.

And the fruits and veg.  The variety here is amazing, and I will eat heirloom anything. 

Tomato love.

The Quirks:

All the things that make me smile.

Playing tourist with the lower Haight bunny

A ceiling made entirely out of wine corks. Genius!

Reppin’ my Indian brethren

Just like me.

Walking up these stairs was terrible, but beautiful at the same time.

Hey, book people, make sure if you’re ever in the city you visit City Lights.  It’s pretty great.

And the most important thing in San Francisco that makes me smile.  My amiga that I met in Spain, Casey.  She willingly brought my into her home, tour guided me around the city, and made sure that my body was always drunk or full of food.  What a good friend!

Early morning mimosas to kick off a day that almost killed me!

Oh yeah, did I mention we went to the Pride Festival the weekend after DOMA was declared unconstitutional? I LOVE SF!!

London Food Adventure

The last few days of my trip were spent wandering around London and enjoying London’s excellent food scene.

My favorite of the markets (of any market, anywhere really) was the Real Food Market at the Southbank Centre.  Near the London Eye, the Southbank Centre is a complex of art venues, and is really a great place to visit. It has a really awesome community garden.

The Real Food Market is held Friday-Sunday, and has everything from fresh produce, honey, curry cooking in giant pots, to locally brewed craft beer.  I feasted on the best roasted hog sandwich and a local lager.

This sandwich will haunt my dreams forever, because I doubt I’ll have to opportunity to slow roast a whole hog, and if I do, I know it won’t be this amazing.

The other amazing market I went to was Borough Market, one of the oldest markets in London.  Borough Market sold more gourmet type products, both local and global, as well as produce.  For a food lover like me, these markets both felt like little slices of heaven.

We also visited Chin-Chin Labs, a nitrogen ice cream place, which was absolutely phenomenal.  I had the peanut butter popcorn icecream with white chocolate covered potato chips and caramel pretzels as a topping.  It was too good to share, so us fatties each got our own.

 

And the irony is, after eating all of this amazing food, this is what I miss most from the UK that I can’t get in the US.

Haribo, it’s time to get your s**t together and bring Tangfastics to me. Because ‘Kids and Grown Ups love it so’… and I’m not sure which one I am just yet 🙂

 

 

 

 

La Sagra del Vino

Now that I’ve started talking about it, I can’t stop.  La Sagra del Vino (translates to The Feast of Wine–my kind of place) is my favorite restaurant in Rome, for sentimental reasons, the ambience, and the food. Let’s start with the sentimental reasons- and I may have told this story before, but bare with me here.  During my time studying abroad in Rome the first time (2008), we were brought here three times a week, something that was included in our program.  Then when I came back to study the second time (2010), my friend Kellie and celebrated my 23 birthday here.  Katie and I coming back to enjoy an evening together brought back so many memories and so many good feelings.

The meals at this restaurant are top notch; Italian comfort food at its finest.  As a starter you are brought delicious sun-dried tomatoes and olives (my least favorite food, but I get it, some people like them) with fluffy fresh bread.  Then moving on to the best bean soup in the world; I would literally give up a limb to have the recipe. There are many choices for your pasta dish, but I always go with the carbonara, which is incredibly rich with it’s thick pancetta, fresh eggs, and rich cheese.  Other options include cacio y pepe and oxtail, among others.  Meat dishes include oxtail, which is braised in a spicy tomato sauce and is fantastic, world famous meat loaf (no ketchup needed), liver, and occaisonally some delicious osso bucco. For dessert, there is only one opti0n- biscotti dipped in vin santo, a sweet white wine.

Carbonara

Eat Me!

There is nothing special about the appearance of this restaurant, but it is so quintessentially Italian that it makes up for it (plus the food is so good, so who cares what it looks like?).  The tables around you are filled with chatting and laughing friends, and you are treated as a friend of the owners rather than as a customer. The son of the restaurant, Valentino, is the liveliest of the bunch.  He remembered our group of study abroad kids, so he may or may not have given us a special customer price.  When we tried to leave a tip to make up for it he said, “Never tip a friend, this is home.”  I left the place in tears, because I truly felt at home.  This was my last night in Rome and I still have no idea when I’ll be back, but it was a pretty excellent last night.

To reach La Sagra del Vino, take the A Line on the Metro and exit Cipro.  Go straight up Via Cipro, left on Vaile delle Medaglie d’Oro, which turns into Via Marziale.  The restaurant is on your left at Via Marziale, 5, 00136 Roma, Italy.  Be polite and call for a reservation- +39 06 3973 7015.

The Dogs

On my last night in Edinburgh, I followed a recommendation from my friend Joanna and went to The Dogs, a really awesome restaurant in the new town of Edinburgh.  I will go on record and say that this meal has made the top 5 best restaurant meals of my life.  That’s not an easy list to make.  The Dogs has a seasonal menu, but their sample menu boasts some amazing main dishes, such as ‘braised beef shin and cheek, with root vegetables and lemon zest’ and ‘braised lamb shank, horseradish and spelt stew, with fresh mint oil’.  But as soon as we saw the menu, we knew exactly what we wanted. Pork belly, sage and onion stuffing, with butterbean stew. PORK BELLY.  Only the most amazing cut of meat of all time. And that stew was truly delicious.

Pork belly for two, probably the most romantic meal ever.

So happy about that massive chunk of pork belly amazingness.

Seriously, if you’re in Edinburgh, please eat here. And then call me so we can talk about it. So good.

 

Demuth’s Vegetarian Restaurant

When my good friend, Mercy, recommended Demuth’s Vegetarian Restaurant to me, I knew I was in for a treat.  Mercy is the epitome of class and taste, so dining here was a no-brainer for me.

Mike’s Beetroots, cooked several ways, with smoked cheese soufflé, market greens, seeds, parsley root and a citrus peel puree

Date and pistachio wrapped in filo, fried and tossed in cinnamon sugar served with mandarin syrup and candied kumquats

Eat here.  I don’t care if you love meat.  Of course, meat is delicious.  But just eat here, I promise you wont regret it.

The Kilted Chef

The other night, while in Bath, I treated myself to a nice dinner.  Shocker.

Anyway, I stumbled upon this nice little restaurant, The Kilted Chef, and enjoyed their pre-theatre 3 course menu.

Sweet Potato Soup

Goat Cheese and Red Wine Risotto with Fried Asparagus…

…with basil oil!

Lemon Tart with Ginger Gelato

I was accidentally vegetarian, and it was really lovely.  The soup was spectacular, and I really love the idea of a red wine and goat cheese risotto.  It’s something I will probably play with an add to once I get to have a kitchen.

The food was good and the staff was absolutely lovely.  We spent about a half hour after my meal talking about my upcoming travel plans, as well as their previous experiences.  I would recommend this if you ever find yourself in Bath!

How I Gained 1000 Pounds in Cambridge

When in the UK, everyone wants more pounds, but they typically mean the currency and not the stuff around their middles that jiggles and makes them resemble the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.  I, unfortunately, got rid of the former and added the latter.  But it was delicious.  Here is only part of my attempt to eat every peice of bread in Cambridge:

Indigo Coffee House:

Good food, amazing coffee, really sweet tunes.

Looks basic, but it’s delicious. Egg, cheese, and mushroom breakfast toastie.

MichaelHouse Cafe:

Set in a 14th century church, you can’t help but enjoy a long lunch here.  I went back twice because I liked the ambiance, and they have killer macaroons (that are gluten free).  Actually, I was able to get an entirely gluten-free meal here, which would be awesome if I were still avoiding wheat.  So if you have dietary restrictions or love macaroons, come to Michaelhouse!

Macaroons, I miss you.

Stickybeaks:

I also came here twice.  Once by myself and once with friends for brunch.  Both times were amazing and adorable.

Cute Latte

Rarebit mushrooms stuffed with goatcheese and spinach with an apple salad and a mixed bean salad. With a side of gluten free passionfruit cake. YUM.

Potato, rosemary, and brie tart with a mixed bean salad.

The Earth’s Crust at the Cambridge Market:

This may be the most important one, because the bread man, Derek, loves the younger ladies and I’m trying to figure out how I can get him to marry me so he can fill me full of bread every day.  Unfortunately, I think he’s more into my friend Joanna. Bummer (but good for Joanna?).  Anyway, I visited Derek often (everyday) and tried his lovely wares. And so should you.

I tried the apricot pastry, which was amazing because it’s fresh apricot, not re-hydrated dehydrated apricot, and the Eccles Cake.  Apparently, this is like a 300 year old recipe from outside of Manchester somewhere.  An Eccles cake is a delicious puff pastries stuffed with currants and cinnamon… Good lord I love carbs.  His muesli bars are also quite delicious, I wish I had stocked up on them for quick snacks during my travels.

That is all. Now that I have you all drooling you can take a break for a snack.

 

 

Beer, Waffles, Chocolate, and Fries

On my last day in Paris, I didn’t have a plan and had no idea where I was going, so I spontaneously chose Brussels as a midway point from Paris to Amsterdam (the idea of sitting on a bus for 8 hours is repulsive to me).  I knew nothing about Brussels except that it is the capital of the European Union and there are some really delicious sprouts named after them. Oh, and that Belgium is famous for its beer, waffles, and chocolate (no brainer). Brussels turned out to be really amazing.  In my first few hours there, I met my amazing friend Dana (she starred in the “Detained” screenplay), and she convinced me to stay a few extra days in Brussels with her; where we then continued on together to Amsterdam and then onto Cambridge–oh, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  Brussels!

The Food:

If you’re ever in Brussels, please eat dinner at Nuet Nigenoug, which means ‘The Greedy Glutton’, and get just about anything on the menu… it’s all fantastic.  I had Boulettes de Veau a la Gantoise, or veal meatballs with a white beer sauce, served with stoemp, a mash with veggies. Dana had a veggie curry, also amazing.

Oh right, did I mention the apple tart? Fantastic.

Also on the list of must eats while in Brussels– fries and waffles.  Seriously. Don’t miss out.  The fries are double fried. Yes, you read correctly. Double fried.

Fries with “Brazil Sauce”– I still don’t know what Brazil sauce is other than good.

Belgian waffle with Belgian chocolate… for the win!

The Beer:

The Delirium Cafe boast one of the largest beer selections in the world, the beer menu is the size of a phone book, it’s out of control.

Cheers!

Delirium Tremens

Cheers AGAIN!

The Vintage Shopping:

Dana and I spent a day vintage shopping while in Brussels (and pretty much every other city we’ve been together at this point).  We both agreed that getting out of the city center into a more ‘hipster’ neighborhood in Brussels really made the trip for us.  I highly recommend Gabriele Vintage, where I purchased a 1950’s turban style hat and some superb burgundy leather gloves.

The Sights:

Brussels is extremely small for being a major European capital, so easy to walk and see everything without using busses or metros.  Please make time for the Magritte Museum, or as Pierre-Etienne told me, “We shouldn’t be friends anymore.”

The Grand Place

The Grand Place panorama style… how is it I forgot my camera did this until now?

Dana and me at the Grand Place

Pretty churches everywhere (and flowers… spring?)

A view towards the museums district

Awesome street art

Mannekin Pis:

I honestly don’t even know what to say about this. Brussels’ most famous monument is a fountain of a little boy peeing. ‘Nuf said.

Mannekin Pis

How do you not make fun of something like this? I’m so classy.

Macarons in Paris

For the past week I’ve been in Paris, and as any self-respecting human you should know that when in Paris, you eat macarons. PERIOD. It doesn’t matter that they are extremely expensive, especially when you’re doing really fun foreign exchange conversions in your head and then you realize how much those macarons are actually costing you, so you only order 3 instead of trying every flavor.  My friend Pierre-Etienne and resident Parisian hooked me up by telling me where to get the best maracons in Paris, and I was not dissapointed.

Pierre Hermé

Flavor # 1 – Jardin Japonais, or Japanese Garden.  Cherry, lemon, and tonka bean, eating in front of the fountain at Saint-Michel

Flavor #2: Chocolate, eaten at Galerie du Vert Galant.Flavor #3: Creme Brulee, eaten at the RERC Line Les Invalides.

Strangely enough, the Jardin Japonais was my favorite flavor, while the park on Île de la Cite was my favorite location. I personally think its worth it to make a trip to Paris based solely on macarons…

 

The Best Camel Rider in Marrakech

After half a week in Rabat, Julie and I took a train to Marrakech to meet up with one of my friends from high school, Megan, and her friend that she met while studying abroad in Berlin, Daniela.  We stayed at Le Meridien N’fis, which was wonderful because I haven’t had a really good shower in awhile, what with the farm, then hostels.  Honestly, getting really, really, really clean was the highlight of my trip to Morocco, but more on that later.

Goofing around with the scarecrow in the kitchen garden

Julie, Megan, Dani and I had a great time eating in Marrakech… Not a lot of people in the world get as excited as I do about food, but Dani definitely does.  She also informed me that the Germans don’t have a word for “Yum”, which seems like a travesty.  If there is no ‘yum’, how do you express satisfaction of food? Use real words? NO!

On the first night, we ate at a place called Mama Ti Lee, which is a fixed 3 course menu (with 2 options for each course) that changes daily based on whats fresh and what the chef is inspired by.  That night, we did a lot of splitting so we could try everything.  I had parmesean panna cotta with a argula salad, half of a vegetable tart, the most delicious duck with pears, dates, and figs, and for dessert a molten chocolate cake.  It was really superb.

We want to eat!!!

Duck with Pears, Figs, and Dates

Molten Goodness

Night 2 we ate another really lovely place called Souk Kafe, where we had an absolute smorasbord. Another fixed meal, we had multiple appetizers, tajine, cous cous, and topped it off with our choice of sorbet. I chose fig and mint, and they were both truly lovely.

Sunset from the rooftop patio

Princess Skirts

Why yes, all of this food is for me!

The group

The most important things from our trip to Marrakech was the quest to find camels to ride.  I knew I didn’t want to leave the country without my cute hiney being seated on a camel saddle.  Well in the land of Arabian nights, ask and your wish will be granted.

Camels on camels on camels

I’m going to start out by saying Julie had the best camel- calm and obedient.  On the other hand, my camel wouldn’t kneel to let me on like its camel brethren did, and so I had to get boosted up. He was not stoked AT ALL.  He also decided halfway through the trip that he was tired and wanted to rest, but apparently forgot about the human on his back.  This camel ride was equal parts amazing and sketchy, and I couldn’t help but think about safely rules and health care in Morocco, and all the bad things that could happen to me if my camel decided to freak out… I get pretty dark sometimes.

“Are you sure I’m not going to die?”

Really, the only other thing of note we did was drink a ton of fresh squeezed orange juice. If you’re ever in Morocco, you really must partake.

All photos in this post are courtesy of photographer extraordinaire  Miss Megan P. Beck.