Food Travel Porn: Charlottesville, VA

For those of you who know me well, food is only one of my passions. Travel also ranks pretty high and I make it a point to combine these two as often as possible. Since 2009, I've made a pact with myself to travel internationally each year. I've kept that promise to myself each year since. Last year I upped the ante and also vowed to get out of town every quarter. It didn't have to be far, but it had to be at least for an overnight. Last year, this pact took me to Austin, Peru, Ecuador and San Diego.

My first quarter trip for 2015 was an overnight to Charlottesville, VA. Despite living in the D.C. area for 11 years, I had yet to make the trip despite countless people telling me it was right up my alley. Only a 2 1/2- hour drive from DC, this needed to happen. And I found the perfect excuse when Doug, who went to law school there many years ago, commented on the great food scene and how we wanted to go back for a quick visit. Despite a busy, and at times nasty winter weather-wise, we found a weekend to go. Here are some of our favorites food stops from the trip. And yes, we will be back and hit the wineries once the nice weather decides to stick around for good. Next up? NYC for a weekend and a long weekend in New Orleans in April. I cannot wait.

Marco & Luca - We went there for what Doug has repeatedly said are his most favorite dumplings. The place has grown a little in size since he was in school, but still only sits a modest 15 people or so and the dumplings remain cheap.

Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar - After we walked around the pedestrian mall and checked out some of the sites, we paid two visits to this tea shop, which reminded me a lot of the places I visited in Boulder, Colorado in the mid-90s. Both trippy, and tree-like, the inside décor took you to a far off place and provided a sanctuary of hot beverages on a blustery day, as well as Board games to pass the time. If you like tea and may be a bit of a hippie (such as myself) spend some time there on one of their cushioned pillows with a nice, hot cup of tea.

Commonwealth Restaurant & Sky Bar - There are A LOT of awesome places to eat in Charlottesville, or so I'm told from all of the amazing recommendations we received. This of course means we'll just have to come back! We settled on Commonwealth which not only had great ratings online, but also a lot of personal praise from several friends. The menu did not disappoint. We started off with a Ahi Tuna Tartare, and follows with two amazing entrees. I must admit, I think Doug made the better choice here. Doug had the Seared Diver Scallops with Pork Belly, Mashed Sweet Potato and a cider reduction. This was a beyond amazing flavor combination and I wanted to eat off more of his plate, and fortunately he was happy to share. I ordered the Braised Beef Brisket with Horseradish Potatoes, Carrot Frites and an Onion Gremolata. The desserts also looked amazing, but there was just no room left at the Inn. Speaking of Inns...we stayed at the South Street Inn. Quaint, convenient, and they offered a wine and cheese happy hour!

Bodo's Bagels - I'm a tough critic when it comes to bagels. I feel nothing competes with a New York bagel. Or a Montreal bagel, which comes in a close second in my book. But these were some damn good bagels. We grabbed two on our way back to DC and I only wish we'd picked more up for the week. Next time, for sure.

Next up in my quarterly pact? NYC for a weekend trip with my mom and a long weekend in New Orleans with Doug in April. I cannot wait. And will no doubt eat a ton and write all about it!

Guinness for Strength...in Cooking!

In 2009, I traveled to Ireland for an 8-day vacation with my friend Jeanine. While there was a lot to highlight there (though sadly, as you can imagine, the food is just so-so...one can only eat so much fish & chips) there were two standouts.

1) This picture which has come to signify all that is amazing about St. Patrick's Day, each and every year. He's disgruntled. He is fortunately never nude (but look at the sign behind him). I mainly put this here because it makes me happy without fail, every year.

2) The opportunity to visit the Guinness Storehouse and Factory in Dublin. What they say is true-it tastes better over there. I'm sure so much goes in to the transportation to the States and while the differences may seem minor, there's just something to be said for fresh beer. This is not to say I still don't enjoy a good Guinness here, but I really enjoy a good Guinness there.

In celebration of the upcoming holiday, here are two great Guinness food recipes to get you in the holiday spirit.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes - I will be making these for a St. Patrick's Day house party next weekend.

Maple Stout Bread - If you like maple syrup, this is a great breakfast bread. It's easy to make and remains moist, which isn't the easiest thing to achieve with breakfast breads as they tend to dry out fast.

Beef & Guinness Stew - Can't say I've made this, but I pulled this from the Guinness Storehouse website to I have high hopes for its awesomeness.

When did it become mid-October? A September San Diego Recap

As I wrote in my last entry, I have been doing a fair amount of traveling and eating out, both locally and in other parts of the country. In September I took a trip to San Diego to visit a friend, who knew that he needed to bring it when it came to good food recommendations. Between him and others I knew out on the left coast, I was not disappointed.

Some time has passed and my memory isn't what it used to be, so what I can tell you about San Diego is this. 1) The fish is ridiculous. Fish tacos. Sushi. You name it,it is truly better there than anywhere I've eaten on the east coast. 2) I will eat brussel sprouts when they are cooked well. It helps when there is bacon and cheese involved, but I've eaten them before that way and never enjoyed them as much as I did at the place I ate them in San Diego.

So here's a quick run down of the places I'd recommend you check out when you're in San Diego as well as some food porn to whet your appetite.

South Beach Bar & Grille - This place was recommended by several people for their tacos (pictured in the second photo on the right). I had the mahi mahi and the lobster and just two of these bad boys were enough to fill me up and washed down with a great beer. This is located in Ocean Beach closer to where I was staying and not far from beach. 

Harney Sushi - Hands down some of the best sushi I've ever had. Granted, I have yet to travel to Japan...but if you find yourself in San Diego, head over to the Old City and check this place out. Fabio was a great sushi chef and his recommendations were spot on. From salmon belly to sweet shrimp to the famed tater tot roll, we ate through a ridiculous amount of sushi. Not to mention the edamame sampler and chilled bottle of sake. Go here and get there early, because there's usually a wait.

Bo-Beau Kitchen Bar -  This French restaurant boasts a great cocktail and wine list and what I can consider a small miracle in the preparation of brussel sprouts that I not only ate, but enjoyed. AND they gave me the recipe on how to make them. They were expertly cooked with pancetta, parmesan, and balsamic...and while I enjoyed many other dishes that night,these are the ones that stuck with me. And one of these days, I'll attempt to cook them.

So if you find yourself out on the left coast, check out any one of these spots for a quick bite and if you're like me, so many bites that you'll pass out from a food coma shortly thereafter. Guilty as charged.

Travel Food Porn: Ecuador (Part 2)...On the Hunt for the Pig

Before traveling to South America, like any good eater, I did research on what I'd be dining on during my time there. There were some general themes. Ceviche. Potatoes. Pork. More Potatoes. Guinea Pig.

Me: "Umm...what? Surely you don't mean the household pet?"

Lonely Planet: "Yes, and they are delicious!"

Me: "Hmmm..."

I asked about it once I arrived in Ecuador. I was told the following:

Native Son: "Oh no...the guinea pigs down here aren't like the household pet variety. They are wild. And bigger. No worries. Taste like chicken!"

I wasn't completely convinced they wouldn't look exactly like I pictured them. The good thing was I never had one as a pet. The bad thing was I was informed that most places that serve them in South America serve them whole, face staring back at you and everything. I had flashbacks of my brother ordering the whole lobster as a child during one of our beach trips and the face staring back at him completely ruined any grand ideas to eat lobster that night.

I was first greeted with a creepy photo/painting of a small child eating a guinea pig at a restaurant on our way back from a tour during my first day in Quito. I stared at the image (shown above) and once it was clear that it was in fact a guinea pig, I started to wonder if it truly helped or hurt the situation.

The next day, during a trip to the Equator line, there were some guinea pigs hanging out in a little hut area. I know it was part of the hokey tourist attraction, but they truly were just like the household pet. My friend Michael vowed we would definitely eat some before we left Ecuador for our respective post-wedding excursions. I don't have a photo of those guinea pigs, but this fun pic of Michael, Megan and myself straddling the equator.

Time was running out in Ecuador and so I found myself dining in an Ecuadorian food restaurant with Michael and other new friends from the wedding. Granted, it wasn't the most authentic, down and dirty of places (no guinea pigs roasting on a fire pit in the front), but they did serve guinea pigs by the half or the whole, and our dining companions were game. We opted to get the half (which half we got remained a mystery until the food was delivered) so that we could dine on other foods there as well. Probably the best ceviche I had in South America I ate at this restaurant.

But now for what you've all been waiting for. The illustrious guinea pig. It's pretty clear from this picture which half we got. We all split the pig, as it were, and the verdict was decent.

We all felt it tasted a bit like a gamey dark meat chicken. They cooked it crispy, which cut down on some of the grease I was expecting. I found it better than expected, but not necessarily something that I was game to go eat again.

And perhaps it was the "exotic" appeal, but most restaurants that I saw serving it jacked up the price a bit. So needless to say, they were totally cater to us folks. And we took the bait, but so glad we did. Because adventurous eating is what I'm all about when I travel. Next stop? Peru!

 

Food and Travel...an Amazing Combination

So...I've been a bit of a slacker lately in the cooking and blogging department. But those of you who regularly stalk me on Facebook know that a large part of that is due to my impending vacation. Which starts...tomorrow.

But before I get in to the specifics of where I'm going, I did want to talk a bit about the way I like to travel. I've been asked before how I go about picking my destinations. Sometimes they just fall in my lap. Other times, it's to check something off my list that I've been wanting to see for a while. My upcoming trip is just that. I'm going to a friend's wedding in Ecuador and am following it up with a trip to Peru to see Macchu Picchu which has been on my list for a while.

But one thing that often is a driving force in my destinations is food. I want to explore the culinary scene of any place I'm traveling to. From street food to fine dining, I want to try it all. I've also had the pleasure of taking cooking classes in country, which is hands down an amazing experience. I've done it in both Barcelona, where I took a tapas class, and in Thailand, where I took a Thai food cooking class. Peru will be no exception as I have signed up for a class to learn all about how to make chocolate, as well as make some of my own. If you're planning a vacation and interested in booking a cooking class or some other type of educational excursion, I recommend www.golearnto.com.

Plus, I'm told that I should be prepared to be amazed at all the food in South America. From ceviche to pupusas to the illustrious guinea pig (no joke), I'm looking forward to reporting back on all my adventures.

So until then, I must say "adios" until later in June, when I will pick back up on the cooking and the blogging.

Hasta luego!

Food Porn: Arizona

This will be the first in a three-part series showing off all the wonderful food I had the opportunity to eat while on vacation.

About a week into the furlough, I headed out west for a previously scheduled vacation. My first stop was to Arizona where I had grand plans of seeing the Grand Canyon before heading to Scottsdale for the wedding of an old friend from high school. Due to the powers that be in the government, the Grand Canyon portion was not possible, but I did get to spend some more time in Sedona, which was absolutely gorgeous. It was great to get away from the madness of DC, though the conversation often found its way back to what was happening back home, be it from chance encounters with tourists who had recently come back from DC or for the countless numbers of people invading Sedona during the week, since their dreams of a Grand Canyon experience had also been cut short.

While in Sedona, I ate a lot of Southwestern food. And by that, I mean a ton of tacos. This trend continued in San Francisco, but the best were in Sedona. My first night there, I managed to squeeze into a spot at the bar of Elote, a very popular restaurant slightly set apart from the tourist traps of the main drag. It had a pretty solid reputation on TripAdvisor, so I decided to give it a go. I started off with the signature elote, a Mexican corn and cheese dish, which they served as a dip here. I've made something similar to this before on the blog, and have had it at Estadio, but this was by far the best. I of course washed it down with a margarita.

Next up was the pork carnitas. This dish was slow-roasted pork shoulder with a tomato sauce and served with guacamole and rice with beans. While it sounds simple, the flavor was just amazing. The meat was so tender, it just fell through the prongs of the fork. The picture really doesn't do it justice. Looking back, I'm kicking myself for not buying the cookbook from this restaurant...I'm sure it's amazing.

The next day I continued to eat more tacos, but not without lunchtime beer samples from the Oak Creek Brewery. Now that's what I call a power lunch.