Tag: food

Madrid 2025 – Post 3

by ginnyinshanghai

Food, glorious food – that’s what we visited for. And maybe, just maybe some wine.

Eric had read that Bodego de la Ardosa was a ‘do not miss’ spot in the old part of Madrid. We stepped away from our apartment, traversed a number of narrow streets while dodging some rain drops and FOUND IT!

It was established in 1892 and has a unique look and feel and it is always busy. It is a place that locals visit which was evident on our visit.

A lady sitting at a barrel table took pity on us and invited us to that table as she was leaving soon. She also recommended a few things to try – which we did. The tortilla patata was amazing. The kitchen brings it to the bar steaming hot, waiters cut slices and serve it. It was a perfect size for sharing as we had more things coming.

And oh boy! One of the tastiest things arrived next: braised beef cheeks. We had just enough of the above dish left to dip into the gravy below. Yum! We wished we had more bread for dipping.

Fried calamari and Iberian ham rounded out our selections.

We were all very happy. I didn’t get photos of our libations, but we had sangria, vermuth and several glass of local red wine.

I mentioned we were ‘lucky’. This was true in more ways than one. They had a maximum capacity of 40, which was plastered outside their door. During that evening the bar seemed to empty out, but new diners coming in had to wait outside until others left. Annnnnddddd it was now raining. What a yucky night to be stuck outside.

But back to the story………where were they? Some patrons were directed to their ‘back room’, only accessible by dunking under the bar. Really not the best photo but hopefully you can get the idea.

The doorway in the background below was right before you had to duck down to crawl through.

What? Yep, on a repeat visit we got placed in the ‘inner sanctum’. The front room had walls covered with bottles and memorabilia, as did the backroom.

It was finally time for us to leave and get out in the rain. Adrienne was the only one prepared with an umbrella.

We booked a food tour on our first full day in Madrid. Yep, everything thus far occured on the day of our arrival – after a nap. 🙂

They specialize in small group tours and as you can see above they have an umbrella company with tours in 80+ locaitons. In fact a family on our tour had done their ‘Paris Secret Food Tour’ and liked it so well, they booked with the same company for Madrid.

The group met our tour guide In Puerto de Sol, a major metro hub. It was also the location of Madrid’s bear statue, representing Madrid’s coat of arms. Tourists have noticed a discoloration on the bear’s hind leg and tail and subsequently believe that touching the statue will bring good luck – a myth totally made up by tourists.

In this plaza was also this huge sign – Tio Pepe. It’s a 100+ years old advertisement for sherry that has now turned into a cultural icon. At one time this square was filled with advertising signs and commercial billboards and this is the only remaining sign. The people of Madrid are passionate about the sign and its location. It’s staying for now.

This food tour was more than just food. Our guide, Jo, also included a good bit of history. Plaza Mayor – a major public square in the heart of Madrid, which dates back to the 15th century. It is a vibrant hub for cultural activities, festivals and public events. This is where the people go for New Year’s Eve, watching the clock tower with projections among other events happening that night. Our tour guide said ‘Think of NYC Times Square’.

We started with a hot beverage and pastry. Eric got the molten chocolate drink. Me, a cappuccino.

This is where we first learned about the bronze placques occasionally seen on the sidewalks.

Bronze pavement plaques are given by the city of Madid to denote a business or restaurant has continually worked for 100+ years. Once our guide pointed them out, we started to notice them. Even the restaurant at the top of this post had one – which we didn’t notice until our second visit.

Our first stop had some awesome sweets in their display cases. We might have to come back here on our own later in the week.

It was time to introduce meat to our food tour. We walked to Bartolome‘.

Loved the different types of ham – don’t ask me to identify them, way too many. The bread dipped in the (delicious!!!) olive oil helped break up the fat left on your tongue.

In the hallway to their storage, our guide pointed out these hanging hams. She also explained the cone at the bottom was to catch fat as it continued to dry.

And, there was another bronze pavement plaque.

Our next step was something that eric had been dreaming about……….

Calamares sandwich.

We walked into a long skinny establishment and took up places along the bar.

With a little big of magic (and hot oil), these calimare turned into delicious bites of goodness. We each got half a sandwich and that was enough. A plate of fried potatoes, a beverage of your choice and we all dug in. Yes, I enjoyed the sandwich also.

Two more places to go, can we make it? We will give it our best.

This next stop was very much a local stop. And it was about the vermuth.

First up was the glass of local vermuth. It wasn’t bad. It starts as a white wine and gains a darker color through infusion of caramel and various other spices and botanicals, often with a slice of orange and/or olive in your glass. It can be enjoyed straight up or on the rocks. At 15% alcohol, they consider it a perfect aperitif before a meal.

A plate of fried pork bits and other assorted veggies rounded out the food offerings.

Those little sausages below were very tasty.

Finally made it to our last stop:

Once again, it was a variety of tasting plates, but this round included a few bites of seafood.

One of the pair of young ladies on our tour was celebrating her birthday and we all shared some of her birthday cake and another sweet goodie. Personally, I liked the cake on the left best.

It was raining fairly steady, so when the rest of the group departed, we stayed for more wine and talk.

Which also gave a chance to grab a photo with the tour guide, Jo.

It was a really good tour, even with dodging the rain. We were all prepared with umbrellas – after Eric and I bought one each at a convenience store………..

It was waaaaaaaay too much food for me, but it well received by the other two. 🙂 More walking and adventures are coming.

Ginny

Thanksgiving activities 2024

by ginnyinshanghai

I was able to tick off another thing on my bucket list………..5K Turkey Trot. Why was it on my list? Most ‘turkey’ runs are on the morning of Thanksgiving and I’m working. This 5K was scheduled the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving. Where?

Southern Hill Farms

This is a 120-acre family-owned and operated farm in Lake County. They offer u-pick and commercially harvested blueberries, strawberries, peaches and seasonal veggies. They first planted blueberries in 2010. In the Spring and Fall, sunflowers and zinnia fields are ready for cutting.

But on sunday, they were offering a 5K race and kids fun run! Florida was having a short cold spell and these were the temps as we drove to the location.

Brrrrrr – that’s cold for us. We checked in to get our running bibs, just as the sun was coming up.

One of their structures was a rooftop deck and great for a few photos.

I was able to capture a photo with the blueberry bushes and a bit of fog that had not burned off yet.

The race kicked off at 8am. The ‘Fasties’ were stationed under the start/finish line. Those of us walking & jogging were ‘MIddle of the Pack’ group, followed by the ‘Those Strolling’.

Starting right on time, the first part of the route was paved and went through the center of their u-pick fields.

I got to pass by the western side of a sunflower field.

But then, we ran into this substance………………sand. Ugh! It was NOT fun to run/jog/walk. A few of us were sticking to the edge to find vegetation. Or at least something that was more compact. There were a few runners with their baby strollers. They were having a VERY hard time in the sand.

I mentioned they started as a blueberry farm. Yep, we were going past the perimeter of blueberry fields!

Until we went through the middle of the field.

Got to take a shot on the eastern side of the sunflower field. Can’t wait until they get a bit taller, and we can stop by for fresh produce and cut sunflowers.

Part of the course was doubling-back from where we started. Yeah! on a solid surface again. I can see the finish line!

Finally made it. Now I need to find Adrienne. I was not going to let that little kid behind me reach the finish line first.

But wait……..one of the tastiest parts of this event………warm, fresh apple-cider donuts at the finish line. They were delicious!!!!

Before heading back to the house and a shower, one last photo. Adrienne placed 3rd in her age bracket and was awarded a wooden cutting board. Another ‘goodie’ we got for participating was the small, planted succulents.

How do you refuel after that? Go for sushi.

Hot tea and assorted plates for sharing was just the thing. Feeling full and tired…..a Nap was next on the agenda.

We had one more activity planned for Thanksgiving week. Dinner thursday night at Columbia’s Restaurant in Celebraton.

It’s become our tradition to eat dinner at this Cuban restaurant after getting off work for this holiday.

The first thing we always order………Sangria, concocted table side. Two glasses please, one for me and one for Adrienne. Sorry Eric.

Bring on the Spanish bean soup, Cuban bread and the 1905 salad. These were the precursor to our meal.

One of my top favorite entres is their La Completa Cubana. A feast of lechon asado, boliche criollo, empanada de Picadillo, platonos, yuca, black beans & yellow rice. Yum, Yum. Waaaaay too much for one meal but I always plan on the leftovers to take for lunches the remainder of the week.

Eric’s selection was the Red Snapper ‘Alicante’. Boneless fillet of red snapper baked in a casserole with sweet Spanish onions, green peppers, a rich gravy, olive oil, garlic, white wine topped with sliced roasted almonds. He was happy.

Adrienne selected their traditional 1905 salad, with a nod towards Thanksgiving. Their ‘legendary’ salad is tossed table-side with crisp iceberg lettuce as the base. But instead of the baked ham, turkey is the protein. Add in swiss cheese, tomato, olives, greated Romano cheese, worcestershire sauce and their ‘famous’ garlic dressing. It is indeed a meal.

One last thing is needed to finish the night – dessert.

Pumpkin pie
Crema Catalana

That pretty much wrapped up our Thanksgiving week for 2024.

Ginny

Reykjavik Winter #6

by ginnyinshanghai

More food and a f.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c dining experience.

This was really one of the few times we stayed at an apartment and did no cooking or noshing. We primarily used our kitchen space for morning coffee and drinks.

Why was that? Soooooo many food options within easy walking distance! Let’s continue to explore the Icelandic food scene.

The Laundrymat Cafe

First meal of the day – breakfast. This establishment was approx. 1/2 block from our apartment. Easy walking even in windy conditions.

It had your basic breakfast options. That’s okay, that’s what we wanted.

Maybe the blood mary wasn’t the norm……………….but who’s judging.

What was in the basement, yep, a laundromat.

This place was quite popular and by the time we left, fairly full. And it was another windy day in Iceland – just saying. Some days, you needed to hold onto your hat!

Old Iceland Restaurant

Established in 2014, their focus was to highlight Icelandic produce. They use herbs and spices from the mountains of Iceland. A lunch option one afternoon was this spot. On the outside it was a quiet unassuming place, but their small plates had quite an artistic flair and flavors were punched up.

Between all of us, every meal someone ordered soup. Soup is good for the soul and for the body – another way to keep warm. Of course, you needed to accompany it with bread. 🙂

Shellfish Soup

Soup only goes so far and occasionally heartier choices was needed.

Cured salmon, rye bread crumble, smoked roe and dill oil.
Arctic char fish, confit potatoes and roasted peppers with accompanying greens.

Posthous Food Hall

This was a great stop if we needed a little something to share, a chance to duck in out of the rain & wind and still enjoy the vibe of Reykjavik.

This sushi bento box was our pick one evening. We had a large lunch but wanted a little bit something that night. This was perfect to share. By the time we left Iceland, I believe we had tasted something from most of the food stations inside this establishment! LOVE food halls!

Kopar – Reykjavik’s Old Harbor

At Kopar, they aim to provide an Icelandic dining experience that pays homage to traditional ingredients, while also surprising their guests. In their kitchen, the ingredients provide the inspiration, and the chefs follow their years of experience to deliver something new. It works!

Soups! Perfect for a rainy wintry evening.

Creamy tomato soup with aioli
Rock crab soup

Followed that with Artic char fish with tasty veggies and of course sauces. Add a nice bottle of red wine – you’re good.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned a fantastic dining experience. Here you go.

Matur Og Drykkur

This was our ‘splurge’ meal experience.

Truthfully, I didn’t ask Eric the price because I didn’t want to know the price. They serve a 10-course dinner experience offering the freshest and best ingredients at any given time and create a unique dining experience. It was worth it!

The first four courses were these small bites.

Left – cheese and rowanberries Right – halibut and angelica

Next two plates served are below. Not enough to fill you up, leaving room for the remaining courses.

Left – monkfish liver spread with dulse seaweed crackers. Right – rutabaga and goat cheese tartlets

This next food to arrive was one of the most unassuming and amazing things we ate that evening. The chefs forage wild herbs and mushrooms as well as collaborate with local farmers to obtain the best ingredients. The brown bowls were a concentrated (locally-foraged) mushroom broth with a touch of soy sauce and vinegar. OMG!!! More great food arrived but the simplicity, the taste and the preparation for this course………to this day, we are still talking about it. At this point, I could have asked for another bowl of this heavenly broth and been done for the evening. Yes, it was that good.

When I saw this on the prix fix menu, it made me nervous. As long as I blocked out what it was……………..it was really tasty. All was gone off my plate.

Lamb heart, malt, black pressed garlic and kohlrabi

This was probably my least favorite bite and the only thing I didn’t finish. The flavors were fine but not appealing to me.

Smoked haddock, onion, celeriac mash and rye bread crumbles.

The next protein course I enjoyed, but…………….I was starting to get full.

Reindeer, beetroot, reindeer moss and pomace.

Before any food arrived after we sat down, our server told us about a ‘chef special’. She got half-way through the description, and I already knew we would be saying ‘Yes!’.

Fire!

Then this was brought to our table. So really, instead of a 10-course meal, we had an 11-course meal with the special.

Cod head – poached then roasted before coming to the table. Yes, I tried some – but I was getting full. The other two, cleaned all of the meat from it. The waitress commented they truly knew how to pick every last morsel from the bones.

We have eaten a LOT of food. But wait, there’s more. The final dessert plates.

Bottom left – Artic thyme, crowberries and cold pressed rapeseed oil. Bottom Right – Kleinur, caramelized whey and cardamon. Top – It wasn’t on the menu, but came to the table. Tasted like pressed caramelized sugar.

Upon entering the dining area, this area is set up, kind of like a shrine. Why? The red cookbook inspired the restaurant and its offerings. It was the first ever published cookbook printed in Icelandic, 1922. It means Food and Drink – hence the name of the restaurant.

These recipes were old and traditional yet simple recipes using ingredients available at that time.

Would I do it again – absolutely! We were stuffed but happy during our walk back to our apartment.

Ginny

Reykjavik Winter 2024 #3

by ginnyinshanghai

Let’s talk (and eat) Icelandic food!

Before our ‘Funky History Walking Tour’ we stopped in at a nearby cafe for breakfast. We needed to fuel up before walking the town.

Cafe Loki – homemade traditional Icelandic food in the heart of Reykjavik.

Bagel with cream cheese and chives for me.
Homemade rye bread with egg and herring or smoked fish for Adrienne.
Homemade rye bread with cold-smoked trout for Eric.

Posthus Matholl Food Hall

Nestled in the heart of the city, it was more than your average food hall. It stands as a testament to the city’s culinary diversity and vibrancy. Locals and visitors like ourselves continued to converge upon this eating establishment when you need a little something to nibble on.

Another advantage to a food hall…..it allows us each to order different types of foods. Can’t believe that Eric ordered a hamburger! The fries were some of the best. We kept sneaking some throughout the evening.

PIzza! That was my choice. It looked good, smelled good and was mighty tasty.

Adrienne ordered salmon. She won according to Eric. She said the fish was cooked perfectly.

Wine and beer (for me) accompanied our meal that evening.

Even though it was cold (and windy), lots of walking, shopping and touring continued. A nearby brewery was a good stop to warm up and grab some salty snacks.

We had stopped in during previous visits and our beer selections were local brews. Every food stop always included a bottle of Icelandic water no matter where we landed, and the brewery was no exception. Ice was rarely available as typical of European locales. That little bowl of salty goodness – delicious! We were fighting over the last few crumbs after getting a second bowl.

Here they are solving world problems………………or the next place to eat. 🙂 That afternoon, we had the place to ourselves.

A misty sprinkle turned into a solid rain and we ducked into this establishment along one of the main roads – Messinn Seafood Restaurant. Five years ago this was part of a walking food tour and we hadn’t returned, until now. They specialize in ‘fish pans’ which are served with freshly cooked fish straight from the kitchen, together with butter-fried potatoes and vegetables.

Eric choose the ‘Cod Tung’ fish pan which are really fish ‘cheeks’. He’s seen similar along the Gulf coast but the cold water makes the meat fatty – which he loves.

While Adrienne selected Artic Char fish pan.

The damp weather had me eyeing their langoustine fish soup topped with a dollop of cream – perfect for the day. Can’t forget the bread basket.

The last restaurant for this post was literally around the corner from our apartment – Icelandic Street Food.

Screenshot

It was billed as flavorful food for a reasonable price in downtown Reykjavik offering traditional Icelandic meat soup. Their website indicates it was the first fast food concept in Iceland with traditional Icelandic food. It is a family-owned business with recipes made from their grandmother.

Order was placed at the counter with your name called once they were ready to serve you. The vats of soup were right along the bar – which was our chosen seating, right in the middle of the action.

Eric photo-bombed my shot as we were waiting. I selected the Einstok White Ale that evening.

An option was to have your soup served in a bread bowl…..which I did for my order of lamb soup which also included potatoes, carrots and root vegetables.

Eric selected the Shellfish soup with the broth made from langoustine and included Icelandic scallops and shrimps.

Did I mention that refills were free?

Along one wall a small self-serving station had this notice:

Yikes! It was a zoo. They couldn’t make the waffles fast enough. Customers were coming to the counter as they came off the iron – but were told to wait until it came to the station. A sprinkle of sugar or fruit jam was available to top them and add a touch of sweetness.

This was the night originally booked for our Northern LIghts tour – not happening.

They sent us a cancellation email 2+ hours before departure and the opportunity to rebook. Looking at the upcoming week’s forecast, we choose Friday evening, our last night in Iceland. We’ll see – or not.

Ginny

Tallahassee 2024 Part 2

by ginnyinshanghai

Food and drink are part of life and seems like our vacation spots revolve around them. Our arrival on a Sunday evening pared down those choices. We found a local brewery, Proof Brewing Company, that also had a food truck as part of their business model.

They had a really nice outside eating & drinking area, ensuring families felt comfortable stopping by with yard games and room for kids to run around.

Local beers were the plan.

Along with fish & chips (Eric) and pork BBQ sliders & fries.

Eric knew that Apalachicola’s Oyster City Brewing had an establishment here and we stopped one afternoon.

My Icelandic sheep made a few appearances. I had the Legacy Lager – a beer that tasted like beer.

Here’s a quick shot of what was on tap.

Eric ordered the Red Right Return – glass on right – a perennial favorite.

One last shot before leaving. Everyone has to have a ‘instamgrammable’ wall nowadays. Okay, I guess it worked. I got a shot and I’m posting it on the internet.

We stayed downtown with plans to walk for dinner. In the past we went to an establishment called Cypress. Alas, it no longer existed. We found another restaurant within walking distance…..

Guess what? Same place – different menu and name but same building. Go figure. Started with some drinks, selecting a pink cocktail for me, a tropical sangria. Delicious!

Eric stuck with iced tea as he was feeling a bit under the weather.

The starter recommended was an excellent choice: pickled veggies amd eggs.

Eric ordered grilled octopus along with a bowl of soup (sorry, no photo).

My filet mignon with a demi-glace was excellent and I had plenty to bring home.

Desserts were a great end to our meal. My selection highlighted glazed bananas and ice cream – an excellent choice. The photo of Eric’s ice cream (2) scoops didn’t make the cut. 🙂

Unfortunately, we cut the trip a few days short. A hurricane had been brewing in the Gulf and looked like it was headed to Central Florida. We needed to prep our house and likely go into work to assist with efforts.

Not knowing what grocery stores or gas stations would be looking like, we gassed up before leaving the city and picked up a few groceries. Stories abounded on social media of shortages in both arenas and we wanted to be prepared. Driving was great – on our side of the road. Only us, some semis hauling supplies and electric companies were headed south.

The governor opened up the far left ’emergency’ lane – crazy – and it was full of drivers.

I looked over once……………..and no vehicles heading north. Oh no. Yep, accidents were seriously delaying the escaping traffic headed north.

So glad we were not on that side of the road.

We made it home safely and prepped for the impending storm. Things like removing potential airborne outside objects, strengthening outside doorways and sand-bagging windows on the house expecting driving rain. One of the biggest challenges……..clearing space in our garage for 2 vehicles! Here’s proof we did it. It wasn’t pretty, but space was found. The guys were waiting on the storm to arrive.

Connor stepped outside for a brief moment, getting soaked in a short minute.

It reached our house at 3:20am. The force of the wind picking up branches, leaves and other debris was nerve-wracking – woke me up. Thanks, hon, for staying up the entire time to keep us safe. 🙂

Did we have any damage? Not directly, but a number of branches were down or broken from the trees we had recently pruned – thank goodness for that.

Plenty of cleanup in the days to follow. Now just waiting for the debris to get picked up.

Saw this post and it seemed fitting – and oh so true. I was talking to the neighbors 7am that morning as we all surveyed the damage in the daylight.

Exciting times are coming with my next series of posts. Heading north again, waaaaaaayyyy north. We will be packing warm clothes. Any thoughts or ideas about our destination? Three of us are going back to one of my favorite spots. Posts will be coming soon.

Ginny

Rome Eats – second post

by ginnyinshanghai

We needed a lunch before the start of our Vatican tour. Knowing we were going to be around a high tourist spot, we tried to get a bit off of the beaten path. We found Mama Eat. It is a chain found in Italy in several of the bigger cities. No matter, it got high ratings and it was within walking distance of our meeting place for the tour.

Luckily, we don’t have any food allergies, but they advertise ‘two kitchens, two ovens, two chefs and two brigades’ for the separation of their dishes. Nice.

One guess who ordered the soda? That would be me.

I felt like another pizza – why not? Just your basic (?!? ha!) thin Roman pizza crust, tasty tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella cheese. Waaaaay to big but gave me a chance to eat only the tastiest morsels.

Adrienne’s choice for lunch was a pasta dish with eggplant and creamy tomato sauce.

Eric also choose pasta – that’s all I’ve got. We’ve had so many (great) meals by this point, we don’t remember the specifics. It looks good though. 🙂

It was a nice lunch in a high tourist spot.

Our last meal in Rome was excellent. It was recommended by our AirBNB host and although we did’t have a reservation, we were there right when it opened at 7pm and was given a table.

I will say that researching a bit on the internet before completing this post, it seemed like we were one of the lucky ones. A number of reviews were unhappy with the service (we were not), unhappy with their food (we were not) and treated rudely (we were not).

Our meal started with wine – white for me and red for the other two.

While this was very simple, it was excellent. Bread soaked in (their) olive oil – absolutely delicious.

We ordered two starters, but our waitress said we needed to try the stuffed squash flowers. They don’t look like much but were tasty.

Next up was the Parma Ham – 36 months and buffalo mozzarella. Man! That ham is fantastic.

Along with a steamed Roman-style artichoke. It was tasty but different than the first one eaten on day one in Rome.

Adrienne’s selection was lamb – 3 ways (lamb chop, lamb loin and lamb brain). She really enjoyed all three.

They had a special with chicken (de-boned) and peppers – which was my choice.

Eric had been wanting and waiting for his selection for years – Tripe, Roman style.

And since we didn’t have enough food yet…………we got two desserts to share.

Creme caramel
Pear steamed in red wine.

I literally could not eat another bite. Once we got back to our place, I stayed up several hours later then my norm just to let my food digest. It was a great meal – but way too much food.

Ginny