Cafe Verdi in Bruges

As soon as we arrived at our hotel in Bruges, we set out for waffles at our favorite place.  Sadly, they don't serve waffles anymore so we opted for tea at Cafe Verdi.  The interior decor has an old world feel, evoking an 19th century cafe.  We both enjoyed our mixed fruit and strawberry waffles generously topped with whipped cream.  The tea proved to be a nice dose of caffeine after our 10-hour flight to Paris and subsequent 2.5 hour train to Bruges.

Cafe Verdi is located at Vlamingstraat 5 in Bruges

Yuko Kitchen in Los Angeles

 

spicy salmon and avocado rice cake

My brother and his fiancee raved about Yuko Kitchen when they moved to the neighborhood and now I see why.  The food is comforting and tasty, it's extremely affordable, the setting is quaint (there's both a cozy interior and outside patio), and the service is darling. The drinks are executed well so don't leave without trying the strawberry soda or apple-mint lemonade. As for food, go for the crispy rice cakes with salmon.  They top salmon over toasted rice and slather it with creamy avocado and a jalapeno pepper.  The teriyaki chicken plate is also scrumptious and an affordable, generous-sized option for lunch or dinner.  This is what a neighborhood restaurant should be all about.

 teriyaki chicken plate

 fresh water eel roll

I became addicted to their strawberry soda.  They also make a mean apple-mint lemonade that is best enjoyed on a patio in the trees.

Yuko Kitchen is located on Dunsmuir Ave., just off of 5484 Wilshire Blvd. in LA

Puget Sound Bite: Bakery Nouveau (on Capitol Hill)

I popped in to Bakery Nouveau this past weekend to check out the new location on 15th.  (The original outpost is in West Seattle.)  It was bustling with people looking to get their hands on the famed twice-baked croissants.  We had a leisurely breakfast and I enjoyed a warm, gooey pain au chocolat along with a kouign amann and a hot chocolate.  Everything was so good that I had to go back for more this morning.  This time I opted to bring them home and enjoy my breakfast in the spring sunshine.  

Clockwise from top: pain au chocolat, plain croissant, honey bun

Bakery Nouveau is located at 137 E John Ct. in Seattle

Puget Sound Bite: Little Uncle

In the past, I've done posts on local restaurants, but I thought I would organize them into a new feature I'm calling the Puget Sound Bite.  Forgive me for the cheesy play-on-words going on, but hopefully you can get past that.  The first restaurant I'm featuring is a new obsession of mine: Little Uncle on Capitol Hill.  I've never been a huge fan of Pad Thai (most restaurants don't do it justice) so I usually only have it when I make it myself.  (I learned a great recipe at a cooking class last year.)  After trying Little Uncle last week, I'm happy to declare that this place does the best Pad Thai in the city.  Little Uncle is a tiny shack on Madison Ave. that serves up great "street food" dishes.  The menu is tiny (there's one rotating special) but they do everything really well.  The Pad Thai is a menu mainstay and comes served in a wrapped up brown bag.  You'll get three small bags of peanuts, sugar, and chilies to add on top, according to your liking.  I went two days in a row and can't wait to go back.  (Next thing to try: a braised beef cheeks bun washed down with hibiscus-lime soda.)

A daily special: Little Uncle's twist on phad gra pao (my favorite Thai dish)

Little Uncle is located at 1509 E Madison S in Seattle

Groot Vlaenderen in Bruges

Groot Vlaenderen is a dark, intimate pre and after-dinner bar in Bruges (just outside the Markt) that does cocktails really well, and at a decent price point.

 A really good margarita

The sleek interior is beautiful and cozy with lots of candlelight and this impressive chandelier.

 

Groot Vlaenderen is located at Vlamingstraat 94 in Bruges

L'Orto di Panza in Tuscany

Last September, we had no plans for our final 5 days in Italy.  On the day of my birthday, we scrambled to find a place where we could escape from Rome.  After a frantic search on TripAdvisor, from the floor lounge of my favorite hotel in Rome, I found an amazing deal for a four-person suite at L'Orto di Panza.  It included a kitchen/dining room/living room, two bedrooms, and two baths.  I booked it immediately and we rushed to Termini to find a train headed that direction.  Talk about last-minute!  After a lengthy trip to get there (there is only one taxi driver that serves the entire Montepulciano train station and surroundings and it was a Sunday!), we arrived at the beautiful grounds.  We didn't have a rental car and after my mom mentioned that it was my birthday, the owners offered to take us to their family restaurant 30 minutes away!  The restaurant was a beautiful, rustic Tuscan eatery and I enjoyed delicious Tuscan wine and food specialties- like pici.  Everyone, including Elena, Sandra, and Massimo, at L'Orto di Panza made it such a special day for me, and I am grateful to them! 

One night we bought groceries and made pici for dinner.  We enjoyed it on our patio as the sun came down. 

Our breakfast spread every morning included fresh fruit, baked tortes, yogurt, and everything one could ask for.

Alfredo, the resident dog, liked to watch us eat on the patio, and would occasionally sneak in when our door was open to grab a shoe (or two).

L'Orto di Panza is located at Via San Saba, 10 in Abbadia di Montepulciano

Amsterdam

Despite getting sick during my trip to Amsterdam last year, I really liked the feel of the city.  I think I would enjoy it even more in the summer.  After getting the hang of watching out for bikes, the city started to grow on me, fever and all.  Some highlights of my stay included: a concert at the Concertgebouw, the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank's house, the floating flower market, wandering the endless canals, and finally, a (centuries-old!) quirky pharmacy right near our hotel.  I went in for cough drops and came out feeling like I'd traveled back in time.  I definitely want to return to this shop, Jacob Hooy and Co., next time I'm in town.  For more on Amsterdam, check out this post on a delicious local bakery, and here for a recap of a tasty Indonesian-influenced meal.  Below are some pictures I took.

The Wandering Cafe Dinner

Last summer, I had the pleasure of partaking in a chef's dinner at The Wandering Cafe.  It was a great evening of meeting interesting new people and sharing conversation over delicious cooking. I encourage you to subscribe to their mailing list, which keeps you up-to-date on chef's dinners, cooking classes, and other events.

Delicious salad made with produce from Kristine's garden!

Moist chicken and pesto pasta

Paradise Beach Club

If you find yourself lucky enough to be in Taormina, I recommend spending a day at Paradise Beach Club.  Last summer was our third time to Taormina, and we wanted to try something new.  Our lovely hotel advertised "A Day at the Beach" including round-trip shuttle service.  Paradise Beach Club is located in the town of Letojanni.  For a flat per-person rate, you can enjoy unlimited access to the private seawater pool and beach, changing rooms and showers, and free wi-fi.  They also have a restaurant serving above-average pastas at lunchtime.  Be sure and try one of the bartenders' amazing, non-alcoholic fruit drinks.  The fresh fruit and innovative combinations will most definitely impress your taste buds.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Happy New Year!  Every year, I always get a case of the January blues starting right around January 2nd.  I love the holiday season in December, the mad rush of parties, cookie-making, present shopping, and tree-decorating.  After New Year's Eve festivities, everything seems to come to a halt and we're forced to look a new year in the eye.  The weather is still dreary but this time we don't have the twinkle of Christmas lights to keep our spirits up.  That's when it's time for a pick-me-up citrus dessert that will whisk you away.  There are so many recipes out there for olive oil cakes and many of them are very good.  My favorite version is from Gourmet, however, because it doesn't stray too far in the ingredients and the simplicity of this dessert is what makes it special.  Good olive oil and the hint of citrus from the lemon make this cake undeniably moist and the perfect treat to accompany your tea.  It's just what the doctor ordered for the New Year blues.