We’ve been flying in and out of San Francisco for more years than I care to count, and almost every time we do, we stop and have breakfast at Peter’s Cafe in Millbrae. It is good ol’ American diner decor and fare. After globetrotting all year, it cements the fact that we are once again on real American soil. It feels, and tastes, good! We make sure to go on empty bellies, because the portions are huge. Our favorite dish is the special German Pancake. It takes 30 minutes to make, so we wait with our bitter [...]
Continue reading Peter’s Cafe – Millbrae, CA. A Review
One of the main reasons we chose to visit Moldova is that we knew a couple of families that had kids at our school in Ankara. Both of us had taught both children, and we were excited to see where they lived and have a visit with them. On Saturday night, we were treated to a traditional Moldovan dinner with the families. We ate at a restaurant in Chisinau called Salcioara, and as we entered our private room, the table was laid with all manner of appetizers, meat dishes, and vegetables, and there was one area with various liquors [...]
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Our weekend in Bursa would not have been complete if we had not tried the dish that was made famous there, Iskender Kebab. Everyone has heard of Döner Kebab, juicy tidbits of meat layered on a vertical spit. Typically in Turkey, your choices are et (beef) or tavuk (chicken), sometimes the “et” could be a mixture of lamb and beef, which is my favorite.
Well, the story goes that Efendi Iskender (Sir Alexander) back in 1867 wasn’t happy with the fact that some customers were getting choicier pieces of meat since the roast on the spit was horizontal. He [...]
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Old Milwaukee Cafe on the corner of 6th and Cedar, downtown Tacoma.
Old Milwaukee Cafe and Dessert Company is located in downtown Tacoma, Washington. Go there for the amazing breakfast options. You won’t be disappointed–unless you can’t get a seat.
If you ever watched Seinfeld and the “Soup Nazi” episodes, you could have a similar experience, but only for breakfast. The very small cafe (8 tables) is run by a couple of Washingtonians. Pat runs the dining room, taking orders and keeping track of who is waiting outside. She can be a little grumpy! There are rules in this [...]
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It was my last day in Oklahoma, and when I was researching what to do there, I was excited to go to the Historic Stockyards, where you can still see them auctioning off livestock. This totally appeals to me. I love experiencing something that is completely different than my life, the life of a teacher and libarian.
Devon and I got up early…7:00 is way too early when you are on vacation, and headed to the yard. It was disappointingly deserted. After a careful search, we did find some aromatic pigs in one stall, but no one was around to [...]
Continue reading Where’s the beef? From Disappointment to Breakfast!
I would have to say that one of the Dutch foods that I love so well is pancakes. I know, lots of countries do pancakes…but not like the Dutch. They make a meal out of them–morning, noon, and night. You can see signs for pancakes everywhere you go in Holland. They are thinner than the pancakes I’m used to in the U.S., plus they are the size of a medium pizza. One pancake per person.
I lived in Zeeloand bei Uden for a little over two years, and I would go to the local branch (yes, it’s a chain) of De [...]
Continue reading De Pannekoekenbakker – Restaurant Review
The fortress overlooking Velinko Turnovo.
Bulgaria is full of quaint little charasmatic towns and Velinko Turnovo might just be the cutest. As we drove in, we stopped to talk to a shepherd with a small goat flock. He was right on the edge of town, and as we chatted with him, we could also view the huge and picturesque fortress that dominates the town.
According to the guide books there was supposed to be a bazaar left over from Ottoman times that still have a few stalls. A bazaar it wasn’t. It was a chic little street that had [...]
Continue reading The Best Restaurant in the Cutest Town
Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
After a hard and chilly day of visiting the Franz Josef Glacier, warm up at the Blue Ice Restaurant in town. It has it all. There is a bar with a fast food and pizza menu on the top floor (Wednesday nights are Karaoke nights) and on the bottom floor an a la carte menu matched to some superb wines.
I love a restaurant that is friendly and the service is good, but also leaves you alone to enjoy your meal and your company. Somehow the Blue Ice achieved this even though there are not [...]
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The spices and homemade wine make this one of the best eats in Goreme.
The Dibek resaraunt is conveniently located right in the center of Goreme, which of course is where you find the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cappadocia. After a tiring slog up, down, around and through rock chapels galore, an evening at Dibek will put you well on the road to recovery.
The family that owns the restaurant has lived there for five generations. Mehmet, the son and manager, speaks a bunch of languages, and really helps the evening along with his jovial banter. The house is over [...]
Continue reading Dibek…A Restaurant Review
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