Archive for the ‘restaurant recommendation’ Category
|La Raccolta
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
A few years after I moved to Florence, I was lucky enough to discover a new store/restaurant that opened in the area of town that I lived. La Raccolta is a natural foods store, and vegetarian restaurant that brings me back again and again. The people that work there are the nicest people you will find in the city, and the food selection both in the store and the restaurant is fabulous! I was so excited to return for a post-birthday lunch the other day.
Somewhat to my surprise, all of the same people work there, even after 4 years. To me this is a testament to what a great place it is, maintaining happy customers and staff. I sat down for my meal and everything looked delicious! Farro con cavolo nero e carote, ceci stufati al salvia, velutata di zucca gialla…the list went on. One of the best parts of the menu is that you don’t have to choose just one thing…they have a mixed dish option so that you can taste a little of everything. So, of course, that is just what I did. Everything was delicious, and I look forward to returning a few times before I leave.
Piatto Misto Completo
If you ever make it to Florence, be sure to make the trip over to Piazza Beccaria and find La Raccolta. The restaurant is only open at lunch time and the store is open throughout the day. Buon appetito!
Tags: florence, italy, vegetarian restaurant
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Istanbul Recommendation
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
As an avid traveler I am definitely one to encourage testing out the local foods and in Istanbul I enjoyed many. I was able to find a vegetarian option everywhere I went, and even found a few that were so good I hope to find the recipe and start making them when I get home. I would definitely recommend the Choban Salad – tomato cucumber salad, Gozleme – almost like a Turkish version of a crepe, and Corbasi – a delicious lentil soup.
Once you have tasted the local specialties in Istanbul I do encourage you to try a more modern Istanbul café because it is too good to be missed. The House Café can be found in a few different locations in modern Istanbul and I was fortunate enough to eat there more than once. Their inventive menu could keep you busy for days trying out their creations and you can tell that quality is high on their list of priorities.
On my second visit I was sure to take photos of my beautiful meal. I tried the grilled vegetable salad with pan-seared haloumi cheese and a mango-hazelnut lassi. Everything was delicious, and I have to especially mention the quality of the lassi which was perfectly balanced in flavor and subtle sweetness!
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