Tag: peruvian food

Postcard from Toulouse, France: Flavors with a different accent

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Above: Vegetarian version of the generous planches found at Prosciutteria

When traveling and eating out every day, sometimes you crave breaking out of the regional mode. A wild abundance of vegetables was our goal when we ducked into Prosciutteria on Rue des Filatiers. We found ourselves well-rewarded with a vegetarian appetizer board, so abundant we shared and ordered nothing else. Well, aside from wine. Subsequently, we found their salads and bruschetone equally as fresh and good.

Rue des Filatiers was our neighborhood, so we tried several other casual spots there as well, all with fine street-side people-watching opportunities. We found ourselves grabbing amply filled empanadas to-go for cocktail-hour snacks from El Almacen – Empanadas. Miss Fish appeared to be brand new, or only recently reopened, and boasted a nice variety of seafood. It seems a place that should prove particularly popular with British travelers missing their fish and chips.

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Postcard from Bordeaux, France: French and other worldly flavors

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Above: Grilled fresh sardines at La Pointe Chartrons

We’ve taken you to eat, virtually only, in Bordeaux’s Marche des Capucins and along Rue du Ha, so now we’re going to wander willy-nilly through the city for a final wrap-up of restaurants we sampled.

Located along the Quai des Chartrons, Pastel was among our favorite contemporary French restaurants in Bordeaux. Lunch requires reservations, and, waiting late, we only succeeded in obtaining those once. The soft lemony cheese appetizer with eggplant and tomato confit was particularly refreshing and memorable.

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Postcard from Malaga, Spain: Flavorful alternatives add depth to food scene

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Mariscal, Peruvian-style marinated seafood at Aborigen Restaurante

More than any other location we visited in Andalucia, Malaga seemed willing to embrace global food influences. There were several South American restaurants in the center of the city that took full advantage of the city’s fresh seafood, translating into great ceviche. We made multiple visits to and recommend both Aborigen Restaurante and Andino Gastrobar.

Alexso Restaurante delivers an intimate contemporary experience with excellent service on a level that should soon merit stars, yet without the high prices that characterize those discovered restaurants. Our lunches there included such dishes as moist sea bass perched atop seafood rigatoni, succulent suckling pig and white chocolate flan with violet ice cream.

Aborigen Restaurante gnocchi with vegetables
Restaurante Alexso smoking amuse bouche of creamy papaya curry
Vegetariano el Calafate roasted green tomato salad and garbanzo soup
Andino Gastrobar veggie nachos
U Siciliano eggplant
Andino Gastrobar grilled pulpo
Restaurante Alexso sea bass perched atop seafood rigatoni
Aborigen Restaurante seafood stew tapa
Canadu curried couscous
U Siciliano vegetable pizza
Restaurante Alexso suckling pig
Radici Osteria Italiana trofie with pesto
Aborigen Restaurante fish with root veggetables and quinoa
U Siciliano salad with goat cheese
Radici Osteria Italiana bruschetta
Canadu apple and pine nut croquetas
Radici Osteria Italiana albondigas de tuna rojo
Andino Gastrobar tuna ceviche
Canadu asparagus and mushroom risotto
Andino Gastrobar grilled salmon
Canadu Persian rice
Vegetariano el Calafate stuffed eggplant
Restaurante Alexso brownie
Restaurante Alexso couscous salad
Canadu salad with fruit
Vegetariano el Calafate vegetable couscous
Andino Gastrobar coconut custard
Radici Osteria Italiana spinach ravioli with sage butter
Canadu chickpea caldo
Aborigen Restaurante steak
Restaurante Alexso white chocolate flan with violet ice cream
Andino Gastrobar lamb burger

The Italian restaurants we tried were good as well. The pizza and the saucy eggplant emerging from the oven at U Siciliano Bar Ristorante; the only disappointment was the supply of arancini had run out when we visited. The bruschetta and pastas at Radici Osteria Italia were perfect and the outside tables on a primarily pedestrian street were pleasant, but do not expect lightening-fast service.

Plus Malaga has some vegetarian options. Locals pack Vegetariano el Calafate for their multi-course lunch specials, so reservations are advisable.

The biggest surprise was hidden amongst a row of restaurants lining one side of Plaza Mercedes. The outdoor umbrella-shaded patios provide pleasant people-watching spots so attract a high number of tourists and drinkers. The fresh vegetarian dishes emerging from Canadu were a higher caliber than the offerings of many of its neighbors and inexpensive for such a prime location. Apple and pine nut croquetas, Persian rice, asparagus and mushroom risotto and mountainous fresh salads made us repeat customers.