the trip with no name

[russellbfarr]

Food.

England, Scotland, France, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Romania, Italy.

What must be eaten (or avoided)?

Comments

[angriest]

One of the nicest things I ate in Edinburgh was in a pub near Edinburgh Castle, which served haggis balls with chilli sauce. It was like the haggis had to wait for several centuries until chilli sauce reached Scotland before it could be completed as a food.

If you go to Florence, there is a small wine bar in the square opposite Pizzi Palace. I ordered a pumpkin risotto in a nut sauce. Sonia ordered the bruschetta. In both cases it was the best meal of that kind either of us had eaten in our lives. Possibly the best single meal I have ever eaten.

[exp_err]

England: eat Indian food for dinner but avoid "Malay curry" and poppadoms (we're used to getting them free here, but there, they serve them as a course with various oversalted chutnies, and charge for them). Eat sandwiches for lunch: sandwich shops in England are much better than in Australia, as a general rule. Eat pub meals, but only those with a good star rating in a reputable guide, or recommended by trusted locals, as some pub meals we had there were dreadful.

Italy: Eat everything. Try the squid ink pasta. In Venice, try the local equivalent of tapas (pick finger-foods as you go and eat standing at the bar). Avoid places with the menus in English. Be aware that you will probably be charged for the bread and olives they put on the table if you eat them.

France: eat if you can afford to. Pastries for breakfast.

[angriest]

In Italy and France, a good cafe/wine bar will give you a small bowl of nuts for free.

[exp_err]

In some parts of Italy (I think it was in Florence that I experienced it), some bars will provide free hot finger foods while you drink. I had forgotten, as my last trip was to Venice only.

[angriest]

Yeah, I experienced it all through northern Italy (Florence, Bassano Del Grappa, and others).

[catundra]

Avoid steak in France, especially if it is cheap as it is probably horse. Unless you want horse. :( On the other hand in Paris if you have time you should have afternoon tea at the most divine patisserie near the Madeleine. Not Fauchon, that's overpriced but there is one with a green frontage to the right as you face the Madeleine. It's like stepping back into the 19th century...

[loic]

All I can really vouch for is France where you should make sure you eat a real baguette, real croissants and north african food. I've had amazing amazing couscous in Paris.

[tikiwanderer]

Deep fried Mars Bars? I was introduced to those in Scotland. I can't say that the food anywhere was fantastic, though it was twelve years ago so any place I remember (like the on-the-water restaurant in Uig with the most hysterically funny waitress I've ever had) will likely have changed by now.