Our Neighborhood Chinese Restaurant

Our Neighborhood Chinese Restaurant

I remember when we first moved to Germany, we had to completely reorient ourselves to food. Not because of the cuisine so much, but because of the availability. I had to get used to our new German grocery store and reading the labels in German, and there were some recipes that I couldn't make as often because the ingredients weren't as easy to come by.

We also had to find new fast food. Whereas in Virginia we relied on Chinese food, pizza, and fried chicken, we now had kebap shops and bakery sandwiches for takeaway. About the second or third month of living here, we craved our old staples, and that's when we started our quest for good Chinese food. 

 

Grill Your Own Meal at Yakiniku

Grill Your Own Meal at Yakiniku

Last night I had the pleasure of trying out a new restaurant with a group of friends: Yakiniku. This Japanese restaurant in Stuttgart is named after yakiniku, meaning "grilled meat" in Japanese, and generally referring to the Japanese style of barbecuing your dinner at the table. (Although, in Japan they tend to call it Korean barbecue, and, funnily enough, in Korea they call it Japanese barbecue. Go figure.)

I first had yakiniku when Matt and I traveled through Japan this past winter, and I loved it so much that I looked for one in Stuttgart. I honestly wasn't too hopeful that I'd find a yakiniku restaurant in the area, let alone in Stuttgart, and so I was thrilled when I found this restaurant just a 15 minute walk from our house. 

Recap: Beguiling Budapest

Recap: Beguiling Budapest

I'm slightly ashamed to say that Budapest is the farthest east I've been in Europe, but after the school trip I went on in April, I really want to go farther. Budapest was such an amazing mix of gritty, decaying buildings and pre-war splendor. It's not like the cookie-cutter beauty of Prague or the thoroughly rebuilt, puzzle-piece feel of Berlin. Rather, it combines the best bits of both Berlin with Prague in its own, unique way. 

Of course this was a school trip, so my free time was limited. However, I did get to see a number of cool places and ate at a few nice restaurants that I'd like to share. I really did enjoy my time in Budapest, and I hope that I get the chance to return one day so that I can expand my list of recommendations.

A Wine Walk Weekend in Uhlbach

A Wine Walk Weekend in Uhlbach

It's hard to believe that I've lived in Stuttgart for two years, and I've only now just experienced my first Weinwanderung (roughly translated as wine hike or walk). Much like the wine festivals I enjoyed in Virginia, these wine walks combine the Germany's loves for the outdoors and exercise with drinking. So instead of the vineyards coming to you in the traditional American festival sense, you go to the vineyard.

The wine walk that I went on was in Uhlbach, a small village outside of Stuttgart. It began on Saturday when Leo and I met some friends after lunch and took the S1 to Obertürkheim. From there, it was just a short bus ride on line 62 to Uhlbach.

Under the Oak Trees at La Piazza

Under the Oak Trees at La Piazza

There's an Italian restaurant tucked away behind the old Wilhelmspalais in our area. We pass it all the time on our walks with Leo, and it looks lovely, mainly because of the large summer patio with tables set up under a canopy of oak trees. The restaurant is usually packed on warm days for this reason. And since yesterday was one of the first days that the temperature hit 80-degrees, my friend and I decided to try La Piazza for our dinner out. 

We arrived early, around 5pm, to start with a cocktail. At this point in the evening there were only one or two other tables filled, so the patio was largely empty. We were quickly approached by a young waiter and ordered two Hugos from him, who, when he saw Leo with me, started talking about his labrador. Then he made sure to bring Leo his own doggie bowl of water. I love this about Germany, and I tend to like the restaurants that we visit that remember to treat Leo, too. 

Enjoy a Meal from the Markthalle

Enjoy a Meal from the Markthalle

Since moving to Europe, I've come to love covered market halls. There's just something about having that kind of variety and freshness of fruits, vegetables, meats, and other delicacies at your fingertips. Not to mention that stepping into one is like walking through a confetti party: the riot of colors, tastes, smells, and even sounds excites the senses.  

Stuttgart's Markthalle ("market hall") has become a real treat for us to shop at. Most grocery stores in the center of the city tend to be quite small, so the selection is limited. But at the Markthalle, we can get a variety of fresh foods that aren't regularly stocked at our local grocery store. For example, the fruit and vegetable stalls there offer some seasonal produce year-round. I can always find fresh cilantro and celery stalks (which aren't always available at our grocery store) at one of the vegetable stalls. I can also purchase the exact quantity of vegetables that I need for a recipe. This is especially handy for greens like spinach. If I bought spinach at the grocery store, then I'd have to buy a bulk bag and the leftovers would probably go to waste in my fridge since there's no way the two of us could eat it all fast enough. 

Girls' Night at Goldfish

Girls' Night at Goldfish

Yesterday we marked the achievement of our graduating grade 12 students with a ceremony and reception filled with stories, laughter, and champagne. As the party began to break up (when the champagne ran out), five of my friends and colleagues and I decided to head out into the city for some food to fill our stomachs. Our destination? Goldfish. 

Goldfish is listed in my Stuttgart Geht Aus book and was recommended yesterday by a dear friend of mine because they have good Thai food. The restaurant was also easily within walking distance of our location Downtwon. Goldfish is listed under the Thai section of my book, but they advertise as having "modern Asian cuisine". Upon walking into the restaurant, you can see why they've named themselves Goldfish: there's a giant goldfish pond just inside the entry. 

Cruising Down the Neckar with Beer and Wurst

Cruising Down the Neckar with Beer and Wurst

German winters tend to be grey and depressing, but once the sun comes out and the weather warms up, the Germans really know how to live it up with outdoor activities, from festivals to Biergartens. Last night, I participated in one these outdoor activities as I dined on sausages and beer while traveling on a boat up the Neckar River.

A friend and coworker had organized the event with the Stuttgart Partyfloss for about 20 of us. We met at the Wilhelma U-bahn stop, and from there walked down to the pier to board the boat. For 29,90€ we enjoyed unlimited sausages and beer (quite a deal!) as we took in the river scenery. 

Recap: Sunny, Rainy Salzburg

Recap: Sunny, Rainy Salzburg

My job as a teacher occasionally takes me to various places in Europe to chaperone my students on school trips. One of these places that I've been to twice now is Salzburg, Austria. Both times have been great! Salzburg is a beautiful city close to the Alps with great history and culture. Last year the weather was sunny and beautiful, but this year it drizzled off-and-on. Still, despite the unpredictable spring weather, the city has plenty to do both inside the limits and outside along the borders.

Now traveling with a school group is a bit different from traveling on my own. I don't get anywhere near as many opportunities to dine out. Still, we do some pretty cool stuff, and I feel it's worth mentioning some of the things we do as a starting-off point for others wanting to visit Salzburg. 

Coming Home to La Bruschetta

Coming Home to La Bruschetta

Despite my love of cooking, when I got home from a long week away this afternoon the last thing I wanted to do was go to the grocery store and make up something for dinner. So Matt and I headed out with Leo (our beagle) into the Bohnenviertel (the "bean quarter" next to our apartment) to get some food. Shabu Shabu has been a long-time favorite of ours for their delicious Asian food (post to come soon), but since their patio was closed, we opted for another local favorite: La Bruschetta. 

You won't find La Bruschetta in any guidebook, and you may even have trouble finding the location. It's just down a side street off of Charlottenplatz. There's no website for the restaurant, and the sign is barely visible next to the loud advertisement for the Chinese restaurant that dominates the sidewalk. We found the location quite by accident ourselves when we were walking with Leo one day.