Travel – Page 75

Madrid: Ferpal, A Walk Around Madrid, and La Oreja de Jaime

June 12, 2015 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Madrid, Sandwiches, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Morning in Madrid is pretty calm. I guess that happens when most folks end their day at midnight. We were in fact, quite pooped. We awoke, had like three cups of espresso a piece and slowly woke up. The Missus had our day pretty much planned by the time we left.

We of course started at the Missus's favorite location the previous day, Puerto del Sol.

Strangely, I don't have a day time photo of the building which faces the Tio Pepe sign and the statue of Charles III. It was the first Post Office in Madrid and is currently the Governor's Office. Right in front of the building's main doorway is this marker on the ground.

This is "Kilometer Zero", which represents the center of Spain. So I guess this is where we were supposed to start, right? A good part of these walks were distilled by the Missus from Rick Steves Guidebook to Spain. The Missus will often combine all the walks into a single long one. We headed left and up (down?) the street and through Calle de Postas, a street that's been around since medieval times. Some of the building here were quite striking.

Like the display on this Watch Shop named Antigua Relojeria, which has been around since 1880.

This little street leads right into Plaza Mayor.

Pop out of the plaza and you end up at the very popular Mercado de San Miguel. Though not open at this early hour.

We weaved through streets, past buildings until we came to this memorial. This statue marks the spot of an assassination attempt on newlyweds King Alfonso and Princess Victoria by Mateu Morral. The statue memorializes the 15 people killed in the assassination attempt. No the King and Queen were not killed.

Further down the street is Almudena Cathedral. Construction started in 1879 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1993.

That's a 114 years!

Right across from the Cathedral is the Royal Palace of Madrid.

We had thoughts of visiting, but the Missus was on a tight schedule here, so maybe next time. East of the Royal Palace is Plaza de Oriente. We saw Mounted Police getting ready for their shift when we arrived.

It's a very nice green space…..

The street we were walking on is named Calle Arenal.

By this time; we had almost circled back to Puerto del Sol and were in need of a break. Some espresso seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. There's a charcuterie and cheese shop named Ferpal (strangely, we didn't even read about it in the guidebook until later – though RS's recommendations are in our opinion somewhat suspect for our tastes) on the street.

What looks like a coffee counter takes up half the shop….and folks were lining up for their morning (late morning) fix. So we decided to join in. The staff at the counter are rather diner worthy. As in grumpy in a somewhat humorous way. You still get served and everything works fine….for some reason, it just reminds me of a diners here in the states.

While waiting to order our "caffe" I noticed a couple of items on signs. The first was a plate of Lomo Iberico Bellota for a mere 4 Euros, which of course we got.

The Missus actually enjoys the less salty, leaner, more meaty cured pork loin (lomo). This was a nice little brunch item for us. I also noticed something on the menu board behind the counter. Under the heading "Sandwichs". Yes, not "sandwiches", but "sandwichs", the "crema" category were the words "foie gras". For .9 Euros, basically a buck. I had to try this…..

It was a nice little half sandwich, with the crust sliced off, just like mom would make. This was basically a light foie gras mousse. It was quite tasty and filling which we enjoyed it with our "caffe".

Ferpal
Calle del Arenal 7
Madrid, Spain

We took a short shopping bread at El Cortes Ingles, the huge multi-floor department store. There's a supermarket in the basement of all El Cortes Ingles as far as I can tell.

The next leg of the walk was up Madrid's version of Broadway; Gran Via.

An interesting study in early 20th century architecture, what makes the street even more interesting is that the buildings were built in groups starting in 1910 and ending in the 1950's. So buildings on blocks were built around the same time.

The area around Cines Callao looks quite impressive and was open for business in 1926.

At the end we took a break at Plaza de Espana and watched these dogs having a great time.

We noticed that the dogs in every city seem to have distinct personalities. In Madrid, they were a rambunctious bunch, having their own mind, pulling their masters along.

Coming full circle we ended up back at Puerta del Sol. We were hungry, it was lunch time. Along the arteries stretching out from the square are tons of eateries. We looked in several of them, a few of which I had on my list and settled on La Oreja de Jaime.

It was quite interesting. There were tons of tourists outside the place, but only Spaniards in this little joint. On occasion someone would walk in, order a Caña…a small beer…polish it off in one large gulp and head on back out. For lunch this was a one man operation; Jaime took orders, cooked, served the drinks, bussed the tables. You name it. There were a couple of older folks eating and having drinks. We simply requested a couple of cañas and ordered from the chalkboard. No crazy equipment here, just a deep fryer, a stove, and a wonderfully seasoned flat top which you can see from the streetside window.

We started with some Padrons.

Thrown in the deep fryer, we quickly found out that Jaime does not go easy on the salt….it was good sea salt. Nice and almost sweet if a bit high on the sodium scale.

You'll notice the name of the place "Oreja"……so what else would you get from here but orejas….ears.

The orejas were only 5€, so we were flabbergasted at the portion size. Get a media (1/2) racione if you go here. These were simply done on the griddle, which, by the flavor, smoky and almost sweet is highly seasoned by who knows how many orders of pig ears. These were crunchy, wonderfully gristle-y, and chewy, with a pretty hefty amount of olive oil, a touch of smoked paprika, and since we love pig ears, quite enjoyable, though the Missus couldn't bring Herself to eat the hairy portions.

The champignons with camarones was also pretty good.

The shrimp was quite tasty, full of that nice shrimp flavor that folks in the states seem afraid of. It was a bit on the oily side, but I'm not complaining.

Man, the prices were quite cheap and we left stuffed. Even more impressive was the couple who walked in after us. Apparently, they come here often as Jaime knew them. The woman, who appeared to be in her 60's polished off an entire order of patatas bravas, as did her husband, they polished off a plate on pardons, another plate of something else I couldn't make out, and then, the husband having fallen by the wayside; the woman devoured a plate of orejas, while enjoying three beers. Not small caña sized glasses, but three bottles of beer…and some olives to boot!

Jaime is quite friendly, always smiling, even though he's a one man show. The prices are quite reasonable and this was a pretty good and simple lunch. No messing about, just good grub.

La Oreja de Jaime
Calle de La Cruz 12
Madrid, Spain

It was getting quite hot and I was starting understand the how's and why's of how things are done here. At least I understood the necessity of a siesta……

Madrid: El Olivar, a visit to the Prado Museum, and Los Huevos de Lucio

June 10, 2015 mmm-yoso Madrid, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

So, how did we end up travelling to Spain? Well, if you're a regular reader, it's a familiar story…much like almost all our other trips, it was food. We were having a version of Patatas Bravas at Tasty n' Alder in Portland when the Missus made Her decision. "We're going to Spain……" So there I was, planning first a trip to Spain, then adding the Basque Country, then Bordeaux, finally Dordogne. The decisions developed quite organically, the logistics, while not difficult took a bit of planning.

A few months later; there we were, a bit bleary eyed arriving in Madrid. Getting to where we needed to be was quite easy; the Expres Aeropuerto costs a mere 5 Euros to get from the airport to Atocha Station. We had some time to kill and walked around, though it was getting to be quite warm, up and down Calle Atocha. One funny thing, we actually sat and took a break in the square right where our apartment would be on our return trip to Madrid! Anyway, after some coffee, walking about, we met the owner of the apartment we were staying at….which happened to be a couple of blocks from Atocha Station and got settled. It was getting mighty warm by this time, so we were ever so happy to have a nice strong A/C unit. After a wonderful shower we headed out to get something to eat. It was 1pm, early for lunch in Madrid and Sunday to boot. We were close enough to one of the areas I had mapped out Calle de Jesus, a small stretch which has a number of Cervecerias and Tabernas. The favorite here is obviously Cervantes, but the line was crazy, and it looked like all tourists. Instead, we chose this little place next to La Anchoita named El Olivar.

The place was fairly quiet, there were two parties of what looked like regulars, a good sign, there were some items on the menu I really wanted to try. The place was manned by a staff of two.

I started with a beer, the Missus a "Tinto" a young, light table wine. The gratis olives were briny and worked well.

As for ordering food….well, I was tempted by the sign that said "Especialidad Rabo de Toro"…basically oxtails, but man, it was just too hot for us to try that. Rather, I saw two items on the menu I wanted to try.

The first, was Jamon de Bellota. Awhile back, I'd done some research and found that there's something above and beyond your "normal" Jamon Iberico. These days, "JI", while still having the heritage of the blessed Black Iberian Pig, is now corn fed, and perhaps; if you're lucky, acorn fed somewhere during the process. The Jamon Iberico de Bellota on the other hand, is truly acorn fed. Also, while typical Iberico is cured two years; Bellota is cured for an even longer period.

This place did Bellota, decently cut, already "sweating" when it hit the table, the taste is sweet, not too salty, the fat velvety, lacking in the 'stringy/sinewy" texture that I've had with Jamon Iberico.

Since we grow Padron Peppers, we couldn't wait to try some.

They deep fry these babies in most places. We found that the versions in Spain had a thinner skin and were a bit "sweeter". These were on the salty side though.

Lunch was nice and we headed back to the apartment satisfied and ready for a "siesta".

Awaking refreshed, we took care of a few outstanding odds and ends, then headed out to the Prado Museum. You see, on Sundays from 5pm to 7pm and on Mondays thru Saturdays from 6pm to 8pm admission is free.

I can truly say, that my visit here truly gave me and appreciation for art that no other museum had been able to do. There are no photos allowed; but I purchased postcards of some of my favorite paintings in the museum.

I had never heard of Diego Velazquez, but when I walked into the gallery and saw his painting "Las Meninas" (The Maids of Honor) I was amazed. I saw it from a distance, the painting had almost a 3-D effect and seemed so life-like, the composition and depth was amazing as it actually seemed to pop out to me when I walked into the room. I guess I had first seen this work at the angle that worked right for me. I was strangely moved by the painting, something that had never happened to me before.

And then there were the dark and somewhat disturbing works of Francisco Goya, who during a "dark period" (perhaps somewhat paranoid) in his life painted some rather disturbing works. Like Saturn Devouring His Son. Which kinda spoke to me in the "you know, I'm having a really bad day" way. Though Goya's most famous works are probably La Maja Vestida and La Maja Desnuda which are on display at the Prado…..it's the "dark works" that I found interesting.

There was a bit of overload, so we decided to stop and return the next evening. Because…..well, it's free, right?

It was still fairly early in Madrileno terms at 645 though the Prado was closing (it was Monday). So we headed off on a walk arriving at what is considered the heart of Madrid, Puerta del Sol - the "Gate of the Sun", this was once the location of the Eastern gate of the city walls. The Missus and I had our favorite objects in the bustling square. Mine is the statue of the Bear and the Madrono Tree, which is actually the official Coat of Arms of Madrid.

For the Missus, it's the iconic Tio Pepe sign, actually an advertisement for a brand of sherry. The sign shone with neon brightness over the square from the 1950's until 2011. The removal of the sign caused so much of an uproar, that it returned to its perch in 2014.

Because the sun sets so late at this time of year; it wasn't until our third night in Madrid, on our way back that we finally were able to take a photo of the sign in its full neon glory. The Missus loves these wide open squares, so we'd find ourselves returning here everyday during our stays in Madrid.

By now, the clock was closing in on 745, I thought a visit to one of Madrid's most popular eating neighborhoods, La Latina, targeting on the ground zero of eating and drinking streets in the area; Calle Cava Baja. The Missus loves Her eggs, so I thought She'd enjoy the classic "Huevos Rotos" (broken eggs) from Los Huevos de Lucio. The bad thing was….we couldn't find the darn street. We took a wrong turn down Calle Ribera de Curtidores ending up all the way down on Ronda de Toledo. We ended up having to turn up at Puerta de Toledo walking all the way back up the street.

We finally found little Calle Cava Baja. The street wasn't too busy since it was still an ungodly early hour to eat in Madrid……830 in the evening…..

As you can tell by the sign; the specialty here is huevos…eggs. The place is owned by I believe the son of the highly regarded Casa Lucio across the street.

We'd arrived just a tad after 830pm and you can tell, the place had just opened. It seems that only tourists eat before 10.

It was all part of our education. As was finding out that the portions were pretty hefty. It was only later on that I came to find out to order things "media racione" (half orders). Until then, we'd be eating pretty large portions…like this plate of Manchego Cheese (12.9 €).

The best dish of the evening was the Berenjenas crujientes con salmorejo (7.95 €).

Wonderfully crisp, well seasoned, thin slices of eggplant fried to perfection, not a drop of grease. The sauce was a thick tomato based "soup" with nice hints of garlic.

And of course there were the Huevos Los Clasicos (8.9 € – the House Classic Eggs).

"Broken Eggs", basically cooked soft then slightly mixed breaking the yolks. The eggs tasted lovely, almost rich, the potatoes had a wonderful flavor…..for some reason, potatoes in the states don't have the same flavor. It reminded me of potatoes in Peru. Again, this was a bit too high on the sodium scale for us…and we like salty.

I had a beer and the Missus a "Tinto" a light red.

It was a filling and satisfying meal.

Taberna Los Huevos de Lucio
Calle de la Cava Baja 30
Madrid, Spain

After dinner, the Missus decided that we needed to walk around a bit so we headed to Plaza Major a square ringed by very symmetrical three story buildings. This was once Madrid's Central Square. Many events have taken place in this square since it was built in the 17th century, from bullfights to public executions. On this evening, the square was packed for a concert. It was the end of the San Isidro Festival…though we'd come to find, there always seemed to be a celebration of one kind or another happening; Spaniard's like to have a good time.

We also started understanding why folks eat late here. It was almost 10pm, the sun had gone down maybe 20 minutes ago and the temperature was still in the 80's.

As we walked back down toward our apartment, the Missus and I discussed our day. We both loved the Prado Museum. Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor just seemed a bit too crowded and the place a bit more littered than we enjoy. The food was good, but on the salty side. I had enjoyed our meals more than the Missus. In the end, we were enjoying ourselves…..it was good to be on holiday, visiting somewhere we hadn't been before. And tomorrow was another day!

Thanks for reading!

Where in the world are we part trois

June 3, 2015 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, Dordogne, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

So, we're in the stretch run of our trip. Leaving for the city where everything started in the morning. The last week has been fun.

We've met some of the nicest, most decent, straight forward folks….honest to a fault.

And of course drank some great wine……and had some fantastic cheese.

We also saw some of the most beautiful countryside. Breathtaking………

And even got to experience a bit of pre-history as well.

It was good to know that I was still competent with a stick shift.

Some of the places look like sets taken straight out of some movie.

And, as alway, there was food. The foie gras and duck was still flowing, though now we had moved on to "lighter" fare.

Though on one evening, I saw something on the menu I couldn't resist trying.

So, did I like it? Well, you'll have to wait for the post to find out.

We've still got a few nights before we head home. We'll surely miss being out and about.

We'll try to make the best of things.

Thanks as always for reading!

Where in the world are we part 2

May 28, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, San Sebastian, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Can you believe we're almost two-thirds into our trip? Time is flying by. Anyway, we haven't ever eaten as well in recent memory. Three cities in two nations and the home to a proud people, who eat quite well.

On our first stop we did two huge tasting menu dinners. Amazing.

What could possibly be my favorite piece of artwork in the world. I just couldn't pass it without taking a photo.

Here's one of my favorite…..if a bit spooky photos.

We did a day trip to a town with a famous tree.

Which was the site of a tremendous devastating bombing which inspired this painting.

Next stop is a must for the food pilgrim.

At this point, I started wondering how long it would be before the Missus hit the Foie Gras wall.

Amazingly, it hasn't happened yet.

Last stop was another wonderful seaside town.

Where we had a comforting and delicious dinner.

We headed into the sunset happy with full bellies.

Where in the world are we part 1

May 22, 2015 mmm-yoso Barcelona, Madrid, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Yep, it's that time again. A couple of weeks ago, one of my coworkers noticed I was getting a bit grumpy. He told me, "I think it's time for another nice long trip, right?" And he was so right…..

Anyway, we're having a great time at our first two stops. The sights are amazing.

And things go long into the evening…..well, morning.

The food ain't too shabby either.

As you can tell. We're eating well.

We're headed to our next stop tomorrow. It's been a long couple of days with tons of walking but I'm having blast. Folks are pretty relaxed and we had a marvelous dinner at I believe a fast rising restaurant here.

As always, I leave you in the capable hands of Cathy. Here are a couple more photos for your troubles.

Thanks for reading!

Rome: Back to Trattoria da Danilo

May 9, 2015 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Rome, Travel

As we often do during our trips; we decided to hang around where we were staying during our last evening in Rome.

In our earlier walks in the area, we noticed the ancient city walls right down the street.

We followed the street and ended up at the Arcibasilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano, one of the Four Major Basilicas of Rome.

You basically can't walk a single block without running into something historic in Rome.

We headed back to the room to freshen up.

So where were we headed for dinner?

Because of all the Chinese businesses in the area, the Missus walked into the Chinese Market and asked the manager if there was any "great" Chinese food around. His Answer? "Ummm, they are all just about the same." So we decided on going back to the place we we started this little journey at; Da Danilo.

This time however, we'd not be strong-armed into getting all the antipasto. Even though the owner kept staring daggers at us during our stay. No, we enjoyed a nice Malvasia Bianca and the really enjoyed the main reason for returning; the Carbonara with truffle.

I'm willing to put up with the "typical Roman service" (so says Max), the pushy owner…just for this. The perfectly prepared pasta, the creamy-tongue coating sauce….the shaved truffle.

The rather bland orecchiette da danilo……

And the nice, but not outstanding braised oxtails…..

Would not be reasons to return. But that carbonara….that's a "Desert Island Dish".

Trattoria da Danilo
Via Petrarca 13
Rome, Italy

And so we ended our time in Rome. Where it seems history was made on every corner.

And while the Missus wants to return to Rome; it's not high on my list. But tempt me with that Carbonara again and I might give in.

Thanks for reading!

Rome: Esquilino Market, Trastevere,and Ai Tre Scalini

May 8, 2015 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Markets & Grocers, Pubs and Pub Grub, Rome, Travel

We had eaten well the night before and slept even better. The normal 5am wake up was missed and we slept in a bit.

Having your morning espresso is a good time to people watch. You gotta admit, some of these folks sure have their own…well…style. Like that guy to the right. Notice the matching outfits. Which got me to wondering…was he an accessory for the poodle, or was the poodle….well, you get the point, right?

Our first stop this morning was nearby; Esquilino Market. The area has quite an international flavor…there were quite a few Chinese businesses and we heard Mandarin being spoken from our window every evening.

There's quite a variety available.

It was a nice break.

From this point on, we past those familiar places.

From the Victor Emmanuel Monument we headed left and came upon the Teatro di Marcello, the Theatre of Marcellus. Completed in 13 B.C., it was the largest theatre in Ancient Rome.

I like how the place looked and later found out that the upper floors of the theatre have been converted to apartments. Pretty cool, huh? How'd you like to live in and above such an historic structure?

The Missus decided that we'd be visiting the district of Trastevere right across the Tiber River.

Trastevere and the lovely colors and lovely cobbled street turned out to be my favorite area in Rome.

I loved the lanes, the folks walking the alleyways. There seemed to be much more daily life going on here. Clothes hanging from windows, folks going on with their daily routines.

The place really has character and charm.

One turn, and suddenly we were in front of Santa Cecilia, dedicated to Saint Cecilia. The church is supposedly built upon the location of her house.

There are quite a few artifacts and artwork in the church. But it is far from being gaudy…the lines clean.

An interesting note about Saint Cecilia. She was martyred between 176 and 180 A.D. Her body was exhumed in 1599 and displayed no signs of decay! She is the first Saint whose body was found to be incorrupt.

Even though there were quite a tourists, you turn a corner and find a little alleyway that you'll have all to yourself.

There you come across little treasures like this little bakery. Which we later found out was named Biscottificio Innocenti, a very well known and regarded cookie/biscuit shop.

The Missus bought a couple and really enjoyed them.

Biscottificio Innocenti
Via della Luce 21
Rome, Italy

While headed to Piazza de Santa Maria, we came across this gelato shop.

The Hazelnut Gelato I had from here was my favorite of all the gelato I tried in Rome.

Fior di Luna
Via della Lungaretta 96
Rome, Italy

Of course having this refreshing gelato on the fountain steps of atmospheric Piazza di Santa Maria might have something to do with that opinion.

If Trastevere were a living organism, Piazza di Santa Maria would be its heart.

And the Basilica of Santa Maria, one of the oldest churches in Rome stands over the piazza.

I loved the artwork of Cavallini in the apse which dates back to 1291.

By now we were getting a bit hungry, so we decided to head on back.

As we headed back toward Termini Station, I noticed the beautiful Ivy hanging on over Via Panisperna in the Monti neighborhood. Taking a look to the right, I noticed the name of a place I'd read about; Ai Tre Scalini. What luck. We were getting pretty hungry.

Basically a wine/beer bar, the place was doing some major business.

Folks seemed to be having a great time and the staff here were very friendly and helpful.

We each had a glass of wine and started in on the menu.

Knowing that we'd be having the pretty rich and hearty Roman fare for dinner, we decided on getting some charcuterie and cheese. Starting with the Salsicce al Tartufo – truffle sausage.

Which was nicely scented with truffle.

We also got the Misto Salumi e Formaggi, a huge charcuterie and cheese plate.

A nice lovely lunch.

Ai Tre Scalini
Via Panisperna 251
Rome Italy

As we walked back to our room, I noticed I'd reached the point where I really started noticing things.

Soon enough, routines would start setting in. And we might even make an acquaintance or two…..

Yes, it was time for us to head out to our next stop. But not before dinner………

Rome: Trattoria Monti

May 7, 2015 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Rome, Travel

We arrived back in Rome and got on the Leonardo Express to Termini Station. Like I mentioned before, that this short leg is a total joy…super easy and relatively quick.

Getting back to the place we were staying at near Termini Station; B&B Civico 31, we were greeted by one of the owners, Max, with a "welcome home". Max is a great guy, he did it all. We got back and asked where the nearest laundry was. His response, "you need something washed? Give it to me; I'll have it done….." Which he did. At no charge! Whenever I mentioned a neighborhood place; he's ask if we wanted to make reservations….which he would do! Amazing.

The room we stayed in….on both legs of our trip were comfortable. The décor features vintage Italian movie posters…which I found kind of neat.

We had our general directions fairly straight and were now finding different ways to get to where we wanted to be.

The day had started out sunny, but that changed on a dime as rows of clouds would pass over with scattered showers.

So the Missus decided that we should head up to the Capitoline Museums, up Capitoline Hill. This is where it is claimed the first museum in the world was open to the public in 1734.

You know you've finally made it to the top when you see the Statue of Marcus Aurelius. You've reached Piazza del Campigdoglio.

This statue is actually a replica. The original stands within the museum.

It was a great way to spend an early afternoon.

We managed to dodge the passing showers and spent the rest of the day wandering around.

By dinner time, we're talking 8pm, still on the early side, I was famished. Max had made reservations at a rather close, highly regarded Trattoria. Apparently, he went to school with one of the owners, so getting us a table, especially "early" at 8pm was no problem.

You will find Trattoria Monti mentioned everywhere. The cuisine is based on the family's region of origin, Le Marche. The service was the friendliest and warmest we had during our entire time in Rome. There's a certain somewhat jaded attitude we perceived in Rome….what Max calls "typical Roman service". And I can certainly understand how tiring it can get based on questions we heard tourists asking, "what is truffle?" "Why don't you have gluten free pasta?" What is truffle? Yikes….. the folks at Monti just took it in stride, smiled, and laughed with the customers. They took the time to explain the food of the region to folks to help them try to understand.

One of the items "to get" here are the sformatini; called "flan" on the menu. Sort of like a savory bechamel - egg based custard. We got both the radicchio and the red onion versions. Both came with a nice, thick, cheese sauce, which didn't detract from the flavor of the "flan".

While both were good; it was the savory-sweetness and the texture of the caramelized onions in the red onion version that put it at the top of our "best things we had in Rome" list.

Another signature dish of Trattoria Monti is the Tortello. Basically a large stuffed with ricotta and egg yolk; I was a bit disappointed with this one. While I enjoyed the sauce; it had a nice balance of acid-tartness-sweetness-herbaceous flavors, with a nice texture and the ricotta added a mild salt and milky component….the egg yolk was hard and overdone. Knowing how much I love a runny yolk; which I understand this should be (though not overly so). I felt the dish was incomplete.

The Missus ordered Roast Suckling Pig with Baby Potatoes.

And while the suckling pig was just ok; a bit on the dry side, the skin more rubbery than crisp. Those potatoes were very good; almost buttery….the Missus asked how they made the potatoes….the response? "You come tomorrow at three o'clock and we show you!" Classic…..

I got the Fried Lamb Brains with Fried Zucchini.

I'm not the biggest fan of organ meats….well, check that. There are certain organ meats and preparations I don't care for. Sweetbread and brains, so long they aren't too rich and overpowering aren't one of them. I liked the richness of these. The Missus thought the flavor edged on the "metallic/iodine" side and didn't care for them. The fry job was perfect….not too hard as we found in other places in Rome.

We enjoyed our meal at Trattoria Monti. We found the staff here to be friendly, the food good, and we'd gladly return. The prices were also quite good.

Trattoria Monti
Via di San Vito 13
Rome, Italy

Malta: The Best Tuna Sandwich, Tarxien Temples, Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, and Who is Joe Frendo?

May 2, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Malta, Maltese Food and Restaurants, Pizza, Sandwiches, Travel

We arrived back in Valletta nice and early. I had quite a bit planned for our last full day.

Unfortunately, the apartment we really enjoyed staying in wasn't available for this night, so we were staying in the Osborne Hotel which was on the opposite side of the peninsula.

We dropped our bags off and started on our way.

The first item was to get some espresso for the Missus and something for me to eat.

We saw this little shop along the way.

The little place was full…of locals……having coffee, reading the paper, talking about…well, I dunno. We entered and they quickly made some room for us.

While the Missus was having Her espresso; with a Diet Kinnie chaser, I saw something. Along the counter, there seemed to be makings for sandwiches. A couple of guys came in to pick up sandwiches while we were having our drinks. I couldn't help it. I just had to find out what this big seller was…..tuna sandwiches. I was raised on tuna sandwiches, but truly believe there's only one brand of canned tuna that shall pass these lips. Us old timers from Hawaii have some major brand loyalty. I had my doubts, I really wasn't thrilled with the version I had earlier in Valletta. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. And this was a major win.

It didn't look very inspiring. But man, this was good. The bread….what's with the bread in Malta (I'd learn soon)? It was crusty, but not too hard, nor chewy. The tuna wasn't the greatest, but it was the sum of the parts which made this fantastic. In perfect proportion; ripe, tasty,tomatoes rubbed on the bread, briny olives, I tasted mint (!), which tasted so good, boiled eggs, lots of black pepper, red onion for that touch of pungent flavor.

I wish I knew the name of this place. We returned for some espresso on the way out of Malta…but duh, I forgot to get the name of the place!

We caught the bus, and with some cryptic instructions got off in Paola. We walked to Tarxien, it was hard to know where Paola ended and Tarxien began….it seems that the borders of these small villages just blend into one another.

We arrived at our destination. There was a graveyard and church next door.

For some reason, the Missus was taken with the tranquil environment and decided just to lie down on one of the benches and listen to music.

I walked on over to the Tarxien Temples next door.

Discovered by some farmers plowing a field a field in 1914. This complex of temples, dating back to 3150 B.C. this site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.

The excavations have indicated that the site was used extensively for rituals.

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It was a fascinating visit. The island of Malta has long been inhabited, some estimate all the way back to 5200 BC.

Leaving the site, I got the Missus who was just having a great old time listening to music, staring at the tree and the statue of the Virgin Mary.

It was time to head back to Paolo and our destination.

But first, we got distracted by this little shop on a side street that was doing some nice business. Cars kept stopping, folks running out; sometimes holding up traffic, to go in and grab…well, who knows what.

This is the spinach-olive, with a touch of ricotta version.

Frankly, I preferred what I had before to this. Though it was quite hearty and stuffed.

And so, we searched for our destination. Which we found with this discreet sign.

When I knew we were going to Malta; one of the first things I did was make reservation for Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. Discovered by workers digging for a cistern in 1902, the story of its revelation is quite amazing. Due to the damage done by carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors, only 60 visitors are allowed a day (it's actually closed right now while a new environmental management system is put in place).

Of course, photos aren't allowed; but you can see some here. Let me just say, at least for us, it was an amazing experience.

Making it back to Valletta, the Missus wanted Her Quinoa Salad from Piadina Caffe. So we headed over. This time I had the prosciutto with provolone, which was light and refreshing.

And I got a chance to read the local paper.

After a light snack it was finally time when we could check in. Along the way to the hotel we saw this doorway.

Which is how we ended up in the lair of Joe Frendo.

Who is Joe Frendo? I'm still not sure. I looked down those stairs and saw some bottled water, which is just what we needed and wanted at that moment.

We had somehow ended up in the shop of a Maltese bread maker. Huge wood burning oven going…..I was told; "go take a look….the best bread in Malta is here."

I looked at the bread which looked familiar. So I asked, and my question was answered with, "yes, Il-Horza, that is our bread."

And so we thought, "why not order a pizza?"

Having ordered our dinner, we got back to the hotel; checked in, and freshened up.

Walking past the Grandmaster's Palace, we noticed a demonstration happening. It was for women's rights. We saw a gentleman walk out to talk to folks. I asked who this was and was told, "well….it's the Prime Minister of course." The Prime Minister!

It was soon time to pick up dinner, so we retuned to Joe Frendo's Bakery. Walking down the stars we saw Joe's family having dinner at a table in an adjacent area and Joe at work on our pizza.

We loved this place. So the Missus asked Joe Frendo as simple question; "when did you start making bread" which turned into an 45 minute monologue of Joe Frendo's life….punctuated with many a "mey-lah". Which I still don't understand. It was an amazingly funny slice of life. Along with the pizza, we decided to get a bottle of wine, but requested that they open the bottle. At which time Joe walked over to a table, pulled out the corkscrew which was being used to level the table out and opened our bottle. Only in Malta!

We got the "Maltese Pizza"("mey-lah")and Joe Frendo gave us a couple of really good rolls.

The pizza…the crust was quite nice….had artichoke hearts, olives, and a nice tangy tomato sauce.

Which is what we had….watching the roof tops of Valletta.As dusk approached I took this photo.

And waking right before the sun rose, I took another.

Like most places, Malta had been much more than what we had expected……

Malta: Marsaxlokk Market Day

May 1, 2015 mmm-yoso Malta, Maltese Food and Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

The main reason we decided on an over-night detour in Marsaxlokk was to check out the Sunday Market, known simply as the Marsaxlokk Market. The market was originally a Sunday fish market, but as tourists have found it over the years, it has expanded quite a bit.

We actually hit the place up when it first opened so there weren't as many tourists.

There's literally everything under the sun for sale here.

And there were quite a few folks hitting the place early to stock up on stuff.

Beyond all of this, the place is still a fish market at heart.

When the crowds started arriving, we decided to check out the side streets.

I've already posted on lunch, so I'll skip on over to the Missus getting some dessert.

And kind of just hung out watching the crowds like this little guy……

After which the time arrived for our afternoon nap.

After awakening, we decided to check some of the other side streets and found a little mini-mart. This is where I found Fizzee….I enjoyed this sugar free, almond drink, which was indeed quite "fizzy". It was quite refreshing. The Missus? Well, She still preferred Her Diet Kinnie.

I also came across some lovely looking Pastizzi. Even though I wasn't exactly thrilled the last time I had one. This was pretty good.

The pastry was flaky and rather light and the filling….the traditional mushy peas were actually nicely seasoned.

It turned out to be a pretty nice snack. Second time a charm I guess.