Last week, while Charlotte and Craig were still here, the three of us went to have breakfast at Duck & Waffle. I had heard of this place before from friends, Time Out, and the Londoner and had badly wanted to try it. The restaurant is on the 40th floor of Heron Tower, it’s open 24/7, and bookings at normal hours are hard to come by. I was drawn by the promise of great views and good food, and luckily Charlotte and Craig were game to be dragged out of bed for a 7:15am breakfast reservation. 

Truthfully, I was really excited, but also I was really nervous. I was making my friends get out of bed super early – while they were on vacation – to go to a possibly over-hyped restaurant. Thankfully, the whole experience was superb. At 7:15am, the place had a number of other diners but wasn’t full so the vibe was relaxed (ideal at such an early hour). It was also perfect because we got a spacious table in the corner by the windows so we had full views of London. I imagine at peak times getting a table in the middle of the room would be heart breaking. But, from where we were sitting we saw the Thames, Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, trains passing, and people commuting. I almost felt bad for those people 40 stories below. They were commuting to work, while I was having a lovely cappuccino in the sky with friends.

And look how gorgeous that cappuccino was! While you’re looking at the photo, tell me, what do you think about taking pictures of your food when you’re at a restaurant? I know some people hate it, but I’m cool with it (clearly, I do it all the time). I do acknowledge that taking too many pictures of your food is annoying, distracting, and can keep you from truly enjoying your food and the company you are with. I get it. It can be done wrong. But done in moderation (2-3 snaps per dish?), it’s ok by me. In fact, I have three good reasons for why I take restaurant food photos.

First, sometimes your food looks beautiful and it’s nice to appreciate the skill and effort that someone took to provide you with something so lovely. I mean, look at that cappuccino. It’s perfection, the milk is amazing, and it makes dining out feel more special than getting a takeaway cup from a coffee shop. And that leads me to my second reason: sometimes dining out is a special experience. Sure, you might go out because you don’t feel like cooking –  but sometimes you go out to celebrate an occasion, to feel fancy, and to experience something new. When you go on vacation you take pictures of the places and things you saw because it’s a special experience. Why should food be any different? My restaurant food photos are souvenirs the help me evoke sensory memories of the nice times with friends and the new foods that surprised and delighted.  And the third reason for restaurant food photos is that sometimes I love a place and I want other people to be inspired, be hungry, and try it. When I love a restaurant or a food, I want everyone to go there and have as lovely as a time as I did.

Which brings me back to my lovely time at Duck & Waffle. All three of us ordered the signature Duck ‘n’ Waffle (pictured above next to the cappuccino). We felt compelled to try the namesake dish, but Craig and I didn’t read the menu too well. He didn’t realize there would be a duck leg, I didn’t realize there would be a duck egg, and Charlotte just rolled her eyes at us being silly and asleep. It came with a mustard maple syrup, which sounds scary but was divine. It was a hint of sweetness and little tangs of mustardy heat. It was a gorgeous accent to the duck and waffles and was in no way overpowering. I really feel it helped unite all the pieces of the meal. In addition to savory, we were also drawn to the sweet waffle offerings. The three of us decided to share the bananas brûlée (above) – which was a waffle with a banana, homemade nutella, and ice cream. It was decadent and I was a little in love with the crusted brûléed sugar on the banana. I want to make this at home.

We ended our meal with a little walk around the restaurant to take in the views one more time. Before the fog rolled in Craig showed where we could just make out buildings in Greenwich. We admired the crazy orange tree in the lobby, the chandelier made of bottles, the gorgeous blue floor tiles, and the well stocked bar. It was a wonderful breakfast, and we still had the whole day ahead of us for touring. As we got into the elevator and whizzed back down to the street, I was really happy with our trip to Duck & Waffle. Everything, the food, the decor, the views were just as good as I had heard it would be. I loved it, and I would go back again, and even buy the cookbook so I could have more delicious food at home – and this time I wouldn’t have to eat at 7:15 am. 

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People, get ready for a little bit of bragging. Last weekend, Ryan and I went to Munich. Ya know, we just popped over to Germany for the weekend as people do. Sound fancy right? But seriously, my Titi Pascale and Uncle Willie were doing a holiday in Europe and asked Ryan and me if we wanted to meet them for part of it. My aunt told me about the Christmas markets and I was all,”we’ll be there.”

In booking the trip, I did have some travel craziness where I felt guilty about spending money on a two day trip. But, Ryan and I moved to London so we could easily travel around Europe, and we were going to see family so it was totally worth it. And let me tell you, Germany was just lovely. Below is a picture of the view as the plane was landing. In the background are mountains (although a bit hazy and hard to see), and then in the foreground perfectly manicured fields and villages. It was so beautiful!

Once we met up with my uncle and aunt, we hit the markets to do some eating. We ate with abandon. We had potato fritters with apple sauce and Titi Pascale had them with some delicious garlic sour cream. We had cookies. We had bratwurst sandwiches. We had beers. We had roasted almonds with Nutella – which were so good we bought a second pack to take with us on the train to the airport. They were so good I’m going to have to look up a recipe. We also had giant pretzels which were soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Those were so good we took one on the plane and ate it on our layover in Copenhagen. And every single thing we ate was delicious. Even when we ate at the stand by the tourist-y ice rink, the food was perfection.

One of my favorite markets was Medieval themed. At this market I had a gargantuan glass of wine punch. I don’t totally know everything that was in it, but they poured wine out of the big jug, then splashed rum around on top, added a sugar cube, and then set the whole thing on fire. It was a huge cup and no one wanted to drink it with me (probably because it was so boozy), so I got a little tipsy given that I’d had the giant beer shortly before. I was a little shocked because the wine cost 15€ and I was all, “whoa… but I really want to try it.” But, when I returned the cup I got 10€ back, so then I was really please because I’d pay £5 for a regular glass of wine at a pub. All in all, felt like a good deal.

The city itself was really nice. We saw a man yodeling and we walked through a park and saw a beautiful waterfall and sunset. The whole weekend we had really nice weather. It was a perfect winter day with a nice crisp chill, but we could still have jackets open and hats off.

But what of the things I love most about Christmas time are the decorations. I love Christmas lights – and there were everywhere. They were on lamp posts, on windows, on buildings. The whole city felt really nice and festive. There was a store display window that was decorated in a woodland scene with lots of moving stuffed toys. It was pretty elaborate and cheery.

On Sunday we took the tram to Nymphenburg Palace. Side note, we found German people to be so nice. Someone helped us figure out the tram tickets, and earlier someone else gave us directions – both times unbidden. Anyway, Nymphenburg Palace was really beautiful. In front there is a lake with loads of ducks and swans. They swans were astounding! Really large, plush looking, with perfectly white feathers. We saw a women petting and feeding them. We were just waiting for her to get bitten – but it didn’t happen. The palace itself is an enormous complex.

Inside, was even more astounding. The main room where we entered was two stories tall, with gorgeous chandeliers, and an amazing painted ceiling. Throughout the whole place the ceilings had really detailed and elaborate paintings of mythological figures. Words can’t express how beautiful those paintings are. One, which I didn’t take a picture of, had such incredible perspective that it looked like the figure was standing on a cloud right above you, and that you were underneath her feet. We all stopped to look at one painting  that had a deer hunt (middle in photo below). This painting was huge, maybe 15 feet tall, but at the very bottom center is a large pack of dogs swimming after a fleeing deer. It was a cool painting showing a village and a hunt, but I thought it was curious that the main action was in such a tiny portion of the whole.

After we toured the palace, we checked out the carriages and sleighs exhibit. I didn’t have huge expectations, but I left blown away. The carriages were more ornate and beautiful than I have the ability to convey with words. There were nymphs holding torchs, there were geese squawking, there were gods blowing horns, and there we suns on hubcaps. Every since surface glittered and shone.

Some of the sleighs had built in ermine blankets and thick slippers for foot holds. These were truly amazing ways to show off the wealth and power of the monarchs. I felt bad for the poor horses who would have had to carry all this weight. One of the coolest sleighs (above) was of Hercules killing the Hydra. The hydra itself was made from one single hollowed out tree!

I left Munich glowing. I was well fed, I had seen some beautiful things, and I had spent some wonderful time with my family, and I was filled with the Christmas spirit. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it was true. I was sad to leave. I had so much fun with my family, and it was nice to be with people that I felt so comfortable with it. It was such a pleasure to just have some food and hang out. It made me more excited for when Ryan and I go back to the US next week! Anyway, Munich was delightful and now I want to drink a beer and make some soft pretzels, even though it won’t be the same, so I can hold on to this weekend feeling a little bit longer.

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Not much needs to be said for this recipe. I’m confident I don’t need to hype it up too much for you. The reason being, Nutella sells itself. Nutella is practically a perfect store bought food. I mean, it’s delicious on a spoon straight out of the jar. Add Nutella to hot chocolate and you’ve got liquid goodness.

It’s December, it’s cold, I’m snuggled up in hoodies and blankets – and hot chocolate makes it all better. Hot chocolate makes cold winter nights feel cozier. But this, this hot chocolate, is so lovely. Look how beautiful it was swirling in the saucepan? I got the idea for this hot chocolate from an info-graphic that I saw on Pinterest. I thought, “nutella hot chocolate, that’s what I need this winter.”

What I think makes this hot chocolate so special, is that it’s the hot chocolate you would have wanted as a kid (but no one would ever let you have). It is so sweet, chocolatey, and rich. As a kid it would have you bouncing off the walls. As an adult, you can appreciate it for the decadent sweet treat that it is. But, for a bit of childlike whimsy, try to find a funny mug like my bundled up penguin. And finally, top this with marshmallows or whipped cream and you’ll have the ultimate indulgence.

Messy level: One spoon. You can measure everything and blop it straight into the saucepan. You need very few utensils, and the most difficult part is pouring the hot chocolate into your mug.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

 

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk (whole milk for more creaminess)
• 1 cup Nutella
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

1. In a sauce pan, heat the milk, Nutella, and cocoa powder over low-medium heat.
2. Whisk continuously until the Nutella and cocoa powder are dissolved and completely incorporated into the milk.
3. Heat until small bubbles start to form along the edge of the milk. It should be hot enough, but if you disagree, keep the milk over the heat until it reaches your desired level of hotness.
4. Pour into your favorite mug and top with marshmallows if you like!

3.2.2885

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Ryan and I recently went to Montreal for a long weekend. It was a wonderful getaway and the perfect mix of site-seeing, taking in a new place, and also sitting around relaxing. As with most vacations, we ate well and tried to seek out popular and local restaurants. I’m a little crazy about this. I read my guidebook and then I constantly talk about what I want to try, until we get to try it. I took pictures of some of our favorite meals and wanted to share in case you ever find yourself in Montreal.

I like taking pictures of food, even if sometimes the pictures come out a little weird. When I came back from my honeymoon a few of my friends teased me about how many pictures I took of the food. At first I was a little embarrassed, but then I realized that food is an important part of the vacation experience (at least for me). We’re tourists in part because we want to learn and experience a culture and life different from our own. As someone who interacts with tourists regularly for work, I’m often asked “what’s a good DC place to eat?” Food can teach us about a place’s traditions and trends. Food can teach about climate. Think of how we associate hearty foods with cold climates. Or oranges with Florida. Or olives with a sunny Mediterranean climate. Food is a part of a place’s identity.

My attempt to de-bone the fish

Mostly importantly for me, a picture of food can remind me of the way I felt and the adventures I had. One example is in Turkey, Ryan and I ordered fish and we got the whole fish. The first time, we failed miserably in removing the bones. The second time, I was nervous but determined to get most of the bones out in one swoop. And I was mostly successful, so we took a picture to mark my triumph. Pictures of food remind me of the excitement and anticipation of vacation. I’d also like to note, that when I asked people for recommendations of what to do in Montreal I only got recommendations of what to eat and where. Not one recommendation of what to see! I think that means other people are obsessed with food too. But without further ado, here are four foods/restaurants I think are remarkable in Montreal.

Poutine, from Resto La Banquise

Before we left for Montreal I knew I was going to try to poutine. I first learned about poutine when I was in grad school. I had a friend from Canada who was shocked (and possibly horrified) that none of us had heard of poutine before.  Apparently it’s a pretty legit Canadian dish. Poutine is made with french-fries, gravy, and cheese curds.  We went to La Banquise on a recommendation from a friend of a friend. We got there and the entrance was filled with about 15 people snaked around in a squished line. It went pretty fast and soon we were seated in their brightly colored and very full dining area.

The menu boasts over 20 different types of poutine. Ryan had his with ground beef, onions, and mushrooms. I had mine with hot dogs. Let me just say, I love hotdogs. Possibly I should be ashamed of that, but I’m not. I will buy a hotdog every chance I get – at the ballgame, from street vendors, at the bar, wherever it’s offered. I love it. But still, I was nervous. Last time I had eaten a hotdog off the bun it had not gone well. On our honeymoon Ryan and I wanted to have a night in and I went to the store and bought what I thought was pepperoni pizza (because I couldn’t read the package and the picture looked like pepperoni). It was HOT DOG PIZZA. It was gross and Ryan and I got sick.

But, La Banquise used to be a popular hot dog stand and so I thought they would know what they were doing. And THEY DID. It was hearty, warm, gooey, and delicious. The fries were crispy and didn’t get soggy. The gravy was so good that if it has been Thanksgiving I would have put it on everything, even the cranberry sauce. And the cheese curds were a little melty and gooey. I loved it and almost ate the whole mound. It was amazing on a cold and windy Montreal day. Seriously, I might try to make this at home next winter.

Montreal Bagel

If you’re a devotee of Manhattan bagels, this isn’t likely to change your life, but it’s worth the try. Montreal bagels are smaller, thinner, and denser than bagels than bagels sold here.  I had it with cream cheese, lox, lettuce, tomato, and their special sauce. The bagel was sturdy, filling, and held up well under all those toppings. I really liked it, until I saw Ryan’s breakfast.

Sweets

While I was eating a bagel, Ryan was eating an out-of-this-world crepe. You know how on menus the pictures almost never look as good as the actual food? This was not one of those times. The picture looked amazing, and the real thing looked just as amazing. The crepe was filled with nutella and fruits like strawberries, raspberries, bananas, and blueberries. It was decadent and I was totally jealous. You can definitely make this at home. It’s not hard at all. Here’s a recipe from Jacques Pepin. 

Ingredients – 3/4 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/3 cup cold water, 2 tbsp canola oil

Combine the flour, eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, salt, and sugar. Whisk well. Add remaining milk, water, and oil. Stir well until smooth. Heat a small skillet and butter the pan. Pour about 2-3 tbsp of batter into the pan. Immediately after pouring in the batter, lift the pan and swirl it around so the batter lines the whole bottom of the skillet. The batter can set quickly so you have to be fast moving the batter all around! Cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute, maybe 2 at the max. It should be cooked on one side and can be slightly brown but should not be dark. Flip the crepe over either using a spatula or with an awesome quick flip of the wrist. You’ll probably only need to cook the second side for 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter. Butter pan between each crepe.

Hey look at that, I included a recipe!

We also saw macaroon carts all over the place. I had never had one before and was drawn to the beautiful array of colors. I went up to a kiosk in the Underground City Mall (seriously called the Underground City, how cool is that?!) and I asked the vendor what I should get. I was overwhelmed by how pretty they all were and I couldn’t read any of the labels which were printed in French. He pointed one out (unfortunately not colorful) and said it was the most popular and tastes like Ferrero Rocher. Um, sold. Which, if you don’t know what that is it’s a delicious candy that has crunchy hazelnut pieces embedded in silky chocolate. That macaroon did taste just like them – delicious chocolate and hazelnut! It was chewy, soft, and sweet without making my teeth hurt. It was nice introduction to macaroons.

Ryan and I didn’t eat anything maple while in Canada. It’s surprising because it was the only food product I really associated with Canada before our trip. And we saw maple tea and lattes and such, but only in touristy places so we avoided them. But, with our last remaining Canadian coins I bought us some maple cookies for our plane ride home. They were touristy because we bought them in the airport and they were shaped like leaves, but they were surprisingly good. Like maple flavored animal crackers. They were nice, light, and yummy plane food.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Schwartz’s

Before going to Montreal, everyone Schwartz’s Deli. We walked there and it was a bit of a hike from our hotel and mostly uphill, and then when we arrived there was a long line. We were hungry and tired and hoped the hype was going to be worth it. It was. The place is tiny and different groups get sat together at the same table. The waiters squeeze in between people, and great you with “bonjour, hello,” trying to gauge what language you speak.

Regardless of language, everyone ordered the smoked meat sandwich. There are other things on the menu, but I did not see anything else come out of the kitchen. The sandwich is basically a pastrami type of meat piled high on white bread with a smear of mustard. So simple, and yet so good. The meat was tender but crumbly and fell out of the bread (and my mouth) with each bite. Those fallen pieces were a great delight to pick over once the sandwich was eaten. The sandwich was the highlight of our three-day eating tour of Montreal. We considered getting a third sandwich to share, but decided to make the smart decision and be satisfied with what we’d already eaten. The way I know it was an incredible sandwich was because Ryan asked me to take a picture of him with his sandwich. He doesn’t usually ask for pictures so I knew we had a winner. If you’re ever in Montreal go here. It’s cheap, the line moves fast, and the food hits the spot.

Our trip to Montreal was great. We saw beautiful churches, watched curling on t.v.,  wandered the old city streets, and ate really well. During the trip, after all this talk of food, I asked Ryan to name his favorite meal he’d had on vacation. It ended up being a lengthy conversation and we couldn’t pick just one thing. We laughed, remembered forgotten experiences, and salivated over delicious meals of the past.

What’s your favorite vacation meal?

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