I still have to meet someone that, when asked to describe one of their most memorable meals, will tell you that it was had in the middle of a commercial port …but if I were asked that same question, you would hear me tell you about a memorable crab feast I had for the first […]
Archive | Restaurants
Quick Snack: Noshing at Putin’s Press Conference
Every year, Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a press conference for international media at a government building in Moscow. The media arrive early for security screening and to set up their equipment. As President Putin tends to answer questions for hours (this year it was 3, but has been as long as 5), a buffet […]
Iraq, the Land of Plenty (of Rice)
Road-tripping through Northern Iraq, I’ve stumbled on some interesting regional specialties amid the kebabs and hummus. In Serchinar Restaurant in Zahko (not far from the Syrian border), a platter of grilled meat was served with endless side dishes, including this bright green concoction I’d never seen before: Turns out it was banana slices served in […]
Grazing Along the Turkey-Syria Border
The border between Turkey and Syria is 500 miles long, dotted by hundreds of little villages and anchored by small, fully-functioning cities (complete with airports). There’s plenty of street food: kebab stands, men slinging long footprints of cheese or meat-strewn pide (flatbreads), little storefronts and carts where you can grab a cone of chewy, dense Turkish ice […]
In the Land of Mezze, Matoug is King
Gaza is full of Middle Eastern cafes slinging hummus, tabouleh, and grilled meats. In fact, I have yet to see a restaurant here that is NOT full of mezze and kebabs. No Tequila Sushi Boom Boom in these parts. With so many restaurants serving so many of the same things, it comes down to the […]