Places Where The Food's Great There

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

A few places have piqued my interest as a food destination.
Ludlow.
It was worth the effort of a visit, although I'm not sure it's as marvelous as it once was.
We dined at both the Hibiscus, and a super Indian Restaurant.

I've always fancied Bologna.
For those who remember RobertD, he said Bologna was the best place in Italy for food. Now I thought Sicily was pretty amazing, so Bologna would blow me away for sure.

Scotland for beef. I've never tasted better.

Other foodie towns and cities anyone?

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I'll second Robert's Bologna recommendation we've been quite a few times over the years - it's a total food paradise & a great place to visit - not to mention the leather shopping......

So many places to chose from in the UK that does their own regional specialities really well - I'll have to think when I've had more coffee!

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Bologna is great for food. There is a very narrow side street just off the main Cathedral Square which has a few cafes followed by some wonderful food shops. There was everything from greengrocers, butchers, delis and fishmongers. We were on a touring holiday, staying in hotels when we visited, but we did buy a bunch of the juiciest garlic I have ever seen to bring home. If we went back, we would have to go self catering, also if we went back to Barcelona!

Still in Italy, we did have a 'comfort break' at one of the motorway service stations, and once you got past the very familiar global confectionery brands, it was like walking into an Italian Deli. There was loads of pasta, salamis, proscuittos and cheeses available to buy. Mr Strictly and I both gasped with delight when we saw it.

Although anywhere with a large open air market selling fresh produce is also fantastic. Brighton and parts of Edinburgh are also great for independent cafes if you want something a little different to the norm.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I've just checked on the Google map, and it's drivable for us.
We do have long conversations about where to go for our main holiday. Italy is always considered, so long as we don't have to fly there.

Edinburgh seems to have some of those delightful places that are cafes during the day, and wine cellar bars by night.

I don't know Brighton. We've been there for a day, but not stayed over nearly long enough to experience it properly.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Another Bologna fan here.
Actually our neastest town is a bit of a foodie haven and, although the restaurant in town aren't much to shout about there are several excellent ones within less than half an hour away.

In and around Lyons is wonderful with everything from Bouchons to 3* Michelin

I also love Marrakech not only for the restaurants but the food quarters, especially the spices.

Gill, if you want a stop-over en route for Italy you know where we are.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

What's a bouchon, Joan?

I do know what it is when you are ground to a halt on the Peripherique trying to drive around Paris

& indeed, we do know where to find you. Pass the sign that says "to the middle of nowhere" - left a bit, right a bit. And you are there.
This year we are dropping in on my old school friend at Pamplona.
Just outside her house is the camino de s. compostela.

Lots of Gandolf looking figures to be seen walking behind her garden.

Her husband makes the best tortilla espanola I've ever tasted.

[Joanbunting Profile]

A bouchon is a tiny restaurant in Lyon so small everyone is squidged in tightly but the food is usually very good indeed and you simply have to alk to the people next to you.

https://jadorelyon.com/bouchon-in-lyon/

A bouchon is also a cork and while it can also mean a traffic jam but our kids always call them confitures.

Now the whole world will know how to find us Gill!

[Alexandria Profile]

Good idea for a post, Gil ..

Well, I could go on and on depending what you
enjoy, all being quite subjective ..

1) Girona.
2) Barcelona.
3) The Madrid Capital.
4) Galicia for those who love seafood, mollusks, octopus,
shellfish, lobster and finned fish.

5) Parma, Bolgona & Modena ..
6) Milano.
7) Verona.
8) San Remo, Liguria.

9) Lyon, France
10) Paris
11) Menton and Nice, France.
12) Marseille.

13) Marrakesh, Morocco.

14) Tokyo, Japan.

15) Hong Kong.

16) The Basque Country
a) San Sebastian
b) Bilbao
c) La Guardia, Álava

17 ) La Rioja
a) Logroño
b) Ezcarray

18) Bucharest, Romania ( a true surprise )

One of the best restaurants we had eaten in is:
Restaurant Joseph By: Joseph Hadad

19) Zúrich, Switzerland
The Dolder Grand Hotel
Chef Heiko Nieder
Restaurant Epicure

20) Genéve, Switzerland
The Beau Rivage, Hotel Restaurant
Chef Dominque Gauthier

21 ) The Greek Island of Skiatos ..

22) Phuket Island, Thailand ..

[Binky Profile]

We were in Lyon a few years ago and tried to get into a 'bouchon' but they were crammed as Joan says. However, looking at the menus, they were (to us) unappetising offerings of pigs feet, tripes, kidneys in wine etc. Basic peasant cookery I suppose.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Thats why I love them Binky . I adore those distant parts like tripe etc. Head to tail eating.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Ah, I see now. Binky, you dodged an offal bullet there.

We drove into Lyon, when there was an international conference in town (pre phone & internet, you used tourist offices). Even the £250 per night hotel was full. In the hellish tourist office queue, we were next up,
When an attendant shouted Double Room at the Kyriad just available. We were so lucky.

It was the sweetest room, overlooking the Lyon prison by the dodgy railway. Friends and families shouting up to their incarcerated loved ones during the night.
A memorable stay for it, where we ate at the institution that is Brasserie Georges.

[Renee Profile]

What a lovely view Gill and at least it wasn't the prison!! No wonder there were vacancies though!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

he he, not quite inside the prison walls, Renee, no.

Offal and gubbins isn't quite my thing, but if they have pigs head, I'm happy.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

The west of Scotland is great for seafood. The original Loch Fyne, Skipness, and many others. I suppose the same could be said of the North Norfolk coast and Algarve, although there's more chaff amongst the wheat in those places.

I'm a fan of 'offal and gubbins', known in this house as 'squiggly bits and dangly bits'. They tend to be a surprise discovery, such as the time I went into the Three Horseshoes at Warham one autumn and saw that the special was stuffed lambs' hearts. I've cooked them a couple of times for Mrs B but it was a taste of our respective childhoods.

Surprising finds included the lamb and smoked salmon in Iceland in the 1990s, before Reykjavik became foodie. I've not had lamb like it.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I´ll second the West of Scotland, especially Islay, on the Western Hebrides.
I spent 3 days there some while back, and the seafood was glorious. I remember the scallops; beautifully cooked and deliciously sweet. Of course, there are also 8 single malt whisky distilleries on the island.....

Recently, however, I was in Chicago. The city has 22 michelin-starred restaurants, although we barely had time to see much, as we were only there for a day. A visit to the best Deep-Dish Pizza joint was obligatory, but we also made it to one of the oldest oyster bars in the city. A small selection of 18 different types of oyster.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

We travelled through Scotland a while back, via castles. There's a tourist network of them - a few have been used as film sets.
And the dining was top notch. I had a love affair with scallops everywhere.

For pizza, I've not been to Chicago.
But Corsica was as good as Italy. Corsica has great food, although their starters seem to be bigger than their main meals.
I had to pace myself and chose carefully wherever we went.

[Alexandria Profile]

My grandmothers and my parents home in
Cadaquès. For traditional Mediterranean and
Catalan Cuisine.

[Alexandria Profile]

Many years ago we had travelled to Ulla Poole.


We recall, the wild, freshly caught salmon was simply sublime exquisiteness.