Enjoy Currywurst in Stuttgart at Martha's

Enjoy Currywurst in Stuttgart at Martha's

I first had currywurst on a trip to Berlin two years ago where I'd read it was one of the regional specialities. While it wasn't love at first bite, every once in a while I get a craving for the singular taste of grilled German wurst (sausage) smothered in curry-flavored ketchup. I haven't seen many places that offer currywurst on the menu in southern Germany, butthere is one shop in town where I know I can go for a good one: Martha's...

Mediterranean Dining at OGGI

Mediterranean Dining at OGGI

We've been in Germany for four years now. I know this because every May around this time, the Ausländerbehörde (the office for registering foreigners) schedules an appointment for us to come in and have our passports re-stamped to certify that we can stay here. In order to celebrate the event this year, we decided to take advantage of the morning off and go out for lunch at OGGI, a Mediterranean restaurant downtown for which I've had a long neglected gift card...

A Hike Through the Vineyards at the Obertürkheimer Weinwandertag

A Hike Through the Vineyards at the Obertürkheimer Weinwandertag

We were inspired by the warm, sunny weather last weekend to get out and enjoy the hills around Stuttgart. Weinmanufaktur Untertürkheim was having their annual Weinwandertag (wine walk day) on May 5th this year, which also happened to be  Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day) and thus a public holiday (i.e. no work). 

We hopped on the S-bahn to take the 15-minute ride to Obertürkheim and arrived around 13:00. Though the walk had only started at 11:00, the area was already packed, and we had no trouble finding our way to the beginning of the walk by following the sea of people in comfortable hiking shoes and day packs headed up the hill...

Recipe: Spanish Tortilla from Espai Boisà

Recipe: Spanish Tortilla from Espai Boisà

I like to cook fairly often, and on nights when I'm craving potatoes, Spanish tortilla usually comes to mind. I picked up this recipe at our Espai Boisà cooking class in Barcelona two years ago. I hadn't eaten Spanish tortilla before that trip, let alone made it, but after taking a lead role in making the tortilla at our cooking class, I felt confident enough to continue making the dish at home...

Stuttgart's New Burger Bar at the Burger House

Stuttgart's New Burger Bar at the Burger House

Last weekend after the craft beer festival, our group decided we were craving a sit-down meal with burgers. Though there was a food truck selling burgers at the venue, I couldn't tell by the passers-by what the quality of the burgers might be, and I was hesitant to try them after my long search for a good burger in Stuttgart. I didn't want to be disappointed again.

We decided that instead of taking a chance, we'd leave the venue and hop on the U-bahn to the city center where a new burger joint called The Burger House (a chain based out of Munich) recently opened. Of course we were still taking a chance on a new restaurant, but their Facebook pictures showed some pretty legit-looking burgers...

Stuttgart's First Craft Beer Festival By Kraftpaule

Stuttgart's First Craft Beer Festival By Kraftpaule

Yesterday was rather important for Germany as the 23rd of April 2016 marked the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law. Quite simply, the law, which originated in Bavaria, limits the production of beer to just water, barley, and hops. The law was enacted in order to protect Germans from unscrupulous brewers who would put some rather nasty additives into their beer, like wood shavings and soot. Even today, the Reinheitsgebot is largely still followed as it's become a symbol of quality and national pride for Germans. (You can read more about it in this helpful article posted by the BBC.)

And so, it was perhaps with more than a bit of irony that Kraftpaule, a new local pub, decided to celebrate the 500th anniversary with Stuttgart's first ever Craft Beer Festival. If the sold-out, 3,000-person attendance is anything to go by, then the event was a huge hit and no one seemed to mind that their double chocolate stout and whiskey porter did not fall under the beloved Reinheitsgebot (and neither did we)...

Exploring Italy By Train, Foot, and Stomach: Florence

Exploring Italy By Train, Foot, and Stomach: Florence

In my last post, I wrote about our trip from Milan to the Cinque Terre and our hike through the five villages. We had a really wonderful time on the coast, though I was looking forward to seeing Florence for the first time, a city that many of my friends and family members say is their favorite in Italy. 

We got to Florence late on Tuesday night with just enough time for a quick bite at a local restaurant before bed...

Exploring Italy By Train, Foot, and Stomach: Cinque Terre

Exploring Italy By Train, Foot, and Stomach: Cinque Terre

It's been a while since our last trip to Seattle, so I decided it was time to pull out our passports and head to someplace new over Easter weekend. Our destination? Italy! Though Matt and I went to Rome for a day on our honeymoon, we haven't made it back since, which is surprising given that Germany really isn't that far and we've already lived here for four years now. Most of all, we decided this trip would be a great opportunity to explore all of the Italian cuisine that we've been missing...