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...
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...
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...
Every year at the Messe (meaning fairgrounds), the Markt des Guten Geschmacks (the market of good tastes) comes to town. I've somehow missed it the last couple of years, and so even though we've had a really busy week having just come back from our vacation in Italy (a post on that is coming soon!), I decided that I just couldn't miss this event again.
The Markt des Guten Geschmacks is part of the Slow Food movement that began with Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986. The group advocates for regional, sustainable, and artisanal foods, and local chapters organize events like this one all over the world. Germany's own chapter was founded in 1992, and they've since worked to promote the slow food philosophy at events around Germany...
I really like holidays for being markers of the season, though I have to admit that Valentine's Day has never been one that I've much cared for. Sure, it's nice to show your loved one that you care, but I'm not too keen on fighting for a dinner reservation just to say "I love you." So because Matt was flying out last weekend on Valentine's Day, I was just as pleased to dine out the Saturday before and call it a date. As we're in the process of booking a spring trip to Tuscany, we've had Italian food on our minds and decided to try Il Pomodoro over in the Wilhelmsplatz...
The Monday after Christmas, my mother and I decided to brave the post-holiday sales crowds in order to do a little shopping of our own and explore some areas of Stuttgart that she hadn't seen yet. Though I know that the new Milaneo complex by the library is quite popular, I much prefer the other new shopping mall at at the far end of Königstraße called Das Gerber. The mall is smaller and thus much more manageable, in my opinion, and there are several new stores there that I like. Apart from that, Das Gerber also houses our local Pano...
With summer winding down, my husband and I decided to take one last weekend trip to enjoy the beautiful weather. We've stayed local this summer after our amazing trip to Ireland, choosing to visit some of the nearby sights of Schwäbisch Hall and Schloss Hohenzollern instead. We've been all over Baden-Württermberg, but one location remained on our list: the Bodensee.
I remember before we moved to Suttgart three years ago that a friend of ours who studied abroad in Konstanz (also known as Constance in English) on the Bodensee (or Lake Constance) said it was the most beautiful place he'd ever been and that we had to visit. Still, we always pushed aside our plans to travel there as the train fare was either too expensive or we couldn't find an affordable hotel at short notice. However, with a little planning ahead and a creative definition of a weekend (Sunday-Monday), I was able to pull something together. And so, with our tickets booked and our bag packed, we set out on the 2-1/2 journey south of Stuttgart to Konstanz...
Even though the last street food market turned into a bit of a fiasco, I entered the dates for their second event in my calendar as I rarely pass up a food-focused event. The second market took place this past weekend at Turlenstraße 2 in the Mitte. Right away the location was much better. Instead of the winding path through the train tracks that I took to get to the first market, this one was located right across the street from the new Milaneo mall. The signage was also much better with large, bright green announcements along the entrance.
The venue was a bit like the bottom level of a parking garage with all of the food trucks and stands set up inside. There was a desk set up at the entrance where they required a 2€ entrance fee. When we arrived on the first night, Friday, we noticed a group of Mexican dancers by the entrance putting on a show. It was a very festive atmosphere, although much quieter than the first market. By comparison, there was hardly anyone there. The lines to most of the food stands were only three or four people long at most, and there were plenty of picnic tables set up around the venue for people to stop and eat. There were about 30 different stands set up in total, and we ended up going to the market on both Friday and Saturday night so that we could sample as much as possible...
The past two weeks have been incredibly busy for me at work. I've had a hard time finding time to blog, and meals have tended to be quick, on-the-go affairs. Still, when it was my turn to cook last Friday I decided to take a break with some friends and enjoy a nicer form of takeout: authentic, sit-down Italian pizza.
I'm not sure where or how we got the recommendation for L.A. Signorina, but we frequently pass it on our walks through Marienplatz. The restaurant sits just on the northeast corner of the square, giving it a great location for people-watching. In the summertime, the restaurant has a good many patio tables for outdoor dining. However, the weather has still been a bit chilly at night, and so we decided to opt for an inside table for this particular meal...
This past weekend Ludwigsburg hosted their annual Antiques-Mile. During this event, the market square was filled with dozens, if not a hundred of stalls, all manned by local antique merchants selling a selection of their wares. You could find everything there, from record players to typewriters, kitchen ware to linens.
While this event is not exactly food-related, I felt it worth a mention because you can find lots of great food-related antiques. I loved seeing old cookie cutters, measuring cups, bread boxes, silverware, and glasses. This was definitely the place to go if you're looking for something special for your home...
