Search Results for: food

Ornate Architecture and Incredible Food : Exploring New Orleans

October 29, 2018

Five years ago we headed to New Orleans for the first time. Long story short, the trip wasn’t a great one. So this year when the opportunity came up to go back to the Louisiana city, we thought it was time to give it another shot and I’m so glad we did! We ended up really enjoying our time in NOLA this time around and got to explore so many new and different areas that we didn’t get to see last time around.

We stayed in the French Quarter, but farther away from Bourbon Street than last time, which afforded us a very different perspective of the city. We also had better expectations of the city going into our trip and were able to explore differently than the previous time. All in all, New Orleans really is a unique destination all in itself and there is no other place like it. The ornate architecture, the details in every building, provide a sense of place that could only be in New Orleans. The food, Cajun and Southern is out of this world and truly a testament to the region. New Orleans is one of those places that has a very specific kind of charm: old buildings that look like they are truly falling down around you, French and Spanish influences that are reminiscent of European cities but totally unique to NOLA and an American culture totally specific to this part of the country.

Some of my favorites spots to check out in New Orleans:

Cafe du Monde – I don’t think you can come to NOLA without a stop here for their famous beignets and cafe au lait. My recommendation – go in the evening while everyone is at dinner or the bars and you won’t even have a wait!
Cafe Beignet – This cute little spot on Royal Street in the French Quarter is one of my favorites. They have regular food too but their beignets and iced lattes are to die for.
NOLA – Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant in the French Quarter is a great option for dinner. We went on our first trip there and again on this trip and were not disappointed!
Muriel’s – This was a recommendation from a local friend of ours and for a fun local New Orleans dinner, this place was great. The rumor is that it’s haunted and while I really wanted to have a drink in their Seance Room upstairs, it was booked the whole time were there. But we did have a glass of wine in their courtyard bar and dinner in their main dining room and the whole experience was great!
St. Roch Market – This great spot in Bywater is an indoor market full of amazing food options. We went for lunch and could hardly decide what to get because everything looked so good!

Headed to New Orleans?

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Global Food : A Hawaiian Dinner Party at Home

August 24, 2016

Something many Land of Marvels readers might not realize is that I love to cook. It’s always been a big passion of mine and baking, cooking, and hosting dinner parties is something that I love to do and try to do as much as my schedule permits. Food is also such a huge part of travel and as Nick and I have ventured around the world, we’ve fallen in love with so many cultures through their food. So in this Land of Marvels series, as I learn to cook different cultural food from around the world, I’ll share the process and recipes here so you can have an exotic culinary adventure yourself as well! Welcome to Global Food: A Night in the Islands!

This Summer has been a whirlwind of travel and events, making it seem like time was flying by us. It had been a while since I’d had a group of our friends over for a dinner party so I figured it was the perfect time to get together and try a new theme of cultural food for everyone. Since we had been making multiple trips to Hawaii this Summer for work, I decided on a Night in the Islands!

Our dinner party consisted of tropical foods, Hawaiian flavors and typical local dishes from Oahu and the other Hawaiian islands. I love tropical flavors and they were easy to adapt to make lots of food for a group of 8 people. This cultural menu is great for a Summer get together, when the weather is warm and the nights are long!

Eating Paris : French Food You Shouldn’t Miss Trying

May 17, 2016

France is known worldwide for its amazing food. After all, much of culinary history stems from France and today, Paris and France in general are foodie paradises. I love heading to France because I know the food is going to be amazing. However, there are certain foods that you just simply must try while in Paris – so if you’re heading to the French capital, here is the French food you shouldn’t miss trying while there!

Omelette Mixte

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I actually didn’t have my first omelette in France until this last trip! And wow, I was blown away. Almost every cafe and brasserie will serve omelettes on their menus and from someone who doesn’t really love eggs, I can tell you that French omelettes are entirely different than their American counterparts. My favorite was the Omelette Mixte with ham and local cheese. The eggs are soft and light (held against American omelettes which tend to be really thick and eggy) and the ham and cheese add a sweetness to the dish.

Macarons

French Macarons are becoming more and more mainstream (I have my own thoughts on this and I’ll be doing a post on that soon enough) but still something not to be missed in France. Head to Laduree or Pierre Herme and grab yourself a box of macarons, then my favorite is to head to a local park and enjoy your macarons with beautiful architecture and a beautiful view!

Chicken Paillard

One of my absolute favorite French dishes and one that I rarely see in the US is chicken paillard. Chicken is beaten really thin and then grilled in its own juices as well as citrus, then topped with a fresh arugula salad and tomato relish. My favorite is from Cafe St. Regis on the Ile St. Louis, but you can get this at most standard brasseries throughout the city.

Sandwich Mixte

One of my favorite go to quick meals while in Paris, the sandwich mixte is a French staple. Fresh baguette, filled with chunks of salted butter, ham and cheese slices – the sandwich mixte is a simple but so classically French lunch or snack and shouldn’t be missed!

Hotdog with Cheese

One of Nick’s favorites in Paris is the hotdog with cheese. Many lunch cafes offer this which is basically a hotdog inside of a baguette and smothered with cheese, then baked to perfection. I’m not a big hot dog fan myself, but if you are, this should be high on your list!

Fresh Croissants

My absolute favorite on trips to France… fresh croissants right out of the bakers’ ovens. Find your favorite boulangerie and stop in for warm and crusty croissants in the mornings before heading out to explore France!

Headed to Paris?

Here are all my posts on the city.

Where to Stay in France

Global Food : An International Housewarming

March 31, 2016

A few weeks ago, we had a housewarming party at our new townhouse. After moving in January, we knew we wanted to open up our new home to all our local friends and family to be there to celebrate the move with us, for people to see our new place and just to have a few hours enjoying our home with those we love. When I started thinking about what I wanted to do with our housewarming, we settled on an International theme. We had beer and wine from countries we’ve visited or want to visit (French Rosé, German Reisling, Spanish Rioja + Thai Singha lager, Irish Guiness ale, and Kona Longboard beer). We had cheeses from all over Europe including Spanish Manchego, Swiss Gruyere and Irish cheddar. We had meats from Italy like salami and prosciutto and all topped off with my now infamous Beer Bread, which has become a staple in my entertaining ritual because it’s such a hit with our friend and family. And lucky for you, I’ve included the recipe below so you can make it on your own!

We also had our good friend Kristina from Tier, a local baker, make her famous sugar cookies for us. I love working with her because she’s so creative and an awesome baker, but what I love most is that when I give her a theme, she runs with it! So for our housewarming, she made sugar cookies in the shape of a bunch of Portland buildings and homes, along with keys to celebrate our new home. It was such a perfect touch and if you’re in the Portland area, I can’t recommend her enough!

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon celebrating our travels and our new home. I’m so glad we got to have an international housewarming to enjoy this new chapter of our lives with those closest to us and if you’re looking for housewarming inspiration of your own, go for an international themed housewarming to match your own favorite travel destinations!

The Food of Los Cabos

November 10, 2015

Nick and I were looking forward to the food in Mexico for months before our trip. Honestly we would literally discuss it non-stop how excited we were for the food on our trip to Cabo. Then we went and experienced both food in both Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and at our resort and we were a little disappointed to be honest. As people who love Mexican food, we felt pretty overcharged for not the best food, however that’s not to say we didn’t have good food at all, it’s just that it didn’t really live up to the hype we had created. I will say though, I did have the best fish taco of my life in San Jose del Cabo at a place called Ten tu Tacos and kept ordering more because they were so good. So I guess the moral of the story is: you win some and you lose some with food while traveling, but one thing is for sure, the food was really photogenic. So the food of Los Cabos in picture form…

Headed to Mexico?

Take a look at the rest of our archives on Los Cabos here!

Ornate Architecture and Incredible Food : Exploring New Orleans

Some of my favorites spots to check out in New Orleans:

Global Food : A Hawaiian Dinner Party at Home