Welcome to Bulgaria! Part 1

So, here we are in Bulgaria.  Enjoying the sun, sea and sand.  Before I get to far into the blog here, let me just say that we have been in this country since August 6.  It is now 8/27.  I can cover (and will) all of the food here in two blogs.  One of the first meals that we ate here on the Black Sea was at Happy- a chain of restaurants that serves pretty much everything (sushi included).

I opted for the meatballs while Lynn got the grilled calamari.  The meatballs were very good- lots of cumin and paprika.  They were served with a tomato salsa, although it wasn't spicy- just chunky.  The calamari were cooked properly and weren't chewy.  Always a plus.  However, all good things must come to an end.  This was one of the few good meals that we have actually eaten in Bulgaria.

Every meal that we eat out, Lynn always gets optimistic.  I have learned not to expect much and not to get disappointed.  So, we haven't had that much luck eating out.  It's a true shame though- Bulgaria has some great natural resources when it comes to food.  The soil in mineral and nutrient rich so that the fruits and vegetables are some of the best that we have had.  They just lack the know-how to prepare meat and fish.  Take our advice- eat meat on a stick here.  That's what they are known for and even if we don't take our own advice, we highly suggest that you take it.  Even TripAdvisor has failed us, when in the past, they have been spot on.  Three of the restaurants that we have tried in Nesebar have been either really disappointing or one of those meals that's good but not something you want to really blog about.

All that being said, they do have some fantastic wines.  It's a shame that Eastern European wines aren't that well known because they are great.  We have visited two wineries so far and we have one more to go see.  The first was Edoardo Miriglio in Elenovo.  We stopped there on our way back from Plovdiv, which has some of the best ancient Roman ruins outside of Italy.  We bought several bottles (OK- 8 bottles, you happy?) to bring back with us since we have somehow run out of wine at home.  The next day, we went to the winery that we can see from our back yard.  We had no idea of the name of it, only that it is down a dirt road.  Turns out, it is the Dives Estate, which I have been seeing signs for all over.  Shear dumb luck there.  We bought 6 more bottles of wine and were even given a 2009 bottle of wine (his first) as a present.  We haven't tried them yet, but we will get there.  The last winery we are going to see is the Black Sea Gold, which is about 20 minutes away.  We have tried their wine before at restaurants, and we like it so far.

Ok, back to some of the more edible food.  As I said before, they have some fantastic fruits and vegetables here- the tomatoes and cucumbers are great on their own and the peaches.  Oh my goodness the peaches!!  We ate at a small restaurant in Aheloy that has no name, but the only thing that I can tell you is that they treat their veggies right- plain and full of their natural flavor.

As I said before, Nesebar has kind of been our place of choice.  Its Old Town is all cobbled streets that wind around with various Churches around that have been there since the 5th Century.  My recommendation is to eat on the water.  Plankamoto is a good choice.  The fish there was fresh and prepared as well as could be.  I got the sea wolf (sea bass) with coconut and almonds.  TONS OF FOOD.  Just be prepared.  And maybe split a salad with someone if you want greens.  The salad had a bit to much salt in the dressing, but it was still edible.

Like I said, huge portions.  For dessert, we opted for their house made tiramisu and chocolate cake.  Both were very good and tasty.

As for actual eating on the beach, we haven't yet found a spot to do that, but our favorite beach spot is in Pomorie.  They have a great bar in front of the Grand Hotel that serves great drinks to you on the beach.

Anyway, stay tuned for post two in which I finish Bulgarian food.

    

Locarno, Switzerland

After Lake Bled, we headed to Locarno, Switzerland.  We were there for a film festival and boy did we have a great time.  We were there with the British Film Institute and I had a great time meeting everyone and seeing films.  We ate out both nights we were there and the food was Italian.  Locarno is about 20 minutes from the border with Italy.

The first restaurant we ate at was Ristorante Da Valentino.  It was a set menu and we started out with Tuna Tartar, followed by Porcini Mushroom Risotto followed by Sea Bass.  It was a lot of food.  We left our group before dessert came since we wanted to go to the Piazza Grande to watch Lore.

Sorry the pics are so bad- the flash made the food look terrible, so I opted for no flash and semi-darkness.

The tartar was very good.  The tuna was prepared just right- the right amount of seasoning and cut properly. The risotto was very creamy and rich, and a bit overwhelming.  It was cooked properly though.  The fish was good as well- seasoned and cooked well.  It had mushy vegetables and freshly made potato chips with it.  Like I said before, by the time the main course arrived, I was stuffed.

After leaving the film early due to rain and getting some sleep, we started off on the next day of film watching.      5 films in one day...phew!  We did take a dinner break with our group.  This time, we ate at Ristorante Citadella.  It was a bit better than the night before in that the portions were a bit smaller, but you still got a lot to eat.  We started with gazpacho that was a bit salty, but thankfully, it was a shot glass full. 

For the appetizer, I got the zucchini carpaccio with goat cheese.  Everything was so fresh tasting it was ridiculous.  For the main course, I got lamb that was fantastic.  It was cooked just right and seasoned well.  It came with a side dish of potatoes au gratin that I didn't get a picture of.  We did get dessert, but I didn't get a photo of it.  It was blueberries with a sesame ice cream.  It was good, but not great.  It was a let down after the great appetizer and main course.  After dinner, we all headed down to the Piazza Grande to watch Ruby Sparks from the directors of Little Miss Sunshine.  It was a really good film.  We had great seats for it, although it did make your neck hurt to have to look up at the screen.

After Ruby Sparks, we stayed in the square to watch the second film of the night, Magic Mike.  Yes, I know, not something you would normally see at a film festival, but still great on a giant screen that's larger than an IMAX.  Our final full day there was filled with some good films and one terrible one that saw 50% of the audience leave before it was halfway over- Far From Afghanistan.  I don't think I have ever walked out on a movie, but there was no choice here.  The description made it seem like it would be a very good film that shows the problems that Afghanistan and her people face since the war has started, but what you got was a disjointed film that didn't have a point and used outdated facts.

Alright, I'm off my soapbox.

Our last night instead of seeing the film in the Piazza Grande, we headed indoors since it was POURING to watch our film Nachtlarm (Night Ride).  It was a very good film and it was even better to be inside and dry versus outside and soaked.  Sadly, we had to leave our little film festival and head to Bulgaria for the month of August.  Stay tuned to find out what Bulgarian food is really like...

  

Bled, Slovenia

On our way to Switzerland, we stopped at Lake Bled in Slovenia.  I didn't know what to expect.  I was blown away.  The area is fantastic.

While I was there, I was able to take a cooking class in Modern Slovenian cooking.  The chef was great and I got to actually work in the kitchen instead of being a by-stander.

The first dish that we prepared that was actually my responsibility was: a trout roll bohinj with St. Jacob mussels and mint roasted in a herb crust served with spring vegetables and served with a white fish and prawn sauce.  We started by placing the filleted, skinned trout skin side down on plastic wrap.  Then I was in charge in pounding it out to make a bit bigger piece.  But be gentle!  Then, spread the mussels that were pureed with egg white and mixed with mint and cream.  Season the fish, roll up, then wrap tightly in plastic.  Cook at 350 F until the fish is 90 F inside.  Don't worry, you will cook it again.  Chill thoroughly.  Whisk two eggs, then roll in basil seasoned bread crumbs. *  Chill again, then when ready to serve, bake at 400 F until the the breadcrumbs are golden brown (5 min.).  Serve with small diced veg that you have sauteed.  Please don't ask how to make the sauces.  I have no idea as those were made before the class.

The next dish was a saddle of lamb in butter pastry with pepper gnocchi and carrot cream sauce.  The lamb was poached just enough to hold it's shape.  Then it was chilled.  The Chef had prepared some herb crepes before we were there.  He also made a chicken force-meat (same idea as the mussels before) that was mixed with porcini mushrooms.  The chicken was spread onto the pancakes, then the lamb was rolled into the pancakes.  This was chilled, then wrapped in butter pastry (puff pastry).  The pastry was then topped with egg wash and pumpkin seeds.  This was baked until the lamb was done.  The carrot cream was made by roasting carrots with star anise until tender.  This was then pureed with cream until smooth (remove the star anise first).  The pepper gnocchi was made the same way that the gnocchi was made before (see post on cooking class in Italy) but fresh cracked pepper was added.

Finally, for dessert, we made a lemon-raspberry souffle that was made using Gordon Ramsey's recipe.  It was served with raspberry sorbet and a spice cookie with white chocolate mousse. 

All in all it was a very tasty meal.

Later that day, we headed down to the lake for a drink and a light meal.  I got risotto, but it was terrible.  The octopus salad was done very well and was a huge portion.

The next day, we headed out for a wine tasting.

All of the wines were Slovenian and excellent.  It's a shame that they don't export wines to the US.

After the wine tasting, we headed out to enjoy the perfect weather.  We had to try the Bled Cream Cake.

It's vanilla pudding with whipped cream topped with puff pastry.  It is amazing.  They make hundreds of these a day and go through them in one day.  After the cream cake, we took a little train ride around.  Not the best idea after eating and drinking, but still fun.

*To make bread crumbs, remove the crusts from slightly stale bread and cube.  Toss in the food processor and add actual bread crumbs (a handful) until you have breadcrumbs.  Add a spoonful of basil pesto and combine.   

Bratislava, Slovakia

We sadly had to leave Poland, but don't worry.  Bigger and better things are coming!!  We packed up and headed out to Bratislava, Slovakia.  After Bratislava, we are going to Lake Bled, Slovenia and then Locarno, Switzerland before heading on to Bulgaria for August.  But, more on those stops later.

Like many of the places that we have visited, I didn't know what to expect from Bratislava.  I was really surprised.  The people there are as friendly as can be.  The city is very manageable and it is really cheap.

The first night we were there, we headed down to eat on the Danube.  They have really built up the river area, so there is a new mall and tons of different restaurants.  Lynn chose a sushi place for dinner.  The sushi was good, but the rest, no so much.  Sorry, I didn't take pictures, but it wasn't a picture-worthy place.

The next night we headed to the UFO for dinner.  It's a Space-Needle style place where you can dine in comfort and style.  Or you can head to the observation deck if you aren't that hungry.  Just a word of warning.  I rarely get motion sick.  However, it was raining and windy that night.  In addition, the way the building is designed made me somewhat ill.  I had to take something for it.  After that, I was able to enjoy the meal.

The view over the city was amazing.  Sadly, the food, while interesting, had a few flaws to it.  It had an Asian twist to it, with French style cooking.

We started with Terriyaki-marinated mango with lemongrass foam and port reduction.  Amazing.  I would never have thought to marinate mango in terriyaki sauce.  The lemongrass foam with light and added the right amount of heat to the dish.

Then came the actual starters that we ordered.  I started with the sous vide pate of foie gras with apple and basil jelly.  Lynn got the grilled calamari with artichoke puree.  The portions were huge.  And I don't know anyone that can eat a lot of foie gras.  If you can, let me know.

Both dishes were very well done.  The calamari was cooked perfectly.  If you have eaten overcooked seafood, you know that one second to long on the grill and you are wishing that you had ordered something else.  The puree also had a great flavor.  The jelly on the foie gras didn't add anything and the bread was better from the bread basket with it than the bread that it came with.

For the main courses, I got the rabbit schnitzel with potato puree and comte cheese and coconut sauce.  Lynn got red snapper with curry sauce, potato dumplings and radishes with cashews. 

The schnitzel was good.  It was a bit greasy, as if it hadn't been drained properly.  The rabbit was a bit tough, but overall, good.  The potato puree was potato puree.  I really enjoy potatoes, and this didn't disappoint.  The coconut sauce was a good dipping sauce, but didn't add much to it.  The fish, I was told was just ok.  Keep in mind that we are from Texas and we got some of the best red snapper locally.

Of course, we did go for dessert.

I got the caramelized cheese and cocoa cake with poppy seed ice cream and pineapple puree.  Lynn got the maple flan with pomegranate granita and cola foam.  The cake was good.  It wasn't overly sweet.  The ice cream was terrible and the puree was good.  The flan tasted like this: if you have ever taken a can of sweetened condensed milk and boiled it for a while, then opened it and eaten it- that's what you had here.  Don't think it's disgusting.  It's actually amazing.  The flan was excellent.  The granita was just ok.  There wasn't a lot of flavor.  The foam tasted like Coke- good, but not a flavor that I enjoy too much.

The final verdict on the UFO- good food, great view, but super-expensive.  It cost nearly $200 for the whole meal and a bottle of wine.  The thing is, for Slovakia, that is outrageous.  Yeah, $200 is expensive anywhere, but when you can get a sushi dinner with the freshest fish in town for $30 for two...well, you get the idea.

Our last meal in Bratislava was at our hotel, Merrol's Boutique Hotel.

Slovakia is on the Euro (just fyi), so we were able to get a two course meal at our hotel for 12.50 euros.  I started with some tomato soup that was notable in that you could actually taste fresh tomatoes.  Lynn and I both got pork chops with green beans and potatoes.  It was better than the meal at UFO and a lot cheaper.  The meat was tender and juicy and the green beans were done perfectly.

As for wine, Slovakia produces some great wines.  We found luck with their alibernet wines.  Once again, they don't export their wines since they only produce enough for local consumption.  If you are lucky to find one in the US, let me know!

Sadly, we have to leave and head on to Lake Bled, Slovenia.  More on that tomorrow.

   

  

Florianksa

When you first walk up to this place and have to go up the stairs that also lead to a hostel, you may think "What have I gotten myself into?"  This unassuming restaurant that overlooks Florianksa St. in Old Town was one of the best restaurants that we ate at.  It and Miod Malina with its' ribs were the best two places to dine.

The interior is well done- light and airy.  We were the only people in there at the time, but again, this is due more to our time of dinning than anything.  Our waiter (who may double as a sous-chef) was extremely helpful and friendly.

We started with a bottle of wine- a semi-dry red wine that was fantastic.  It was from the Veneto region of Italy.  Very good wine to go along with our meal.

I started with the lentil soup while Lynn got a traditional Polish favorite, zurek.  Zurek is a sour soup that has egg and sausage in it.  It sounds off-putting, but it is fantastic.  The lentil soup was good, but not great when compared with the zurek.  It isn't super-sour, it just has a slight bite to it.

For our main courses, we both got the wild boar stew on courgette and potato pancakes.  It needed a bit more salt, but other than that, it was pretty darn good.  The pancakes were crispy and a great meat delivery system.  It did have morel mushrooms on the side that did nothing for me, but there were three, and they posed no problem to my eating the boar.

We did go back a second time when some friends came into town.  The second time, horror upon horrors, they only had two servings of the boar left!  What's a girl to do?  Simple, get the beef stew on the pancakes, which, let's be honest, was what I was really after.  The beef stew was fantastic and it was also topped with their local smoked cheese.  I was not disappointed in my choice.

And finally, my dinning companion.  Thanks for the photo Linda!