Food Please!: Euro Goodies

So last time I remarked on the excellent food to be found in Barcelona. Today I’ll review the temptations along the rest of the Mediterranean.In addition to Barcelona, we saw Monaco, Italy, Greece and Turkey, all beautiful in their own way. The food was good everywhere but we didn’t have as much time to explore local cuisine as in Barcelona. Thus we had what I would call an intro to goodies from the South, which sounds promising…

In Monaco, everyone was eating salad of course, to be expected. We saw ritzy people everywhere stuffing themselves with somewhat substantial salads. I ordered one that I eyed on my neighbor’s table and was not disappointed – butter lettuce, lots and lots of deli meat, eggs, cheese, tomato and a ridiculous amount of mayo dressing, without the actual funky mayo texture or taste.

In Turkey we enjoyed on-the-run gyros (good but not as delicious as in Athens), Turkish tea and mouth watering rice puddings at the Grand Bazaar, and for a tangy yet refreshing pick-me-up, pomegranate juice which is widely available from street vendors. In addition to the perfumed jiggly milk desserts, we also had small yet rich baklava, probably the best I ever had.

Speaking of the gyros in Athens, we had that ‘til we could eat no more and then we had fresh coconut water and coconut from yet another street vendor (they are everywhere).

In Italy, we did major sightseeing and not as much eating. In Sorrento we enjoyed delicious lemon cookies (Sorrento is known for its lemons and limoncello) and a good meal overlooking the Mediterranean. The meal was not as memorable but the views were. In Venice, the food in the touristy areas was oversalted and overpriced, but the desserts picked up at local bakeries and cafes were extraordinary. Their cakes are different than the cakes you get in the US. There is no cream or double-deckers, meaning you get one small layer of something like coffee cake, usually made with nuts or fruity jams. I highly recommend the sugar-balanced sweets in Venice, which are great with a cup of tea or coffee. And if you can’t get enough of them, you can stock up on cookies in your suitcase to enjoy later at home.

Salad in Monaco