I’ve said this so many times over the past few weeks, but man. Japan is dreamy.

It’s so clean and quiet and beautiful and delicious. I went with one of my very favorite travel buddies, and we went to:

• Tokyo
• Gora/Hakone
• Kyoto

We were in Japan for a total of about 10 days, and I could have stayed for at least another month. It was just so unlike anywhere I had ever been before, and I can’t wait to return sometime in the future.

Now, as with most of my travels, food is of the utmost importance. In fact, I base most of my travels around the foods I’m going to consume while there.

But I had heard many times before that being vegetarian/vegan in Japan is tough because so many of their traditional foods have things like fish stock or chicken in them.

And to an extent, that’s true. You can’t just walk into any ol’ restaurant you find and expect to find vegetarian or vegan options on the menu. Even in the major cities we were in.

But with a little planning, you can absolutely, 100% find some truly unforgettable and incredible vegetarian and vegan meals and snacks in Japan.

Here were some of my faves:

Vegetarian & Vegan in Tokyo

We started our trip in Tokyo and ended up staying in the Shinjuku area, which I really loved. It was centrally located to the metro (which was incredibly simple to use…even for someone who is pretty useless when navigating a new city—hi, it me), and just a few minutes from many of our must-sees.

There are so many lists online about things to do in this exciting city, so I’m not really going to cover that here. Instead, let’s talk about the eats, shall we?

SUSHI GARYU

1F, Alivio Higashi Azabu, 1-6-8, Higashi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Google Maps | Apple Maps

For dinner the night of our first full day in Tokyo, we actually did a sushi-making class! Paul found it for us because it had both vegetarian and non-veg options, and he got it as a birthday gift for me!

We had an excellent time. It was silly and harder than it looks, but man. So fun.

The vegetarian sushi ingredients were a total mixed bag—some were simply vegetables like mushrooms or avocado, while others were hyper-realistic “fish” pieces made from konjac. It was wild.

The fish was a bit too realistic for me, but I loved the other veg nigiri. I had a such fun time, and we got to wear kimonos which was a hoot.

Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka Store

〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya, Dogenzaka, 2 Chome−29−11 Central Bldg. 6, １階
Google Maps | Apple Maps

My very first conveyer belt sushi! To be completely frank, I didn’t ask if everything I ordered was vegetarian, but I felt pretty confident in my choices:

If you’ve never had conveyer belt sushi before, it’s so much fun. At all of the places we went, we just ordered on a little screen and our order would be delivered to us via the conveyer belt. It was so fun!

My favorite was definitely the cucumber with the spicy fried onions on top. I also tried natto there and…it’s just not for me. The texture just didn’t work for me one bit. The corn mayo one was pretty solid too. I was surprised at how many times I saw corn in sushi everywhere we went!

Ippudo Lumine Est Shinjuku

Japan, 〒160-0022 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Shinjuku, 3 Chome−38−1 ルミネエスト新宿 8F
Google Maps | Apple Maps

We were exploring Shinjuku one of our last nights in Tokyo (we went to some batting cages, which were super fun), and we wanted to grab a quick dinner before heading back to our hotel.

Enter: vegan ramen.

It was actually in the Shinjuku station and sort of in a food court situation, but this ramen was so tasty. The “meat” was some sort of tofu that was really good and not too realistic (which I appreciated), and the broth was nice and creamy. A perfect end to a chilly day exploring!

We also ordered some gyoza which were fine, but I probably wouldn’t get them again. They just took up room in my stomach from where ramen should have been IMO.

Ippudo is a chain, but I believe only some of the locations have plant-based versions, so be sure to verify before you go in!

KYUSHU JANGARA

Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 1 Chome−13−21 １Ｆ
Google Maps | Apple Maps

We were exploring a stationery store in Harajuku and suddenly got starving, so I did a quick Google search and found this place that served vegan and non-veg ramen! Perfect for us.

We just had to wait a few minutes, but I loved this place so much. The broth was silky and fatty in the very best way, and they had pickled and spiced veg on the table that you could add to your broth as you wanted.

The vegan “meat” was super realistic (a little too realistic for my tastes), but if you’re into mock meats like that, you absolutely need to put this place on your list because wow. Look at it!

The Beatles played almost the entire time we were there too, and it just was one of those perfect food moments I’m never going to forget.

7-11 (or any convenience store)

Literally everywhere

We ate at convenience stores (especially 7-11) quite a few times. Many of the prepared foods weren’t vegetarian or vegan, but I ate my weight in pickled plum onigiri from 7-11. We were waiting in a line for lunch one of the days, and I was hangry and asked Paul to go get us some onigiri while I waited in the line. It was a perfect snack any time of day!

Gora Onsen Town

We booked an overnight at an onsen town called Hakone. We stayed in an area called Gora, and we didn’t have much time to explore, but we did end up having one of our favorite experiences of the whole trip there.

Gora Brewery & Grill

1300-72 Gora, Hakone, Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa 250-0408, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

While we didn’t eat here (honestly the food looked great, we just weren’t hungry), we walked up to it from our hotel while we were waiting to check in.

We got there just when they opened, and we decided to just get some beer and sit at their foot onsen. It was a crisp day, so there was something just super magical and relaxing about the hot water, the cool weather, and the cold beer.

We probably stayed for…an hour and a half? Maybe longer? I have no idea. We met some super nice people while we were sitting there, but it was just a really nice way to chill and relax after walking around so much in Tokyo.

Vegetarian & Vegan in Kyoto

Of the three places we visited in Japan, Kyoto was my favorite. It was delightfully walkable, absolutely stunning, and full of stunning food.

We had just a few days in Kyoto, and this city is one where I could absolutely see myself staying for a month or two. There’s just so much to see and do, and it’s such a beautiful part of the world.

Gyatei

Japan, 〒616-8384 Kyoto, Ukyo Ward, Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, 19-8 ぎゃあてぃ 嵯峨
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I think this is a place where I got some onigiri for lunch one day! They had three vegan options that were clearly labeled, and the soy meat one in yangnyeom sauce was my favorite. There were also green onion and miso and a burdock and carrot flavors!

I got one of each while Paul got the udon he was excited about. I snagged us some Kyoto matcha beer to drink too. It was good, very slightly matcha-y, but omg that color.

Kyo-Baum Arashiyama

20-25 Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8384, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I didn’t even buy anything here, but one of the tippy top bites of food for me was at this place. I tried a sample of their matcha baumkuchen (translated from German…a tree cake!), and I haven’t been able to shut up about it since.

I didn’t even take a picture of it because it just kinda broke my brain in the best way possible. Check out the pics here.

I brought one home that I found at the airport, and it ended up drying out a lot by the time I actually opened it which was, in a word, heartbreaking.

But gosh. It was so so good and fun. Definitely get this if you’re vegetarian.

Onimaru Yaki-musubi

Japan, 〒604-8031 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Daikokucho, 33-4
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I really did eat my weight in onigiri in Japan, but this place was probably my favorite!

It was right by the coworking space we worked from for two of our days in Kyoto, and it was so cool to watch them make all of the different types of onigiri they sold.

That said, the ginger and mustard greens one? Simple but perfect. The ginger wasn’t overpowering, but it was certainly bitey in the best way.

Plus, there were a few vegan options there that were clearly marked! Such a great find for mid-morning snack.

Kawa Bar

176-2 Minoyacho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8015, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

We stopped for a quick beer one of the nights before dinner, and this place was such a good find. There were SO many beer options to choose from up on the wall behind the bar:

They had non-beer options too, like Japanese whiskey and gin. The vibe was really cool—kind of old-school pub—and we must have been there at a weird time because we were literally the only people in the entire building. It was a really cool find!

Kura Sushi

Japan, 〒604-8035 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Sakuranocho, 415 京都松竹座ビル B1F
Google Maps | Apple Maps

Another conveyer belt sushi place! It’s a chain, so there are loads of these in both Tokyo and Kyoto (and actually one in Pittsburgh now!), and it’s the perfect spot for quick, convenient, and tasty sushi.

They don’t have a ton of vegetarian options, but they do have a few like cucumber and pickled radish rolls. I also had a weak moment once and ordered the french fries. Which were actually pretty amazing.

I also really loved that these conveyer belt sushi places had free green tea you can make yourself at your table! Since it was rather chilly in Japan during our whole stay, this was such a nice way to warm up.

Sushiro – Kawaramachi Takoyakushi-dori

Japan, 〒604-8041 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Uraderacho, 599番地
Google Maps | Apple Maps

Finally, our last conveyer belt sushi place! They mostly had the same menu as the others we tried, but this place in particular had two standouts for me:

• Frozen mango (as a dessert): I honestly just loved this sweet treat. I hadn’t had a lot of fruit during my trip, and at that point, it tasted so good.
• Fried bean curd: This was sort of shaped like an onigiri, but it was wrapped with bean curd (like tofu). It may not sound super appetizing, but it was really tasty (sweet, savory, and a little sticky) and filling. And a nice change from my cucumber and radish rolls!

Paul is a sushi superfan, so we actually went here twice our last day in Kyoto! Plus, when you’re vegetarian at these places, you can literally spend no more than $10 per meal. It’s amazing. Most of the dishes I ordered were 150 JPY, or $1. A really great budget option!

MOON & BACK

585 Takamiyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8056, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I had lunch here one day, and it was probably my favorite ramen I had my whole trip!

This is a great place to go if you’re in Kyoto with omni eaters. That said, their vegan spicy tandan ramen was everything I hoped for and more.

It was creamy and finished with a black sesame paste that made everything even more rich and savory. It had the perfect level of spice for me, and gosh. I could have eaten here about 50 more times.

Their menu is very clearly labeled too, and apparently they have gluten free noodle options too! Seriously something for everyone.

WIFE & HUSBAND

106-6 Koyamashimouchikawaracho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, 603-8132, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

There was one place that was on my “must do” list for Japan, and it was WIFE & HUSBAND.

As a coffee and bread lover, I was super excited to try a place that specializes in just that: great coffee and toast.

There were a few different coffee varieties to choose from, and I went with one from Ethiopia. It was a dark roast, so it was strong and smoky in flavor and aroma. I always prefer light roast coffee, so it was a bit much for me but still enjoyable.

We ended up sitting at the bar, and it was so fun watching them make each coffee to order. It’s an art there, and that’s something I just really appreciate. I love nerding out about coffee, and it was clear that these folks did, too!

The toast was great—we got both to split. The cheese and honey one was my fave, but the buttered toast was lovely in its simplicity too.

It was a super super small place with seating for about 10 people total inside. So if you’re interested in going, be sure to make reservations ahead of time!

Our trip to Japan was a dream. Seriously. We had the best time, and I ate so much fun, new-to-me food. If you have a chance to go to Japan (or if you have a trip coming up), put some of these places on your list!

Now, have you been to Japan? Tell me about it. What was the best food you tried there?

The post What I Ate in Japan (Vegan & Vegetarian) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Nowadays, we have so many incredible restaurants doing creative, inventive, mind-blowing things with foods. And one of my all-time favorite restaurants––Della Terra just north of Pittsburgh in a small town called Zelienople (zee-lee-in-oh-pole)––did one of those mind-blowing things this past weekend!

I was lucky enough to snag a ticket to Chef Saul’s Foraged Mushroom Dinner, hosted by Della Terra, on December 1, and we were taken through five different dishes, celebrating the lowly mushroom.

Pennsylvania grows a ton of mushrooms––in fact, over 60% of the mushrooms produced in the US are grown in this state (!!)––I was extra excited to experience new ways to use an ingredient that:

• I’m pretty fond of and use quite a bit in my own cooking.
• Grows right in my backyard!

Plus, the friend I went with actually helped forage for the mushrooms we ate during the meal! I couldn’t wait.

Even though Della Terra/Chef Saul put together these “tasting menu” dinners every once in a while, this was the first time that it was fully vegetarian. There was an optional wine pairing as well, which took us through unique wines from Italy, Austria, and New York.

They paired beautifully with the five different dishes highlighting the unique flavors and preparations of these locally-sourced mushrooms.

The Meal

Roasted Hen of the Woods Peshwari
coconut, pistachio, buttered bean dip

I mean, bread + dip is my love language, so this dish was obviously going to be a hit for me! We watched as Chef Jason cooked these peshwari (a stuffed leavened bread) in Della Terra’s beautiful green wood-fired oven, and they arrived to us hot and perfectly charred.

The bread was stuffed with a mushroom and coconut mixture that was fragrant, savory, and slightly chewy. The buttered bean dip was enjoyable and dusted with fruity sumac, but the peshwari was the star! It was so satisfying ripping off pieces of the warm peshwari and sliding it through the creamy dip. Such a great combo.

Steamed Grape Leaves
chicken of the woods mushrooms, nuts, dried fruit, rice, spinach, dill & lime yogurt

I love steamed grape leaves, as they are such a fun “finger food” that pack a punch of flavor and texture.

These grape leaves were also foraged locally, and they were thick and chewy. The rice filling was spiked pine nuts and (what I’m guessing was) dried cherry and/or cranberries, and the bed of lime yogurt was super tart and cut through the richness of the grape leaf filling.

My mouth is seriously watering right now thinking of that yogurt sauce! Great for a dill-lover like me, too.

Mushroom Ramen
wild mushroom dashi, tempeh, nori, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, braised kombu, pickled ginger, toasted sesame sead

First of all…this portion? Crazy. I actually just had the leftovers of this ramen for lunch today.

Second, this was the best vegetarian ramen I’ve ever had. A lot of the other vegetarian ramens I’ve tried in the past had very subpar broths––too light and frankly lacking in flavor.

I’ve even tried making it at home, and I still had very meh experiences with it.

This broth was amazing––it was a deep, dark brown in color and full of rich, umami flavors. It was almost thick in a way that I’ve never seen a vegetarian ramen broth be (but always wished it could be). The toppings and add-ins were great too; the pickled ginger cut through the robust flavors so well, and the noodles were delightfully bouncy.

Crazy that it took me going to an Italian restaurant to have a really great veg ramen!

Pickled Mushroom & Cucumber
juniper pickle brine, braised kombu, macadamia cream, toasted sichuan peppercorn

I had never had pickled mushrooms before, but being from Pittsburgh, it’s kind of a requirement that you’re a fan of pickled anything (we have a whole festival––Picklesburgh––devoted to all-things pickled every year).

I actually really enjoyed these pickled mushrooms; they were soft and chewy and a bit spongy, but not in a off-putting way. Some of the other folks I was eating with didn’t love that texture, but I ended up loving it.

I could have done with a little less macadamia cream, as I felt it sort of overwhelmed the bitey, sour flavors I was so craving after the big umami punch in the face from the ramen, but I was really jazzed with my first experience with pickled mushrooms.

Hickory Bark-Smoked Gelato
candied chanterelles, roasted hickory syrup, toasted buckwheat crumble, mushroom sugar

YEP. A mushroom dessert!

Weirdly enough, this isn’t the first time I’ve had mushrooms in ice cream this year, but I’ve certainly never had them candied before.

And wow. They were so cool. They were chewy––almost like a gummy candy––and tossed in a crystalized sugar that added a nice little crunch.

I was also incredibly impressed with the smoked gelato. In general, I really hate smoked desserts and drinks, but I got only a subtle smoky flavor right at the end of each silky-smooth spoonful. The crumble added a nice grainy texture to this otherwise soft and creamy dish as well.

My only regret is that I wish I was hungry enough to finish my bowl; I was seriously stuffed by the end of my meal.

I just really love that restaurants lean into the passions their employees have and allow them to have fun like this. I could tell how much Chef Saul and the Della Terra gang enjoyed putting this menu together for all of us, and I certainly had a great time enjoying it all.

Three cheers for the Della Terra crew for a fantastic culinary experience and introducing me to so many ways to use one of my very favorite vegetables! I’ll be thinking of those absolutely bonkers candied chanterelles for a very long time.

The post A Foraged Wild Mushroom Dinner at Della Terra appeared first on Fooduzzi.

You may be familiar with Torino for some of the same reasons I was: it hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics, and there’s some sort of Shroud of Turin there. It’s also known for its automotive history, as Torino is the headquarters for FIAT, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo.

Being in Torino was the true reason I was in Italy, as I had to be there at a conference for work. So even though my days in Torino were filled with many work-related things, I still saw a good bit of the city and ate…a lot of really great pizza.

Just like my Milano and Modena/Maranello recaps, we’ll cover:

• How I got there
• Where I stayed
• How I got around
• What I saw
• Where I ate

Let’s do this!

How I got there

I ended up taking a Frecceciarossa high-speed train from Milano to Torino. It wasn’t a very long train ride (about an hour), and I caught it at the Milano Centrale station and took it to Torino Porta Susa.

I did end up booking this ticket (and my return ticket back to Milano to catch my flight back home) ahead of time, so I knew exactly when and where to be. I’d definitely recommend booking in advance if you can––one less thing to worry about!

That said, my return to Milano hit a bit of a snag, as there was a scheduled train strike that day. So I ended up booking a bus from Torino direct to the Milano Malpensa Airport (two hours total) instead. It was an easy swap!

Where I stayed

A lot of my coworkers and I ended up staying in the same hotel:

DoubleTree by Hilton Turin Lingotto
Via Giacomo Mattè Trucco, 1, 10126 Torino TO, Italy

Overall, I really liked this hotel, and it actually is part of the old FIAT factory and has their old test track on the roof. Nuts.

They served a very substantial buffet-style breakfast with croissants, fresh fruits, muesli, and more “American-style” options like waffles. They were also able to book me a taxi to the bus station when I had to leave super early in the morning.

It had super reliable and powerful air conditioning (which is a must for me if I want a decent night of sleep), and I overall really enjoyed my stay here.

How I got around

As soon as my train got to Torino, my coworker/friend, Fabio, met me and we ran/bussed to a bakery. I was able to tap-to-pay on the bus for easy transport.

Other than that, I walked or took the metro pretty much everywhere. Again, I just used Apple Pay at the turnstiles to buy a one-way metro ticket each time.

The metro is actually pretty interesting: it was the first driverless metro in Italy! And all of the stations I saw were super clean and very easy to navigate.

What I saw

Since I was at a conference for most of my time in Torino, I didn’t see a ton of the city. But I did really love what I saw.

Torino is a city for sure, but there’s a lot less hustle and bustle there. Coming from Milano, which is, by contrast, very very busy, walking around Torino was a bit of a breath of fresh air.

There are lots of lovely buildings, parks, and marble statues all throughout the city.

So even though I didn’t see a lot of the city, we did have an event at MAUTO, the National Automobile Museum. It was just a short few-block walk from our hotel.

Museo dell’Automobile di Torino (MAUTO)
Corso Unità d’Italia, 40, 10126 Torino TO, Italy

This museum was sort of unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. On one hand, it housed a ton of beautiful, rare cars. On their website, it says that they have over 200 cars from 80 brands. That’s insane. And all under one roof! Their “Cars on the Track” display was amazing:

On the other, some of the displays just seemed completely random and kind of silly. There was a whole display of a kitchen table with plates of plastic foods set up to look like cars.

There was also an Ayrton Senna exhibit on display while I was there, and it was so cool to see some of his cars, racing suits, and helmets. There was so much racing history on display here, and it’s definitely a can’t-miss for racing fans.

Where I ate

This section is actually going to be a little short.

Because, I kid you not: I ate the same meal at the same restaurant three different days in Torino.

Why?

First of all, it was great. More on the specifics in a sec.

Second of all, if you’ve ever attended a conference, you’ll know they can be a lot. My brain just didn’t want to make another decision at the end of the day when it came time to find something to eat.

Third, it was extremely easy to get to from our hotel.

Fourth, I wanted to take everyone I knew there.

SO…that’s what we did.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele Torino
Via S. Quintino, 2, 10121 Torino TO, Italy

After we ran/bussed from the train station, Fabio took me to this pizzeria just a few blocks from the Porta Nuova metro stop.

It’s a famous Neapolitan pizzeria with locations in a few different cities, including New York City.

But…these pizzas are giant. They’re thin but mighty.

Fabio and I split these pizzas, and it was definitely a lot. But gosh. So good. They’re known for their Doppia Mozzarella Pizza Margherita (at the top of the picture), and it’s simply a margherita pizza with double the mozzarella. And since the dough was super thin, eating most of a full pizza didn’t feel like oh gosh this is way too much.

I got a white pizza topped with zucchini blossoms, ricotta, and lemon zest. I often opt for a white pizza, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed with the choice here.

We had such a good time catching up and eating pizzas that were, quite literally, bigger than our heads.

So we went back.

And back again.

I just really clearly hated all of this.

But seriously, it was such a fun place with excellent pizza and just a really chill vibe. I think I got a spritz alongside my pizza every time. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Farmacia Del Cambio
Piazza Carignano, 2, 10123 Torino TO, Italy

Fabio and I met in-person a few months ago, and when we both knew we were going to be in Torino this year, we decided to go on a mission to try the famous sphere and cube croissants from Farmacia Del Cambio.

Unfortunately, after looking at our schedules and knowing that they sell out quite quickly each day, we realized it was going to be really tough to get our hands on these prized confections.

That said, Fabio swooped in and saved the day and managed to reserve some for us. So we sat in a park and ate our sphere-shaped croissants as a dessert to our giant pizza lunch.

These. Croissants. Were. Crazy. They were filled with a gianduia (chocolate + hazelnut) cream, and the outside was so perfectly caramelized and crisp. It was a beautiful mess to eat, and I loved every second.

And they were SPHERE-SHAPED. I think this was the coolest thing I’ve ever eaten.

…until breakfast the following morning when we split the cube version. This one was filled with a simple vanilla cream.

Both were great (I preferred the sphere, but I’m a chocolate girl through and through), and I’d definitely recommend getting your hands on some if you can.

Poormanger
P.za Pietro Paleocapa, 2, 10121 Torino TO, Italy

I met Fabio, his cousin, and another co-worker of ours at Poormanger for dinner my first night in Torino. They have a pretty small menu, but their “thing” is stuffed baked potatoes.

Say less.

Potatoes are one of my favorite food groups, so if I have a chance to eat one stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and cheese, I’ll do it happily.

I will say that I would have loved some seasoning on the potato (from what I could tell, it wasn’t salted or peppered or anything after it was baked), but dang. Brilliant.

Alberto Marchetti Gelaterie
Via Cernaia, 18, 10122 Torino TO, Italy

I ate gelato from here three times too. LOL.

It was right around the corner from L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele and Poormanger, and it was just really tasty.

AND…they had a salted peanut flavor. And, as you probably know, peanut butter is another one of my favorite food groups.

They also had this really deep, rich dark chocolate flavor that was a dream.

10000/10.

And that was my trip to Italy!

It was seriously such a dream of a trip, and I can’t wait to go back.

Have you ever been to Milano, Modena, Maranello, and/or Torino? What did you do? What did I miss? What should I do next time? Give me the deets!

The post Eating My Way Through Torino (Vegetarian Travel) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

I’m still pinching myself over the fact that I actually got to visit Maranello.

I don’t talk about this a lot, but I love Formula One (F1). I went to a few races when I was in high school, and my team has always been (and will always be) Ferrari.

Maranello is a small town in northern Italy and the home for Ferrari and the Scuderia Ferrari team. And you’re aware of that fact from the moment you get there. There are prancing horses, bright red road cars, and nods to the manufacturer everywhere. It’s kinda like Disney Land but for F1 fans.

I took a day trip out to Maranello (and Modena) from Milano to visit both Ferrari museums, and it was the perfect short and sweet visit with hundreds of other F1 fans.

It’s kind of wild to be sharing about F1 here on the blog. When I was growing up, there weren’t a ton of people here in the US who were actually interested in it.

But now? I overhear people talking about it out in public all of the time. Names like Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are household names. Heck, there’s even an F1 fan club here in Pittsburgh that gets together to watch the races together!

It’s just a really exciting time to be an F1 fan. Hence my pilgrimage to the land of Ferrari!

To keep with the structure of my Milano recap, we’ll cover these topics in this Maranello deep dive:

• How I got there
• How I got around
• What I saw
• Where I ate

How I got there

I ended up booking an early-morning Frecceciarossa high-speed train from Milano to Modena. The trip took about an hour, and the Milano train station was busy, but beautiful.

I booked my train ticket a few days in advance, and as someone who is perpetually early, I had some time to kill once I got to the train station before my train was scheduled to leave. So I ended up finding a vegan croissant (filled with a red fruit jam!) and an American-sized cup of coffee to keep me busy.

An observation from someone who doesn’t travel by train very often: I was so surprised at how quickly a train enters and leaves the train station. You have to be ready when your train stops to get into the right car before it leaves again. I actually ended up having to run to my car at least once during this trip!

How I got around

Once in Modena, I walked ~10 minutes from the train station to the Museo Enzo Ferrari Modena.

Modena is a lovely little town, much of which is yellow. Once at the museum, I learned that the background of the famous “prancing horse” Ferrari logo is yellow for this reason!

I purchased both museum tickets a few weeks in advance online, but I didn’t have a plan in place for actually making it from Modena to Maranello and back (which is roughly a 30 minute drive both ways).

Luckily, there’s a Ferrari bus that transports visitors from one museum to the other. It was only 12 euros to book, and it was worth every penny. I ended up purchasing my bus ticket once I got to the Modena museum, but I’d probably do it in advance if I ever did this tour again. I can’t find the same link I was given at the museum to actually purchase that bus ticket, but it was such a helpful service, especially for someone touring these museums by themselves.

It did only have a few specific drop off and pick up times, so definitely be aware of that prior to planning your trip. I definitely lucked out and the timings worked perfectly with my pre-purchased train tickets to and from Modena.

After the Maranello museum tour, the bus took me back to the Modena train station (or you could ride it an extra stop back to the Modena museum), and I took the Frecceciarossa back to Milano! Easy peasy.

What I saw

I started my Ferrari day at the Museo Enzo Ferrari Modena.

This museum is more about the Ferrari brand and company. And while there were certainly plenty of beautiful cars to be seen, the museum was filled with so much history, from letters to posters to desk replicas.

After the Modena museum tour, I caught the bus to Maranello.

As we got closer to the town, I started seeing a lot of red. You could almost feel the excitement in the bus build as we drove, especially once we passed the Fiorano test track (which you can actually “tour” via a bus, along with the factory, with the Panoramic Factory and Track Tour ticket).

We actually followed a Ferrari road car to the museum; Maranello has loads of “drive a Ferrari!” businesses around the museum, and folks were test driving all day.

The museum in Maranello itself is all about the cars and racing. It’s an F1-lover’s dream. It’s the museum for Ferrari fans, filled with priceless cars, racing trophies, and unparalleled views into this historic racing team.

It was a fascinating, self-guided tour. I definitely walked around in a bit of a daze for a while because there was just so much to see, and I wanted to take my time and soak it in.

After my museum visit, I had around two hours to walk around the town and find a place to eat (more on that experience in a bit). So I snagged a map that highlighted some top touristy Ferrari spots in the town and explored.

I found the Scuderia Ferrari building, which is where all of the R&D happens for their racing teams. It was so cool to see actual Ferrari employees, decked out in their red and yellow, walking in and out of the building.

That said, the iconic view I was looking for was the “historical” factory entrance. The exact picture you see below is something I’ve dreamt about seeing in-person for a long time, and it’s one that I’ve always equated with this brand and team.

So much history has gone through that gate! I just stood there for a few minutes taking it all in, and I actually think seeing this (literally just standing across the street and staring at it) was my top experience of this entire day.

Where I ate

Since this was only a day trip, I only really needed lunch while I was in Maranello. After walking around and finding the old factory entrance, I still had some time before the bus left to go back to Modena, and I happened upon Ristorante Cavallino.

Ristorante Cavallino
Via Abetone Inferiore, 1, 41053 Maranello MO, Italy

Established by Enzo Ferrari in 1950, Ristorante Cavallino was reopened in 2021 by Modena-born chef, Massimo Bottura. The menu is made up of dishes that are seasonal, beautiful, and high-end (yet approachable!).

The building itself is a lovely deep red and “classily” Ferrari’d. There are prancing horses and racing photographs and memorabilia everywhere, but they’re a bit more subtle than the bright reds and yellows plastered all over the museums.

I was in a Ferrari t-shirt and jean shorts, and I felt very underdressed, but I walked in with confidence and asked if you needed a reservation to eat there.

Which…you do. But after checking the dining room, they made and exception and gave me a table! I was shocked. And just extremely thankful. And in response, I didn’t stop smiling once during my short and sweet meal.

In short, it was such an incredible lunch. It was more expensive than any other meal I had in Italy, but wow. I ordered some of the best bread I’ve ever had in my life (the focaccia especially––it was so crispy on the outside, but tender and chewy on the inside), ravioli verde (made with homemade pasta and stuffed with goat cheese, peas, green apple, mint and dandelion leaves), and a glass of white wine that was zippy and crisp and paired beautifully with my meal.

It was one of the best dining experiences of my life. Eating alone at a restaurant can be a little weird and awkward, but I felt so at ease and just really deliriously excited to have this experience. I just embraced being on my own and just enjoyed it. It was such a fun and unexpected way to end my visit to Maranello.

This little solo day trip was such a dream, and now that I’ve been home for a few weeks, it actually almost feels like one. It was such a bucket list trip for me, and I’m so tickled that I actually got to do it.

If you’re a Ferrari or F1 fan and are planning some time in Italy, I couldn’t recommend a trip out to this historic, beautiful, and unabashedly red part of the country more.

The post A Day Trip to Modena & Maranello appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Like most folks, I haven’t been doing a ton of travel these past few years (for obvious reasons). But I’m starting to visit new-to-me places again, and I feel completely and totally energized and inspired.

I recently spent a little over a week in Milano, Modena & Maranello, and Torino in northern Italy, and honestly…I think it was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on.

While I can attribute that fact to a ton of different things (great food, fun times with friends, seeing sights I’ve dreamt about seeing for years, etc.), I’m ultimately just really thankful to have had the opportunity to do it.

I hit three different areas during my trip, and while I originally intended to pack recaps for them all into this one post, I have a lot to say! So there will be three separate posts with recaps from each of the cities:

• Milano (this post!)
• Modena & Maranello
• Torino

While I’ve been to Italy before, this was actually the first time I had been to any of the cities I saw on this trip, so these posts will hopefully serve as helpful guides for anyone finding themselves in the same boat, aka. exploring these cities for the first time and in need of some good vegetarian food and activity recommendations.

This post is all about Milano, a beautiful, walkable, historic city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It’s the second-most populous city in Italy (after Rome), and it’s known for its fashion, art, and (of course) food.

You can use these handy links to jump around to the different sections in this post:

• How I got there
• Where I stayed
• How I got around
• What I saw
• Where I ate

I had actually planned to spend the entirety of the Milano leg of my trip by myself, but I ended up meeting up with some coworkers (now: friends!), Paul and Marjorie, and we ended up having the very best time.

How I got there

I ended up flying through JFK to Malpensa (one of the two airports in Milano), and I filled my 7+ hours in the sky with books and movies.

Side note but an important one: I feel like a lot of the airlines have a ton of movies from my childhood in their “in-flight entertainment” options right now, and it makes me deliriously happy and a little less grumpy to be sitting in a metal tube hurling through the sky for over 7 hours. Over my flights in the past few months, I’ve watched:

• School of Rock
• The Princess Diaries
• The Parent Trap
• Spy Kids (lol)
• Many of the Harry Potter movies

It’s so fun! Very much a fan.

Once I got to Malpensa, I took the train to a stop near my hotel, and then took a tram the rest of the way. I simply followed the signs in the airport to the train, bought my train ticket, and took it to the correct stop. Then popped on the tram (Apple Maps was great at telling me which tram I needed) and took that it rest of the way.

Where I stayed

I ended up staying at the Max Brown hotel in the Missori district of the city, which was less than 10 minutes walking from the duomo.

It was super cute, and the front desk staff were incredibly kind and helpful. They remembered my name every time I saw them, and they always helped me when I had questions about the city.

I will say that the rooms didn’t have great lighting, especially in the bathrooms. And I actually ended up needing to switch rooms because my first one flooded after some pretty intense rain one night! That obviously wasn’t the fault of the hotel though, and they immediately got me into a different room.

That said, I did really enjoy my stay at Max Brown, and you really can’t beat the location.

How I got around

We walked so much. SO MUCH. One day, Paul and I literally walked a distance equivalent to a half marathon.

Milano is an incredibly walkable city (and you really see so much more of the city this way!), so if you’re planning on seeing as much as you can during your own trip to Milano, be sure to have comfortable and supportive shoes and a decent sense of direction (which…is not my forte to be honest. But I made it work!).

We used public transportation every once in a while––especially the metro to get to the Centrale station, which is where I grabbed my trains to different cities in Italy (more on those in later posts!). The Milano metro is incredibly simple to use and a reliably fast way to get around the city.

One thing that’s definitely new from the last time I was in Italy: all of the public transportation I used––metro, buses, and trams––had a “tap-to-pay” option, so I could use Apple Pay instead of buying a public transportation ticket.

I wasn’t sure how often I’d be using public transportation, and I actually didn’t end up using it all that much, so paying on an as-needed basis really worked out well. Convenient and simple!

That said, if I was planning on using public transportation more heavily, I think daily passes might have been the more financially-savvy option.

What I saw

As you may have guessed based on how much walking I did, I saw a lot.

The first day, I walked around the Duomo di Milano area, and visited some of the stores in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world’s oldest shopping mall.

There was a Ferrari store close to the galleria, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re even remotely interested in cars. The clothing is crazy expensive, but it’s cool to see the Ferrari logo on so many different kinds of clothing, bags, and accessories.

Oh, and there’s an F1 car casually hanging from the ceiling.

The next day, Paul and I did a ton of exploring. We walked through the Sforzesco Castle and the Parco Sempione, and they were actually having some sort of music and vendor festival the day we were there. Both were full of people, and it was great to see folks outside enjoying a nice (albeit hot) day.

Then we decided to stop for some pizza (more on that in a bit), explore Eataly, and walk through Cimitero Monumentale.

The cemetery was one of the most unique places I’ve ever been; the monuments at each grave were intricate and ornate, and the grounds are truly stunning.

There are also quite a few famous folks buried there, from Alberto and Antonio Ascari (racing drivers) to Gaspare Campari (of Campari fame). We spent quite a bit of time tracking down the graves for some of these folks and just walking through the site itself. It was beautiful and a relatively chill way to spend the afternoon.

I also explored the Viale Papiniano Market on Tuesday (it happens every Tuesday and Saturday), and it was part flea market, part fruit and vegetable market. I had such a great time exploring each of the booths, but the food area was obviously my favorite.

I then met up with Paul in Navigli, a hip district located on the city’s oldest canal. We ate lunch there, and I ended up walking around for a bit before heading back to my hotel to catch up on a bit of work.

Even though I had just three full days in Milano, I felt like I saw a ton of it! We really made the most of our time there.

That said, it didn’t feel like too much. I took my time to see what I wanted, but I didn’t stress about seeing everything. I actually ended up sitting and reading a few times, just because I could. Highly recommend!

Where I ate

The most important part!

Not gonna lie: we had a ton of great eating experiences in Milano. Some were recommendations I had saved on my “might go here” list. Others were places we just kind of stumbled upon, and those ended up being some of my favorite food experiences of my entire trip!

Biga Milano
Via Alessandro Volta, 20, 20121 Milano MI, Italy

We found Biga during our half marathon walk day, and we actually found it because we were a bit lost looking for Eataly.

But once we saw a waiter bringing out some pizzas, we knew we had to eat there.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was probably the best pizza I’ve ever had.

When we sat down, one of the waiters told us that they had “the best pizza in Milano.” And while that may or may not be the case, I stand behind the claim that they’re most definitely one of the top.

The crust was so chewy and delightfully charred. And while that crust was nice and puffy, the middle of the pizza was almost impossibly thin, letting the toppings––burrata, sauce, and basil––really shine.

But that CRUST. C’mon.

I also experienced my first (and…second) Campari spritz of the trip here, and I can confidently say I am now head-over-heels in love with Campari.

Such a great find!

Fonderie Milanesi
Via Giovenale, 7, 20136 Milano MI, Italy

I actually didn’t have a “proper” dinner at all in Milano. And that’s because we opted for aperitivo every night.

Aperitivo is typically a pre-meal drink and snack situation that many of the city’s bars and restaurants offer, and the food is typically served buffet-style. So for one price, you get a drink and as much food as you’d like.

It’s a pretty great deal, and I found it was more than enough to fill my stomach after a long day, especially given the heavier lunches we were eating.

Paul and I met up at Fonderie Milanesi our first night in the city, and it was busy. I ended up showing up a few minutes before they opened, and there was already a line.

That said, if you can get a table, I’d recommend it because it’s a beautiful spot (especially if you can snag a table outside!), it has good drinks, and there were loads of vegetarian options at the buffet.

Gelateria Kmzero
Piazzale di Porta Lodovica, Via Pietro Teulié, 6, 20136 Milano MI, Italy

After our aperitivo that first night, we stumbled upon this gelateria.

It had exceptional gelato––I ended up getting pistachio and gianduia (chocolate and hazelnut)––and it was so rich in flavor and texture.

One of my favorite gelato stops of the trip!

Bar Coffees Milano
Via Pantano, 20122 Milano MI, Italy

This cafe was right around the corner from my hotel, and for 3 euro, I could get a croissant (even a vegan one!) and a soy cappuccino for breakfast.

On this particular day, I got a pistachio croissant alongside my soy cap:

Everyone there was incredibly kind, especially given my very questionable attempts at speaking Italian, and everything I had there was fantastic. I went there on my first day in the city and again right before I checked out of my hotel. It was a great little find!

Ai Balestrari sul Naviglio Pavese
Via Cardinale, Via Ascanio Sforza, 13, 20136 Milano MI, Italy

Paul found this Roman restaurant the day before, and he loved it so much he wanted to go back. So I joined him!

I got a simple penne all’arrabbiata, and Paul and I split some focaccia and burrata as an appetizer.

It was kind of a magical moment, sitting near the canal on a bright and sunny day with my new friend, drinking wine and eating great food in the middle of the afternoon in Italy.

Definitely one of those, “how is this real life?” kind of moments for me.

Yguana Cafe
Via Papa Gregorio XIV, 16, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

Paul and I met up with another one of our coworkers, Marjorie, here for aperitivo on Monday, and we had the best time.

Not only was the food great––lots of olives and vegetables and salads––but we just had a wonderful time sitting outside during a beautiful night and catching up in a really great area in the city.

DeAmicis Uno
Via Edmondo de Amicis, 1, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

Another great place for aperitivo! Paul and I shared this giant snacky spread, and the drinks were huge and delicious.

As I understand it, we couldn’t customize any of the foods on the board, but all of it was vegetarian. It was a great place if you need a little something at the end of a night but definitely aren’t hungry enough for a full-blown meal.

La Hora Feliz
Via S. Vito, 5, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

This was our last aperitivo in Milano, and it probably had the most substantial spread of them all. I loved the farro salad and pickled vegetables especially, but everything I had there was good.

That said, I especially loved the tiramisu; it was sturdy and rich, yet creamy and decadent. It was one of my favorite bites of the trip, and Paul and I definitely went back for seconds as we waited out the rain.

Colonne di San Lorenzo
Corso di Porta Ticinese, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

While this location definitely isn’t a restaurant, bar, or cafe, I needed to include it.

One of my top memories from the trip was sitting by the columns with a glass of Birra Moretti La Rossa that we got from a nearby bar, chatting with Paul as the sun went down.

It was one of those moments where it hit me just how lucky I was to be where I was and how good of a time I was having. While we got rained out (this was the night of the infamous hotel room flooding incident!), we still had a great night, and I’d definitely recommend doing the same if you want a very chill way to spend the evening!

My short trip to Milano was a dream, and I’m itching at the chance to go back at some point in the future.

What initially started as a solo trip ended up being a food-and-friend-filled extravaganza, and I’m so thankful for the way it turned out. I loved exploring this magically city with some new-to-me friends, and I really couldn’t imagine how we could have done things any better.

It really was just the perfect start to this week in Italy!

The post Eating My Way Through Milano (Vegan + Vegetarian Travel) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

{Here are the Part 1 and Part 2 recaps of our trip if you’re interested!}

It was actually my second time in London. I went in college (I think I was there for about three days), and we did all the touristy things.

I was especially excited to go to London again because I now have a better appreciation for food. And a better understanding of food! The first time I was in London, pretty sure I just had mac & cheese and sandwiches. Lame-o.

London is so much more than that, so I was beyond thrilled to finish our time in Europe in this exciting and easy-to-navigate city!

As always, here are some jumping points JIC you’re only interested in the eats (I hear ya):

• How I got there
• Where I stayed
• How we got around
• What we saw
• Where we ate
• Would I go back

Let’s do London, frens!

Eating Our Way Through London

How I got there

Because we were coming from Newcastle, we decided to take the train to London. It was one of the fastest ways we could get to London (about a 3-hour train ride), and it was perfect.

Also: no way was I going to trust myself driving on the other side of the road. That’s gonna be a no from me.

It was easy to reserve train tickets online, easy to find the train, easy to find out seats, easy to ride. Just easy all around.

They offered wifi on the train, so we did a bit of work (granted, the wifi wasn’t super fast, but it was usable). And in a blink of an eye, we were in London (King’s Cross Station, to be exact).

Where I stayed

Okay. One of the really fun surprises of the trip was where we stayed. We ended up finding a nice Airbnb in the Kensington area, which is kind of out of the way from the hustle and bustle of city center.

Apparently Kensington is pretty boujee. I saw tons of Ferraris and Maseratis, the architecture was stunning, and I’m 98.6% sure that I saw Eddie Redmayne walking down the street.

The Kensington area is awesome, and I definitely recommend staying there. It’s a short tube ride from pretty much anywhere (with minimal transfers), and I loved it. I always felt safe, and we actually ended up sleeping with the windows open (granted, we were on the fourth or fifth floor of our building, but still!).

Our Airbnb was great. Really small, not a ton of bells and whistles, but just what we needed. It had a washer/dryer combo, a really nice bathroom, a super comfortable bed, a pull-out couch bed, and a teenie tiny kitchen. Perfect for what we needed.

The actual listing for the Airbnb is no longer available, but I’d suggest searching around Kensington for a place to stay!

How we got around

We earned our food for sure! We walked a lot. Like, more than we had the rest of the trip. Abby was such a trooper navigating us through the city, and we saw a lot on foot.

We also took the tube (we snagged an Oyster card and put £15 on it, which happened to be the perfect amount for our entire stay!), and it was so easy to navigate.

So much easier than Paris. Lolz. I still feel betrayed by the Paris Metro.

Our Airbnb was just a few blocks from the entrance of the Circle and District Lines, so we’d get up, get on the Tube, and go to our destination of the day! Super convenient and awesome.

What we saw

I was so excited to see a ton some new-to-me places in London. Some highlights were:

• Hyde Park: Our Airbnb was crazy close to this park, and we loved walking around in the sun. It was a surprisingly toasty day, but it was also beautiful. The bird pond (not a technical term, just what I’m calling it) is not to be missed. There are hundreds of birds there, including swans. Such a weird, awesome, unexpected find!
• Soho: Super cool, hip area of London that gets crazy busy on the weekends. Still worth the trip though! Expect to find lots of fun cafes, bakeries, and restaurants there!
• Freddie Mercury’s House: Kind of a random find actually. Abby took a quick snooze in the Airbnb, so I decided to venture out on my own to Freddie Mercury’s house. It’s just a door in a wall with a plastic protector on the front, but it was still really really neat. If you’ve seen Bohemian Rhapsody or know anything about Freddie’s life, I think that the real-life Mary still lives there!
• Westminster Abbey / Big Ben / London Eye: Obviously had to go here! We went on a Sunday, and omg. SO many people. It was cool, but not super enjoyable because there were just people everywhere. I’m glad we went, but next time, I’ll absolutely go on a weekday. And maybe early in the morning. Also, Big Ben was under construction (as it was the last time I was in London), so that was a bit of a bummer. Someday I’ll see it!
• Harrod’s: We actually spent a nice chunk of our time in Harrod’s on our last day in the city. It’s a giant luxury department store with everything from £80,000 watches to souvenirs to speciality foods and pastries. It’s definitely a unique place and worth the visit. Next time, I’d love to try some of their pastries (they looked amazing, but I had a nasty head cold at that point, and I couldn’t really taste anything). I was a dummy and thought I would find cheap sunglasses there. Not a thing. They were very expensive. Like. More expensive than most of the other things I had in my suitcase. It’s a very unique place!

I’d love to spend some more time in the Soho area next time, as well as explore Kensington a bit more. Overall though, I think we saw a nice chunk of the city in the three-ish days we were there!

Where we ate

I think I’m still a little full from all of the eating we did in London. Kidding. But also kinda not?

Regardless, we had tons of amazing food. Here are some of our faves:

Dishoom

4 Derry St, Kensington, London W8 5SE, United Kingdom

Fun fact: we had reservations for Dishoom on our first day in London about…a month and a half in advance? Maybe more?

I don’t think you need to do that, but I wanted good Indian food, and Abby had heard great things about Dishoom. It’s a pretty famous modern Indian chain in England, so we were stoked.

Luckily, it was super close to our Airbnb, so we actually ended up going back there for brunch our last day in the city!

The food was good. It didn’t hold a candle to the Indian food I had in Newcastle (still dreaming about it, btw), but it was good. It was very different than other Indian food I’ve had before. I’m in no way an expert in Indian cuisine, but I feel like maybe the flavors were a bit different or muted? I have no idea. I also could have just had insane expectations of this place that were just unreasonable. Regardless, it didn’t blow me away, but it was good.

I actually had an Indian and vegan version of a full-English breakfast, complete with vegan black pudding. The black pudding was odd, but the rest (baked beans, tofu scramble, toast, tomato, etc.) was yummy.

Oh, and I got their IPA (it’s like a Dishoom-specific IPA), and it was awesome. One of my fave beers of the trip!

That said, Abby loved this place hardcore, so I still think it’s worth the visit! Lots of vegan and vegetarian options on the menu too!

Whole Foods

63-97 Kensington High St, London W8 5SE, United Kingdom

Lol. Yes. We were those Americans going to Whole Foods while in London.

But we had a good reason! We were kind of over eating out for every single meal, so we just wanted to snack on some relatively healthy things and try some fun British foods.

Man. Our spread was delicious. It was kind of like a meatless charcuterie situation. My faves were the Tyrrell’s Crisps (the Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar is outrageous), the hummus, the olives, the grapes, and the greatest of all oat milks from Minor Figures.

I’ve had this oat milk before (there’s a place here in Pittsburgh that actually has it!), but it’s an English brand. I’m obsessed, so I bought a carton and just drank it straight. It’s the best ever. Man.

I definitely recommend checking out a grocery store if you’re doing a lot of traveling. So many fun finds and experiences in this beautiful, multi-story Whole Foods!

Borough Market

8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL, United Kingdom

If I could live anywhere forever, it would be the Borough Market. Oh. My. Gosh. What a religious experience.

The Borough Market is one of the oldest and largest food markets in London, and it surely does not disappoint. We went for “breakfast,” but we ended up eating everything from truffled olive oil to hard cider to desserts.

My personal highlights were:

• A Pimm’s Cup! My first ever, and man. Obsessed.
• Tomato Basil Olives! So simple, but honestly the best olives I’d ever had.
• Rye Bread! There’s a booth that specializes in rye baked goods, and I loved it all.
• A Madeleine Cookie! My first ever, and officially one of my new favorite baked goods. Such a unique flavor and texture. So yum.

If we had a bigger kitchen, I would have stocked up on so much produce. Fresh fruits, crisp veggies, a whole dang mushroom stand?!?! It was incredible, you guys.

You honestly can’t go wrong here. You’ll find everything you need and more, and I highly suggest getting there early and staying late. Make a day out of it! You won’t run out of things to do or eat.

{ps. more pics can be found on my personal Instagram!}

It was the best day. The BEST day. Man.

Crumbs & Dollies

1 Kingly Ct, Carnaby St, Soho, London W1B 5PW, United Kingdom

Not sure I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I love watching cake videos on YouTube. Love it. They’re always so fun and just a great way to zone out watching something awesome.

One of my current favorite cake YouTubers is Cupcake Jemma, the owner of Crumbs & Dollies in London! Of course, we had to go.

I got a mini vegan red velvet cupcake and their famous cornflake brownie. The cupcake was yummy and a one-biter, and then the cornflake brownie was SO sweet, but really good. I took two bites, and had to save the rest for the next day. I don’t even think I finished it. But I’m glad I went and tried!

It’s located in the Soho area, and while it was a bit difficult to find, it was totally worth it. And their menu changes quite a bit, so it’s a fun surprise whenever you walk in. Such a cute place, vegan options, and just really cool to be in the bakery I’ve seen so many times in her videos!

Churchill Arms

119 Kensington Church St, London W8 7LN, United Kingdom

Churchill Arms is really cool Fuller’s pub in Kensington! Lots of WWII memorabilia on the ceiling and a really beautiful flower arrangement out front.

I was feeling pretty crappy at this point (thanks to the aforementioned head cold), but I got my new favorite beer (Fuller’s ESB) and it immediately made me feel better. I’m talking clogged nose, unclogged. Headache, gone. General grogginess, poofed.

Is it magical beer? I’ll let you go and decide for yourself.

Patty & Bun

14 Pembridge Rd, Bayswater, London W11 3HL, United Kingdom

Random! But we were hungry for burgers and fries. So we found a cute, hip place near our Airbnb for satisfy our cravings called Patty & Bun.

Totally didn’t disappoint, and one of my favorite meals in all of London! They had vegan burgers, great beer, and really awesome fries with dipping sauces.

Ladurée

87/135 Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL, United Kingdom

French pastries in London. Let’s do it.

We happened upon a really fancy Ladurée cafe in Harrod’s, and we wanted to try the macarons.

I really like macarons, and I’d love to make a vegan version for the blog eventually, but they’re finicky and affected by about a million different things from humidity to moisture to oven temperature. So sometimes, it’s just easier to buy them.

We got two, and while I can’t remember the second one (I think it was a chocolate hazelnut situation of some-sort), the Marie Antoinette flavor was indescribably tasty. Man. One of the best bites of the trip!

Sweet, but spiked with a pleasantly bitter tea flavor. I loved it. So much. Such a fun sweet treat to fuel the rest of our exploring.

Would I go back

Totally. London is one of those cities where there is just so much to see, explore, and eat, and I know we didn’t even scratch the surface during out time there.

London seems like one of those places I could spend an extended period of time (like, a month or more), just learning the city and really immersing myself in the culture there.

It’s obviously very touristy in some parts, but once you venture off the beaten path a bit, it surprises you left and right.

I was pleasantly surprised with how vegan-friendly their restaurants are, and I feel like that old mentality that British food is gross is totally wrong. And def. recommend traveling with buddy who puts up with your inability to navigate and desire to do a lot of walking. Abby, you’re amazing and I love you.

London is such a fun city; it was a treat spending some time there again!

Have you been? What did you think? Did you find any yummy food?!

The post Eating Our Way Through London (Vegetarian + Vegan in Europe Part 3) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

(If you missed Part 1–all about Paris!–check it out here)

And this post might just be my favorite of the three because we’re focusing on Newcastle, England.

Have you heard of it? No? You’re not alone. I was in the same boat!

I was lucky enough to attend a conference in Newcastle (Retain Live, a membership site conference!), so after a little Googlin’, I learned that Newcastle (also known as Newcastle Upon Tyne) is a town 250ish miles north of London. As the name suggests, it’s located on the River Tyne and was a coal and shipping town back in the day.

I wasn’t sure what to expect traveling off the beaten path and going to a less touristy city in England, but man. I have so much to tell you about my experiences there!

Like my Paris recap, you can use these links to hop around this post:

• How I got there
• Where I stayed
• How we got around
• What we saw
• Where we ate
• Would I go back

Ready to discover the charm of this northern English city? Let’s dive in.

Eating Our Way Through Newcastle

How I got there

I went straight from Paris to Newcastle, and I decided to fly. I took the Paris metro straight from our Airbnb to Charles de Gaulle.

Like I mentioned in my post about Paris, the Paris metro is…tough. I was navigating solo (Abby was getting there a day later), and the metro is just tough figure out for an anxious, non-French-speaking person like me. I ended up getting there after asking for directions a few times, but that wasn’t before I was fined €35 for not buying the correct metro ticket to the airport.

And then my bag was too heavy. That was another fine. lol.

Roughly €80 later, a very sweaty, emotional Alexa made it through security and onto a small plan en route to Newcastle!

It was honestly one of the best plane experiences I’ve ever had. It was a short trip, and I ended up sitting next to the best Canadian couple. We talked and laughed the entire time, and they gave me a few Newcastle recommendations and tips that ended up being really helpful.

Chatting with them was just such a random highlight after a pretty crappy (and, um, expensive) morning. Seriously turned my day around!

Where I stayed

The conference was at the Hilton right there in Newcastle, so that’s where I ended up staying. You can’t be a zero-minute commute!

I was really happy with the hotel–especially with this view! They had an epic breakfast spread, the lunch options at the conference were great, and everyone was so nice.

Definitely no complaints here!

How we got around

During my solo day in Newcastle, I did a lot of walking, but I also used the metro a bit to get from the airport to my hotel and then to get back to my hotel after exploring.

The Newcastle metro was like…the first cool fall day of the year. The first drink of an ice-cold drink on the beach. The moment your cat decides to snuggle with you when you can’t fall asleep.

IT WAS SO SIMPLE. Seriously such a breath of fresh air after the Paris metro situation.

But I also loved walking. Not only was it a great way to discover all the nooks and crannies of this super cool city, but it was also a great way to just see how the city operates.

Every single person I spoke to was a literal peach. So nice. Always willing to give you recommendations or chat. I just adored everyone I met in Newcastle. It was such a fun realization and something I certainly didn’t take for granted while I was there.

What we saw

Because I was in Newcastle primarily for the conference, I didn’t see a ton of the city. That said, I did manage to fit in some exploring:

• BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art: I didn’t actually see much art, but the building was super cool, the cafe was adorable, and I ate on the top level twice (more on that later).
• The Newcastle Castle: How could I not with that name? I walked past it, gawked at its beauty, and tried to fathom how it was built in the 1200s. I mean…cray.
• The Newcastle Cathedral: I ended up moseying through this beautiful church, and again, was amazed that it dates all the way back to the 14th century.
• The Swing Bridge, the Tyne Bridge, the High Level Bridge, and the Millennium Bridge: I got all the Pittsburgh feels from all of these bridges! The Millennium Bridge is beautiful and curved and super cool, and the Tyne Bridge was actually designed by the same firm that designed the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Sydney, Australia (the Tyne Bridge came first, as every Geordie was quick to point out).

This is the perfect city to just explore. I always felt safe, always found my way, and always found something fun to explore.

Where we ate

I’ve heard that English food isn’t…great. But man. Newcastle threw that misconception straight out the window.

Six

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, S Shore Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead NE8 3BA, United Kingdom

Six is the restaurant that is located at the top of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art! And it was so good, I ended up going twice.

It’s definitely fancier, but it’s not too fancy. I went in nice jeans and a nice shirt, and I felt totally fine. I did end up making reservations, even though I was solo the first time I went, and I’d suggest you do the same if you ever find yourself there!

I was blown away at the vegan options on the menu. Just outrageously creative and flavorful. They even had vegan options marked on their wine menu. I’ve never seen that before in my life.

They have really great lunch and dinner deals–£18 or £20 for a starter and a main–so that’s what I ended up doing both times. Plus a cocktail because yum.

The first time I was there, I ordered:

• Tomato Tartare, which was served with super crunchy, seedy crackers
• Fried Cauliflower, which was served with some sort of prune puree, kale, and crispy rice
• Raspberry Lemonade Cocktail, with gin

It was a great meal. Everything was so visual, from my plate to my surroundings, and it was such a great experience while dining solo.

I also went back two days later for dinner with Abby! This time, I got:

• A Grain Salad, with burrata
• Portobello Mushrooms, with kale and pistachio butter
• Midsummer’s Eve Spritz, with Brugal Blanco, St Germain, mint, lime & prosecco

This was one of the most incredible food experiences of my life. The mushrooms were one of my top food experiences ever. Perfectly cooked, super tender, and not soggy in the least. Truly unforgettable.

Sutra Tea Company

2 Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PF, United Kingdom

I had some more solo time, so after more exploring, I decided I wanted some tea.

I happened upon Sutra. They have so many different kinds of tea, and they’re located on the second floor of a cute building just outside of the hustle and bustle of the city.

I ended up getting a vanilla rooibos tea, and then I picked up a bag of loose-leaf green tea for Mark on my way out. They had really yummy-looking vegan desserts, and it was just a really cute and cozy place to take a break from exploring.

Rasika

27 Sandhill, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3JF, United Kingdom

Alright. While a lot of the food I had in Newcastle was amazing, Rasika takes the cake. This was a top 5 food experience for me. No doubt.

I ate here solo for dinner, and it was delicious. The owner chatted with me for most of the night, which I really appreciated, and the food was amazing. Buttery naan that was perfectly crisp and chewy, a madras vegetable dish that was super spicy and flavorful, and a Cobra beer.

The naan was so good, I ended up ordering a second order. I couldn’t imagine a life where I ran out of this naan, so I made sure to eat as much as I possibly could. It. Was. Heaven.

I was so excited that this is the only half-decent picture I got there.

It’s funny that I loved this place so much because I was actually trying to find a different Indian restaurant that night. When I couldn’t find that one, I randomly walked into this place and asked for a table.

I couldn’t have loved this place more if I tried. Holy moly.

Proven Goods Co.

Unit 1 Maling Court, Hoults Yard, Walker Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 2HL, United Kingdom

Okay, technically I didn’t go to Proven Goods. Abby got a room in an Airbnb, and the owners had a bunch of these donuts. They graciously offered us a taste (they must have known Abby and I were both dessert people!), and woah.

It was some sort of sugar-coated Nutella situation, and it was delightful. So much so, Abby went back the next day to snag us some travel snacks.

They have vegan options, and even though it’s off the beaten path a bit, I highly suggest making a stop!

By The River Brew Co.

Hillgate Quays, Gateshead NE8 2FD, United Kingdom

Abby and I went to By The River Brew Co. for pre-dinner beer, and it totally didn’t disappoint. It’s right on the river, so in addition to killer beer, you also get incredible views.

I ordered some sort of tasty IPA (I think Abby got a sour of some sort), and we ended up splitting a bowl of crunchy corn nuts. Definitely recommended!

The Tyne Bar

1 Maling St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1LP, United Kingdom

From By The River, we walked down the river to The Tyne Bar. Again, it’s a bit out of the way from the hustle and bustle of city-center, but it’s definitely worth the trip.

Again, it’s right on the water, and they had a ton of vegan options! We got some sort of falafel wrap, vegan nachos, and the tastiest Vietnamese sweet potato fries. Plus beer, obv.

We also met a super cute pup named Roscoe, and we just had the best time here. We sat outside, eating our food, drinking our beer, and chatted about life. It was such a great place!

Redhouse

32 Sandhill, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3JF, United Kingdom

We decided we wanted one more beer on our last night in Newcastle, and per recommendations from our waiter at Six, we decided to try Redhouse.

It’s pretty much exactly what I think of when I think “English pub.” It has multiple rooms, great beer, and hardy food. Veg options too!

I wasn’t a huge fan of my ale, but Abby got this s’mores stout that ended up being really tasty. It somehow took you through each part of a s’more–the graham cracker, the marshmallow, and the chocolate–in liquid form. It was crazy.

A fab way to end our time in Newcastle!

Would I go back

I would go back to Newcastle as soon as I finish typing this sentence. I loved Newcastle.

It was so much more “me” than Paris was; it was easy to navigate, full of the nicest people, and it just constantly surprised me. Way less hustle and bustle than Paris while still nailing that whole “city” feel.

I think one of the main reasons I loved it so much was because it reminded me so much of my hometown, Pittsburgh. People who haven’t visited Pittsburgh (or people who haven’t been here in a few years) are always shocked when I tell them how fun and foodie it is now. It’s not the old steel town it once was.

I had the same experience with Newcastle. I was expecting this sleepy, boring town. Instead, Newcastle exceeded my expectations in every way possible. I’m counting down the days until I can make my way back.

Love you, Newcastle! Thanks for one of the most memorable abroad experiences of my life.

The post Eating Our Way Through Newcastle (Vegetarian + Vegan in Europe Part 2) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Man. I haven’t been to Europe since my sophomore year of college. Which was like…more years ago than I care to admit.

But so much has changed since then! And I know that those changes served me well during my most recent trip to Europe.

The most notable change was that I wasn’t totally, 100% afraid of food.

It feels so weird to admit it now, but when I was in Europe my sophomore year of college, I was in the midst of a nasty eating disorder. In Italy. Arguably the food capital of the world.

Thankfully, a lot has changed since then, so to say that I enjoyed every single second of this European adventure is an understatement.

If I wanted to try it, I bought it. Heck, I might have bought two. I ate it, celebrated it, savored it. I didn’t dwell in the calories, fat, or sugar. I understood that it was a vacation, a time to indulge, and a time to experience two great European cultures through my stomach.

It was one of the best traveling adventures I’ve ever had, and I cannot wait to tell you all about it!

I spent 8ish days in France and England with my two friends, Abby and Kath, and while I was ultimately there for a conference, I made sure to fit in some side travel time.

Our first stop: Paris, France! If you’re interested, you can use the following links to hop around this post (it’s gonna be a big one):

• How I got there
• Where we stayed
• How we got around
• What we saw
• Where we ate
• Would I go back

Ready to get super hungry and promptly book flights to these places? Let’s do it.

Eating Our Way Through Paris

How I got there

While I certainly didn’t take the most direct route to Paris, I had a really great time navigating by myself.

I ended up flying into London (it was cheaper than flying to Paris), taking the Tube to King’s Cross Station, then jumping on the Channel Tunnel to make my way to Paris. I mostly just wanted to see what the Channel Tunnel (aka. the Chunnel) was like–it’s a train that goes underneath the English Channel!

Tbh, it was fine. It was just a train that went into a tunnel in England and came out on the other side in France. I probably wouldn’t do it again–flying would have been a bit quicker. But I’m glad to say that I checked it off my list!

Where we stayed

We actually stayed just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Louvre, and I think it was an awesome location. We were relatively close to Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Châtelet – Les Halles metro station.

We snagged a super cute Airbnb that we all loved–the host was a peach, and everything was comfy and safe for three twenty-something girls in a foreign land.

I would highly recommend this location if it’s your first time in Paris. It’s just so…central to so many of the classic touristy places, but it’s also in a primo location for navigating through the less popular areas.

How we got around

My favorite way to explore a city is to walk. I’m a total wet noodle when it comes to navigating anywhere (let alone in a foreign city), but I like getting lost and just…stumbling upon things. Most of that isn’t by design because I get lost very easily. But it’s still a strategy.

So we walked a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

We also took the metro a bit, which was…an experience. I might just be a dummy, but man. The Paris metro is tough. There are so many entrances for a single station, and we definitely chose the wrong one many times. I also ended up buying the wrong metro ticket to take me to the airport, so I was fined €35.

It was…interesting for sure! And we kind of figured it out by the end of my 36ish hours in Paris. But phew. It was tough.

What we saw

In a little over 36 hours, we saw a lot. Highlights were:

• The Eiffel Tower: We made our way to the Eiffel Tower area after dinner, just before 8:00pm. This was great because the sun was just setting and because the Eiffel Tower ends up lighting up for about five minutes on the hour! We honestly couldn’t have planned it better if we tried.
• The Louvre: We didn’t end up going into the Louvre, but we did see the pyramids. They were fine. Really cool to see something in-person that I’ve seen so many pictures of before, but there were a lot of partitions between where we could stand and the actual pyramids. The grounds around the Louvre were beautiful though.
• Notre Dame: And it was looking good for being under construction! It was beautiful when we could see it–there was a lot blocked off due to the construction. But we ended up standing on a bridge and getting a prime vantage point.

I think the only “big” thing we didn’t see was the Arc de Triomphe, which I was fine with. For having less than two days in Paris, I’d say we did a pretty good job.

Where we ate

The reason you’re all here, yes?

First and foremost: It’s tough to eat vegan in Paris without some intense planning. I’m not saying it’s not doable. It is. It’s just a bit more difficult than other places I’ve been–Parisians love their dairy!

If you’re vegan and you don’t mind going out of your way to make sure everything you’re eating is vegan, I highly suggest checking out this YouTube video from Lauren Toyota. She gives some great recommendations, and even though we didn’t end up getting to any of these places, I wanted to. I definitely trust her recommendations!

All that being said, I decided to go vegetarian in Paris. So much of the Parisian culinary scene is dairy-based, and I wanted to experience it.

And boy, did I ever.

L’avant Comptoir

3 Carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006 Paris, France

Dinner our first night in Paris was…unique! In the best way possible. We were equal parts exhausted and thrilled we were in Paris! So we wanted to have a casual dinner where we could really experience Paris.

Enter: L’avant Comptoir! First of all, this place is tiny. We stood at a counter, but the restaurant as a whole wasn’t much bigger than a hallway. We went fairly early for dinner (6ish), but I know it was filling up when we left.

Second, the menu…is on the ceiling. On little cards with a photo of each food and its price. It’s a tapas-style restaurant, so you’re ordering multiple things, looking up at the ceiling to figure out what you want when you’re ready to order more food.

It’s silly, but kind of totally fun. Definitely one of the most unique restaurants I’ve ever been to!

The wine was great–we each got a glass of rosé–and we really enjoyed the food. We split a really great caprese-esque salad, a green bean salad, and other odds and ends. But the highlight was the bread and butter.

I’m a bread fan. We know this. This bread was banging. It had some sort of crust that was so tasty, and they had a giant plate of homemade butter on the counter that everyone just took a knife to whenever they needed it.

It was just a super unique experience, and even though they didn’t have a ton of vegetarian options, I’d highly suggest checking it out.

Le Sarah Bernhardt

2 Place du Châtelet, 75004 Paris, France

On our way to our cooking class (more on that in a bit), we decided to get some breakfast. Obviously. Because we were in freaking Paris.

We didn’t really have a place in mind, so we just happened upon a cute cafe that was near the class–Le Sarah Bernhardt.

They had a really great deal: a “French Breakfast” special that included your pastry of choice, a hot beverage, and an orange juice. All for €7.

I got a fantastic pain au chocolat and an americano. The orange juice was furry (aka. pulpy), so I skipped most of that and just focused on the chocolate croissant. It was so good, and the first of many carbs that were to be had that day.

La Cuisine Paris

80 Quai de l’Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris, France

This is going to make us sound way fancier than we actually are, but Kath ended up winning two seats in a French cooking class for the time we were there! What are the chances, right?

So we all chipped in for a third ticket and had one of the best experiences of the whole trip.

It was a crepe-making class, which was really exciting, considering:

• I know that it’s a bit of a process to actually make crepes
• I’d never had a crepe before

The instructor was so nice–he was actually from Texas, but he had been living in Paris with his wife for many years–and the class was super intimate and hands-on.

We made two different crepes: a buckwheat crepe stuffed with a mushroom béchamel, and then a wheat crepe stuffed and topped with salted caramel.

It was so much fun, you guys. I mean, I cook a lot. As I’m sure you know. But I learned so much from this class. From the ideal way to cup your hand when you’re cutting things to knife-sharpening to the fact that mirepoix is actually a technique rather than a set of ingredients to the differences between Parisian baguettes. It was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken.

And I mean the food. It was heaven. I’m a crepe fan, guys!

Everything was incredible, and if I ever get back to Paris, I’d 100% go back for another class.

Du Pain Des Idees

34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris, France

Probably the place we were most excited to hit in all of Paris! Du Pain Des Idees is a famous boulangerie in Paris, and they have loads of different breads and pastries behind their counters.

Between the three of us, we ordered six different pastries. Whoops.

Some were incredible; the almond croissant was one of the best things I had all trip, and the pistachio chocolate escargot (it’s a croissant, just round! Not snails) was delicious. Some of the others were…meh.

I think it’s still worth the trip; they definitely have unique pastries and the bakery smells…so yum!

L’as du Fallafel

32-34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France

So. Falafel is huge in Paris. I had no idea. Nor had I had a legit falafel before.

Since we had breakfast, crepes from our class, and pastries already, we weren’t super hungry. But our bellies were fueled by our “When in Paris…” mentality, so we decided to scope out some falafel.

L’as du Fallafel is probably the most famous falafel restaurant on this street. And there are many.

But we ended up not waiting more than 5 minutes for our vegetarian falafel pita situation, and we split it between the three of us.

It was pretty good! The sauces were great, the falafel were flavorful, and the veggies were yummy. It’s street food, but it’s an experience I’m glad we had!

Le Garde Robe

41 Rue de l’Arbre Sec, 75001 Paris, France

After going back to the Airbnb and relaxing a bit (over some wine, obviously), we decided we wanted one more meal in Paris. So to dinner we went!

Le Garde Robe is a small wine bar with snacks, cheeses, and bread. Our kind of place.

We probably got…three bowls of bread? It was ridiculous. Along with a cheese board, a vegetarian bowl*, and wine.

Again, I wasn’t blown away by this place, but it was good. Plus, everyone who worked there was so nice, and the wine (which is mostly natural) was delicious.

*I learned that the French definition of “vegetarian” doesn’t quite equate to the US definition of the word. “Meat” typically means red meat in France, but stuff like chicken, fish, pork isn’t considered meat. So when you say, “I’m vegetarian,” they sometimes think you’re just avoiding red meat. In fact, the vegetarian bowl came with some sort of sardine mixture.

All this to say: be sure to specify you don’t eat any kind of meat, chicken, pork, etc.

Would I go back?

Oh man. On one hand, I’m like, “If I ever have the chance to go back to Paris, I’d be a dummy to pass it up.”

But on the other, I think I’m good. At least for a while.

Don’t get me wrong. I had an amazing time exploring Paris. Especially with friends! That said, I hit most of the “major” touristy things during my time in Paris, and I don’t really have a huge desire to go back at the moment.

I definitely have a better appreciation for the French culture (and food!) after the trip, and I’d love to experience France outside of the capital city. Really get a feel for what life in France is like.

But Paris? I’m glad I went, we had a great time, but there are a few other places on my list that I’d rather hit before heading back.

Interested to hear your thoughts though! Have you been to Paris? To France in general? What were your thoughts? Favorite places to eat? I gotta know!

ps. Stay tuned for my next two European recap posts…coming soon!

The post Eating Our Way Through Paris (Vegetarian + Vegan in Europe Part 1) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

So, we’re talking dates. Not like, the fruit. But the act! Of a date!

The funny thing is: I don’t date much. Granted, that’s because I’ve had a boyfriend for the past 4+ years, but even so. We don’t go out on dates very much.

When you’re introverted, work from home, and have the world’s greatest floof, it can sometimes be tough to commit to getting dolled up and having a night out on the town.

But guys, I’ve never regretted going on a date with my guy. Never ever. Even though it seems hard to find the time or the energy to go out, we always have a blast.

Especially when we do…THE ULTIMATE PITTSBURGH DATE DAY!

We figured out that we can hit four of our favorite spots in Pittsburgh back in December, and our lives have never been the same.

When we really want to do it up, eat good food, and have the best time ever, this is the exact agenda we follow.

(I’m even giving you times we like to hit everything! Not only will it save you money, it’s a way that you can be at home cuddling the floof before it’s dark. Win-win.)

It all takes place in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Pittsburgh: Shadyside. And all on the same street! It’s cute, it’s full of great food and people, and it’s relatively easy to get around.

I will preface this by saying…this date day is indulgent (food-wise, it’s actually fairly cheap!). But it should be! Dates should be fun and exciting and full of deliciousness. It’s not something you’ll do every day, but it will be memorable.

Ready? Let’s do it.

Parking: Eastside Bond Garage

30 Annie Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Is this important to note? I have no idea. But if you’re not from the area, or if you get stressed out trying to parallel park, this garage is great.

It’s easy to get in and out of, close to the eating you’ll be doing, and pretty cheap!

Stop 1: Adda Coffee & Tea House

200 S Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
addacoffeehouse.com
Time: 3:00pm

Yep. We like to start our dates…during work. I know. Not a luxury that everyone has. But if you have the ability to work at a coffee shop, we love love love Adda.

I will say it’s probably best if you don’t need the internet a ton (it’s slow), but for great drinks and a great atmosphere, Adda is the best.

I’ve gotten a ton of different things there – lattes, americano, coffee, golden tea lattes. Regardless of what you order, be sure to get the oat milk. They don’t charge extra for plant milks (!!!), and the oat milk they use is from the UK or something and it’s to. die. for. Omg. It’s outrageous.

And if you’re not in a coffee mood, Mark really loves their masala chai latte.

Stop 2: Urban Tap

216 S Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
theurbantap.com
Time: 4:30pm

Walk two doors down and you hit Urban Tap! And just in time for happy hour. Woot!

As you may already be able to tell by the name, this is where we drink. Their beer menu is…outrageous. Just so freaking impressive.

They have everything from your Miller Lite to local craft beers and beyond.

Mark and I both love Hitchhikers (a local brewery), so I got the Double Bane of Existence (so good), and he got the Single Angle. Granted, if you go there tomorrow, the beer list has probably already changed, but we were both super impressed by our choices.

I think they also have wine on tap which is just…the coolest thing.

We also like to get a little appetizer because:

1. I’m a light-weight when it comes to alcohol
2. French fries

Their french fries are actually really good – crispy, herby, salty, and golden.

I especially love Urban Tap because their happy hour specials are great. Two drafts and a french fry appetizer will set you back less than $10. Can’t argue with that!

Stop 3: Noodlehead

242 S Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
noodleheadpgh.com
Time: 5:30pm

Walk a bit further down the street and you hit my current favorite restaurant in all of Pittsburgh, Noodlehead.

Oh man oh man. If you’re a fan of Thai food, this is the place to go. I’m obsessed with this place.

All of their noodle dishes are less than $10, and they deliver on flavor so many times over. They also can make nearly everything vegan, which makes it great for couples with different diets!

I always get their Kee Mao (big flat rice noodles, bok choy, napa cabbage, spicy chili garlic sauce) at spice level 1.

You know I love spice. I love to sweat when I eat. But DANG. A 1 out of 5 is all I can do. This is a spicy dish, but it’s also outrageously flavorful and great topped with their fried tofu.

Also just as good leftover and cold from the fridge the next day. Especially if you stand over the sink shoveling it into your mouth like a madman.

Mark loves their Chiang Mai Curry with chicken. I would assume you probably couldn’t get it vegan, but it never hurts to ask. All of our servers there have been amazing.

Pro tip: they’re cash-only, don’t take reservations, and BYOB!

Stop 4: Millie’s

232 S Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
millieshomemade.com
Time: 6:15pm

And to cool your mouth down and finish the date off with something sweet: Millie’s.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I created some recipes for them earlier this year, and they’re great. A local company doing regular and vegan ice cream right.

Their Vegan Dark Chocolate is, by far, my favorite ice cream flavor – vegan or not. It’s so outrageously creamy, so dark, so decadent…it’s the best.

Mark really loves their Salted Cookie Dough (not vegan), and I’m also a big fan of their Vegan Mango Sorbet.

We typically just split something after an indulgent date day, but I love finishing our date with a scoop of ice cream as we walk arm-in-arm back to our car.

And that, my friend, is that! Our favorite date day in Pittsburgh.

I love writing posts like these, so let me know if you liked it / want to see similar posts like this in the future! I love reading posts like this about any city because I secretly love creepin’ on restaurant menus, even if I have like, zero chance of going to them. Anyone else?

Have you ever done the Ultimate Pittsburgh Date Day? What’s your favorite Pittsburgh date spot?

The post The Ultimate Pittsburgh Date Day appeared first on Fooduzzi.

I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t plan my traveling around food. 

And I wouldn’t lie to you. So I absolutely, 100% plan my traveling around food.

How could I not? The plant-based, vegan trend is always growing, constantly surprising, and always worth the try. You can tell so much about a city by their food choices.

That’s why I was so excited to plan another trip to Portland, Oregon!

If you recall, we went to Portland last year, but only for a few days.

This time around, we were able to be in the city for almost a week! And we’d be eating pretty much the whole time.

Here are some of our favorite Portland finds in a few helpful categories:

1. So Good, We Went Again
2. New-To-Us Loves
3. Feast Finds

So Good, We Went Again

Tea Chai Te 734 nw 23rd ave., portland, or 97210

Yep, we went to a tea shop while we were in Portland. Like five times. I kid you not.

This place is just one of our favorites. They have about a million different kinds of teas (get the Coconut Oolong, trust me), and you get a whole pot to yourself. It’s such a fun place to work, relax, or chat, and I loved that we ended up staying closer to this place so we could go more!

It gets surprisingly busy (like, no seats) on Friday nights, so go early or wear comfortable standing shoes!

Barista 823 nw 23rd ave., portland, or 97210

Okay, so we weren’t impressed with this coffee shop last year. That said, we ended up here three different times this trip!

I loved this place. I think I got an almond milk latte each time, and it was a very good decision every time. Man oh man is it good!

Mark even got an almond croissant one day, and that was insane (not vegan, but insane).

One thing to note: the coffee is amazing, but don’t go expecting to work on a weekend – they turn off their internet on the weekends.

Regardless, run, don’t walk, to Barista.

Bibi2go 1019 nw 23rd ave., portland, or 97210

Hehe. I love this little hole-in-the-wall place! I got my bibimbap, and I was such a happy camper.

We loved this place so much last time, we actually Lyft’d directly to it after we got off the plane this time. It’s so good, so many fun vegetarian options, and holy woah are the sauces good.

My mouth is watering just typing this. Man.

Departure 525 sw morrison st., portland, or 97204 

Yay! Departure ftw for a fancy dinner! I met the Bob’s Red Mill team here for a fun dinner, and it didn’t disappoint…in my opinion.

Mark pretty much hated his curry (it was super spicy, even for me, a lover of all-things spicy), but I thought my vegan udon noodles was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

We also had bomb drinks (the Shen), and you really can’t complain with the views you get from the city!

It’s such a cool spot, and definitely worth the visit.

Blue Star 921 nw 23rd ave. portland, or 97205

Another place we weren’t super impressed with last year, but I’m really glad we went again. They have a few vegan options, but the lemon poppyseed donut (not vegan) was really speaking to us, so we decided to get it.

It was really good! Not life-changing by any stretch, but they have a ton of really pretty, Insta-worthy donuts that make it worth the trip.

New-To-Us Loves

Virtuous Pie 1126 se division street, portland, or 97202

AHH. Okay. Virtuous Pie, I need you to come to Pittsburgh. This is not optional.

Guys, this pizza is the BEST. Like, top five pizza experiences of my life. And it’s ALL VEGAN. CAN YOU EVEN?!

I’ve talked about the fact that I don’t really like cauliflower before on the blog, but I love buffalo sauce (see here, here, here, and here). I’ve tried making buffalo cauliflower at home before a few times, but I’ve always been super disappointed. It’s a ton of work, and it just tastes like soggy, spicy cauliflower.

Virtuous Pie has the magic touch because I would still be eating their buffalo cauliflower if given the opportunity.

Man. And they have homemade vegan ice cream (I felt like a kid again and got the cookie dough) and garlic ranch dipping sauce. It doesn’t get any better than this place, and I’m counting down the days until I can see you again, bb.

Tasty n Alder 580 sw 12th ave., portland, or 97205

I’ve heard about Tasty n Alder a bunch. It’s a pretty popular restaurant in Portland, and for good reason.

They have a great happy hour (we actually stopped here for a quick beer before our meal at Departure), and their dinner menu looks fab.

They are a little particular about the times you can actually sit in the restaurant part (not until happy hour is over), but it’s still worth the visit.

They don’t have many vegetarian options on the mid day menu, but their house-made bread is insane, and they did happily customize one of the happy hour dishes for me to make it veggie-friendly.

The hospitality at Tasty n Alder was so unique too. The bartender was amazingly friendly and had serious skills in the cocktail department. I mean he lit a drink on fire in front of us. It was SO cool, and I’d highly recommend.

Also, the Breakside IPA (a local Oregon brew) was really freakin’ delicious.

Sterling Coffee 518 nw 21st ave., portland, or 97209

Oh we had so much coffee on this trip. I’m still shaking.

I really loved this place, as well as the atmosphere. It was out of the hustle and bustle of downtown and of the chic part of town we stayed in, but it was great!

Mark didn’t really care for his Americano (I agree that it wasn’t the best), but my almond milk cappuccino was great.

Plus I saw a v cute puppy there, so I’ll always have a space for Sterling in my heart.

Spielman Bagels & Coffee 2314 nw lovejoy st., portland, or 97210

So, I wandered into Spielman looking for change for a dollar. We needed to do laundry, and I was out of quarters. I left with a handful of quarters and told them I’d be back.

We came back and I’m so glad we did. I love carbs. You know this. They had really really good bagels (and a lot of vegan options!).

I got a vegan sesame bagel (my fave, always) with vegan cream cheese. It was all so great, and we munched on them whilst drinking Barista down the street. Loved this duo together!

Grassa 1506 nw 23rd ave., portland, or 97210

On our last day of our trip, we were looking for a quick, memorable meal in the neighborhood we were staying in. Grassa didn’t disappoint.

It’s like Chipotle for pasta. Fast casual pasta. But like, really really really good.

Their grilled greens were just so good. It came covered in an agrodolce sauce, and I’m still thinking about it.

I will say that they don’t have many vegan options, but the bucatini with HAZELNUT PESTO OMG was fab!

Feast Finds

So the whole reason we actually went to Portland was because of a fun food and drink festival called Feast.

One thing that I thought was kind of weird is that people were shocked that we came in from out-of-town for this event! Like, shocked. Especially saying that we came from across the country.

In turn, their surprise surprised me. It’s a fantastic festival full of creative, passionate, and awesome brands and restaurants. In a fantastic city! Why would I, a food lover, not fly across the country to attend?

I’m so glad I did, and I managed to snag a press pass for a few of the events. We had a swanky press lounge area where we could connect to wifi, decompress, and drink kombucha…or something a little harder:

While I didn’t end up getting to all of the events at Feast (there’s just so much to see and do and eat in Portland!), the ones I got to were a lot of fun.

I will say that there weren’t a ton of vegan options available, and Feast makes a point to say that they can’t cater to every diet under the sun. It’s not something that disappointed me, just something I thought I’d point out. If it looked vegetarian and I could verify that there wasn’t any meat in it, I’d eat it.

There was also a ton of delicious alcohol. I’m not a huge drinker, but man. It’s SO awesome to be able to taste different varieties of wine right next to each other. If you taste a cabernet from one vineyard, it’s going to taste different at another vineyard. It’s so fun.

I’m much more into beer at the moment, and I wasn’t disappointed. One of my faves was Oldtown Brewing! So good.

Heck, we even tasted sake for the first time! It was weird, but also kind of good? I don’t know. Probably not my drink-of-choice, but I’m glad I had a chance to try it.

My good friends Bob’s Red Mill were at the festival (they actually sponsored the brunch on the last day), and it was so great to re-connect with them. They had an EPIC waffle bar with literally every topping you could possibly imagine. Here’s my creation:

We got invited to an afterparty at the top of The Porter Hotel, and man. The views! So beautiful. They had custom CBD cocktails on the menu (not typically my thing, but it was decent!), but the experience was just so fun. Someone who’s a hardcore introvert going to a rooftop party in a new city? Yeah, it was a big win for me.

In all, I really enjoyed my time at Feast. The creativity was at such an exciting level, and it was so energizing being in the same places as so many food lovers. Portlanders are awesome, and they love to talk to you about what they create and what they’re passionate about.

I’m so thankful for the chance to go to Feast with my main-squeeze, and I’d love to go back in the future.

As a food creator in this tiny little space on the internet, I find that it’s so important and necessary to dive into food that’s, well, not “your food.”

It’s easy to confine yourself to the same tiny little space on the internet without looking outward for inspiration. And honestly? It gets lonely and really heavy sometimes.

That said, inspiration really can come from anywhere, and I left Feast feeling so motivated and excited for the next chapters of Fooduzzi. I needed it. To see people doing awesome things with food in a completely different city. To get out of my comfort zone (both physical and food-wise) and just experience it.

I just love being around food people, you know? They’re totally my people.

A special thanks goes to Virtuous Pie for inviting us out and treating us to our meal. All opinions (that omg it was the BEST) are my own.

The post Eating Our Way Through Portland, Oregon (mostly vegan + Feast!) appeared first on Fooduzzi.