Whale, Reindeer and Meatballs…OH MY!!

Posted in Norway, Sweden, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

During my two weeks in Scandinavia I had one goal in mind….I was determined to try as many Scandinavian dishes as I could! When I travel, I make it a point to try the local cuisine because it’s authentic and it helps give me a sense of how food changes when it gets to America.

Example…In Greece I didn’t hear one person scream “Opa!” when serving my saganaki. In Italy, I was never served olive oil and parmesan cheese for my bread. Maybe somewhere this happens, but I ate A LOT and it never saw it!

All I knew about Swedish food was from IKEA in the form of their meatballs (no judging). If I’m being truthful…I’ve never even tried a Swedish meatball from IKEA (gasp)!! I also heard rumblings that there was going to be a lot of fish, whale and reindeer meat. I don’t eat fish and I’m not sure about you, but whale and reindeer meat isn’t part of my normal diet.

All in all, I was absolutely DETERMINED to hunt down these foods and try them once and for all!!

First up…Whale! I found this at the famous fish market in Bergen, Norway. My sister and I walked up and down the market until we were sure we found the best tent! After a little help from the crew, we chowed down on a small portion of whale and potato salad (sorry PETA). I expected whale to taste like fish, but it actually tasted more like gyros…kinda.

A short distance away from the fish market, we were lucky to come across the hot dog stand that was on our list – Trekroneren Hot Dog Stand. This isn’t your ordinary hot dog stand though…this one serves REINDEER hot dogs!! I confidently walked up to the stand, paid my 55 NOK and nervously ate my first bite. I thought it would have a gamey taste, but it actually tasted like a normal hot dog. I was a little bit unimpressed, but happy that I had now crossed two items off my list!

Last on the list…meatballs! We found these all over Sweden, but decided on a small restaurant close to our hotel in Stockholm. Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with potatoes and lingonberry jam and that’s just how mine were served! They were tasty and I promise that the next time I go to IKEA, I will order some and officially compare the two!

What are some of your favorite Scandinavian dishes?? Do you have any other recommendations for future travelers??

6May2014

What I really need is an Eiskaffee!!

Posted in Austria, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

These last few weeks have been so busy with a packed schedule and work travel that I stopped myself a few days ago and thought, “What I really need is an Eiskaffee!!”

Never heard of it?? It was new to me too until I went to Vienna, Austria two years ago. My sister and I were walking down one of the most famous streets in Vienna, Graben Street, when right in front of us was this cute, little, unassuming cafe called Julius Meinl. We noticed the waitresses carefully delivering delicious drinks to anxious customers and knew we had to immediately find out what they were.

We found out the delicious drink was called a Eiskaffee – “Expresso poured over vanilla ice-cream with whipped cream.” There was also another drink that my sister decided to try called the Melange – “Expresso, equal parts steamed milk and foam, dusting of meinl eruropean cocoa.”

So next time you’re in Vienna, try and make a stop in Julius Meinl for a flavor-packed coffee! Luckily for me, there are a few Julius Meinl’s located in Chicago so whenever work gets crazy again, I’m heading straight there!

Photo courtesy of northamerica.meinl.com

31Mar2014

During my 40 days of sobriety, I went to a brewery, a distillery and two wineries!

Posted in Michigan, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

‘Tis the season for the Christian observance of Lent! It’s the time of the year that, if you’re a Christian, you’re giving something up or proclaim that you’re going to be a better person in some way. I always find Lent entertaining because you’re always trying to one-up the other Christian in the group (to be God’s favorite of course). This year I gave up drinking. My sister gave up reading celebrity gossip. I honestly don’t know who won this battle ’cause it sure seems like we both lost!

I thought this Lent was going to be somewhat easy until I realized that I have two weddings to attend before Easter! The first wedding was in Plymouth, Michigan so three of us girls packed into a car and make the 4hr journey to celebrate with our close friend. What I didn’t realize was there was a number of wineries, a brewery and a distillery on the way to/from the wedding. Although I’m sober for Lent, I just HAD to make the numerous stops with my friends so they could taste all the yummy drinks!

The first stop on this epic road trip was Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI! We stopped here for a lunch on the way to the wedding and ate a delicious meal at the Eccentric Cafe. After requesting water at the bar, the bartender proclaimed that she gave up Lent for Lent. Genius. I may consider this for next year!

After lunch, we walked next door to the Bell’s General Store and stocked up on our favorite beer! I love stouts and porters so I took a chance that I would love Bell’s selection and grabbed a custom 6-pack. My friends did the same and then we hopped in the car and drove the rest of the way to the wedding. My 6-pack is currently sitting in my refrigerator, ready to be opened on Easter!

Wedding time!! Lots of eating, dancing and no drinking for me, but the party went all night and we had an amazing time at the Inn at St. Johns! Congrats to Lara and Jason!

We woke up early the next morning to get a jump start on the 4hr drive back to Chicago. About 3hrs in, we stopped at St. Julian Winery, one of the original wineries in Michigan. The girls filled out their tasting sheets as I roamed around the festive store (it was St. Patrick’s Day and they had made a wine tree for the holiday). Michigan is known for making fruit wine and St. Julian’s selection didn’t disappoint. They also make a unique Vodka distilled from 100% grape spirits! Of course I had to pick up a few things to save for my own after-Easter festivities!

Travel Tip: Don’t forget your wine skins! A cheap purchase to save your precious wine during transport!

Right next door to St. Julian is Round Barn Winery (it’s also a Brewery and Distillery) so obviously, we had to stop there too! The girls filled out their tasting sheets, gathered their tokens and enjoyed a variety of yummy drinks! During the visit, we were told about another local distillery, Journeyman Distillery. Did we have time for one more stop?? Yep!!

About 10 minutes later, we found a somewhat hidden building with a small logo indicating we had arrived at Journeyman Distillery (Journeyman story video). The outside of the building is intriguing and once you step inside, it’s incredibly enchanting. From the wood flooring to the iron seating, this place instantly makes you want to kick back and enjoy a fine whiskey, rum or gin. Although the whiskey flight was only $4, the girls were a bit tired, so we purchased a few items from the gift shop and promised to return on another adventure (aka, my birthday in August!). I really can’t express enough how much I was kicking myself for making such a ridiculous Lent resolution!! This place is truly amazing and it’s a must-see if you’re in the area!

Our last stop of the trip was to grab a must needed bite to eat! My friend Ali had recommended a fantastic place called The Stray Dog. She had been there on a previous trip and had a whole list of great things to say about it. We walked in and immediately fell in love! There was dog stuff everywhere! Dog pictures on the wall, dog push pin artwork, dog coat hooks, dog glasses and dog napkin holders! I was in puppy heaven! We grabbed a table and ordered food for a family of 12 that consisted of chips & guac, veggie tacos and two pizzas (’cause we couldn’t decide on just one). Food was delicious and a perfect meal before we had to hit the road again for the last hour of our trip.

Unexpected road trips are the best!! What unexpected road trips have you been on?

23Mar2014

I don’t want to be mean….but Sacramento, your “Chicago-style” pizza is terrible.

Posted in California, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

In my last post, I told you a little story about how I ended up at Folsom Prison…in my stilettos. Although a bit terrifying at first, it’s a great example about how fun and unexpected your travels can be! The reason I ended up in Folsom, CA in the first place was because 1/2 the people in my training class proclaimed that a certain pizza restaurant was “the best Chicago-style pizza in California.”

The restaurant they were talking about is called Chicago Fire and I’m sorry, but it DOES NOT taste like Chicago style pizza!! I suppose it’s ok if you’ve never had Lou Malnati’s or Giordano’s, but if you have, you’ll agree that it doesn’t quite match up. Although I figured I would come to this conclusion, I wanted to make a sincere effort and embrace the highly recommended spot. The Folsom location didn’t open until 4pm, which was 4hrs away, so I settled for the Sacramento location.

I ordered my take-away cheese deep-dish pizza and enjoyed a much needed drink at the bar. Remember, I had just been to Folsom prison so I probably could have used a few drinks at this point! The staff was friendly and the restaurant itself was lively which made for a very entertaining 30-40min wait. While I was waiting and scanning the bar scene, I noticed something missing…no Old Style. “Surely it’s a mistake,” I thought. How could you have a Chicago-themed restaurant with no Old Style? I kindly asked the bartender if they had any and I knew my answer when he looked at me like I had 3 heads. At least they had PBR (which debuted at the Chicago World Fair in 1893).

Finally, my pizza had arrived!! I was so hungry at this point but decided to just bring it back to my hotel so I could eat and pack for my flight the next morning. Here’s what I saw as I opened the box…

Looks amazing, right?! Probably tastes just as amazing, right?!? NOPE. While it LOOKS like a traditional Chicago deep-dish pizza, the taste was just….off. The cheese and tomatoes were similar to Lou Malnati’s, but the crust was just not right and if you can’t make a good crust, then what’s the point (in my professional opinion)! Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the smell anymore so in the hotel hallway it went.

My advice, save yourself the trip and ship yourself a Lou’s or Giordano’s! A better option, if you’re in the traveling spirit, would be to book a trip to my hometown of Chicago!

30Jan2014

Is it Gelato o’clock?

Posted in Italy, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

In 2011, my sister and I went to Italy in the hopes of discovering the most mouthwatering, savory, flavorful meals we’ve ever tasted in our lives. What we didn’t realize was that we would discover all of those things in one divine item…gelato. In two weeks, we managed to consume what a normal human would enjoy in two years (ok, maybe four). Seriously! We ate so much that we just starting saying “Is it gelato o’clock?” to each other.

Don’t believe me? Yeah…umm…just scroll down.

oops.

Holy ~~Guacamole~~ Gelato!

Right?!?

We walked absolutely everywhere, so I’m happy to report that we did successfully fit back into the coach airline seats for the long flight home.

If I had to narrow it down (and give you somewhere to focus) I would say that GROM and Giolitti were my favorites. You can only find Giolitti in Rome, but GROM is all over Italy and a few other countries. There are also three locations for GROM in New York so the USA can get their fix too!

Curious to know what flavors we tried? Duh, OF COURSE you are!

Drum roll please……((Deep Breath))…..Chocolate, Oreo, Dark Chocolate, Baileys, Cinnamon, Mint, Stracciatella, Salted Caramel, Pistachio, Bacio, Hazelnut, Coconut, Maroon Glacee, Pear, Fig, Caramel, Italian Opera Cake, Biscotti, Tiramisu, Caffe, Nutella, Honey, Basil, Caramelized Fig, Walnut, Cannoli, Sesame, White Peach & Lavender and Bellini.

Have you tried gelato? What are your favorite flavors?

16Jan2014

The most amazing thing I ate in Prague! (Hint: It has cinnamon and sugar on it!!)

Posted in Czech Republic, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

I’m going to ask you to do something very important, but a bit touristy, on your next trip.

Take pictures of your food!!

Sure, it’s a tad bit embarrassing to whip out your phone or camera and snap away at your dish, but how else are you going to remember how you gained all those well-deserved pounds?! When I came back from a two week trip to Italy, I ONLY posted pictures of the food I ate. Almost 1/3 of those pics were of gelato! ….no judging!

In celebration of all the well-deserved pounds I’ve maybe gained, I’m starting off a new section of my blog, Travel Bites, with the most amazing thing I ate in Prague, Czech Republic.

Introducing….the Trdelnik!

Cinnamon & Sugar Trdelnik

I found this tasty treat all around Prague and it’s absolutely delicious. It’s a perfect pick-me-up for when you’ve been walking all day and just want to sit on a park bench and relax. They come in different varieties, but my favorite was the cinnamon & sugar one.

Important: Make sure you buy them FRESH! They are much better when they come right off the hot stick.

Trdelnik in the making!

Fresh Trdelnik from a bakery next to the Charles Bridge

If you’re curious to know how they actually prepare these treats, you can click on this Trdelnik YouTube Video I found.

Feeling extra ambitious and a visit to Prague isn’t in your near future? You can try and make these at home! I found a great recipe from Pauline’s Cookbook that you can try. Let me know how it goes!

To see a collection of my favorite Travel Bites, check out my Eat, Drink, Travel Pinterest board.