Paris - All Around the Eiffel Tower

While the Eiffel Tower may be crowded, full of tourists and souvenir hawkers, it remains an absolute must see in my book. Up close the elegant metalwork of the tower is powerful. And the surrounding gardens offer peaceful green spaces that balance out the crush of visitors. I didn't go up, but I wouldn't be opposed to doing so in the future. But I would make sure to plan to visit at a slower (does that even exist?) time.

Choosing a restaurant around the Eiffel Tower can be a daunting task. I ended up at Cafe Constant, a charming corner spot just a few streets away. I found it recommended frequently for its lunch prix fixe meal. I enjoyed three beautiful courses for just €18. A cold ham roulade with salad as an appetizer, crisp roasted chicken with homemade chips for the main, and a gorgeous arrangement of meringues, fruit, and custard for dessert. Run by a Michelin star chef, it's a popular spot that doesn't take reservations. I hit it at the after lunch sweet spot, when most of the crowds had cleared out. It was a lovely lunch and felt like the perfect pairing to my Eiffel Tower visit.

Catedral de Sevilla + Casa Roman

You can't miss the Cathedral of Sevilla. The Cathedral's massive size and presence dominates the skyline of Sevilla's old quarter. La Giralda, a former minaret converted into a bell tower, stands so tall over the city's old quarter that I often used it like a compass to find my way home after a day of exploring. Reflecting Spain's Golden Age of discovery, the basilica is dominated by immense columns, elaborately tiled floor, and a soaring, ornately carved ceiling. After my visit I was un-surprised to learn that it is the largest Gothic church in the world. It's pretty epic.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the cathedral was built over the Great Mosque the 1400s. Only the minaret and interior garden survived Christianization. The basilica also houses the (alleged) remains of Christopher Columbus. But good luck finding the monument, there's so much to see and so many tombs. I was distracted by the way that the stained glass windows filtered colored rays of light throughout the massive space. A few extra euro buys you a ticket to climb up La Giralda for a grand view of Sevilla. I skipped this in favor of a trip to the top of the Metropol Parasol later in the day.

And it was time for lunch. I stumbled my way to Casa Roman, another restaurant recommended by Shawn Hennessey, and had an incredibly simple, perfectly delicious meal. Like Las Teresas, Casa Roman has a lot of traditional Spanish charm.

Along with my now customary tinto, I decided I needed something green (I ate a lot of pork and potatoes in Spain). So a tapa of grilled zucchini seemed like just the thing. As is typical of many Spanish vegetable preparations, the zucchini was smothered in olive oil, rendering the flesh smooth and silky. Served cold like an antipasto, it was lovely.The main course was even better. I had the Grilled Presa Iberica, tender little strips of ibérico pork charred just so and liberally seasoned with coarse salt. A bed of fries below soaked up all the meaty juices.

After ending the meal with a coffee, my tired feet and full belly decided it was time for a siesta. I searched the skyline for La Giralda then followed it home to my hotel. A short rest later and I was ready for an evening adventure at Las Setas and another lovely meal at La Azotea.

London - Ottolenghi

So, Ottolenghi, if you read many food blogs or food publications you've surely heard the name. Last year Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook, Jerusalem, was on just about everyone's 2012 best of list, just as his previous cookbook, Plenty, was in 2011. Plenty is full of gorgeously photographed, Middle Eastern inspired recipes served at the Ottolenghi shops scattered around the posher areas of London. They're mostly take-away, but there's also the fancier Nopi, a sit down restaurant that requires a reservation or a super long wait in line.

Ottolenghi's windows are lined with beautiful, drool-worthy desserts. It was the best kind of trial deciding which treats to take with us. How we each picked just one apiece, I couldn't tell you. Inside it's pretty tight, chock full of giant white platters of prepared meats and fish, huge bowls of colorful, uber-fresh salads. After loading up on food we found ourselves right in front of the big Whole Foods on Kensington High Street. I picked up a chewy pretzel roll, and both Katy and I bought fancy Fentimans sodas. If we hadn't already spent loads of money at Ottolenghi I'm sure we would have gone crazy at Whole Foods.

The end of fall, and some lunch

What a difference a few weeks make. I feel like I just broke out my boots and tights for fall. And then nature goes and dumps a few hours worth of snow on us. It was wet and gloomy and miserable. I've been out of commission with strep throat for a few days. Tuesday I took a nap around noon and woke to a white winter wasteland out my window. I did not regret that final sick day.

I bought a new camera recently, the Nikon D7000. I'm thrilled with the purchase so far but haven't gotten around doing much shooting. The camera's low light capabilities really helped me make my choice. I've gotten to shoot with it at one concert so far and the high iso options were great (also helpful for some recent burger photos.) So I'm going to try and do some regular Bloomington lunch posts just to keep in the groove of writing about and shooting my food.

I eat out for lunch quite a bit. On a good day I have Katy for company. This is a typical lunch at uber popular Village Deli. It's right across the street from work so, while the food is good (not great,) it's convenient enough to be a regular spot for us. Plus you can order from the breakfast or lunch menu and I'm all about the options.

My typical order is the Spinach Scramble, sans onion. It's a simple egg scramble with bacon, swiss cheese, and spinach. Deep fried home fries on the side. Add a few glugs of cholula hot sauce and you've got a nice meal for a rainy day.

If you follow the blog by RSS feed, last week you may have seen a little preview of a post I'm finishing up, pickled serrano peppers. I accidentally hit publish instead of save, oops! But it's coming, long overdue I know. Summer already feels so far away.