Curious Appetite

Travel Adventures

Curiously eating in Lisbon, Portugal

/ Europe, Lisbon, Travel Adventures / 0 comment

Hello you beautiful eyes! I write you, stomach rumbling as I relive these bites in Lisbon, from my tiny desk in Florence after being away since end of June.  The sun has just set on this balmy summer evening. I’m glad I missed out on the sauna that was July 2022 in Italy!

I just returned from a 4 day trip eating & drinking my way through Lisbon and I thought to actually keep my promise FIRST of sharing my picks and finds on the blog BEFORE doing the usual of: making an IG post and then promising one day to put them on the blog. This post has a handy google map (scroll/read for it) with all the places I saved in case you wanted to know where I’d eat & drink in Lisbon, or where other trusted palates recommended! Continue Reading →

In search of the best focaccia in Liguria, inspired by San Francisco

/ Italy, San Francisco, Travel Adventures / 4 Comments
water view of the Ligurian coast from Moneglia

Hello my dears! I write you again from a (sometimes) sunny Spring in San Francisco- it’s been quite a whirlwind of 2 months since I was last here! It may seem like I left Florence hastily without much written, but I assure you- a mountain of work was demanding my efforts. I was left without much choice but to leave this space a little in the dark.

Nevertheless, I made sure during the bits of calm I was permitted during these 2 months, to dedicate my palate to food-filled goose chases, like around Liguria in search of the best focaccia. Also to Turin (for well, the best of everything), which I’ll muse on my next post. For now, read on for all things focaccia and a dash of pesto! Continue Reading →

Eating & drinking through San Sebastian, Spain

/ Spain, Travel Adventures / 0 comment
Views along the urban hike to Monte Urgull from the foot of the Old Town

As promised, I’d provide a little list of my favorite places to eat & drink from my last trip to Spain. My last post perhaps seemed a bit strong and slightly negative about Italy. But feelings, like the moon, have their phases and moments. It’s safe to say I have a justifiable love-hate relationship with lady Italia. I think all of us who have spent more than 5 minutes on the ground can relate.

I personally prefer honestly rather than having a happy-go-lucky game face all the time. We’re all human experiencing ebbs and flows in life- why pretend everything is peachy keen all the time?

Italian Aperitivo- you got NOTHIN on Spain’s Pinxtos game

Moving on back to San Sebastian aka Donostia- I’ll be super clear to remind anyone reading I’m no expert on Spanish or Basque food culture. I live for marvelous food and research where to eat more than which museums are open. What I was amazed by was how advanced the Spanish (or Basque) are in terms of food culture compared to the Italians.

The pinxto bar culture puts the Italian unappetizing aperitivo buffets down the toilet. As I mentioned in the last post, the food scene in Donostia tends to be dominated by pinxtos (basque for snacks) and haute cuisine fine dining. After Kyoto, Japan- San Sebastian is the city with the highest concentration of Michelin star restaurants. Continue Reading →

Voracious thoughts after 10 days in San Sebastian & Barcelona

/ Spain, Travel Adventures / 0 comment
quite possibly my most memorable bite in San Sebastian: anchovy toast with a spider crab whip & obligatory Txacoli (slightly fizzy local white wine)

I have no shame in admitting it- I am a glutton, a lush and voracious lover of all things food & drink. Except I do not like raisins unless they are made into wine and I do not like most juices and sodas. Unless the juice is raw and promises to clean my liver and the soda is like a shrub. And not because it is the hipster way. This year for my birthday, I gifted myself a 10 day eating my brains out trip to Spain, split equally between one of the greatest culinary bastions in this universe San Sebastian and funky cool Barcelona. Mainly, because San Sebastian is famed as one of the best places to eat in the world. Continue Reading →

Traveling to Iran: Overcoming Rumors and Myths

/ Iran, Iran, Travel Adventures / 5 Comments

I recently visited Iran, one of the most misunderstood countries and societies in mainstream media today. I will highlight I visited Iran during a particular period in the arena of world politics. My visa process coincided with Trump’s 1st attempted travel ban from 7 predominately Muslim countries, which included Iran. Some suggested I cancel my plans, but I was determined to not allow current affairs stop me from a dream trip of a lifetime. Continue Reading →

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