Chocolate, Wine and Cheese

[morgan23]

I am such a foodie ;D

Naturally, when I go to Europe I really want to try all the local foods and really immerse myself in the culture and what they are famous for.

I was just looking for anyone's suggestions on "Must Eats" in Paris, Gimmelwald, all over Italy, Southern Germany and Barcelona.

Where are the best restaurants? Open-air markets? Cafes?

Wine? Cheese? Chocolate?

My plan is to have breakfast in the hostel (most are included in price) go to main open air market and gather food for a picnic lunch and eat dinner for about $10-$15. So no fancy, expensive restaurants please because I'm on a budget.

[me]

you can probably save some cash by switching it: eat out at lunch <when restaurant prices are lower> and cook your own dinner at the hostel kitchen.

i also found that there was a social element to cooking with other hostel guests. [even shopping, preparing, and eating together. some of them were good cooks!]

- d

[Jules80]

must eats in paris include cheese and bread. i love it! try as many cheeses as possible they're wonderful. also, 2 euros will you get you a decent wine. 8 will get you an outstanding wine.

italy: try gnocchi. fried cheese is great too... had that in rome i think. tratorria's are great. they frequently have tourist menus for 10-14 euros which include everything. also eat as much gelato as humanly possible. if you happen to stay at the beehive in rome i highly recommend their packed lunches for the day.

switzerland eat lots and lots of chocolate. but frankly any european chocolate (like normal chocolate bars) are about 100x better than the crap we get in north america.

that's about it i think...
jules

[me]

jules80 said:

switzerland eat lots and lots of chocolate. but frankly any european chocolate (like normal chocolate bars) are about 100x better than the crap we get in north america.

i found the Belgian stuff to be vastly better than Swiss chocolate.

[Jules80]

i actually ahve the opposite opinion. i prefer swiss chcolate. ah well, to each his/her own

[morgan23]

I've also been hearing about tapas in Barcelona. I really like this idea, it sounds similiar to dim sum...like a large selection of little appetizers. Where can I go for this?

[me]

there were lots of tapas bars in Barcelona (and elsewhere in Spain, but the best were in Barcelona). none stand out as the best, though.

funny story: one time, after the trip, i was telling mom about what i liked in Barcelona. when i mentioned how much i enjoyed the tapas bars, she said "you're tell your *mother* about this?!?!" she thought i was saying topless bars! ;D ;D

- d

[morgan23]

That's hilarious! She sounds just like my mother! hehehe

[commie]

jules80 said:

i actually ahve the opposite opinion. i prefer swiss chcolate. ah well, to each his/her own

what, swiss chocolate? have you tried toblerone - its so hard and has such a silly form that you could stop small tanks with the 4.5kg piece!

[WillTravel]

One of Rome's specialties is fried artichokes. They are pretty good, but try to choose a cheaper place than I did. I suspect Trastevere would be cheaper than the Campo dei Fiori area.

In Paris, try crepes from stands. Berthillon's ice cream is also famous.

In Italy, everywhere, gelato. San Crispino in Rome is world-famous. It's near the Trevi Fountain - look up the address. And of course, espresso. When you go to a cafe in Italy, don't sit down, as your 1 Euro espresso might turn into a 5 Euro experience. Order at the bar, get a receipt, and drink it standing at the bar.

I haven't looked there, but I've heard the chowhound.com site is very good for restaurant selection.

[morgan23]

What is the Trastevere?

[me]

Trastevere is a district/area in Rome. it's on the other side of the Tiber.

lots of tourist due to the restaurants & bars/pubs.

morgan23 said:

What is the Trastevere?