Mango & Tomato: travel

12/4/24

Travel Tuesday: Kansas City, MO

It's not a Travel Tuesday....and I can't believe I've not updated my blog for over a year!!!

So/But here are a few recommendations from my awesome trip to Kansas City, MO (for more ideas, check out #DCA2MCI2024 on instagram).

Kansas City, MO

If the first two things you think about Kansas City, MO are barbecue and baseball, think again!

The city is full of diverse food, great museums, and street art. Below are some of my favorites from my first time in Kansas City this past November.

Food

Jack Stack Barbecue: this is a great option if you want barbecue in the city without having to drive or Uber to the outskirts. If you love ambiance, choose the Freight House location near Crossroads Arts District and a short walk from The Union Station. I’ll be impressed if you are able to finish your entire meal.

Lidia’s: save room for dessert after Jack Stack and walk a few minutes to Lidia’s: I highly recommend tiramisu.

Manny’s: 41-year-old Mexican family-owned restaurant is perfect for a casual lunch or dinner and gives you chips and salsa before you even have a chance to go through their large menu. I ordered Manny’s burrito but asked to have it made into a bowl to save a few calories. Flavorful, filling, and fresh.

Novel KC: if you are looking for a fancy dinner out, Novel KC should be on your list. Prepare to splurge on contemporary American cuisine in this beautiful restaurant with an open kitchen. Bring a few friends who love to eat so you can taste multiple dishes.

Muni: this was a fun find located in the City Market location. The restaurant is a fusion of Thai and Mexican cuisine with such a fun menu that I was disappointed I only could fit in one meal there. I had their birria ramen on a cold night, and it was perfect.

The Savoy KC: I’m not usually a fan of a hotel restaurant, but The Savoy located at the 21C Museum Hotel where I was staying had one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve had (bonus points: my hotel stay included vouchers to the restaurant). The sandwich included breakfast sausage, scrambled egg, aged cheddar, potato rosti on an English muffin and served with crispy breakfast potatoes. The restaurant also had a seasonal apple cider doughnut made in house with apples inside!

Tarahumaras Tacos: if you find yourself in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood of Kansas City (and I hope you do because that’s where the Strawberry Hill Museum is), make sure to get tacos at Tarahumaras Tacos. The tacos reminded me of street tacos I had in Mexico City, and they even had lengua (tongue) tacos.

Museums

Hallmark Visitors Center: if you love Hallmark cards, ornaments, or movies, this is a place to check out. Make sure to watch a short video to learn an impressive story of J.C. Hall.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art: great architecture, outdoor sculpture garden, not an overwhelming collection of contemporary art, and it’s free! What else could you want? Bonus: it’s walking distance from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Strawberry Hill Museum: this museum is like none that I’ve ever visited. The museum is only open on the weekends, and you must sign up for an hour guided tour: no regrets! The museum tells a story of a house that was turned into an orphanage after an influenza epidemic. The orphanage was open to children from different nationalities and races. After the orphanage closed in 1988, the building became the museum with some of the rooms showcasing the story of many nationalities who moved to the Strawberry Hill area in the early 1900s, while other rooms were restored to what they looked like before the orphanage. During my visit, the museum was decorated for Christmas and looked spectacular.

Extra Extra

Crossroads Arts District: if the weather is good, stroll around Crossroads Arts District and be on a lookout for beautiful street art. Love plants? Check out a gorgeous Verdant. Want Thai food? Baramee Thai Bistro has an open kitchen, lovely service, and a very spicy Labb salad.

21C Museum Hotel: perfect location with quirky design and a mini museum in the hotel itself!

I hope these suggestions will spark your interest in visiting Kansas City, MO.

8/2/22

Travel Tuesday: Phoenix, Scottsdale & Sedona, Arizona

Hi, friends.

Can you believe I've not updated my blog since November 2021? No worries, I've still been cooking, eating out, taking photos of food, traveling, and sharing all these adventures on instagram.

In honor of Travel Tuesday, however, I thought I'd share with you a fun (I hope) write up about my trip to Arizona with my twin and two of our friends in April.

If you want to get away and discover Arizona, you don’t have to choose just one city. Find a hotel or an Airbnb in Phoenix, rent a car, and you’ll be able to visit Scottsdale and Sedona during the same trip! Below are a few highlights for each city from my trip earlier this year.

Phoenix

Desert Botanical Garden: whenever I travel, I always visit a botanical garden if one is located nearby. This garden, however, stood out amongst all others because of thousands of varieties of cacti showcased in 55 acres of desert landscape.

Little Miss BBQ: get a plate with 2 sides! I recommend sliced brisket, potato salad, and coleslaw. If you are a vegetarian, you’ll have to stick to mac and cheese, cheddar jalapeno grits, potato salad, and smoked pecan pie.

Harumi Sushi: sushi may not be the first cuisine you think of when you are in Arizona, but this was a great find because the restaurant gets fresh seafood flown overnight from places like Scotland and Nova Scotia. Harumi Sushi was voted best sushi in the state of Arizona in 2021, and I could see why: great variety of sushi and sashimi at reasonable prices, especially when compared to DC, and friendly service.

Scottsdale

Taliesin West: if you are a fan of architecture, and specifically Frank Lloyd Wright, this is a must-see attraction. Take a guided tour, don’t forget to bring sunscreen and water, and learn about Wright’s life and his thoughts on organic architecture while walking through the grounds and taking a peek into the building and studio spaces.

Pinnacle Peak Park: wake up early, put on your tennis shoes, grab sunscreen and water and drive out to the park for a moderate hike with great views of the city and countless opportunities to take photos with cacti in the background.

Sedona: for slightly cooler temperatures and a change of scenery, drive to Sedona for a day.

Crescent Moon Picnic Area: this is a beautiful area featuring Red Rocks and perfect for a stroll especially around the sunset. Don’t forget to take a photo of the Cathedral Rock and dip your feet into the nearby stream.

Javelina Cantina: this spacious restaurant with a big outdoor is perfect if you like margaritas and generous portions of food. I recommend fajitas with chicken and beef.

Book your flight, pack your bags, and have an unforgettable vacation.

5/27/21

Staycation in DC: Dupont Circle

Back at the end of March I treated myself to a staycation in Dupont Circle for my birthday. Here are some of the highlights!

WHERE TO STAY

Royal Sonesta in Dupont Circle was a short Uber ride from Arlington and less than ten minutes walking distance from the Dupont Metro, if you choose to use public transportation. The hotel took all the needed measures to make me feel safe and comfortable. Mention it’s your birthday, and you may even get an upgrade. Plus, with the occupation rates still relatively low, you may be able to check in early as well as ask for a later check out. Surrounded by a variety of restaurants (everything from Chiko to Bagels Etc), you’ll not miss the fact that the hotel restaurant is closed.

WHAT TO DO

Freshfarm Market is open on Sundays next to the Dupont Metro station from 8:30AM to 1:30PM: a perfect place to grab coffee, treat yourself to fresh flowers for your room, and pick up seasonal produce. When I visited in late March, there was a line to get into the market, but it moved quickly. Check for masks requirements.

Kramers: stroll through the bookstore and buy a book to read during your brunch outside. I highly recommend smoked pork hash.

Brunch with coffee, avocado toast, potatoes, toast, eggs

Rock Creek Park: no need for heavy duty hiking boots. You’ll feel like you are hours away from the city! Get your steps in while listening to the birds and the stream, taking photos of flowers, and getting your Vitamin D. (And yes, I'm wearing my leather Feather earrings while hiking!)

Woman in sunglasses and leather earrings

Embassy Row: test your knowledge of country flags while admiring diverse architecture of the embassies.

Phillips Collection: make sure to get your timed ticket in advance and experience the Rothko Room. (Alas I did not get tickets in time and could not go.)

In Room Yoga: start or end your day with a yoga practice—I recommend Yoga With Adriene. If you did not remember to bring a yoga mat from home, a large towel will do.

WHERE TO EAT

Anju: Korean food has been one of my favorite cuisines for quite some time, and my birthday dinner at Anju did not disappoint. Start your meal with pork and kimchi mandu, move onto battered rockfish, and end on a sweet note with yuzu and pomegranate sorbet. Alas, it looks like the doughnuts I had in March are no longer on the menu.

10/2/18

Travel Tuesday: Burlington, Vermont

Earlier in September I flew to Burlington, Vermont for a mini solo vacation. I needed a break from DC, and was looking forward to a getaway full of cooler weather, new experiences, great food, and relaxation. I got it all, but the cooler weather.

This is a quick recap with some photos and a list of things I did, saw, and ate. Most of these recommendations came from my friends and social media followers, and I am here to return the favor and share them with you.

Vermont has been on my list of places to visit for a while, and I finally checked it off! The flight from DC was slightly over an hour and not too expensive. I stayed at an AirBnb close enough to the center of the city and walked to most places. Uber was my other mode of transportation and couldn't have been easier.

Food
1) Honey Road (pictured above): This was probably my favorite meal by far. I was able to get a table outside around 5 pm and had a hard time deciding which dishes to order, because I wanted all of them! I ended up ordering hummus, whipped feta, lamb meatballs, and a charred octopus. Plus a cocktail. And dessert. I did not regret a single bite.

2) Willow's Bagels: perfect late breakfast spot. This place was recommended by a receptionist at the yoga place where I dropped in for a class (which was something I've never done on a vacation: highly recommend). I really liked that the bagels were thin and extra toasted. The smoked salmon and the yellow sliced tomatoes were dreamy!

3) Hen of the Wood: start with an oyster happy hour ($1/each), then move over to the chef's table for dinner, as I did. I loved seeing how the food was being prepared. My favorite dish was the toast with hen of the wood mushrooms, bacon and an egg. Again, I had no trouble getting a seat because I was there on an early side and solo.

4) Misery Loves Company: no photos because it was getting dark when I had dinner at this must restaurant with Carey. It was a great way to end my trip: sharing dishes, wine, and dessert and chatting about food, relationships, travel, etc.

Things to do
Shelburne Farms: I Ubered there from the city and it was beyond worth it. I took the tour of the farm and learned about sustainability, sampled cheese, saw beautiful cows, and had lunch. The tour also included the beautiful inn and garden. So picturesque!

Shelburne Vineyard: a quick Uber ride from the farm, this vineyard is not to miss. Sample the wines, walk around, and enjoy the nature.

Sangha Studio: drop in for a class or two and pay what you can. The studio provides mats and blocks.

Spirit of Ethan Allen: take a cruise around the lake!

Green Mountain Railroad Dinner Train: this was the first time I've ever taken a dinner train. I was nervous about sharing a table with strangers. I then was nervous about NOT sharing a table with strangers and having an entire table to myself, but the beauty outside of the windows, the food (I was surprised at how good it was!), and the grand service, made me happy I took this adventure.

Other mentions: take a tour of Citizen Cider, catch a movie at the Merrill's Roxy Cinema, walk through the farmers market.

Happy travels everyone!

4/24/18

Guide To A Girls' Weekend In LA: Travel Tuesday

Guide To A Girls' Weekend In LA: Travel Tuesday

It's been almost a month since I flew to Los Angeles to spend a long weekend celebrating my birthday (our birthday?) with my twin sister Anna and our friend Kate, whose birthday is just two days prior to ours.

We've traveled together before to Austin and Mexico City and approached this trip in a similar manner:

1) pick an area to stay
2) book an airbnb
3) make a list of restaurants
4) make a list of cultural sites
5) come up with a hashtag for the trip (#TresAmigasLA)
6) text each other what to pack
7) enjoy

Thanks to my friend Mary, we booked an airbnb in the Echo Park neighborhood and absolutely loved it. Cute little house, tons of cacti, quiet, yet walking distance to many restaurants and not too expensive Uber or Lyft ride away from other points of interest.

Yes, after some back and forth, we decided not to rent a car and had no regrets about it.

Now on to food! Overall, 90% of the meals were absolutely fabulous. In no particular order, below are some of the highlights.

SQIRL
Luckily my friend Esi got to Sqirl earlier than us and stood in line! This is such a cute, fast moving, delicious smelling place. You'll have a hard time deciding what to get, but cannot go wrong with their famous Crispy Rice Salad with a side of bacon. I could eat this daily!

When traveling, it's fun to find places that weren't originally on your list, and even more fun when your travel companions are happy to get a random meal in because the food/drinks sound awesome. That's exactly what happened when we walked by SAWYER and saw that they had a $14 happy hour special for half a dozen oysters and a glass of rose! We ordered three of the specials and a few other dishes and enjoyed the stunning restaurant with high ceilings, beautiful flower arrangements, and a bathroom the size of my kitchen.

Another fun thing to do while traveling is setting up play dates with friends living in that city. One of Anna's friends came over for Rose and watermelon in the backyard of our airbnb and gave us two stellar recommendations for Venice Beach area: GJUSTA and DUNE.

Below is my breakfast from Gjusta which consisted of toast, the juiciest tomatoes, soft boiled eggs, smoked white fish, labneh, pickled onions, capers, cucumbers, and radishes. It was so good, I tried recreating it at home.

In Dune, I ordered sabich sandwich: fried eggplant in a pita with pickled vegetables, another egg, tahini dressing and shoestring potatoes. I felt transported to Israel.

Kate saw Chrissy Teigen's tweet about NIGHT & MARKET and we loved the creative food in this super loud, colorful, hectic, and party-for-your-taste-buds restaurant. We went to Song because it was closer to our airbnb. Below is their crispy rice dish. Dreamy!

In other-than-food things not to miss:
The Broad: get your free tickets in advance
The Getty: go for the art, or simply stroll through its gorgeous flower filled garden
Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House: take the tour
Art Deco Architectural Tour

Cannot wait for our next trip!!

3/8/18

Long Weekend in Savannah in 10 Photos

If you are looking for a fun long weekend getaway, I highly recommend going to Savannah, GA. A few weekends ago I flew to Savannah to meet my friends Jenny and Laura whom I've known for 16 years! This was my second time in Savannah, but the first for my friends. Below are ten things to do!

1. Find an AirBnB in the city. We booked a great one near the Forsyth Park (the famous fountain below), and absolutely loved the architectural details of the house, beautiful kitchen, backyard for sipping Puerto Rican coffee each morning, ability to walk to most places, and our host who was very quick at answering all of our questions.

2. Sandfly BBQ: this was our first lunch in Savannah. Luckily we got a table inside where it was air conditioned. Get all the pork, brisket, chicken, and sausage. Mac & cheese and coleslaw were great; the fried okra needed more seasoning or Ranch dressing. The sweet potato fries were perfectly crunchy and not greasy.

We walked some of this off on the way to the grocery store (more on that later).

3. Brunch at The Collins Quarters: brunch is probably my favorite weekend meal. Just like most places in Savannah, The Collins Quarters doesn't take reservations, but we only had to wait about 30 minutes on a late Saturday morning. Not to worry: there are plenty of cafes and parks around to wait.

I ordered a Bloody Mary and a lamb burger; Jenny had smoked salmon toast, and Laura had a quinoa dish. The food was great, and we had the perfect opportunity for people watching because of our outdoor table.

Because the food took a while to come out, the manager automatically comped our drinks: a nice touch!

4. Dinner at Atlantic: we were lucky to be able to snag a table for dinner at Atlantic. Make sure to come close to when the restaurant opens. Speaking of open, the open kitchen is beautiful and stopped me in my tracks when I saw a massive carrot cake. Alas, we had other plans for dessert and did not order it. {Make sure to check out their bathrooms with a beautiful blue tiled floor and orange lockers.}

Atlantic was casual and fun, and felt like a neighborhood place you'd visit often. Their romaine wedge salad blew me away: bacon wrapped dates, hazelnuts, and a creamy blue cheese dressing. For the entree, I chose a duck breast and was not disappointed.

5. Dinner at The Grey: located in the old Greyhound terminal, this was a fun way to spend our last night in Savannah. The service and food were superb, and our waitress gave us a great recommendation for breakfast the next day.

I decided to be brave and order a whole roasted fish (head, bone, skin, and all) and loved it! The other highlights were octopus, foie & grits, and farmers cheese cheesecake. Laura loved her chicken with curry, almonds, and currants, and Jenny enjoyed the special of the night (I think it was halibut). The smashed potatoes, were lovely too!

6. Breakfast at B Matthew's: yes, I started with another Bloody Mary. It was a vacation: don't judge. My entree was superb: fried green tomato Benedict on a homemade biscuit with potatoes instead of a fruit salad. The eggs were perfectly cooked, and I loved the fancy little greens on top. Bonus: it fit with Meatless Monday!

7. Forsyth Farmers' Market: such a fun Saturday activity! Yes, I have super white legs. I never get tan. Anyway....I bought a King of Pops blackberry ginger lemonade pop: refreshing, not overly sweet, and thirst quenching.

8. Breakfast at AirBnB: not each meal needs to be at a restaurant. As I mentioned, our first day we went to a nearby grocery store and bought chips and dips and meats and cheeses and wine for a "picnic dinner" at home and also provisions to make breakfast. Below is a turkey/pepper/onion/cheese frittata, baked plantains, toast with Nutella, salsa, tomatoes, strawberries, and a Rose cocktail. Such fun!!

9. Wormsloe Historic Site: only 7 miles away from Savannah is this beautiful nature reserve with massive trees, a hike trail, and water views. So glad my friend Mary's sister Noel recommended we check this out.

10. SCAD: check out The Savannah College of Art and Design museum or some of the buildings scattered around the city.

Leave a comment to let me know if I missed something ;)

1/23/18

Travel Tuesday: Mexico City Best Bites

It's been slightly over one week since I've flown back from a 7 day vacation in Mexico City with my twin and our 3 friends. I was blown away by the mere size of the city, how inexpensive everything was, the colorful houses and street art, kind people, and countless beautiful parks with cacti sprinkled around the city.

Below are some of the best bites we had while in Mexico City. I highly recommend them all. {Quick note, not pictured is our first late breakfast at Lalo because my picture did not do it justice. You should still go and get a Bloody Mary and anything with eggs and fresh tortillas and chorizo.}

El Moro: the crispiest, non greasy, and satisfying churros! No wonder this establishment has been in business since 1935! There are several locations around the city, but I highly recommend the original one.

Street Tacos: don't be afraid of street food! There was a taco stand next to our airbnb which we visited at least 4 times! Two tacos for 30 to 40 pesos, which is less than $2! This particular cart had a bar set up with several types of salsa, grilled potatoes and onions, and even cactus leaves! The first night I topped my tacos with the spicy salsa, without realizing it, and had tears coming out of my eyes to an amusement of an old Mexican man!

Kate also suggest we bring our own plates from airbnb when getting tacos to go instead of using styrofoam containers: we got some amusing and confused looks :)

Rosetta Panaderia: this might have been one of the best croissants I've ever had. I usually go for croissants filled with chocolate or almond paste, but this one had ricotta and spinach and was worth the wait. We missed out on having dinner at Rosetta, but loved having our morning mocha or coffee and pastry at this sister restaurant.

Eno: the wait at Lalo was too long for our last late breakfast in the city, so we strolled a few blocks and decided to eat at Eno. That was a great decision! I had eggs in spicy tomato sauce with chorizo and avocado, and freshly squeezed tangerine juice. I could have this every single day of my life!

La Casa de Tono: this was one of the places my friend Joahna recommended. The line was out of the door at 9pm and we were slightly, to say the least, overwhelmed once we got inside. This place reminded me of the busy dim sum restaurants in New York City: tables filled with locals and tourists, food flying out from the kitchen, the noise of conversations, and a ridiculously low bill. We ate and drank for $35! For five people! Guacamole itself was worth the visit.

This restaurant is known for posole, which I usually don't love, but liked their version because of the flavorful broth, tender chicken, and hominy which was more tender than the versions I've had in the states. At one point my friend Kate and I had to hold a few plates in our hands because there was no place on the table!

Note: we did eat at the famous Pujol. I liked dressing up and feeling a bit fancy and lunching in a beautiful restaurant. The service was top notch. The food was creative and well prepared, but it did not wow me.

I can't wait for the next food vacation :)

12/19/17

Travel Tuesday: Solo Trip To Lisbon, Portugal

It has been over two weeks since I've come back from my first international solo trip (not counting Toronto).

I decided to whisk myself to Lisbon for Thanksgiving for 5 nights to see what I can see, eat all the food, walk around, acquire new impressions, meet new people, and get away from my regular life.

Below are some of the instagram photos that I took along the way, but first I'll describe for you my itinerary and how I approached putting together this vacation. My intention for this post is to help you in planning your own trip to Lisbon or at the very least to show you a part of the world you've not seen before and to encourage you not to wait for anyone to travel with. Go! Go! Go!

WHERE TO STAY
This part was easy. My twin went to Lisbon 5 years ago and highly recommended International Design Hotel. I booked it immediately. Because I was traveling in the off season, the rates were great. The hotel is centrally located, easily accessible by public transportation from the airport, has a boutique feel, and really great customer service. I loved having the room on the 4th floor with a balcony overlooking the Rossio square. {NOTE: ask for a robe in the room and fresh milk for your coffee.}

WHAT TO DO
Normally, I plan my vacations well in advance and fill the days with museum visits, markets, salsa dancing, shopping, etc. This time around, I just wasn't feeling like doing that.

Instead, I decided to book two day trips through Viator, a company I've used before both in the States and internationally with great success and to spend the rest of the time wandering around without a strict agenda.

The first day trip was to visit Palacio de Queluz and Pena Palace. This was a magical day. I felt like I was transported to the time of kings and queens or to Disneyland, where I've actually never been. Make sure to walk through the grounds of the Pena Palace to experience the magic of Mother Nature so close to the city.

The second day trip was to a few wineries, a small seaside town where we had seafood lunch with the view of the water, and a visit to a tile factory! That's where I met Stacey and Patricia who I became friends with and shared my last dinner in Lisbon (more on that later). In fact, Patricia lives in MD and invited me to her family's house for Christmas Eve!

And if you follow my blog, you've already read about Lazy Flavors walking food tour of Lisbon I was invited to and absolutely loved on my first full day in the city.

I did not visit a single museum. I did not go salsa dancing. I did almost no shopping. And I have ZERO regrets about this.

Instead, I got lost and went to a botanical garden which was in a different part of the city from the one I intended to visit.

I took dozens of photos of tiled buildings and clotheslines and street murals.

I went to see the Tower of Belem, saw a beautiful sunset, and learned that a view of the city from Rua Augusta Arch is much better than the one from the Elevador de Santa Justa, not to mention there was no line and the entrance fee was only 2 euros.

And then there was all the food...

WHERE TO EAT
1. Bastardo: this is the restaurant located in the International Design Hotel. I normally don't eat at hotel restaurants, but because I was really tired one of the nights, I decided to walk down and have a meal. I was blown away. Funky decor. Friendly service. A bread basket that comes in a box made out of legos with hummus. Carefully chosen menu. What's not to like!? In fact, I returned for my last dinner at Bastardo with Stacey and Patricia before flying back the next morning.

Bastardo also does a fantastic buffet breakfast for 15 euros {!!!} including pastries, fresh fruit, quiches, coffee, mimosas, meats, cheeses, etc. I only went once because of my schedule, but wish I had visited it at least one more time. {NOTE: Bastard happens to be one of my favorite words.}

2. A Cevicheria: my friend Jenny's friend went to this restaurant and recommended it to Jenny, who then recommended it to me, and I'm so glad I listened. {NOTE: one of the benefits of solo traveling is that your wait for a table or a seat at a bar is waaaaay shorter than if you are a couple or a group of people.} I loved this place as soon as I saw a giant octopus {not real} hanging from the ceiling, and saw the beautiful tiled floor. I sat at the bar next to an adorable American couple in Lisbon on their honeymoon and chatted off and on with them throughout the meal ooh'ing and aah'ing over how vibrant, flavorful, and creative the food was. Go for the chef's menu!

Have you been to Lisbon?
Do you travel solo?
Leave a comment sharing your favorites with me and my readers!!

Safe travels!

12/7/17

TBT: Food Tour of Lisbon with Lazy Flavors

Going to Lisbon? Love food? Looking for a fun way to spend 4 hours, learn about food and history of Portugal, and get hundreds of steps in? Then you need to sign up for one of the tours offered by Lazy Flavors.

One of the first things I did after booking airline tickets and hotel for a solo vacation in Lisbon for Thanksgiving, was finding a food tour. I found Mariana, the owner of Lazy Flavors, through one of my sister's friends and contacted her to see if I could join one of the tours. Because of the schedule conflicts, I could not join a group tour, but Mariana offered a one on one tour and was gracious to host me in exchange for an honest review on my blog.

I was game!

I highly recommend arranging a food tour of any destination you are visiting as close to the beginning of the trip as possible. That way you'll get a great understanding of the city, find areas you'd like to explore further, and meet a local.

Mariana customized the tour for me when I mentioned that I wanted to visit one of the markets, and was very quick to respond by email to multiple questions I had.

Mariana picked me up at my hotel and we went next door to Confeitaria Nacional established in 1829! There, over pastries and coffee, Mariana told me that Portuguese sweets are commonly made with eggs and almonds. This particular bakery is known for their King's Cake that many residents buy for Christmas after standing in line that wraps around the block.

Over the next 4 hours we visited Time Out Market, went on a tuk tuk ride to the neighborhood of Alfama (my favorite) where I tried fire roasted chorizo and ginginha (sour cherry liquor) sold by an old lady, then made our way back into central Lisbon for a cheese tasting, and a stop at a store that only sells tinned fish.

Time Out Market is a great place to visit whether you are staying in a hotel or an airbnb. Part of the market is devoted to produce, fresh fish, flowers, and other ingredients you can pick up to bring back to your airbnb and turn into a meal. The other part is prepared food, restaurants, and kiosks where you can buy food to eat right there. That's where I tried Lisbon's famous egg tarts at a Manteigaria. Every time the tarts come out of the oven, the little cafe rings the bell!

I returned to the market one other time during my trip for fresh oysters.

At the cheese store where we had our cheese tasting, with a very large glass of wine, I learned that most of the cheeses in Portugal are made from sheep or goat milk. Queijaria Nacional is a great place to pop into in between wondering around the city for a quick bite. The service, food, and decor were outstanding.

Before dropping me off at my hotel, Mariana bought a bag of roasted chestnuts: this was the first time I've ever tried them. Lisbon's sidewalks were filled with people roasting chestnuts on little carts. The chestnuts were hot, dense, and filling! The aroma was the best part.

Thank you Mariana for a wonderful tour of the city. I'll be sure to sign up for one of the cooking classes if I'll come back to Lisbon.

Stay tuned for another blog post about all the other things I did in Lisbon. I had the best time and am excited to share all my experiences with you to help you plan your trip!

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