Our Favorite Meals Abroad

When Ryan and I go to a new place, we like to explore: by wandering, by sightseeing and best of all, by eating. We're big believers in "eating where you are" - trying the local specialties - so we put together a list of our favorite meals that we've had over the course of our travels - so far....looking forward to lots more to come!

If you find yourselves in any of these cities and towns, check these restaurants out:

In Vienna, at Figlmuller: The best schnitzel in the world - truly. They're thin, cooked in three different pans and are as big as the plate they're served on (and yes, you can eat the whole thing). Sometimes I dream of going back to Vienna just to eat this schnitzel and for no other reason.

In Naples, at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele: the best pizza in Naples, which therefore means the best pizza in the world. I'm not a huge fan of Naples because it's a big, bustling, slightly dirty, chaotic city and it doesn't have the best reputation....except for when it comes to pizza and then it's the best city ever. The thin crust, the fresh tomatoes and the gooey mozzarella...I would brave Naples traffic for this pizza any day.

In Monterosso (Cinque Terre), at Ristorante Gabbiano: their pasta with seafood is spectacular. So spectacular in fact, that we have no picture to show for it, because it got eaten immediately! Our only mistake was in sharing it...

And speaking of seafood, in Sorrento, at Trattoria da Emilia: the fried mixed seafood platter. We stumbled on this restaurant by chance one day when we were wandering. It's down in Marina Grande which (in April, at least) is a quiet part of Sorrento right on the sea. We were in Sorrento for five days and we weren't loving the food scene there - until we came here. We saw everyone ordering this platter, so we followed suit - and it turned out to be such a good decision that we came back the next day and ordered it again. It was that good.

In Lugano, at Ristorante Canvetto Ponte di Valle: when we were in Switzerland last December, we were overly excited to eat proper fondue and it did not disappoint. We basically went to Switzerland in the first place to eat fondue (and chocolate) and both were out of this world.

In Anstruther, at The Wee Chippy: fish & chips are a staple here in Scotland, so we were determined to find the best version of them ASAP. Following multiple recommendations, we drove to Anstruther one Monday where we taste tested several versions before deciding on The Wee Chippy's version as the best.

 
In Cortina, at Rifugio Col Taron: the sausage sandwich. This was an after-skiing favorite for us. It's sausage, cheese and onions, all grilled and on a roll and it's the perfect ski lunch (with a beer), while sitting outside enjoying the beautiful view of the Dolomites. I'm seriously going to miss that this winter. (Again, no picture, because who has time to take a picture when there's a hot sausage sandwich in front of you?!)

In Lienz, at the annual Christmas Market each December: the famous potato. We first discovered this potato three years ago, and I would think about it all year until December rolled around again and we could drive to Lienz and have one for lunch. The drive was about an hour and 15 minutes from Cortina, which might seem like a long way to go for a potato, but it was worth it - that's how good it is! It's a baked potato, with a crispy skin and warm filling, topped with a creamy, garlicky sauce and tiny pieces of speck. Paired with a gluhwein, it's heaven - one of my favorite things about December.

What about you?! Favorite meals while traveling? We'd love to hear any suggestions!