When preparing for my trip to Poland, I got asked a lot: “how will the food be?”. I honestly was not aware myself of what to expect as I had not researched the topic. Is food in Poland more like in Germany or more like in Russia or neither? Was Polish cuisine going to be a lot of cabbage? What types of meats were most common in Polish dishes? I was curious to find out and wondered if I would love Polish food or just eat it and be thankful to not go hungry. There was definitely no need to worry! I would enjoy every morsel I ate during my visit to Krakow!

Krakow, Cracovia, main square, plaza, Poland, beautiful, statue

Krakow’s Main Square is said to be the most beautiful in Europe

Eating out in Poland was cheap

First, let me say that eating out in Poland is cheap. I am not talking going to a hole in the wall or a mom-and-pop type of place. I am talking even at nicer restaurants. On the top end of the scale (places we never visited since we felt the food we were having at mid level restaurants was outstanding enough), a main entree could run up to $25 (at least, based on a non-scientific sampling from my walking around!). At the restaurants I ate (most were recommended by the people who rented us the apartment), a main entree was no more than $8-10. Talk about reasonable!

Food in Poland was delicious

Now on to the quality of the very affordable food: Every meal was delicious. Whether the veal scallopini at Cherubino‘s or the pork knuckle in honey and plums at Polskie Jadlo, every dish was spectacular. House wines were not shabby either. I didn’t get to eat desserts at every meal simply because I was usually stuffed by then. However, you can’t keep me away from desserts for too long! I had ice cream a couple of times and it was double-darn good ice CREAM! The real stuff. Creamy! I also tried the cream cake that the late Pope John Paul II favored in his birthtown of Wadowice and a rather large and delicious doughnut on the train to Czestochowa. Keep the pounds coming, baby!

cream cake, Karol Wojtyla, John Paul II, Wadowice, Poland, photo, travel

Cream cake – delicious!

doughnut, Poland, Polish food, chocolate, photo, travel

“Bite me!”

The places we ate at in Krakow were:

Kuchnia i Wino (ul. Jozefa in the Mazimierz district, http://www.cracow-life.com/eat/restaurants_details/61-Kuchnia_i_Wino)
Cherubino (on a side street from ul. Jana called ul. Tomaszka, http://www.cherubino.pl/restaurant_krakow.html)
Polskie Jadlo (ul. Jana, http://www.cracow-life.com/eat/restaurants_details/1272-Polskie_Jadlo)
Miod i Wino (ul. Slawkowska, http://www.cracow-life.com/eat/restaurants_details/270-Miod_i_Wino).

We also enjoyed bakeries (“cukiernias“) around the Old Town district, and a cafe in a square in the must-see Kazimierz district called TeD (Plac Nowy 7) – very nice loungey feel to it.

The only thing that bothered me a little bit about restaurants is that, while they have a non-smoking section, it is practically non-functioning as you still get to breathe enough secondhand smoke to lose a little of the sense of smell… The smoke can ruin the aromas and even the taste of food and it is a shame it was still so prevalent (hopefully, this has changed since my visit!).

So what was Polish food?

So what is the Polish food I experienced? Well, lots of meat (especially pork), potatoes (fried or baked, of different shapes), little in terms of greens (unless you order a salad), bread (served with lard in the more traditional places I went to; yes, LARD but it had bacon to probably make it healthier 🙂 ), etc..

Lard, food, Krakow, Poland, photo, travel

The pot on the left is lard for your bread!

A lot of the pork was fried which reminded me of my favorite Cuban dish (masitas de cerdo) but the pork knuckle was not fried (it was very tender!).

pork knuckle, Polish food, Krakow, Poland, bread

My best meal in Krakow: the pork knuckle cleverly served. Flavorful and tender!

I also enjoyed pierogis (many options as far as filings), and pancakes stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese.

food, Krakow, Poland, Polish, travel, photo, pancake

Ricotta cheese and spinach -stuffed pancakes

OK, I better stop here because I am making myself hungry! As you can see, I enjoyed the food in Poland and would love to find a place serving Polish cuisine near me… Hope you get to experience Polish food – in Poland or elsewhere!

There are SO many places to go and enjoy a meal or a drink in Paris. Whether it be haut cuisine, a pastry, a glass of wine, or coffee, you will never run out of options in Paris and, many of the options, are quite good. Exploring these places is one of the guilt-inducing food pleasures in Paris – a must of any trip to the City of Light, or, should I say, City of Food!

Paris, cafe, France, the life, chairs, red, ambience, food, Canon EOS Rebel, photo — Cafés in Paris always beckon!

What grabbed my attention and palate? Here they are…

Hot chocolate anyone?

My all-time favorite, and I have tried hot chocolate in quite a few places, is Angelina’s in the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, just across the street from the Tuileries (226 rue de Rivoli, 75001). Conveniently, they also have great pastries so I can kill two birds with one stone… I wish it had an outdoor sitting area but given where it is, that is not possible. It has become a little over-priced due to people like me raving about it. I am sorry…

Paris, Angelina, hot chocolate, pain au chocolat, breakfast, food, Paris, France — Hot chocolate and pastries in Angelina’s in Paris, France. Heaven for ilivetotravel!

Best little former secret family restaurant

Well, I say former because I have even seen it on Anthony Bourdain’s travel/food show a couple of years ago… But I went there before the show, for the record! This place called “Robert et Louise” is a little gem of a restaurant in Le Marais district (64, rue Vieille-du-Temple 75003).

Robert and Louise were the owners who started the restaurant in the 1950s. Robert has since passed away and I believe the restaurant is owned now by others. But, last time I was there, Louise still lived above the restaurant and would come down to get food…

The place is tucked away on a street with small antique shops, etc. but on a part of the street that at night is completely dead… except for Robert et Louise. The red and white checkered window curtains hide the restaurant from the passerby. You almost have to know it is there. My friends Chris and Wendy had discovered it two days before and took me there. The place would not pass governmental health regulations in the U.S. and I am so glad it is not in the U.S.! (Please don’t be scared away by that statement.)

The dish to go for is the steak to share by 2 or more folks – it is cooked in the fire pit right next to the main wooden table in the back of the restaurant (there are normal tables in the front of the restaurant). The fire pit, the nights I have been there, is fed by wood from a crate that the cook is breaking apart as needed to keep the fire going. The fire pit is located next to the small sink used by people to wash their hands (yes, this may sound gross to some but you will soon ignore it once you begin to enjoy the casual, non-touristy ambiance and eat the food!).

Another spot in the back is the salad maker who is also the potato cooker. (The first I went the lady who cuts the meat was having a heated argument with the salad/potato-maker; she was the one with the big knife. We prayed they were only arguing about how much seasoning the meat should have…).

The dishes are simple but when simplicity is delicious, who needs anything else! Advice: Go early to avoid a long wait since the place is small and no one is in a hurry to leave.

A Supermarket with Flair

Paris has les Grands Magasins, the big fancy department stores that everyone wants to go shopping at. Galeries Lafayette near the Old Opera is my favorite. Colognes, clothing, you think? NOOOOOOO!!! The food section!!! It has a supermarket in it, as do other big department stores in Europe.

Galeries Lafayette, Paris, food, France, photo, spices — The spice section at Galeries Lafayette

But this one has a special place I like to go to every time I go to Paris. Their focus is Spanish ham (I forget the name, if it has one; but print the picture below if you are going and you will find it!). They serve other things but I love going to it to get me some Spanish ham, paired up with a good red wine!! You sit at the counter, order, and people-watch while you enjoy. Or tweet 😉

Galeries Lafayette, Paris, food, France, photo, spices, ham, Spanish — My hangout within Galeries Lafayette

And… More Chocolate!

I have to say that a real treat in Paris for any chocolate-liker (and, definitely, for chocolate-lover!) is to try the fine chocolates at any of the fine chocolate makers in the city. Some are on or near the Rue St. Honoré. Viator.com also offers some chocolate tours that are well worth the price. No need to name names, try any of the “maisons du chocolat“, and you will NOT be disappointed!

I highly encourage tasting with a theme in mind whether trying only pure chocolate, trying different ones with different perfumes, trying only ones with nuts, etc. It can be overwhelming and you cannot have too many as they are filling! Bon appetit!

Hugo and Victor, Paris, France, chocolate, chocolatier, maison du chocolat, delicacy, food, photo, delicious, decandent — Pieces of heaven at Hugo & Victor

More about Paris and places to eat at from my friend’s Chris’ guest writeup! Check it out, lots of good info for those planning – or wanting – to go to Paris!