Veritasty: Truthfully Delicious

I never thought I would ring in the new year in Vienna, Austria.  Vienna was the last leg in our holiday before returning to New York (technically, Vienna to Prague to London to New York...it was a busy couple of days).  Similarly to Munich, I didn't expect it to be such a modern bustling city.  It was great to spend another holiday in Eastern Europe and learn about the culture surrounding it. The hotel we booked in Vienna was actually a fully furnished apartment.  It was in a ritzy neighborhood north of the center of the city, about a 30 minute walk.  The second we stepped foot over the river, I was stunned by the old-world beauty of Vienna.  Like Munich, we somehow found the street full of luxury shopping.  All the brand names shouted out at me: Louis!  Chanel!  Prada!  All above us were many long strands of fairy lights that gave the whole shopping street a beautiful starry quality.  We walked along here to the stunni...

Who doesn't love a good block party, especially when there's barbecue involved? Before After Last weekend, we went out to Madison Square Park with our friends Charlie and Laura to sample some of the many vendors at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.  It was really cool to see BBQers from all over the country, especially since I have barely been to any of the really intense barbecue states.  With every step we took, we smelled smoky meaty aromas in the air.  All around the park was the sight of giant smokers and sizzling open grills.  We went early on Sunday and were delighted to find pretty short lines.  If I had a few more stomachs and cash to spare, I would have tried something from each vendor, but alas, we only had room for a handful. The "Meathead" Laura and Charlie had a chopped whole hog sandwich from Skylight Inn of North Carolina.  This was certainly not a thick, goopy barbecue sauce-covered pork sa...

Alouette, gentille Alouette Alouette, je te plumerai I never learned French in school and now I wish I did.  Not only would it have helped when I traveled to Paris (and as I will travel to Paris again next month!), but I think I would have a different perspective of French food.  Today, Alex and I visited Alouette, a French bistro on the Upper West Side.  I fully admit that I was really tired and didn't feel like shlepping all the way up to 96th Street - and on top of that, I wasn't really in the mood for French food, whatever that is - but this meal had me absolutely repenting and converted. Herby Butter! When we arrived at the small restaurant, I was immediately reminded of a bistro I ate at in Paris, complete with outdoor seating and dark wooden furnishing.  Moreover, there was LIVE MUSIC (!!!), a man looking suspiciously like Anthony Bourdain strumming a guitar at the front of the house (side note: I've read four of Bourdain's books in a row, ...