Budget Gastronomical Feasts In Europe And Middle East
Author: admin
Sample hot, crisp frites on a Brussels sidewalk and you will know that not all meals are served in courses — or even come with silverware.
Below is a short guide to seeking out the best bites in Europe and the Middle East's most bountiful cities:
1. Marrakech, Morocco
In the city's rambling medina, grilled-meat hawkers will cook to order any cut you bring from one of the many nearby butchers. In the evening, head to the night market at Jemaa el-Fna and settle in at the communal tables for chickpea stew, boiled snails, and strong mint tea poured the traditional way: from a pot held perilously high above the glass.
2. Brussels, Belgium
Art nouveau architecture, the European Union headquarters: Who cares? Brussels is all about the frites (which, we assume, account for the bulk of the nearly 250 pounds of potatoes a typical Belgian consumes annually). At the city's standard-bearer, the Maison Antoine kiosk in Place Jourdan, the secret to success is in the sauces: pineapple ketchup, beer-flavored carbonnade and mayonnaise so tasty it's almost a dish unto itself.
3. Vienna, Austria
Stroll the city center and you'll encounter numerous Imbisses, stands selling sausages and sliced Leberkäse (a baked loaf of ground beef and pork) topped with mustard and folded into Semmel rolls. And to try the local caffeine fix of choice, head to the cafés of the 18th-century riverside Naschmarkt for a Wiener Melange, an espresso drink with steamed milk and whipped cream.
4. Istanbul, Turkey
Happily for all the travelers who make their base in the Sultanahmet district (home to the Hagia Sophia)…the stalls beside the nearby Grand Bazaar can compete with any in this food-rich city. Have your pick of mussel skewers in garlic sauce, grilled corn, roasted chestnuts, and permutations of kebab too plentiful to count. (Feeling adventurous? Try the kokoreç, chopped lamb intestines seasoned with hot pepper and oregano.)
5. Tel Aviv, Israel
Mouthwatering falafel abounds throughout the Middle East, but this waterfront city is also home to a unique treasure: the Iraqi Jewish specialty of sabich — a pita sandwich stuffed with fried eggplant, chopped hard-boiled egg and pickled cabbage and beets. To get right to the source, head to the stands of neighboring Ramat Gan, where the dish was invented.
