Sheep’s Head and Brains at Jemaa el-Fnaa

Bright lights reflected on glossy, laminated menus. Fragrant steam wafting into the open night sky. The calls and gestures of vendors proudly touting their wares, regional specialties with exotic names. Bubbling earthenware cauldrons, sizzling grills, animal parts, juices, soups and broths. Here a stack of fresh cactus fruit, there a couple of sheep livers on…

Babbouche and Broth at Rahba Kedima Square

I arrived in Marrakech with a long list of foods to try: tagine, tangia and couscous, harira and bessara, chebakia, méchoui… It’d been far too long since I’d visited somewhere new; a continent, a langage, a religion and a cuisine that were completely foreign to me. It’d also been far too long since I’d visited…

Msemen and Harcha for Breakfast in Marrakech

A smooch on the head good-bye to my gecko named Tokaji, a 6 a.m. flight out from Mérignac airport, a severely overpriced cab ride to our riad and it’s like we’re waking up in a completely different world: the bustling medina of Marrakech. We took a moment to catch our breath as we explored the…

Rascassa at Sa Rascassa in Aiguafreda

Whole fish is the name of the game at Restaurante Sa Rascassa, situated on the precipe that hovers over the pebbled cove of Aiguafreda. You would be hard-pressed to find this place were it not for a sign on the main road, as it’s completely surrounded by the pine forest and left largely untouched. The…

Pica-Pica at Es Mos in Bégur

All the cool kidz in Barcelona summer in Costa Brava and by far the most in vogue town on the Catalan coast is beautiful, fabulous Bégur. Removed from the seafront just enough to filter out ease-seeking, beach-going families with kids, Bégur is nevertheless just a 10-minute drive from some of the most spectacular cove beaches…

Steaks Cooked à La Cheminée at Ô QG

In a rapidly developing and expanding city like Bordeaux a lot can happen over a 6-year span. Since I first moved here in February 2017, I’ve seen Bacalan transform from industrial wasteland into buzzing nightlife hub, the boats and warehouses lining the Quais Lawton and des Caps now occupied by half-decent clubs, bars and burger…

A Couple of Steaks at Moelleuses et Persillées

For good beef in Bordeaux center there is a handful of restaurants I usually recommend – El National for the Argentine parilla vibe, Le Carreau for a more Bordelais touch, Ô QG for prime cuts cooked in a fireplace and L’Entrecôte… just kidding, L’Entrecôte sucks. But the most respected, most loudly lauded temple of beef…

Monkfish Cheeks at Le Grand Large in Cassis

Need a last-minute dinner reservation for 16 people in Cassis on a Saturday night in August? No, apparently it’s not impossible. On a recent stay at a villa in Provence with a good friend and her business school buds, we decided to have a dinner out one night as a change from the huge meals…