In the nearly unpronounceable town of Dnipropetrovsk sits Reporter, one of the best restaurants I’ve found in Ukraine — at the recommendation of a reporter, naturally. (Want to know where to eat in a weird place? Ask a journalist. Or just read this blog.) Reporter bills itself as an “unusual restaurant,” so-named because (and I must crib from its website … Read More
Quick Snack: Road Food, In Photos
Van picnics: because sometimes there’s no time to eat, no place to eat, and no appetite to speak of. Among the good finds in Ukraine: sweet, soft sugar cookies; coffee-flavored, candy coated peanuts; Ukrainian sausage and hot coffee, poured from our driver’s thermos. He also brought a bunch of parsley and raw garlic clove. Because why not.
Donetsk: What a Difference 2 Months Makes
It was only May when I was here last, and there was such a thriving restaurant scene — real life going on amid the scuffles — that to see Donetsk now is a bit of a shock. There are estimates that 80% of the population have fled this area, and indeed, many of my friends from my last visit have … Read More
Feasting in Iraqi Kurdistan
Being invited into someone’s home when you’re on the road is always the most memorable meal of the trip. In Iraqi Kurdistan, on the road from Erbil to Kirkuk, a local leader had us over for lunch – a multi-course feast prepared by his wife and daughters, and laid out on the floormat by his sons. Kurdish — and Iraqi … Read More
Attention Mid-East Wanderers: Had Enough Hummus?
If so, there’s a chain of Asian restaurants scattered about the Persian Gulf that’s calling your name. Now I generally detest chains – get me to a mom & pop any day of the week – but sometimes you’re in a rush, sometimes you’re on a budget, and sometimes you just can’t eat any more damn mezze!! If that’s the … Read More