Soccer City, Johannesburg

That’s an apt description if you’re a part of the capacity 95,000 crowd inside, but if you don’t have tickets, you can still compensate with good food, drinks and large screens at the many sports-themed bars and restaurants in the vicinity and in the township.

The calabash at these restaurants is always bubbling over with sports-talk and all kinds of cuisine – African-themed food, meat platters, fast food, snacks, and soul food better than you ever saw in Harlem.

To start with, the stadium itself has a 300 seater-restaurant, and there’s also a McCafé from McDonalds about to open in the International Media Centre next to the stadium.

One of the most famous sports pubs in Soweto is Masakeng (649 Kinini Street, Mofolo; 011 982 8034). Masakeng offers a massive flat-screen television and a variety of traditional African dishes. Noteworthy offerings include the chicken stew and rice, the sticky, sweet pork spare ribs, fish and chips and a meat platter, all to washed down with cold beers.

Another one is The Rock (Vundla Drive, Rockville; 011 986 8182) - a sports bar by day and a happening nightclub after dark. Also offers live jazz and traditional township cuisine.

The Rustic Theatre on Main in Kyalami (Plot 7, Main Road Lonehill; 011 244 9909) has a reputation for being one of the best sports bars in all of Gauteng, with large screens, and the beer flows well with everything on the menu from snack platters to great steaks. Plenty of live entertainment after games.

City of Johannesburg - http://www.joburg.org.za/
Official hospitality website for the 2010 FIFA World Cup -  http://hospitality.fifa.com/

Photo by shanediaz120

Ensalada de Remojón @ La Mimbre in Granada

I love driving in foreign countries, well actually my husband does the driving but I do love the freedom and seeing the sights.  On a recent visit to Spain, we drove from Murcia to Marbella in the Andalusia region.  On the way, we stopped to see the most visited landmark in Spain, The Alhambra.  La Mimbre is one of the few restaurants located on the grounds of the famous Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

We stumbled upon it while we were looking for a place to eat lunch before our reservations to get onto the grounds of the famous Alhambra and Generalife gardens.  When you buy tickets for The Alhambra they are issued with a specific 30 minute window that you must make, or they will not allow you to enter.  Therefore restaurants close by have a captive audience and we knew we were taking a chance by eating at one.

Our meal began with this amazing salad, a plate filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and fish. Ensalada de Remojón is one of the special items on the menu and we loved it.

Besides being close to the ticket office, therefore very convenient, what was also enjoyable about La Mimbre was the presentation of their dishes.  Every item on the menu was colorful to look at and presented to you with a flourish.  The dining room is very pretty with lots of pottery on the walls and legs of Serrano ham hanging from the rafters. Since you are on the grounds of the Alhambra, there is beautiful landscaping and buildings outside of each restaurant window.

Tortilla La Mimbre

Two of us had an omelette, with mine being the Tortilla La Mimbre.  It was out of this world.  And only 10 Euro, which given our location, I considered a bargain. The photo doesn’t do it justice. It is sort of like a egg scramble from your typical American diner but zestier and FULL of flavor.  It has vegetables and some Serrano ham topped with this regional sauce, like a mild chili sauce.

Garden Dining @ The Alhambra

We enjoyed amazingly delicious inexpensive white wine for less than $20 dollars a bottle.  If you find yourself hungry before or after trekking through the spectacular grounds of the Alhambra and Generalife, a romantic meal at La Mimbre would be a wonderful enhancement to your day.

Paseo del Generalife, 7
18009 Granada, Spain

Tel: +34 958 222 276

www.lamimbrerestaurante.com

Photos by Sharon Castellanos

Johnny Rockets special

I purchased all of my Christmas gifts online this year — you wouldn’t catch me dead trying to find a parking space at a mall so I can go in and pick through a table of sweatshirts other shoppers have mauled.

But I will go over there for dinner and my favorite December pastime: guessing which children will cry on Santa’s lap. Luckily, since Greenwood Park Mall expanded a few years ago, I can do both in the same hour from a booth at Johnny Rockets. In the olden days, I was relegated to carrying a pizza slice or pretzel and Coke through the mall until I found a nice spot over by J.C. Penney’s to watch the show.

Last night was my big night.

Johnny Rockets + Santa = entertainment

I’ll readily admit I sacrifice two things to get this convenience, money being the obvious. I’m genetically wired to order one of the hand-dipped chocolate milkshakes at Johnny Rockets ($4.29) and you don’t sit down here without ordering a hamburger and fries. Or, in my creative twist on this classic combination, a patty melt and fries ($6.99). And because my husband likes Johnny Rockets more than a pretzel stand, you must multiply that by 2.

It’s also a waste of atmosphere. Sure, it’s the stereotypical 1950s diner, with the cute waitress who draws pictures in a bowl with your ketchup bottle, straws on the table that spin out of the container, and Elvis Presley on the jukebox. But just because you can predict it doesn’t ruin the fun.

But it can’t stand up to Santa Claus.

So we sat in our booth with our chocolate shakes and our burgers wrapped in paper, staring over at the hour-long line to tell Santa what you want for Christmas. I knew the toddler who needed Daddy to step out of line every few minutes to swing her around and throw her in the air while Mom held their place was an excellent candidate. Sure enough, the minute they tried to peel her away from Daddy, the screeching began.

Score one for Julie.

My husband and I debated whether the red-head preschooler with the infant brother would lose it at the last minute, but she held it together, albeit it that family has a photo of a child dressed to the nines and looking as if she’s about to get hit by a car. It was the infant who gave them the blubbery lip and tears.

Santa wants a milkshake

And then there was the little princess in her red-checked skirt; thick, wavy hair to her waist and the sauciest brown eyes you ever saw. My husband chose her for trouble in the line. I agreed, but not the kind we were scoring on our placemats at Johnny Rockets. Sure enough, when it was their turn, Miss Cutest Thing in Shoe Leather began screaming and hanging on to Dad’s neck like monkey. I bet she repeated, “no, no, no” 500 times in the 6 steps it took to approach Santa.

The Big Guy knows children. He didn’t push it, but he did offer her candy. She instantly climbed down to get her sucker, then started the litany of nos again. Last we saw her, she had the candy jammed in the side of her jaw with a big grin on her face, happy as she could be. Mom and Dad — not so much.

So when we checked out of Johnny Rockets, the score was 1 to 1. Looks like I may have to  suck down another this milkshake this week to buy enough time to break the tie.

Johnny Rockets

1251 US Highway 31 N.

Greenwood, IN 46142

(317) 881-6240

Photography: Julie Sturgeon, Scott Clark (Flickr)

The tapas at Taller deTapas aren’t just easy, they also happen to be delicious.  Most of the items are on display inside the case at the bar, but all dishes are prepared to order fresh. The fried chickpeas with spinach and pancetta are excellent, as are the chorizo braised in cider, Galican octopus, and ham croquetas. Most dishes are 3-7 euro and 4-5 dishes will easily satisfy two people.

There’s a wide selection of desserts and the wine list is extensive and affordable. You’ll find many bottles priced between 11 and 8 euros.

While Taller de Tapas does offer an unintimidating experience for tapas first-timers, it’s by no means unauthentic. Among the diners noshing on spreads of small plates, you’ll hear just as much Spanish being spoken as any other language.

Photo Credit: yosoynuts via Flickr

Konyali Restaurant inside Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul has been named as one of Europe’s 2010 Capitals of Culture, with cultural and heritage landmarks being revived all over the city. The Topkapi kitchens are part of this revival, and will reopen in late 2010.

But you can already find the heavenly scents and mouth-watering recipes of the Ottomans in restaurants like Konyali and Karakol. 

If you’re wondering what’s so special about reviving a bunch of kitchens, consider a recipe found in the Topkapi records for a simple Turkish dish with fried onions mixed in with eggs and eaten with bread.  

In Topkapi, they fried and stirred the chopped onions with lots of butter for a full hour, then added cinnamon and then the eggs. The taste and flavor, it seems, transforms into something magnificent if you can convince someone to stand around stirring onions for an hour.

Imagine doing that for the rest of your life, trying to find ways to make it better. That’s Ottoman cuisine, and these are the kind of dishes you’ll find at restaurants inside the Topkapi like Karakol and Konyali, and others in Istanbul like Feriye Lokantasi, Tugra, Asitane and Pasazade.

Photo by fantaz

Gustino Restaurant Pizza Oven

My fist time in Cancun, Mexico and the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa is dressed up in its holiday best this December. I had checked into my ocean view room and was looking forward to something a little more substantial than Spanish peanuts and Tecate cerveza. I had been recommended to Gustino restaurant for some good Italian food.

As I walked past the wine cellar and wood fired pizza oven, I was reminded that this was not going to be a typical Mexican restaurant experience. The high ceilings, glowing white candles dancing in the center of the room and smooth live alto sax in the background helped set the tone for a fine dining experience at Gustino.

Gustino Fried Mozzarella JW Marriott Cancun

I was seated at an ocean view table. While the sun had already set, I appreciated that the waitstaff gave me, a single diner, a nice table. I started off with an antipasti of sauteed shrimp with garlic, white wine, capers and roasted celery crostini at $145 pesos. Next came  pan fried mozzarella with warm spinach and pine nuts scattered about with an anchovy sauce for $135 pesos. The fried mozzarella presentation reminded me of a cherry bomb from a Fourth of July fireworks display. Like a firecraker, the warm cheese exploded with flavor in my mouth.

In the interest of my readers, I just had to try the prosciutto, arugula and caramelized onion pizza at $155 pesos, althought the home made pasta dumplings with crab filling and a spicy tomato pesto sounded intriguing for $250 pesos.

Gustino Rack of Lamb

While I normally would not order lamb at a restaurant perched on the sea, the rack of lamb on a caramelized balsamic glaze with baked green asparagus was very good. My one complaint, the meat was not warm from the oven, but the quality of the four chops made up for the lack of heat.

Coffee lovers will enjoy the Gustino signature drink of cappuccino with Bailey’s and Frangelico. Follow that with the chocolate mousse Napoleon, wild berries and chocolate tuile cookie at $90 pesos and you’re good to go out into the Cancun night life. Or, if you’re like me, you’re good to brush your teeth and go to bed.

I should mention that I’m staying at the J.W. Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa as a guest of Marriott properites. You can follow my tweets about this trip on my twitter feed or you can search for the #blogparadise hash tag on Twitter.

JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa

Blvd. Kukulcan, Km 145 Lote 40-A, Zona Hotelera

Cancun, Quintana Roo, 77500, Mexico

The holidays and eating well are intrinsically tied for me.  I make sure to always leave off my belt, go back for seconds and just enjoy.  But even with that mindset, I was not prepared for all of the incredible foods I’d find at Germany’s Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt (Christmas Market).

Regulars will tell you to find yourself some Lebkuchen – this traditional gingerbread like cookie is absolutely delicious and Nuremberg is known for making the best.  But they won’t tell you that as you order yourself that  Lebkuchen, you’ll also be tempted by a dozen other types of traditional German Christmas cookies including coconut macaroons, cinnamon stars and incredible little nutmeg wafers.

As I walked the hundreds of stalls in this historic Christmas market, I was overwhelmed by my food choices.  Chocolate covered strawberries.  Latkes with krauterquark sauce.  Tasty dampfnudeln, yeasty dumplings filled with fruit and drizzled with vanilla sauce and nutella.  Bratwurst and Rotwurst.  Marinated pork steaks.  And, of course, more and more Lebkuchen.  (After all, how could I really determine if Nuremberger Lebkuchen were the best if I didn’t take a wide sampling?)  There were also several foods I couldn’t identify – but I took a taste anyway.

But maybe the most important thing to try at this Christmas Market?  The gluehwein, or hot mulled wine.  Nuremberg’s market may be more well known for its dozens of gluehwein makers than even for its lebkuchen.  This spiced red wine with cloves, orange rind and maybe a shot of some schnapps or Amaretto makes you understand how the Germans can survive a harsh Bavarian winter in good humor.  The stuff is good and will warm you up fast.

For some of the best holiday eating you’ll ever encounter, get yourself to the Nuremberg Christmas Market.  Your tummy will thank you.

———-

Nuernberger Christkindlesmarkt
(Nuremberg Christmas Market)

———-

Photos courtesy of Kayt Sukel.

But though I talked to the staff and learned a lot about this great institution – including its great wine list.  I hadn’t yet wandered down to the bowels of the building to enjoy a meal in the basement weinstube. And I missed out.

It was a mistake that was rectified this past weekend.  A trip to the Trier Christmas Market left my companions and I with joyous hearts but frozen toes.  Despite the cornucopia of Christmas fair food available, we wanted a good, hot meal.  And, yes, a seat out of the cold.  So we stumbled downstairs, out of the frigid air, to the Zum Domstein’s basement Weinstube.

The decor is very unique.  The walls are decorated in old Roman stone reliefs on red and green walls.  And glass cases between the tables display ancient Roman glass.  It’s really something.  But those artifacts are nothing in comparison to the food.

The menu touches on Trier’s Roman heritage.  You can find several traditional Roman dishes on the speisekarte – but given the city’s close proximity to France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, you also find dishes with a funky fusion flair.  Tasty, hearty and yet utterly their own.  I opted for potato dumplings stuffed with meat in a cream sauce.  I was expecting a more traditional gnocchi in a cheese sauce.  But instead I got a distinctly Bavarian-like potato knodeln, stuffed with pork, and covered with sprouts and a plain cream sauce with ham bits.  Not perhaps the heart-healthiest option on the menu.  But for a girl trying to warm up from the inside out, it was de-lish.

My companions’ meals were just as tasty – and unique in their own way, too.  A venison stew with ligonberries had a decidedly Scandinavian flair – but was served over German spaetzle.

Come summer or winter.  Grab a seat with a view outside or climb downstairs to the stube.  Order a traditional schnitzel or get a little adventurous.  But no matter what else, get to Zum Domstein.

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Zum Domstein
Hauptmarkt 5
54290 Trier
Tel: (06 51) 7 44 90 + 7 55 65

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Photos courtesy of Kayt Sukel.

Restaurant or Bike Shop?

On a recent visit to the Lake Norman area of North Carolina, we were starving and desperate for some food. We had just finished touring Raceworld USA and right around the corner was this place called Mac’s Speed Shop. It looked like a restaurant based on the picnic tables outside, but the name made me question if it was a bike or auto shop. We let our grumbling stomachs lead us in and were delighted to confirm that it was in fact an eating establishment.

Mac’s is a small chain of bar restaurants in the Charlotte region with a biker/racing theme, an extensive beer list and what some press has deemed to be the best barbeque in Charlotte. Since we were at the Lake Norman location, I can’t comment as to whether it was truly the best barbeque in Charlotte. But it was certainly mighty tasty.

My husband went right for the Hand Pulled Pork Barbeque Platter because, when in Rome… I opted for the Absolutely Ridiculous BLT since down home BBQ was on the menu the following day at a family gathering. He wolfed that piggy right down with sauce and gave it two messy thumbs up (though not the “best he’s ever had”). The portion was substantial and the side selections were good too – Mac ‘n Cheese and baked beans.

Hand Pulled Pork BBQ Platter

My BLT was mammoth and I was so hungry that I forgot to take a photo before eating. It hit the spot perfectly with crispy bacon and lightly toasted bread just the way I like it. The side of hushpuppies served with sweet butter was so good it acted as my dessert. I am a big fan of the hushpuppy and these were not dry, crumbly or bland. They were oversized and moist, with enough of a crust making them quite delicious.

We were there mid-afternoon during the week so it was not too busy and we had fast and friendly service. Their promotion calendar showed live music on tap Thursday and Sunday nights, lots of drink promotions going on throughout the month along with happy hour specials and football festivities planned. Although the décor was primarily motorcycles and NASCAR, they are obviously an all-inclusive sports bar and had the TV’s to prove it.

Their beer selection was large and carried a variety of styles from all different regions – local, US microbrews, imports and commercial favorites. There were lots of wine options and mixed drink specialties for the non-beer drinkers. And the prices, especially for the portion sizes, were very good. We had our meals and a couple of beers for around $25-$30.

With lively surroundings, plenty of events, broad selections of drinks and quality food at affordable prices it seems that Mac’s would be a fun place to watch a game, listen to some tunes or gather with friends after work. For us it was a great choice for a big meal – especially if you enjoy BBQ.

Mac's - A Pretty Tasty Spot

Mac’s Speed Shop
19601 Liverpool Parkway
Cornelius, NC 28031
(704) 892-3554
http://www.macspeedshop.com/
(Other locations are South End and Steele Creek, both in Charlotte)

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

All photos credited to Molly G. @The Bumbles Blog

Who's got the cheese?

Our house is backwards. If you want to know who played on Monday Night Football, ask me. If you want a review on a chick flick, ask my husband.

Likewise, when it’s time to leave the house, I’m the one who has been dressed and wearing make-up, legs shaved, and hair styled for at least 5 minutes. My husband is the one running around in his underwear assuring me he can shave in the car. So I should have known it was a recipe for disaster when I told my husband at 5 p.m. that we needed to be at Stone Creek by 5:30 or we wouldn’t make the Christmas musical in time, and he replied, “I’ll be ready in 5 minutes.”

We got in the car at 5:35.

Now my husband was of the opinion we could get in and out of this upscale restaurant on a weekend night during the holidays in time, but since we just proved I’m the better time manager, I nixed it. Which left us dangling with the all-important question: Where could we eat a decent meal along State Road 135  and still get to Center Grove High School before they turned down the lights? In desperation, we pulled into Four Seasons Restaurant.

This little house-like structure has been there forever — my friend’s older sister worked there for a while as a teen, and I’m 47 years old. Almost everyone on the  south side of Indy has gone in for an American meal at least once, and yet it’s not a defining icon or anything. It’s just a cozy place to grab a booth and a quick bite when your husband has made you late for the high school musical.

You know you want some

“At least we know we’ll get a home-cooked meal,” my husband mentioned as we walked through the door.

Those were famous last words I was about to make him eat. I ordered a breakfast skillet of hash browns, sausage, cheese and fried eggs. The cheese was definitely Kraft, as you could see the square edges on both the Swiss and American slices where they’d just taken off the plastic cellophane wrapping. Yep, I have that in my refrigerator at home. My husband went for a beef Manhattan with mashed potatoes and got the Swanson TV dinner: perfectly shaped slap of meat, dark brown gravy from the jar, and mashed potatoes that would have made an excellent base for a snowman in the parking lot.

Nothing says home-cooking like processed food at the Sturgeon household, that’s for sure.

There were a few moments, however,  I knew I wasn’t at home: when  I ducked into the ladies room, which smelled strongly of cinnamon. I learned long ago that if you overdo the fragrance sprays in this room, should someone choose to do their throne business, you’ve created cinnamon-smelling poop.

The other one, of course, was when we had to pay the bill at the cash register. Had I purchased our meals from Kroger, it would have been about a third of the price — and that’s before the tip. Next time, I’ll choose to be late.

Four Seasons Restaurant

1140 N. State Rd. 135

Greenwood, IN 46142

(317) 859-1985

Photography: Julie Sturgeon (no cameras were harmed in taking these photographs)