.foods and places.

As I was eating Pad Thai for dinner, I began to consider different foods I love that I associate with different places for introducing me to them, or just because they were really good there. St. Catharines and Thai food go together for me...I seem to eat more of it here than in other places I've lived. Which is great, because it's delicious!

The only somewhat unique food I can think of Owen Sound offering to me is schnitzel, but the Schnizelhouse where I used to work no longer exists. The Schnizelhaus in Calgary is quite excellent, though. And the Schnizel in Austria, well, that goes without saying.

Munich: weisswurst. From Yorma's (Your Mama's!) for a euro or two. Wow, we were cheap. But it's delicious!

Amsterdam brings to mind two main foods: Turkish pizza and shoarma. I'm not sure why poffertjes and pannekoeken didn't immediately come to mind, but they count too. Maybe the Turkish pizza being just around the corner from the hostel, and only 2 euros, and shoarmas being everywhere you turned in the city caused them to come to my mind first. Also, Marco and I had a memorable experience while eating shoarma in Vondelpark when a man went into a pond, caught a fish with his bare hands, climbed onto the shore and started beating it on the ground while a crowd gathered around. Weird.

My favourite food from Japan was okonomiyaki, and while I associate it with Japan (we dubbed it Japan's "garbage plate"), I also associate it with Amsterdam's Japanese Pancake House. The dancing fish flakes on top were also awesome, as was the epic boat ride in the canal afterward wherein the motor repeatedly died and Ben attempted to fix it while I paddled towards Harald's. Sadly, when I tried to go back there with Roz and Beth a few years later, they were closed for renovations. Thankfully they were able to get okonomiyaki in Japan this summer, so all is well.

Speaking of garbage plates, I think that's all Rochester has to offer me, which is quite the disappointment because I can't qualify that as good food. I'm not a hater, but considering it can eat through styrofoam and ceiling tiles in a fairly short period of time, I can't recommend it to someone more than once for health's sake.

I think of Vietnamese food when I think of Calgary. Maybe because it was everywhere...2 restaurant options across from the CPCC: one best for Vietnamese subs, and one great for vermicelli. Also, the Vietnamese restaurant in Bowness is awesome, and they're super friendly.
I also think of London Fogs at The House, although they were unable to fill that craving for me the last time I visited. They also have great sandwiches there.
Ooh, and Pulcinella's pizza (and their nutella dessert pizza deliciousness thing!!).

Pesto. Cinque Terre. Specifically, Rio Maggiore. Particularly from the grocery store at the bottom of the hill on the left-hand side right before the entrance to the tunnel leading to the train station area. Best. Pesto. Ever.

Well, although this list is far from exhaustive, that was the end of my Pad Thai (a very popular dish!) and thus the end of my food reminiscences. What are some of your food/place associations?