Restaurant Review Prague: Las Adelitas

Hilariously, I got the Jack Daniels cup.

I know, we went to Prague and we got Mexican food. Weird.  But we wanted something quick at 10pm that wouldn't be too terribly heavy.
We chose Las Adelitas for its central location and because it's an underground restaurant which Prague is famous for. The restaurant was full of bright colors and lively people. It was noisy but cozy since we were seated overlooking the kitchen.  I had a lot of fun with that because I could watch the chefs
running around.  Our waitress was quite nice and helpful since we got there not too long before the kitchen was set to close.
We ordered a pitcher of Strawberry Margaritas and they were delicious. I really enjoyed them because they weren't overwhelmingly strong and they weren't too sweet either. There was a great balance of sweet and alcohol.

We decided to share nachos with pulled chicken and it was full of flavor.  It as a big portion and perfect for the two of us to share. It was covered with cheese, salsa and jalapenos. Actually there were too many jalapenos for us and we wound up removing the majority of them and not consuming them (I love spicy but I don't love restaurant jalapenos because they're often packed in potent vinegar or oil and the flavor becomes to grating for me).  It came with a side of sour cream and fresh guacamole. The guacamole was delicious and quite refreshing especially since I haven't had good guacamole since January. It had a hint of spice but it was creamy and rich, the perfect balance of flavors.
I also decided to get the enchiladas because I thought I was really hungry. I was wrong, my eyes were
definitely bigger than my stomach as per usual.  However, the enchiladas were quite good and I took what I couldn't eat home as leftovers.  I asked for spicy, chicken enchiladas and the flavor was quite good but it was less spicy that I had wanted.  It was still good but I do love my spicy. It was covered in sauce (definitely not spicy enough), sour cream and cheese. The sauce wasn't quite spicy enough, and the sour cream and cheese just further cut down on the spice that I was craving. On top of the cheese was something beautiful and semi sweet and semi sour, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was.  I only had a couple of bites before deciding it was too acidic for me. The enchilada itself was tender, the chicken cooked well, if a little dry (so the sauce really worked well and was absolutely necessary). I didn't love the tortilla it was made with, but it was just a small part of the dish so I was quite happy. The enchilades were also served with sour cream, guacamole, black beans, and cactus.  I don't think I've ever had cactus before so that was definitely an interesting side. It was flavorful but a little slimy for me. I didn't love the texture enough to finish it all. The black beans were cooked well. They were traditional and really good but the rice was a little under-cooked for me.
Las Adelitas was quite good if you need a change from heavy Czech food. It was very chill with its atmosphere and we didn't spend a lot there on all our food.  Good portions for good prices.

A Weekend in Germany

Well, a couple of weeks ago I got to have a great weekend in Germany. I met my half-sister and her family for the first time ever (long story which I won’t go into now) and it was wonderful. We got to talk and hang out. Plus I got to see a castle and eat some really good food so it was a really great weekend.
It's crazy what a busy weekend I had running around with my sister, her husband and her son.

On the first night I had german food at The Big Emma or Zur Dicken Emma.  I really enjoyed my first taste of fabulous German food that I wrote a review for here.  It was so good and soooo much food. We went home stuffed and watched movies until late.
The next day we woke up late and my sister made us a camping breakfast with eggs and potatoes cooked and scrambled together. I added some cajan to the mix for some spice and gobbled it up for a day of just chilling and catching up.

That evening we actually went and got Mexican food of all things. I was a bit skeptical but it was the going away party for some of the soldiers so I was happy to go. It also worked out wonderfully because the

Mexican food was quite delicious. We went to a place called Cantina Mexicana in Kaiserslautern, Germany. 
I got chimichangas with extra spicy sauce.  The chimichanga was crispy with a moist chicken filling.  Great flavor and a wonderful shell.  I didn't love the hot sauce because it was almost a bbq sauce in flavor but it did have a nice kick to it so I used most of it. The restaurant had a fun atmosphere and was a great place for a fun going away party especially because the margaritas were so utterly delicious. They were just strong enough and full of flavor. I tried the mango and drank two of them because they were so light and tasty.

After that wonderful dinner we went over to the military base and saw a German market where we got hot mulled wine and chocolate. It was really nice and warming especially since it was so chilly outside in the open air. After a little shopping at the mall we went back to the house for some warmth and movies and then off to bed again after drawing a tattoo out for my sister.
The next morning we had more campers breakfast and slowly woke ourselves up with lots of coffee. Then we went over to a castle and walked around for the afternoon. The castle was incredible with its brilliant red bed rock. It was quite beautiful surrounded by trees and mountain views. It was definitely a good day.

Then we went back to the house and I made us an Italian meal so they could try eggplant for the first time ever!! I was shocked, they'd never tried eggplant before so I promptly decided that I would prepare Eggplant Rigatoni.  My sister tried the eggplant as I was cooking it and really enjoyed it so I was quite glad. It was quite delicious and came out quite well. Everyone ate it up.
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The next morning, bright and early I had to go back to Rome but I had a wonderful trip visiting with my sister and her family. And I got to eat and try a lot of new food while sharing some of my favorites with them as well.

Restaurant Review: La Taverna del West

So yesterday, I wrote about the beauty of eating regional Italian food. This, of course, was promptly after I ate at a non Italian restaurant with a friend of mine.
Three nights ago, after a long day of work, Endira and I decided to get the easiest, most convenient food available right by my train stop.  We decided to try La Taverna del West   Another friend had mentioned it had Mexican food and at the time, it seemed like a good idea. It is literally right under the train station near Basilica San Paolo (so not in center).

Cutte and yet, I just had to laugh...

Teepees in a restaurant... Yes, I wanted to sit there lol

The exterior and interior were decorated in a way that can only be descrived as stereotypically Old
Western, Texas, at the peak of cowboy and indian films.  I really enjoyed the decoration, certainly not for its accuracy, but because of the sense of fun. I really wanted to sit under one of the teepees.  We didn't simply because those were the tables for 4 or more.

The menu was an interesting compilation of traditional American food i.e. hamburgers, potato skins, onion rings etc, plus pizza, pasta and quite randomly Mexican.  Maybe because Texas and Mexico are close to one another?  I think they were trying to appeal to a diverse group of people, traditionalists and younger people alike.

Endira and I probably should have ordered hamburgers like all of the Italians but we weren't quite in the mood. Instead, we ordered a liter of beer (Carlsberg), potato skins and 2 burritos del sol.  The beer was quite refreshing and the first I've ordered since being back in Italy.  I usually drink wine so it was a nice change of pace.
The potato skins I rather enjoyed. They were served with sour cream (which is usually hard to find

in Italy) and guacamole which was quite good but strange to see served with potato skins. I think that the guacamole was probably not fresh avocado but a frozen or a premade mix. The cheese was delicious and melted perfectly while the potato was cooked well.  However, out of the 4 halves of potato only one had bacon on it. It had a lot of bacon on it, which was quite tasty... The rest of the potato would have benefitted from the moisture and flavor it provided.
The burritos were pretty good but nothing like a traditional burrito.

It didn't quite look like a burrito...

They were covered in melted cheese which reminded me more of enchiladas but I liked it with the cheese. It added to the overall flavor which was on the bland, heavy side.  The inside of the burrito on the menu was listed as chicken and an herbed tomato sauce.  I saw no traces of tomato on the inside but did find bits of unidentifiable vegetable that Endira thought was pepper and I thought might be zucchini... If it was pepper, it was severely overcooked. If it was zucchini, it was still slightly overcooked and I would wonder what it was doing in a burrito.  The chicken itself was juicy, and based on the consistency of the filling, I would guess also fried. There were also beans inside the burrito, not refried or black but some kind of red bean that I rather liked. It was served with a great salsa, guacamole, sour cream and plain lettuce. I covered my burrito with the extras and ate it all up. For a "Mexican burrito" it was rather bland, I would've preferred some kick of spice but I was hungry. The only thing I didn't eat was the yellow rice. It was undercooked and bland. It had a whiff of some random spice that I couldn't identify, but completely lacked salt.
I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon. The food was okay but not great, and Endira did wind up with a stomach ache afterwards.  The food wasn't super authentic but maybe the hamburgers would be better.
However, it was guick and close to the train with a very friendly and helpful staff.  I will say, I was hungry and the food arrived quickly.
If you've been living abroad for more than a few months I would say give it a shot, because in a pinch it will cover a strong craving.
If you're just visiting for a short time as a tourist there are far better options. Definitely go for some of the Roman specialties.
In this post you'll find some suggestions of foods to look for on Roman menus.  If you're in center I highly suggest trying Cul de Sac and also keep an eye out as I write other reviews of restaurants here in Rome.