Bibimbap Bap Bap

front entrance

inside

My mom and I were wandering the city yesterday when we decided to hit up Koreatown for lunch. Skeptical of her dumpling recommendation, I pulled up Serious Eats on my phone to better familiarize myself with the area and see the "go to" spots on 32nd street. Food Gallery 32 was the first thing I came across that caught my attention and I'm glad it did! We walked inside to find what I would like to call a Korean Foodparc. We went to each station, but finally decided on Hanok. We ordered bimbimbap and kimchi fried rice. Both dishes hit the spot! It might have been some what of a rice overload, but it didn't seem to phase us. It just got better and better with each bite we took, especially when the rice got all crispy toward the bottom of the bibimbap [my favorite part]!

bibimbap

kimchi fried rice

side of kimchi and a green vegetable

cleared the plate

The added bonus of Food Gallery 32 is the self service Red Mango. 

If you're in the area make your way to Food Gallery 32. You won't regret it!

Panche Part 2

I’m sorry, but this dish deserves it’s own post…Another dinner at Tre Panche, another amazing meal. Wanting to try something new, I decided to order the the lemon cream chicken and split it with my friend Katie. Let’s just say we had no clue heaven tasted so fucking good. Even though the sauce was rich and creamy, the calorie content did not seem to bother us in the slightest bit. The tangy lemon flavor mixed with the cream was unbelievable. Each bite was accompanied with astonishment and shock. After thoroughly  licking our plates, we declared Tre Panche’s lemon chicken one of the top 5 best things eaten abroad.

"When it comes to food, they don't fuck around" - Lara Kasten

Pizza Pie

While there is no doubt in my mind that I will miss the mounds of pasta I have eaten over these past couple of months, I am happy to say that I am eager to return home and detox from my friends Penne, Linguine, Tagliatelle and Rigatoni. There is, however, one thing that I know I’m going to have a huge problem withdrawing from….PIZZA! Deep down I know there are amazing Italian restaurants back in the states where I can get my truffle carbonara fix, but where am I going to find napoleon style pizza like the kind I have eaten here in Florence. Nothing can replace Gusta or il Pizzaiuolo….NOTHING! 

My friend Jamie and I wanted an afternoon snack when we realized our usual pizza joint was closed on Mondays. We decided then to try il Pizzaiuolo. Hearing only amazing things about this restaurant, I went in with high expectations and was not disappointed. As I was eye sexing the burrata and tomatoes on the table next to me, before I knew it our pizza with spicy salami and olives was out. They were even so kind enough to cut it in half. 

Bite after bite we could not stop moaning. Everything about this pizza was delicious. Looking back on the meal, I wouldn’t say we were cheating on Gusta, but rather expanding our horizons…opening up our mouths to new things. While Jamie still has Gusta as her pizza of choice, I think these two restaurants are both pretty damn good. 

beauty

The Carriage House

Poor little tourists, always being fooled by the mounds of gelato piled as high as the Duomo. Bright artificially colored gelato fill the windows of Florence. Coming to Italy one can only want the best gelato out there, and my friends and I have found it. We forgo the fake shit and make sure we only have the best of the best. We’ve finally narrowed down our favorite spots for gelato, two of which are across the Arno on the other side of Florence. One is called La Carraia [the carriage house]. La Carraia is a hidden gem being that it is two bridges down from the Ponte Vecchio, it is not as known. People out there just never take the time to venture down that far. 

Although I do love trying new things, I always tend to go for the same flavors. Menta & Cookies are my staple favorites. It’s hard for me to resist the fresh mint flavor and the creamy cookie deliciousness. Cone or cup, doesn’t matter. This gelato would be good on or in anything.

gelato

colorful cones

Ironically, we stopped and got gelato on the way to working out #AbroadGirlProblems