Mesogio's Means Fresh Seafood.

One recent sunny Saturday, a group of us were hankering for some fresh seafood and we decided to try a long established seafood eatery called Mesogio's here in Bucharest.  It's located on 49 Jean Louis Calderon, St. (Tel: 0727 239 239) but we went without reservations and didn't have any trouble getting a table, although it quickly filled up by 2:30.  As soon as you enter, you are taken by the attractive surroundings and quiet elegance.  The seafood bar has a generous selection of fresh choices which the waiter will weigh and price for you. I found the largest shrimp ever and included one in my appetizer oder along with some fresh mussels and spicy calamari.  Everything was expertly prepared and very tasty and the house bread is as soft and warm as can be.  It makes a great sponge for the various sauces and everyone raved about it.  This place isn't cheap but if you want very high quality seafood in a beautiful atmosphere, this eatery is worth a try.  Bon apetite!

                     

                                             Make your selection and off it goes to the kitchen.

                                                    Mesogio's interior is peaceful and elegant.

                                                                 Truly JUMBO shrimp.

                                                Salmon is an economical and tasty choice.

                                                               Grilled whole Dorado.

                                                            Mussels in white wine.

                                                            Spicy Calamari is a favorite and the sauce is worth sopping up with                            Mesogio's very fresh bread.

New Eatery Tao has Bejing Duck.

                                                     Crispy spring rolls with hot sauce make a great starter.

This little Chinese eatery is on my way home from work.  One day I went in to get some take-out and after perusing the menu I saw the Bejing duck.  I asked about the preparation and when the waitress described it, I knew it was similar to a very memorable one I'd had in London a couple of years ago.  The problem was, you had to order it one day in advance.  I ended up taking home some very delicious Chinese noodles with chicken and a cucumber and crab salad.  The food was delicious, so it wan't long before I got a group together, pre-ordered the duck and off we went.  Everyone enjoyed the whole experience and the duck was the star.  It was tender and juicy and the thin, warm pancakes along with the cruchy, cool cucumber/onion sides created a satisfying mix of textures and flavour.  The Chinese beer, Tsingtao, is a great partner with the spicy sauces offered and the whole meal is extremely satisfying and enough for two people to share. Finally, at 68 Ron an order and 10 Ron a large beer, the meal won't lighten your wallet too much.   干杯！(Cheers!)

                                                         Bejing Duck with pancakes.

                                                                 Vegetarian stir-fry.

                                                            Clean, simple and comfy.

                                                          The big guy: Tsingtao rules.

Eat Like an Egyptian.

                   Egypt's national fave, Koshari, with a pitcher of lemon garlic juice to pour on top.

                 The wonderful mezze including Baba Ghannoug, Tzatziki, Tehina and Tomaya

 The ubiquitous, affordable and always delicious grilled half chicken. Served with some falafel, tehina and fresh pita, you can't beat it with a stick.

 Sahlab or "white tea" made out of dried and crushed orchis mascula with a generous sprinkling of coconut, nuts, raisins and sugar.  It's sweet, hot and served at the famous 170 year old Fishaway cafe in Cairo's old market.

So good, it got posted twice! : O

                                                Freshly Grilled Dorada in Alexandria.

The wonderful Egyptian "pancake" or Fiteer.  Stuffed with cheese, veggies or meat, it's very much like a giant Mexican Quesadilla.

Delicious Egyptian-style lentil soup with garlic, coriander and cumin.  Spice it up with crushed red pepper and wash it down with a Stella 115. Bliss!

A classic offering from Fishawy's: Mint tea, lemon juice and Sahlab or "white tea."

Greetings foodies.  Let's break bread together--well, make that Pita. 

 I've just returned from Egypt and thought I'd like to share some of my better eating experiences. (What? Food news??)  I didn't know much about the cuisine of Cairo and environs before setting my sandals in the sand, but I am happy to report it was a lip smacking smorgasbord of savory delights.  Yessssss.

  I think the first meal we had set the tone.  It was a simple array of mezze, mezzeh or mezza.  No matter how you spell it (it's a Persian word in origin), it means you are in for some serious taste.  One of my favourites was the Baba Ghannoug, a paste of eggplant, tahina, garlic and spices that highlights any fresh pita it meets. I've had this dish before but the Egyptian twist (different spices?) brought it to a new level.  Speaking of pita, the bread served to us (known as Eish Masri) was almost always baked fresh and arrived at our table puffy, steaming and soft.  The disk-like pita makes a perfect scoop for dipping into the variety of dishes including hummous, Tehina (sesame paste) and the national dish of Egypt: Koshari.

  Koshari is a vegetarian's dream since it combines lentils, rice, small macaroni shaped pasta, and is topped with garlic-lemon juice and hot sauce.  The final touch involves a sprinkle of perfectly toasted onions.  Dig in!

  Another excellent dip was the Tomaya.  This is a whipped up, light concoction of garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.  It's offered here in Bucharest when you are eating Lebanese food but, once again, the Egyptian version was tastier.  I've got to try making it myself because it makes such a great addition to so many dishes.

  Last but not least, Egypt's most popular suds is called Stella 115 which I find ironic since the Belgium version is one of my favourites as some of my fellow beer-drinking friends know.  In any event, the Egyptian Stella is lighter, sweeter and a cold one goes really well with the spicy cuisines found everywhere.  Stella is only offered in a very few places so when we did find a shop, we stocked up the hotel room fridge.  Nothing was better than an icy cold Stella after a hot, dusty, noisy day of touring--OK, maybe two. Cheers!