Home sweet home.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
My kind of town
We're back in Chicago, where we can read everything! Oh how we missed America's super cold air conditioning.
Home sweet home.
Home sweet home.
Bye Europe
Vacation is over.
We left Zürich at 10 am this morning and now we're waiting for our connection at JFK. We're both very tired, and in that strange place between excited to be home and sad to leave Europe.
It's our ritual to order Chinese food when we get home, so that's something to look forward to!
Stay tuned for more photos from sites not blogged about...
We left Zürich at 10 am this morning and now we're waiting for our connection at JFK. We're both very tired, and in that strange place between excited to be home and sad to leave Europe.
It's our ritual to order Chinese food when we get home, so that's something to look forward to!
Stay tuned for more photos from sites not blogged about...
Monday, July 16, 2012
Good night Zürich
We had another great dinner tonight at a beer hall and a long stroll along the lake and Limmat River. The walk of course including some ice cream!
We're now packing the last of our bags and heading to bed for our early flight to JFK.
Looking forward to being able to read and communicate with other people sans the language barrier, but we'll miss Europe as always!
We're now packing the last of our bags and heading to bed for our early flight to JFK.
Looking forward to being able to read and communicate with other people sans the language barrier, but we'll miss Europe as always!
Why so much?
Why is everything in Zurich so expensive? It makes London seem cheap. For example (1 CHF equals about $1.02 USD):
• 33 cl of Coke = 5 CHF
• Egg McMuffin = 5.10 CHF
• 1/2 L bottle of water at dinner = 8.90 CHF
• Tall coffee at Starbucks = 6.90 CHF
• Entree at mid-level Thai restaurant = 27 CHF
• Jeans at department store = 698 CHF
More than $5 for a bottle of Coke? The only good thing is wine is cheap. At dinner last night wine was literally cheaper than water.
Yikes, how do people afford to live here?
• 33 cl of Coke = 5 CHF
• Egg McMuffin = 5.10 CHF
• 1/2 L bottle of water at dinner = 8.90 CHF
• Tall coffee at Starbucks = 6.90 CHF
• Entree at mid-level Thai restaurant = 27 CHF
• Jeans at department store = 698 CHF
More than $5 for a bottle of Coke? The only good thing is wine is cheap. At dinner last night wine was literally cheaper than water.
Yikes, how do people afford to live here?
The best Brats
Called Zürich's most famous sausage stand, the Sternen Grill is located on a plaza near the Bellevue tram stop. The kitchen is inside an Airstream trailer, while a large white tent covers both the kitchen and a roomy seating area. We ate lunch here on our last visit and knew we had to return.
The grill is known for their red and white sausages, but have many other grilled and fried items. The sausages come with a side of spicy mustard and a large roll for 7 CHF. They were as good as we remembered - piping hot with a perfect snap. The mustard gives it a nice kick.
I want more!
The grill is known for their red and white sausages, but have many other grilled and fried items. The sausages come with a side of spicy mustard and a large roll for 7 CHF. They were as good as we remembered - piping hot with a perfect snap. The mustard gives it a nice kick.
I want more!
Picnicking with the Alps
It's our last day of vacation and the sun is finally out! We decided to have a picnic by Lake Zürich to enjoy the nice weather.
We picked up two local cheeses, a fresh demi-baguette, an olive medley, and a half-bottle of white wine (made just outside Zürich) from Globus. And we grabbed a Bratwurst from the Sternen Grill (read my next post to learn more).
Lake Zürich might be one of the prettiest places on the planet. From our spot we could see the small villages along the east and west sides, and the giant Alps to the southern end. The waterfront was full of other travelers an locals doing as we were.
In the water, within reach, were dozens of swans. Did you know they hiss? Well they do, and apparently they do not like small dogs. I'm a little scared of them now.
I couldn't think of a more relaxing way to spend part of our last day in Zürich.
We picked up two local cheeses, a fresh demi-baguette, an olive medley, and a half-bottle of white wine (made just outside Zürich) from Globus. And we grabbed a Bratwurst from the Sternen Grill (read my next post to learn more).
Lake Zürich might be one of the prettiest places on the planet. From our spot we could see the small villages along the east and west sides, and the giant Alps to the southern end. The waterfront was full of other travelers an locals doing as we were.
In the water, within reach, were dozens of swans. Did you know they hiss? Well they do, and apparently they do not like small dogs. I'm a little scared of them now.
I couldn't think of a more relaxing way to spend part of our last day in Zürich.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Dinner on top of Zürich
Tonight's dinner was a once in a lifetime dining experience. And I have to thank my Dad for treating!
Uetliberg is a mountain on Zurich's south eastern end. It's easily accessible by the Zürich S-Bahn from the city center. Aside from hiking and biking activities the mountain is home to a restaurant called Uto Kulm. It sits at the highest part of the mountain and the dining room has breathtaking views of both Lake Zürich and the surrounding country.
We reserved a table by the south facing window overlooking the lake. The dining room was spacious with white tablecloths, orchids and lit candles on each table.
To start I had the caprese salad, which came with a shot of balsamic dressing and a basil purée. The tomatoes were extremely fresh making for a tasty starter. Ryan had the green salad with a heaping side of beets.
For the entree I chose the Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch nach Zürcher Art - sliced veal and mushrooms in a tasty cream sauce served with golden brown roesti. The veal was tender and the sauce rich. Ryan had the Feine Kalbsleberli - sliced veal liver pan fried with diced apple, fresh sage and a “shot” of calvados, accompanied with golden brown roesti.
I love Swiss sides, as they usually consist of some sort of starchy masterpiece. The roesti was no different - it was basically a large hash-brown, but so much better.
Dessert was all about sorbet. Ryan ordered a dish with cherry sorbet and champagne. The combination was to die for! I ordered a scoop of pineapple and a scoop of lemon - I know, it was an odd selection. Both tasted wonderful, but the highlight of dessert for me was a very smooth glass of port.
I greatly enjoyed this meal. Every dish was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. I love when restaurants take classic, standard items and make them new and exciting. I'd go back to Uto Kulm without hesitation.
Uetliberg is a mountain on Zurich's south eastern end. It's easily accessible by the Zürich S-Bahn from the city center. Aside from hiking and biking activities the mountain is home to a restaurant called Uto Kulm. It sits at the highest part of the mountain and the dining room has breathtaking views of both Lake Zürich and the surrounding country.
We reserved a table by the south facing window overlooking the lake. The dining room was spacious with white tablecloths, orchids and lit candles on each table.
To start I had the caprese salad, which came with a shot of balsamic dressing and a basil purée. The tomatoes were extremely fresh making for a tasty starter. Ryan had the green salad with a heaping side of beets.
For the entree I chose the Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch nach Zürcher Art - sliced veal and mushrooms in a tasty cream sauce served with golden brown roesti. The veal was tender and the sauce rich. Ryan had the Feine Kalbsleberli - sliced veal liver pan fried with diced apple, fresh sage and a “shot” of calvados, accompanied with golden brown roesti.
I love Swiss sides, as they usually consist of some sort of starchy masterpiece. The roesti was no different - it was basically a large hash-brown, but so much better.
Dessert was all about sorbet. Ryan ordered a dish with cherry sorbet and champagne. The combination was to die for! I ordered a scoop of pineapple and a scoop of lemon - I know, it was an odd selection. Both tasted wonderful, but the highlight of dessert for me was a very smooth glass of port.
I greatly enjoyed this meal. Every dish was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. I love when restaurants take classic, standard items and make them new and exciting. I'd go back to Uto Kulm without hesitation.
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