Tony Kehlhofer

I’ve been to Betty several times over the years and it remains one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. The lasagna is incredible, the adobo was top shelf and their burgers are amazing. They used to have an unbelievable octopus appetizer but no more. Hoping they bring it back occasionally. Super service and great location up on Queen Anne.

A very fine upscale shopping and dining passage/atrium in the center of Vienna. Wonderful cafes and restaurants and also home to my favorite chocolatier in Vienna (Xocolat). Feels like a mini Galleria in Milan.

The Volksoper is a Viennese institution. Smaller and less flashy than the state opera on the Ring, this house presents excellent quality performances at a fraction of the cost. I have been 4-5 times in the past two seasons and really enjoy it. Comfortable seats. Very reasonably priced boxes. Good views from everywhere and fun old school bars during intermission. Worth a visit or three.

We stay in Valencia (Patacona) a lot and this is our go-to market hall. They really have a great selection of meats, fruits and vegetables, cheese, olives, nuts and baked goods. Go early! The market is jumping in the morning but dies down quickly by noon with most shops closed by 1pm. I particularly like the olive seller in the first row near the east entrance. Very friendly and lets me try several types of olives before buying.

After lunch we really wanted crema catalana, the Spanish dessert similar to crème brûlée. Debates will rage on as to which is better but I love them both. So s quick Google search of who had the crema catalana and we were off to El Rall. It’s just a few minutes from either the cathedral or the central market.

At first they wanted to only seat us if we were having lunch but that was easily resolved. And I’m glad. This was maybe the best crema catalana I have ever eaten. Good coffee to go along with it and friendly waiters.

Jan 17 update: we went back today with friends who were in town and did the full lunch. Excellent paella, especially the Valenciana which had lots of socorrat which we enjoy. And again, great service from Matej !

A must visit for crema catalana in Valencia. And their paella didn’t look bad either!