I love Fridays for a number of reasons, but this Friday is extra special. Why? It’s because I’m co-hosting my first ever #FriFotos on Twitter. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s an internationally trending, 24-hour chat where people all over the world share their photos that best represent the week’s topic. It’s tons of fun and anyone with a Twitter {or Instagram} account can participate by simply following the #FriFotos hashtag and including it in your Tweets. What’s even better is that I got to help choose the topic. So what do you think I picked?

 

Food, of course!

 

I suppose the official topic is “dishes” which is open to interpretation, but my mind immediately turns to food. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have recently eaten in not only some of the best restaurants in the world, but also some of the best food anywhere. I’ve dined in Michelin one, two, and three-star restaurants, as well as eaten some of the best meals of my life at food trucks and strangers’ kitchen tables. Despite not being a serious foodie, I’ve become an accidental food writer both through my Website and my Special Contributor and Houston Travel Editor positions at The Daily Meal. What can I say? I love great food!

 

As I sorted through my thousands of photos of food from the last six months, I noticed a pattern of dining behavior. And since I couldn’t bring myself to simply pick 10 dishes that I adored, I’ve chosen 10 categories and some of my favorites within each. Prepare yourself for severe hunger pangs and a slight tightening of your pants. It must be said that I gained five pounds just by writing this post. You’ve been warned.

 

Cheese

 

It’s not fair that I’ve lived so many years without truly knowing the delicious virtues of quality cheese. My mind was poisoned by the Tex-Mex staple, Velveeta and Rotel, for far too long. I say better late than never, and I’ve certainly been trying to make up for lost time.

 

Three kinds of mozzarella at Four Seasons Prague

 

Grilled crab and cheese sandwich at Heritage Grill in New Orleans

 

Cheese at the Greek Olive in Henley-on-Thames

 

Raclette in Verbier, Switzerland

 

Lamb

 

Ahhhh…lamb. I grew up raising sheep, but ironically I rarely ate it. It’s not something that is done very often or well in the United States, but I’ve found kindred spirits in the rest of the world. If I see lamb on a menu, you can bet it will probably be ordered.

 

Lamb cooked 17 hours at Le Cinq at Paris’ Four Seasons George V

 

Lamb chops at Allred’s in Telluride, Colorado

 

Lamb chops in Beaune, Burgundy

 

Pasta

 

I was in Italy for ten days in November, and I am not exaggerating when I say that I ate pasta twice a day. If I could have eaten it for breakfast I probably would have. I’m pretty sure that I developed an addiction and the only thing that saved me was going to Spain. I shudder at the thought of my body had I not boarded that flight.

 

The best pasta I’ve eaten was made in the kitchen of il Fontanaro in Umbria, Italy.

 

Cavatello pasta with prawns and calamari in cream at the Four Seasons Florence

 

Lobster & artichoke tagliolino from Four Seasons London at Park Lane

 

Cured Meat

 

I’m a simple girl from Texas, so give me a plate of meat and I’m happy. I especially love the way that Europeans present their meat. It’s so pretty that I almost don’t want to eat it. ALMOST.

 

From Le Chalet de Flore in Verbier, Switzerland…only rivaled by the view of the Alps.

 

Private chef, Lee Pennington, kept it simple in Cadaqués, Spain.

 

The butcher shop, Antica Norcineria Viola, in Rome has been around since 1890.

 

French

 

Until November of 2012 I’d never had proper French food. This is a fact that saddens me greatly. I’m not really sure what I did before I discovered French cuisine.

 

Escargot at Café Delmas in the Latin Quarter of Paris

 

Steak tartare at Le Grille in Paris

 

Beef cheek at L’Epi Dupin in Paris

 

Croque madame at a random café in Paris

 

Yummy bites at Le Chassagne in Burgundy, France

 

Savory crêpe from a street vendor in Paris

 

Seafood

 

There’s not much better than good seafood in my book. Fried, steamed, sautéed, baked, or even raw, I’ll eat it however and whenever.

 

Raw oysters at Acme Oyster House, New Orleans

 

Seafood pizza in Naples, Italy

 

Lobster rolls at the W Barcelona

 

Prawns made by the crew of Charter Sant Isidre in Cadaqués, Spain

 

Little Bites

 

I’m totally on the tapas bandwagon. I think variety is the spice of life and this way of eating allows me to try a bit of everything. And I do try everything.

 

Make your own tapas at Arola in the W Paris

 

Mini-burgers and fish and chips at the Four Seasons London at Park Lane

 

Empanadas at Gaucho in London

 

Tapas at Ciudad Condal in Barcelona

 

Truffle goodness at El Celler de Can Roca, the world’s #1 restaurant, in Girona, Spain

 

Booze

 

Drinks come in glasses of some sort and glasses are technically dishes, so I’m including booze as one of the categories. After all, what’s a great meal without something equally as great to wash it down with?

 

Gold rush at Four Seasons London at Park Lane

 

Negronis at the Four Seasons Florence

 

Hot Apple Pie at Allred’s in Telluride, Colorado

 

A bevy of beautiful cocktails at Eclipse at the W Barcelona

 

Barolo wine dinner at the Four Seasons Milan

 

Sugar

 

I have a sweet tooth like you wouldn’t believe. A meal just doesn’t feel complete until I’ve had some sort of dessert. I believe it to be a curse and a blessing at the same time. Instead of fighting the urge, I just go with it. Life’s too short to deprive myself of something I want.

 

Proper English tea at St. James’s Hotel and Club in London

 

Lemon tarts from Four Seasons London at Canary Wharf

 

Beignets at Café du Monde in New Orleans

 

Deliciousness at Hugo & Victor in Paris

 

Table Settings

 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include some actual dishes, so here are a few of my favorites from the past couple of months.

 

I adore the pops of blue and pink at the Four Seasons Geneva.

 

Black and white is so classic at Hôtel de Vendôme in Paris.

 

Cow hide chairs, great lighting, and crystal are lovely at Gaucho in London.

There you are, some of my favorite dishes from the last six months. I’d love to see yours, too. On Friday, Tweet @L_e_a_h with your favorite photos and don’t forget to use the hashtag #FriFotos.

 

The featured photo is from the Four Seasons London at Canary Wharf’s restaurant, Quadrato.

 

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