Angie

Angie is the resident foodie of Living the Dream. She seeks out local food, restaurants, farmers markets, and cooking classes wherever she travels. Angie has been on one long-term trip of 465 days along with her husband Jeremy.

Pujol Review – Truly Superb Dining Experience in Mexico City

Pujol is one of the most sought-after dinner reservations in Mexico City. Chef Enrique Olivera’s restaurant has landed on all sorts of “best of” lists, including The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and his work has helped put Mexico City on the map as a fine dining destination.

Seeing as reservations open a year in advance, and our trip to Mexico City was somewhat last-minute, we initially didn’t think we were going to be able to experience this institution. However, after obsessively checking the reservations for cancellations every day we were in Mexico City, we finally scored a dinner reservation one afternoon for that same evening. (Read more about how we got Pujol reservations here.)

There are a couple of dining options at Pujol, include a taco omakase experience at the bar, and a la carte or prix-fixe menu options in the main dining room. We were lucky enough to score a spot in the main dining room and knew we had to go for the prix-fixe option. At about $130 USD for seven courses in early 2022, the prix-fixe option is definitely a great value compared to these types of dinners in the US or Europe, for example.

Read more

DOC Review – Fine Dining in the Douro Valley of Portugal

Dining options in the Douro Valley are limited if you’re not staying in one of the town centers, but DOC is one of the saving graces of the area. Set along the Douro River about midway between the towns of Peso da Regua and Pinhao, DOC offers tasting menus and a la carte options from Michelin-starred Chef Rui Paula.

While it took us a bit of a drive to reach this one (nearly 45 minutes from our quinta, in the pitch-black night), it was worth it to have such a lovely dining experience in the wine region.

Read more

The Yeatman Review – A Simply Flawless Prix Fixe Dinner in Porto

The Yeatman, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal, provides a once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experience. From the elegant pre-dinner drinks and snacks in the bar area to the over-the-top plating and molecular gastronomy techniques, to the “kitchen snack,” the surprises and delights during our meal at The Yeatman were unlike any other restaurant we’ve ever been to.

Read more

Belcanto Review – A Perfect Dining Experience in Lisbon

Portugal is a culinary wonderland, so we knew we had to try and hit at least a few Michelin-starred restaurants on our recent trip.

Our first stop was in Lisbon at Belcanto – a two-star Michelin restaurant that is also one of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Given these accolades, we had high expectations going into the meal, but Belcanto managed to even exceed those. From the impeccable service, intriguing wine pairings, and perfect mix of traditional and inventive flavors, we were simply in heaven.

Read more