Mike's Pastry Cannolis (Boston, MA)

What is it? Cannoli

Where to find it? Mike's Pastry - 300 Hanover St, Boston, MA

Thoughts... Mike's makes some killer cannolis and not some small cannoli but sizable ones that are about 4" x 1.75". I'm a traditionalist and prefer the ricotta filling, but Mike's also offers chocolate cream and vanilla cream fillings with toppings like sprinkles or crushed pistachios. The line at Mike's is often out the door even with an army of staffers behind the counters filling orders.

Ribs (New Hampshire Rock'N Ribfest)

What is it? Ribs galore

Where to find it? New Hampshire's Rock'N Ribfest at the Anheuser Busch Brewery in Merrimack, NH.

Thoughts... This year's ribfest was June 11 - 13. There were 10 rib vendors and a bunch of other teams competing (not selling) in the event's bbq competition. There's lots of food so it's best to go with a plan. Four of us ended up getting free beers doing the brewery tour and then at the ribfest, each split up and got a 1/2 rack of ribs from different vendors to compare. Who knew ribs could be so different.

Giambotta Sub (Acton, MA)

What is it? Giambotta Sub

Where to find it? TC Lando's in Acton, MA

Thoughts... A sub for meat lovers that includes ground beef, italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, onions, peppers, and mushrooms topped with melted provolone cheese and tomato sauce, this sub has your meat intake for the week. Sub sizes come in large, small, and mini (which is not explicitly listed). A small is about the size of a subway footlong with twice the amount of filling.

Primanti's Cheesesteak (Pittsburgh, PA)

What is it? Primanti's Cheesesteak Sandwich - cheesesteak plus fries and coleslaw in one sandwich

Where to find it? Pittsburgh, PA

Thoughts... One of the best sandwiches ever invented. Everything you want in a meal all between two slices of bread. The cheesesteak is nothing like the one in that other city in Pennsylvania. Its meat is closer to a burger patty than shaved meat. Did I mention there's fries and coleslaw on the sandwich?

Soproni Szoke Ciklon (Budapest, Hungary)

What is it? Soproni Szoke Ciklon - beer

Where to find it? Budapest, Hungary

Thoughts... It tasted like what you would get if you mixed Sprite with Bud Light. A light beer with citrus tones.

Almdudler Limonade (Budapest, Hungary)

What is it? Almdudler Limonade - carbonated lemonade

Where to find it? Found at a convenience store in Budapest, Hungary, originally from Austria.

Thoughts... A refreshing drink that tasted like Minute Maid lemonade only carbonated. Apparently, the original Almdudler drink is similar to ginger ale.

Torok Szendvics (Budapest, Hungary)

What is it? Torok Szendvics (translation: Turkish Sandwich)

Where to find it? Torok Etterem at Teréz körút, 1066 VI. kerület, Budapest, Hungary

Thoughts... Tastes like a gyro...the pita was flatter than I'm used to and for a quick nighttime snack, this hit the spot.

We walked passed a few Turkish restaurants in Budapest all offering cheap eats that were delicious. There were a lot of ethnic restaurants with cafeteria-style service where you grab a tray, pick what you want, and pay the cashier in the end.

Gulas (Bratislava, Slovak)

What is it? Gulas - goulash. Beef soup seasoned with paprika.

Where to find it? Hlavné Námestie (Main Square) Christmas market in Bratislava, Slovak

Thoughts... Flavorful broth with chunks of meat. This version of gulas wasn't as hearty as I thought it would be.

Loksa (Bratislava, Slovak)

What is it? Loksa - potato pancake stuffed with savory or sweet fillings.

Where to find it? Hlavné Námestie (Main Square) Christmas market in Bratislava, Slovak.

Thoughts... Similar to a crepe. When offered a sweet or salty loksa, I made the mistake of ordering a salty loksa which turned out to be filled with pate (goose liver) and I'm not a fan of pate. Apparently another savory filling option is goose fat.

Ciganska Pecienka (Bratislava, Slovak)

Where is it? Ciganska Pecienka - chicken/beef sandwich served with mustard and sauteed onions.

Where to find it? Hlavné Námestie (Main Square) Christmas market in Bratislava, Slovak.

Thoughts... Massively, delicious sandwich.

Medovina and Punc (Bratislava, Slovak)

What is it? Medovina (mead) and punc (punch) served hot at the Christmas market. The punc consists of wine, juice, fruit slices, and rum.

Where to find it? Hlavné Námestie (Main Square) Christmas market in Bratislava, Slovak.

Thoughts... The punc is sweeter and fruitier than mulled wine and the mead was good.

Horalske Trubicky (Czech)

What is it? Horalske trubicky - chocolate filled wafer straws.

Where to find it? Czech Republic

Thoughts... I'm not quite sure why there's a squirrel on the package. The wafer reminded me of communion wafers and the chocolate was just ok.

Vlnky candy bar (Czech)

What is it? Vlnky - white chocolate filled wafer rows.

Where to find it? Czech Republic

Thoughts... A pretty simple candy bar - white chocolate and wafer - can't go wrong.

Smazeny Syr (Prague, Czech)

What is it? Smazeny Syr - fried cheese. The sandwich version of this dish is served with tartar sauce on a bun.

Where to find it? Outdoor food stand in Prague, Czech.

Thoughts... The taste and texture is like mozzerella sticks. Best eaten while still hot as the cheese gets chewy as it cools. Definitely not a healthy meal, I could feel my arteries clogging as I was eating.

Trdelnik (Prague, Czech)

What is it? Trdelnik - a traditional Czech cake. Dough is rolled around rollers and baked over hot coals. Sugar is then caramelized on top adding a crunchy texture.

Where to find it? Christmas market in Prague

Thoughts... A nice, sweet pastry that reminds me of eating cotton candy the way the rolled layers can be peeled off and leisurely enjoyed.

Mila candy bar (Germany)

What is it? Mila candy bar. Chocolate covered wafer with cream, coffee filling.

Where to find it? Germany

Thoughts... It tasted like a tiramisu wafer candy bar.

Nussini candy bar (Germany)

What is it? Nussini. White chocolate, coconut, wafer candy bar.

Where to find it? Germany

Thoughts... Quite good. The coconut flavor was subtle and the chocolate was good. They LOVE wafer candy bars in central Europe.

Ranger Bar (Germany)

What is it? Ranger. A packaged bun, with beef, beans and bacon.

Where to find it? Found this at a rest stop on the autobahn in Germany.

Thoughts... The label says "Ranger - Der Texas-Pack mit Beef, Beans und Bacon". Underneath is says "Beiss' Dich Durch!" which roughly translates to "Bite into it"... I cannot bring myself to eat this. It's still in its packaging sitting on my desk.

Gluhwein (Munich, Germany)

What is it? Gluhwein (translation: mulled wine). All Christmas markets served this popular beverage. You pay a deposit for the mug and can refill and keep it if you like. Each Christmas market has its own mug design.

Where to find it? Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) in Munich, Germany

Thoughts... This drink keeps you nice and toasty while you browse the rows of Christmas market stands.

Pork Knuckle (Munich, Germany)

What is it? Pork knuckle

Where to find it? Haxnbauer Restaurant in Munich, Germany (near the Hofbrauhaus)

Thoughts... Rotisserie pork knuckle with a crispy, crunchy skin and glazed with a thickened au jus.