Taif: Our Go-To Weekend Escape
Ah, Taif, you breath of fresh air, you. Always there to unburden our senses which have been coated with a layer of Jeddah car pollution and dust. Reminding us that Saudi has farms, greenery, mountains, and animals other than pigeons. We’ve been to Taif several times in our 3.5 years in Saudi –with other expats, […]
Nothing Says ‘America’ Like the Portion Sizes at The Cheesecake Factory
I can’t talk about our time in Jeddah without mentioning The Cheesecake Factory, or “The Cheesecake” as it’s called here. As cliché as it may be, it’s our place of choice for any celebratory occasion. :: The restaurant is more than just a hearty American meal and familiar atmosphere to me. Growing up, we didn’t […]
Tamees & Foul: It’s What’s for Breakfast
Instead of popping a slice of bagged bread in the toaster, Saudis’ morning bread comes fresh from an underground clay oven. 😳 :: Foul (beans) and tamees (bread) are a hearty breakfast staple here (arguably a lunch and dinner staple too 😆). Neighborhoods have walk-up bean and bread restaurants that specialize in just these two […]
Piping Hot Tea by the Roadside
Continuing with my trend of things we see on the side of the road (fake construction workers, shepherds), my eyes are always peeled for tea stands. The humble setups usually consist of a grill with copper kettles, a cooler of herbs, and a couple men sitting in lawn chairs. You pull your car up beside […]
The Sweetest Little Cafe
This bright, charming cafe, @saraladiescafe, is my happy place. I started coming here when Ezra was 1 month old – once a week we would stop in after our Mommy + Me yoga class (stop your snickering, it was a nice bonding experience). The employees, all sweet and friendly ladies, would dote on him while […]
Top Spot for Dining on the Red Sea
When you come to visit us (😉) we will take you here for dinner. Blue Ocean is our favorite dining locale on the Red Sea. It has a true coastal vibe and, when we time it right, you’ll get a front row seat to the sun’s brazen descent. :: We’ll reserve the table in the […]
The Tastiest, Cheapest Dinner
Vegetarian trigger warning ⚠️ This is the site in almost every neighborhood (next to the juice shops) – juicy, sizzling chicken slowly roasting on spittles or splayed out on grills. When we want a quick, cheap, tasty meal, this is our go-to. Saudi is so good at chicken that it almost makes up for the fact […]
A Juice Stop on Every Corner
Juice shops are in abundance on Saudi streets and I could not be happier about it. We have fun experimenting with new fruit combinations and we definitely never speculate which could be enhanced with a splash of rum (if we were in a different locale). Never. 🍎🍋🍓 :: Currently I’ve been enjoying Pomegranate + Apple, […]
The Cult Chicken Favorite of Saudi
Our first couple months in Saudi, we would constantly get the question, “Have you tried Al Baik yet?” :: Al Baik is a greasy, fried chicken chain with a major cult following. It gets hyped up similar to Chick-fil-A or In-N-Out Burger in the US – but let’s be clear that it’s more of a […]
Home to the Largest Olive Plantation in the World
Growing up, olives never had a place in my food consumption. Then I studied in southern Spain where olives are served with every meal… where my host mom would use generous portions of olive oil for cooking, poured from a huge jug kept on the floor by the stove…and where I toured an olive oil […]
