Heart attack on a plate? Seconds, please :D

It wasn't until about 2 weeks in that I realized that something was missing: American fast food chains.

I kid you not -- this is actually quite unusual, and consequently slightly disturbing.

Even in Kuwait, I clapped eyes on a slew of American-based food joints: Applebee's, Chili's, TGI Friday's, and lots and lots of fried chicken.

But here, none of that. Kaput. Zilch. Nada. Pick your language. Since the golden arches managed to extend its tentacles to as far as the Middle and the Far Easts, I naturally came to expect to see the same, here in Montenegro.

Well, other than the weighty presence of burger joints and pizzerias (the latter which I suspect is a consequence of the Italian influence here), the American touch doesn't seem to be felt here. Kind of refreshing, but very bizarre indeed, for this little ignorant American tourist.

Pizza (pica) is perhaps the most popular form of fast food here...after burgers maybe. Montenegrins take their pizzas seriously here -- eating them is almost like a religion to them. Not only do pizzerias dot the cityscape like trees in a forest, they even have a set of special condiments to be eaten with!

Mmm, pizza. These pizzas are a little different than those you find in the States, though. Paper-thin crust, modest amounts of tomato sauce...but most weirdly of all, you eat pizza with a big bottle of ketchup! And not just ordinary ketchup, mind you...it's "pizza ketchup"! Just squirt some on and have at it with a knife and fork!

Ohhh man...but I think my favorite entree so far is...actually, I have no earthly idea what it's actually called. Aco translated it as "salty pancakes"...stuffed with HEAVEN.

Ok, not really. But these were lightly fried pancakes stuffed with cheese and ham, topped with shredded cheese and MAYONNAISE. Now that's different.

MmmMmmmMmmmm....heart attack on a plate. I will miss thee in the States (see anything wrong with what I just said here? O.<).

I ate this dish at this traditional Serbian restaurant we like to go to a lot...good, cheap food and free wireless! The "spiritual place," we call it, partly because it's all decked out with portraits of Christ and eggs with Jesus' visage on them (no really...they're actual EGGS)...and partly because we can't read the name of the restaurant. We suck.

Sometimes we go to the pekara (bakery), to buy burek, these pastries stuffed with all sort of different fillings. Sweet and savory pastries, dairy products, and meat are all the rage here...and so is this weird drink: bitter lemon Schwepps (apparently very popular in Romania)!

Paprika is pretty much worshipped here -- here, you'll find it in every form and consistency imaginable: sliced, diced, baked, stuffed, pureed, you name it! My personal favorite rendition is ajvar, a relish made of red bell peppers, eggplant, garlic, and chili pepper. Yum.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that there is *ONE* Chinese restaurant, here in Podgorica? Of course I did...last entry. I need to go see how authentic their stuff really is, lol!

Beer (pivo). They have one local traditional brand of beer called Nikšićko...apparently it's really good...but to me, it just tastes like beer. Bleh.

More to come...sometime...wait! I need to show you more of Podgorica...next time! :DDD

---

Part of trip: My Stint in Montenegro + Surrounding Areas

---