There's that fantastic scene in Pixar's Up when the old man Carl Fredricksen's house is lifted up into the clouds by a bundle of helium balloons, and off it floats to Paradise Falls. That image was the inspiration behind Eldhús, an actual house built to scoot around (on wheels, not via balloons) all over Iceland for twelve days, showcasing local Icelandic flavors from a different chef each night. Maximum occupancy at the dinner table inside: six diners. More

I visited Iceland from April 18 to 24. Although this sparsely populated country may not be known for its cuisine, there was plenty of interesting food to report on. This week I'll share some food-related bits with you. The lamb boat (970 ISK) sub-style sandwich from Hlölla Bátar* in Ingólfstorg square, was my favorite sandwich from my trip to Iceland, besides being one of the tastiest subs I've ever eaten anywhere. The slightly chewy and soft, but substantial bun was filled with thin slices of crispy fried lamb accompanied by crunchy fried onions, pickles, lettuce, red cabbage, and plenty of special mayonnaise-based "Hlölli" sauce. After my hot dog-eating experience, it was more evidence that fried onion bits are a magical... More

I visited Iceland from April 18 to 24. Although this sparsely populated country may not be known for its cuisine, there was plenty of interesting food to report on. This week I'll share some food-related bits with you. Most containers of skyr, a popular Icelandic yogurt-like product (actually a very soft, low-fat cheese), are already rather cute due to their squat containers and miniature folded spoons, but this container of plain skyr decorated with rainbows topped the rest of them. So bulbous! So happy! Basically the same way you'd feel after eating a container of thick, creamy skyr. Carey Jones already expounded upon the deliciousness of skyr last year. Like her, a former Greek yogurt devotee, I have now converted... More

I visited Iceland from April 18 to 24. Although this sparsely populated country may not be known for its cuisine, there was plenty of interesting food to report on. This week I'll share some food-related bits with you. Unless you're vegetarian, you can't visit Reykjavik without eating at Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, a hot dog stand near flea market Kolaportið that has been open since 1937. It's known for serving the best hot dog in Reykjavik (its name appropriately means, "The best hot dog in town") and for once having served former US president Bill Clinton. It's certainly one of the most accessible eateries for only 250 ISK per dog (and like almost everything else in Iceland, you can pay for... More

I visited Iceland from April 18 to 24. Although this sparsely populated country may not be known for its cuisine, there was plenty of interesting food to report on. This week I'll share some food-related bits with you. Aluminum, plastic, and glass; it's all here. The 24-hour supermarket 10-11 in downtown Reykjavik is a small shop—perhaps the size of a 7-11—but seemed to devote a disproportionately large area of refrigerator space to Coca-Cola. A bit of googling tells me that Iceland and Mexico have the highest consumption rates of Coca-Cola per capita. (Iceland doesn't appear on it, but Coca-Cola has this handy website with per capita consumption data.) One of my travel partners insisted that Icelandic Coke tasted better than... More

I visited Iceland from April 18 to 24. Although this sparsely populated country may not be known for its cuisine, there was plenty of interesting food to report on. This week I'll share some food-related bits with you. On our first day in Reykjavik, my friends and I went to Kaffivagninn, a simple cafe by the harbor that, unlike many other restaurants in the city center, didn't seem to cater to tourists. Arriving in the late afternoon meant the offerings were slim, but we managed to pick up a few of these mountainous open faced sandwiches topped with a layer of sliced hard boiled egg, lettuce, a bit of tomato, a few chunks of pickled fish (herring, I would guess)... More