The best part of the day was lunch. Hands down. My travel buddy and I found a great spot to stop for a bite and we got very lucky. I love trying new foods (although I will admit that I'm not nearly as adventurous as my travel buddy) so, it is always fun when I can find a restaurant that serves local cuisine. This is sometimes trickier than it seems because most times I can't read the menu in the window....it might be a hamburger joint for all I know.

It's also cool when you find a travel buddy who will eat family style. Isn't it the most annoying thing ever when you go out and someone doesn't want to share their food?! (Like sushi. I hate it when people want the whole roll to themselves.)

Here's what ended up on our table:

Crushed and seasoned walnuts (almost paste like) rolled in eggplant - topped with pomegranate. Seriously delicious. I wish I had ordered two of these....it was hands down the best pick of the day. Pat on the back for the Nautie Mermate.

I also ordered a yogurt based soup with rice and mint. Tasty but I don't need to make it at home.

Sturgeon topped with cheese with french fries. This was super mayonaise-y and also very fishy. It made me throw up a little bit in my mouth and I barely swallowed my bite.

Grape leaves stuffed with minced lamb and a yogurt like dip. These were good....but I think the Greek version might be slightly yummier.

Are you ready for this one? Veal tongue. Seriously. This was not my pick (and I told you my travel buddy was adventurous). I have to admit....it wasn't that bad. It was a little hard to get over the idea of it all but....it was quite tasty especially with the horseradish sauce for it. I took about three bites....the best bite was a nibble of tongue smeared with horseradish sauce and topped with a pomegranate seed. The only thing I can liken it to is shredded beef that has been prepared for tacos....it easily could have fallen apart into strips. Also, it wasn't a crazy amount of chewy.

The waitresses were soooo accommodating. They didn't speak a lick of English and we got along just fine! It was almost more fun because they didn't! We had the best time trying to order some sparkly beverages!

I liked this dish soooo much that I decided it deserves TWO photos.

So there you have it. The highlight of the day. A walnut, yogurt and tongue filled lunch in Novorossiysk!