Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
It Is National Pancake Day!
Well...we only still have about an hour left of it. Who got their short stack for free.99 at IHoP today?!
While IHoP is fine and dandy, my favorite spot to get my stack of pancakes is Millbrae Pancake House. We recently went on Saturday and aside from the altercation we had in the parking lot (here's a giant FU to stupid guy who cussed us out), the food is great.
My go-to is the California omelet which has tomatoes, cheese, bacon, and avocado. On the side comes a crisp serving of hash browns and your choice if toast or pancakes. Of course I get the pancakes. The buttermilk ones are awesome, but I go there for the thinner Swedish pancakes with a lingonberry butter that is creamy, rich, and tangy all at the same time.
For $10, you are fed like a king/queen! The portions are very generous as you can see here. Jayla, on the other hand, prefers the fluffy buttermilk pancakes on which she liberally spreads butter with her fingers. She eats butter as if it were candy!
I'm not a breakfast person at all. I usually skip it during the week...bad, I know, but there are some weekends that you need your fill of sweet and savory both laid out in front of you. Breakfast and brunch are the ideal times to do so. Millbrae Pancake House is very homey as if you were going to an older relative's house complete with cheesy holiday decorations. It's all good because it makes it feel all the more welcoming.
Get there early especially if you intend to be there on a weekend for brunch. There is usually a wait, but once you get it, you will find a warm atmosphere that is kid-friendly and, most of all, delicious. Get ready for hearty meals! Jayla sure enjoyed her pancakes. She ate BOTH buttermilk pancakes by herself. Talk about a big appetite! Hope you had a chance to eat some pancakes today and if not, hope you get some soon! Tomorrow, I'll update you on some unique waffles I had recently! Keep life delicious!
xoxo,
Jo
While IHoP is fine and dandy, my favorite spot to get my stack of pancakes is Millbrae Pancake House. We recently went on Saturday and aside from the altercation we had in the parking lot (here's a giant FU to stupid guy who cussed us out), the food is great.
My go-to is the California omelet which has tomatoes, cheese, bacon, and avocado. On the side comes a crisp serving of hash browns and your choice if toast or pancakes. Of course I get the pancakes. The buttermilk ones are awesome, but I go there for the thinner Swedish pancakes with a lingonberry butter that is creamy, rich, and tangy all at the same time.
For $10, you are fed like a king/queen! The portions are very generous as you can see here. Jayla, on the other hand, prefers the fluffy buttermilk pancakes on which she liberally spreads butter with her fingers. She eats butter as if it were candy!
I'm not a breakfast person at all. I usually skip it during the week...bad, I know, but there are some weekends that you need your fill of sweet and savory both laid out in front of you. Breakfast and brunch are the ideal times to do so. Millbrae Pancake House is very homey as if you were going to an older relative's house complete with cheesy holiday decorations. It's all good because it makes it feel all the more welcoming.
Get there early especially if you intend to be there on a weekend for brunch. There is usually a wait, but once you get it, you will find a warm atmosphere that is kid-friendly and, most of all, delicious. Get ready for hearty meals! Jayla sure enjoyed her pancakes. She ate BOTH buttermilk pancakes by herself. Talk about a big appetite! Hope you had a chance to eat some pancakes today and if not, hope you get some soon! Tomorrow, I'll update you on some unique waffles I had recently! Keep life delicious!
xoxo,
Jo
Links to this post
Labels:
breakfast
,
Brunch
,
Millbrae pancake house
,
omelet
,
pancake day
,
pancakes
Labels:
breakfast
,
Brunch
,
Millbrae pancake house
,
omelet
,
pancake day
,
pancakes
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Tatay...
2/21/12 - 7:34pm
I am totally feeling uber nostalgic today.
It's something about the month of February. It would have been my Tatay's 88th birthday on Sunday. Some part of me still doesn't believe that he is gone...like he is still chillin' in the Philippines. A huge part of me wishes I didn't wait so long to go back there and visit.
If you know me, you would know that my Tatay and I spent a lot of time together when I was a kid. I didn't have my father around, so I depended on Tatay a lot. He would take me to school, to the dentist, to the mall, to Downtown SF (where I currently am writing this), anywhere in needed to go, he was there to bring me.
I don't remember Tatay cooking much because Inang did majority of the time; however, I do remember one day he cooked up some eggs for me and all I remember was that they were the best eggs I had ever eaten...granted I was probably only 5 years old at the time, but still. For some reason that memory has stuck with me.
I also remember he would work at random restaurants from fast food joints to the restaurant at Moffett Field. Tell me why I thought it was "Muppet Field." One day, Tatay brought me there and I was expecting Miss Piggy and Kermit to pop out from behind the bar. I did however get some good peppermint swirl candies that day.
2/25/12 - 10:19 pm
I had a bad day at work yesterday, but by the end of it, I learned what family was about...even though the lesson came from someone I was not related to. That lesson continued onto today with the KapaMEALya potluck at Mercury Lounge. I learned that my friends (now turned family) have impeccable taste in food, but also found who really has my back.
It became a realization that tomorrow is my Tatay's 88th birthday. Technically, it's already his birthday in the Philippines because of the time difference, and I know Inang is lovingly thinking of him. My niece sent me pics of herself with Inang and Manang Irene in the Philippines. I am beyond grateful to see those photos since I live so far from her.
My biggest life lesson is to make love and not drama. I'm still in the process of learning it. In my case, one person who I thought I despised really came through for me on Friday. Was it God giving me a break or Tatay looking out for me? IDK, but I do know is that friends come from the least expected places. You meet people for a reason.
I am so happy to have known my Tatay.
He always had my back. I'm crying as I'm writing this, so before my vision gets too blurry and my sniffles becomes loud enough that it wakes Keaton, I want to give my gratitude to the greatest man in my family and in my life. Tatay, thank you for always taking care of me.
I love you and miss you dearly, Tatay. RIP
Love from your granddaughter,
Joanne
I am totally feeling uber nostalgic today.
It's something about the month of February. It would have been my Tatay's 88th birthday on Sunday. Some part of me still doesn't believe that he is gone...like he is still chillin' in the Philippines. A huge part of me wishes I didn't wait so long to go back there and visit.
If you know me, you would know that my Tatay and I spent a lot of time together when I was a kid. I didn't have my father around, so I depended on Tatay a lot. He would take me to school, to the dentist, to the mall, to Downtown SF (where I currently am writing this), anywhere in needed to go, he was there to bring me.
I don't remember Tatay cooking much because Inang did majority of the time; however, I do remember one day he cooked up some eggs for me and all I remember was that they were the best eggs I had ever eaten...granted I was probably only 5 years old at the time, but still. For some reason that memory has stuck with me.
I also remember he would work at random restaurants from fast food joints to the restaurant at Moffett Field. Tell me why I thought it was "Muppet Field." One day, Tatay brought me there and I was expecting Miss Piggy and Kermit to pop out from behind the bar. I did however get some good peppermint swirl candies that day.
2/25/12 - 10:19 pm
I had a bad day at work yesterday, but by the end of it, I learned what family was about...even though the lesson came from someone I was not related to. That lesson continued onto today with the KapaMEALya potluck at Mercury Lounge. I learned that my friends (now turned family) have impeccable taste in food, but also found who really has my back.
It became a realization that tomorrow is my Tatay's 88th birthday. Technically, it's already his birthday in the Philippines because of the time difference, and I know Inang is lovingly thinking of him. My niece sent me pics of herself with Inang and Manang Irene in the Philippines. I am beyond grateful to see those photos since I live so far from her.
My biggest life lesson is to make love and not drama. I'm still in the process of learning it. In my case, one person who I thought I despised really came through for me on Friday. Was it God giving me a break or Tatay looking out for me? IDK, but I do know is that friends come from the least expected places. You meet people for a reason.
I am so happy to have known my Tatay.
He always had my back. I'm crying as I'm writing this, so before my vision gets too blurry and my sniffles becomes loud enough that it wakes Keaton, I want to give my gratitude to the greatest man in my family and in my life. Tatay, thank you for always taking care of me.
I love you and miss you dearly, Tatay. RIP
Love from your granddaughter,
Joanne
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Ready for a Challenge? March Food Photo a Day Challenge
I was really inspired by my friends and family who were posting photos for #FEBphotoaday created by fat mum slim. Because I don't have an iPhone, I never really caught on because my phone sucks. BUT! I did get inspired, nonetheless, and created a March photo challenge for my foodies and food lovers. I am going to follow fat mum slim's rules format and start it on Thursday, March 1, 2012.
So here we go...
Are YOU ready for a food photo challenge?
Here's how to play (following fat mum slim's rules):
1. Look at the list above and take a picture of a food or food-related item which best describes the bullet point. For example: 1. Breakfast - this can be pancakes, leftover Chinese, silogs, whatever is clever.
2. Share the photo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, your blog, Flickr, etc. atbp. If you're sharing on Instagram or Twitter use the hashtag #MarchFoodPhoto so your followers or even new potential ones can find them.
3. (Editor's note: I love this rule, btw) - Per fat mum slim: "Check out everyone else's pictures. I do it before I go to bed each night and it's so fun to see how different everyone's photos are. There are people from every corner of the world playing." (Continuing editor's note - you will be surprised at what people will photograph when it comes to food. So be ready for some food porn!)
4. If you cannot fulfill that challenge that day, you MAY use a picture that was taken in the past. For example: 31. Your favorite food - if you're favorite food is foie gras from a 5-star restaurant that has a month-long waiting list period, I don't expect you to make reservations just to take a photo of it. Just use an oldie but goodie photo.
5. If you are down to play the game, comment with the link of your album in the comments field and I will post them to this blog.
6. Please share this post! It's going to be a lot of fun! Thank you again to fat mum slim for the inspiration! AND KEEP IN MIND, THIS STARTS A WEEK FROM TODAY ON THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012!
xoxo,
Jo
PS: [edit at 9:03 am 2/29/2012] - if you are observing Lent and have given up something on the list like alcohol or red meat, please keep in mind that the picture you upload is not necessarily something you ingested that day. This is just for food porn purposes, so please feel free to upload oldie but goodie photos to fulfill the day's challenge!
So here we go...
Are YOU ready for a food photo challenge?
Here's how to play (following fat mum slim's rules):
1. Look at the list above and take a picture of a food or food-related item which best describes the bullet point. For example: 1. Breakfast - this can be pancakes, leftover Chinese, silogs, whatever is clever.
2. Share the photo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, your blog, Flickr, etc. atbp. If you're sharing on Instagram or Twitter use the hashtag #MarchFoodPhoto so your followers or even new potential ones can find them.
3. (Editor's note: I love this rule, btw) - Per fat mum slim: "Check out everyone else's pictures. I do it before I go to bed each night and it's so fun to see how different everyone's photos are. There are people from every corner of the world playing." (Continuing editor's note - you will be surprised at what people will photograph when it comes to food. So be ready for some food porn!)
4. If you cannot fulfill that challenge that day, you MAY use a picture that was taken in the past. For example: 31. Your favorite food - if you're favorite food is foie gras from a 5-star restaurant that has a month-long waiting list period, I don't expect you to make reservations just to take a photo of it. Just use an oldie but goodie photo.
5. If you are down to play the game, comment with the link of your album in the comments field and I will post them to this blog.
6. Please share this post! It's going to be a lot of fun! Thank you again to fat mum slim for the inspiration! AND KEEP IN MIND, THIS STARTS A WEEK FROM TODAY ON THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012!
xoxo,
Jo
PS: [edit at 9:03 am 2/29/2012] - if you are observing Lent and have given up something on the list like alcohol or red meat, please keep in mind that the picture you upload is not necessarily something you ingested that day. This is just for food porn purposes, so please feel free to upload oldie but goodie photos to fulfill the day's challenge!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Ash Wednesday - No Meat?!
I admit.
I am not a favorite good Catholic. I was baptized and had first communion, but I haven't been to church in so long. Do not get me wrong - I do believe in the Lord, and I think I'm a pretty good person for someone who doesn't go to church every Sunday. I know there is a greater power out there and for some reason, I've been blessed.
So it's Ash Wednesday.
No meat.
Ugh.
I hate fasting. I hate giving up meat, but I really tried today. For lunch, I had a vegetarian pizza from a liquor store on Fillmore in Pacific Heights. Ha, sorry no picture. It was so good, I ate it mad quick. Even better, it was only $2!
For dinner, I had shrimp with linguini and Parmesan fries from Catch Isle. The only bad part was that the alcohol in the white wine sauce in my pasta wasn't cooked all the way out, so I got that harsh alcohol burn in my throat.
Not good.
For dessert, my fave - mascarpone caramel pistachio gelato from Melt. To my delight, there was a slight hint of fried dried fish flavor in the roasted pistachios! Ha! BTW, dinner this evening was at the Food Emporium at Westfield in San Francisco.
See?! No, meat, mom!
Maybe not eating too much meat is a good thing to do this Lenten season. I surely do need to eat a little healthier. Who knows. Maybe this will stick. On Fridays during Lent, you're supposed to abstain from meat, but my birthday is on a Friday. Man! Sorry. I can't. lol! I need to have meat on my birthday.
I missed mass today, so I didn't get my ashes, but it's okay. God knows I love him. I'm home now and ready to snooze.
Have a great evening and God Bless You!
xoxo,
Jo
PS: another good seafood dish at Westfield is the Cali Bowl at Ichi Japanese. Think a deconstructed California Roll.
PPS: my girl Bonni made me a Vietnamese soup called bun rieu for lunch yesterday. It was phenomenal. It's a delectable dish comprised of thin rice noodles, tofu and a tomato-based broth made with crab meat. Add in some scallions, cilantro, lemon, red chilies, and fermented fish paste and I was in heaven! I have great foodie friends! Thank you B! You're so dope!
I am not a favorite good Catholic. I was baptized and had first communion, but I haven't been to church in so long. Do not get me wrong - I do believe in the Lord, and I think I'm a pretty good person for someone who doesn't go to church every Sunday. I know there is a greater power out there and for some reason, I've been blessed.
So it's Ash Wednesday.
No meat.
Ugh.
I hate fasting. I hate giving up meat, but I really tried today. For lunch, I had a vegetarian pizza from a liquor store on Fillmore in Pacific Heights. Ha, sorry no picture. It was so good, I ate it mad quick. Even better, it was only $2!
For dinner, I had shrimp with linguini and Parmesan fries from Catch Isle. The only bad part was that the alcohol in the white wine sauce in my pasta wasn't cooked all the way out, so I got that harsh alcohol burn in my throat.
Not good.
For dessert, my fave - mascarpone caramel pistachio gelato from Melt. To my delight, there was a slight hint of fried dried fish flavor in the roasted pistachios! Ha! BTW, dinner this evening was at the Food Emporium at Westfield in San Francisco.
See?! No, meat, mom!
Maybe not eating too much meat is a good thing to do this Lenten season. I surely do need to eat a little healthier. Who knows. Maybe this will stick. On Fridays during Lent, you're supposed to abstain from meat, but my birthday is on a Friday. Man! Sorry. I can't. lol! I need to have meat on my birthday.
I missed mass today, so I didn't get my ashes, but it's okay. God knows I love him. I'm home now and ready to snooze.
Have a great evening and God Bless You!
xoxo,
Jo
PS: another good seafood dish at Westfield is the Cali Bowl at Ichi Japanese. Think a deconstructed California Roll.
PPS: my girl Bonni made me a Vietnamese soup called bun rieu for lunch yesterday. It was phenomenal. It's a delectable dish comprised of thin rice noodles, tofu and a tomato-based broth made with crab meat. Add in some scallions, cilantro, lemon, red chilies, and fermented fish paste and I was in heaven! I have great foodie friends! Thank you B! You're so dope!
Links to this post
Labels:
Ash Wednesday
,
Catch Isle
,
melt gelato
,
seafood
,
Vietnamese food
,
Westfield
Labels:
Ash Wednesday
,
Catch Isle
,
melt gelato
,
seafood
,
Vietnamese food
,
Westfield
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Mardi Gras! Tabachoy Tuesday!
What is up y'all!
So how is everyone getting FAT today?! I'm a fail. I did not have any Cajun or Creole food today. :(
Anywho, what is everyone giving up for Lent? I will give up the one thing I give up every year. I am giving up Lent for Lent. I mean, my birthday is ALWAYS during Lent. No fun!
Here's a better question: what are you EATING for Mardi Gras? Jambalaya? Gator? Right now, I wish I was having gumbo from Brenda's French Soul Food. *sigh*
Right now as I am typing this, there is a dope block party going on in the Fillmore. Or should I say "Feel-mo?" I work 5 minutes away from there and I feel like such a wretched fail for not joining on the fun! I am so excited for the Fillmore. So many new restos opening in that area this year! Looking forward to Hapa Ramen setting up shop!
One place Keat and I checked out over there earlier this year is Gussie's on Fillmore and Eddy. Lemme just say, it's LEGIT! Mac n' cheese, collards, corn bread, candied yams. Yum! I know for sure they are having a special for tonight's festivities, so if you're in the area, check it. Oh I must not forget: they have RED VELVET WAFFLES. Keat had the original waffles and after the meal, he said, "F (the other well-known chicken and waffle spot)!"
Mmmmmhhhhhmmmmmmm...
=D
Have a great one y'all and let the good times roll! I, on the other hand, will be in bed. Haha, goodnight y'all!
xoxo,
Jo
So how is everyone getting FAT today?! I'm a fail. I did not have any Cajun or Creole food today. :(
Anywho, what is everyone giving up for Lent? I will give up the one thing I give up every year. I am giving up Lent for Lent. I mean, my birthday is ALWAYS during Lent. No fun!
Here's a better question: what are you EATING for Mardi Gras? Jambalaya? Gator? Right now, I wish I was having gumbo from Brenda's French Soul Food. *sigh*
Right now as I am typing this, there is a dope block party going on in the Fillmore. Or should I say "Feel-mo?" I work 5 minutes away from there and I feel like such a wretched fail for not joining on the fun! I am so excited for the Fillmore. So many new restos opening in that area this year! Looking forward to Hapa Ramen setting up shop!
One place Keat and I checked out over there earlier this year is Gussie's on Fillmore and Eddy. Lemme just say, it's LEGIT! Mac n' cheese, collards, corn bread, candied yams. Yum! I know for sure they are having a special for tonight's festivities, so if you're in the area, check it. Oh I must not forget: they have RED VELVET WAFFLES. Keat had the original waffles and after the meal, he said, "F (the other well-known chicken and waffle spot)!"
Mmmmmhhhhhmmmmmmm...
=D
Have a great one y'all and let the good times roll! I, on the other hand, will be in bed. Haha, goodnight y'all!
xoxo,
Jo
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Dead Presidents Weekend - Doing Absolutely Nothing
In all honesty, I did a lot of nothing this weekend...aside from getting a nice buzz off of Mai Tais at Smugglers Cove for Ate Lara's Sweet 16x2, nothing really. I think this silence and relaxation is much needed. The next week at work will be crazy. New boss starting on Tuesday. Jesus help us!
So what have you been doing? Playing lots of Bejeweled, laying in bed, and staring into space. This morning for brunch, I made a fried rice omelet using leftovers from Saturday night. I'm mighty proud of it. Pretty. I didn't have oyster sauce so I used spicy banana ketchup. I also went through some really old pix today...for some reason, I was really nostalgic today so yup, been thinking a lot but physically doing nothing and it feels wonderful! As you can see the lack of stimulation in my neurons has even made my vocabulary sound like a 4th grader's. Ha, but in the 4th grade, my aptitude test said I had the vocabulary of a 7th grader. Anywho, I digress.
Tomorrow? Maybe more nothing :) love it!
Goodnight! Love you all!
xoxo,
Jo
So what have you been doing? Playing lots of Bejeweled, laying in bed, and staring into space. This morning for brunch, I made a fried rice omelet using leftovers from Saturday night. I'm mighty proud of it. Pretty. I didn't have oyster sauce so I used spicy banana ketchup. I also went through some really old pix today...for some reason, I was really nostalgic today so yup, been thinking a lot but physically doing nothing and it feels wonderful! As you can see the lack of stimulation in my neurons has even made my vocabulary sound like a 4th grader's. Ha, but in the 4th grade, my aptitude test said I had the vocabulary of a 7th grader. Anywho, I digress.
Tomorrow? Maybe more nothing :) love it!
Goodnight! Love you all!
xoxo,
Jo
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
[rant] What's the Point?! >=(
February is exhausting me.
LOL! Seriously. It started off innocently, but so much has been happening since then. I was at Urban Tavern at the America's Test Kitchen SF Blogger Meet Up last night (total whim) and got to network with new and old friends. Even got a date set up with Annelies! w00t! Sometimes we need to get back to our blogger roots and reconnect with others who have the same love for food and writing as we do. I saw my girl Steph (#1) of Lick My Spoon, who said she couldn't believe February is almost over. Neither can I.
Okay, *breathe* here we go.
I honestly had a breakdown after I got back from Seattle. Even though I had an extraordinary time there, I began asking myself, "what is the point?" The point in trying to blog, the point in working my ass off at my 9to5, the point in promoting Filipino food, etc. atbp. I asked questions like, "Should I leave SF?" "Should I stop writing?" "Should I quit my job?" "Is what I am doing with Filipino food promotion enough?" "Does anyone really care anymore?" All the while, I was physically sick with chronic migraines and at one point, I believe a sinus infection. February kicked my butt.
So February 16 comes, (yesterday) and here I am feeling so frickin' kawawa (pityful) for myself. I log onto my computer and see that these two videos are posted on Facebook within an hour or so of each other:
This video is of kapaMEALya celebrating Christmas/Noche Buena at Intramuros Restaurant. The great Kenrick Mercado created it with interviews he conducted and video/photos he captured. I love it!
This one is from Kulinarya 2012 which Chef Ron Bilaro and TFC's Adobo Nation made. While I don't have direct face time with the camera, you can see my backside a lot lol. Chef Bilaro and I were judges for this Filipino cooking showdown and I sat to the left of him.
I mean was this a sign or what? Somewhere along the way I forgot what my goal was, and for some reason, the world literally made me see it again. Thank you Vimeo and YouTube. These videos couldn't have come at a better time. The day gets even better - I get a visit at work from my favorite pharm rep Andy who is always fun to chat with, then my coworker treats me to some San Tung chicken wings for lunch, then this:
Okay, I WILL be perfectly honest. I think it was a blessing for me to see the RT that Irvin put on Twitter last night. I knew it was about the America's Test Kitchen wanting to gather the SF Food Bloggers together, but it was one Twitter handle that caught my attention.
I'm going to call her out on this too:
@skinnyjeans
Skinnyjeans, aka Stephanie (#2), is a healthy living blogger and author of the latest book I read, "Death of a Road Warrior." It struck a chord with me because it had to do with relationships and getting burnt out at work and yes, emotions. I saw her handle being RT'ed on my stream and I KNEW I had to meet her. Not to gush at how her book helped me after I read it last month, but to meet the woman after all the darkness...frankly, I was going through my own. I didn't outright tell her who I was when I butted my way into a conversation she was having with another Steph (#3) (there were 3 Stephs at the meet up btw haha get the #'s?). I just listened to her and introduced myself right before I left. Hopefully she did remember who I was since we corresponded on Twitter, but it was great to meet her IRL knowing how the book did relate to my own experiences.
After the meet up, I had dinner - ramen and gyoza and a ceviche tostada with Bubz.
You know that Ice Cube song where he raps about it being a good day? =P Yup, on point. I even did my nails last night. They're fierce. Magenta base with black zebra stripes. So now my spirits are lifted and ready to tackle the rest of the month and my birthmonth! March babies, what's up?! Lemme just say I slept like a baby last night!
So here we are - February 17 - it's my anniversary with Bubz. <3
This morning on the train, I met a young lady who is visiting from out of town. She asked me if I was local and if I could help her regarding her plans. Between Daly City and Civic Center station, we discovered we were both bloggers and that we are both at a point of rediscovering life and what the world has to offer. We exchanged blogs after we exited the train. LOL. Though we had to part ways rather quickly because I had to head to work, I am hoping we keep in touch. I am looking forward to see what she did on her trip here. She is traveling the City ALONE. Wow, I would LOVE to do that one day. Just pick up a bag, stuff it with clothes, and GO!
Okay, here's another thing.
I'm going to Boston and NYC in April!
I've already requested time off, so now I am just waiting to book my tickets and lodging. I am so stoked! Initially, I wanted to make it a "soul-searching" trip...meaning I would go by myself, but the kapaMEALya fam was going to NYC at the same time. Perfect opportunity to have a trip together. Maybe my soul isn't meant to be alone. Maybe it's meant to share experiences with my fam? Who knows? Anywho, last night, I met Steph (#3) who is in charge of the community aspect at America's Test Kitchen and invited me to their HQ in Boston! Dope. Wishful thinking, but I hope Kimball is there. I am also looking forward to the NYC leg of the trip so we/kapaMEALya can hit up Purple Yam and meet the awesome Amy Besa! She just responded to a message I tagged in on Facebook this morning.
Serendipity.
Sometimes the world works in mysterious ways.
In retrospect, maybe February wasn't too bad. A lot of what I had planned didn't happen, but much of the happiness I did have was from pure serendipity. Sometimes I need to relax, let Jesus take the wheel and pray. I trust He has a plan. I know I have never been so God-loving on the blog, but for some reason now I feel as though I do need to give thanks because I have been truly blessed. It occurred to me that I have the "grass is greener on the other side" mentality. I constantly want to make aspects of my life better just so that I wouldn't have to worry about the "other side" since "my side" is great as it is. I suppose it's just "motivation," right?
I apologize for my rant, but I want to thank all of you for supporting and being there for me, especially my friends, family, and of course God.
So what IS the point?
Everyone has their own meaning.
All I know is that I am getting there.
xoxo,
Jo
PS: More happiness tonight, it's Lara's birthday! Heading to Smuggler's Cove tonight with kapaMEALya! Maybe I will see you there!
PPS: Right after I hit "publish," this Filipino Foodie guide is posted on FB. Well then, I guess we have some places to go to in NYC! Was that meant or was that meant?
LOL! Seriously. It started off innocently, but so much has been happening since then. I was at Urban Tavern at the America's Test Kitchen SF Blogger Meet Up last night (total whim) and got to network with new and old friends. Even got a date set up with Annelies! w00t! Sometimes we need to get back to our blogger roots and reconnect with others who have the same love for food and writing as we do. I saw my girl Steph (#1) of Lick My Spoon, who said she couldn't believe February is almost over. Neither can I.
Okay, *breathe* here we go.
I honestly had a breakdown after I got back from Seattle. Even though I had an extraordinary time there, I began asking myself, "what is the point?" The point in trying to blog, the point in working my ass off at my 9to5, the point in promoting Filipino food, etc. atbp. I asked questions like, "Should I leave SF?" "Should I stop writing?" "Should I quit my job?" "Is what I am doing with Filipino food promotion enough?" "Does anyone really care anymore?" All the while, I was physically sick with chronic migraines and at one point, I believe a sinus infection. February kicked my butt.
So February 16 comes, (yesterday) and here I am feeling so frickin' kawawa (pityful) for myself. I log onto my computer and see that these two videos are posted on Facebook within an hour or so of each other:
KULINARYA: Noche Buena - KAPAMEALYA at INTRAMUROS Restaurant & Lounge from Kenny Kusina on Vimeo.
This video is of kapaMEALya celebrating Christmas/Noche Buena at Intramuros Restaurant. The great Kenrick Mercado created it with interviews he conducted and video/photos he captured. I love it!
This one is from Kulinarya 2012 which Chef Ron Bilaro and TFC's Adobo Nation made. While I don't have direct face time with the camera, you can see my backside a lot lol. Chef Bilaro and I were judges for this Filipino cooking showdown and I sat to the left of him.
I mean was this a sign or what? Somewhere along the way I forgot what my goal was, and for some reason, the world literally made me see it again. Thank you Vimeo and YouTube. These videos couldn't have come at a better time. The day gets even better - I get a visit at work from my favorite pharm rep Andy who is always fun to chat with, then my coworker treats me to some San Tung chicken wings for lunch, then this:
Okay, I WILL be perfectly honest. I think it was a blessing for me to see the RT that Irvin put on Twitter last night. I knew it was about the America's Test Kitchen wanting to gather the SF Food Bloggers together, but it was one Twitter handle that caught my attention.
I'm going to call her out on this too:
@skinnyjeans
Skinnyjeans, aka Stephanie (#2), is a healthy living blogger and author of the latest book I read, "Death of a Road Warrior." It struck a chord with me because it had to do with relationships and getting burnt out at work and yes, emotions. I saw her handle being RT'ed on my stream and I KNEW I had to meet her. Not to gush at how her book helped me after I read it last month, but to meet the woman after all the darkness...frankly, I was going through my own. I didn't outright tell her who I was when I butted my way into a conversation she was having with another Steph (#3) (there were 3 Stephs at the meet up btw haha get the #'s?). I just listened to her and introduced myself right before I left. Hopefully she did remember who I was since we corresponded on Twitter, but it was great to meet her IRL knowing how the book did relate to my own experiences.
After the meet up, I had dinner - ramen and gyoza and a ceviche tostada with Bubz.
You know that Ice Cube song where he raps about it being a good day? =P Yup, on point. I even did my nails last night. They're fierce. Magenta base with black zebra stripes. So now my spirits are lifted and ready to tackle the rest of the month and my birthmonth! March babies, what's up?! Lemme just say I slept like a baby last night!So here we are - February 17 - it's my anniversary with Bubz. <3
This morning on the train, I met a young lady who is visiting from out of town. She asked me if I was local and if I could help her regarding her plans. Between Daly City and Civic Center station, we discovered we were both bloggers and that we are both at a point of rediscovering life and what the world has to offer. We exchanged blogs after we exited the train. LOL. Though we had to part ways rather quickly because I had to head to work, I am hoping we keep in touch. I am looking forward to see what she did on her trip here. She is traveling the City ALONE. Wow, I would LOVE to do that one day. Just pick up a bag, stuff it with clothes, and GO!
Okay, here's another thing.
I'm going to Boston and NYC in April!
I've already requested time off, so now I am just waiting to book my tickets and lodging. I am so stoked! Initially, I wanted to make it a "soul-searching" trip...meaning I would go by myself, but the kapaMEALya fam was going to NYC at the same time. Perfect opportunity to have a trip together. Maybe my soul isn't meant to be alone. Maybe it's meant to share experiences with my fam? Who knows? Anywho, last night, I met Steph (#3) who is in charge of the community aspect at America's Test Kitchen and invited me to their HQ in Boston! Dope. Wishful thinking, but I hope Kimball is there. I am also looking forward to the NYC leg of the trip so we/kapaMEALya can hit up Purple Yam and meet the awesome Amy Besa! She just responded to a message I tagged in on Facebook this morning.
Serendipity.
Sometimes the world works in mysterious ways.
In retrospect, maybe February wasn't too bad. A lot of what I had planned didn't happen, but much of the happiness I did have was from pure serendipity. Sometimes I need to relax, let Jesus take the wheel and pray. I trust He has a plan. I know I have never been so God-loving on the blog, but for some reason now I feel as though I do need to give thanks because I have been truly blessed. It occurred to me that I have the "grass is greener on the other side" mentality. I constantly want to make aspects of my life better just so that I wouldn't have to worry about the "other side" since "my side" is great as it is. I suppose it's just "motivation," right?
I apologize for my rant, but I want to thank all of you for supporting and being there for me, especially my friends, family, and of course God.
So what IS the point?
Everyone has their own meaning.
All I know is that I am getting there.
xoxo,
Jo
PS: More happiness tonight, it's Lara's birthday! Heading to Smuggler's Cove tonight with kapaMEALya! Maybe I will see you there!
PPS: Right after I hit "publish," this Filipino Foodie guide is posted on FB. Well then, I guess we have some places to go to in NYC! Was that meant or was that meant?
Links to this post
Labels:
blogging
,
boston
,
emotions
,
feelings
,
NYC
,
Serendipity
,
stress
,
what is the point
,
Work
Labels:
blogging
,
boston
,
emotions
,
feelings
,
NYC
,
Serendipity
,
stress
,
what is the point
,
Work
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - Valentine's Day at Colibri Mexican Bistro
I am just posting the pix from our dinner at Colibri Mexican Bistro since it's Wordless Wednesday. Maybe I'll come back with some words later, but here's the PDF menu link if you want to play "guess the dish." Hope you all had a pleasant Valentine's Day.
- Jo
- Jo
Monday, February 13, 2012
[contest entry] - Round 2 - Crisostomo at Resorts World in Pasay
Thanks for visiting my 2nd round entry of the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger contest. We were given a list of Filipino restaurants to write about. I’ve been to a few of locations on the list: Gerry’s Grill has locations here in California. I stayed at the Marriott and went to Resorts World in Pasay (#25 on the list) where I dined at Johnny Chow’s and Crisostomo – there I witnessed a taping of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.
Crisostomo is dubbed as “turn of the century Filipino dining.” The menu items are cleverly named after characters in Jose Rizal’s book “Noli me Tangere” published at the end of the 19th century. Though I didn’t eat it, the “Juana” - itlog ng isda - caught my eye because it’s my Inang’s name!
I chatted with actors on the set - Ram and JF from Bicol. I asked for their views on food in the Philippines. Why? We are in our 20’s and have Filipino blood. The main difference was demographic. They resided in the Philippines while I was raised in the States. Filipino food has always struck a chord with me because it brings me back to the days my Inang would make me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I want to preserve it especially in the States where traditions are changing.
They said if we wanted to know “real” Filipino food, we should go to the province. Luckily we just came back from Pangasinan, so we already tasted countryside fare. What about the modernization of Filipino food? They said while some younger people embrace it, there are others who prefer traditional. However, there is no right or wrong answer.
Back to the food at Crisostomo – the menu featured beautifully plated dishes which have roots in Filipino homes, but also have items that are a sneak peak into the future. The refreshing iced tea had a hint of verdant pandan while the chicken sisig was pleasantly astringent with onions though blanketed in a creamy sauce. The “Kang Kong Selo,” consisting of a vegetable which has graced my dinner table many times growing up, was ornamented with garlic bits and succulent pieces of lechon kawali – a guilty pleasure for those who lust after pork belly.
Restaurants like Crisostomo want to keep the flavors of Filipino cuisine alive, yet present their dishes in an elegant way. After all, you eat with all your five senses – from the sound of the dish’s name, the aroma of the steam wafting from the sizzling platter, the site of the blistered skin on the pork, to the feeling of the cold beverage cleansing your palate.
It is important to keep Filipino flavors in the forefront and to maintain the integrity of the dish even while modernizing the recipe. This is a vital part of Filipino food advocacy. It should be a focus to never forget where these recipes come from and to educate future generations since our cuisine is such a major part of our heritage and history.
Jo
Crisostomo is dubbed as “turn of the century Filipino dining.” The menu items are cleverly named after characters in Jose Rizal’s book “Noli me Tangere” published at the end of the 19th century. Though I didn’t eat it, the “Juana” - itlog ng isda - caught my eye because it’s my Inang’s name!
I chatted with actors on the set - Ram and JF from Bicol. I asked for their views on food in the Philippines. Why? We are in our 20’s and have Filipino blood. The main difference was demographic. They resided in the Philippines while I was raised in the States. Filipino food has always struck a chord with me because it brings me back to the days my Inang would make me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I want to preserve it especially in the States where traditions are changing.
They said if we wanted to know “real” Filipino food, we should go to the province. Luckily we just came back from Pangasinan, so we already tasted countryside fare. What about the modernization of Filipino food? They said while some younger people embrace it, there are others who prefer traditional. However, there is no right or wrong answer.
Back to the food at Crisostomo – the menu featured beautifully plated dishes which have roots in Filipino homes, but also have items that are a sneak peak into the future. The refreshing iced tea had a hint of verdant pandan while the chicken sisig was pleasantly astringent with onions though blanketed in a creamy sauce. The “Kang Kong Selo,” consisting of a vegetable which has graced my dinner table many times growing up, was ornamented with garlic bits and succulent pieces of lechon kawali – a guilty pleasure for those who lust after pork belly.
Restaurants like Crisostomo want to keep the flavors of Filipino cuisine alive, yet present their dishes in an elegant way. After all, you eat with all your five senses – from the sound of the dish’s name, the aroma of the steam wafting from the sizzling platter, the site of the blistered skin on the pork, to the feeling of the cold beverage cleansing your palate.
It is important to keep Filipino flavors in the forefront and to maintain the integrity of the dish even while modernizing the recipe. This is a vital part of Filipino food advocacy. It should be a focus to never forget where these recipes come from and to educate future generations since our cuisine is such a major part of our heritage and history.
Jo
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Caught a Bug
Actually, I think I caught two.
One is this bug that has been plaguing me since Friday morning. I have this splitting headache and I have some weird mucus problem in my sinuses and throat. I keep waking up in the middle of the night because I can't breathe through my nose. I've been in bed all weekend. Trust me, my mind has been itching to get up and go out, but my body can't. I don't know what's going on with me. Keaton has offered to take me to the ER but I told him only if I am not able to stand on my own. Plus ER visits are expensive. Blah. I hate this.
Okay, now for the other bug. After my extraordinary visit to Seattle last weekend, I have this urge to visit other places this year. It doesn't look like I will be able to go to the Philippines this year. I am thinking Boston and NYC in April.
Why?
I'm vain.
There is a resto in Boston called Brasserie Jo AND Lady Gaga's parents opened a new resto in NYC called Trattoria Joanne.
Ohhhhh yeah!
Told you. Vain.
My main concern right now is to get better. Can't travel if I feel like crap right? I'm just praying this headache goes away soon. I despise migraines and how debilitating they are. I've spent majority of my weekend laying down. Now fun at all.
So God, please make this pain go away. Thank you...
xoxo,
Jo
One is this bug that has been plaguing me since Friday morning. I have this splitting headache and I have some weird mucus problem in my sinuses and throat. I keep waking up in the middle of the night because I can't breathe through my nose. I've been in bed all weekend. Trust me, my mind has been itching to get up and go out, but my body can't. I don't know what's going on with me. Keaton has offered to take me to the ER but I told him only if I am not able to stand on my own. Plus ER visits are expensive. Blah. I hate this.
Okay, now for the other bug. After my extraordinary visit to Seattle last weekend, I have this urge to visit other places this year. It doesn't look like I will be able to go to the Philippines this year. I am thinking Boston and NYC in April.
Why?
I'm vain.
There is a resto in Boston called Brasserie Jo AND Lady Gaga's parents opened a new resto in NYC called Trattoria Joanne.
Ohhhhh yeah!
Told you. Vain.
My main concern right now is to get better. Can't travel if I feel like crap right? I'm just praying this headache goes away soon. I despise migraines and how debilitating they are. I've spent majority of my weekend laying down. Now fun at all.
So God, please make this pain go away. Thank you...
xoxo,
Jo
Thursday, February 9, 2012
My Trip to the Emerald City - #2daysinseattle
Hi loves!
Can you believe it is February already?! I can see 2012 flying by as fast as 2011 did. I am still high off of the #2daysinseattle trip that I took with Keaton last weekend. #2daysinseattle? You're probably wondering why it's formatted that way.
Let's start from the beginning.
I received an email from Klout in January indicating I was qualified for a perk - a weekend trip to Seattle! This campaign, hosted by the Seattle Convention and Visitor Bureau, launched last week with the goal of attracting more visitors to the Emerald City. Billboards, buses, and subway stations in Vancouver, Portland, and San Francisco were posted to do just that. Moreover, 10 "influential" social media users (all are on Twitter) from each city were granted a weekend trip to Seattle...and yes, I was one of the people chosen. I was thrilled.
I don't know exactly what Klout's formula was for choosing us, but based on the curator list, we were influential in the following topics of food (me), music, art & culture, and wine & drinks with Klout scores above 50.
Now, the reason why the title of my post is "#2daysinseattle" is this: if you are on Twitter/Instagram/etc. adding the hashtag enables social media users to see all posts tagged with that hashtag. It was really fun to click on the tag on Twitter to see all the other visitors' posts. It's real time and real fun. I was in the first wave of visitors. The 2nd is going 10th-12th and the last wave is going the 17th-19th.
So here you have it, loves. My #2daysinseattle:
- Friday, February 3, 2012 -
After I claimed my perk, I was contacted by the awesome DESA at Klout. She took care of scheduling my flight and hotel check-in. They set me up with Alaskan Airlines and the flight from SFO to SEA-TAC was only about 1 hour and 45 minutes. We landed at around 11:30.
Let me start off by saying that we walked everywhere. We decided NOT to rent a car. It would have cost us nearly $300 for Fri-Sat-Sun. Uh no. Walking in Seattle was a pleasure. The weather was perfect. Sunshine and crisp clean air. Couldn't ask for a more ideal weekend.
The W Hotel Welcoming Us to Seattle
They also booked us at The W Hotel. Because we were walking everywhere, we appreciated that the hotel was so close to Pike Place and all the other places we wanted to go to for lunch. Claire at the W hooked us up with a "fabulous" corner room on the 22nd floor. Love. We were excited to see the table set up with a personalized platter of goodies. We enjoyed the pistachio-chocolate shortbread, caramel-y nutty apple morsel, and flatbread with tomatoes and goat cheese.
Lunch at Salumi in Pioneer Square
For lunch, we went to Mario Batali's parents' sandwich shop in Pioneer Square. Fearing we would miss some of the specials after the lunch rush, we headed over there right after we checked into the W. Fortunately for us, they only ran out of a couple of things. We opted for the mole salami and mozzarella sandwich - TO DIE FOR. I love the chocolate and spice in the salami. Incred. If I was not mistaken, Mario Batali's dad was at the register. He was so warm and welcoming. Loved it.
Visiting the Wing Luke Museum
After our bite to eat, we headed to the International District of Seattle. Keat spotted a dim sum shop selling dumplings for cheap so we stopped by for char siu bao and dan tat. A little more walking and we finally found ourselves at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. I really wanted to just see their special exhibit titled, "From Fields to Family: Asian Pacific Americans and Food." It was a fantastic exhibit about Asian food history in the States. I loved how they included Filipino food! This exhibit was MEANT for me because I want Filipino cuisine to be recognized in America. Exhibits like this one educates and at the same time conjures memories and ignites ideas for the future.
Tour of the Chinatown Hotel Next to the Museum
Included with the admission price is a 45 minute-tour of the Chinatown Hotel and Yick Fung Company store. Our tour guide Don took us back into time. We walked the hallways where Asian cannery workers did almost 100 years ago. We saw the faces of the workers on newspapers and photos on the walls. We went into the room of the "Alaskeros" or Filipino migrant workers. It really was an emotional tour. I nearly cried when I saw a picture of a Filipino worker who looked like my Tatay! Thank you, AJ for suggesting this visit.
In Honor Of...
As a Fil-Am, the tour opened up my eyes to what my family had to go through to start a new life here in the States. My stepfather worked in Alaska when I was a kid and my granduncle sailed on US Navy ships across the Pacific Ocean after WWII. There was so much to learn at the Wing and it only makes me appreciate my family more. Without their struggles and the struggles of other Filipinos, we wouldn't be here today.
Pho Bac - International District
The exhibit and tour only made us hungry for Asian food, so we dropped by Pho Ba[c] just around the corner from the museum. The service is fab. I loved our server. It was like eating at a relative's house. We ordered spring rolls, Vietnamese coffee, and pho with rare steak. The broth was SO good. I have had a lot of pho in my life and this one is one of the best. Really. Something about it. IDK exactly. It was awesome.
Views from the 73rd Floor of the Columbia Tower
The Tallest Building West of the Mississippi
We came here by accident. We were walking from International District back to the hotel. Keat had a hankering for coffee, so we stopped by the first Starbucks we saw. It just so happened to be at this really tall building. He ordered a drip coffee and started taking pix of his "first Seattle coffee." So touristy. THESE GUYS asked if we were visiting, as if it wasn't THAT obvious, and when we said yes, they urged us to go to the Sky Deck on the 73rd floor to see the sun setting. Eventually we would learn that this was the Columbia Tower - the tallest building west of the Mississippi. We knew we had to go up there somehow. Long story short: we raced up the escalators, asked the security guard how to get up there, we were told it closed at 5:00 (we checked in at 5:07), we pleaded a bit, but he got his manager to escort us up there...plus we were not charged the entrance fee. FTW! We caught the sunset by mere seconds. Any longer, we would have missed it. So gorgeous.
After a quick nap back at the hotel, we got ready for dinner at the Space Needle. Keat loves views, so we decided to see the city lights at the top of the iconic landmark. We had a satisfying meal of buratta, seafood stew, and a nice juicy steak. For drinks, Keat had a beer and bacon-infused vodka. Yup. He loved it. Me, not so much. But my milkshake called the Mount Rainier with chocolate, hazelnut, and Irish Cream was good enough that we did not have to order dessert.
Enjoying the views! Windy, but beautiful!
Next: We walked back to our hotel and I TKO'ed.
- Saturday, February 4, 2012 -
Quick Breakfast at The Crumpet Shop
Saturday was going to be a busy busy day. We started off with a complimentary car ride courtesy of The W, Starwood Hotels, and Acura. Called the Acura Experience, guests of the hotel can get a ride anywhere Downtown in the new Acura MDX. It was a pretty shnazzy car. Our great Acura Ambassador drove us to 1st and Pike where we were to meet with our Savor Seattle tour group. He did however drop us off in front of The Crumpet Shop...and you know what happened next. Keat got the pesto, tomato, and parmesan cheese while I got the lemon curd and ricotta. LOVE. The crumpets, which they make fresh in-house, was nicely crisp on the bottom and the middle was tender and pillowy. So good. My only regret was not grabbing a pack of crumpets to take home!
With 2 minutes to spare, we met our Savor Seattle tour group at the Starbucks on 1st and Pike where we had a taste of a chai tea latte. After we got our headsets and introduced ourselves, we made our way to Pike Place Market! I waited all week for this! Once inside, we were treated to a yummy cinnamon sugar mini doughnut from Daily Dozen. BTW, our guide Santino is from SF as well. He was fantabulous!
Next we had MarketSpice's signature cinnamon-orange tea. Talk about a lovely tea to warm you from the inside out! You can't think of Seattle without remembering the Pike Place Fish guys who throw the fish from one side of the market to the other! Before any throwing, we tasted 3 salmon treats given by fish monger Ryan - smoked salmon, garlic smoked salmon, and salmon jerky. The first one knocked my socks off, but it's pretty much default that the seafood in Seattle is top notch. So fresh and so tasty.
Next we went to the other side of the market to watch fish monger Taho throw and catch salmon. It was a lot of fun to see and hear them chanting. Right in front of Pike Place Fish is Rachel the Pig. She is the mascot and piggy bank of the market. Next came Frank's Quality produce where we tasted crisp jazz apple and Bartlett pear.
Okay, let's stop for a moment. The chowder at Pike Place Chowder is amazeballs. It is no wonder why they have won so many awards. Because Keat is allergic to seafood, they provided a vegetarian and chicken chowder for him to try. So good (yeah, you're going to hear me say that a lot). We got a sweet treat next at Chukar Cherries with a lovely cherry salsa on tortilla chips and a quintet of candies: dried Northwest Bing cherry, milk chocolate covered cherry, dark chocolate cherry, raspberry truffle (a cranberry center layered with white chocolate and a dusting of tangy raspberry), and MY FAVE a honey pecan (a crisp, caramelized pecan doused in smooth milk chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar). I bought a pack of honey pecans to bring home to SF!
Now time for the rich stuff. We went to Beecher's Cheese and watched the separation of curds and whey. Their cheddar on hazelnut crackers was delicious! The same cheddar was used to make their macaroni and cheese...also known as Oprah's favorite mac n cheese. It was legit! Piroshky-Piroshky did not disappoint with their savory beef and cheese and sweet cinnamon apple piroshkies. My friends back home suggested this and I was so glad it was on the tour. Our last stop was Etta's Seafood where I tried the crabcake and Keat tried the apple sorbet. The crabcake was nicely crisp and went well with the tartar sauce. Great ending to the tour!
In the goodie bag we received at the W were two complimentary tickets for the Ride the Ducks tour. Right after our Pike Place excursion, we walked to Seattle Center to catch the 2:00 tour. Our captain, Clem Chowder, took us to the Waterfront down to Miner's Landing, up passed Pike's Place, Pioneer Square and onto the freeway to Lake Union where we spent much of our tour. The water was lovely. Though it was chilly out, it was nice to spend time on the water.
It was hard to believe we were hungry after the Ride the Ducks tour...but we were. Savor Seattle gave us a VIP card that granted us discounts to their partners and this was one of the places. Serious Pie was on the way back to the hotel, so we stopped by for some pizza pie! This was another place my friends urged me to visit - I could see why. The dry-cured meat plate with olives and almonds were a perfect start especially with those briny green chilies. The two pizzas were: 1) roasted hedgehog mushrooms with truffle cheese and 2) duck confit, leeks with creamy crescenza cheese. Talk about luxe pizza! This is one of those times I wish I had a second stomach.
Lunch #2 - Seattle Cream Cheese Hot Dogs!
Midway to the hotel, we decided to head back to Pike Place. On our way there, we stumbled upon a Seattle hot dog stand. I knew right away this was a place we had to stop at. I mean, come on! Grilled hot dog and CREAM CHEESE! Ahhhhh! There is no need to explain how good it was.
Visited the 1st Starbucks
Yes, I'm a groupie. Recently, I reignited my love with coffee. We broke up for about 5 years. Now, I need at least 2 cups a day. I know, it's so sad. I didn't think I would be that type of person be a morning coffee drinker. Alas, Starbucks gets my mouth watering in the morning. Visiting the first Starbucks only made sense on this trip. Yes, groupie. But really...it's history! Yes, groupie. I heart Starbucks!
Famous Seattle Gum Wall
Our fried Kuya Chip sent us a text that morning to visit this wall. I don't know about this thing. Haha, I was amused, then grossed out, then determined to make my contribution, then proud I did my part in adding to the wall, then back to grossed out. Not for everyone, but it's fun!
Gourmet Dog Japon on 2nd Avenue
By this time, we were EXHAUSTED! I was ready to knock out...but not before grabbing a Japanese hot dog for dinner! I ordered the Matsuri with nori strips, mayo, and teriyaki onion and Keat got the Jaga Beef Hash Hot Dog with yes, corned beef hash. I hate to admit it, but I preferred his over mine.
Next: I TKO'ed. Seriously. At like 7:00 pm. I'm weaksauce!
Before I move on, I just want to say that I LOVE Pike Place Market. There are so many different vendors and foods to try. Each time I came, I saw something new. I foolishly asked, "How is it different from the Ferry Building Marketplace in SF?" Looking back, you can't really compare the two. Each has its own personality. Its own landscape and climate. Its own vibe and flavor. If you haven't been, please go, especially if you love food like I do. The people who make and serve the food to you will only add to the experience and make your dish taste even better.
- Sunday, February 5, 2012 -
Breakfast #1 - Top Pot Doughnuts
Our last day in Seattle. I was genuinely sad. I had a list of places I wanted to go to, but there was no way I was going to get to every single one of them. One spot I DEFINITELY had to hit up was Top Pot. Yes, another place my friends advised me to visit. Thank you, friends, thank you. I loved my Bavarian doughnut topped with luscious chocolate ganache. Don't you think my latte looked gorg? If I had more time here or if I lived here, I wouldn't mind just chillin' here and blog. The guys behind the counter were beyond helpful and enthusiastic about their doughnuts.
Breakfast #2 - Piroshky-Piroshky
We HAD to come back. We did come the previous night before going to Starbucks, but they already ran out of many of their piroshkies. AJ suggested I get the chocolate hazelnut and salmon pate. I got the choc-hazelnut one for my sister back home and 2 salmon pates - one for AJ and one for me. To die for. Like AJ described...it melts in your mouth. It takes no effort to eat. So light, yet the salmon filling is incredibly tasty. Keat got the beef and cheese, the same one we had during our tour. It was still warm and fresh - so good.
Breakfast #3 - Etta's Seafood Restaurant
Etta's was the last spot we visited during our tour the day before. I really liked their crabcake, so I wanted to see what else they offered. I ordered the market house corned beef hash with over easy eggs rather than the poached and Keat ordered "Etta's Breakfast" which consisted of two scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, duck fat fried home fries. My lychee white tea was a great drink - 1) it was nice and hot, perfect for this chilly Sunday and 2) I liked the sweetness it had. The corned beef hash was fantastic. It would have been perfect if I had steamed rice on the side!
Breakfast #4 - Oriental Mart
I was determined to come to this Filipino-owned business after I watched a video of the store's history. While matriarch Mila Apostol was not there, we met her daughter Leila who started treating us like she was our auntie the moment we went to take a peek at the turo turo line. She served us chicken adobo with pancit and rice as we chatted about Filipino dramas, ticket prices for airplane trips back to the Phils...and Andrew Zimmern. He actually came by Oriental Mart and had their salmon sinigang! I made a vow to come visit Leila and Oriental Mart every visit to Seattle. I love the fam! Mabuhay Filipino food!
Frans Chocolates at the Four Seasons Hotel
From the moment we got to Seattle, Keat wanted to hit up Miner's Landing because of the arcade. On the way there, we stopped by Frans Chocolate located at the Four Seasons Hotel. This place is chocolate heaven. We got a gift card in our goodie bag, but I would still buy these chocolate without a gift card. The salted caramels are extraordinary. We had the opportunity to sample one before purchasing a whole box. The moment I bit into the grey salted-spiked chocolate and buttery caramel, I knew. Sold. The hotel itself is lovely.
Breakfast #5 - Sweet Iron Waffles on 3rd Avenue
I apologize for not taking pix of Keat at the arcade and Miner's Landing. I was tired. We also went to the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop to visit the mummies and grab gifts for my coworkers. This area kind of reminded me of Pier 39, but on a much smaller scale. After relaxing by the Argosy Cruise docks, we headed back towards the hotel. On the way there, I noticed Sweet Iron Waffles, a joint I wanted to visit at some point of the trip. Hey, we were leaving, so we had to make it count. It was nice to have something sweet to end the trip - I had the maple and bacon and Keat had the basil, brie, and bacon.
Four words: I was so full.
My #2daysinseattle was amazing. I didn't want to leave at all! Thank you again to Klout, SCVB, the W, and my friends all over the Internets for making this trip possible. I am grateful for all of you! The places I didn't get to this time around are definitely on the list for the next trip to the Emerald City. Trust me, there WILL be a next time. I fell in love with Seattle and its history, people, and food. I absolutely cannot wait to come back!
xoxo,
Jo
Disclosure: This trip was made possible by Klout and Seattle's Convention and Visitor Bureau. As part of this perk, I received complimentary airfare and hotel accommodations for myself and a guest (my husband) as well as $500 spending money in the form of a VISA gift card. Not everything on this trip was paid for with the VISA card. There was no obligation to do a recap of our stay. The opinions in the post are my own.
Can you believe it is February already?! I can see 2012 flying by as fast as 2011 did. I am still high off of the #2daysinseattle trip that I took with Keaton last weekend. #2daysinseattle? You're probably wondering why it's formatted that way.
Let's start from the beginning.
I received an email from Klout in January indicating I was qualified for a perk - a weekend trip to Seattle! This campaign, hosted by the Seattle Convention and Visitor Bureau, launched last week with the goal of attracting more visitors to the Emerald City. Billboards, buses, and subway stations in Vancouver, Portland, and San Francisco were posted to do just that. Moreover, 10 "influential" social media users (all are on Twitter) from each city were granted a weekend trip to Seattle...and yes, I was one of the people chosen. I was thrilled.
I don't know exactly what Klout's formula was for choosing us, but based on the curator list, we were influential in the following topics of food (me), music, art & culture, and wine & drinks with Klout scores above 50.
Now, the reason why the title of my post is "#2daysinseattle" is this: if you are on Twitter/Instagram/etc. adding the hashtag enables social media users to see all posts tagged with that hashtag. It was really fun to click on the tag on Twitter to see all the other visitors' posts. It's real time and real fun. I was in the first wave of visitors. The 2nd is going 10th-12th and the last wave is going the 17th-19th.
So here you have it, loves. My #2daysinseattle:
- Friday, February 3, 2012 -
After I claimed my perk, I was contacted by the awesome DESA at Klout. She took care of scheduling my flight and hotel check-in. They set me up with Alaskan Airlines and the flight from SFO to SEA-TAC was only about 1 hour and 45 minutes. We landed at around 11:30.
Let me start off by saying that we walked everywhere. We decided NOT to rent a car. It would have cost us nearly $300 for Fri-Sat-Sun. Uh no. Walking in Seattle was a pleasure. The weather was perfect. Sunshine and crisp clean air. Couldn't ask for a more ideal weekend.
The W Hotel Welcoming Us to Seattle
They also booked us at The W Hotel. Because we were walking everywhere, we appreciated that the hotel was so close to Pike Place and all the other places we wanted to go to for lunch. Claire at the W hooked us up with a "fabulous" corner room on the 22nd floor. Love. We were excited to see the table set up with a personalized platter of goodies. We enjoyed the pistachio-chocolate shortbread, caramel-y nutty apple morsel, and flatbread with tomatoes and goat cheese.
Lunch at Salumi in Pioneer Square
For lunch, we went to Mario Batali's parents' sandwich shop in Pioneer Square. Fearing we would miss some of the specials after the lunch rush, we headed over there right after we checked into the W. Fortunately for us, they only ran out of a couple of things. We opted for the mole salami and mozzarella sandwich - TO DIE FOR. I love the chocolate and spice in the salami. Incred. If I was not mistaken, Mario Batali's dad was at the register. He was so warm and welcoming. Loved it.
Visiting the Wing Luke Museum
After our bite to eat, we headed to the International District of Seattle. Keat spotted a dim sum shop selling dumplings for cheap so we stopped by for char siu bao and dan tat. A little more walking and we finally found ourselves at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. I really wanted to just see their special exhibit titled, "From Fields to Family: Asian Pacific Americans and Food." It was a fantastic exhibit about Asian food history in the States. I loved how they included Filipino food! This exhibit was MEANT for me because I want Filipino cuisine to be recognized in America. Exhibits like this one educates and at the same time conjures memories and ignites ideas for the future.
Tour of the Chinatown Hotel Next to the Museum
Included with the admission price is a 45 minute-tour of the Chinatown Hotel and Yick Fung Company store. Our tour guide Don took us back into time. We walked the hallways where Asian cannery workers did almost 100 years ago. We saw the faces of the workers on newspapers and photos on the walls. We went into the room of the "Alaskeros" or Filipino migrant workers. It really was an emotional tour. I nearly cried when I saw a picture of a Filipino worker who looked like my Tatay! Thank you, AJ for suggesting this visit.
In Honor Of...
As a Fil-Am, the tour opened up my eyes to what my family had to go through to start a new life here in the States. My stepfather worked in Alaska when I was a kid and my granduncle sailed on US Navy ships across the Pacific Ocean after WWII. There was so much to learn at the Wing and it only makes me appreciate my family more. Without their struggles and the struggles of other Filipinos, we wouldn't be here today.
Pho Bac - International District
The exhibit and tour only made us hungry for Asian food, so we dropped by Pho Ba[c] just around the corner from the museum. The service is fab. I loved our server. It was like eating at a relative's house. We ordered spring rolls, Vietnamese coffee, and pho with rare steak. The broth was SO good. I have had a lot of pho in my life and this one is one of the best. Really. Something about it. IDK exactly. It was awesome.
Views from the 73rd Floor of the Columbia Tower
The Tallest Building West of the Mississippi
We came here by accident. We were walking from International District back to the hotel. Keat had a hankering for coffee, so we stopped by the first Starbucks we saw. It just so happened to be at this really tall building. He ordered a drip coffee and started taking pix of his "first Seattle coffee." So touristy. THESE GUYS asked if we were visiting, as if it wasn't THAT obvious, and when we said yes, they urged us to go to the Sky Deck on the 73rd floor to see the sun setting. Eventually we would learn that this was the Columbia Tower - the tallest building west of the Mississippi. We knew we had to go up there somehow. Long story short: we raced up the escalators, asked the security guard how to get up there, we were told it closed at 5:00 (we checked in at 5:07), we pleaded a bit, but he got his manager to escort us up there...plus we were not charged the entrance fee. FTW! We caught the sunset by mere seconds. Any longer, we would have missed it. So gorgeous.
After a quick nap back at the hotel, we got ready for dinner at the Space Needle. Keat loves views, so we decided to see the city lights at the top of the iconic landmark. We had a satisfying meal of buratta, seafood stew, and a nice juicy steak. For drinks, Keat had a beer and bacon-infused vodka. Yup. He loved it. Me, not so much. But my milkshake called the Mount Rainier with chocolate, hazelnut, and Irish Cream was good enough that we did not have to order dessert.
Enjoying the views! Windy, but beautiful!
Next: We walked back to our hotel and I TKO'ed.
- Saturday, February 4, 2012 -
Quick Breakfast at The Crumpet Shop
Saturday was going to be a busy busy day. We started off with a complimentary car ride courtesy of The W, Starwood Hotels, and Acura. Called the Acura Experience, guests of the hotel can get a ride anywhere Downtown in the new Acura MDX. It was a pretty shnazzy car. Our great Acura Ambassador drove us to 1st and Pike where we were to meet with our Savor Seattle tour group. He did however drop us off in front of The Crumpet Shop...and you know what happened next. Keat got the pesto, tomato, and parmesan cheese while I got the lemon curd and ricotta. LOVE. The crumpets, which they make fresh in-house, was nicely crisp on the bottom and the middle was tender and pillowy. So good. My only regret was not grabbing a pack of crumpets to take home!
With 2 minutes to spare, we met our Savor Seattle tour group at the Starbucks on 1st and Pike where we had a taste of a chai tea latte. After we got our headsets and introduced ourselves, we made our way to Pike Place Market! I waited all week for this! Once inside, we were treated to a yummy cinnamon sugar mini doughnut from Daily Dozen. BTW, our guide Santino is from SF as well. He was fantabulous!
Next we had MarketSpice's signature cinnamon-orange tea. Talk about a lovely tea to warm you from the inside out! You can't think of Seattle without remembering the Pike Place Fish guys who throw the fish from one side of the market to the other! Before any throwing, we tasted 3 salmon treats given by fish monger Ryan - smoked salmon, garlic smoked salmon, and salmon jerky. The first one knocked my socks off, but it's pretty much default that the seafood in Seattle is top notch. So fresh and so tasty.
Next we went to the other side of the market to watch fish monger Taho throw and catch salmon. It was a lot of fun to see and hear them chanting. Right in front of Pike Place Fish is Rachel the Pig. She is the mascot and piggy bank of the market. Next came Frank's Quality produce where we tasted crisp jazz apple and Bartlett pear.
Okay, let's stop for a moment. The chowder at Pike Place Chowder is amazeballs. It is no wonder why they have won so many awards. Because Keat is allergic to seafood, they provided a vegetarian and chicken chowder for him to try. So good (yeah, you're going to hear me say that a lot). We got a sweet treat next at Chukar Cherries with a lovely cherry salsa on tortilla chips and a quintet of candies: dried Northwest Bing cherry, milk chocolate covered cherry, dark chocolate cherry, raspberry truffle (a cranberry center layered with white chocolate and a dusting of tangy raspberry), and MY FAVE a honey pecan (a crisp, caramelized pecan doused in smooth milk chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar). I bought a pack of honey pecans to bring home to SF!
Now time for the rich stuff. We went to Beecher's Cheese and watched the separation of curds and whey. Their cheddar on hazelnut crackers was delicious! The same cheddar was used to make their macaroni and cheese...also known as Oprah's favorite mac n cheese. It was legit! Piroshky-Piroshky did not disappoint with their savory beef and cheese and sweet cinnamon apple piroshkies. My friends back home suggested this and I was so glad it was on the tour. Our last stop was Etta's Seafood where I tried the crabcake and Keat tried the apple sorbet. The crabcake was nicely crisp and went well with the tartar sauce. Great ending to the tour!
In the goodie bag we received at the W were two complimentary tickets for the Ride the Ducks tour. Right after our Pike Place excursion, we walked to Seattle Center to catch the 2:00 tour. Our captain, Clem Chowder, took us to the Waterfront down to Miner's Landing, up passed Pike's Place, Pioneer Square and onto the freeway to Lake Union where we spent much of our tour. The water was lovely. Though it was chilly out, it was nice to spend time on the water.
It was hard to believe we were hungry after the Ride the Ducks tour...but we were. Savor Seattle gave us a VIP card that granted us discounts to their partners and this was one of the places. Serious Pie was on the way back to the hotel, so we stopped by for some pizza pie! This was another place my friends urged me to visit - I could see why. The dry-cured meat plate with olives and almonds were a perfect start especially with those briny green chilies. The two pizzas were: 1) roasted hedgehog mushrooms with truffle cheese and 2) duck confit, leeks with creamy crescenza cheese. Talk about luxe pizza! This is one of those times I wish I had a second stomach.
Lunch #2 - Seattle Cream Cheese Hot Dogs!
Midway to the hotel, we decided to head back to Pike Place. On our way there, we stumbled upon a Seattle hot dog stand. I knew right away this was a place we had to stop at. I mean, come on! Grilled hot dog and CREAM CHEESE! Ahhhhh! There is no need to explain how good it was.
Visited the 1st Starbucks
Yes, I'm a groupie. Recently, I reignited my love with coffee. We broke up for about 5 years. Now, I need at least 2 cups a day. I know, it's so sad. I didn't think I would be that type of person be a morning coffee drinker. Alas, Starbucks gets my mouth watering in the morning. Visiting the first Starbucks only made sense on this trip. Yes, groupie. But really...it's history! Yes, groupie. I heart Starbucks!
Famous Seattle Gum Wall
Our fried Kuya Chip sent us a text that morning to visit this wall. I don't know about this thing. Haha, I was amused, then grossed out, then determined to make my contribution, then proud I did my part in adding to the wall, then back to grossed out. Not for everyone, but it's fun!
Gourmet Dog Japon on 2nd Avenue
By this time, we were EXHAUSTED! I was ready to knock out...but not before grabbing a Japanese hot dog for dinner! I ordered the Matsuri with nori strips, mayo, and teriyaki onion and Keat got the Jaga Beef Hash Hot Dog with yes, corned beef hash. I hate to admit it, but I preferred his over mine.
Next: I TKO'ed. Seriously. At like 7:00 pm. I'm weaksauce!
Before I move on, I just want to say that I LOVE Pike Place Market. There are so many different vendors and foods to try. Each time I came, I saw something new. I foolishly asked, "How is it different from the Ferry Building Marketplace in SF?" Looking back, you can't really compare the two. Each has its own personality. Its own landscape and climate. Its own vibe and flavor. If you haven't been, please go, especially if you love food like I do. The people who make and serve the food to you will only add to the experience and make your dish taste even better.
- Sunday, February 5, 2012 -
Breakfast #1 - Top Pot Doughnuts
Our last day in Seattle. I was genuinely sad. I had a list of places I wanted to go to, but there was no way I was going to get to every single one of them. One spot I DEFINITELY had to hit up was Top Pot. Yes, another place my friends advised me to visit. Thank you, friends, thank you. I loved my Bavarian doughnut topped with luscious chocolate ganache. Don't you think my latte looked gorg? If I had more time here or if I lived here, I wouldn't mind just chillin' here and blog. The guys behind the counter were beyond helpful and enthusiastic about their doughnuts.
Breakfast #2 - Piroshky-Piroshky
We HAD to come back. We did come the previous night before going to Starbucks, but they already ran out of many of their piroshkies. AJ suggested I get the chocolate hazelnut and salmon pate. I got the choc-hazelnut one for my sister back home and 2 salmon pates - one for AJ and one for me. To die for. Like AJ described...it melts in your mouth. It takes no effort to eat. So light, yet the salmon filling is incredibly tasty. Keat got the beef and cheese, the same one we had during our tour. It was still warm and fresh - so good.
Breakfast #3 - Etta's Seafood Restaurant
Etta's was the last spot we visited during our tour the day before. I really liked their crabcake, so I wanted to see what else they offered. I ordered the market house corned beef hash with over easy eggs rather than the poached and Keat ordered "Etta's Breakfast" which consisted of two scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, duck fat fried home fries. My lychee white tea was a great drink - 1) it was nice and hot, perfect for this chilly Sunday and 2) I liked the sweetness it had. The corned beef hash was fantastic. It would have been perfect if I had steamed rice on the side!
Breakfast #4 - Oriental Mart
I was determined to come to this Filipino-owned business after I watched a video of the store's history. While matriarch Mila Apostol was not there, we met her daughter Leila who started treating us like she was our auntie the moment we went to take a peek at the turo turo line. She served us chicken adobo with pancit and rice as we chatted about Filipino dramas, ticket prices for airplane trips back to the Phils...and Andrew Zimmern. He actually came by Oriental Mart and had their salmon sinigang! I made a vow to come visit Leila and Oriental Mart every visit to Seattle. I love the fam! Mabuhay Filipino food!
Frans Chocolates at the Four Seasons Hotel
From the moment we got to Seattle, Keat wanted to hit up Miner's Landing because of the arcade. On the way there, we stopped by Frans Chocolate located at the Four Seasons Hotel. This place is chocolate heaven. We got a gift card in our goodie bag, but I would still buy these chocolate without a gift card. The salted caramels are extraordinary. We had the opportunity to sample one before purchasing a whole box. The moment I bit into the grey salted-spiked chocolate and buttery caramel, I knew. Sold. The hotel itself is lovely.
Breakfast #5 - Sweet Iron Waffles on 3rd Avenue
I apologize for not taking pix of Keat at the arcade and Miner's Landing. I was tired. We also went to the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop to visit the mummies and grab gifts for my coworkers. This area kind of reminded me of Pier 39, but on a much smaller scale. After relaxing by the Argosy Cruise docks, we headed back towards the hotel. On the way there, I noticed Sweet Iron Waffles, a joint I wanted to visit at some point of the trip. Hey, we were leaving, so we had to make it count. It was nice to have something sweet to end the trip - I had the maple and bacon and Keat had the basil, brie, and bacon.
Four words: I was so full.
My #2daysinseattle was amazing. I didn't want to leave at all! Thank you again to Klout, SCVB, the W, and my friends all over the Internets for making this trip possible. I am grateful for all of you! The places I didn't get to this time around are definitely on the list for the next trip to the Emerald City. Trust me, there WILL be a next time. I fell in love with Seattle and its history, people, and food. I absolutely cannot wait to come back!
xoxo,
Jo
Disclosure: This trip was made possible by Klout and Seattle's Convention and Visitor Bureau. As part of this perk, I received complimentary airfare and hotel accommodations for myself and a guest (my husband) as well as $500 spending money in the form of a VISA gift card. Not everything on this trip was paid for with the VISA card. There was no obligation to do a recap of our stay. The opinions in the post are my own.
Links to this post
Labels:
2daysinseattle
,
beechers cheese
,
chowder
,
ettas seafood
,
klout
,
pike place
,
pike place market
,
pioneer square
,
ride the ducks
,
seattle
,
sky city
,
space needle
,
Starbucks
,
top pot doughnuts
Labels:
2daysinseattle
,
beechers cheese
,
chowder
,
ettas seafood
,
klout
,
pike place
,
pike place market
,
pioneer square
,
ride the ducks
,
seattle
,
sky city
,
space needle
,
Starbucks
,
top pot doughnuts
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)