mmm-yoso – Page 233

Portland: A walk around those familiar places, like Stumptown. Dinner at Little Bird Bistro and a nightcap at Bailey’s Taproom

March 5, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Caffeine Fix, French Restaurants, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Little Bird Bistro and Bailey's Taproom have closed

After a short nap, we awoke…well a bit groggy. So we figured it was time for a walk and maybe some coffee.

We passed all those familiar places…well, at least to me. The Missus really didn't remember much about Portland, other than "Pod", how much she didn't care for Voodoo Donuts, stuff like that.

She did remember the Pioneer Square area and the really nice and friendly Police Officer we met there. That's kind of how travel is; most times, the sites are great, but it's the people that you remember.

Last time we were in Portland, we stayed at the Embassy Suites, which is right across the street from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. I thought it would be nice to drop by again.

The place looks the same. I'm not sure if it's just me; but the baristas here always seem a bit detached, jaded, and "too cool" for us customers. Maybe if I grew a beard, had tats on my arms, and pierced various parts of my anatomy? Fat chance on that though…..

This visit was more for the Missus. She's kind of become one of those pseudo "Third Wave" snobs. Remember those posts on Haraaz Red Maraqaha beans that are Her favorite? Or the cups of Panama Geisha from Bird Rock? She thought a visit here would be interesting to see how Her tastes have changed. And they've changed a lot and so have mine. I'm not a coffee snob, though I know what the Missus enjoys, so I instantly knew upon tasting the cold brew that it wasn't going to cut it; I like nitro cold brew and this Kenya was decent, but I've actually had better at Dark Horse.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters
128 Sw 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97204

It was still too early for our dinner reservations; so we decided to take a walk around a bit. One of my favorite buildings in Portland is the Dekum Building. The red brick, very German, Romanesque styling make this structure; built in 1891 by Frank Dekum really stand out. Even more entertaining is the story that during the building of this structure, the masons drank beer every morning instead of coffee. The magic of hops; the place is still standing and looking as beautiful as ever.

We headed to downtown proper; past the Thompson Elk Fountain, which made me realize, for some reason, I really hadn't taken many photos during my visits in Portland. So heck, I needed at least one of Portlandia (the statue, not the show).

A little tidbit, the building the statue fronts; The Portland Building was declared one of "the World's Ugliest Buildings" by Travel and Leisure. I didn't think it was that bad….

The Missus was starting to get hungry, so we decided to walk over to our dinner destination. In the beginning, I started with a list, than pared it down based on the Missus's eating habits and preferences. Le Pigeon was on that list, but I thought visiting Gabriel Rucker's other restaurant, the more bistro like Little Bird would be more relaxed. I recall calling and making a reservation, the young lady on the line asked me, "will you be celebrating a special occasion with us? Is there anything special we can do?"

We had arrived early, the place was empty except for one table. The young lady manning the hostess stand was relaxed and friendly. She offered us several tables. I ended up asking her to make the choice for us. So, we ended up getting "her favorite table" on the mezzanine. "Half the fun is watching the place come alive" she said.

I couldn't agree more. Much like The London Plane, having a bird's eye view was worth the price of admission.

The young man who was our Server was quite nice, friendly, but not too friendly, efficient, but not in your face, just perfect for our temperament. When I presented our plan; Chalkboard Special items, to be shared family style, rather than the usual appetizer-entrée service, he was all for it. He told us, "this is going to be great. I was a customer here for two years before working here."

At this point, I'm sorry to say, the photos aren't going to be up to standard. We didn't bring our huge DSLR with us….and in all honesty, I would have felt quite uncomfortable busting the beast out in a situation like this. It just doesn't seem right.

So we march onward. The Charcuterie Board ($25), was solid, if not outstanding.

We're used to charcuterie that makes a statement. Many of the items offered, like the pork rillettes were quite mild, almost lost without accoutrements, in that case, the pickled onions were a must. The texture of the pate was so decadent, but the flavor just needed that "umph". The one item that was full of flavor was the Smoked Pork Mousseline, in this case, not a forcemeat, but a flavorful smoked pork tenderloin. The scotch egg was great, drippy and oozy, the breading balancing out the books.

Next up is what I think is the best thing I've had since our dinner at Suzunari in Tokyo. The Seared Foie Gras, Shaved Oregon Winter Truffle, Foie Gras Sausage (we were told 3 parts chicken – 1 part foie), porcini puree (more like a porcini-butter mousse). Oh, just kill me now…..

Without getting too wordy….I didn't even mention the balsamic glaze, I have to say all of these strong flavors and amazing textures really played well together. The porcini puree was a great example; it was so assertive solo, but together with the foie gras, things balanced out. When eating products like this, I want the true flavor to come through….and then the combination of items which can take the dish a bit higher, perhaps transform and balance the textures, richness, and flavor. This was it for us. Worth every penny ($26).

The Roasted Marrow Bones ($21) were also quite good. The pairing of marrow bones with escargot – "ants on a log" is a classic one. In this case, it included snail sausage, which I thought was quite good.

It was served with some delicious rapini, a nice, thick parmesan vinaigrette, which added an acid-milky component to the dish. The bone marrow was perfectly prepared; in San Diego, I've encountered unrendered product. The naan like flatbread was kind of an afterthought for us.

Our evening had gone quite well, until the wait for our last dish, which took nearly 20 minutes, the Anchovy Cured Pork Belly ($15).

I gotta say, that cauliflower puree was great, just the right amount of seasoning and butter; the texture sublime. The Missus was ok with this, but I thought it was really salty. On the menu it says "crispy boquerones", which were really much too salty fried anchovies. A bit too heavy in terms of sodium. Nice textures, if a bit over-the-top for me.

We didn't go with any wine with dinner, so the damage turned out to be $87….no tax in PDX….which the Missus made sure to tell me after having recently spent over a hundred bucks for a mediocre meal at the Smoking Goat.

Little Bird Bistro
219 SW 6th Ave
Portland, OR 97204

So now he Missus wants to make sure we visit Le Pigeon next time! I think She's ready for it.

After dinner, we headed around the block to Bailey's Taproom for a nightcap. I loved the display which showed the status of every keg and what was lined up.

Loved the half pours, 10 ounces was enough for me after all the rich food. A bit too many hipsters, but we enjoyed the place.

Here's what it looks like in daylight as I walked by the next morning. Great selection….

Bailey’s Taproom
213 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205

Man, we were lovin' Portland!

Midweek Meanderings – Coming Soon Edition: Sab e Lee’s Thai Papaya Pok Pok, Kula Revolving Sushi Bar, LW’s BBQ becoming Mike’s BBQ, Coastal Crave coming to Bay Park, and Cafe Hielo

March 4, 2015 mmm-yoso Blog

I know I was the bearer of bad news last week, so I thought I'd even things out this week. Starting with:

Thai Papaya Pok Pok:

Which is what the old Original Sab e Lee location will become.

2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar:

I thought I'd do this since Cathy gave us a preview based on her visit to the Rancho Cucamonga location of this Kaiten-zushi chain.

4609 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mike's BBQ replacing LW's:

I posted on the vacated LW's BBQ spot back in November. It looks like Mike's BBQ, with a location in Escondido will be setting down here.

3057 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

And in the same strip mall…..

Owner of now defunct Skybox Sportsbar opening Coastal Crave:

Man, this location has been vacant for years. For a while it was World Sushi…then something else that came and went before I had a chance to check them out.

From what I hear, this isn't going to be a sportsbar concept, but more craft cocktails and according to Clairemont Community News a menu featuring "interesting" items like alligator and wild boar.

3065 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Café Hielo:

This one in the same strip mall as Pho Fusion, Qi Wei Kitchen, et al.

The sign says "Korean Dessert Café"….

8072 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Portland: Tasty N Alder and other “stuffs”

March 3, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Tasty N Alder has closed

Ever since we've been doing a good amount of travel internationally, the Missus really hasn't been too keen travelling much in the US, other than heading "home" to visit Her parents and such. But, we had such a great time on our recent visit to Seattle, a city we used to visit almost yearly, that the Missus asked me if I'd like to take a belated birthday trip to Portland. I'd heard that the food scene in PDX has really taken off in the last couple years and it had been over 7 years since our last visit. In other words, we were overdue. I always enjoyed the city, folks are very nice, almost borderline too friendly at times….even the street kids are often quite polite. We did notice a few changes since our last visit immediately; many, many, more hipsters…..man, I don't think they sell many razors in PDX anymore. Folks seemed even more eccentric….some of the outfits wouldn't be out of place in Shibuya! Loved the gal who walked out of one of the business high rises; briefcase in tow, rockin' shiny tap dance shoes featuring bright red bows, a polka dot mini skirt, and a mouse-ear barrette! Keep Portland Weird indeed….or were the folks just doing a reverse satire of Portlandia?

Did I mention the easy $2.50 Max Red Line from the airport to downtown. That, added to being able to check in at 945am at the Paramount, and things were starting out well.

We were of course starving….and downtown Portland is a very easy walking town. Tasty N Alder had been on my list for a while and the Missus and I enjoy family style……

The place was quite full when we arrived….mid-morning and all. Our Server was the most amazingly cheerful and friendly woman. I wish I got her name….friendly, efficient, did a great job talking to us about the menu. She made our visit so pleasant and pleasurable.

always on the look-out for veggies, we started with the Radicchio ($6), which turned out to be the Missus's favorite dish of the trip. In fact, She requested a return visit just for this supposedly simple looking salad.

This dish was just so subtly excellent, from the nice crisp thick cut bacon lardons, to the ice cold radicchio, prepped perfectly, without any of the bitter bite. Topped with crumbled egg…you know how much the Missus loves Her eggs, right. The manchego cheese was shredded so fine that I asked if it was done using a microplane (it is). The cheese melted into the wonderful dressing thickening it….I also think there's some bacon fat in the dressing as well. It was thick and rich in a pleasant way……almost like the best possible Caesar dressing. Wonderful!

Curious, we ordered the "Saigon Brussel Sprouts". Actually, the flavor is more Thai influenced.

The Missus took one bite and said, "I know this flavor….you know this flavor….you make stuff using these flavors". This indeed had the Palm Sugar-Fish Sauce-Garlic flavor I use for making my Thai Garlic Shrimp. Though this is much more sweet and is glazed. I loved the idea and knew I'd be making this after we returned home.

The Smoke Trout Board ($10) was our least favorite item of the day. The trout was decently smoked, but nothing special, the 6 minute egg was over done, though the pickled beets are really great with a nice, balanced flavor.

I was fascinated with the Patatas Bravas, which turned out to be a huge portion for $7. And to make the Missus even more happy it was topped with….you guessed it, two more easy over eggs. That make about five eggs if you're counting.

The garlic aioli had a wonderful "punch", the potatoes had the great texture of spuds that had been twice fried as the interior was fairly creamy. It was a bit too salty and the sauce seemed a bit heavy handed with regards to paprika, but you can't say it was bland.

So this with coffee….what do you think this would cost in San Diego? Here it was $33…….almost a shocking bargain for us. Plus no sales tax. I'd forgotten how reasonably priced things were in Portland.

Like I mentioned before, the woman who waited on us was just a joy. While the Missus went to the restroom, she stopped by and we had a nice chat about the food scene in the city. She told me that the last 3-4 years have been quite amazing for the city. Man, I was looking forward to the rest of our trip.

Tasty n Alder
580 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9am – 10pm
Friday – Saturday 9am – 11pm

Mary visited Tasty n Sons on her visit.

After brunch we headed off to see some familiar sites and to make one important stop….Powell's Books. To quote something from an earlier post that included Powell's; "yes, it's all true; the bookstore takes up an entire city block. And yes, you do need a map to get around. And yes…..used books are mixed in with the new. And yes, I think there are people living in Powell's, that may have not left in years" I managed to pull myself away from Powell's…….

Powell's Books
1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209 USA

I really enjoyed the "Pearl" district on my previous visits so we walked on over….man, it's gotten even more upscale since our last visit. Lots of development. The Missus couldn't resist dropping by the Whole Foods to take a peek and even bought some goji berries which were $7/lb cheaper than in San Diego.

The beer selection was pretty darn good as well. This looked like a nice Whole Foods.

We walked a bit more, then headed back to the hotel for a nap. We both woke a 4am to catch our flight, so a nap was in order……

Thanks for reading!

Soup Weather Returns: Revisits to Mien Trung, Pho Paradise, and Pho Nhu Y

March 2, 2015 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

We just got back from an overdue visit to Portland over the last couple of days. The very busy Cathy was kind enough to cover (as usual) for us. The somewhat ironic thing being, the weather when we returned from Portland, was more like Portland than Portland was….or something like that! Anyway, after feasting on foie gras and bone marrow (posts to come) having some soup was quite nice. So here's where I've been since we got back.

Mien Trung (of course):

Ah yes, any hint of rain means a visit to Mien Trung.

Something I've noticed over the last couple of years. As "Mom" gets older, the broth for the Bun Bo Hue sometimes is rather heavy handed with regards to MSG, or even spiciness. Such was the case on this day….not to say I didn't finish every lemongrass tinged drop of soup.

The Hen Xuc Banh Trang however, was a spicy-peppery-savory joy to devour.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Paradise:

**** Pho Paradise has closed

I know, they've just opened and I'm doing a revisit post already.

Call me cynical, but I've been kind of down on pho in Kearny Mesa for a while so when I actually had what I thought was a decent bowl here, I had a hard time believing it wasn't a fluke.

So, on my return, I didn't order the rare steak, which was cut to thick, making it quite dry the last time, and just went with the brisket, flank, etc….. the brisket and flank were dry and tough; but the tendon was quite nice as was the tripe.

Of course, there was the broth…..for me broth is the key. This time it was a bit different; not quite as rich and still a touch too salty. The flavor however was pretty much the same mildly beefy, faint anise, strong shallot-onion. Not bad at all. The noodles were even prepared better this time and there was a more generous (and better quality) amount of herbs and sprouts.

So maybe there's decent pho to be had on Convoy after all…..

Pho Paradise
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Nhu Y:

**** Pho Nhu Y is now Pho Duyen Mai

The weather had got me craving Bun Mam for some reason. I really didn't feel like heading to City Heights. So I headed over to Pho Nhu Y on Clairemont Mesa, which is run by the original owner of Nhu Y. I even went after the 3pm Bun Mam hour. They had declared Bun Mam off limits until after 3pm as to not offend their gringo lunch crowd. Anyway, I found, much to my disappointment that Bun Mam is no longer offered. Bummer……. So what to order? Heck, wanting some noodle soup, I went with the Bun Rieu ($8.75).

The bowl arrived scalding hot….and the positives stopped there. The soup was tasted like pho broth with a touch of tomato and a tiny bit of seafood flavor, but not enough to make it proper bun rieu. There were little crumbs of a meat paste which had no flavor…this was mainly cha lua and fried tofu. I call this "shadow soup"…where a noodle soup; like Bun Bo Hue/Bun Rieu/Bun Mang Vit is made to barely reference the true flavors.

Well….at least I wouldn't be "offending customers" right? I know this place can do better….

Pho Nhu Y Vietnamese Grill
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

And finally:

So I've got a kind of new reader….I think. At least the person has been emailing me…..very entertaining emails……telling me I really don't "represent" what true San Diegans eat, or want to eat. Which perhaps is the point of the blog, right? Anyway, I got sent some photos of what, according to this reader, "real San Diegans" eat. And was asked why I don't post on stuff like that……. Great thing is, I can just use the photo sent to me:

Hot Dog….mmmmm. I actually enjoy hot dogs. Heck, I have a whole category devoted to them. Still, perhaps not this one; though it's a good bargain (much better when it was Hebrew National)….maybe one day, never say never, after all, I've had worse at Costco. Still, this makes me chuckle because it reminds me of my good FOY's (Friend of Yoso) "Xiang Jiao" (you can see her here taking a cleaver to a whole roasted pig we snuck into a karaoke room - as if you could really sneak a whole pig into one) road trip with "friends"….very frugal friends, who insisted on eating at every Costco they could find (they had it mapped out) along the way. Personally "XJ" is too sweet and patient….I would have mutinied….friendships would have been ended and blood (perhaps mine) would have been shed. But that's just me…….

Midweek Meanderings: Pangea Bakery and Mr Dumpling Closes

February 25, 2015 mmm-yoso Bakery, Chinese Restaurants, yoso-silly

A couple of closures to report.

Pangea Bakery Closes:

I drove by and noticed the place looked closed, so I took a closer look.

And indeed the shelves were empty and lights were out. My sources tell me they've closed and are liquidating furniture and such. I know Cathy will be quite sad about this one.

4689 Convoy Street, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92111

Mr Dumpling closes as well:

After my last visit, I figured it was a matter of time. Though they did a bunch of different formats to try and hang on.

I did notice a bit of construction, but figured it was yet another renovation. Until I saw that the entire patio area was taken out, so I took a closer look and saw the Notice to Vacate.

7250 Convoy Ct
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Paradise

February 23, 2015 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Pho Paradise has closed

I was thinking of doing my post on Sang Deuan tonight, but the weather just seemed right for a post on the recently opened Pho Paradise, which is located in the same strip mall. I first noticed the change of business back at the end of the year. I really haven't had a good bowl of Pho in Kearny Mesa/Convoy is ages. So I was curious to see how this place would be.

As I said before; that logo looks a bit familiar, but I just can't place it.

In addition to the décor; the menu is typical of your neighborhood pho shop…pho, bun, rice……

I went with #3, rare steak, brisket, tendon, and tripe ($6.75). Man, when did pho hit the seven dollar mark? The Dac Biet here is like $7.75. Regardless, I liked the look of my bowl when it arrived.

Kind of sparse on the sprouts and herbs….but is that Ngo Gai I see? A rarity on the Mesa…..

The broth looked dark and rich, flecks of oil dotted the surface….the fragrance was quite "onion-ny". Nice first impression. The broth was mildly beefy, faint anise, onion-forward, though, as is the norm in San Diego, a bit heavy handed on the MSG. It was also super scalding hot.

The noodles were over-done and on the mushy side.

As for the proteins; the tendon was good, decent texture; the rare steak was cut too thick and dried out quickly in the broth. This was the most tripe I've seen in a bowl on the Mesa since forever.

The flank and brisket were unremarkable, both flavorless and on the dry side.

Still, it seems that these folks aren't just going thru the motions and are really trying to put out a good product.

A few days later I returned and tried the Banh Mi Bo Kho ($6.75). Man was this super dark.

This was too salty for my taste, it was also very thin, lacking in anise tones and any vestige of tomato flavor. The meat was on the tough and dry side.

I'd probably stick with the pho.

The young man and young lady who served me were very nice. I know I've been around a long time when I recognized Her from Van Hoa and K Sandwich…sheesh. The service here seemed a level above your typical pho shop. I like the hours, since my schedule often calls for an early lunch. This location seems to have some bad juju; in the course of two years it has been Viet Bakery and Pho, then V Bakery. I hope the place can break that spell. I also hope the pho is just as good, or heck, let's shoot for the moon, maybe even better next time around. You see, I'm not looking for a "pho paradise" here; just a decent bowl.

Pho Paradise
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon – Sat 9am – 10pm
Sunday 10am – 9pm

Ramen Weather: Revisits to Ramen Yamadaya and Santouka

February 22, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

So last week the mercury was flirting with the 80's. I was thinking about which taco shops I needed to visit. This weekend it's cloudy and now it's starting to rain. Go figure……

The one silver lining….this gave me a chance to revisit a couple of ramen shops.

Ramen Yamadaya:

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

Since they are open all the way through from 1130 on weekends, I decided to check them out at 4pm, thinking they'd be fairly calm.

I surprised to see how busy they were….not a full house, but at least 3/4 full. They had the seat yourself thing in place, so I had a seat……they saw me, but still, I waited, and waited……and waited. Another group arrived after me and they had water served and orders taken……a couple sat on the table next to me….and they waited……while I had my order taken and another group who had come after them were being served…the woman decided to take matters into her own hands and just grabbed one of the servers……so they could finally get some water and get their orders taken. The place just seemed much more disorganized than I recalled, even with three working front of house. They seemed to spend a good deal of time huddled at the POS and doing things like organizing chopsticks while dirty tables sat…. They were really nice kids, but it seemed like they needed someone running the front of house.

When I did get my order taken – Kotteri, with Kakuni Pork, noodles extra firm, things went fairly quickly.

The Hakata style noodles were exactly as I like them. While the broth isn't quite what I'd call "kotteri" it was passable, if a bit too mild in the flavor department. Two things kind of killed this for me. While the broth was served at a decent temperature, the egg was ice cold….now if you serve it on the side, I'd be ok with that, but in my soup, no thanks. Ditto with the buta kakuni, which was adequately tender, if a bit on the bland side…..but ice cold.

Something has changed since I first visited this location in 2012. Things seem to be less consistent during our recent visits.

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Santouka:

Yes again. Though the Missus is over "the Santouka effect" and is now, kinda, sorta, back on planet Earth, we're able to enjoy Santouka in context.

This was the status quo…..on this day, they were giving out the eggs……overcooked for us. The pork cheek was tender and porky, the noodles had a great chew. The broth, shio, which ironically is the least salty of all choices was scalding hot…the thick ceramic bowl kept the temperature "right" for the whole meal. The broth coated our tongues and bellies….and while it would not make us forget the best of what we had in Japan, it did the job.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Rome: Vatican City, Pizzarium, and other stuffs

February 21, 2015 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Pizza, Rome, Travel

On our third day in Rome, we set out for Vatican City. The Missus wanted to walk there…from Termini Station. We had the metro one block away! Luckily, I got myself out of a 5k walk first thing in the morning and we caught the metro. From the metro station, the walk to the gates of Vatican Museum took about ten minutes.

When it comes to most of our travel; the Missus tells me what She wants and I do the logistics, planning, and She just basically shows up. The visit to the Vatican Museum was a good example. I got tickets online ahead of time….we entered right when the place opened, going to the line for "Entrance with Reservations". We grabbed a map and headed to the one place the Missus really wanted to see; the Sistine Chapel, where we stood alone in the rare air where the Papal Conclave takes place. The Missus just stood staring at the ceiling as other visitors piled in around Her. I took a seat after a minute or two, when my neck started stiffening up. I grabbed the Missus to leave when I heard "huuuuaaackkk p-tew"…..one of the Chinese tourists had just spit on the floor of the Sistine Chapel! Good lord!

The rest of my time in the Vatican Museum was a blur of antiquities, lavish paintings, just an astounding amount of items on display. I was overwhelmed by the extravagance. I kept telling the Missus, "geeez, these folks sure have a lot of money…"

I do recall enjoying the ceiling art and spent a good deal of time just enjoying those and the paintings over doorways.

I think one needs to spend a least a couple of days here if you really enjoy this stuff. I'm sure Ed from Yuma could probably walk these halls for months!

Anyway, we worked our way back to the beginning and started out with the Egyptian Rooms, officially called the "Gregorian Egyptian Museum", which were among my favorites. After all, who doesn't like mummies, right?

I found the various hieroglyphics and of course the mummies fascinating….it touched off a the faint flicker of the little boy in me, who would spend hours pouring through books at Kaimuki Library.

The Egyptian's deities manifested themselves as various animals based on characteristics. The God Apis took the form of a bull.

I was quite fascinated with these displays.

Things just seemed really packed in…..there was something to see everywhere…

Then we went through the halls with Greek and Roman sculpture. Tons of statues….my head was spinning.

One of the most famous statues is Apollo Belvedere which was once considered to be the most aesthetically perfect sculpture of a man after being found in Italy in the 15th century.

Right past all of this was an interesting area called the "Hall of Animals". The Vatican Museum's website states that the hall "was set up under Pope Pius VI (1775-1799) with antique works of art, often much restored and sometimes completely re-worked, with the aim of creating a 'stone zoo'. Many artists worked on the sculptures in this display during the 1700s, the most important of whom was Francesco Antonio Franzoni."

On your way to the Round Room, you'll be confronted with this remnant. This fragment of a statue known as the Belvedere Torso has been revered through the centuries by Raphael and even Michaelangelo, who it was rumored, was asked to restore the statue by Pope Julius II, but refused saying it was too beautiful to be changed. He is quoted as saying, "This is the work of a man who knew more than nature!” It is said that the torso was an inspiration for Adam in Michelangelo's fresco in the Sistine Chapel.

Right past this sculpture is the "Round Hall". Here's a panoramic shot that you can click on to expand.

Look familiar? Well, it was built to resemble the Pantheon.

By this time Museum fatigue was setting in. I pretty much stopped taking photos and it's quite telling that one of the few photos taken by the Missus was Rapheal's "The Liberation of St Peter".

The one thing the Missus, a fan of Angels & Demons, had to take a photo of was the Double Helix Staircase…..which is how you exit the Vatican Museum.

Next up was St Peter's Basilica, which was easy to find. Just follow the crowds.

St Peter's Square is quite impressive….and crowded.

And of course, to get into the Basilica, you had to go through security and metal detectors and all of that as well.

It was getting to be a pretty warm day. The security points for St Peter's were moving quite slowly. Then, a group of Chinese tourists pushed their way to the front of the line, and tried to just walk through security. The guards rushed up, linked their arms and physically pushed back the crowd. Then they closed the gate……I don't know if it was protocol or just spite, but man, I was just over it. Now don't get me wrong, the Missus is Chinese, as you all know if you've read long enough, from Qingdao. None of Her family, or even family friends who have visited act this way. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, by the time we got to St Peter's, I'd had my fill of the crowds, the heat, etc….

Still, the Missus has always wanted to come here. And I truly want the Missus to see and visit everyplace She's dreamed of. I hope that Vatican water tasted sweet…..

By now we were both starving………but I had a place in mind. One that had been on my lists for ages… Pizzarium.

This place takes Pizza al Taglio – pizza by the slice to the next level with some wonderful ingredients. You just tell the guy behind the counter how much you want….it's really hard not to go overboard.

While it was still a bit too "bready" for our tastes, some of the ingredients were wonderful and we especially loved the tomato sauce….man, that was nice.

The prosciutto….the greens with the mozzarella…really good. Worth the 15 minute walk from the Vatican. Plus, the Cipro Metro Station is close by.

Pizzarium
Via della Meloria 43
Rome, Italy

Returning to our room, I badly needed a shower. After that and rehydrating, we headed off, just to hang around the area near Termini Station.

And have a little snack…..

After taking quite a long walk, we decided to stop by the nearest Hosteria and have a simple meal.

Sometimes those spur of the moment places work out quite well. Some times not. Having no idea of this place….well, it was the latter.

Oh well, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, right?

Man, that carbonara was not to my liking….so I guess this was a lose.

It was not quite the send off I wanted. The next day, we'd be back on the Leonardo Express, then to our flight to Malta….yes, Malta.

Stay Tuned!

Antwerp: Frituur No 1 and other stuff

February 20, 2015 mmm-yoso Beer, Belgian Cuisine and Restaurants, Belgium, Travel

Heading back from our visit to MAS, we stopped off at Grote Markt. Things were quite festive here as there was a children's festival….at least that's what I think it was, going on.

As we walked back to our apartment, there was a bit of unfinished business to take care of. We'd been in Belgium for a while already and I still hadn't had any frites. This was easy enough to resolve as Frituur No. 1 was right at the top of the street we were staying on, Hoogstraat.

I stood in line with the combination of locals and tourists and got my frites……with curry mayo, which I really didn't care for. The frites were decent, nothing amazing….in fact the Missus was totally unimpressed. Not light and crisp enough on the exterior…lacking that richness and not quite fluffy enough inside.

Still, I finally got some frites, right?

Frituur No. 1
Hoogstraat 1
Antwerp, Belgium

One thing we loved about our street was that there seemed to be a lot of local traffic on it in spite of being one of the streets leading to Grote Markt.

We could get meat, vegetables, bread, a few steps form where we were staying.

On our last evening, we decided to just relax….I used the kitchen, which like the rest of the apartment was amazingly set-up with pots, pans, seasonings, dishwashing liquid….you name it. The place is called Apartment Ahome Awayfromhome, and rightfully so. The owner Gis was so easy to deal with and all the details were just perfect.

From the De Koninck to the laundry detergent the place is probably among the top 4-5 apartments/residences we've stayed at….totally worth it, even with the 55…yes we counted them; steep steps to climb. In case you're wondering; you can find more info about the place here.

Anyway dinner was simple……ingredients from right up the street.

After dinner we took a walk. Things had kind of settled down……

We took a nice stroll, then returned to the apartment.

I watched the news, the Missus caught up on emails….I did a post, then we set out again. Like I've said many times, Antwerp is very relaxed and easy to enjoy….though it kind of gets you itching for more and I could tell the Missus was ready for a change. This was perhaps a bit too sedate for the Missus.

There is quite a diversity to the city. We especially noticed it at night. As groups of young men…and women of all ethnicities headed to their favorite watering hole.

And still, things were quite calm. The music on the street ended by 10pm. I had my Floreffe Tripel and watched the news on the television while the Missus went to sleep.

Tomorrow, we'd be back at that beautiful train station; headed to our next stop.

Thanks for reading!

Taqueria Revolucion

February 18, 2015 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

**** This location became Tacos Frontera which has closed

Man, when was the last time I had honest to goodness tacos…….work has kept me busy, so trips outside my usual "range" had been put on hold. I'd heard about Taqueria Revolucion a few months back, but was too busy to check them out. I mentioned them to my coworker Karina who went to check them out the next weekend. She came back and told me the place was worth a visit.

Recently, I was craving some tacos….and of course Tacos el Gordo comes to mind, as did Fernandez Catering and a couple of others. But I thought why not take the time to drive a bit further to San Ysidro and check out the revolutionary taqueria?

The place is fairly nondescript, I almost passed it….

The interior is unassuming and quite plain, the menu simple, but solid and the young lady working quite hard to take orders, work the register, then deliver the goods to each table….and man, the burritos looked titanic.

But I'm a taco kind of guy and I ordered three along with some Consomme de Birria ($1.25).

I gotta say, this was my favorite item of the day. It was fairly thick, beefy, mildly spiced, with just enough salt and lime to keep me happy. Quite good.

I also ordered tres tacos.

The Adobada was decent, loved the way they did the tortillas, dipping them in the drippings. I prefer mine a bit sweeter, but he texture was nice, and it was satisfying.

I had originally wanted a Nopal Queso Taco, but they were out. So I quickly replaced it with Carne Asada. Which was better than I thought it would be.

It was stuffed with finely chopped beef, which had a pleasant chew. The flavor was nice….I swear, there's some soy sauce/maggi or something like that in here. Not too salty, light citrus tones; much better than I expected.

The Birria Quesataco was good. Though the birria was on the milder side, which played up to the queso, adding a nice milky component to the whole thing. The birria, though mild needed no salt and just a touch of lime from me.

I enjoyed the tortillas, perhaps a bit harder than preferred, but I believe they are made inhouse.

I enjoyed my meal and will probably be back if I'm in the area, especially for some of that consomme. I'd been craving some decent tacos for a while and this hit the spot. The owner, whose name is Emilio I believe, came out and stopped by to chat with all his customers…….mostly regulars it seems, but a few newbies as well. Very friendly guy.

After waiting for a few months, I finally got my taco fix…..

Taqueria Revolucion
362 E San Ysidro Blvd
San Diego, CA 92173