Travel – mmm-yoso

CDMX COMC – Restaurante Takotl Roma Norte and Azul Condesa

June 27, 2026 mmm-yoso Latin American Cuisine, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Well now…..I was looking at my posts on our visits to Mexico City and noticed that I had forgotten to post on two dinners we had there! Since I consider our little blog to be a food diary of sorts, I thought I’d do a C(learing) O(ut the) M(emory) C(ard) post on Takotl and Azul…….both places are still open. I’ll mostly do just photos….

Restaurante Takotl Roma Norte:

Takotl seemed quite a popular place, so I made reservations. It was a 20 minute walk from our accommodations in Condesa into hipster, hip, trendy Roma Norte.

The menu fashioned a sort of fusion of Mexican dishes with Asian touches and vegetarian dishes.

For example, along with tacos, they feature “takataka” where nori replaces the typical tortilla.

We enjoyed the cocktails here the best.

And after having Tamal Chepil, Tacos de Tripa and Suadero, and Quesadillas de Nopales and Flor de Calabazas for lunch, the Missus wanted a salad.

And of course I got a variety of tacos.

Including two “takataka”…..sadly, the nori really didn’t do well as it tore and fell apart easily.

The traditional Taco de Costilla, super fatty rib meat was the best item in my opinion.

Though the blue corn tortilla was quite brittle.

Overall, very hipster food and dismissive service.

Takotl Restaurante Roma Norte
Medellín 116
Mexico City, 06700 Mexico

Azul Condesa:

The following evening, after our wonderful exploration of Mercado la Merced, I had made reservations at a place just a 5 minute walk away form the Red Tree House. I had read about Azul Condesa a while back and this just seemed the right time for a visit. Azul features some takes on ancestral Mexican dishes.

Again the Missus wanted salad and veggies!

I on the other hand ordered items that were a little more interesting……

Starting with some Guacamole with Chapulines (roasted grasshoppers).

Which were really minced up…..it seemed to have lost a bit of crunch with that process. Really mild in flavor as well.

The Missus really rolled Her eyes when I ordered the Escamoles (ant larvae)….asking me if I hadn’t already had enough at the Mercado earlier in the day.

Often called “Mexican Caviar”, these were on the sour side…..and the Missus had a problem with the texture as well.

Because it’s only available for a couple of months a year, I’m glad I ordered it.

Azul Condesa
Nuevo Leon #68 Hipódromo
Mexico City, 06100 Mexico

So there you go. I know this one is kinda late, so I thank you for stopping by!

Road Trip – Himalayan Restaurant, Sister My Sister Bake Shop, Alpine Pedal Path Trail, and Boulder Bay Park (Big Bear)

June 26, 2026 mmm-yoso Bakery, Indian Restaurants, Nepalese/Himalayan Food, Road Trip, San Bernadino County, CA, Travel

I really enjoyed the view of Big Bear Lake from our patio at the Marina Riviera.

I found it so serene and relaxing.

We soon headed on out, stopping at Sister My Sister Bake Shop for some coffee and for something small for breakfast.

It’s a cute little bakery, designed for takeout.

Looking for something more savory, I got the Bacon Cheddar Chive Scone ($5.25) to go.

Sister My Sister Bake Shop
40191 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

We then back tracked thru downtown Big Bear, crossing the lake on the Stanfield Cutoff, finding parking alongside the Alpine Pedal Path. Which was on the opposite side of the lake from where we were staying. We sat on one of the benches and enjoyed the view.

While I had my hefty, dense scone.

I enjoyed the fact that the scone, even though quite dense, wasn’t overly dry.

Once finished, we set off on the paved path. I know it was somewhat too easy for the Missus, but I really enjoyed the view.

And the round trip was 5.3 miles. Enough for a nice morning.

Eventually, you end up around some campgrounds and a forested area.

And at the Big Bear Solar Observatory, which we could see from our hotel across the lake, we turned around and headed back.

We drove back to the Marina Riviera, parked and decided to look for a place to have an early lunch.

For some reason, She was attracted to Himalayan Restaurant, which had a back patio that’s dog friendly.

So, we got a table. The gentleman who served us was very friendly. And when he found out that we were from San Diego, he told us that he used to work at Himalayan Cuisine in La Mesa! Which is why we ended up visiting upon returning to San Diego.

The Missus saw several dishes that appealed to Her, starting with the Rogan Josh.

Man, that lamb was so tender, but still gamey enough to enjoy. We loved the complex spices and earthy tones and it did have a bit of heat to it.

We also got the Okra dish….which seemed like a version of Bhindi Masala. This actually had some decent spice as well.

We enjoyed the “neba neba” of the okra, which even presented a bit of sweetness; the acidity of the tomatoes, and the pungent and earthy tones from the spices.

Both dishes went well with the crisp, but tender naan.

And we even had some rice….nice and fragrant, fulfilling our carbs for the rest of the week!

The Missus really enjoyed this meal….and now has a favorite restaurant in Big Bear!

Himalayan Restaurant
672 Pine Knot Ave.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

After a short respite, we decided to check out a place I’d read about right on Big Bear Lake with a kind of iconic view, Boulder Bay Park. So we drive on over and in spite of the tiny lot there was quite a bit of parking available. Everything is nicely maintained, grassy areas, with a paved walkway meandering thru the park.

If one ignores the buildings across the street and on the east side of the cove, it makes for a lovely scene.

I was told that sunset was prime time here for photographers, though there was a group taking wedding photos. It was a nice little stop.

As we were leaving the park, there was a line of cars waiting to get in….and traffic back into Big Bear was crazy. Well, it seemed like the weekend had just hit!

We parked at the hotel and walked back up Pine Knot Avenue….but man, things were really hopping. Later we walked back up looking for some places to have dinner, but things were just too crowded. We headed back to the Marina Riviera and just decided to grab a small bite and have some drinks. After all, we still had a $25 credit for food and drink for the evening.

Man, the place was hopping.

While there was seating at the bar, all other tables were taken.

But then Kinzey and then the wonderful woman who I believe is the chef at this location, Jenn saw us. Both of them had been so wonderful, accommodating, and friendly during our stay, so naturally, in spite of the discount, we tipped well. And they also loved JJ! So, perhaps he’s earning his keep? Anyway, they told us to hold on a for a minute and put together a table for us! Amazing!

So, we had a nice light dinner and cocktails at De la Nonna.

At the end of our meal, Kinzey gave me her business card saying to text her if we’re headed up and she’ll give us info on what is going on!

Well, I know where we’re staying and eating when we get back to Big Bear, right?

De la Nonna Big Bear (In the Hotel Marina Riviera)
40770 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

The next morning we headed out and traffic was pretty crazy….so note to self, even on random fall weekends….things are busy in Big Bear….I’ll need to plan a bit better next time!

Galapagos – Puerto Egas (Santiago Island)

June 20, 2026 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Galapagos, Travel

Man, even though things were so amazingly relaxed with nature all around, we were already on our sixth day of our luxury cruise of the Galapagos. Time seemed to zooming by. This day would be about two lovely beaches.

The first would be a wet landing on Puerto Egas, located at the west side of Santiago Island. Morning aboard the Evolve was relaxing as always.

That’s Cerro Pelado in the background of my morning cup o’ joe…..

Because I usually woke early; I’d head up to the deck and relax and just take everything in before folks starting coming up for breakfast.

After breakfast, we boarded a panga and headed off the Puerto Egas. The black sand beach here is striking.

As are the cliffs and rock formations.

And soon we headed off on the trail.

Which featured all of the usual suspects.

Red Throated Lava Lizards.

And of course, we were always under the careful supervision of the land iguanas.

Such diverse plant life as well.

Around the rocky bay there were the distinctive red Sally Lightfoot Crabs.

And an abundance of American Oystercatchers.

But there was one main creature to see. While we’d seen our share and even encountered a very curious sea lion. The Galapagos Fur Seal can be quite elusive. These small seals prefer shade and rocky grottos, like those at Puerto Egas.

It was relaxing watching these little ones just floating along enjoying life….like we were at the moment.

For some reason, they just brought smiles to our faces!

After watching the water ballet for a while we headed back to the beach. With this lava lizard “pointing the way”…..

Were we donned our snorkeling gear and did a session from the shore.

And actually saw a shark……which was so cool!

Back on board it was a quick shower and then time for lunch!

After which we took a short siesta before heading off to our next stop. Which was a beach that was even more spectacular!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Jasper’s Barbeque, The Copper Q, Grays Peak Trail, Big Bear Lake Farmers Market, and Back to De la Nonna(Big Bear)

June 13, 2026 mmm-yoso BBQ, Caffeine Fix, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Italian Restaurants, Road Trip, San Bernadino County, CA, Travel

The Missus really wanted to get going on our first full day in Big Bear. But first, I needed some caffeine. Right up the street in the Village is The Copper Q, a coffee shop, and while hours are kind of seasonal, it was open on this morning, just a short walk from where we were staying. And they had outdoor seating.

The Americano was decent.

The Copper Q
645 Pine Knot Ave.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

Then we headed off for our hike. The Missus had chosen Grays Peak Trail, which was on the opposite side of the lake near Fawnskin. We had gotten there early and easily found parking. The trail starts close to the parking….

It was pretty steep at the beginning.

With almost a 1,200 foot elevation gain and 7 miles out and back.

This was back at the end of October, but there were still patches of snow.

Which JJ enjoyed!

Some lovely rock formations as well.

I was of course pretty tired after this.

Though JJ enjoyed himself.

Also of note is that Grays Peak has been closed so far this year, until July 1st because bald eagles are nesting! Awesome!

We got back to our accommodations, showered, and then headed into the Village for lunch. We had noticed a BBQ restaurant during our previous walks up Pine Knot Avenue that seemed to have a lot of outdoor seating named Jasper’s Barbecue.

So we headed over and decided to have lunch there.

We were seated…the folks working were very nice.

After looking over the menu, we decided on the 2 Meat Combo with a half rack of ribs and hot links as our meats, with cornbread and chicharrones as our side ($41) to share. It was more than enough food for the both of us.

This was basically a non-starter for us. The hot links had decent flavor, nice paprika smokiness, perhaps a bit too salty, but for some reason were really chewy. The ribs lacked smokiness and didn’t even have smoke ring, was really tough, and the sauce kinda tasted like Sweet Baby Ray’s? A bit too sweet for us. As was the cornbread.

The only item we really enjoyed were the fresh fried chicharrones…nice and lightly crunchy. Perfectly seasoned.

Well, I guess we can cross Jaspers off the “list”.

Jasper’s Barbeque
607 Pine Knot Ave.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

We headed back to the Marina Riviera for a short break. When we awoke, the Missus wanted to “do something”. I didn’t feel like driving. I had read that there’s a small Farmers Market on Fridays from April thru October on Big Bear Lake, at Ski Beach Park. It was about 3/4 of a mile from where we were staying to we decided to stroll on over.

You actually take Big Bear Boulevard, then turn left down Knight Avenue to the parking lot of Ski Beach. It’s a cute little farmers market in the parking lot.

The Missus did end up buying some lotion and other stuffs from one of the stands.

Big Bear Lake Farmers Market
41216 Park Ave.
Big Bear Lake, California 92315
From April thru October

We had a nice walk back as well.

When dinner time arrived…well, since it was Friday, places were getting kind of busy! When dinner came around, we decided to just have something light at De la Nonna, located in the Marina Riviera. The staff there were so very nice and Kinzey remembered JJ from the night before! We had a $25 discount on food and drinks every evening, so we decided to just avail ourselves of that.

They made me a nice Mezcal Old Fashioned.

We got the Whipped Eggplant.

It had a pseudo XO sauce which had some spice, but was kind of bland overall.

And an Italian Hero Sandwich.

We liked the crisp, but fluffy focaccia…tons of Provolone. We enjoyed the aioli, which had a bit of spice to it.

De la Nonna Big Bear (In the Hotel Marna Riviera)
40770 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

It was a passable dinner and the folks at De la Nonna were so nice and friendly…..especially to JJ!

It was nice watching the sunset from the patio as well!

Galapagos – Tagus Cove and the “Meeting of a Lifetime” and Latitude 0°

June 5, 2026 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Galapagos, Travel

**** I know “FOY” Peter was looking forward to this post. So here ya’ go! Hope you enjoy it Peter!

After spending the morning exploring the mangrove forest at Elizabeth Bay, the Evolve headed off to Tagus Cove while we had lunch and relaxed.

These rocky cliffs toward the northwest on Isabela Island in the Bolivar Channel is where, according to what Fabrizio told us Pirates and Whalers used to anchor. And so, we did anchor and folks could do SUP….which the Missus loved and hadn’t done since we had been in June Lake. I did some kayaking…..we could even see names etched in the stone along the cliffs of the cove….sorry, too busy paddling to take photos.

Once done, we freshened up, then boarded the pangas, which took us along the cliffs. You can see some of the graffiti along the cliffs below.

The pangas took us to an area to do some snorkeling.

And this is where the Missus and I would have one of the most unforgettable moments in our travels. While just enjoying the clear ocean I felt like something or someone was watching us. Soon enough, an adult male sea lion started following us. He would dart between us and around us.

Showing off his “skills”. He seemed quite curious.

He apparently enjoyed the attention. Twice, when my attention got diverted, he came by and gave me a little “bump”, as if to inform me that he was the “star of the show”! Remember that you can’t approach wildlife and are supposed to stay at least 2 meters away. But what do you do when a sea lion going at like 25 miles an hour under water zooms toward you?

Several times he went to the rocks for a few seconds….I think he expected us to follow him? Because a moment later, he’d stick his head into the water looking for us!

Seeing us, he’d dive back in!

He just ignored the other folks snorkeling. Maybe he was curious about Asians? Anyway, this went on until we were back in the Panga. Fabrizio was quite surprised at this; he’s been a Naturalist in the Galapagos for almost 20 years and had never seen this behavior by an adult male sea lion before. The pups are very curious as was noted when that little fella tried to board our panga on Isla Plaza Sur. But this was a new one for him and of course, we’ll never forget this experience!

We got back to the Evolve and washed up. The day wasn’t over yet! We boarded the pangas and headed off for a tour of the coast. And we quickly came across an inhabitant we hadn’t seen yet on this trip.

See the little one “striking” a pose? Here’s a closer look.

Yes, it’s a penguin! The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin found North of the Equator. And is only found on Isabela and Fernandina Islands. You just had to take a bunch of photos of these cute little ones.

And of course, there were Blue Footed Boobies!

Among all the other wildlife.

But for most of us; it was all about those penguins.

This one is enjoying the afternoon sun!

There was so much to see along the cliffs of Tagus Cove.

There are many caves along the shoreline here.

And we visited several.

It was quite stunning. Each day was a new adventure that seemed to top the experience of the day before! We almost didn’t want to head back to the Evolve!

Back on board we had a nice predinner snack and aperitif.

Watching the sun set in the horizon.

Before heading to our briefing for the following day by Antonio.

We were given this while having our little snack.

Which meant that we would be dining at the Captain’s table this evening. Yikes! Well, we did dress a bit better than on previous evening! We had a wonderful time chatting with Captain Jhon.

Man, that Guariche Crab Cake; made from blue land crab was super tasty….so much crab!

The Pork in Guava Sauce was also delish….almost like something I’d get back “home” in the islands.

Usually, the Missus and I would get one each of the appetizers/main….but on this day, these dishes sounded so good.

Dinner went well and we got back to our cabin….it had been quite a day, right?

But it was not quite over yet. Around 830pm an announcement came over the speakers for folks to head on over to the bridge. So, of course we did.

What was going on you may ask? Well, at this moment we were at Latitude 0°!

Even though we had already done Intiñan Equator Museum and Latitude 0° there, this was still quite exciting! Man, twice in two weeks!

This was quite an unforgettable day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Galapagos – Elizabeth Bay (Isabela Island)

June 4, 2026 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Galapagos, Travel

After viewing the amazing eruption on Fernandina, the Evolve sailed back to Isabela Island while we slept. Isabela Island is the largest of all islands in the Galapagos. It was noted that Isabela is larger than all of the other islands of the archipelago combined.

As the sun rose, I headed up to the deck. As always the view was beautiful.

There was another Ecoventura Yacht in the bay as well.

Some of the other passengers were out having morning coffee; checking emails, etc….

There are quite a few little islets in the bay…each looking like its own little world.

An hour after a light breakfast, we boarded the pangas and headed off to Elizabeth Bay. We saw a sea lion doing his “pose” for us along the way.

As this turtle swam by……

There would be no landing on this tour as Elizabeth Bay is known for the mangrove forest that adorns its shores.

And all the interesting wildlife that can be seen.

Like this school of Golden Cownose Rays that glided past us.

We went further into the bay lined with vegetation.

Sorry to say that I don’t have a ton of photos, since we made good use of our binoculars to view wildlife.

Though I did enjoy taking this photo of a sea lion hanging out on the branch of a mangrove tree.

It was very peaceful, serene, and relaxing. Seeing the school of Spotted Eagle Rays passing us in what almost seemed like a choreographed water ballet just seemed to fit right into the ambience.

As we headed back, we saw that the sea lion had settled in for a morning nap.

Time just seemed to slip away as we headed back to the Evolve.

When we were all aboard, it was time to pull up anchor and head to our next destination.

We had lunch…which included some really nice lobster tails.

Then had a nice post lunch siesta/break.

Our next stop would be Tagus Bay, where the Missus and I would have one of most memorable experiences…well….ever!

Galapagos – Urbina Bay (Isabela Island) and Volcanic Eruption on Fernandina Island

May 30, 2026 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Beer, Ecuador, Galapagos, Travel

After exploring Punta Espinoza and an awesome snorkel session, we headed off to Ubina Bay which is on the largest island of the Galapagos Archipelago, Isabela Island.

We did a smooth wet landing. Apparently; this bay really didn’t exist until 1954, when a tectonic uplift caused the seabed to rise over 16 feet, creating an additional half mile of coastline. We were told to keep our eyes peeled as the largest known land tortoises, the Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise, named after the volcano in the area and some of the largest land iguanas live in the area.

We started seeing the giant tortoises immediately after the trail edged away from the newly formed shoreline.

There was one large empty tortoise shell from one that had died a while back.

And then we started seeing the land iguanas in the scrub.

And yes, they looked very large and well fed.

We ended to walk a bit early and were told that we were going to make a detour for something special.

So, while folks settled in, our Concierge, the wonderful Jocelyn said she had set up something for us and directed us to the a small door. Thru the door was the tiny galley. The couple of days before, both the Missus and I had noted how much we had enjoyed the chimichurri that was served. Jocelyn had apparently been overhearing the Missus and I chatting about our meals during the trip….were we that obvious? Sheesh….

Anyway, we were led into the phone booth sized galley and met the chef. And then he went thru making the chimichurri.

Jocelyn explained that they serve a “smoked” chimichurri…that is, once the chimichurri has been prepped, two hot stones are placed in the sauce to create a deeper, smokier flavor!

Pretty cool, huh? This little “excursion” really gave me an immense respect for what was being served….it all came out of this tiny kitchen!

From here, while the Missus freshened up, I sat on the deck, having some liquid refreshment….

While watching our “escort” to our next destination.

As we got back to Fernandina, it became clear what our destination was going to be…..

No, you can’t see it here….but….

You see what I see?

Yes, La Cumbre Volcano was erupting!

The lava getting to the ocean made for quite a dramatic sight!

Especially as the sun started to set…..

Lest you think this is an everyday occurrence…..even the crew wanted their photos taken. This is Farley and Luiz, two of the amazing bartenders/staff……

As night settled in; the view got even more dramatic.

And for most people; this would be a once in a lifetime view.

I now feel that I’ve been blessed by Madame Pele twice in my life!

And our dinner on this evening was one of our favorites on this cruise!

The grilled prawns were really delish!

That sopa de choclo, was quite good….great corn flavor…..and it gave us a taste of some Ecuadorian cuisine.

That chimichurri we saw them making was presented with dinner on the beef. Though it was the roasted potatoes with a hint of truffle that I enjoyed.

All in all, a fun, eventful day!

Road Trip – Oakside and Cocktails at De la Nonna (Big Bear)

May 16, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Road Trip, San Bernadino County, CA, Travel

After a lovely afternoon slumber; we woke and decided to take a stroll and then head to dinner. This was a Thursday evening at the end of October, so things were really quiet and relaxed.

We strolled up the main street, Pine Knot Avenue. There were a lot of cool wooden sculptures along the way.

We saw the sign for this candle making bar, which stated they were dog friendly, so of course we headed in with JJ.

The young lady working was a joy…so very friendly. And she cracked up when we told her we were from San Diego. She used to live in North Park!

The Missus found a few items She ended up purchasing….some tea and other stuffs. Really nice little shop. We didn’t know they closed at 5; but the young lady kept the place open. When we found out we apologized, but she just said “don’t worry, I’ve got nothing else to do right now!”

Mystic Moto | Ritual Provisions Candle Bar
625 Pine Knot Ave.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

We really don’t get much fall colors here in San Diego; so it was nice to see that.

We walked up to Village Drive and after stopping in a couple of shops, headed to a place recommended by one of JJ’s Aunties, Janeli. Named Oakside. We had a seat on the nice outdoor patio….the heater was already started!

The place was actually bustling, though not many people on the patio, there was a line at the door for dinner.

The menu was had things like pizza/pasta/seafood/steaks…you know, right? Anyway, our wonderful Server after asking for my taste preferences recommended the Monkey on a Mule, basically a Mule with Monkey Shoulder Scotch. A nice version of a Highland Mule, smokey, but still smooth, and not overly sweet.

We weren’t very hungry, so we settled for two appetizers, which was a good move since one of them, the Fried Green Beans was a rather large portion, of fried stuff.

Decent crisp – crunchy batter, lightly “snappy” green beans. We both enjoyed the wasabi ranch dressing….the pungency of wasabi did a nice job of cutting the richness of the dressing.

We also got the Oakside Wagyu Sliders.

The brioche like slider rolls were nice and fluffy. The almost thousand island like sauce wasn’t too thick and it wasn’t over sauced.

The beef was juicy and decently tender. Mild beefiness.

The cheese had been nicely melted as well.

Most of all; the Missus, who is not a “burger person” actually enjoyed this. It qualified for Her “once a year burger”.

Service a bit slow, but heck this is Big Bear and we’re on vacation, right?

Oakside
40701 Village Dr.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

We headed back to the Marina Riviera and decided to get a nightcap. There a restaurant and bar with outdoor seating. It has a great view of the lake, but of course it was dark by this time. The place was doing some good business. We peeked into the bar and the bartender, named Kinzey waved us in telling us, “come on in, you can see, we love dogs”!

And so we had a seat at one of the tables. I had an Old Fashioned which was a nice way to end the evening.

They made us feel so welcomed that we’d either have drinks or dinner here during the rest of our stay in Big Bear.

De la Nonna Big Bear (In the Hotel Marna Riviera)
40770 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

This was a nice way to spend our first evening in Big Bear!

Road Trip – Tropicali (Big Bear)

May 15, 2026 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Dog Friendly, Poke, Road Trip, San Bernadino County, CA, Travel

Just a month after returning from Tahoe, we were off again. I really didn’t want to be doing that 7 plus hour drive like I’d done the previous month. So, I got the Missus to agree to Big Bear, which we’d never been to, then a couple of nights in Idyllwild again.

I’d gotten us a nice room at the Marina Riviera, perched right on the shore of Big Bear Lake. It had also just reopened a few months before after some renovations and turned out to be very dog friendly.

Our room was ready when we arrived and we were able to check in. We had a nice view of the lake and beachfront from our room.

Right across the street was a restaurant I wanted to check out named Tropicali. You see, the restaurant had just been named as having the best poke in America (not only on the mainland), by that four lettered website. And you know I don’t take all the stuff from that website seriously, right? Though I understand that it did make some major waves, check out this from KHON and Sam Choy! Ho, like beef, huh? Anyway, that was written a few months after my visit; though this one Reddit stuff…….. I just had to check it out.

Anyway, the restaurant has an interesting entrance. You walk in thru the mouth of a shark sculpture.

So, of course JJ had a photo-op…..

They really go all in with the Tiki-ish sterotypes here…… A bit over-the-top……I can see how some Kama’aina’s can get a bit irritated by the cliches.

You order at one of the very colorful kiosks……

Anyway, I placed my order and then joined JJ and the Missus on the lovely deck.

Soon enough my name was called….they try to be funny announcing names, like “Gunnar xxxx” doing pirate themed thing….so of course when my name was called it was “Captain” you know who…..

Anyway, I had ordered two bowls. The rice for both bowls were nicely cooked.

The first was the “Kraken”, which used unagi sauce and was topped with won ton chips.

At least this wasn’t one of those “chi-poke” places. The fish was of decent quality, not too much “sugi”; though the fish was over sauced and the sweetness really overpowered everything. The sprinkled panko was kind of strange as it added a weird grittiness to the dish.

The Pele Bowl was the better of the two. Again decent fish and rice.

The cucumber tasted like Kyuri Asazuke, slightly pickled, which we thought added to the dish. Especially since this was also a bit over sauced and even though was obviously a version of spicy ahi was also too sweet for us. I think some limu and salt would bring back the ocean to the ahi here.

To me, poke is first about the fish, the sauce enhances the experience. Here it overwhelms the dish. That’s probably why I prefer HFS in San Diego to this place. Honestly, it’s not bad; but to me it’s not in the same class as Tanioka’s or Ono Seafood.

Tropicali
40771 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

After lunch we crossed the street back to the hotel and took a short stroll along the lakeside.

Before heading in for a short nap.

Roadtrip – Kalani’s Revisited, South of North Brewing Company, and the Echo Lake Trail (Lake Tahoe). A revisit to The Alchemists’ Garden (Paso Robles)

May 9, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Beer, Dog Friendly, Lake Tahoe, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

On our last full day in South Lake Tahoe; the Missus chose the Echo Lakes Trail, which you need a permit for. It was a pretty easy trail.

There’s an area called Echo Pass which has wonderful views.

The trail is basically along the lake.

JJ’s not fond of the heat and direct sunlight, so we’re glad we made an early start.

Another benefit of getting an early start is that we easily found parking. The lot isn’t very big and was full to the brim upon our return. The trail was starting to get busy, so we were happy to leave and head back to the hotel.

For lunch, we just stopped by the Whole Foods and got some prepared food and it enjoyed it on the porch and relaxed. And of course we had a nice nap!

When dinner time arrived, we strolled on over to Heavenly Village. This was a Tuesday evening so things weren’t quite as hectic.

We had enjoyed Kalani’s the previous evening; so we decided to head on back.

We walked in, fully intent of doing HH in the bar area again; but strangely, it was quite busy. The wonderful hostess just sat us in the dining room. As it was just past 5pm, we were the only customers.

I only got a mocktail on this evening….which was quite refreshing.

The Missus wanted those Brussel Sprouts again, which were just as good as what we’d had the previous evening.

And of course that crisp; then buttery textured pork belly.

Though we tried it with the sauce again….well, it’s still “no bueno”. The lovely pork belly was just perfect for our taste as is.

The Missus wanted one more dish and decided to try the Baby Back Ribs.

The Ginger-Soy-Garlic sauce was pretty good; if a bit strong in terms of ginger flavor; but the ribs were super tough and chewy. We probably should have stuck with the Miso Chilean Sea Bass.

Still, if we’re in the area, we’ll definitely return to Kalani’s. Here’s some history on Kalani’s if you’re interested. The founders are from Oahu.

Kalani’s
1001 Heavenly Village Way
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

On the way back to our room…..well..to give the Missus a break I took JJ to South of North Brewing.

It was a nice outdoor, really mellow area.

And we had a nice Blonde Ale……

And all seemed right in the world…….

South of North Brewing Co.
932 Stateline Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

The next day we had head back home……

But my goodness, a direct 7-8 hour drive wasn’t going to do it for us. So, we stopped in an area we had been to several times…….Paso Robles.

And then, after doing some shopping, had dinner a a place we’d been to many times before….The Alchemists’ Garden.

And while there were other places we’d prefer to dine at; the rail here was so very convenient. And having been here so many times; things were kind of easy.

The cocktails here are “king”….. I had the Nicolas Flamel…nice and spicy…..