Neapolitan Cookies

It’s almost Easter and it feels like a great time to bake some cookies. Caleb mentioned that he loves these Neapolitan Cookies that his aunt makes so I thought I’d give them a shot. Of course, I’ve never had these cookies before in my life, let alone know what they looked like to search for a recipe. Caleb was very little help but after showing him a few recipes and asking him some questions about possible ingredients I’ve landed on AllRecipe’s version of the Neapolitan Cookie.

These guy’s actually take quite a bit if time to set in the fridge and I’ve never made a cookie with layers like this before but I actually really enjoyed myself. I’ve also never done a cookie that is made like a loaf and then cut to size for baking. They remind me of pillsbury cookies that come in a roll that you used to cut and bake. Same idea with these guys only I made the dough at home, very very exciting. I do need to be a little more careful next time with the cutting because my knife cuts were all over the place with very very inconsistently sized cookies but I was alright on the thicknesses so everything baked evenly. These guys don’t rise a lot but they’re not overly dense. My pink layer was a little too almond-y from my extract but that’s easily fixed. The chocolate was also pretty chocolate-y so minor tweaks next time around but I was pretty content with my first run at these guys. Maybe I’ll actually get to try them made by a professional next time so I can figure out what they’re REALLY supposed to taste like.

Captain Marvel Pi(e) Day

I’ve finally done it! I’ve made a pie in celebration of Pi day and I also managed to make it dually appropriate for the release of Captain Marvel last week!

Thanks to articles from Marvel on Facebook I had the idea already lined up and it’s actually a pretty simple pie to make, just the top crust cut outs took some work.

The original recipe makes several small pies but I have my own crust recipe that I use all the time and adjusted the filling for a larger pie. It worked out pretty well visually and it was edible though I can’t say much for structural integrity. That top crust really makes a different in a full sized pie, that’s for sure.

THE PHIL - Potato Corner

This trip to the Philippines to visit Christel has been pretty amazing and while it’s been a little stressful, how can you not love a trip where your best friend takes you out to eat amazing filipino food and takes pictures of you on vacation like the amazing vacation boyfriend that she is. I’ve gotten to eat a lot of really nice food and had my fill of my favorite palabok but my favorite thing by far in the Philippines, is Potato Corner.

LOCATION: Everywhere. Seriously. They’re in the front end of the grocery store and at the rest stops and I’m completely sold because before I even realize I want some french fries, they’re already in front of me in my hand.

Obviously, my favorite food is the potato. Any way you want to make it - french fries, mash, gratin, hash, I’m ready morning, noon, and night. So, when I got to the Philippines and Christel told me how much I’d love Potato Corner, I wasn’t going to argue. Little did I realize they really are everywhere and cheaply priced too. Potato corner pops up as a little cart/stand in the most convenient spots - rest stops on the side of the road, in the front end of rural grocery stores, the mall, even at movie theater concessions. That’s right guys, we went to go see Captain Marvel and I got to eat hot, freshly made to order, seasoned french fries right in my seat. Best movie experience ever. I’m easily pleased.

Potato Corner is pretty simple (which is what makes it amazing). You pick a size, for me it was either a Jumbo (small), or a Mega (Medium), love the naming conventions already. You pick a style aka french fries but they also have other things like chips and tots. Then you pick a flavor which is just the powder they sprinkle on top. They fry the french fries to order so it’s always fresh no matter where you find them and then sprinkle on powdered flavoring and you’re all set. Clearly, this is not a healthy snack but boy is it a delicious, and I’m never one to really turn down french fries. I found that the smallest size was enough to satisfy my potato craving and had just enough salt to it from the powdered flavorings to be enough. These taste a lot like the flavorings you get with potato chips here in America only better because they’re topping hot french fries.

Sour Cream & Onion

Cheddar

Spicy BBQ

Apparently, if I hope to eat potato corner again I have to head to NYC which may not be for awhile but you best believe that if I’m there again, Potato Corner is near the top of my list. Christel taught me a pretty nice trick that you can buy powdered flavoring marketed towards popcorn here at just about any grocery store and you can sprinkle that on top of your own homemade french fries, or if you want to be crazy you can just go to McDonalds and bring your powdered flavoring with you to add to your own order. I tried it as soon as I got back to America and while it’s not as great as potato corner, it’ll do the job.

THE PHIL - Pamana and Buko Pie

Christel took me to Tagaytay City today for a little day trip to see a the Taal Volcano (from the Starbucks Parking Lot) and to eat (of course) at Pamana Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant that serves traditional filipino dishes passed down from one generation to the next. I’ve been having an amazing time in the Philippines and luckily since I’ve gone to Vietnam and grown up with that food, Filipino dishes have been a pretty close jump for me to make. I’m not terribly picky so everything has been worth trying and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a couple things.

LOCATION: Aguinaldo Hi-way, Crossing Silang East, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite, Philippines

Apparently, I’ve gotten a little too excited for lunch today and forgotten to take pictures but Christel said her favorite dish from this place is the Ube Halo Halo which we each saved enough room for after eating all these incredible dishes. Everything goes by its traditional name which comes part Tagalog and the descriptions are less descriptions and more personal family anecdotes (also partly in Tagalog) so reading the menu is basically impossible for me and I have no idea whats going on. Thankfully, I have Christel to order for us and she know’s what I like.

We ate family style as a table of three and we ordered (I think) Sizzling Balot Ala Probresite - a creamy duck egg dish with tons of flavor and one of my favorite Filipino dishes, Crispy Adobong Pusit Calamares - an amazing creamy squid in an adobo squid ink batter thats fried, Bulalong Sisig - a sizzling meat dish served with calamansi and onions and peppers, and Tinanglarang Manok - a very familiar, warm chicken lemongrass soup. I’m not a huge fan of lemongrass but this was very good. It turns out these four dishes, with rice, were just perfect for the three of us because we didn’t have any leftovers and were just full enough to each have our own Ube Halo Halo orders.

We also brought back a little souvenir. I guess one of the things Tagaytay is known for is their Buko Pie so we stopped by a little bakery called “The Original Buko Pie Bakeshop” for me to buy some traditional candies and pastries to take back home for people and Christel bought the pie.

LOCATION: LMMO Bldg Caltex, Sta Rosa Tagaytay Road, Lumil, Silang, 4118 Cavite, Philippines

I brought back a bunch of small sharable desserts and treats from this bakery but Buko Pie was just for us. Buko is Tagalog for Coconut so this is just a coconut pie but make sure you think about that correctly. I didn’t say coconut CREAM pie, just coconut pie. Buko Pie is slices of coconut meat layered into a pie crust and baked like our Apple Pies here. It was great. I’ve never had a pie like this before and honestly it’s got to be a new favorite. The best parts of asian desserts are that they aren’t overly sweet and sugary. Buko Pie has that sugar sprinkle on top but it has a natural mellow coconut flavor to it. The layers of actual coconut are tender and meld so well together and make something that’s not too dense but filling in a more mild way. I’m so sad that I’ll only get to eat this one slice but it’ll be a slice to dream about some day that’ll bring me back to the Philippines.

The PHIL - The most beautiful meal I've ever had

Today is a beautiful day. We’re out with one of Christel’s batch mates from high school, Sam, to make a trip to the Pinto Art Museum which has beautiful exhibits built into a hill that’s open and has so much nature surrounding the buildings. There’s a lot of local art here which I love seeing when I got somewhere new and the Pinto was a photographic dream. I highly recommend it.

While we were out we decided we needed to go get some food and Christel hasn’t been in the Philippines very much for the last 8 years that she’s been doing school in America so we rely on Sam to take us somewhere cool. Our first pick is booked solid so she takes us somewhere else and it’s like a twist of fate because we were meant to see this restaurant and eat this food.

LOCATION: 22 Loresville Drive, Lores Farm Subdivision, Antipolo, 1870 Lalawigan ng Rizal, Philippines

Tahanan Bistro is beautiful. Tucked into a subdivision surrounded by houses we pull up thinking we have the wrong address. We open doors that lead to the garage wondering if we’re inadvertently breaking into someones house when a car drives by and gestures to us that we have the right place. We walk up to this really amazing wooden door and pull a string that rings a literal bell alerting a waiter that we’re out here.

There’s a porthole similar to a ship that opens out for people to look through but our waiter has been here long enough to just open the front door and welcome us in. As soon as the door opens we’re led into a beautiful garden and expansive koi pond with the largest fish I’ve seen in a setting like this. We walk into a wooden house with sliding doors and incredibly designed wooden tables and furniture.

Once we’ve had time to talk to our waiter he let’s us know that this house is owned and designed by famous Filipino woodworker Benji Reyes. He’s furniture is sold all over the world and is beautifully crafted and handmade. Having one of his pieces is having a piece of art in your home. Having a whole house designed by him is an experience in itself. Our waiter tells us of the years it took for Benji Reyes to source all of the wood he needed for this house before even had carving and designing it. It’s a masterpiece and makes you feel warm and comfortable though it’s all made of hard wood. Everything is so unique in design and we spend the meal discussing our favorite chairs, itching to explore the rest of the place.

We’re lucky today and there are only a few tables that are occupied so our waiter has time to answer our questions and we walk around after we eat to explore all the rooms and check out the local artwork including more benches and books showcasing Reyes’ skill.

Tahanan Bistro is operated by Reyes’ daughter Keesha and her partner Kevin Tuason after their time in Melbourne, Australia. The food is seasonal and changes from time to time to match the products available but this is a very upscale casual fine dining prix fix menu. There are three options to choose from, all at ₱1,350.00 which ends up being about $25 (a steal). Sam and I order a pitcher of the Lychee Iced Tea which is perfect. Their meun’s are after different plants/ and ingredients but the titles are based in Tagalog so I’m happy there are actual descriptions today.

Sam and Christel order the Kanloan set menu while I order the Arayat set menu. They’re both amazing and adventurous in different ways and I almost get the same but some courses throw me off and in the end I’m happy with my decision.

The Kanloan menu comes as Pusit - Squid ink pizza, squid adobo, house-made rigotta, mozzarella, crispy adobo isaw, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and lemon, Ubud - ubud, lettuce, peanuts, roasted garlic, smoked milkfish, and tuille, Pares - braised beef brisket, linguini, poached egg, pangrattato, green onion, and 70% dark chocolate, Prutas - a seasonal fresh fruit popsicle, and Ube - their famous purple yam and white chocolate lava cake, cheese ice cream, and edam crisp. We’ve heard good things about the Ube lava cake and the waiter says the Kanloan is their popular menu because of the dessert. Lucky for me I have Christel and Sam and they give me a taste so I don’t really miss out.

My Arayat menu comes out as Hipon - prawn and pumpkin ravioli, coconut cream, crispy prawn heads, smoked bacon, cured egg yolk, and cashew, Ubud - ubud, lettuce, peanuts, roasted garlic, smoked milkfish, and tuille,

Hipon

Ubud

Humba - Pork with pork crackling, polenta, pickled beetroot and jicama, squash flower tempura, arugula, and apple vinaigrette, Prutas - seasonal fruit popsicle, and Saging - dutch pancake, grilled banana, lemon whipped cream, and a pink peppercorn caramel.

Humba

Saging

This meal was perfect, it’s easily the most beautiful meal I’ve ever had with each plate coming out to look perfect. Because this place is so open and natural the light was incredible during the day and it was just so peaceful to be eating this amazing food while looking at nature and enjoying great company. All the dishes were perfectly portioned and we each finished every last bite of our dishes - I was the only exception being unable to completely finish the pork in the Humba course but we know how I get meat full so it wasn’t a surprised with three large cuts of meat to a plate. I can see why they set the portion that way though because I’m sure most people would be able to eat it all. The whole experience was incredible and if I get the chance to go back to the Philippines, this place is on my list to re-visit. I have a hard time when I’m traveling because I want to see everything so most places get one visit in a lifetime to be able to see more but this is worth the repeat. They menu changes three times a year as well so revisiting would yield a whole new meal but the setting is what makes this place so special.

THE PHIL - Lobster King

I’m living in vacation inception with a vacation in a vacation. We’re getting out of the city and heading to the beach. Coron is part of Palawan, a set of destination islands in the Philippines with beautiful beaches that make it a popular tourist attraction. We’re spending our days island hopping on tour boats and waiting up for firefly kayak tours at night. It’s a trek but it’s a beautiful place. Of course Islands and beaches mean seafood and Christel’s mom is set on some lobster from a restaurant she remembers from their previous travels here.

LOCATION: 5 Coron - Busuanga Rd, Coron Town Proper, Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines

We drive up and down the main streets of Coron and lucky for us its a small town set up for tourists so things are relatively easy to find. We circle around to this open air restaurant, all these places remind me of Vietnam. It’s too hot for closed off buildings so big open spaces with fans to circulate air are how things work in this part of the world. We walk in and make a beeline for the tanks of lobsters. It turns out lobsters look different here and of course that makes sense because we’re not in America so why would there be a Maine Lobster but for some reason this didn’t dawn on me until this very moment. A lobster is a lobster, right? Apparently not.

Tiger lobsters are the type that live in the Philippines so this guys is who we’re having for dinner. Well, maybe not THIS guy because he’s huge and that means he’s pricey. This guy is just the show stopper that brings people in and weighing in around 15kg he’s a sight to see. We calculate it an he’s gonna cost a few hundred dollars so we opt for one of his smaller brothers. Tiger lobsters are so cool to look at with their coloring like this and patterns on their legs and bodies but what struck me was that these guys don’t have pinchers. Instead they have long point-y front legs. I guess they just stab their prey. In any case, I think I’ll stick to the Maine Lobster for that extra claw meat.

We pick out a more modestly sized lobster and order a few more dishes like calamari but also some pork sisig to round out our dinner for four. Our lobster comes out with a garlic butter sauce and it tastes so good we’re excited. This food overall isn’t exceptional compared to everything we’ve been eating but it’s a good time and I’m pretty content with it all. We’re stuffed by the end because Christel’s mom tends to order one dish too many for us but these are not terrible problems to have. Tiger lobsters don’t taste too different from Maine Lobsters so don’t go all the way to Asia just to have one of these but if you’er in the area, there’s no better place for seafood than right by the sea.

THE PHIL - K BingSu Cafe

Today is a Mall day. After lunch at the SM Megamall we’ve landed in another mall closer to Christel’s house to walk around and check out some shops. Christel is still re-familiarizing herself with Manilla and I’m a great guest to just wander around with so we roam until we find some BingSu and decide it’s time for dessert.

LOCATION: Missouri St. San Juan, 1502 Metro Manila Philippines

The first time I had BingSu was when I went to LA with Christel about a year ago. Her little brother took us to Sul & Beans for dessert and I had my first BingSu experience although I didn’t realize it was called BingSu at that time. To me it’s just shaved ice but BingSu is a Korean style shaved ice that’s much more dense than American shaved ice.

K BingSu Cafe is right in the middle of (one of?) this mall’s food courts and it’s tucked away near a darker corner. It’s bright lights draw you in right away and it’s a super cute little cafe that’s one room and an open entrance. Christel says it’s a place where a lot of high schoolers hang out and as if to confirm this is still the place to meet up, the table next to us had a group of three girls that came in a little later than we did followed by three boys that showed up to meet them for a group date. Awkward budding romance right in front of our very eyes.

K BingSu has about 15 different flavors of BingSu give or take and it was very very difficult to chose. They have a key of some of their popular flavors and since I’m not a chocolate fan that helped narrow our choices down a little bit. Christel let me pick and it was a rough decision that I narrowed down to their popular very berry or their mango cheese. Other contenders were the Buko, Injeolmi, or Strawberry but while we were in LA we had an Injeolmi (which is a nutty flavor) and Strawberry Cheese so those were knocked out. We like coconut but we weren’t sure we wanted a whole desert that was ONLY buko flavored so also knocked that one out. The choice was between the berry or mango and neither of us could decide but when we went up to the counter they said their Very Berry was sold out so the BingSu gods looked down on us and told us our dessert fate.

It sounds odd when you have dessert flavors as Mango Cheese but I’ve figured out that Asians don’t really mean cheese they mean cheesecake so it’s actually a very good addition. We’re not terribly hungry right now after lunch so we decide to share a regular at P260 which comes out to be about $5. Not a bad price for a shared dessert this big.

The mango is a great choice and Christel lets me have the whipped cream because she’s not a huge fan. The cheesecake with mango is delicious and I’m so surprised I haven’t had this combination before. I suppose mangos aren’t in such a high supply in America but this rivals strawberry cheesecake for me easily. I’m just a fan of cheesecake and fruit.

Between the two of us we finish just about all of it and are stuffed after. Good thing we’re in a mall and can walk it off. I enjoy BingSu. It melts in your mouth very quickly but since its so dense and packed it sits well and it actually ends up filling you up nicely. It’s also not overly creamy which I appreciate. It’s a nice cooling dessert that’s not too sweet and not too heavy, though I can’t say I’d kick American Ice Cream out of the game.

THE PHIL - Ippudo

Today is a casual shopping day in Manila after church and for lunch we’ve gone to the SM Megamall. This place is truly huge with a grocery store connected and too many floors and wings for me to keep track. SM is a huge family corporation in the Philippines and every time we’re driving around Christel points out all the stores they own and also the fact that she went to school with kids from that family. Manila is a small place with very very rich asians.

Once in SM Megamall we tried to go to Din Tai Fung, a very famous global soup dumpling restaurant that I’ve had the opportunity to try in Hong Kong (it’s delicious and the best soup dumplings I’ve never had) but the line was so long we put our name down on the waiting list for fun and walked around. During out lap we landed in front of Ippudo and the wait was much much shorter for the four of us (Me, Christel, and her parents) so we ended up eating there instead.

LOCATION: 3F Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Pasig City

As you may remember from a trip to NYC, I’ve been to Ippudo before and after a long ramen battle decided that I preferred Totto Ramen but we’re here and I like noodles so I’m not complaining.

Ippudo here in the Philippines is pretty similar to the one in NYC. Obviously the layout is different but it’s got the same feeling to it. This location is more open and brighter but NYC is NYC so that’s not surprising since there’s more space here in this giant Megamall.

While in NYC I tried the Shiromaru Hakata Classic Ramen but I thought this time around I’d try something new and a little different.

Ippudo Tantanmen Ramen is something that ippudo brought back within the last year and it’s their tonkotsu broth with tantanmen oil added to it that makes it a medium spiciness. The noddles are their chewy wavy version and its topped with ground pork, chashu, cilantro, onions, parmesan cheese, and onsen tamago.

It was such a surprise to me to have parmesan cheese in an asian ramen so I had to try it. This dish was pretty special and I did enjoy it more than the Shiromaru Classic from my previous visit. The egg was so perfectly par cooked and when split open and stirred into the broth it helped mellow out the spice but give it a really rich creamy flavor. What also surprised me was the ground pork. It’s prepared in a way that makes it fall apart in the broth when mixed, very rare in texture as in not cooked long. It was an odd thing to have this ground pork that didn’t really want to be eaten and instead much of it sunk to the bottom or swam in the broth. I wish it stuck to my noddles more so that it would be easier to get some of that flavor while I was chewing instead of in the broth while I drank that. Of course the chashu was very good and the broth was very flavorful. It’s a medium spice but I can say it cleared out my sinuses and pores well enough in a very great way. I couldn’t drink all of the broth but that’s something I rarely do anyways.

Though it was a fun experience, I’m not sure that I would go back for this again. I think it was exciting to try something so different and it tasted delicious but at the end of the day I may have been happier with an order of soup dumplings.

The PHIL - 'American' Breakfast

Traveling is hard and sometimes you miss home. I’ve been in the Philippines for a few days now and I’m loving the experience and getting to hang out with Christel again but once in awhile I need breakfast from home. Our hotel here in Baler is really nice with a beautiful pool and free surf lessons in the ocean provided by the hotel. There’s a breakfast buffet each morning and a breakfast menu to order from that’s included in our rate and I actually love having rice and barbecue pork for breakfast filipino style but today I really really want potatoes. I take a shot and order and ‘American’ Breakfast and I’m finding that when I do this, it just makes me laugh. I just wanted some hash browns but this version didn’t quite hit the spot for me. Breakfast sausage is also apparently very American because this is not what a breakfast sausage is to me. While different, it was still a good breakfast, just a little miss from breakfast at home.

Dessert Pizza

Shenanigans are happening here at Wegmans and I for one support it whole-heartedly. I’m pretty happy I was around for closing today in our department because some of the other kids in pizza decided tonight was the night to make some dessert pizzas just for us to try out.

They used a regular pizza shell that we make fresh here at Wegmans, and added Nutella as the base with marshmallow fluff dollops, and crumbled graham crackers topped with rainbow sprinkles after it’s baked in the pizza ovens for some color.

Before the Oven

After Baking

It’s a ‘s’mores’ inspired pizza and it may have been put in the oven just a little too long but if you like that charred marshmallow taste, it’s actually not too bad. We set it out on the counter and a customer actually bought a piece so I’d say it was a success for how late in the night it was and how close to closing we were. We spit a slice to taste test it and it wasn’t bad at all. The graham crackers could’ve been added afterwards as well to prevent them from burning in the oven but the nutella base was super warm and gooey and the marshmallows had that campfire taste to them that you can’t beat. Some days, work is fun.

NOLA - Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar

We’re back at Felix’s for another round but this time dinner! It helps that Felix’s is right on the edge of Bourbon street and super close to our hotel that we decided to go back but this time for me to get some Oysters.

LOCATION: 739 Iberville St. New Orleans, LA 70130

My manager back at ShopOne at RIT loves New Orleans and had family from here so she made me promise during my first trip here I’d eat Oysters. She did say that she loved them raw and while I’m not adverse to raw oysters, I definitely can’t eat a whole platter of raw by myself and Christel isn’t a fan of oysters so I’ve decided to order a half dozen Oysters Rockefeller

We’ve had a full day of eating today so this is a nice light dinner for us. We ordered some french fries to share and my oysters have met my trip requirement and tasted delicious. New Orleans was a success!

It was a really good long weekend for us but since neither of us are big drinkers, we ran out of things to do a day early. While we love the food hopping, we found it hard to fill our days in-between meals. A lot of people I know LOVE New Orleans and would be happy living there but I think one visit was enough. I’d go back but maybe as a big group. Two people isn’t as wild of a party and we can only fill our stomachs so much.

NOLA - Mother's Restaurant

It’s a very chill last full day for us in New Orleans and we’ve run out of activities to do so we just walk around and plan our meals for the day and see what we have left that we want to cross off. It’s football day and our hotel is so close to the big New Orleans Saints stadium that we can just see the traffic and flood of gold and white all over the sidewalks. We’re not huge football fans, Christel being from a different country and me being a late support of The Bills, so we try to lay a little low today to avoid all the Sunday crowds. I need to get some Oysters since I haven’t yet and we decide for lunch we’re gonna tackle a place that was on our Concierge’s list and that we’ve gotten as a recommendation from some of our local Uber drivers. Tip for all of you guys out there traveling, skip the online travel recommendations and just listen to the locals, they never let you down.

LOCATION: 401 Poydras St. New Orleans, LA 70130

Mother’s Restaurant in a tiny bit out of our way meaning it’s not walking distance so we call an Uber and head out for lunch. Mother’s is a pretty cool space with exposed brick walls and a long counter full of cooks and steaming hot food on the line. It’s a little crowded with rooms full of tables occupied by fellow lunchers and very quick women busing tables and checking in on patrons. We line up while we decide what to order and make our way to the cash register, eyeing all the food along the way. Christel and I scope out a table and a two top opens up just for us by the window so a nice woman clears it for us and she saves the seat while I wait to order. Mother’s is known for their baked ham and their Ferdi Special Sandwich so Christel and I debate between the two and decided to share a regular order of the Famous Ferdi Special and a cup of Jerry’s Jambalaya because through all our eating here in New Orleans we still haven’t knocked that one off the list yet. This menu is extensive with tons of options but we’re pretty excited for our order. We keep hearing recommendations for this Ferdi Special and even the description alone sounds great - it’s their famous ham, roast beef, and their original Debris with au jus gravy along with shredded cabbage, pickles, and mayo. I guess Mother’s coined the term debris which are the bits of roast beef that have fallen into the gravy during carving. These little richly flavored gravy bits of meat are added to each sandwich for extra extra flavor. The Jerry’s Jambalaya is rice cooked with chicken, smoked sausage, vegetables, herbs and seasonings that give it a slight spicy kick.

It doesn’t take long for our order to come out and we get ready to dig in. This sandwich is messy, there’s au jus that’s soaked through the bottom piece of bread and makes it fall apart in your hands but it’s so good that it doesn’t take long before it’s all gone anyways. This sandwich is so good and filling, it has a perfect balance of softness and crunch and everything blends so well together. We’re both content with splitting this order because we’re full from our respective halves but this is a sandwich you come back for again and again. It’s easy to see why people order this and recommend it to visitors. This place is busy but it should be with this quality and the amount of food we’re eating. This was an amazing choice. The jambalaya is also good. We should’ve ordered more than a cup because you want to eat more. The flavors are so good and the meat is mixed in so well but there’s a lot of it so you don’t feel like you’re getting ripped off. I like this more than gumbo/etouffee and wish I had it sooner and at more places. I guess I’m a proponent to jambalaya. It wins my vote in this three dish battle.

I’m already dreaming of going back to Mother’s again for this atmosphere. These woman who work the dining room are so sweet and helpful. They pop in just when you need them and are so fast. The one that was in charge of our section of the dining room was super nice and easy to talk to. I’m living the atmosphere of this place and the hospitality we’ve been experiencing during our trip.

NOLA - Willie Mae's Scotch House

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before but we love fried chicken. We’re in the south and this is the place for it so Christel narrows in on it and today after our second museum day, we treat ourselves to a late fried chicken lunch.

LOCATION: 2401 St Ann St. New Orleans, LA 70119

This one is a little out of the way but we wander around after the museum and get ourselves a little bit lost so UBER comes to rescue us and take us to get the best fried chicken in New Orleans. This place is pretty crazy with a line that wraps around the side of the building and a bouncer that keeps us in line - literally. everyone waiting with us is super excited and we can’t wait to get inside and after maybe about half an hour we’re seated and geared up for some food. There are tons of young tourist types like us in and outside for us to talk to and eaves drop on and it’s a really great atmosphere. Of course we each order Fried Chicken which comes with three pieces (light or dark) and one side of our choice. We both like dark meat so we get that and I order sweet potato fries while Christel gets mashed potatoes with gravy and peas.

This fried chicken is amazing, it’s super flavorful and crisp and not overly salty. One order each is enough for us but is well worth the wait outside. I’m not impressed with my sweet potato fries but Christel is pretty content with her mashed potatoes. The atmosphere here is pretty nice, its got a great hustle and bustle and there are tons of tables to help with the line outside but the space is broken up into different rooms which makes it feel less intimidating and more like home. I’d easily come back for more though I would think about what time of day might be best to come because there’s no doubt that this place always has a line, and with good reason.

NOLA - Deanie's Seafood

Today was a museum day for us so we at lunch at the museum shop and took our time with the WWII Museum, a really cool place with so much to see and a really nice interactive aspect that makes it easy to spend a couple days there, which means we’re heading back tomorrow to finish up the other half of the museum.

Yesterday I ran into a friend of a friend from RIT that also happens to be in New Orleans for the first time on vacation and we agreed to meet up for dinner tonight on Bourbon Street.

LOCATION: 841 Iberville St. New Orleans, LA 70112

Deanie’s is one of the locations recommended to us by our concierge so we dragged Kelly along for the ride for dinner. It was a Friday night so the place was packed and we were slightly underdressed but still okay. We waited about an hour for a table of three and we were so hungry by the time we sat down that food couldn’t come out fast enough.

Christel and I wanted to try the seafood because that’s what Deanie’s is known for and we have to get our fix while we’re down here by the water. Seafood is a little price though she we opt for the ‘famous’ Half Seafood Platter, that comes with fresh shrimp, oysters, catfish, soft shell crab, and crawfish balls with a side of french fries. We decide we need a little break from fried food so we asked to have it broiled instead. This set us back $35.95 total which isn’t bad at all and it fed us well.

Christel isn’t a fan of soft shell crab due to the texture so this guy is all me. I should’ve had better foresight because I love soft shell crab so much but it’s not as good broiled as it is fried so I should’ve asked if they could do that on the side as a fried part. The crawfish balls and fries came to us on sides fried up because that’s they way the come and everything else was amazing. The shrimp was cooked super well as was the oysters. Even that catfish was good, not too fishy. The service here was alright, our waiter was super nice and personable. This place is just a little too big and busy for my taste. I like holes in the wall or places that aren’t so big and open full of people.

NOLA - Beignet Wars

I think people know that when you go to New Orleans you have to eat a beignet, but theres argument over who does it better, Cafe Beignet or Cafe Du Monde. Today is the day that we settle this disagreement for ourselves.

We’ve had our share of Alligator both ways today and what better way to top them off than with some beignets for dessert. We walk around the French Quarter a little aimlessly looking at shops and outdoor public markets to see some art and trinkets until we stumble upon Cafe Du Monde.

LOCATION: 800 Decatur St. New Orleans, LA 70116

This place is huge, with a large gift shop and an even larger covered outdoor seating area. We’ve hit tourist central with people spilling out of the area and standing around the edges of the patio. We get a little nervous that it’ll be a long wait but as we walk under the tent, a really nice waitress gestures to a table and we sit down. Theres tons of seating here and it’s table service that’s really fast and convenient. I’ve found my people. Just about every single waitress here looks Vietnamese and I’m pretty curious about this but I guess that’s a question for another time. We order one serving of Beignets (another set of 3) for $2.73 - an even better deal than Cafe Beignet might I mention. These ladies are a little older but they’re fast. The one helping us circles back around with our order super quick and we pay her for the beignet’s and she’s off again. While we’re eating we see a family of 4 ordering 5 orders of beignet’s at a table a little ways a way. That’s some beignet love. We eat our order and boy is it amazing. In our opinion, Cafe Du Monde blows Cafe Beignet out of the water hands down. We’re stuffed after one and a half each but Christel is already trying to plan coming back here for more before we leave. I like beignet’s but I guess ‘donuts’ aren’t really my thing because I’m enjoying it, but maybe not 5 orders worth.

NOLA - Alligator and Po Boys

It’s a new day in New Orleans and we spent our first morning out with the alligators! This is one of our top things to do while we’re here so we woke up early and got on a bus from our hotel out to the swamp to see some Alligators. Of course, it rained because we’re super lucky and it felt like bullets were pelting us for the full hour but it was worth it. We were drenched but Alligators like rain and the thunder held off long enough for us to stay out looking for some gators.

Our list of things to do during our vacation is more like a list of things we want to eat before we leave so today we decide to tackle Alligator after seeing the real thing live in the bayou. Thanks to the recommendations from our hotel concierge we have a plan. Once we change out of out soaking we clothes we head over to bourbon street and walk around.

LOCATION: 739 Iberville St. New Orleans, LA 70130

We have no idea what we’re doing but we make it to Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar for lunch today and the best part of a tourist-y location is that the waitstaff is so used to tourists they know exactly what to recommend. We find our Louisiana Alligator and order it blackened thanks to the advice of our waitress. Christel and I are trying to order as much variety as we can so we both do 1/2 Po Boy and a Side. I go with the Oyster Po Boy and the Seafood Gumbo while Christel gets the Etouffee so we can try both.

This was a good first real meal in New Orleans for sure. We were pretty excited for the Alligator and it ended up being really good. Like people say, it taste a lot like chicken, it has a mild flavor and we thought it was great and cleared the plate pretty fast. I actually like it more than chicken because it’s more tender like a fish might be. Blackened is the way to go in this area so we were happy with that decision too thanks to our waitress.

The po boy and the gumbo/etouffe were what got us. My po boy was so good and balanced really well. I like the bread here because it reminds me of Vietnamese/French bread that’s fresh but not hard on the outside yet. I’m not a fan of getting my mouth all cut up from overly hard bread and this melded down really well. This was a pretty simple po boy so the flavors weren’t out of this world but it was a good sandwich over all and I enjoyed it.

Christal and I had to look up the difference between gumbo, etouffee, and jambalaya several times in our prep for this trip. Gumbo - considered a soup generally has a variety of meats like shrimp, chicken, and andouille. Etouffee - is thicker than gumbo and served more often as an entree focusing on meat like shrimp or crawfish. Jambalaya - is a multi - meat dish cooked with rice instead of served over rice like etouffee or gumbo. I liked mine more than Christel’s but she liked hers more than mine so it worked out the way that we ordered it. I feel they have a slightly bitter, darker flavor that I’m not a huge fan of and while it’s full of protein like seafood I don’t think I’ll ever be craving either anytime soon. Just something that’s not for me.

NOLA - Cafe Beignet

It’s our first night in New Orleans and we’re settled in our hotel right down the street from the French Quarter and Bourbon street. We set our stuff down, talk to the concierge and head out to explore the city. Christel and I aren’t huge drinkers so this may have been a mistake but we’ve both been meaning to come to New Orleans and Christel’s mom vetoed our plan to go out west to Antelope Canyon so here we are. We’re just aimlessly walking around trying to see what’s good and since it’s September, the streets aren’t terribly touristy but we’ve got some people around exploring and maybe getting a little bit more drunk than we are. We decide to rectify this and grab a daiquiri slushy at one of the many bars that line Bourbon street. But it’s just the two of us and we’re both light weights so we just test it out on our first night and order one to share of the staple “Hurricane” flavor which seems pretty much like cherry to me but we won’t question it. In our wanderings we just happen to stumble on to one of our ‘To Eat’ places and pop in.

LOCATION: 334 Royal St. New Orleans, Louisiana

It’s a fantastic welcome to New Orleans, frozen daiquiri in one had and Beignet’s in the other, I think we’re doing alright. This location of Cafe Beignet is super cute and cozy, there’s a small indoor dining area and we head all the way to the back to the counter to place our order. We decide to split and order because it comes with three beignet’s for $4 and we take it to eat outside on their patio. The great thing about New Orleans is that there’s live music everywhere. It’s just a fun relaxing place to be and we’re enjoying our first day easily.

We don’t have a benchmark yet for what beignets should be like because these are our first but we’re impressed. They taste great and the powdered sugar gets everywhere but that’s the fun of eating something like this. They just remind me of fried dough at festivals in the summer time and I love that feeling so I’m in. Christel is in love and wants to come back every day for these but we know there’s also Cafe Du Monde to contend with so we’ll head over there later this trip to scope out the competition and pick our favorites so stay tuned.

ROC - Reunited

Christel is here visiting me in Rochester and I seriously could not be happier right now. I’ve planned a bunch or Rochester highlights this week before we head of to New Orleans for a mini vacation but you can’t take the asian foodie out of us so of course we some how end up back at Taisho Bistro.

LOCATION: LOCATION: 100 Marketplace Dr. Henrietta, NY 14623

One of my stops planned this week is to go to Abbot’s Frozen Custard, a Rochester staple but we can’t just eat ice cream because we’re too hungry so right next door to Abbot’s is Taisho which sounds like a perfect stop for lunch.

Christel has been set on having me try Okonomiyaki another Osaka style pancake appetizer that has shrimp, bacon, and vegetables served with okonomiyaki and mayo sauce. This is literally a Japanese style pancake thats made with flour, egg, shredded cabbage, and the meat and vegetables of our choice. This is my first try at one and Christel has told me of places that make it right in front of you on a flat top. Taisho isn’t one of those places but the Okonomiyaki comes out and it smells amazing and looks huge.

She cuts me a quarter of the Okonomiyaki and I dig in. I like the blend of batter and cabbage, it makes it a little lighter and fluffier. For me the sauce is a little overpowering and heavy and I’m not sure I’m convinced. I would rather have takoyaki but Christel says okonomiyaki is the way to go. I’ll have to try it again somewhere else.

For the main course I order Beef Udon Soup. We’ve been discussing it recently and I’m totally in the mood for some Udon but I don’t like it fried as much as I like it in a soup. This Udon soup comes with beef, scallions, corn, egg, fish cake, and cabbage. It’s nothing special but it hits the spot for sure.

Taisho’s menu is so big, they don’t make particularly amazing tasting dishes but when I’m craving something, this place is sure to have it and it’s adequately made so I’m pretty happy that it’s around the help me hit the spot whenever I may need it.

ITHACA - Taco Time

I’m back in New York and I’ve driven back to Cortland to visit Caleb. I’ve been craving tacos and will not shut up about them so Caleb has decided to humor me and take me out for some in Ithaca today for lunch. I’m pretty sure he’s just happy that I’ve made a decision about a meal for once, my love for tacos is a benefit to us all.

LOCATION: 101 N Aurora St. Ithaca, NY 14850

In the heart of downtown Ithaca is Viva Taqueria. We don’t tend to come down here because parking is tricky or expensive and Caleb isn’t a fan of these kinds of things but thanks to google and yelp he’s decided to make the effort to get me good tacos and for that I’m grateful. I’ve never been in this area and Viva Taqueria is a bustling place. Right on the corner, you can spot it from down the street streaming with people and packed with patrons on this weekend lunch hour. We go inside and the place looks big but jam packed with tables all over the place and very little room to walk. We only have to wait a few minutes before we’re seated at this small table near a couple of little girls on a play date. It’s going to be an interesting lunch. We each order a bottle of root beer and I finally get the tacos I’m craving.

I order the Hard Shell Tacos because I love corn tortillas but most places use flour for their soft tacos so I tend to order hard for safety, plus I love that crunch. The hard shell tacos come as 1 chicken, 1 beef, and 1 chorizo filled with beans, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa fresca and a side of rice, beans, and escabeche on the side. Caleb orders a burrito because he feels they’re superior but we’ll not talk about that. These tacos are what I’m looking for. I like the variety of meats that I get to try and I enjoy all of them. I’m not a huge fan of rice and beans so I pick at that a little but the escabeche has a great tart kick to it that reminds me of out pickled carrots and radishes too. I’m not blown away so I don’t know that Caleb and I will come back down here with the hassle of parking and the plethora of college kids everywhere but it hit the spot for the day and I’m pretty happy that we’ve come down here to get food. I do like the area and we do some light shopping on our way back to the car on this really beautiful, sunny day. Theres a book store and record store that we stop in and I love it. Tacos, books, and music, I’ll take it.

FL - I Heart Mac & Cheese

The summer Emily travels continues with a trip to visit my Aunt and Uncle again but this time back in Florida. One of my cousins, Kevin, from Germany and his friend have come to America to visit some beaches and take time off so I’m meeting up with them to lend a hand and give my Florida cousin, Michael, a break from the hectic family life. Pembroke Pines has been my second home since I was old enough to fly on a plane by myself and I love it here. Of course, it’s been a little while since I’ve visited and new places to eat have popped up and Michael has set aside time while the adults are working to have lunch at his new favorite spot by the house.

LOCATION: 15999 Pines Blvd. Pembroke Pines, FL 33027

I’ve never seen a grilled cheese and mac and cheese place that’s made to order before but I’m already wishing there was one of these in Rochester. It’s our new go to place and any time I come back to florida, we’re coming here. I love grilled cheese now but for me, pasta wins out over a sandwich. I heard mac & cheese has counter lineup that allows you to customize your dish and since I’m here visiting and Michael is treating me to lunch, I’m going all out.

This place has a set menu for people who like examples of options or for those who don’t want to get too complicated in building their own. Kevin and his friend order pepperoni pizza mac and cheese off the menu because their English is a little less than handy and I pick the Lobster and White Truffle Mac and Cheese off the menu because it looks too good to pass up on my first time here but Michael goes custom, all day. My Lobster mac is pretty expensive, coming in at $17.95 but Michael loves me an I’m okay with being the baby of the family sometimes. This mac comes with lobster, munster cheese, lobster cream, white truffle oil, and Scallions but i also add mushrooms and have them top it with some breadcrumbs before they toast it in their pizza oven like toaster with a conveyer belt.

I love mac and cheese. It’s great and I’m so pumped to have a place like this that does it to order with the cheese all melted and mixed in right in front of me. This is for sure our new must whenever I visit from now on and I’m already looking forward to coming back.