Travel Woes

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the road. I know, I’ve had lots of little road trips, but no major ordeals. Well, that changed one long week in May. I had to be in Miami for work for four days, and figured while I was on the East Coast, I’d duck up to Washington DC for the long weekend holiday. All in all, it was a long journey.

First. Getting to the airport. As I mentioned earlier, it was a race to even get there on time. There was traffic, I felt rushed…I didn’t want my blissful weekend to end! Spending Sunday at SFO and on a plane? No thank you. So as you can imagine, as soon as I cleared security, I was annoyed that I had to just sit and wait. I wished I didn’t have to rush to get to the airport and wished that I could have gotten lunch ‘on the outside’. Instead, I was stuck sitting and waiting.

Once I got to Miami, some low lights? One of the servers kept calling me “m’lady”. It struck me as so odd. Not horrible, but just awkward. And kind of bugged me.

Oh, and then there was the incident when my housekeeper got mad at me for having the temperature in my room set too low (umm, really? 68 degrees isn’t that cold!) Her suggestion instead? To open up my patio door and to let the ‘fresh air’ in. Normally I’d do that (not only to be green, but fresh air is always best!)—but ummm, not when it’s hot, muggy, and storming outside! What is going on here??

As I was leaving Miami, I was getting excited. My week of being on the road was more than half over, and the second half was more fun than work. Plus, I was heading to a city I love and know!

We got on the plane, and as I tried hard not to be bothered by the rather large man sitting next to me who’s arm kept creeping over to my side, it hit me suddenly. We had been sitting there a long time. And hadn’t taken off. Just at that point, the pilot got on the speaker. Mechanical problems. Translation? Sit on the plane on the runway for two hours, haul ass to another terminal to get on another plane, sit and wait another hour, get on the new plane, sit and wait another hour, finally depart Miami. When it was all said and done? A 4 hour delay.

By the time I was leaving DC, I was ready for it. What more could the travel gods throw at me? I arrived at Dulles airport EARLY Monday morning and I was ready for whatever was going to happen. But nothing. I got there easily and quickly. Flight was on time. Made it through security quickly. Next thing you knew, I was at the gate and just waiting to board. So far so good. I had a craving for some orange juice, so hopped into line at the closest food place, which happened to be a fast food restaurant.

As I was standing in line, I could hear this dialogue:

Customer: “In the breakfast burrito, what type of meat is the sausage made of?”
Fast Food Worker: “Ummm, what do you mean?”
Customer: “I mean is it pork or is it beef?”
Fast Food Worker: “Ummm, it’s sausage meat.”

I’m not kidding you. Can you believe it? Sad but true people. I can’t make this stuff up. Just the laugh I needed that early in the morning.

The good news is that aside from the man in front of me that talked loudly and wouldn’t stop talking to his new friend, the flight took off on time, was smooth and we didn’t any problems. I got home safe and sound and in one piece.

Where’s the next trip you ask? No where! I’m staying put for awhile!

Meal of the Month: April

There have been a lot of months when I struggled with my Meal of the Month pick. Months when I’ve been on the road and traveling, having one amazing meal after another. Months when it seemed like all of my talented friends invited me over for amazing home cooked meal after another. Months when I was jet setting and in foreign country after another—experiencing new flavors and new dishes. Well, I have to say. This past April may be one of the hardest picks yet.

I celebrated my 30th birthday with a weekend getaway in Sonoma with some of the best friends a gal could ask for. Literally, from breakfast lunch to dinner. Meals were incredible. Wine was flowing. Champagne poured from the moment we got up. Specialty cocktails made my our very own mixologist. And friends everywhere. It was one of the most incredible weekends I’ve ever experienced. And every single one of the meals that we had was amazing. My friend Wendy made a FEAST and I had the most gorgeous birthday cake from one of my favorite pastry chefs, Ian.

Then there was the delicious meal at Blue Plate with a special group of some of my favorite restaurant people catching up. I also caught up with friends throughout the month…over a beer at Monk’s Kettle, over some duck hearts at Alembic, cocktails at Beretta, late night pizza at Pizzeria Delfina with two SF 'newbies' that I love, chicken nuggets at SPQR, cheese and salumi at Amelie and got to know a new friend over some bourbon at Street.

The over the top yummy meal at Incanto, where I was able to share the experience with old college friends (who claimed it was one of their Top 5 meals!)

So those were all amazing meals. There was also the amazing Taste of the Nation Share Our Strength event…where while I didn’t necessarily eat…it’s still worth mentioning. Almost a meal. Definitely one of the most memorable nights of April. Hands down. Maybe filed under proximity to amazing food? More on that night in a separate post.

So how is it possible that none of these were my Meal of the Month winners? It's because of Pebble Beach Food & Wine. I don't even know where to begin describing the amazing weekend I had. And I actually think it deserves it's own post. But for now, there were amazing bites throughout the weekend. The most delicious 'welcome' dinner the first night I arrived. A multi course dinner prepared by Michelin star winners of well known Los Angeles area restaurants. And being surrounded by people that cared so deeply about food.

I wish I had some photos from the Friday night dinner prepared for us especially by Chef Arturo Moscoso at Inn at Spanish Bay's Peppoli restaurant. Since I don't have photos from that meal, I'll leave you with my favorite dish from the L.A. Michelin Star dinner. It was prepared by Chef David Myers of Sona restaurant, and it was a Millbrook Farms venison with crispy brussels sprouts, tomato-kumquat jam, negi power. It was delicious. And well, yes, the tomato-kumquat jam was my favorite component of the dish...although the brussels sprouts were perfect too!

Here's raising a glass to April. I can't wait to see what May brings!

Favorite Aussie Words

I have always loved the Aussie accent. How can you hear it and not have it bring a smile to your face?

What I didn't know? Was that they had so many sayings and different words. Here are some of my favorite words, phrases and sayings from my trip Down Under:

- Bottle Shop: liquor store
- Mystery bag: a meat pie (doesn't sound too appealing does it?)
- Chrissie: Christmas!
- Prezzies: presents (what Chrissie would be complete without prezzies?)
- Sickie: taking a day off work when you're not actually sick
- Roadie: an alcoholic beverage you take on the road with you
- Brekkie: why breakfast of course! (My favorite usage of the word? "Chew your arm off and have some brekkie")

A few words we left without ever knowing the meaning of. Can anyone help? Any Aussie's reading that want to help?

- Tog
- Turps
- Budgie smugglers

Heading to Hong Kong!!

I leave tonight for Hong Kong! Yay! I know. I'm a lucky gal. My second big international trip in two months. This time? I'm traveling with my family! I'm so excited to be in one of my favorite cities in the world, and with the people I love the most in the world.

A photo my sister took during our last trip there in August 2007

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that three of my good friends might also be able to 'pop down' and hang out with me in Hong Kong. Wendy and Mark will be spending the holidays in Vietnam, and Matt will be working in Shanghai. SO, only a few hours away! Hey, how often do a group of Californians all end up in the same region of the world? Hopefully they can make it! It would be great to spend time with good friends in a different city than we're use to.

I'm looking forward to great shopping, delicious food, and ringing in the New Year in Hong Kong!

In the meantime, I've got a few new posts ready to go for you while I'm gone...lots of photos and recaps from Hong Kong coming at you when I return!

Seeing the World

How do you see the world? Some people see it through the mountains they’ve climbed. Or the amazing reefs they’ve dived. Some people see the world through the people in small villages that they meet. Others see it through the shops they’ve shopped in, while others see it through the wonders of the world that they’ve seen or even the baseball parks they've been to.

Me? I see the world through the food I’ve eaten, and the food that a certain country or region has to offer. I see the world through fresh produce, and regional delicacies. I see the world through the wines of a region, through the locally distilled spirits or locally brewed beers that's produced in an area and that the locals drink. I see the world through Farmer’s Markets, fish markets and grocery stores. Through late night dinners, brunches, afternoon cocktails, snacks, and amazing pastries. I see the world through the people that make the food I eat, as well as through the locals sitting next to me eating.

I enjoy seeing the typical tourist sights, but what I do is pick and choose my sights. Just a few in each new city, and then the rest of the time is spent exploring neighborhoods, meeting new people, and finding the local favorite restaurant (after all, a 'famous' restaurant is a sight to me!)

Have I been up the Eiffel Tower? Nope. I don’t want to spend all of my time doing the toursity attractions, so I pick and choose them. For example, in Paris, I walked by the Eiffel Tower (just didn’t go up, it was also rainy the day I was there), and then instead, I went up the Arch de Triomphe. And Paris, to me, will really be about my first steak au poivre, and the sunny Sunday I spent in the Marais looking into the shops and sitting at the side walk cafes.

In Amsterdam, I chose to go to the Anne Frank House, but that was really the only sight I saw. Instead, I think about the meal we had at the original Supper Club (and the hard time we had finding it!)

Hong Kong you ask? Yea, I've been up to the Peak. But I'm scared of heighs you see. And so to me? That was more of a scary, touristy experience than anything. What do I remember instead? Oh the street food! The most memorable being the crab dinner (complete with two large beers) I shared with my dad one night (after we had just finished eating our first dinner mind you!)

In New York? Ask me how many times I’ve seen the Empire State Building? Or the Statue of Liberty? None. Well, I chose Central Park instead. And SoHo (including a stop in the famous Dean & Deluca store). And Fifth Avenue (and of course, the Tiffany's store!) But really? The memories of New York for me include the wine I drank while waiting for a table at Momofuku Saam (and of course my meal there...the yummy pork buns and brussel sprouts!) And then there was drinking ‘til the wee hours at PDT (and eating my very first David Chang dog!)

The reason I’m thinking about this? One of people I love most in this world is a vegetarian. She eats to sustain herself, and as long as it's not horrible tasting, she's content. Breakfast is light. And lunch? Maybe a fruit salad. When it comes to dinner, simple. And of course, no meat. Pretty much the exact opposite of me. Especially when I’m on vacation.

Now don't get me wrong. When I'm at home, breakfast is yogurt, maybe one of my whole wheat waffles (yum). Lunch is typically leftovers or a salad. Dinner is either at a local yummy favorite restaurant with friends (how many times have I been to Beretta or Nopa you ask? Too many to count.), or something something simple I make at home. Usually with meat.

But on vacation, it's a different story. I’ve spent weeks leading up to it doing research. I’ve researched all of the restaurants I want to eat at, neighborhoods with the best cafes, local favorite ‘celebrity’ chefs, etc. I become engrossed in the eating culture of that city. I plan out breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I’m sorry, but there will be days when you have to sneak in a few meals in-between (the tough life of a food obsessed person).

For me, seeing a city is seeing it through it’s food and even more importantly, it’s food culture. If there’s a farmer’s market, I’ll be there. If there’s a fish market that’s well known, I’ll want to be there. A late night chef hang out? You bet. Wouldn't miss it. Street food? I'm not scared. Bring it on.

So what happens when you put these two people together and they decide to travel together for 12 days? Compromise. I refrained from planning every single meal (and in-between meal), and my friend probably had to hear more analysis about restaurants than she cared to. (But I guess unless you're by yourself, there's always some compromise that has to be made, right?)

And there was some of me eating alone.

I love my friend. She is really and truly one of my favorite people in the world. A good mate, and a friend that I will always cherish and have fun with forever. A friend that's supported me through a lot, and I'm sure will continue to through the years. We had a fantastic time traveling together—a once in a lifetime trip that I’m never going to forget.

But did I get to see Australia through food? Not as much as I would have liked. Who wants to go back with me? Because the fun in eating, for me, is eating with someone who is equally obsessed. I'm ready to return to Melbourne and really explore those alley way restaurants. And what about the amazing Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese influenced food?

And in Sydney, who will splurge for Tetsyua’s? And try kangaroo pizza? And the supposedly famous Hugo’s pizza? Or what about fantastically mixed drinks at Otto, Victorian Room, Lotus and Bar Reggio? Or Chinese food at Golden Century and late late night at BBQ King?

Cause I’m ready to go back. And And this time, I'm ready to really eat.

Aussie Food!

Some of the food I ate while in Australia

Reflections: Hamilton Island, Australia

Hamilton Island is an amazing place. Since my visit there, I've come up with many theories and analogies, maybe I'll share those with you all one of these days. In the meantime, I want to share my favorite memories and things to do on Hamilton Island.

Pool Bar
First thing my mate Shaye and I wanted when we landed after almost 20 hrs of traveling? To jump in a pool and have a cocktail. What better place to go than to the Pool Bar, a "Cocktail-esq" bar in the pool! Beautiful views all around us while we swam and floated with cocktails in hand. The trip was getting off to a good start.

Live Music on the Marina
We lucked out. Turns out Sunday nights, there's a band that plays on this little stage down by the Marina. Not sure if it's the same band or a different one each week, but the band we heard, was amazing. Shaye and I were just taking an evening stroll, looking for a diner spot on our first night on the island, and the second we heard the music, we knew we had to plop oursleves down on the grass and stay for the show.


Music isn't complete without wine, so a quick stop into the Marina Tavern Bottle Shop, and then we were back on the grass, watching the band, taking in the views and sunset over the water.

Turns out it was a cover band, playing many of our favorite songs including "Jack and Diane" ('two Aussie kids, doin the best that they can'), "Brown Eyed Girl" (upon my request!), and even "Down Under" (and yes, at that point, Shaye and I did get up and dance. And yes, we were the only ones dancing.

Our time here was also the perfect way to meet some locals, and Shaye and I made friends that ended up showing us around during our trip (thanks to Dave and Matt!) An absolutely perfect way to spend an evening.

One Tree Hill, day
They say it's one of the most beautiful spots on the island, and they're right. Absolutely stunning views of the surrounding islands. We were amazed by how far we could see, and how clear the water was. We missed it, but hear that if you go up here at sunset, you can have a cocktail and take in the sunset from the top of the island. Probably a good spot to see the sunrise too!

One Tree Hill, night
The day views are pretty spectacular, but the night views even more amazing. You can see the water crashing, low tide, and then the lights of the resorts and marina down below. The night we went, there was actually a band playing at one of the resorts, and we could clearly hear the music as we took it all in.

Southern Hemisphere stars and constellations
While you're up at One Tree Hill at night, be sure to look UP! Especially for my Northern Hemisphere friends, you have no idea what we'e missing. The stars and constellations look completely different. There is no Orion, no Big Dipper-instead it's the Southern Cross.

Click here for some photos from all over Hamilton Island!

Great Barrier Reef
If you're already at Hamilton, the 2 and 1/2 hour boat ride to the Great Barrier Reef is definitely worth it. The water is unlike anything I've ever seen.

We went to Reefworld, and was able to go snorkeling there. People. You MUST do this. The wildlife and fish we saw was so beautiful. The colors of the fish and coral all popped. I saw bright almost neon colored blue and yellow fish, a little one that looked like it had zebra stripes (made me think of Kimpton!), a bright green and purple fish, one that was black and had a red mouth and you could almost see it's teeth (I called it the Joker Fish). It was all very 'Finding Nemo'.

Great Barrier Reef

Some of snap shots from our day on the reef

I saw sword fish, a little shark, and these clam things that had a purple top that almost looked velvety. There were areas of really shallow coral, and then suddenly it would drop off into a really deep section. At one point I saw almost a wall of silver fish in one of these drops. And I swam through it all!

In order to snorkel there, you need to put on a stinger suit, fins, then of course the snorkle mask and mouth piece. As I was dresing, I did find myself thinking, isn't it a little unnatural that we have to put on all of these clothes and dress in sting suits, flippers, etc in order to go down there? Maybe humans weren't meant to be in the water and weren't meant to disrupt the wildlife?


Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful, and I've done other arguably 'unnatural' things (umm, you really think mankind was made to jump out of a plane?) But I found myself thinking about it.

Also while I was down there, for a second, literally a split second, I found myself not wanting to eat fish and understanding how a vegeterian might feel. The wildlife was just so beautiful in it's natural habitat. It quickly passed though, and I found myself thinking about which type of fish would be the tastiest.

Whitehaven Beach
Another 'must see', is Whitehaven beach. It's a 30 min boat ride from Hamilton Island and it's one of the most amazing places in the world. BBC voted it a 'must see place before you die', and now I know why.

First, the sand on the beach is a super-fine grain white sand, and actually, isn't even really sand. It's silica. And second, there's nothing out there. Nothing. Your boat gets close to the beach, then you have to take something else to get to the beach. Once you're there, that's it. No stores, no restaurants, no bars. Just miles of beautiful and secluded beach. Click here to see our photos from Whitehaven!

Catseye Beach at night
This is one of the beaches behind one of the resorts on the island. It's pretty during the day, but at night, it's even better. The sand is hard, and you can sit down without sinking in. When it's in low tide, you can't see or hear the water. All you see is pitch black. And since there aren't many other people on the beach, it's just you and the mates you're with. Enjoying each other's company.

R Bar
*Disclaimer: This one on the list is probably the most difficult of them all. Not something just any one can go and do. BUT, if you're up for the challenge, please try. *

Hamilton Island is a resort island. Which means there's a bit of an "us versus them" culture. The staff that works there aren't suppose to mix and mingle with the resort guests. You do your thing, we do ours. That's the mentality.

Well, that's fine. Unless you're two young gals vacationing together. You tend to look for the younger hot spots. All around us were honeymooning couples, and families. Neither group really appealed to us in terms of fun people to meet and hang out with. So what did we do? We broke the barrier.

We ended up meeting some of the staff on the island. And learned that there was a staff bar! Drinks were half the price, it was up a little hill (with signs marked "Service Road" and "Staff Only" the whole way up). They often checked for employee IDs, and no guests staying at the resorts were allowed in. So what did we do? Sneak in.

Yes I know, not my finest moment, but it was one of the most fun nights we had on the trip. There was a musician playing rock songs that Shaye and I sang outloud with from our table. There was dancing on a little dance floor (which we had to restrain ourselves from doing- couldn't try any attention to ourselves!). It was all very "Dirty Dancing" if you ask me! (Well, minus the actual 'dirty dancing'!)

The best moment of the night? Our friends went to the bar to get drinks (we had to stay behind, in case they asked for staff id). Well, someone tapped us on the shoulder and we heard "Staff ID please ladies". Our jaws dropped. Were we going to get kicked out even before we had our first drink here?

As we were both speechless, the guy started laughing. It took us a moment, but we realized, he was one of the bellmen from our hotel! We had talked to him several times, but just didn't recognize him without his moustache!

In any case, this staff only bar gave us a glimpse into life on the island.

Night tour of the island on a buggy
There are no cars on Hamilton Island. Just golf carts. Or buggies as they call them there. We had decided we didn't need to rent a buggy for our short time on the island, after all, just about everything was within walking distance. And there was even a free bus that circled the island. It was generally very easy to get around.

But then we realized, there are spots on the island that really aren't walking friendly. And in order to really get a sense of the whole island, you needed to drive around it. So how did we manage to get a night time tour from our new friends.

The locals we met were kind enough to drive us around the island on our last night, showing us lots of different spots on the island that weren't over run with tourists. We noticed that there weren't many drinking and driving laws on the islands. Everyone was driving around with 'roadies', beer in one hand, steering wheel in the other. Interesting.

However, near the end of the night, as we were heading home, we did see a breathalyzer check point. It was nuts! Guess there are some rules on the island.

My parting words? Go to Hamilton Island! Make the trek, it's well worth it and you won't regret it.

Reflections: Sydney

By the time I reached Sydney, I think I was mentally and physically exhausted. Relaxing that much can be draining! But seriously, all of the plane travel, combined with going out, staying out late, and drinking too much vino, made for two tired gals. But my mate Shaye and I were both determined to continue having fun, and to end our trip on a high note!

Some of my observations of Sydney? It’s a much different city from Melbourne. It’s a little bit more sprawling. Lots of different neighborhoods, but so difficult to get around! Not like Melbourne (or SF, or even NY…), in Sydney, you have to navigate between multiple public transportation systems—from light rail, to monorail, to buses, and of course ferries! (Which sadly, we never made it onto the ferry!)

In Sydney, we were clearly in a big city. The people were not quite as friendly. There were plenty of skyscrapers and large buildings. I walked by a number of major corporations, and saw lots of familiar shops and brand names. Suddenly, it almost felt like we weren’t that far away.

In any case, there were lots of things about our few days in Sydney that I did loved. Here’s a few of them:

Bondi Beach
One of the most famous beaches in the world, it’s about a 30 min bus ride outside of the Central Business District in Sydney. There are many beaches to choose from when you’re visiting Sydney, and we did think about seeing some of the other ones (like Manley!) But again, this was our first trip out there. It just felt wrong to go some where other than Bondi—this really is the beach that Sydney is known for!

The view from Icebergs is a must see

It’s a beautiful stretch of beach, and a cute little beach community. My friend JT was lucky enough to live out here for a year and she loved it. Having been there myself now, I can understand why. We chose to go out there on a Sunday, so it was filled surfers, families, and people trying to get out of the city. It was a bustling beach scene.

The day we were there, it was sunny and beautiful out. We spent our time there sitting, drinking mimosas, and doing a lot of people watching.

For more photos of beautiful Bondi, click on the slideshow below:

Bondi Beach!

Wildlife Park
It seems silly to do this, and I’m not really a big zoo or animal person, but how can you go all the way to Australia for the first time and not get up close and personal with a koala and kangaroo? You don't. I guarantee you, when you come back from your first trip to Australia, everyone will want to know if you saw a koala or a kangaroo (especially if you know any kids at all!)

We were actually kind of lucky. As part of our wine tasting tour, we had about an hour at this Wildlife Park. It was just the right amount of time for me. We ‘met’ a koala bear (poor thing, had just woken up and was bombarded by a bus load of American tourists), and had the chance to feed a kangaroo. Now, let me be the first to warn you. Those kangaroos are vicious! They go after you when they want more food, and sadly, we even saw one go after a young boy. You’ve been warned!

Here's a link to some photos of our time at the Wildlife Park. I know you've always wanted to see a photo of me and a koala. Or me feeding a kangaroo. Or better yet, a photo of an emu.

Was it a little silly? Yes. Is it still a must do? Yea, probably. At least if it’s your first trip Down Under.

Hunter Valley
Now, onto one of the best days of my vacation. Wine tasting day! Shaye and I signed up for a bus tour, so that everything would be all taken care of. The bus picked us up from our hotel, drove us to the different vineyards, had VIP tastings all lined up, and even lunch was provided (and it wasn’t half bad!)

As we drove through some beautiful parts of Australia, we learned a few things. We heard stories about the prisoners that first came to Australia, saw some of the original roads they had built, and even an old graveyard. We learned that avocados, navel oranges, and tons of stone fruits grow in this region. The Wollombi Valley is beautiful, and there is a healthy farming community there.

We started off the day with a quick stop at the Wollombi Tavern where we sampled some of the famous Dr. Jurd’s Jungle Juice (this is something you’ll have to ask me about in person…or check it out here.)

From there, we moved on and tasted at Brokenwood and Oakvale vineyards in the Hunter Valley. The wines at both vineyards were amazing. Really good. And really reasonably priced. We learned the grape harvest in Australia usually beings in mid January, and goes until the end of March. The region we were in gets HOT HOT HOT, and they’re really known for their semillons and shirazs. All of the wines were screw tops (yay!), and at both vineyards, we had knowledgeable people leading the tasting for us.

At Brokenwood, I was intrigued to see a Nebbiolo on the menu, and was happy we got to taste it. Grant told us his description of the wine (which I loved!), “Tar and Roses” he said. Grant had a lot of little sayings, and I couldn't help but smile each time he gave us a new one. When describing the Cabernet and Merlot blend (which I actually really liked, although I’m typically not much of a merlot drinker), Grant said “the cab is a doughnut wine, the merlot rounds it out and fills in the middle part.” Interesting descriptions. Interesting guy.

Our tasting at Oakvale even included an awesome paring of wine and cheese (the Dutch style marinated feta with bay leaves and peppers was AMAZING!) Thank you Grant and Gordon!

We took a break in there and had lunch at San Martino Restaurant. And I was pleasantly surprised. Lunch was good! And we had five or so different wines that we paired with each course/dish. Amazing! Our little tour group had a great time at lunch, and Shaye and I both quickly realized how lucky we were to have a good tour group. These people really helped make the trip as amazing as it was.

After lunch, we stopped in to Blue Tongue, a microbrewery right there next to the restaurant. This was one of my favorite stops. The beer we tasted was delish—why don’t we make more alcoholic ginger beer in the states??

All in all, the day we spent in Hunter Valley was one of my favorites. Having tasted wine in a few different wine regions, this one is near the top of my list. The people were all really friendly, the pairings made for a more interesting tasting, and there was just the right amount of information provided. I would most definitely recommend booking a day trip out to Hunter Valley (the company we went through was Australian Eco Adventures, they were great!)

And to see the random photos from our day in beautiful wine country, click here!

The Food Scene
So, unlike Melbourne, when I mentioned to friends that I’m traveling to Sydney, everyone had suggestions of places to go and see. I had a long list of restaurants, bars, and notable Sydney/Australian chefs in hand long before I headed down there. I almost had too many suggestions.

One of the hardest things was making sense out of it all. Who knew me? Who knew my taste buds and my idea of what a ‘good restaurant’ was? While I like a good ‘scene’, I don’t like it to be too ‘sceney’. Get the difference? I want to be comfortable in a restaurant. I don’t want to be in a restaurant where I feel the people are there just to be cool (and trust me, we did end up seeing tons of those spots). I go to a restaurant for it’s food. Yes, the décor and atmosphere play into it all, but that’s secondary. As we sorted through dozens of restaurant and bar names, and decided each meal or each night where to go, I had to take into consideration who provided the suggestions to me.

The other interesting thing? What is ‘Australian cuisine’?? Cynics would say “What Australian cuisine?”, making a jab that it is a cuisine of ‘borrowed flavors’.

Me though? I liked it. Maybe it’s because of my love for Asian spices and flavors, but I thought there were some interesting spices and flavor combinations that I don’t get to see often here in the U.S.

In San Francisco, we are just beginning to see a greater variance of Asian flavors, with people like Chef Tim Luym bringing ‘fusion’ flavors of Southeast Asian, and with Thai, Indian and Malaysian cuisines becoming more and more popular, there’s finally more awareness and understanding of these cuisines. Yet it’s still not as wide spread as it was in Australia. Obviously, given Australia’s proximity to Southeast Asia, one would expect there to be greater influences from that region.

I think there was definitely a lively and bustling food scene in Sydney. Lots of local ‘celebrity chefs’ the Australian’s are excited about (from Neil Perry to Tobie Puttock to Kylie Kwong…) There is a lot to taste in Sydney. It’s all still ‘growing up’ and coming to it’s own. I think it’ll be an interesting food scene to keep our eyes on in the future.

Here's a link to some snapshots from our time in Sydney. All in all, we had an amazing time in Sydney...and the next time I return? I think I'd be curious to check out more of the neighborhoods, steer away from the super touristy spots, and continue to eat my way through the city!

Reflections: Melbourne

When I told my friends that I was going to Australia and that I was going to be in both Melbourne and Sydney, what was the response I got? “Oh, you’re going to love Melbourne.” I had no idea how right they'd be.

Melbourne is like San Francisco in many ways. There’s a lot of unique neighborhoods. The city is fairly easy to navigate through. And there are a lot of options of things to do, places to see, and restaurants to check out. It's got a bit of the same feel as many European cities, and as my friend Sabine pointed out to me, a bit of an artsy feel (like another one of my favorite cities, Portland!)

The funny thing is, when I asked people for specific recommendations of restaurants or places to check out, there wasn’t many. People seemed to have lots of recommendations for Sydney, but when it came to Melbourne, all they could say was “just explore it!”

Well, explore it we did. And here are some of my favorite sites and moments from the short time I spent there.

The People
Have you all noticed? The Australian people are nice. Seriously. All of them. I don’t know if it’s something they teach here in school, or maybe it’s the drinking culture that brings out the niceness in them, or maybe it’s even as simple as the fact that they’ve got these great accents so everything they say seems nicer, but I’m not joking. My mate Shaye and I had the opportunity to meet so many different people. Just from chatting with them at the bar, or because they were friends of friends, or even just because they happened to be sitting near us at one thing or another. I think they’re onto something here. Maybe the Americans can learn a thing or two from them.

The Trolley’s
No, not cable cars, actual trolley’s. Like the F line. Going all around the perimeter of the Central Business District. Not only did it make it easy to get around, but it made me think of my favorite city.

The Alley’s
Explore the alley’s!! Go against your instinct and don’t avoid the alley’s! Down these different alley’s, you’ll find rows and row’s of restaurants, unique boutiques, and other interesting spots. Many of the most popular bars in the city are down one of these infamous alleys.

The first night Shaye and I arrived, we were exhausted. We had been up early to catch our flight, and had had very little sleep while on Hamilton Island. By the time dinner time rolled around, we were exhausted. During dinner, I could see Shaye’s eyes dropping…and I saw an early night in our future. Part of me was equally tired. But the other part of me wanted to explore. We had just gotten there after all, and it was our first night in town!

We decided to go into one bar, have one drink, and then head home. As we walked down one of the major streets in the Central Business District (CBD), we realized we weren’t coming across anything. So we quickly went down the back alley of the street, and began to realize there were tons of cute boutiques and shops down this alley! We walked by a restaurant that seemed to have a great crowd, and good music playing and we ducked in for a cocktail.

Stumbling into Hairy Canary was one of the best things we did. Richard behind the bar made one of the best drinks I’ve ever had, called a Bourbon Street Sour. And I could see by the way he was mixing the drink, I had found myself a mixloligst! At that bar we ended up meeting people, learning of other restaurants and bars to check out in not only Melbourne, but Sydney as well. It was definitely the perfect spot for us.

Late late nights
So, after our first drink at Hairy Canary that night, do you think we left and went back to the hotel? Ha! We actually ended up having three there, and making spots at two other places that night and getting home at 6:30 am!) Which leads me to another favorite thing about Melbourne! Things are open LATE!

All around Australia, we noticed signs that read “Trading Hours: 5 pm- Late”. We got a kick out of it. What exactly did ‘late’ mean? 10 pm? 2 am? Later? And if you didn’t know what time the restaurant or bar closed, how would you know when to go? While I envy the Aussie’s and their ability to stay out late, I will say. There is something easier about the way it’s done in the states. There’s a closing time. You know when you have to go home.

In California, you can pretty much bet that your night will end shortly after 2 am (Ok, not always true…there are those late night clubs, and late night restaurant/bars, and even better, those certain bars that will sometimes let you stay past closing—I can’t disclose which bars those are, I want to enjoy them still!)

But as an American on holiday, I loved the fact that the night didn’t have to end. Similar to how I feel about New York, there’s something special about being able to stay out late, and continue to check out spot after spot. (Like New York though, I often find that you’re in a time warp, and even though you don’t mean to stay out late, the next thing you know it’s 4 or 6 am, and the sun’s coming out, and work’s calling in just a few more hours!)

But if you are up for a mellow late night, check out Supper Club Bar. It was truly one of the coolest wine bars I've ever been to. With views of the Parliament House, there are wines from around the world on this list. Our night here was made even better by one of the best practical jokes that have ever been played on me...ask me about 'snickerdoodle' and I'll fill you in. But regardless, go check out this spot.

Queen Victoria Market
The San Francisco Ferry Building is my happy place. Shoot, most farmer’s markets are. I really enjoying seeing the local produce, what’s in season, and meeting the locals. Well, Queen Victoria Market is a MUST SEE on my list. Whether or not it’s truly a tourist attraction or really a place the locals go, doesn’t even really matter in my book. Click on the photo below for a slide show of my favorite pictures from the market.

Queen Victoria Market

First, there’s the meat and fish area. Literally dozens and dozens of stalls and shops selling fresh meat down one side of the hall and then dozens and dozens of stalls and shops selling fish down the other side.

In another back area, there were dozens and dozens of vegetable stands. Selling tons of fresh produce and fruit. I saw some things I have never seen before, as well as plenty of familiar fruits and vegetables.

There was a food court area, not unlike other food courts I’ve seen, but this one was prettier. There was even a wall filled with black and white photos of the market, some old ones (showing the history of the market), and other newer ones.

There were other tents and stalls filled with things to buy. Knick knacks, almost like the night markets in Hong Kong, or even a flea market. Some cheesy touristy things (yes, I did make a few purchases). Nevertheless, interesting to walk through and peruse.

All of this was amazing, but my favorite area of the market was the deli. There were stalls and shops, all specializing in one thing. For example, the little French Cheese shop, or the Polish shop selling polish sausage and condiments. There was the tofu guy, selling all things tofu, and then the Greek deli selling what looked like hundreds of special dips and olives. I was amazed by each and every one of these stalls, and took the time to really look at what each one was offering. It was pretty amazing.

This was the point during my time in Melbourne when I found myself really wishing I lived there. I just know I would be at this market often, and not only buying items to take home to make, but buying some of the cooked food items from the deli area, and also getting to know each and one of these shops.

I was lucky enough to explore the market alone for a few hours while my mate Shaye went for a run one morning (yea yea, we obviously know who the healthier one is, I prefer walking, hiking, yoga, pilates, biking, swimming...but run? No thank you. And besides, I’m a food lover, there’s nothing better than exploring the market early!) I struck up conversations with a number of the vendors and farmers, and even chatted with a few chefs while I was there while they were making some early morning purchases. It was nice to see a piece of the Melbourne food scene.

All and all, Melbourne has quickly joined my list of Favorite Cities in the World...I hope to make it back soon.

If you want to see other sights and sounds from the city, click here for a link to more photos of fun in Melbourne!

Reflections: Down Under

I recently came back from the most amazing trip to Australia. I was there for 10 days with my mate Shaye, and we explored three different parts of the country. We went to Hamilton Island, a resort island out by the Great Barrier Reef first. Then we spent a few days in Melbourne, and finally we ended up in Sydney.


Over the next few days, I'm going to share my reflections and stories (and photos of course!) from my trip. I have a bit of that Type A personality in me, so would like to go in chronological order of our trip, but sadly, I'm still waiting for some of our photos from our first stop! SO. Rather than keep all of you waiting, I'm going to start with Melbourne, the move to Sydney, and finally end with a recap of our time on Hamilton Island (probably the most beautiful photos are from this leg of the trip!)

All in all, Australia is a country filled with amazing sights and kind people. Every where we went, people asked us where we were heading and what we were going to do and see. And every person we talked to, was eager to offer up their suggestions of things to do, sights to see and restaurants to eat at. We collected a number of small pieces of paper with notes jotted down eagerly.

And speaking of the people, boy can they drink! No matter what time of day, or where we were, I felt like we say people drinking. Beer. Wine. Cocktails. All of it. Pubs were open all day long (and all night long), and you could almost always guarantee that there'd be at least a few people sitting there drinking. (Our lists of recommended 'must see places' included a healthy number of bars and pubs!)

While Australia was never super high on my list of places to visit, I have to say, I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong! It's a unique place (that has qualities similar to the U.S., and yet, reminds you that you are a world away.) Everyone reading needs to make a trip to Australia at least once in their life. It really is a unique place that we should all be so lucky to see.

To me, Australia will always be a country filled with beautiful places, lots of great experiences, and memories of all of the people we met along the way. Enjoy!

The Life I Missed

It’s always great being on vacation. Exploring a new place. Meeting new people. Being away from your normal, day to day life.

But what happens when you’ve been gone for a little while? What do you start missing? Me? Here are a few things I found myself missing when I was on vacation in Australia:

My family
I don’t necessarily think it was the number of days I was away from my dad and sister, I’ve been away from them for longer. But it was because it was over the Thanksgiving holiday, and also my mom’s birthday. All of that combined made me miss them more than normal. I found myself wondering what they were doing, how they were celebrating Thanksgiving, and what it would have been like if I was home with them. I also found myself seeing things and thinking of them, and wanting to pick up the phone to call my sister to share with her.

My friends
I realized, as much as I adored my traveling mate, I missed many of the people that are in my daily life. From friends that live near me in San Francisco, to friends that I email frequently with, to my friends at work. You don’t realize the people that play such an important role in your daily life until you’re away from them.

Cooking!
Mainly in my own home kitchen, but also in the Postrio kitchen. There is something comforting about making your own food, and doing all of the prep work (and even washing the dishes after…)

Blogging
I know, dorky. But seriously. Blogging’s become a bit of a diary for me, and I had lots of random thoughts and observations I had jotted down throughout my vacation. I really couldn’t wait until I came home and could put all of my thoughts together and share my adventures online.

My own familiar apartment and bed
There is something hard about picking up and ‘moving’ every three nights or so. I found myself confused a few times when I woke up in the middle of the night, wondering where I was. After awhile, I realized I missed my own little apartment.

Don't get me wrong, the vacation was amazing. I'd go back in a heart beat! And I was a little sad when it was all ending. But it did make me appreciate my own simple life in San Francisco.

Reflections: New York

I’m still thinking about my last trip to New York. This is what always happens. I come back from a place, and think about the differences between that city and my own beautiful San Francisco. I find myself exploring each city thinking, “What do the locals do? Could I live here? Which neighborhood would I live in? What would I do? What’s different between here and San Francisco? What do I like more? Less?” In the case of New York, a few observations are sticking with me.

The honking!
Yes, the cabbies there are crazy with the horn! And it’s everywhere! No matter what part of town, what time of day. It’s all around you. I think they should start making NYC taxis without horns. I think New York would be a much nicer place.

Cab drivers not knowing where they’re going
Yes, I realize, Manhattan is big. Toto, we’re not in San Francisco anymore. I get that. BUT. When I get into a cab and ask to be taken to a major hotel, or well known restaurant, it still shocks me that a cab driver can have no idea where it is. I know there are TONS of hotels and restaurants and stores and landmarks in New York. But I see it is kind of their jobs to keep tabs on the city. To at least have a sense of where things are.

Produce goes to NYC to die
Do my other Californians wonder what happens to produce when it goes bad? My new guess? It gets shipped to New York, where New Yorkers will pay three times what we would have paid for it when it was healthy. Seriously. I found that everywhere I looked, from corner stores to grocery stores to even the Farmer’s Market, produce just wasn’t the same. Beets were soft to the touch. Veggies were limp. Colorless. Sure makes life in Cali seem even better.

Diversity
We hear it a lot. New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world. I think it’s true. After spending time exploring multiple neighborhoods (even checking out the coolest Indian specialty foods store, Kalustyan's, with the largest selection of Indian spices I have ever seen in my life!), I believe it. I tend to think San Francisco is pretty diverse (in case you can’t tell, I really do think San Francisco is one of the most special places in the world.) But in terms of ethnic diversity, New York may have us beat.

Just some of the amazing spices at Kalustyan's

It’s a small city if…you have a community
New York always seemed so big to me. Harsh and cold. You know, the theory that the bigger the city, the lonelier you can actually be? Well, this last trip to New York opened up my eyes to another thought. That any large city, no matter how large, can seem small if you have a good community or network. I know this sounds like I’m stating the obvious, but let’s take me for example. I love food. And the restaurant business. I have a network of friends in my industry and with this same interest. Well, through this network, I continue to meet more and more interesting people. This isn’t limited to just San Francisco. Through my network of friends, I’ve met so many equally amazing people all around the world.

Just takes time to get use to…
Like anything, it just takes time. Because of multiple trips to New York within the recent years, I feel more and more at home there each time I return. I have a better sense of the neighborhoods, how to get where I need to go to, and how to even make suggestions of where to go. More than any other trip before, I could actually see myself living there after this last trip (I think I even know what neighborhood I’d live in!!)

All in all, my last trip to New York was amazing. And as always, it continues to be one of those cities that I want to live in. Until next time…

Off to Sea

You know the saying "Try something that scares you every day?" Well, I did. And not only did I, but I have found a new love and appreciation for something new! I'm talking about sea kayaking!

It's like me...heading out into the great big sea

I know, I know. It's not really that scary. I mean, if you really want to talk scary, let's talk about sky diving, now that was scary. But kayaking was scary in a different way. Looking out into the water, seeing the darkness below me and all the waves!

I was out there with two friends, both had been before. When we had first started talking about kayaking, I assumed there would be one 2 person boat, and one 1 person boat. And that I would not going to be alone. Not the case. I was quickly corrected and told we’d each be in our own boat. Gulp.

Then we get there. We get our life vests. We make our way down to the beach, get assigned a boat, and just as I'm waiting for some sort of tutorial or instructional portion, the guy says, "Ok, have fun out there". That was it. Umm, not ok with me. I needed more. I walked up to the guy that had just waved us off and I timidly told him “it was my first time'”, and that I wanted to see if he had any tips.

Kayak Expert Guy: Get past those initial big waves. Paddle left to go right. Paddle right to go left. And just get past those waves. Have fun!

Me: Umm, that's all?

Kayak Expert Guy: Yup! Just get past those waves!!

Me: How?

Kayak Expert Guy: Paddle left to go right and paddle right to go left!

Yea. That's all. I think I left our little conversation slightly more nervous. Big wave? Yikes.

Thank goodness for kind (and strong) friends. Bowman and Bahram were kind enough to take pitty on this scardey cat and they gave me the push I needed to get past that big wave. It was the most glorious experience!! The sense of freedom and just being out in the sea. It didn't hurt that we were in San Diego where the weather and water was perfect. We even saw a leopard shark!

Not my photo...but the leopard shark looked similar to this one!

Back up here in SF now, and as I started looking into places to kayak, I started seeing information on wet suites. Umm, no thank you! What's the fun of being out there if you're not warm? And not tipping each other over into the refreshing water? (Although I have to admit, I told the boys there was a 'No Tip' rule with me...this was still my first time after all!) It just woldn't be the same if you weren't reaching in and throwing kelp at each other. And having paddle splash wars! There's nothing refreshing, nor clean, about the water up here!

I came across this list of “10 Favorite Places to Kayak” on the IgoUgo site (also see below for the list). Guess I’ve got my list of vacation spots to hit!!

Me with my friends Bahram and Bowman post my first kayaking experience!

From UgoIgo:

We'd guess that most travelers spend more time Kayaking plane tickets than kayaking rivers and oceans. But the paddle events underway in Beijing reminded us of all the IgoUgo members who have dipped their boats into the world's most beautiful waters. Here are some of their picks for the best places to make waves.

1. Boulder City, Nevada: Black Canyon rivergirl88 says: "Below Hoover Dam sits a great little secret called Black Canyon. It is gaining in popularity due to its towering cliffs, emerald-green waters, and numerous hot springs. You can kayak into sea caves, paddle onto sandy beaches for lunch, or just watch for bighorn sheep high on the cliffs. All 745 feet of the Hoover Dam tower above you...what a view!"

2. Vieques, Puerto Rico: Mosquito Bay stomps says: "It really was an out-of-this-world experience. Adding to the glow beneath us was the glow in the sky. Looking up at the stars, we could see the entire band of the Milky Way stretching across the center of the sky. As soon as we got out of our kayaks, all of us were planning our next trip to Vieques and its fairy-dust-sprinkled bioluminescent bay."

3. Baja California, Mexico: Ensenada Caves ernieg23 says: "The most exciting moment of the trip had to be our wild kayaking through Ensenada's caves and into the ocean, where we encountered many amazing sites. A gigantic sea lion attacking a 4-foot-long tuna at about 20 feet from us was a frightening rush that turned into excitement."

4. Halong Bay, Vietnam: Surprising Cave shammiyap says: "Kayaking is a nice way to explore the secluded places, and it helps you get really close-even touch the stone. Kayak under the grottos to another heaven on earth; you will feel that life is so peaceful at once!"

5. Moorea, French Polynesia: Les Tipaniers aunty says: "Make sure you drive to Les Tipaniers resort, park outside, and walk through to the beach. Here you can hire a kayak and paddle across to two nearby motus (little islands). In between the two motus is a beautiful lagoon with crystal-clear water and lots of sea life."

6. Kauai, Hawaii: Hanalei River Idler says: "We pass under a low bridge and are now traveling through the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, home to many endangered birds such as black-necked stilts and Hawaiian geese. In fact, the best way to observe the birds of the wetlands is by boat, as access onto the refuge itself is restricted. Silently we glide along the placid river, going at my easy pace. Occasionally an oar splashes, rousting a cattle egret in a flapping flash of white."

7. Seward, Alaska: Fox Island Virtually There says: "This was an easy kayaking excursion that included instruction and a 3-hour guided wilderness paddle around Fox Island, one of the world's finest paddling locations and an interesting mix of temperate rain forest; sculpted cliffs; protected coves; and long, pebbled beaches."

8. Chiloé Island, Chile: Dead Tree Valley amylya says: "Kayaking at the Dead Tree Valley is a unique and astonishing experience and a must when visiting Chiloé. To be alone in a kayak surrounded by dead trees; wetlands; and rare, endemic birds that stay quiet while you photograph them makes you feel transported in time. Four different rivers give you alternative landscapes to enjoy. All calm water."

9. Phi Phi Le Island, Thailand: Maya Bay Ben the Grate says: "Eventually you'll come to a bay opening to your left. Enter this bay. Here in the entrance is some of the finest and most colorful snorkeling I've ever experienced. In fact, the fish were so prolific that when I dropped a cracker in the water it literally boiled and fish jumped INTO my kayak!"

10. Maui, Hawaii: La Perouse Bay Cattleya says: "Unbelievably wonderful experience-green sea turtles come up for air right beside you. Fish in all the colors of the rainbow and beautiful coral formations exist in this marine reserve area that is only accessible by kayak."

The Ink's Not Even Dry...

from my last post, when I boarded yet another plane to head home. Just when I was hoping for a drama free trip, we had delay after delay. Finally boarding the plane almost two hours later, all I wanted to do was get home.

The first bummer was that even though it was a short flight, I was hoping to sit next to one of the friends that I was traveling with. There was five of us, and yet we all sat apart from each other. Not a big deal. We had just spent the whole weekend together after all!

Well, I had a window seat, and when Mr. Middle Seat approached, I thought I had a normal neighbor for once. Not so lucky. Mr. Middle Seat had back problems. The second the plane took off and we didn't have to wear our seat belts anymore, he got up, and hunched over. Essentially facing towards the back of the plane. He was like that the entire flight. While I felt bad for him for experiencing back pain, it was a little odd.

On top of that? I didn't even notice until my friend Paul pointed it out to me. He had little sequins on his shirt. Isn't that no longer hip for day-time wear? Was it ever really ok to wear sequins out in broad day light?

Sigh. Nothing that affected me. But again, just not normal. Further proof that there are a lot of weird people out there!

Personal Space...On a Plane

It should almost be a separate blog. The weird passengers I come across on planes. Sure, I travel more than the average person maybe, but do I come across more weird people than the norm? Feels like it. What about me just attracts these weirdos?? Why is it, that even when my eyes are CLOSED, does the lady next to me feel like she can talk to me? And not really even talk to me, but to ask me why the guy sitting across the aisle from us can be on his 'blueberry' (yes, she meant BlackBerry) while we were in the air? Sigh.

Someday, I’m going to write a Flying 101: Do’s and Don’ts. Have annoying flying stories of your own? Send ‘em my way and I’ll be sure to include in the book!

Pack Your Bags!

Yay! The end of this year is going to be a busy one for this gal...

I'm packing my bags and will be spending Thanksgiving in...AUSTRALIA!

It's my first trip there, so I'm taking suggestions for Sydney, Melbourne and the Hamilton Islands. You know me, always looking to be connected with some fun local people...I need the insider's tips on food, wine, sights and sounds! My friend Shaye and I are traveling together and I can't wait to hang out with her and for us to explore a new city together. Should be amazing...lots of photos and memories for us to reflect on when we're old.

And then, right after Christmas...I'm heading to HONG KONG!

Hitting up one of my all time favorite cities with my family. I can't wait. And best of all, we'll get to spend New Year's Eve and my sister's birthday there! This is one of my favorite eating cities of all time, the food there is amazing. From the nice restaurants to the street food. It's all good! Don't believe me? Hop on a plane and join me! Happy to play tour guide for friends! It's one of the things I enjoy most, sharing things, places, and foods I love with people that can appreciate it.

Too bad I don't have a lot of time off (nor a lot of money...) Wouldn't it be great to travel to New Zealand, Northern Australia, Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, or some other fantastic location over on that side of the world for the month in between?

But still. What a lucky gal I am...to be able to visit not only one of my favorite places in the world, but to check out a new one too!

Weirdest Plane Passenger

So. Most people I see when I travel are 'normal'. Husbands and wives. Families. Groups of girls. Groups of guys. People traveling for leisure, and people traveling for business (my favorite type of traveler to see!)

In any case, only a few times, have I seen some 'weird' behavior. There was the group of tourists from India (I believe) on my flight from SF to Las Vegas recently. They didn't speak a word of English and had a lot of trouble getting seated--people not knowing where their seats were, so they were just sitting anywhere they could. Frustrating, but I guess not actually too 'weird'.

Well. Recently, on my flight from SF to San Diego...I sat across the aisle from a woman that's gonna take the cake for weird. She was singing the entire flight. Yes, it ranged from a low hum to full on, loud singing. And during the low hums, she had her lint brush in her hand, and was tapping it, as if that was her drum stick and she was drumming.

I don't know what language she was singing in, I think and African language, and she actually did have a pretty decent voice. It was just odd...

The couple next to me kept glaring at her (but she was singing with her eyes closed, so really, why bother with the stares?) A lot of people were clearly annoyed and bothered, but no one complained. I guess if the flight was any longer...then maybe it would be worth it. Sigh. In the meantime, maybe this is a reminder to always carry those ear plugs with you!

Good vs Bad- Bad Meal in Portland

The Bad: Clyde Commons

Clyde Commons is a restaurant I had been wanting to check out ever since I had heard about it more than a year ago. When Siobhan and I walked in to meet some of my Portland friends for dinner, I was immediately loving the design and space. It was a nice open space, huge windows, a great bar and open kitchen, and a large communal table.

All in all, our service was horribly slow, and our server did not seem enthusiastic about anything on the menu. Neither the cocktails, starters, wines, anything. It was disappointing since I enjoy seeing the enthusiasm from servers’ faces and expressions. I have even been known to change my mind based on a servers’ description of a dish. What was almost worse, was that he knew one of the gals in the group.

On top of that, I was horribly disappointed with the dish I ordered. I went with the Braised Pork Shank with carrots and snap peas. Usually a pretty ‘safe’ and good dish. It looked great, but when I cut into it, although the meat came off the bone and apart fairly easily, the meat was dry. And I wasn’t happy with the flavor. I was so disappointed! I’ve had a lot of braised pork in my day (and I think Chef Michelle Mah and my friend Eric’s top the list)…and this was pretty bad. Siobhan could tell my disappointment (not that I was really doing anything to hide it!) When I was finally able to flag down our server, I told him I was really unhappy with my dish (all I had eaten were the snap peas), and told him I’d prefer to have a ½ order (he confirmed he could do that) of the pasta dish Siobhan was eating (not that her’s was incredibly delicious, but it was pretty good. It was a tagliatelle with spring onions and king oyster mushrooms.) The server asked if I disliked it so much, he could take the dish away. I said yes.

In the end, it was a fine meal, and with GREAT company and lots of good wine (that the wine experts had brought themselves!) The spinach, arugula, fava bean and mint salad was a huge hit!


We were in no hurry, so the slow service wasn’t too painful. In talking to Portland locals, the feedback has come back very varied. Some loving the place, saying they go multiple times a week, and others saying they weren’t so impressed. One friend went as far as to say he thought the chefs there cooked without soul and love. Maybe he was onto something? That there is something about a dish you can't exactly put your finger on...but that you can taste—that fifth umami flavor. Maybe it was an off night for the restaurant. Would I give them another chance? Most definitely. If I was only in town for one night and had to choose between returning to Clyde Commons or going somewhere new, would I? Probably not. Unfortunately, the highlights of the meal (food wise) are a little buried.

*Disclosure: It really isn't 'bad', it's just 'not as great'. But calling this column 'Good vs Not As Great' didn't seem right. Should I change the title of the column to be completely fair to the restaurant? It really wasn't bad...

Good vs Bad- Good Meal in Portland

The Good: Lolo

When I go out to eat with my chef friends, I tend to let them pick the restaurant. They don’t get nights off very often, and when they do, there is inevitably a place they want to check out, a favorite restaurant they want to return to, or a cuisine they’re craving.

So when I was able to have dinner with my friend Chef John Eisenhart of Portland's Pazzo Restaurant, and he asked me where I wanted to go, I told him it was completely in his hands! We ran into the problem of a lot of places being closed. It was the Sunday of the 4th of July long weekend and the Portland restaurant scene was dead. After a few unsuccessful phone calls (thank goodness we were at the bar and had drinks getting us through this tough time), he finally thought of a place, and we were in luck, it was open!

We ended up at a Spanish tapas place called Lolo in the Alberta Arts neighborhood. We had a great corner table (wish I had taken a photo now!) and could see the entire restaurant and bar, and even the street through the windows.

We ordered one to two small dishes at a time, and then keep going back for more and more…and all shareable! My favorite way to eat a meal.

Highlights included:

-A white bean gazpacho with grapes, nuts and an olive oil finish

-Fresh crudo with mango, local Oregon strawberries and rhubarb

-Octopus with celery and piquillo peppers (we had just spent a lot of time talking about squids and cuttlefish after all!)

-Almond ice cream with chocolate Madelines

-Poached pear with mascarpone ice cream

I especially loved the almond ice cream (still in the ice cream phase), so I think that’s going to be the next ice cream I make. Anyone have a good almond ice cream recipe? The owner, Giorgio, was actually working the night we were there. It was a reminder just how tough the restaurant business was. He owns two restaurants in Portland (Lolo and Giorgio’s), and because it was a slow night and the high cost of labor, he had decided to just work himself. Both he and our server were very nice, friendly and attentive. It was a great table, delicious meal and fantastic experience.

Stay tuned for a review of The Bad!! You'll be surprised to hear who it is...

Another Complaint About Traveling

So. I travel a fair amount. I don't mind it, and have found my rhythm. I know SFO pretty well, know what items I can and can't bring on. I know that yes, you still have to remove your shoes, and that your laptop needs it's own bin when you go through security. I know that when I do have to check a bag, if I very nicely ask them to give me a priority sticker for being a premier member, they'll do it and I do tend to get my bags just a little quicker. I've learned to spot the people that don't travel often, and to NOT wait in line behind them.

Now, I do typically travel one airline...just for the miles and status. It was never really my choice, but SFO is one of United's hubs, so there are typically a decent amount of flight options. And I had flown with them many years ago and started collecting points and miles. I have friends who travel frequently and prefer some of the discount carriers such as Southwest or JetBlue. My friend Siobhan just flew Southwest to Portland and mentioned that the flight attendants were bragging that they didn't have checked bag fees. Yea, must be nice.

Well. Today as I was waiting to board, the attendant announced that they were doing pre-boarding. That was anyone that needed extra assistance. I saw a guy hobble up in crutches. Then a family with 3 little kids, probably all under 4, approached the gate. They had the stroller, diaper bags, luggage, just a lot of stuff and their arms were full.

The attendent turned them down. Pushed 'em away and proceeded with an announcement that families didn't count as "needing extra assistance".

I was a little surprised. I'm not saying traveling with kids means that you necessarily "need assistance". But I don't doubt that the family probably appreciated the extra time to settle in. And on top of that, this was the only family to approach the gate, and the plane wasn't even full.

A overheard a few people make some comments...saying that it wasn't such a big deal...why not let them on...and how other airlines would have let them pre-board.

I was disappointed by United's service. Not that they're known to be customer service oriented, or great with their service, but this was disappointing to witness.

I don't have kids. I'm even the first to say I'd prefer a plane trip without kids on it! BUT. This is reality. People have kids. People need to travel with them. It's not always pleasant. I hope to have kids some day. And if I'm traveling with them, I'd like and appreciate the courtesy of a few extra minutes if I needed it. Guess we know who I'll be flying then.

The Next Airline Charge

Remember how I few weeks back I asked what the next airline charge was going to be? My funny friend Paige guessed charging you to go to the bathroom. :) Nope, not yet.

Instead? You're being charged to fly standby. Check it out (from Budget Travel's blog):

Continental has just implemented a $50 stand-by fee to help the airline offset rising fuel costs. The change went into effect starting with tickets issued June 17, a representative for the airline says. If you purchased a ticket before that date, Continental will still let you fly stand-by for free.

It’s not the first time that Continental has passed costs on to its passengers (and some other U.S. airlines are even more guilty of the practice). In April, Continental raised its fee to change a ticket reservation on a domestic flight from $100 to $150, following United’s move to raise its change fee from $100 to $150. US Airways followed suit within days.

I only found out about the change in Continental’s stand-by policy because I’ve called the airline several times over the past several weeks to ask about flying stand-by from Pittsburgh to New York this weekend—and today was the first time an agent mentioned the new policy. I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere on Internet news sites, or on Continental’s own website…
Are other airlines going to follow Continental’s lead by charging passengers to fly stand-by, or by raising the penalty to change a ticket reservation? And if so, is the public going to know about it?

Wish there was some way for us to protest all of this...but why punish ourselves for the high cost of gas/fuel? I'm not going to let them win. I'm not going to stop traveling and exploring and seeing the world! This won't stop me from traveling! In fact, I just bought tickets to Australia. :)