Tricia got the first chance to share her SF memories, and now its my turn! As soon as Tricia surprised me with plane tickets for San Francisco, my mind was racing. The west coast is uncharted territory for me, especially as far as food goes. And given San Francisco’s reputation as an eating Mecca, I knew that I had research to do. Continue reading
Tricia here! We haven’t gone on a vacation in awhile so this trip was long overdue. As a gift, I decided to take Siddharth to San Francisco, one of the top foodie paradises on the planet. Siddharth had done a lot of research previously and I figured it was time to see the real deal. Continue reading
Bluefin
2820 Dekalb Pike
East Norriton PA 19401
610-277-3917
Moving from Malvern to Blue Bell has its perks – notably, a whole new batch of restaurants that we have yet to explore. Siddharth stumbled upon Bluefin while running a couple of errands. Located in the Northtowne Plaza in East Norriton (at the intersection of Dekalb and Germantown), Bluefin is not necessarily in a spot that would be expected to have great sushi. We did find some favorable comments on Bluefin on Chowhound (best site for reviews from people that are in the know!), so we went in hoping for the best.
Ciao
2 Hickory Hollow Lane
Ithaca NY 14850
607-257-2233
Italian restaurants sometimes seem like a dime a dozen, especially in a town like Ithaca. However, a good Italian restaurant with exceptional prices in Ithaca is a true gem. In comparison to a lot of other cuisines, going out for Italian food has never “knocked our socks off” – in terms of complexity of flavors, we’re usually able to make it best at home! With that mentality, we didn’t have high expectations about Ciao, but we decided to try it.
Sticky Rice
401 E State St
Ithaca NY 14850
607-275-3641
Ithaca is a college town, and as such it’s loaded with delivery and takeout options. But to be honest, after 5 years here, those options might tend to seem stale. Sticky Rice is a hidden gem among them. While they sell Thai food, they mainly serve Laotian cuisine, which is unique and delicious (and sets them apart from local competitors like Tamarind and Taste of Thai). From grilled duck curry (Gaeng Phed Ped Yarng) to beef stir fry in roasted chili paste, we’ve never been disappointed in their food. Always well cooked, properly seasoned, and if you like it spicy they do it better than any other place in town (be warned their hottest is seriously spicy – attested to by Siddharth, resident spicy food aficionado). At around $10 per dish, we recommend picking 3-4 for 2 people and sharing so that you can have a wonderful family-style meal!
Agava
381 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca NY 14850
607-319-4366
The newest restaurant in Ithaca comes to us courtesy of a team-up between executive chef Andre Jacquet (formerly of the renowned Buddakan , Emeril’s, and House of Blues) and owner Gregar Brous (locally famous for his ownership of Collegtown Bagels and Ithaca Bakery). Located in East Hill, Agava is tucked away on Pine Tree Road at the historical site of a large train depot (East Ithaca). The out-of-the-way locale hasn’t been a detriment as of yet, as Agava has been at or close to full capacity since their grand opening just around 2 months ago.
The Source
575 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Wahington DC, 20565
202-637-6100
Wolfgang Puck is an amazing chef. Trish and I have visited many of his restaurants, and we have never been disappointed. From the super-expensive steaks at CUT in Vegas to the simple pizzas at Wolfgang Puck Express in Orlando, we’ve loved everything we’ve ever gotten at Puck spots. On our recent trip to Washington DC, we were thrilled to find that Puck has a place in the city. Even more exciting: it was an Asian Fusion place that did dim sum every Saturday for brunch!
Ok, this post is quite late but we figured better late than never, especially when the restaurant is a MUST-GO. So here it is…
For cinco de mayo, we, along with Siddharth’s parents, ventured into the busy city of Philadelphia for a Mexican brunch to celebrate the holiday. El Rey is another Stephen Starr restaurants (Check out our other reviews of El Vez and Continental Midtown) and we must admit, this is probably the best one we’ve to (high praise!).
Garcia’s
244 Elmira Rd
Ithaca NY 14850
607-277-3600
In every town that you live, there has to be one place that you could eat at any time. You know, the type of place that’s inexpensive, serves huge portions, and is a never-miss in terms of taste. In Ithaca, for us, that’s Garcia’s. Great service, massive plates, and great flavors. And the bang for your buck is unbeatable. Getting decent Mexican food in upstate NY is difficult, but Garcia’s brings good, authentic flavors to Ithaca. It’s a place that you should try if you spend an extended period in Ithaca!
In October of 2009, Tricia and I took our first vacation together to Las Vegas. We went over Halloween weekend, when Sin City was perhaps at its most saturated point in terms of debauchery and excess (excess might be a misnomer, because you wouldn’t believe what some girls wear out there!). However, Tricia and I refrained from the club scene for the most part in favor of hitting up some of the fine restaurants along the strip. We were treated to some of the most fabulous culinary delights that either of us has ever encountered. The highlights from 3 of the most memorable below: