Tag Archives: travel eats

Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill

Posted in Austin by

I was only in Austin for a few days to attend the Austin City Limits music festival but I needed to fuel up before starting on day 2. Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill was a few blocks away from my hotel so I decided to try it out despite the hour wait. Tip: Try to make reservations in advance if possible.

I needed coffee after a late night partying the night before. I wanted a soy latte but barista stared at me when I asked if they had soy milk. So I opted for black coffee instead during our wait

When we got seated, they had delicious chili flavored popcorn set on the table. It was difficult to stop munching on it while waiting for my food.  My friend’s one year old couldn’t stop grabbing for the popcorn either.

 I was happy when my dish of chicken and waffles arrived. The chicken was perfectly fried and the waffle was crisp. Sadly, the dish was so large that I couldn’t finish it all.

 303 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701

Salt Lick BBQ

Posted in Austin by


BBQ was high on my list of food to try in Texas. When Austin City Limits (ACL) decided to cater their food from local eateries, I was stoked to be able to try the local food while enjoying the music festival. The lines were long but moved quickly. Salt Lick BBQ is a famous BBQ chain originated from Dallas. I tried the pork ribs and was very pleased. The ribs were meaty, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor from the dry rub. Finger lickin’ good BBQ.

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

Known to the world as one of Oprah’s favorite things, the “world’s best” mac and cheese from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese lives up to its hype. The intense depth of flavor comes from aging the cheese for 18 months. On display at the window, you can witness the cheese making process. Be sure to sample the cheese ranging from the curd to the aged cheese. On your way out, grab a bowl of the mac and cheese or order it online to enjoy when you like.

(1600 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101)

Ivar’s Seafood Bar

Posted in Seattle by

Growing up in the Bay Area, my standard of good clam chowder was what they sold at San Francisco’s infamous Fisherman’s Wharf. Boy, did I not know what good clam chowder was until I tried Ivar’s. The creamy, savory clam chowder with its bursting clam flavor and unexpected bacon makes it the best clam chowder I’ve ever had.

The smoked scallops won’t disappoint either. The scallops have a wonderful smoky flavor that balances out the sweet cracker that it’s served on.image

If you aren’t overwhelmed yet by the clams from the clam chowder, order the clam entree. Cooked in white wine sauce, it’s so good that you’ll slurp every last drop. My family kept fighting over this dish that we had to order two to keep the peace.

Torta Ahogada

Torta ahogada is a drowned sandwich, which is a typical dish of Guadalajara. The birote bread has a crunchy crust, which allows it to withstand the sauce, and a soft interior. This regional bread is filled with fried, chopped pork and then submerged in a chili pepper tomato sauce. Top it with raw onions and cabbage and enjoy! Tip: It’s messy so have napkins handy!

Karne Garibaldi

Posted in Guadalajara by

Karne Garibaldi is known for its fast service. Once you put in your order, the food appears like magic. I loved their re-fried beans with white corn. They also can it and sell it worldwide. I will be on the look out for this next time I’m grocery shopping.

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They keep their menu simple by offering only a few dishes. Their signature dish is carne en su jugo (meat in its juice), which comes in three different sizes: small, medium, or large. I got the small, which was the perfect size for me. I loved the added bacon. Toss in some onion, cilantro, lime juice, and grilled onions, dip a tortilla in the juice and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.

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Don’t forget to wash it down with some of Guadalajara’s finest beer. Modelo is brewed and packaged in Guadalajara.

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(Carretera a Tesistán, Av. Juan Gil Preciado 1999, Parques Zapopan, 45138 Zapopan, Jal., Mexico)

Pancho’s Takos

Posted in Puerto Vallarta by

This place is a steal! 12 pesos for al pastor tacos. For those that don’t know, al pastor is pork marinated in spices and cooked in a rotisserie. The meat isn’t shaved off until you order. 

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Look at the beauty of the tacos fresh off the grill. They also come with a slice a pineapple (in the picture above it’s on the rotisserie above the pork). These were flavorful and delicious! 

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Don’t forget to add lime and salsa! They offer three different salsas. The one the top right was spiiiiiccccyy!

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They also offer tacos with different types of meat and quesadillas but these ranged from 20-30 pesos. I just couldn’t pass up on the 12 pesos al pastor tacos.

This place is a bit difficult to find as the streets do not have signs and the restaurant doesn’t have it’s name out front.

The name is all the way in the back of the restaurant.

Below is a link to the google map. If you follow it, you should have no problems. To get here, I walked along the beach. Once you’ve reached Oscar’s restaurant, walk 5 blocks, turn left and three stores down on your right is Pancho’s Takos. Look for the popular taco spot and the staff with Pancho’s Takos t-shirt. 

(Calle Basilio Badillo 162, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, JAL)

Elote Man 

The Elote Man, Timoteo Flor de Nopal, has been turning healthy corn into a heart attack snack for 27 years in Lincoln Heights. For $1.50 you can get corn on a cob or a bowl of corn topped with a heaping spread of mayonnaise, generous drizzle of butter, even coating of Parmesan cheese, and a dust of chili powder. When you to try to eat the corn, it’s a game of balancing the newly gained weight of the corn, about half a pound, so it doesn’t lose to gravity. Don’t worry! This doesn’t scare people away. On warm summer nights, the lines can get long so go early before he runs out. He’s open from 9:30 pm until 1 am or until he runs out. It’s worth it for this heart attack concoction that will change the way you eat corn. You won’t be able to eat it any other way.

(2338 Workman St., Los Angeles, CA 90031– by the 99 cent store)

Churro Borough


What once started out as a food truck, Churro Borough is now brick and mortar in downtown Los Angeles. There is about a 30 minute wait but once you bite into this, you forget about it.

The concept is simple, ice cream sandwiched by churros, but mind blowing. The churros are made fresh so they stay crunchy with every bite.

You can sample from all the ice cream varieties before selecting one to go with your churro. They also offer a large selection of sorbet for those that are lactose intolerant, like me. I got the browned butter cookie sorbet and was very pleased.

For $4, it is pricey for its size (about the size of a palm) but makes it the perfect personal snack.

Can’t wait to go back for another bite!

Churros and ice cream. What a concept!

(1726 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027)

Kona Abalone

Posted in Oahu by

While trying to kill time before our flight back, at Ala Moana Center, we came across Kona Abalone. The Ezo abalone

(Japanese Northern) strain are raised in an aquafarm on the Big Island near the shores of Kona. The mollusks are fed a diet of patented algae and water sourced from the deep Pacific Ocean. The abalone is shipped to Japan and the US for chefs at top-end restaurants.

Generally sold at the KCC Farmers Market in Honolulu, they opened shop at the Ala Moana Center Malakai Food Court. Abalone is sold in various forms and varieties here. You can find them raw, grilled, or in rice bowls. If you’re not sure what you would like, ask for samples.

I was eager to try the abalone sashimi ($15) and was not disappointed. It was chewy but you can taste the fresh quality of the abalone.

Of the grilled varieties, I tried the butter, garlic, parsley grilled abalone. The garlic was strong but I LOVE garlic so I was very delighted with this.

(1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814)