Cioppino!

So... One of the best things that I tried in San Francisco last year was this fabulous fishy stew, Cioppino. OH, MY. The last day we were there was the only day that it rained, which was lucky for us since we actually went during the rainy season, so this stew was PERFECT for that rainy day! Anyway, this meal was eaten at none other than Cioppino's on the Wharf. Thank you to my friend Javier Valdez for this recommendation!!!

Con todo y biberón, I am ready for you, cioppis!

Crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and fish, oh my!

Yeah - I told you I liked it ;)

Catching up...

So I haven's posted in a WHILE. I'll try to recap as best I can the most photographable moments of the last several months.

Hugs.

LOL Translation: "Baby come came Saul"

Having a little fun on a work trip. World of Coke Museum!

See the Harry Potter bottle above?

New coke bottles -- launching at clubs in the UK

El Paso wedding

Hook e'm Horns! My first time to have to use

stirrups(?) to get onto Oreo!

Buckhead Diner

I was in Atlanta last month, or whenever it was, on business and went to dinner at the Buckhead Diner. They actually serve this blue cheese chip appetizer that is just amazing!

The inside decor gives this little diner a more upscale feel to it than your normal diner.

The best part? Coke from a glass bottle - it is the headquarter city after all!

My friends went to London and all I got was...

They were strolling on some fabulous London street and ran into my dominator, my supply, my challenger, aka-- my employer's London office.

They could not resist the temptation and snapped some pics for me. I told them I would be there in spirit- not sure if this is what I had in mind!

Thanks, @ccortes10!

Apparate to Santorini

Dear God make me a bird, so I can fly far far away from here... Sometimes I close my pretty little eyes and find myself back in this place...

View from hotel room

Ferry from Athens to Santorini

MEXICO DF in SFO

For all of you who like Mexican food (and since most of my readers are in Texas, I know I am writing to all of  you) check out MEXICO DF in San Francisco. It is perfect for a special occasion, business dinner, or just a vacation dinner with friends. First off, they have a tamarindo margarita. That's right. Super rare and super tasty. We ordered their guacamole with chipotle salsa and (drumroll please...) mango - and it was superb! The guacamole softened the spicy kick from the chipotle pepper. My wonderful friend Orlando ordered the "pescado veracruzano" and it was nothing short of perfection. I ordered their vegetarian tamales (I know, but I had been eating all day and had to order something on the lighter side) and HOT DAMN they were delicious! Seriously, amiguitos, I highly recommend this place. Thank you, fabulous Lorenzo, for taking me there!

their place settings were absolutely colorful

guacamole con salsa chipotle y mango

pescado veracruzano

tamales riquisimos de queso

Athens - Go!

I strongly advise everyone to visit Athens at least once in their lifetime. It's amazing, and not just from History's perspective - the people, food, even liquor... Well, not really becase I am not a fan of their Ouzo, but it definitely had its kick. It's liquorish infused, and I am not a fan -- just as I am not a fan of absinthe. Below are some pictures from my Athens trip.

At the Acropolis

View of Athens from Acropolis

Tres tragitos de Ouzo

Star Bagel - San Francisco

One of my all-time favorite "meals" is the sandwich, mainly due to its versatility. A sandwich can be hot, cold, beef, veggie, bbq, Italian, the list goes, on and on and on. And we haven't even gotten into the cheeses or breads. We arrived in San Francisco on an empty stomach and abut 40 minutes before the start of our three hour awesome city tour. So, we wandered around  Nob Hill, where out hotel was, to find some grub. We ran into Star Bagel - a local favorite spot. It was early in West Coast time, and while we were craving lunch, most were still ordering bagels and cream cheese. Their cream cheese spread was pretty extensive: 

We still ordered lunch, even after being tempted by the cream cheese factory. The result? A very well orchestrated turkey bagel sandwich on a jalapeño bagel. The best part was the great service - it really was a most gentle kick off to our trip!

Fisherman's Wharf Part Deux

In my last post I referenced the amazing crab chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from Boudin Bakery. So good. I was in San Francisco during their Dungeness Crab week. I'm not sure if the sea food stands (think puestesitos or taco stands) are up on the wharf year round, regardless my traveling partner and I went for it. We took full advantage of the fresh sea food by digging into some on-the-street eateries and munched on some fresh calamari and crab. 

 

Crab Chowder in Bread Bowl

Let's talk about this, please. At the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco lies the Boudin Bakery. Their specialty? Sourdough bread. They serve this delicious, fresh dungeness crab chowder in something more than just a bowl, a sourdough bread bowl. Yum. Good enough to scrape whatever bread is left in the bread bowl with your spoon.

Michael Jordan

Is there anyone out there who really doesn't know who Michael Jordan is? Well, except maybe Lehf, because she was still in diapers when he was hot stuff. And all the babies that followed... Ok, well, this man is so admirable the way he handled that court time after time was inspiring. I only wished I could have seen him play live. At least I got to see Brazil play the Netherlands in the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. Remember the logo?

Anyway, I digress. MJ. Yes. Statue in Chicago... done and done. Check out my pics!

World Cup USA logo source. 

Pagoda in Japanese Tea Garden

I just returned from a fabulous vacation in San Francisco and will share many, many photos with you. The weather was absolutely perfect - no rain, not a cloud in the sky. Ok, well, maybe some... but minimal. The first photo I am posting is from a Japanese Pagoda in the Japanese Tea Garden. This place is so beautiful, serene and just picture perfect. Scenes from Memoirs of a Geisha were filmed here, that should tell you something. And as the name suggests, you can enjoy tea in this garden. We did not have time to, but locals recommend Jasmine.

I haven't been able to confirm this, but rumor has it, the pagodas in the garden were brought over from Japan! Read the link above to learn more interesting details about the garden and the SFO influence, like it being the place where the fortune cookie originated!

La Sagrada Familia

This past weekend I got a chance to tell the story of the hunt to find this exquisite cathedral in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia. This and other architectual wonders by Antoni Gaudí were some of my biggest motivators to visit the old Capital. This picture, or any other picture, does not do it justice. Trust me, friends. I literally felt like a dinosaur was hovering over me when I stepped out of the metro, map in hand, looking for this beauty. All I had to do was turn around and - BAM! There it was!

What made my experience a little more awesome was watching the lucky team of architects and engineers working on the final phase of the cathedral to complete Gaudís vision of La Sagrada. I won't forget a white-bearded man, cigarrette pressed between his lips, working over some blueprints on a table and shaping some sort of stone-piece.

Real Stuffed Pizza

I should admit that I secretly want to be a food photographer, so if my postings seem to lean towards the food porn arena, this is my disclaimer. Let's talk pizza. And I don't mean sissy-thin crust vegetarian pizza (which I happen to love) but come on people, that has NOTHING on the awesomeness that is Chicago Stuffed Pizza. Ye-owzers! Check our this sinful pie from Giordano's, right off the Magnificent Mile and feel free to read my brief review on yelp.

Pompeii

My trip to Europe was mucho, mucho fun and educational, of course, and I keep thinking back on Pompeii for some reason. Well, I know the reason, it's because it was pretty amazing to be able to walk through the gorgeous ruins left of a city buried centuries ago. This picture below was taken right outside of the amphitheater.

Don't Forget Me!

Ok, so I am walking down a path with shops all around me, and this store name catches my attention. Is it telling me to remember my friends who are not with me on this little trip to F-burg, or is it telling me to remember to go into this store? Either way - I laughed. I laughed at the cute desperation in the name.

For extra kicks, if you are ever in the area, make sure to stop by and grab something sweet at Rather Sweet. I had this chocolate goodness and they even have gluten free desserts!

But don't just take my word for it, check out their national media coverage spread - and this is only one wall!

España

I always wanted to do something with this photo. It's one of my favorites from my trip to Barcelona in 2007. I love the length and narrowness of the street and the closeness of the buildings. The green dress the woman is wearing makes me think more of the Indian culture than Spanish, which I think is a nice touch. And, the bike is classic.

This one I just find appropriate because it was the first thing I saw when I stepped foot in Spain. I just love the way the sun is peeking out of the clouds!