Sigo Journeys-- Where to Next?

I love fall. It is my ultimate favorite season of the year. I love to witness the changing of the leaves to a myriad of undefinable colors, sipping apple cider out of a thermos, and picking out decorative pumpkins. And nothing says "fall" more than the start of the college football season. This weekend was Purdue's first game of the season. We were excited.

We arrived early and had lunch at Triple XXX, a W Lafayette tradition. It was also featured on the FoodNetwork: Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. I think this was considered one of the diners (or maybe a dive)! But we love it. The food is outstanding. It kind of reminds me of Camellia Grill in New Orleans. Counter-seating only in a narrow space. But Camellia servers are livelier: "Word!" You pay at a cashier "the Godfather" at the door when you have just filled yourself up with a greasy burger and fries. But it is totally worth it!

We then walked around the stadium looking for the commemorative brick that we inscribed. We found it in section G.

This was also the first year that we had season club seats, so I was happy to not be sitting on bleacher seats where people are inviting friends from other sections to join them: "No, we got room! Come on over! Don't mind my big coat that is covering my big beer gut. Just squeeze in!" We had actual seats with our own cup holders. Very rare at a college stadium. Our aisle seats were on the 30 yard line. I want to keep these seats until we are too old and weak to go to games!

Purdue beat N Colorado in a narrower margin than anticipated: 32-10.

Don't get me wrong. I love professional football too. E loves the Colts and the Saints. He grew up supporting the Bears until the Colts came to Indy. Now he just likes the Bears because Kyle Orton is the QB. He was a former Boilermaker. We decided to also attend the Colts' first game at their new stadium. Unfortunately, they were playing the Bears!

In fact, the Bears stayed in our hotel. We saw John Madden arrive on his luxury motor coach bus "The Madden Cruiser." Apparently, John has not boarded a plane since 1979, but crisscrosses the nation in an $800,000, 45-foot luxury coach fitted with everything from sauna to gourmet galley. I was standing outside the hotel waiting for the valet and someone gets off this HUGE bus and looks straight at me. I was like: "hmmm, he looks familiar!" When the Bears arrive I have no idea who any of the players are. They are all dressed in suits and look very "non-football player-ish" (I know that is not a word). A woman next to me hugs this guy in a suit. Turns out, he is the Bears' coach, Lovie Smith.

We had dinner that night at Harry & Izzy's, the sister restaurant to St Elmo's Steakhouse, which is usually ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the nation. We could not get a reservation there-- I will find out why later. The restaurants are famous for their steak (duh) and shrimp cocktail, which is accompanied with fiery ( AKA atomic) cocktail sauce full of fresh horseradish. Our eyes were watering, but it was sooooo yummy. We also shared a bone in ribeye and their spaghetti. On the way back to the hotel, we passed St Elmos where there were kids outside with books awaiting player autographs.

Lucas Oil stadium was gorgeous. It holds 63,000 and has a retractable roof. But whatever you do, don't call it "The Luke"! "This is a big deal to us," Lucas said. "We'd prefer people call it Lucas Oil Stadium, but call it anything but The Luke. What people are doing by calling it that is doing one of my competitors a multimillion-dollar favor." He is referring to one of his company's competitors is Russianowned, Lukoil, which is making a big push in North America. Unfortunately, Wikipedia already dubbed it "the Luke" which appeared to be retracted at the time of writing this blog.

Orton's comeback was a good one. But it was bittersweet since the Colts lost.

San Diego is too wonderful to keep to ourselves. We invited our friends Marc and Kristy (who is 7 months pregnant!) to join us.

Sat, 5/24- We headed straight to LaJolla, for brunch at Brockton Villas, one of our favorite spots. Then we went to the famed San Diego zoo. It was an amazing place. One of the most interesting animals was the okapi. The okapi has white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, and looks like it must be related to the zebra. But in fact, it is related to the giraffe. Scientists did not know of the animal until 1900.

The weather was perfect. We lounged at the pool and did some shopping...
For dinner, we headed to Donovan's Steakhouse. Donovan's has been named one of America's Top Prime Steakhouses, and recommended by a friend who is a local. It definitely was one of the largest and best steaks we have ever had!

Sun, 5/25
In keeping with our ballpark tours, our first one of the season is PetcoPark. We stayed in the GasLamp district, so it was an easy 1 mile walk to the park. The weather was perfect. PetcoPark is a beautiful ballpark, it was designed to create "neighborhoods" within the park. A great feature is the "park within a park". This area in the outfield features a small playing field and a grassy hill for fans to lounge on. Fans are permitted into the park area 2 1/2 hours before game time. There is also the incorporation of an old brick building, the Western Metal Supply Co. building, which has been restored and provides a nice back drop in left field. We left before the game was over; it turned out to be an 18 inning game! The Padres eventually won!

Torrey Pines is such an amazing, gorgeous place. It is one of the gems of San Diego.

Mon, 5/26
Breakfast at HashHouse a Go Go was an adventure! Everything is Fred Flinstone sized portions. E got the pancake-- which was humongous. I got the Indiana fried chicken and poached eggs. I washed it down with an orange champagne cocktail. Yummy!

We ended the morning by walking along the coast at Torrey Pines.

Second mileage run of the year. We decided to explore Portland since we have never been there. The weather was not great, and it was drizzling the entire weekend. We read about these fantastic cupcakes at this place called CupcakeJones. The cupcakes are filled with some decadent filling from mint ganache to berry jam. We tried four different types of cupcakes!

We went to Ringside Steakhouse specifically for two things—steak and onion rings. Ringside is on Tom Horan’s list of best steakhouse and James Beard has claimed their onion rings as “the best I’ve ever had.” Ringside delivered. The steak was awesome and we definitely agree with James Beard.

After 21 wonderful years in Carmel, the Masters of Food and Wine has moved to Mendoza, Argentina. The Pebble Beach Food & Wine event attempted to fill the void. This was the first year for the event. Over 32 renowned chefs (including Thomas Keller of the French Laundry, Todd English, Michael Mina and Charlie Trotter) and more than 200 wineries participated in the event. We attended the Lexus Grand Tasting event on Saturday. It was a perfect day in Carmel. While sampling one of the dishes, a camera man came over and requested that we “look like we were enjoying the food;” he wanted to shoot some footage of us eating. How many times can you smile and nod when you are eating? We enjoyed many glasses of wine, and delicious food served by these famous chefs. Ming Tsai’s dish was my favorite. Organic honey from a local farm was given to us as parting gifts. The event was well put together for being the inaugural event. It was a wonderful experience.

Phil’s Fishmarket was featured in FoodNetwork’s Road Tasted. Phil’s is a fishmarket with an adjacent restaurant which is always packed. I ordered the cioppino, which is also sold by the bucket— or you can bring in your own pot. E had the fish and chips. Everything tasted so fresh. My favorite cioppino is still from Tadich--see San Francisco entry.

We drove along the coast in the morning, and stopped at Rocky Point for brunch.

Another last minute trip. Purdue made it to the 2nd round, after beating Baylor. It was a bittersweet victory, since E’s friend Marc was rooting for Baylor. Marc & Kristy are shown in the 7/07 trip to Chicago. And you will see them in 5/08 when we are headed to San Diego with them. It was a great reason to go back to DC. We were here in 2006 on our baseball tour of Cleveland, Philly, Pittsburgh and DC.
This just happened to be the weekend right before the Cherry Blossom Festival. The blooming of the cherry trees around the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin signal the coming of Spring. The famous trees were a gift from Japan in 1912. Unfortunately, I am not Horticulturalist Robert DeFeo, so exactly when the buds will open is not easily predictable. Even though we were there the weekend before the festival, the blossoms were still not fully bloomed. It is supposed to be spectacular sight.

Purdue was playing Ohio State. It was a decent game and a nailbiter till the finish. Unfortunately, Purdue lost.

We headed out to Hollywood Beach for a quick weekend to enjoy some beach time. The weather was perfect. We spent the weekend strolling on the beach and enjoying crab claws.

Located in the White River National Forest just an hour from Denver, Keystone is home to three magnificent mountain playgrounds—Dercum Mountain, North Peak, and The Outback. When Max Dercum founded Keystone back in 1970, along with his wife Edna, he knew how much fun it was to slide down snowy mountains on a pair of skis. Along with the Dercums, Bill and Jane Bergman helped shape the Keystone we know and love today.

Today, Keystone stretches seven miles along the Snake River, over three mountains, 3,128 vertical feet, 3,148 acres of terrain, and three vibrant villages. There’s something special for every skier and rider of any level at each mountain. There are more than 3,000 vertical feet and over 3,000 acres of bowls, bumps, glades, steeps and groomers to be experienced. Colorado’s biggest night skiing operation is here...
keystone.snow.com

We thought Keystone would be a great place to go with our friends Kristin and Troy.

Fri, 1/18/08- We arrived in Denver at 8:00 PM. What a better way to experience Colorado than with some bison? Ted's Montana Grill serves up a wide array of specialty burgers (you can choose between 100-percent natural premium Harris Ranch beef or National Bison Association-certified bison). Ted's motto is "Eat Great. Do Good." referring to its deep commitment to the environment. Their goal is to be 99% plastic-free, using recyclable paper menus, paper straws and reusable glass. Their bison chili hit spot, covered in onions, cheese and raw jalapenos!

Sat, 1/19/08- We headed out to Keystone. Traffic was horrendous! It took almost two hours to get there-- I am assuming everyone thought it was a great day to ski! We were able to check into the River Run condos and the boys headed for the slopes. Kristin and I had lunch reservations at Alpenglow Stube. At at 11,444 feet, it is the highest AAA Four-Diamond dining experience in North America. We enjoyed amazing views on the two gondolas, arriving at the restaurant at the top of the North Peak. Our boots were exchanged for cozy slippers and we enjoyed delicious bloody Marys in a beautiful setting. The Stube offered a huge appetizer buffet complete with proscuitto and cheeses, salads, and smoked mussels and salmon. We were practically stuffed. But we also got a choice of soup and an entree! We stayed there for over two hours at our window seat...

Sun, 1/20/08- The boys headed out to ski again this morning, while the girls went to Keysone Lodge in an adjacent village. We spent the day getting pampered. Afterwards, we took an afternoon scenic sleigh ride. It was very cold, but we were able to get warm under cozy blankets that were provided. The apple cider helped too! The scenery was truly picturesque!

Bighorn Steakhouse was a perfect place for dinner-- occupying one of the finest locations in Summit County, with a spectacular view of Keystone Lake and the Continental Divide. We watched the last part of the playoff game at the table on the Slingbox via E's 8125. The NY Giants defeated Green Bay, meaning they would be playing the Patriots at the Superbowl! The girls had steaks and the boys had scallops and fish! Go figure... Everything was yummy.

Mon, 1/21/08- We headed back to Denver. Saw The Bucket List, which was quite entertaining. Just a quiet Monday, winding down from the weekend's events. We had such a great time with some wonderful friends.

This was our first trip in 2008.

Fri, 1/11/08- We arrived in Indianapolis at 11:00 PM.

Sat, 1/12/08- We headed to West Lafayette. We stopped for lunch at Triple XXX Family Restaurant (named after the named after Triple XXX Root Beer), Indiana's first drive in. It was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network. The restaurant has entirely bar-stool seating at a counter that winds around the restaurant. The burgers are named after Purdue football players and are made from 100% ground sirloin. E had The Boilermaker Pete and I had the The Bernie Flowers All-Pro, accompanied by fried and onions rings.

We walked to the basketball stadium where Purdue was playing the Ohio Buckeyes. The Boilermakers beat the Buckeyes 75-68. It was my first basketball game in a college stadium.

We headed back to Indy to celebrate at Mo's Steakhouse. We had the scallops wrapped in pancetta and splurged on the Surf & Turf, which consisted of their signature dish-- the 20 oz rib eye and an Australian lobster tail.

Sun, 1/13/08- The Westin was connected to the RCA Dome, so it was very convenient to get to the stadium, especially since it was cold and snowing. We were definitely expecting the Colts to whip the Chargers-- it was a nail biter towards the end. But the Colts couldn't pull through and the Chargers defeated the Colts 28-24. Next year, the Colts will be in the new Lucas Oil stadium. Can't wait to experience it!

Vail boasts three distinct areas of the mountain, each with their own features and fortes, including four terrain parks, seven bowls and 5,289 acres of freeride terrain. At seven miles wide, finding fresh tracks is as easy as finding elbow room. In fact, on an average day, there are only two skiers per acre, and on a busy day, only four!
vail.snow.com

Fri, 12/14- We arrived in Denver at 11:00 PM. A couple of weeks ago, staying in Steamboat that night sounded like a good idea. Not such a wonderful idea now. The drive ended up taking longer than we thought and we arrived at the Sheraton at 2AM. The temperature was 20 below.

Sat, 12/15- The hotel was in a great location-- at the bottom of the lift—IF we had decided to ski. But it was still about 10 below. So we decided to warm up with Winona’s famous cinnamon buns.

After breakfast, we headed to Edwards (about 20 min from Vail), to the exclusive gated community of Cordillera. The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera is set high atop a privately owned mountain with sweeping views of the Vail Valley. We got to enjoy the view from our balcony adorned with icicles.

We went to dinner at Dine, an innovative restaurant serving its dishes in tapas-style portions— perfect for sharing. My favorite tapas was the original: Serrano ham and with a sliver of manchego draped over a shot glass that contained a splash of Spanish fino sherry. It was a great starter to a wonderful meal.

Sun, 12/16- It was still rather brisk in the morning. E decided to go skiing in Vail, but I opted for the spa and lounging in front of the fireplace. We went to dinner at Junipers--we ordered the balsamic glazed rib eye and the Colorado lamb chops.

Mon, 12/17- We walked around Vail Village and decided to have lunch at Sweet Basil. It was named “Colorado’s Most Popular Restaurant” by the Zagat survey. The white truffle parmesan fries were decadent.

Vail steals the hearts of everyone who visits. Currently Vail Resort is in the midst of a billion dollar renewal which is said will improve the overall experience. It is a wonder how the experience could get any better…but I think that I can be persuaded to return to find out.

Say the French, 'See Paris and die!'
Make your home at La Jolla and Live, say I.
The San Diego Union
May 5, 1887

Fri, 12/7- We arrived in San Diego at 8:00 PM. The airport is surprising close to the city—about 3 miles! We headed towards downtown. We were staying at the W in the Gaslamp district. Such a hip hotel... they turned their lobby into a hip bar. They even have a bar on the second floor called Beach, adjacent to the pool, complete with sand floors.

Sat, 12/8- We decided to head north to spend the morning hiking at the Torrey Pines National Reserve. On the way to the reserve, we stopped in La Jolla for breakfast. The Cottage restaurant serves a famous French toast that is stuffed with strawberries and marscapone cheese. After such a hearty breakfast, we were looking forward to a long hike.
Torrey Pines National Reserve is only 15 minutes from San Diego and offers some of the most amazing views of the coast line. The trails were fairly short and we were able to hike several trails.

There were some amazing sand formations!

We decided to grab a light lunch at George’s Bar back in La Jolla. The bar sits on the coast and we enjoyed shrimp and fish tacos while enjoying the view. We spent the afternoon walking along the coast. There was a small beach where a flock? of seals resided.

La Jolla reminded me so much of Monterey, CA. I lived in Monterey for a couple of years and always wanted to return and live there some day. La Jolla, the Spanish term for "The Jewel," was beautiful in its own right; it was breathtaking.

On our travels we are always seeking a place for great steak. One of the “best” lists names Donovan’s as the base place in San Diego for steak. At the last minute, we found a Bradley Ogden restaurant and decided that we could have steak back in Texas! Arterra just completed one million dollars in renovations. The place was beautiful and included a sushi bar and an outdoor patio complete with couches and a fire pit. We had a beautiful salad that consisted of the freshest ingredients from a neighboring farm drizzled with a light vinaigrette. E had the Kurobuta pork sampler that consisted of crispy confit, homemade sausage, and roasted loin. I had the trout stuffed with chorizo and lobster. For dessert, we had the Valhona Chocolate Bouchon, that consisted of a brownie, Smores ice cream, and toasted marshmallows. The meal was wonderful!

Sun, Dec 9- We headed back to La Jolla to spend our last day. We had brunch at Brockton Villas, where they serve their world famous Coast Toast, similar to a soufflé (see recipe below). I had “steamed” scrambled eggs with chorizo. It was the best eggs I had ever eaten! We spent the rest of our hours walking around the town and along the coast. We had reservations to Ortega’s, a place that serves lobsters cooked Puerto Nuevo style. Puerto Nuevo-style lobster has been a phenomenon since 1956, when several women in the tiny fishing village south of Rosarito started dropping fresh lobsters into pots of bubbling oil and serving them to a few outsiders. We decided to forego Ortega’s and just enjoy La Jolla and it beautiful surroundings.

The U.S. Weather Bureau describes San Diego's weather as the most nearly perfect in America. The average year-round high temperature is 70ºF (21ºC). The yearly rainfall is light, averaging only 9.45 inches. To put this in perspective, Houston averages 50 inches of rainfall a year. I think we experienced 2 inches of rain during the time we were there. And it was rather chilly—a cool high 50s degrees; I had to buy a light sweater! Despite the “inclement” weather, we had a wonderful time. San Diego is a place that we would like to spend more time. Well, we need to come back to try Puerto Nuevo style lobster!

Brockton Villa's Coast Toast Recipe

1 loaf soft French bread (sliced)
1 qt. whipping cream
10 eggs
¾ cup orange juice
½ cup sugar
a pinch of salt
2 tbs. vanilla
2 tbs. orange flavoring

Combine liquid ingredients. Pour over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

Remove bread and discard liquid. Spread butter on flat grill.

Cook bread until golden brown, then bake at 450° for 5 -7 minutes or until bread is puffed up like a soufflé. Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Lying there in the sun
On a white sandy beach of Hawai`i
Sound of the ocean soothes my restless soul
Sound of the ocean rocks me all night long.
White Sandy Beach, by Willie Dan
Sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole “IZ”

As the right wing of the airplane tipped, I saw our approach toward Oahu. I couldn’t contain my anticipation any longer… I was so nice to be back. I lived here from 1998 to 2001 and have tried to come back as often as possible. E and I have been back three times since 2004, and we are planning to go to Maui next year.

We love coming here during Thanksgiving, allowing an easy five days of relaxation. We usually would take several day trips to the Windward side and North Shore during our visit. But since we have spent some time here already, we decided to take it slow and just lounge at the beach, going into the city only to partake in some ono food.

We were staying in the Ko Olina resort area, about 20 miles west of Honolulu. The name Ko Olina means the fulfillment of joy. Ko Olina consists of four man-made lagoons. Rock barriers provide protection from the ocean and high surf. The lagoons are sandy beaches surrounded by grass and shaded picnic areas. The lagoons are called: Kolola, Hanu, Nai'a, and Ulua.

Wed, 11/21- We arrived to Honolulu in the afternoon. We headed to Ko Olina to relax before dinner. I had a mai tai and E had a local beer while we watched the sun go down.

Alan Wong’s has been our favorite restaurant since we first ate there in 2004. Last year we had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal here, but they decided to close this year for the holiday. We were able to get a late reservation for tonight. The restaurant is located in an unassuming office building, with barely any signage. Every time we have approached the restaurant, it never fails. The car comes to a halt as we are wondering, “Is this it?” I squint to make out the Alan Wongs sign on the building. This is it. We take the elevator to the third floor…every seat in the house was occupied.

E ordered the ginger crusted onaga. E always orders the onaga. I got the steamed opakapaka, as our waiter was telling us how they just put this dish back on the menu and how they “steamed” the fish by ladling hot oil over the fish instantly creating a broth. Both dishes were amazing, but I can see why E orders the onaga all the time! It is ginger crusted with organically grown hamakua mushrooms with corn and miso sesame vinaigrette.


Thurs, 11/22- We reserved the cabana for the whole day. The weather was perfect.

We met the newly married Woos (mentioned in the Las Vegas entry) at Diamondhead Grill for Thanksgiving dinner. Coincidentally, they were here on their honeymoon. Three of us had the traditional turkey dinner, while Milton had a steak. But I am sure the Pilgrims had some sort of steak on their Thanksgiving table…

Fri, 11/23- We went to Hapa Grill for breakfast. Everytime we are in Hawaii, I have to have certain things. One of them is fried rice and eggs for breakfast. Hapa did it right. We again reserved the cabana for the whole day. Another perfect day. We took a break and went to eat Hawaiian plate lunch (another “must have”). I really miss this when I am away. The BBQ mixed plate consists of BBQ chicken, pork, and beef. A scoop of mac salad and two scoops of rice. It is soooo ono.

We met some of our friends at Sam Choys. I knew them when I lived here, and it is so nice to see them when we return. A lot of history between us, we were just discussing how we have known one another for nearly ten years! Aren't the girls cute?!

Sat, 11/24- We got massages outdoors adjacent to the ocean, listening to the waves crash. The sea massages were a great way to melt the tense muscles from the eight hour flight. I got the Lomi Lomi massage. Lomi Lomi developed out of the Hawaiian philosophy of Huna (meaning "secret"). Therapists use their hands, elbows, and forearms to apply long, gliding strokes, rhythmic movements, and pressure. It was such a treat.

We headed back to Honolulu to try Chef Mavro’s new restaurant: Cassis. The name was chosen because George Mavro’s first restaurant was in the picturesque harbor village of Cassis on the Mediterranean. E and I have been to Cassis and love its beauty. We had high expectations of the restaurant, as Chef Mavro is a renowned chef. However, we were quite disappointed in the entire experience. The service was terribly slow, despite the restaurant not being very busy (desolate compared to Alan Wongs). And our dishes arrived at room temperature, almost cold. We did not make mention of it to our server, hoping that I was just a bad night. We commented to one another that we should have just returned to Alan Wongs for a meal that we KNEW would not disappoint. The only redeeming dish for E was the malasadas (Hawaii’s version of a doughnut without a hole) that were filled with macadamia nut cream. I was not as easily swayed.

Sun, 11/25- We woke up remorsefully. It was our last day. We hung out at the beach for a couple of hours before brunch. I chose JW Marriott’s signature restaurant Azul for Sunday brunch. Our waiter arrived with a tropical mimosa (traditional mimosa enhanced with mango). The buffet offerings included lobster bisque in little tea party sized cups (E asked for a spoon and was told it was supposed to be “sipped.”), cold bar with shrimp, oysters and gigantic crab claws— reminded me of the stone crabs at Trulucks, crustess quiche, a variety salads, an antipasti bar, and a plethora of desserts with a chocolate fountain! The display was presented so graciously. The brunch also included an entrée selection. E ordered the lobster eggs benedict and I got the roasted onaga (finally!) I had eight huge crab claws before my entrée came. The food was just delicious! With unlimited champagne and a Bloody Mary bar, the brunch was the best one we had ever had!
We lounged on the beach for a couple of hours before we had to say good bye to our lovely lagoon. Every time we visit, it is harder and harder for us to leave. There are at least several moments when we are discussing the possibility of moving here… Someday, someday!

There are many islands with beauty to give
But this special place is where I want to live
O`ahu, by Carol Miguel and Keith Haugen

Meet me down by the old Golden Gate
Out where the sun goes down about eight.
~ Down Among the Sheltering Palms, James Brockman, lyricist

If you read our Chicago to Ann Arbor (vs Michigan) entry, you saw that we went to Holy Mackerel, Harry Caray's new seafood restaurant. I had the most disappointing cioppino, and could not wait to head back to San Francisco for the real deal. So here we are.

Fri, 11/9: We arrived in San Francisco on Friday night. We headed to the Prescott Hotel in Union Square.

Sat, 11/10: We headed north towards Sausalito to a gorgeous vantage point of Golden Gate Bridge and the city.

I have wanted to take E to Sequoia National Park to see the GI-normous trees that dwarf even the largest of humans. Since we were in San Francisco, I decided to take him to Muir Woods. Located just 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, in an isolated canyon grows an ancient giant coast redwood forest.

It was a quiet sanctuary in a growing urban setting so close to the city, but seemed thousands of miles away. We arrived at the perfect time of the morning when it was still quiet and the air was crisp, with a light sprinkle of rain.

We headed to the adjacent coastal town of Sausalito. Horizons sits right on the bay and offered us the most amazing view. Since we were in San Francisco, we had to do an entire seafood affair for the weekend. We enjoyed Dungeness crab cakes and local mussels.

For dinner, we decided to try our luck at Tadich Grill. It claims to be the oldest restaurant in all of San Francisco, being in continuous operation since 1849. Most importantly, it's cioppino is legendary. For those reasons, they do not take reservations...

We were seated right away at a two top. Our waiter was a little.... whats the word? E best described him as squirly; me, "quirky." I can't even recall right now what made us think that. We continued with our seafood weekend by starting with the Dungeness crab cocktail. E decided on the Pacific Red Snapper topped with even more Dungeness crab. My heart was set on the seafood cioppino, so I barely looked at the menu.

The cioppino was filled with clams, prawns, scallops, bay shrimp, crabmeat, and white fish swimming in a wonderfully flavored tomato based broth. We saw the other diners wearing bibs when consuming cioppino. I was not offered a bib. I guess he recognized my skills and didn't require one...

Sat, 11/10: We spent the morning in Union Square, then headed to the Golden Gate Bridge. We stopped at the viewing area right before the bridge. We couldn't find a parking space, so we continued to the Presidio and found a little parking area to the left, where there was an amazing view of the bridge. We hiked down to the Presidio and sat on a bench to enjoy the view and the weather. I read about this little hot dog company that has stands all over the city: Let's Be Frank. There was one in the park and there was always a line. We wanted to see what the hub bub was all about! They offered corn fed beef dogs and pork brats, and basically all organic condiments. We got a dog sitting on some freshly grilled onions with some bottled root beer-- (ok, ok we broke stride for a "all seafood weekend"). It was definitely worth it!

There was so much more to do, but we didn't have any more time. We didn't even go to Fisherman's Wharf or Alcatraz. I guess that means we have to come back soon...

Fri, 10/12: We landed in Chicago at 8 PM and headed in the direction of Ann Arbor. Purdue was playing Michigan at noon tomorrow, so we wanted to get some ground tonight. We stopped in Battle Creek for the night.

Sat, 10/13: After a short hour, we arrived in Ann Arbor. It was a quaint little mid-west town; we parked in a little neighborhood adjacent to the stadium. The game was disappointing; we left at the beginning of the third quarter, to begin our long four hour journey back to Chicago. We listened to the game on the radio, confirming that our Boilermakers lost to the mighty Victors...

vs Michigan
L, 48-21

We wanted to try out Harry Caray's new seafood restaurant: Holy Mackerel! E got the sea bass, interestingly prepared with an Asian flair, complete with sticky rice. I ordered the seafood cioppino. E enjoyed his fish, which was prepared with a nice but tender crust. I was less than impressed with my cioppino, which was more like a tomato sauce with seafood in it, rather than the traditional stew (similar to a boullabaisse.) I was looking forward to a more authentic cioppino (I mean, why put it on the menu?) and was highly disappointed, though the seafood itself was good.

Sun, 10/14: After getting 90 minute massages at the local Massage Envy (I love that franchise!), we headed to Haray Carays. We got a quick bite and got to see some of the Bears game before heading home.

This wound up being a 24 hour turnaround trip for us... Faithful to the Boikermakers, we "Gotta support the Team!"-- Puddy from Seinfeld

Sat, 10/6: We arrived in Chicago on Saturday mid-morning. We ventured to downtown Chicago to partake in one of our best loved traditions-- Portillos.

We headed to Indiana to visit E's grandparents for a bit before the game. Purdue was playing Ohio State that evening. A local joint was the toast of the town for steak: Solly's. (This "town" is in Indiana with a population of less than 200 people). We have enjoyed many a wonderful steak, so my expectations on a "good steak" may have been rather lofty. We came in to an empty restaurant (given it was 4:30 PM) that had table tents indicating the reserved tables for the night. Almost every table had a tent on it. We didn't make reservations. Again, given that it was before 5 PM, Solly's was able to seat us. The relish tray was a nice touch. I was able to munch on radishes and their famous dressing- some sort of French dressing. It was rather yummy, and I reckon many people think so since they sell bottles and bottles of it and the recipe has been under wraps for 30 years. But granny whispered that she got the recipe from an old employee and offered to email it to me. The steak looked like it was cooked on a kitchen frying pan, with no grill marks whatsoever, but it came with the requisite marker that indicated the doneness level that we had ordered. It was a decent steak and probably the best choice for the location.

We headed out to West Lafayette. Kickoff was at 8 PM. We expected to lose and were expected to lose by the media. Ohio State was #4 and were a newly ranked #23. It was supposed to be a Black Out game where every Purdue fan was supposed to wear black. Unfortunately, not every Purdue fan was participating. Ohio's fan base was in bright red and they could be seen peppered throughout the stands, and of course the visiting team's stands were in loyal red. It was a painful game and we wound up losing to the Buckeyes.

vs. Ohio State
L, 23-7

It's Fall. Fall means college football. At least in my household. My husband is a former Boilermaker. I don't think that 99% of America knows what a Boilermaker is or how Purdue adopted the mascot:

The year was 1891.
A college known for its proud heritage for educating the
sons and daughters of the working class began to dominate
opponents in football. After a 44-0 thrashing of Wabash
College, one Crawfordsville newspaper lashed out at the
"Herculean wearers of the black and old gold." A headline
writer provided inspiration for a most unique nickname.

Beneath the headline "Slaughter of Innocents," the paper told
of the injustice visited upon the "light though plucky" Wabash
squad. Never intended as a compliment, the insult appealed to
students of the day.

Fri, 9/28: We arrived in Chicago on Friday night and headed to Gene & Jude's (Jude's) a hot spot for hot dogs. The line was not as bad as Pink's in LA, but there was a line nevertheless at this joint in the middle of the burbs. Jude's menu was slim: hot dogs and tamales. There was no "Chicago" style. Just the basic dog.

The dog was served with french fries piled on top of the dog and individually wrapped. It was a good dog. E even liked it more than Pinks!

Sat, 9/29: We headed out to West Lafayette. Kickoff was at noon. It was a great game! We beat the Irish!

vs. Notre Dame
W, 33-19

We had dinner back in Chicago at Harray Caray's to celebrate the win! It's E's favorite place for steak. My favorite place for a great steak is Charlie's in Orlando. Harry Caray's offers a great Kansas City Strip-- a wonderful meal, served alongside some great pasta.

Sun, 9/30: I had been craving Stanley's Kitchen and Tap all week! It is a bar that serves up a mighty hearty brunch of fried chicken, mac & cheese, caesar salad, and of course other traditional brunch fare-- not for the weak stomach or light of heart. Stanley's also offers a huge bloody mary bar complete with anything you could want in your concoction. The ice and vodka are doled out by the bartender and served in a gigantic plastic cup. Then you go to the bar and mix up your favorite combination. It was a highly caloric meal. I need Stanley's brunch at least twice a year....