Category: Food

Sweet Frozen Adventures around Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida

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Here’s a peek of my sweet frozen adventures around Disney World & Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. You’ll notice that a couple of the items from Epcot are seasonal since I purchased them at the pop-up Pineapple Promenade during the 2015 International Flower and Garden Festival (March 4 – May 17). But other than that, you can easily get your hands on any of the other sweet treats if you are ever in either park. Nom nom nom. 🙂 Enjoy!

Dole Whip - Sunshine Tree Terrace, Magic Kingdom

Dole Whip – Sunshine Tree Terrace, Magic Kingdom

Mickey Ice Cream - Food Carts, Disney World

Mickey Ice Cream – Food Carts, Disney World

Strawberry Sorbet – L’Artisan des Glaces, Epcot

Violet Lemonade – Pineapple Promenade (Seasonal), Epcot

Dole Whip – Pineapple Promenade (Seasonal), Epcot

Chocolate Chili – Florean Fortescues, Universal Studios

Earl Grey and Lavender – Florean Fortescues, Universal Studios

Coffee and Cherry Garcia – Ben and Jerry’s, Universal Studios

Stacks Pancake House: A little bit of Hawaii in the OC

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I know you can sympathize with me when I tell you how disappointed I was to miss the employee appreciation breakfast my bosses had put together at the office.  Not only did I miss an opportunity for free food but apparently I missed a chance to try what was described to me as ‘the most mouth-watering and delicious pancakes’. My coworker could not stop raving about them.  Armed with the need to not feel left out, I was determined to try these pancakes for myself!  So one random day my coworker and I were craving breakfast for lunch and decided to hunt down the restaurant where our bosses had ordered breakfast from.

Stacks Pancake House

Stacks Pancake House

27680 Marguerite Parkway, Suite C
Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Stacks Pancake House has successfully brought Hawaiian influence to the OC. The Mission Viejo location is in a very unassuming location in the middle of a shopping center, but don’t let the outer appearance deter you.  The restaurant layout is a casual counter style where you order and pay first then they bring out your food. I was happily surprised to see the Hawaiian influence carried throughout the menu with items such as loco moco, coconut pineapple pancakes, teriyaki, spam, and coconut syrup. They are well-known for their macadamia nut banana pancakes and captain crunch macadamia nut French toast. The only thing that is missing from the menu is Kona Coffee, which I am very surprised that they don’t offer.

The breakfast that we had that day was fantastic. Since I didn’t have a huge appetite, I opted for what I thought would be a small plate, but, as you can see from the photos, clearly was not. I ordered the eggs florentine and my coworker ordered the eggcellent breakfast, both which came with pancakes. As I’m writing this I’m still savoring their pancakes (light, fluffy, and slightly crispy) and utterly regretting that I didn’t opt to try the macadamia nut banana pancakes. Oh well, at least I have a reason to go back.

Eggcellent Combo

Eggcellent Combo – scrambled eggs and bacon.

Blueberry and Coconut Syrup. Delicious!

Blueberry and Coconut Syrup. Delicious!

Short Stack

Short Stack

Florentine Scramble - bacon, spinach, onions, and swiss cheese.

Florentine Scramble – bacon, spinach, onions, and swiss cheese.

Carson Kitchen: A Hidden Foodie Gem in Downtown Las Vegas

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Over the past couple of years, downtown Las Vegas has undergone major revitalization to make it a place of:

“…Inspiration, Entrepreneurial Energy, Creativity, Innovation, Upward Mobility, and Discovery…” – downtown project

The old Las Vegas is becoming new again and lucky for us the restaurants it’s attracting are fun, vibrant, and delicious. This past winter, my friends and I decided to check out the new old Las Vegas. On the hunt for coin machines and lunch we stumbled upon Carson Kitchen, a real hidden foodie gem in the downtown area, just a little shy of Freemont Street. When I say this is a hidden gem, it’s no joke, this place is really hard to find! The address has the restaurant listed on 6th Street, but the entrance is actually found in between 6th and Las Vegas off of E Carson Ave.

Old school soda

Carson Kitchen

124 S 6th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101

http://www.carsonkitchen.com

The place itself gives off a very eclectic hipster vibe.  There’s a communal table by the bar, rustic tables, exposed beams, semi-open kitchen, industrial lighting, and a rooftop patio. The plates are on the smaller side, meant to be more tapas style – sharable. Being that I visited the restaurant with a group of guys, it was safe to say that no one was interested in sharing. We did order one appetizer, the Wellington Empanadas, which were flaky and juicy, and then each person ordered their own entrée. The decision among the group was unanimous, everyone absolutely loved their food. The burgers were flavorful and juicy, the pizza crispy and balanced, and the mac and cheese was the perfect comfort food. The only thing missing were the coin slots, but it was nice to catch a little break from all the typical Vegas noise.

Wellington Empanadas - Beef

Wellington Empanadas – beef tenderloin, duxelles $10

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Butter Burger – boursin, cheddar, lettuce, tomato $14

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Jerk Turkey Burger – mango chutney slaw $14

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Wild Mushroom – asparagus pesto, cabrales bleu $12

Baked Mac & Cheese - $12

Baked Mac & Cheese – $12

New York Sweet Treats

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Who doesn’t love sweets? If your answer is no, then this post is not for you. 😉

When traveling, one of my favorite things to do is to find the best local bakeries, sweet shops, chocolatiers, candy stores, ice cream shops, you name it. Sweets and baked goods are easy to transport, generally maintain a good shelf life, and are rather inexpensive when compared to the $10 t-shirt that’s probably going to end up as a rag one day. Sweets are an experience with nothing but good memories attached. So if you have a sweet tooth like me, here’s a list of some sweet places I discovered in NYC. Enjoy!

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‘Frrrozen’ Hot Chocolate

SERENDIPITY 3

225 E 60th ST, New York, NY 10022

Their famous sweet treat is the ‘Frrrozen’ Hot Chocolate.  It’s super sweet and very true to it’s name.  Definitely big enough to share.

MAGNOLIA BAKERY

Grand Central Terminal – 107 E 42nd St, New York, NY

Everyone raves about their Banana Pudding, but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try it.  I was able to try their cupcakes on the other hand and they are delicious! The frosting is light and airy with just a hint of sweet and the cake moist and flavorful. Perfect combination.

Mariebelle fine chocolates & CACAO BAR

484 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

Their flagship location is in Manhattan, but they also have multiple locations in Japan.  I would recommend visiting this chocolate shop just for the Cacao Bar.  The Cacao Bar is located in the back of the shop and has a quaint sexy French vibe.

ButterCup Bake Shop

973 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022

Their cupcake signature frosting style looks like an outward inward motion, which sounds weird, but it works for them.  As far as taste, the baked goods are subtly sweet and not overwhelming rich, which is definitely a plus because you don’t feel as guilty for over indulging.

CARLO’S BAKE SHOP

95 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Italian family-owned bake shop.  They are famous for their cream filled pastries, ‘Cannolis and Lobster Tails’.  Their cookies have a subtle sweet almond taste which you’ll only find in Italian pastries.  Yes, I watch their show on TLC.  Yes, I am a bit obsessed.  They have a New York location, but the original New Jersey location is worth the trek.  About a twenty minute PATH train ride from Herald Square @ 33rd Street, exit Hoboken.

Boozy Brunch Places in NYC

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When searching for brunch locations, I learned that due to changes in alcohol laws not all restaurants are allowed to offer unlimited drinks specials (aka Boozy Brunch) unless the restaurant falls under a grandfather clause. Taking this into consideration, I searched for the best boozy brunch options during my trip. So if you’re visiting New York for the first time and on the hunt for a boozy brunch like me, here are a couple of good options. Let me know how you like them or if you have an option for me!

Boozy Brunch

Crooked knife

29 E 30th St, New York, NY 10016

$29 includes an entrée plus unlimited Mimosas or Bloody Marys for 2 hours.

Mezetto

161 East Houston street, new york, NY 10002

$16 unlimited Mimosa add-on for 1.5 hours with purchase of an entrée (prices ranging from $13 – $19).

Agave

140 7th ave South, New York, NY 10014

$28 includes an entrée plus unlimited Mimosas, Margaritas, or Wine for 2 hours.

Lasagna Ristorante

196 8th AvE, New York, NY 10011

$9 unlimited Mimosa, Bellini, Screwdriver, or Bloody Mary add-on for 2 hours with purchase of an entrée from the “Italian Brunch” menu (all “Italian Brunch” entrées are priced at $15.95) CASH ONLY