A Bacon Lovers' Heaven: Slater's 50/50

I remember it all started with a question on what cuisine I would love to try and I said, "Anything but Korean or American" as I was tired of Korean BBQ and burgers that time. But alas, we ended up in another burger joint at Old Town Pasadena which I must say looks pretty nice. It reminded me of New York with the stores on the streets and street performers making the night extra special.

Hello, Slater's 50/50!

The place was pretty packed with people so we had to wait for about half an hour to get a table. While waiting, K and I decided to go for a walk while couple T and K wait for our table.

The place is different from the other parts of Los Angeles. I actually find it pretty romantic. There are some quaint restaurants and for some reason, a handful of flower vendors too. I felt like buying one (love thy self) but naaah, I need the money for my other food trips!

After a while, K and I decided to head back as we're getting hungry too. And... we still have to wait for a few more minutes.

Thankfully, service was pretty quick. We ordered Fried Bacon Mac n' Cheese Balls ($5.95), Slater's Vampire Dip ($8.95), B' B' B' Bacon Burger ($10.95), The 50/50 ($9.95) and the Fried Chicken & Pancakes ($10.95) and in less than 10 minutes, our appetizers arrived.

The Fried Bacon Mac n' Cheese is your typical Mac n' Cheese covered in breaded coating with a tinge of bacon. It was pretty good though I hope it was a bit cheesier.

One of our favorites that night was the Slater's Vampire Dip! The dip had a strong garlic taste and it went so well with the cheese and artichoke. We also enjoyed the pita and T can't help but finish the sourdough.

My First Thanksgiving (and Black Friday) Experience

It was my first time to experience Thanksgiving and Black Friday here in the US and it sure was TIRING.

Unlike the Philippines, most parts of the US do not celebrate Christmas the way Pinoys do. I think the only place in America that feels just like the bright Manila is New York. But I'm in California, 6 hours away from the Big Apple. Then again, they also have something quite similar to our Christmas where relatives come over to share a feast and that's Thanksgiving.

Foodie Alert: Butterbeer Frappuccino?!?

Harry Potter has been known as a  series of books and movies people of all ages enjoyed. My sister for one got instantly hooked to the movie adaptation when we were in a Harry Potter crash course appreciation program just so we could truly enjoy Universal Studios. Unfortunately, I wasn't converted into a muggle. But I do remember enjoying the 4D ride and the drink they call... Butterbeer.

Oh butterbeer! The last time I got to taste you was way back in 2011 and I miss you so much! I dream of the sweet taste, the little foam, the delectable aroma.

But great news! Starbucks is finally offering butterbeer. Well, sort of.

Image from Hypable.com

Thanks to Starbucks Holiday drinks, we can now request butterbeer from our friendly baristas. Just tell them these:

American Pie: Marie Callender's Restaurant and Bakery

I love it when I get to visit a new place. Dropping by Trader Joe's for the first time made me giddy for days. Everything that could be covered in chocolate was covered in chocolate! I was in heaven! But that's in another blog. Today, we'll talk about pies. Well, fine, pie. 

I'm not really a pie person as I prefer cake over pie. And I think the only pie I enjoy eating is egg pie from Goldilocks. My taste buds are easy to please. But I had no idea that my taste buds will be spoiled by a heavenly pie.

 

We were almost on our way home when Auntie asked that we pass by Marie Callender's. She wanted to check the pies as she saw a commercial saying that they have a pie sale. True enough, they do.

The place somehow reminded me of Porto's though this one has a more feminine touch to it. 

My First Bite: The Boiling Crab

I was planning to have dinner at The Boiling Crab last year but we ended up at The Shack due to the long line and grumpy tummies. Fortunately, my trip this year finally was able to fit in eating at this famous seafood place. 

There's still a line! I guess it cannot be avoided if the establishment is popular. It took us around 20 minutes to get a table. While waiting, we roamed around Little Vietnam. (It's so cool here as every country seems to have their own little neighborhood.) 

It's interesting that we cannot be seated until the server sees the whole party. I reserved a table for 4 and since we were all having fun looking at the different stuff available in Little Vietnam, we lost track of time. But luck was with us as we were able to keep our table.

Packed. 

The place was filled with people wearing bibs (which is probably one of the few places where adults wearing bibs are perfectly acceptable). 

Restaurant Discovery: Yellow House Café

I just love visiting Koreatown in Los Angeles. There are a lot of cute restaurants and cafés (and some of which are in Manila too) open till the wee hours just like how things are in Seoul. The place I visited this time seems to be a popular one as it was still packed at 8 p.m..

Meeting up with K and T guarantees that we eat somewhere cute or fancy. (So, horray for me! I'll have something nice to blog about!) This time, they decided that we have dinner at Yellow House Café .

We met up a little bit past 8 p.m. and we had to wait for a table to clear up. Apparently, the bigger the party, the more difficult it is for you to get a table.

While waiting, we all decided that we order something to pass time since we were all too hungry to wait. K and I ordered Cheese Tteokbokki ($10.95). 

Happy Lunch: Maui Style Hawaiian BBQ

I remember the first time I explored L.A. alone was the day I shopped my heart out. I got a free ride from G going to Americana (one of my favorite places), then I went straight to Forever 21 and H&M in search for thicker clothes. After a while I decided to go to Galleria and visited Cotton On, another Forever 21, and The Body Shop. It took me a while before I realized that I missed lunch time. So with paper bags in tow, I went straight to Galleria’s food court to grab a meal. I remember that the meal was around $10 and it was HUGE. I had a hard time finishing it. So when N1 and I went to Citadel with N2 and S, I made sure that the meal we’ll order will be for sharing.

It’s shopping time again. Funny how most people tend to be on extreme shopping mode whenever their vacation is about to end. It happens to me every time and I spent a lot of time in Walmart buying chocolates.

It was past noon when we decided to have lunch and headed to the food area of the outlet. We spotted Maui Style Hawaiian BBQ and since they offer heavy meals, we went in. (Oh rice, why are you so attractive?)

There's rice there somewhere.

N1 and I ordered the Beef and Chicken meal ($7.49) for sharing while N2 and S ordered a meal each—beef and shrimp combo and beef and Maui Crunch Roll.

The Shack: Better than The Boiling Crab?

The Boiling Crab was part of my I-have-to-visit-this-place-no-matter-what list when I went to the States a few months back but unfortunately, even though I was in LA for quite a long time, I wasn’t able to visit it. The closest was standing outside the place. *sad* Then again, I was able to visit a restaurant that has a similar concept. Well, close enough, I guess.

Hey, The Shack!

The place has a beach feel to it. I guess it is to reinforce that they serve seafood thus the seaside ambiance. We easily got a table as the place wasn’t that packed and ordered right away.

We ordered some shrimps with mild sauce ($8.99), seasoned fries ($2.99), crispy wings ($4.99), and raw oysters ($7.99/half a dozen; $13.99/dozen).

After Dinner Stop: Meow Meow Cafe

Milk tea is such a craze here in Manila and every time I think that it’s slowing down, I see a packed milk tea place. But things are a bit different in the US. Perhaps the boba craze has been long over in the US so there were no long lines or waits in the shops. At first I was a bit skeptical with the taste given there was no line. But I was wrong.

Hello, Meow Meow Café!

The first thing I noticed was that the surrounding area is filled with high school students. I felt young for a moment there. :)

The place had a few customers so when we arrived, we were next in line. N and I got a Brown Sugar Milk Tea each ($3.50) and it sure was sweet. The pearls (or boba as they call it) were chewy and not the yucky gooey type. It sure was love.

I love the added texture given by the brown sugar sprinkled on top. It gave a bit of roughness and crunch. It was a tad too sweet though but since we were having it for dessert, it made my sweet tooth smile.

The Royalty Life: Hearst Castle

So after our mini stop to Solvang, we went all the way up to Hearst Castle. On our way to the huge mansion of William Hearst, we watched a video explaining the history of the 40,000 acres ranch land and how the host pampers his select guests.

 

It sure was a loooong way up to Hearst Castle but the grandeur sure made the trip worth it. We were greeted by the huge door of the castle and we were in awe.

 

 

Flash photography was strictly prohibited inside the castle but most of our tour mates were not as cooperative and kept on using flash and stepping outside the carpeted area (a big no-no to our tour guide who almost lost her patience).

 

Summer 101: Get Shaved

It’s getting hot. Really hot. I was pretty happy a few weeks back as it felt like the Christmas breeze finally arrived but it is now gone. (T.T) Oh well. Then I remembered this shaved ice place N loves so much to the point that he was proud to bring me there. 

 

Hey, Get Shaved!

 

The place was charming with its cool blue interiors. It makes me feel cooler already. The choices also have cute names such as Root Beer Dream and Monkey Brains. I ordered #5 Sour Puss on a UFO bowl ($2.75) as I was not sure if I will like it while N ordered an Ice Cream Sandwich ($3/piece).

In less than 3 minutes, we have our orders ready.