First Bite: Buca di Beppo

Manila food scene has been getting busier and busier each day. With more restaurants opening here and there, locals now have more options on where to dine. One of the cuisines that continues to remain strong is Italian. After all, who could resist a tempting slice of pizza or a fragrant plate of pasta? (I can't.) And last November, a new Italian restaurant found home in Manila. 

Hello, Buca di Beppo. 

This famous Italian restaurant chain is no stranger to well-travelled foodies. Starting out as a hole in the wall restaurant in Minneapolis, USA, it became a household name for those who love Italian cuisine. Known for its family-style feast, Buca di Beppo offers a dining experience that would make you feel right at home. 

Second Bite: Melt Grilled Cheesery

I still remember how giddy I was when I first visited Melt Grilled Cheesery. With its menu filled with cheesy dishes, it was like I found (cheese) heaven in Uptown Mall. Everything we ordered were great too! It was love at first bite and I was so happy to share my discovery with my family and friends. But some of those who tried the place were not as ecstatic. *insert sad face here*

Hello, Melt Grilled Cheesery!

I managed to convince J and his girlfriend M to visit Melt with me after our pizza dinner. (Yes, I was a happy third wheel on their Friday night date.)

We easily managed to get a table as the place was not as full as its pizzeria neighbor.

We focused on the desserts as we just had dinner and went with Dulce de Lecheese (PHP285), Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (PHP215) and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake (PHP235 which was changed to PHP255 if I remember it correctly).

Service was prompt and house water was served in less than 5 minutes. We were also given a complimentary sandwich from the owners. They also spent time to chat with us and that was when I found out that their bread supplier is Artisan Emporium. 

Ti Amo: Lombardi's

People come and go. Those who stay are just one of the three—family, friends, or the one. Anyway, I won’t be mushy today as I’m referring to the second one. I’m so glad that I have friends to talk with when I have problems or bug when I’m in the mood to eat. It has been over a month since I last saw my MScM friends and so many things happened for the past weeks. We needed a catch up session.

I was looking forward to the 24^th of October as my friends and I were planning another staycation. But we were not able to book a room. *boo*

 

We decided to have dinner instead at Shangri-La. K and F picked Lombardi’s as they haven’t tried the food there yet.

When I arrived, they already ordered Spaghetti Ai Fruitti Di Mare (PHP440) and Quattro Formaggi (PHP475). I ordered Crèma di Spinaci (PHP175) and Chicken Cacciatore (PHP590). I skipped ordering dessert as I was craving for tea.

 

My cream of spinach soup was served first and it was quite salty. Actually, it was really salty. But I was hungry so I finished my bowl of soup. It made me look forward to the main course though.

Restaurant Love; Avi

I’m so glad that some of my favorite people work near Kapitolyo. After months of planning, we finally get to have our schedules matched and agreed to have dinner at Avi.

Hello, Avi!

K was the first one to arrive as she is blessed to have 5 p.m. as her clock out.

She already ordered Clam Chowder when I arrived and I took a sip as I was famished. It was rather spicy and I was quite surprised as I never had a spicy clam chowder before.

Soon, K and I ordered our meals. K went with Papa Jack’s Crispy Chicken Adobo Overload (PHP210) while I ordered Basil in Red (PHP165) and Sous Vide Hanging Tender Steak (PHP330). I also ordered the Lover’s Limerick Cheesecake Lime (PHP150) and a glass of their House Blended Iced Tea (PHP75). We ordered Papa Rico’s Paborito Chicken Pesto (PHP210) for F. We also got the Seaside Samba Diablo Pasta (PHP300) for sharing.

The Basil in Red was a hit! I love it so much that we ordered another bowl. It had this tangy and creamy taste that would make it hard for you to stop.

Restaurant Love: Lazy Dog Café

I miss California. I miss those humongous portions, oh-so-yummy food, gigantic supermarkets, friendly people saying hello to just about anyone, everything. While browsing my phone, I saw some photos from my last trip and a few were from my lunch date with N at the Lazy Dog Café. 

I remember that it was a bit past 12 noon when N picked me up and we were famished. As soon as we got to park the car, we checked a few restaurants outside the mall (in record time) and eventually decided to have lunch at the Lazy Dog Café. 

 

The interiors are rather cute. It has a western feel as place is predominantly wooden brown. I love the cute accent on the table… a paw print. 

N and I didn’t thoroughly browsed the menu and just ordered the lunch specials—Chicken Parmesan ($7.45) and Sundried Tomato Pesto Penne ($7.95). They also serve these for dinner but plus $5.

Restaurant Discovery: Texas Roadhouse Grill

[Mother’s Day Celebration Saga] So, after watching Iron Man 3 (second time for me), we opted to have dinner at Texas Roadhouse Grill due to my desperate attempt to look for an establishment with plugs to charge my almost dying phone.

Hello, Texas Roadhouse Grill! You got me at the word “plug”.

 

The restaurant exudes the Texan feel with predominantly brown interiors with a bit of red. The wheels also added the Western feel to it.

 

While browsing the menu, I had this sudden feel to order margarita and totally forgot that there was an alcohol ban then. Tsk. Anyway, after a few minutes, we decided to order Creamy Parmesan Chicken (PHP395), Geronimo’s Seafood Pasta Marinara (PHP350) and Shrimp and Salmon Skewer (PHP495). For dessert, we ordered Country Custard (PHP165). I also ordered a glass of Grape Shake (PHP120) as my beverage.