StringGrrl sees the World

The name of this breakfast and brunch spot in San Jose triggered more than a little bit of nostalgia in me. But having breakfast here is anything but detention with Mr.Vernon on in the school library. Very hip (worth it), pretty crowded (maybe some is from the hype, but maybe much is about the food), and very alive (read that as loud if you like). http://www.bcmidtown.com/BreakfastClub/ Wouldn't be a hipster joint without the mix between rustic and old style logos Rolling in and having scan of the menu, the Germans were very impressed with the prominent listing of booze on the breakfast menu. Apparently a "Trinken Fruhstuck" is not the norm for them, but any "brunch" spot will have at least Bloody Marys and Mimosas. "Fair warning, it has Bacon..." mentioned the waitress Hash (corned beef and chorizo) The food is very worthwhile here (at least from this food savages point of view). The tastes were wholesome and plates were well pres...

Walk into the Park MGM and oddly enough there is a Korean Bodega in the lobby adjacent to the gaming floor. We had been wondering where to eat, and stumbled upon the Yelp and Google maps entry for a Korean/Mexican restaurant called Best Friend. Taking a close look at the neon in the image below, you might notice just over StringGirl's shoulder that it reads, "Roy Choi is my Best Friend". That's right, Roy Choi of Kogi and A-Frame FAME. (Geek out food nerds!) Best Friend marquee and entrance When people tell you that the restaurant is based on the style of a Korea-town bodega.... believe them. In fact that is the only part of the restaurant that we got to really experience. As the restaurant was fully booked out not only for the night we visited, but also the following day, and half the day after. 360 Panorama The lobby of the eatery is the bar and bodega. The shelves are lined with all manner of product: Ramen, Pocky, candy, canned soups and foods, condime...

By the grace of the Georgia World Congress and SME, we were invited to attend a game between the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knickerbockers. It was our first time to be in the State Farm Arena, formerly the Philips Arena. Built on the site of the old Omni, it is a relatively new arena with all the bells and whistles when it comes to suites and boxes.  The lofts  are a less exclusive suite option designed with privacy in mind, but without being cut off from other fans. In the loft itself there is room for for 8 to 12 guests, with a standing table and monitor in the space. The rear of the loft is open to a more communal area with all-inclusive, premium dining area shared by all Lofts guests. The lofts as envisioned by State Farm Arena management. Source : https://transformation.hawks.com There was hot and cold entrees available, salads, sweets, and other goodies at the buffet. Beer and Soda are included, but mixed drinks and wine was cash bar. We missed the chanc...

In a Thriving city center area, we found Noodle 1 Food Blogger Vikram Bapat enjoying his side hustle, eating fine food from around the world The challenge with finding any new location of a favorite genre of food, is deciding which dishes t try. After all, holding a new site up to your crutch dishes from a perennial favorite is a little unfair. Looking at the starters, I generally twist between whether or not a Goi-Cuon or Cha Gio, and Satay or Mon an goi lettuce wraps is the best measure of a restaurants appeal to my taste buds. Fortunately Noodle 1 offered a very straight forward choice with a special platter for 2 that let us try their complete selection of appetizers. Satay Chicken, Goi-Cuón, Cha Giò, Wan Tan, butterfly-shrimps with dips  http://www.noodle1.de/ The special platter for two  In a break from the typical Vietnamese restaurants is the lack of Pho on the menu. So that relieved us from any predisposition to only have Pho and jud...

Essen Catholic Church St. Mariä Empfängnis As with any proper European neighborhood, at least once a week is the fresh market in Essen located in front of the Church of the Immaculate Conception (Kath. Kirchengemeinde St. Mariä Empfängnis) nearby the offices of ESI Germany GMBH. Fresh fish, grilled or fried, served with potatoes and sauces as you like To put any "Nordsee" franchise to shame is the fresh fish you can buy at the local fish seller you might find in any local market. Fairly ubiquitous they are not chains or franchises, but you will find one in most if not all markets. At the office in Essen, the staff there will once a week take the walk to town to have lunch there. Thursdays in this neighborhood. Fried Backfish freshly battered and dropped in the oil to order What appeared to be either Cod or Pollack fillets was dipped in a nice pancake thickness batter and dropped in the hot oil. The fillets we just large enough that they would have swamped...

Miriam and Eric at the entrance to La Spiga Foggy weather spoiled the normally stunning views of the Wine country of La Morra photo by  Gabriele Motta under Creative Commons attribution, non-comm, no remix La Spiga is a restaurant and hotel located in the Langhe region just south of Torino. Operated by a couple who built and run the restaurant since 2005. It has a small country hotel -8 rooms- attached to the restaurant. The dining room is not very large and was supported quite well by the small but attentive staff. Amuse-bouche of pumpkin soup The restaurant was selected by Fabri and Dani when they discovered that we had never had white truffles in our travels. Apparently, this is quite a thing in Piedmonte and the region to be sure to enjoy the truffles. We were there at the time of the annual truffle fair, http://www.fieradeltartufo.org/2016/it/ but did not visit the fair itself. Instead opting for the simpler pleasures of fine food at La Spiga and a short...

Less than focused candid as we took our table at the Contigo  Biergarden A short visit to Austin Texas, brought me to dinner with colleagues and alliance partners at Contigo . Contigo is styled after the Contigo Ranch, the childhood digs of one of the co-founders. It features entirely outdoor seating with food that is as fresh and airy as the decor of their "dining room". Tempura Green Beans, White Bean Dip The menu is "ranch-to-table", the menu is compact and with enough choice but not too much clutter. A list of 9 bar snacks, charcuterie, 5 small plates, 6 entrees, and a short list of desserts. For starters we ordered their crispy tempura battered green beans, white bean dip, pork liver pate, and ox tongue sliders. StringGirl and her new friends from Dell Ox Tongue Slider, AMAZING!  Sous vide tenderness, finished on the grill. Pefection. The Ox Tongue sliders were the crown jewel of our starter selections. Yes, the green beans were perfect and...