StringGrrl sees the World

Entrance from the lobby of the Aria Casino Newlyweds Samantha and TJ with StringGirl Salmon Belly Carpaccio Cantonese Lobster Donut Wheel  On board the "high roller" Ferris Wheel happy hour car

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...

Once again at Marienplatz, Tell anyone that you are in Germany in the mid of October and invariably they will all "cleverly" assume that you are going to Oktoberfest. Never mind that Oktoberfest ENDS at the beginning of October and by the time you arrive on October 9th, that it will most likely be wound down. Besides, who would want to be in Munich during that complete cluster? Not StringGirl any longer. She's had her fill in the past. Read more... Dinner with Jan at the Augustinerbrauhaus  But a trip to Bavaria would not be complete without at least a little of the Bayerische flavor. My preference being for a Schweinhaxe (Pork knuckle) roasted at high heat with crispy skin and a big old potato dumpling (or Knoedel). Schweinhaxe mit Knoedel, AGAIN for the WIN! This was a work trip, so we did have to log some time at the Messe (ICM or Expocenter) to find out what NVIDIA has in store for all of us in the VR and GPU accelerated computing business. Not just a...

Schloss Lichtenstein, Honau, Germany Entering the Garden at the Hotel Adler  Dinner? Fresh Trout in a pond on site Fried Trout Selection of salads and cheese with smoked trout  https://www.adler-lichtenstein.de/speisekarte(engl).htm Watercress soup Smoked Trout with Honauer Lentils Steamed Trout Honau Potatoes Apple Strudel The Castle seen from below

nicely marked and well maintained bike route   While visiting StringGirl's aunt and uncle in Traverse City the offer to go on a bike ride and get some coffee and pastries was met with enthusiasm. As we started on our way, it casually arrived in conversation that the ride would be 17 miles, to which Rey responded with more than a little bit of despair; "17 miles round trip?". Our more fit family from TC then responded without irony, "No, each way". Donors and supporters of the Trail The route is part of an extensive cycling route that extends a total of 500 miles connecting Sault Ste. Marie to New Buffalo. Our leg connected Traverse City to Suttons Bay . It was not a grueling ride and the grade is pretty gentle throughout. However, our lack of general fitness and sporting ability did make the trip a little bit taxing first thing in the morning. Lovely little community garden at the Suttons Bay end of the trail  Over the course of the 34 mile round...

Fried Pickles Little did we know that Denver is quite a Foodie Town. Their dining options were vast and varied and offered a fair amount of diversion for the road warriors of the VR business at ESI. Jacob and Eric made a quick stop after setting up VR demo at the convention center by taking the Lyft out to Freshcraft . Boasting a selection of 100+ american craft beers we had high hopes. As with any place you visit with a long beer list it is hard to fault them for lack of choice, very hard to in a single visit determine if the list is sufficiently comprehensive or upto date. I din't count but sure more than 100, I guess. I went for a couple Colorado beers, which is the thing to do in new locales (if you ask me).  They offer cask and nitro, in addition to typical taps; 26 on list. And 85 cans and bottles.  Living east of the Mississippi, many of the beers were not recognizable to me unless they were globally distributed German or Belgian beers or mainstream crossovers. ...