StringGrrl sees the World

What you see when you enter on a busy night  A life long noodlehead, I had long been deprived of REAL RAMEN for most of my 48 years. The only kid in my kindegarten who would have a bowl of instant Bami each day before class and had trouble using a fork to each noodles (what is the matter with these people who try to eat noodles from the spoon, by breaking them up?) Seating is mostly at a counter, with some booths and larger table. Atmosphere is buzzing  Not until later in my adulting time did I find out that there are restaurants that serve fresh made ramen noodles and broth. Mind Blown. The view from our seat at the counter gave good view of the preparation of each bowl of Ramen  After my first sojourn to Tokyo at the youthful age of 38 did I get real Ramen (I've had Pho, Jambpong, Mie Goreng, and other asian noodle variants by that time. Just not a bowl of Japanese Fresh Ramen. Watch each bowl get prepped? Sooooooo hungry! My daughters, their mom, and...

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...

The original sign from the building that the diner is named for (not the TV show) Chicken & Waffle Benedict Raspberry Whip Pancakes (this is the short stack)  https://www.parksandrecdiner.com/    https://www.parksandrecdiner.com/menu

Inscriptions in the Limestone walls of the former quarries mark the dates of the excavations Breaking from long habit of only enjoying our travels from what we can see for free, we took the chance to venture into an area where the only legal entry is via the tourist trap. Our travel companions this trip wanted to see the catacombs, we tagged along. Limestone fortifications to shore up walls Underground adventure is something that we are fundamentally not that in to. Caving, Mining, and other subterranean explorations are not usually our cup of tea. It is creepy, dirty, and not achievable while travelling on business so often. But here in Paris there is a chance. For around 30-35€ one can enter a once forbidden part of the city and check it out. The Halls of Moria It takes just under 1 hour to walk the length of the Catacombs that are open to the public. There is a lot to say on the topic but I won't paraphrase all the writings here. That is not what this blog is for. W...

I am sure we all know what is in the background, lame caption... A trip to a cafe for Breakfast in Paris. Vikram's suggestion French Breakfast in a small cafe attached to a Bakery was on the list of "To-Dos" for Vikram our in-house foodie. He had been scheming where and what to eat for the weeks leading up to this trip. Very much hoping for new pictures and reviews for his food blog " Breaking Naan ". For weekend breakfast we ventured into the Saint Germane area of Paris for Petit Déjeuner. This outlet for a famed bakery in Paris was a nice break from a week of not so super breakfast at the worst hotel in Rungis-Orly (maybe not the worst, but I hold up hope that the rest might be better) but that is a different kind of post for another day. Poilane is bakery established in 1932 and run for three generations of the same family. First with the founder Pierre, then Lionel, and presently Apollonia Poilane they maintain the original premises at 8 rue du ...

Between work assignments in Stuttgart Germany and Paris (Rungis) France, had again the chance to catch back up with our friends in Switzerland. Rather than running up the exorbitant cost of flying back to the USA for the weekend in between, our intrepid travelers opted to couch surf again at the Casa Paffhausen in Zurich. While there, why not get in a day of skiing? From the Zurich HB (main station) you can reach great ski areas in about 1-1.5 hours Pizol Talstation Gaffia Trail map Pizol Skiing in Switzerland is a frequent post topic here. StringDad learned how to ski in Michigan. Namely at Michigan Technological University, Mt Ripley, with a grand total of 440 ft Vertical (134m for the Metric-heads who follow the adventures of StringGirl). Every ski area in this area boasts vert unknown to the university version of StringDad and not experienced until one trip to Crested Butte, CO. (Vertical 2700 ft or 825 meters or so). Initial conditions were not too promising... ...