Bedell Sugar Factory

The Bedell sister clan gets together every year a little shy of Christmas to surround ourselves with with some sugar, flour and endless chocolate chips, to make the latest amazing holiday treats. This year was different from any years past: none of us were coming home from college, we don't have the Plano house anymore (no double ovens), and no Dave commentary...or cleaning skills. But we did have a sister addition with our friend, Megan-she filled in for Dave's commentary and cleaning seamlessly. 

Enough commentary lets get to the sugar. Per usual we picked our own recipes (I stayed away from anything looking too complicated) and we were off. I got a little too busy snapchatting all the delicious goods that I forgot to save them to my phone, so unless you were some of the lucky few that tapped on my snap story this is what I got for ya. 

Dark Chocolate Salted Almond Toffee

I am not against snatching the last piece of toffee from someone's hands, and this one makes no exceptions. Not only is it festive and pretty for the holidays, but its delicious too. The recipe looks intimidating (key as to why I passed it on to Lyndsy), but don't be scared away-other than the 30 minutes of stirring the sugar. Just make sure to have some good company...and a glass of wine or two. 

 

Campfire Cookies

These festive gems are anyone's winter dream come true. Chocolate and marshmallows homed by a graham cracker crust is an s'mores lover's dream. Definitely make sure to listen to the instructions and don't over cook them, let the doneness be prefaced by the mallows not the dough. 

*best served warm and gooey...straight out of the oven is preferred

Note to self: Marshmallow will melt onto the cookie sheet, have no fear...get a thin spatula and scoop that mess straight into your mouth. 

Well thats all I got in terms of close-ups. 

But here is the overview shot of what the sugar factory came up with this weekend. 

From top left clockwise: Chai Spice Snickerdoodle, Rolo Cookie Bars, Pretzel Salted Caramel Brownies, Campfire Cookies, Almond Toffee, Peppermint Cups. 

Feasting Frenzy

Now that I have moved back to Dallas, there are literally endless of places to go to get those tastebuds excited. 

Every time I am in Dallas, my friend Hunter and I always meet up for lunch to catch up on everything that had happened over the past couple months. This time we decided to go for breakfast at Coffee House Cafe. I hadn't been yet but only heard great things about their cozy atmosphere, coffee, and food. 

Hunter and I both got the house latte, which has notes of vanilla and caramel. 

I went with an egg white veggie omelette and breakfast potatoes. Now I probably have had an egg white veggie omelette at every breakfast place I've been to. Don't get me wrong, it was a very good omelette but nothing out of the ordinary. The potatoes though...they were strongly seasoned with rosemary and garlic. I am not the biggest breaky potato fan, but I could have gone for two more plates of these guys. 

Next Adventure

(disclaimer: this was that same day...I told y'all girl can eat)

 One of my good friends from Iowa had a layover in Dallas so we decided to hit the food scene. We started off at urban taco, which I surprisingly have never been to as common as they are.

I went with the urban taco trio and got: Potato zucchini, Chicken al carbon, and Carnitas DF with my sides being the mango jicama slaw and roasted corn con lime creme. Everything was light and refreshing but has so much flavor. The toppings and sauces to the tacos complimented each main item. The star of dinner had to have been the roasted corn though, I don't know what they did but I was licking that bowl clean.

...Talking about licking clean. For some reason we decided to get dessert and just a glance at the menu and we knew what we wanted. The churros. Really no explanation needed to make these look appealing to anybody but I'll continue. The churros were fried with crystallized sugar and a light chocolate sauce drizzled over them, but then you bite into them and there is a light dulce de leche sauce in the middle. Honestly, probably one of THE best things I've ever tasted. 

Now believe it or not, but we woke up the next morning and decided to grab brunch. So we headed to the other part of town to check out Smoke. 

We couldn't decide so we went halfsies with each other. He ordered the Pulled Whole Hog BBQ Eggs Benedict" and I got the "Heavy Handed Blueberry Pancakes" ...with vanilla poached apricots and cream. oh...and we also got a side of "Thick cut pork belly bacon". Now those names by themselves make even a vegetarian's mouth water. Everything was very decadent and rich but just enough. This had to have been the best bacon I've ever had in my life-it was so thick and you could taste all the pork fat (gross but oh so good). The fat in the eggs benedict was juxtaposed with the eggs and hollandaise sauce so it wasn't too much. The pancakes were out least favorite-but its hard to win with no meat. But when you got a bite of everything and made sure to soak up the cake in the apricot juice at the bottom of the plate...it became a close call. 

Next Adventure: 

One of my best friends lives in NYC as a professional dancer, so she is rarely ever in Dally. The day of her flight her family and the girl group of the four of us decided to grab brunch at a downtown spot called Sissy's Southern Kitchen and Bar. 

Since a celebration was to be had we started off with two crafts of mimosas. I'd never seen it done this way but thought it was interesting, you got a bottle of champagne and got to choose 3 out of the 4 options for juice: OJ, Grapefruit, Pineapple, and Cranberry. (we opted out of cran). This was a fun way to try new flavor combinations...and drink lots of champagne. 

So as a southern kitchen goes you know they have to have chicken & waffles on the menu. My friend and I knew we both wanted it but couldn't put that much sacrifice on our waistlines so we decide to split...thank goodness we did. The full portion is a full belgian waffle with two massive pieces of fried chicken. You spread a little butter on the waffle, cut off a piece of chicken, drizzle a little syrup and there you have it. the single best bite of your life. If you have never had chicken & waffles and are in the area, hit up the brunch at Sissy's. 

Next Adventure: 

So college volleyball season started and I was lucky enough that the Hawkeyes were scheduled to play in a tournament at A&M. Now I usually swear off College Station, but this was a great exception. My mom remembered this small mexican place that she wanted to go to again, but couldn't remember the name, so going off of a recommendation from my good friend we went to Blackwater Draw Brewing Co.  Funny enough, this brewery took over the mexican place my mom was thinking of! 

We started off with some of their craft beers and the Nemo Nachos appetizer. Anything that has sashimi tuna I am game for-(thanks Blackstone for getting me addicted) with cucumber and avocado tossed on top of fried wonton wrappers and a wasabi sauce drizzled over. Ma and I didn't finish alllll of the wontons, but were just pretty close. 

I don't know if its my attempt to eat healthy (funny I know) or just because other things looked better, but I haven't ordered a burger in forever so I thought I'd give it a shot. My mom ended up getting the short rib sliders. Both things were really good, but weren't anything out of the ordinary. I have come to realize that I am so harsh on college town restaurants because Iowa City has so many impeccable ones. But for a late night or big group this spot is great to grab a beer and get some tasty eats. 

Well thats all of the food frenzy for now, but don't you worry I am sure there will be more soon but I need to take a hiatus from the foodie scene to get together because I am going back to Iowa City in a week!! I am sure there will be updates from there because as you all know, I am obsessed with the food (and everything else) there! 

Just outside the border

Its like opening the floodgates with me once I start posting, they just keep coming. But here we go... 

I was able to take a trip to Chicago the weekend before I left Iowa City and on the way there made a little detour to Fulton, Illinois (right outside the border of Iowa…get it?) to Krumpets. 

This is an absolutely amazing restaurant and bakery and another bonus is it is my good friend’s mom’s place. Krumpets is on the corner in this little town and the atmosphere fits perfectly, right when you walk in you feel like you are in a classed up version of grandma’s café. It has exposed brick around the entrance (which I am obsessed with), followed by really interesting art pieces along the walls; there are also a few armoires with very intricate antique trinkets. You just immediately feel at home. Okay, so let me start off with there was a lot of hype going here, I mean A LOT. My friend and his friends have ranted and raved about his mom’s cooking so being the foodie that I am was pumped to try it first hand.

One thing I left out about the décor of the place is this huge glass case of pasties, pies, other desserts and then on top of the case are this jars filled with cookies, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake…you name it, she has it. So after I pried myself off of the case of heaven it was time to figure out what we wanted to eat. 

Looking at the menu there was no way that I would be able to pick what to get so I made them make the decision for me. We ended up splitting both the cheeseburger and his off the menu turkey sandwich (the perks of being the son of the owner/maker). I literally cannot make words to express the deliciousness of this meal. You know how you walk into a restaurant and you say “yeah that was good/really good”, but that does not begin to describe this. 

Everything was simple but no fanciness needed-everything spoke for itself. The burger was just a perfectly cooked patty layered with two slices of cheese and placed between a homemade potato roll. That roll was definitely the kicker, I literally could not get over this burger. 

The sandwich was a turkey sandwich with lettuce and cucumber, once again on that unreal potato roll that had an aioli spread on it. This once again was just a perfect combination…I can easily see why this was his go to. Seriously those homemade potato rolls are everything. 

The meal didn’t stop there. Our arms were twisted into getting a dessert…they had to try really hard. We went with the legendary Krumpet bar. I am disappointed in myself that I didn’t get a picture, but there was no time…this thing needed to be eaten devoured. It consisted of a thin brownie layer, a thin white chocolate cheesecake layer, a thin layer of fudge like chocolate topped with caramel and nuts. There was a debate between his mom and his cousin whether this needed to be eaten cold or nuked a little so we did half and half, and I honestly couldn’t make a decision. The cold version let the chocolate fudge and brownie shine where as the warm version really highlighted the cheesecake and caramel…so it was a tie. With the lack of Krumpet bar picture, I give you these massive cinnamon rolls. 

I guess you could say I am biased, but I truly truly believe this place is everything it is cracked up to be, and his mom is a god to the kitchen. They are open 6-4 Monday-Friday, and 8-2 on Saturdays so make sure to get into there before they close! Not in the mood for a full meal? Like I said, there is assortment of goodies so either stop in for breakfast or an afternoon pick me up and pick your poison! Did I mention they have an elaborate coffee/espresso/etc. station?! 

So wipe that drool from your mouth (if you aren't drooling you have serious problems) and try it out! 

Last bits and bites of IC

So I know I have been majorly MIA lately, but the job hunt has gotten the best of me. This summer was filled with so many delicious bites and I tried to try as many different things as possible-but I can’t make any promises, it’s just so easy to go back to the comfort food.

I think I have beat into yall’s brain enough about the different assortment of amazing food that is in the heart of Iowa City. Although it was so hard for me to have to leave Iowa City this Summer to come back home, I definitely capitalized on that excuse to eat everything in IC.

Now if you’ve read this blog you know I am a pizza connoisseur. I have eaten at many places that have great pizza such as: Backpocket Brewery, Monica’s, Basta…but there was more to discover.

Disclaimer: These aren’t all necessary nice “clean” pizzas-it gets nasty and dirty in the greasiest most delicious kind of way.

First up: Taco Pizza from Happy Joes 

Although I am usually against the delivery pizza, this is an exception. This pizza was simply put a massive detailed taco piled on top of a pizza crust. The pizza is loaded with refried beans, taco-seasoned beef and sausage topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and as you can see a mound of their own taco chips. There is also little packets of Spicy Joe’s taco sauce along the box…which just added a little bit of a kick.  It truly tasted like a taco, just in a perfect triangle platform. But don’t think for a second that this may be easier/less messy to eat than a taco…you’ll definitely need a stack of napkins by your side. (this is not an eating in bed type of Za).

Next up: Casey’sBreakfast Sausage Pizza 

So this is probably the nastiest best pizza I’ve ever had in my life. This pizza comes from a Casey’s general store gas station…yes a gas station. When my friend told me I HAD to try this gas station breakfast pizza I kept avoiding the situation until one morning we woke up and just needed it-so we went ahead ad ordered it and I in no way was disappointed. The pizza is a medium size crust, layered with a cheddar cheese sauce (the consistency of nacho cheese sauce…but the most delicious kind), scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage and then topped with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese. There are no words-this in no way is a diet friendly pizza but boy is it worth it. So you Midwesterners give your closest Casey’s a call, wait 10 minutes and then open the box to heaven…you're welcome in advance.

Yet another pizza: Pagliais 

Let’s start off with a little lesson. Pagliais is pronounced: Paw-lee-eyes not Pag-lee-eyes…I was corrected quickly. This is yet another late night pizza place open until 11 every day, and the quality doesn’t slack either. This is another one of Iowa City’s must haves and I waited until my last few weeks to give it a shot, I am a little disappointed in myself there. The crust is super thin, the kind that you can crack but is super flaky. My pizza eating partner (also opened my eyes up to the other two recently noted pizzas) and I got half sausage and half cheese. The thing about Pagliais is there is nothing specific that is completely stand out but all of the little combinations together just make everything work. They don’t mess with fancy toppings or crazy combinations-they know what they do is good and they stick with it.

The Last Za plus more: Big Grove Brewery 

My friend from Blackstone and I wanted to try yet another sister restaurant of Bstone’s so we headed out to Solon to visit Big Grove Brewery. The Blackstone family continued to kill it as we struggled to decide what to order. We knew we wanted to get one of their brick stone oven pizzas and then went with a lighter salad to split both.

The star of the show, the White Sausage. It was a perfectly brick stone oven crust (which is my absolute favorite) covered in crème fraiche with housemade fennel pork sausage crumbled amongst the pizza, then the fresh mozzarella layered on top with red onion, scallion, marinated tomato, and fennel pollen sprinkled on top. The crème fraiche and fresh mozzarella made the pizza so light and gooey to offset the crispy crust and then the delicious fat/grease of the fennel pork sausage completed it perfectly.

We also got a beet and goat cheese salad. We knew we wanted a salad but had a difficult decision with which one until we spotted goat cheese…we are both obsessed so it was an easy choice. The salad was a light greens with a hefty serving of beets, goat cheese, clementines, and grain throughout the salad. It was nice refresher to the pizza and of course our beer.

Another outing: Share Wine Lounge 

I always thought Share was just the Sheraton’s eating, which it is their restaurant but it is its own world. Share has a very complex menu that brings twists to very simple dishes.

One of my best girlfriends and I decided to try it out, we kicked off the meal with a cocktail shaker. Another cool thing about Share is that you can order a shaker that is about 3-4 drinks inside and bonus the shaker is so pretty!

We decided to go splitskies on some things and then get some stuff on our own. My friend is a vegetarian so we went with the falafel sliders, truffle fries, and I went with a goat cheese (shocker) garden salad, and she got veggie minestrone soup. Everything was completely fresh and light—even the fries had the grease from truffle oil and parmesan shreds but was still light. 

The atmosphere was great as well, Share is just smack dab in the center of the ped-mall by the playground and fountain so it’s a perfect people watching outing. 

That's a good wrap-up of little bites of my last little bit of Iowa City for the Summer. But don't you worry, that is not the last bit of the bites in Iowa City. 

The other day my friend was giving me a hard time because every post I put is some variation of the best thing I ever had. My response? Why would I tell people about anything just mediocre or bad and even more importantly why would I waste my time (and calories) eating at those places!! 

Blackstone Works with Wine

Blackstone paired up with Kysela Imports and hosted a wine pairing dinner served by the Bstone's head chef Will Evans. Here is a glimpse at what went down: 

First Course: 

Scallop Ceviche Lettuce Wrap: a mixture of honeydew, cantaloupe, scallop, flavored with mint, jalapeños, lime, apple cider vinegar all nestled in a radicchio leaf. 

This was a great light, fresh starter to the course, something that was very simple yet got the excitement going for the meal. 

Second Course: 

Jerk Chicken Skewers: mini skewers of jerk season chicken with pear, pineapple, tomato, red onion, and topped with cilantro. 

These were amazing. I loved having a few because the flavors were so different depending on which pairing you got. My favorite bite was the pineapple and jerk chicken together tasting the high citrus with the saltiness of the chicken…but I am also a huge sucker for cooked pineapple. 

Third Course: 

Roasted Leg of Lamb: thyme rosemary roasted lamb placed over pearl barley with a lavender mushroom demi glaze over top. 

This lamb was cooked perrrfectly. I could help but keep stealing pieces before the guys starting plating the food, but it was just so delicious! I also am a major fan of barley and then having a MUSHROOM demi glaze on top kinda put the fork in it for me. If I haven't mentioned…I am obsessed with mushrooms lately. 

Fourth Course: (my fav!)

Fire Braised Beef Brisket: a slab of fire braised beef brisket set on top of a sweet potato black currant puree top with a light sauce and sweet potato strings. 

ohemgee y'all, I can't even start. I am the lasttt person to go after a big slab of meat, but this was absolutely unreal. The combination of the fire braised brisket with the sweetness of the sweet potato puree was actually to die for. The brisket once again was cooked perfectly and everything was tender and juicy. I think I could have eaten ten plates of this. 

Fifth Course: 

Grilled pear and apple rhubarb cobbler: A salted caramel drizzle topped with a streusel topped with the grilled pear and apple rhubarb cobbler topped with a biscotti topped with a green apple creme fraiche. 

okay okay... I know I said the last dish was my favorite but I am a sweets girl at heart, so you can't really blame me for this winning my heart. For starters I die for cooked spiced fruit, so if the dessert was simply that in a bowl I would have been satisfied…but it definitely didn't stop there. The salted caramel sauce was rich and thick, the streusel had that perfect crunch to break through all the other textures, obviously the cobbler mixture was to die for, the biscotti gave the dessert that bready texture that we all desire, and the creme fraiche gave a fresh, light aspect to it all. Seriously y'all, this dessert was perfect. 

I had an absolute blast being behind the scenes of this wine pairing dinner. It is fun to be able to talk to Will about these special dinners because it really allows him to express his creativity with food…and we all know I love food! Being all up close and personal with the food and getting to taste all of it as well made for a perfect night! 

Here are some other behind the scene pics of the night: 

the kabobs all lined up ready to go

the crime scene of where I kept stealing the lamb

Chef Will prepping course numero three

my favorite dish was ready for everyone to devour

the yummy biscotti 

Chef Will prepping the dessert! 

The desserts were ready to go

Until next time! 

some home eating

I've been M.I.A. lately, however I think that is inevitable with the ending of my college life that was filled with Daily Iowan work, friend meals, endless job applications, and not so many finals. Now that I finally have a minute or two to fully settle in, I thought I may as well flash back to the delicious eats I've had recently…first stop Dallas.

Now if there is one thing that I love about Dally it HAS to be the eclectic foods that surround the different regions of downtown. I was headed home to surprise Dad for Easter/his bday so Ma and I decided to stop in Victor Tangos , which we had only heard great things about…and they weren't wrong. We went with mini chicken and waffles, ahi tuna nachos, and macaroni and cheese (I mean, I was with Cindi so this was a given). 

Ahi Tuna Nachos: These were recommended by sister, but I am a sucker for anything that has some seared tuna on it so it probably would have happened anyways. These were fried wontons with a thin slice seared of ahi tuna laid upon it. On top of the tuna was a spicy, but a little bit sweet asian sauce drizzle and topped with jalapeños. We devoured these pretty quickly, the ahi tuna was just so fresh and then the kick of the asian sauce and jalapeño with the texture crunch of the wonton…yumm

Mini Chicken and Waffles: This was the game changer for me. The little waffles were a perfect platform, they weren't crispy but at the same time didn't get soggy and with the dressing. The little bites of fried chicken and the gravy on top added salt and so many different textures. However, the syrup was the money maker in this for me. Somehow you got the thickness of the gravy, crispy salty from the chicken, and the doughiness from the waffle…but then you dip it in the syrup for that sweetness. I mean, these were actual little pieces of heaven. I am still craving them. 

Then it was time to hit home..well lake house home. Dad was pumped about his new grill…so we pretty much made the whole dinner on it. 

 

Greek Salad: Sister and I couldn't help but to continually dip into this before it hit the table. I am not a greek dressing type of gal, but a salad full of tomatoes, olives (not green) , cucumbers, onion, and I mean do you see those chunks of feta? yeah…I am game for that any day.

Lamb: I am the first person you will see in a gyro line, but I always used to be afraid of big chunks of lamb. Until now. Dad got this lamb and cubed em up on skewers and plopped them on the grill. It goes without saying but Dave is a master on the grill, so these turned out beautifully. The lamb was so tender and juicy and held in so much flavor…I think I ate half of this bowl. 

My Plate: I didn't get pics of everything but here was the end result…about three times over. Mom made up a greek rice…which I actually ate the whole bowl of. Dad also skewered up some tomatoes and toasted up the pitas on the grill as well. We have endless amounts of great meals at the Bedell house hold, but this one still is a fav in my book. 

Buttermilk pie: THIS PIE IS UNREAL. I mean a doughy crust filled with a concoction of buttermilk, sugar, and eggs…I am not sure you can go wrong, but this is just oh so right. There is no description that does it justice, so I am not going to really try but just think of something sugary and crystallized and just down right deliciously amazing. 

Thats it for the Dirty D, but there have been many delicious eats in Iowa City that I will post up on soon! 

Blackstone for Brews

Since I went around a full week guzzling any wine that was put in front of me, I think its time to hit the brews. Anddd its perfect timing because Blackstone is hosting a Founders Night, TONIGHTT!!

Baseball is in full swing, the sun has actually come out, all thats missing is a chilled brew to actually make it feel like we are getting out of this never-ending winter. 

Blackstone will be tapping 10 Founders brews starting at 4pm.

Although I love beer, I am no beer connoisseur so I'll save my over zealous details for the food and let y'all read up on the brewskies:

Some little tidbits:

UPDATE UPDATE!! Instead of the Porter there will be a Rubaeus. Founder's site explains the beer to be "fresh raspberries to get a perfect balance of sweet and tart" ABV 5.7%

The Sweet Repute... the Backwoods Bastard... and the KBS are all bourbon barrel aged beers...I mean I think I could drink anything out of those barrels and it would taste amazing. Oh and don't worry, Blackstone is prepared and has a Bourbon Barrel Aged Reds Rye to tap after the KBS pops! 

The Curmudgeon Old Ale is a limited edition...so its pretty darn special.

And whats better than one beer...being able to taste four at once! there will be one flight available with these four brews, each with a 5 oz pour: 

All Day IPA, 

Red's Rye, 

Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale, 

 Rubaeus

Now onto my favorite part...the food specials! 

Our own Chef Will is making four specials...so you can try one, get all four and share, or do as I do and order all four to yourself (and slap anybody's hands away that tries to smooch). And hey...with all the beer that you're going to be drinking, you are gonna need some grub to absorb that booze!

Coffee-Cocoa Chicken Wings

This pound of wings will be hand rubbed with a coffee-cocoa rub and served with a creamy wasabi-cilantro cream and a fresh cooling slaw. 

Pretzel Bites

These nuggs are made out of housemade dough and then baked to puffy perfection. Then they are adorned with black lava salt (we fancy). And still upset basketball season is over...? No worries there are two sauces that you'll be able to dunk with: honey mustard and smoked gouda. 

suggested pair: CENTENNIAL IPA OR KBS

All Day Fish & Chips

So if you weren't able to try out the fish and chips Blackstone had, don't worry you still have the opportunity! Chef Will is using the All Day beer to batter some pullock until golden. Served with some hand cut cottage fries and a jalapeño tarter sauce, but don't shy away it's more cooling than bringing the heat. 

suggested pair: ALL DAY IPA (obvi)

Braised Short Ribs

Short ribs braised in pear, apple, onion, ginger, and carrot over a cheddar and gouda polenta...I repeat a cheesy polenta and a creamy korean coleslaw. Goodness gracious, I am such a sucker for some ribs

suggested pair: SWEET REPUTE or CURMUDGEON

This is such a HUGE opportunity to experience some great brews while munching on a lot of food. Founders will also be giving away samples and beer merchandise! So get your booties to Blackstone people, and when you get there and grab a beer make sure to check in via Untappd or tag @blackstoneic on Instagram and receive a free Blackstone "can-glass"! 

San Fran

Yes yes, I know this is a super late post of the latter half of Spring Break in San Francisco, but its been a majorly busy week and a half of being back. 

Day one: 

We started by driving into San Francisco and stopping for lunch at this beauty of a place, The Spinnaker. The views were absolutely to die for and it was the perfect day, weather and all. 

I shockingly went with a salmon salad, after eating the way we had been for so long it was time for something fresh and simple…minus the tons of bread that I ate. Oh and don't worry this salad had some goat cheese on it…I mean do you expect anything less? 

We then headed to Bay Area to take a "tradish" pic…but more like a throwback pic from when we were little with the tye die and all. 

Finallyy we made our way to the hotel. Middle sister had plans with some friends around town so oldest sister and I decided to walk around downtown and go shopping. Needless to say I did a lot of damage with some valid stores to go to rather than the holes in the wall that Iowa City provides me. We also snuck up to the top floor of a really tall hotel to try to see some good views…I'd say that we got some. 

Then it was time to watch the Hawks. Dad tried to find a "real" sports bar but that wasn't going too well so we stopped in a place called Paragon. Although the food was good, two small tv's didn't really do its justice for the title sports bar. But anyways…back to the food. 

I started off with a white blood orange sangria, which was delicious. I absolutely love sangrias, especially white wine ones, especially blood orange…this thing had my name written all over. it. 

Then it was time for the apps. We started off with some wings, to be honest I don't know what the sauce was on these but it was a combination of spicy and sweet and were a delight. On the right were something that we kept seeing pass by us so we decided to give them a try, mushroom cigars. The only way I can think of how to describe these are very thin taquitos (if you don't know what a taquito is…move to Texas), butt they were filled with mushrooms, which is in my obsession phase of the moment so these were a win as well. 

Then came my meal. I went all in and got some St. Louis style ribs and Mac and Cheese. I can't lie, both of these were amazing. The ribs were fall off the bone and covered in this sweet bbq sauce, and that slaw on top…okay I need to stop my self. And the mac and cheese was…well I mean it's mac and cheese with white cheddar parmesan, do I really need to go any further ?

With that and a Hawkeye loss it was time to head home and hit the bed…we were gonna need sleep for day 2. 

Day two…

Now before I start, if you don't know our family we are active and there are no obstacles…everything is accomplishable. Like walking the whole entire city of San Francisco…and you think I am joking, but I am not. 

Started off with a "walk" (a very glacier run) to a coffee place Blue Bottle, where I got to stare at some food I wanted while I waited for this cup of jo. 

Then it was shower and get ready time to hit the city, first stop the Embarcadero. 

All the vendors outside the Embarcadero Market area…once again another chance for me to stare at food that I really wanted, but this time the smells got ya too. It wasn't cool. 

We kept walking among the Piers were we got to see these boats and Dad got a cool shot of me checking out Alcatraz…yes THE Alcatraz. Next time I go to San Fran I am making it a goal to spend a whole day on that island, so interesting to me. 

Then the little stops began. First off, The Buena Vista for an irish coffee. 

Then Ghirardelli square, where we got to stare at some chocolate and try a piece too…I wanted absolutely everything in sight. 

Then Lombard Street…which is the most crooked street ever, I have no idea how people live on it. But we also had to walk up the steeeeeepest hill to just walk down it. It was one of those paths that you would try to run up and you felt like you moved an inch. 

Then Ma's only wish was to walk through China town and get some Dim Sum. No pics there, they didn't taste bad but nothing very pleasing to the eye. Then it was time to head home to relax for a bit, change and head to dinner plans. 

We ended up at Capps Corner, which I guess was a place our parents used to go. It was a very hole in the wall Italian restaurant, that was cozy and old school. It was family portions, so we went through a few baskets of bread (okay I probably went through one myself) and got this massive pot of minestrone soup, which I LOVED! 

Then I got, you guessed it…Salmon! This was super buttery and the veggies were amazing in the left over buttery semi creamy sauce. It was a very simple meal, but still as pleasing for the tastebuds. 

Then it was showwwwtime! Our parents had been ranting and raving about this performance Beach Blanket Babylon, and it lived up to every comment and even more. Its so hard to explain so you just need to go if you are ever in San Fran. Its comedy about modern day things, but they sing the whole time and wear these elaborate outfits…its hilarious. 

After two bottles of wine and too many laughs to count we headed home to pass out…after eating some salt water taffy of course. 

Day three: 

Our last day in San Fran was very chill, and I was tired so pictures were majorly lacking…my bad. 

We started the day at Pete's Tavern to sadly watch Duke lose in the first round…I don't wanna talk about it. 

We headed to Cliff House, that once again had an amazing view. I got some mushroom sammy, but the showstopper of the night were their rolls. They were popovers that were so airy and tasted like french toast…I repeat FRENCH TOAST. I think I ate about six of them.  

Later sisters and I headed down to the Embarcadero again to shop around at the little tents and then I also waited in line for this amazing ice cream by Humphrey Slocombe. I got a flavor called Secret Breakfast, which was bourbon and cornflakes and then Cinnamon Brittle, which is exactly what it tastes like. I did not want this cup of creamy delight to end…sadly it had to, and without a pic too. 

Then it was chill hotel time and then time to find another spot for March Madness watching. The sisters had plans with some friends from when we lived in Cali and so the rents and I headed back to our spot of the weekend Pete's Tavern. The rents and I got some nachos to munch on and called it a night. 

The next morning we got up early and headed to the airport to get back to the Dirty D. 

I can't even begin to explain how amazing that week was, every second made me want to pack my bags and move to Cali…anybody wanna pay for my rent?!