Wrapping up this trip to Seattle at Pike Place Market

The morning of Day 3 started off really slowly, as I hydrated to offset the overindulgence of last night's restaurant and bar selection. Originally, Monday morning was slated for relaxation before heading to the airport. That of course changed when I opted to spend Saturday morning watching Michigan State football, forcing me to delay my visit of Pike Place Market to this trip's final morning.

Pike Place at dusk where Pike Street meets 1st Avenue
2017 Pike Place Market. Seattle, WA

Pike Place Market (not to be confused with Pike's Place roast from Starbucks) is located at the intersection of Pike Street and First Avenue in downtown Seattle. First opened in 1907, the market is one of the oldest public markets still in use today. With its trademark sign (pictured above), it also happens to be one of Seattle's most visited attractions, with millions of tourists annually.

Dinner at Cascina Spinasse (followed by drinks at Cannon)

When planning the average 'Bartcation,' restaurant selection usually requires the most effort. First there is standard research on what restaurants are good, leveraging typical web sources. Of course there is consultation with the Holy Bible of haute cuisine at early stages of preparation in order to make reservations feasible. If I am lucky, I may have like-minded foodies who live or have visited at the target locale that I may reach out to (for either suggestions, or verification of such).

Once I have narrowed it down to a short list, my criteria usually focuses on highlighting local ingredients, or places that represent the apex of a region's gastronomic specialty. Examples include visiting: Tadich Grill in San Francisco for their legendary cioppino; Vancouver's Blue Water Cafe for incredible Pacific Northwest seafood; or someplace as simple as Katz's Deli in New York for classic corned beef.

And yet, there are times when I pick a place that resonates with me because of other factors. Case in point was selecting tonight's dinner at Cascina Spinasse. Led by Chef Stuart Lane; "his team creates simple, refined dishes grounded in authentic techniques from Piedmont, while incorporating the products of artisans and small farmers from the Pacific Northwest." As it turns out, I was just getting geared up for a trip to Italy in the end of September, with a week in Piedmont. Whether it was coincidence, or divine providence that dropped a restaurant offering both a glimpse of my future travels along with highlighting local ingredients; I made the reservation and that was it.

Geeking out at the Museum of Flight (in between meals of course!)

The morning of Day 2 started off very slowly, as I hydrated in an effort to offset the indulgences at the previous evening's dinner at Canlis. The plan for Day 2 in Seattle consists of spending the morning at the Museum of Flight, followed by lunch at Lola, and an afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum. The evening's dinner venue - Italian restaurant Spinasse - will be featured in an upcoming post.

Dinner at Canlis

Few restaurants have a monopoly on their city's top echelon dining like Seattle's Canlis. That's not to say Seattle is devoid of really good restaurants; far from it. Seattle dining is fabulous, with an abundance of fresh seafood that restaurants in many other cities would kill for. Nevertheless, when people think of haute cuisine in Seattle, they think of Canlis. And as I would soon come to find out, for very good reasons.

'Almost perfect cocktail' - Canlis' take on a Manhattan
2017 Canlis. Seattle, WA

Opened in 1950 by Peter Canlis - the patriarch of the family - the restaurant has been family run ever since. In that time, additional restaurants were opened in Honolulu, Portland and Seattle, but none survive to this day. Meanwhile, the original and flagship restaurant in Seattle has continued to inspire ever since, with Twenty one consecutive Wine Spectator Grand Awards, along with a Michelin star, as its bona fides.

A Seattle afternoon through rose-colored Chihuly glasses

In the days leading up to this trip to Seattle, the original plan for Day 1 was checking off some of the Emerald City's more touristy offerings. More specifically, Pike Place market in the morning, Chihuly Garden and Glass in the afternoon, and a killer lunch/brunch in between. This all changed when I finally got connected with the Michigan State alumni group in Seattle, and found out there was a football game-watch at LTD Bar and Grill at 9AM. Being the good MSU football fan that I am, Pike Place market got bumped to Monday morning, and I made the trek up to the Fremont neighborhood to cheer on my Green and White. On the way North on Aurora Avenue, I caught a glimpse of Canlis: the subject for tonight's dinner post.

Thankfully MSU won, and I was able to depart for lunch in a good mood. Today's lunch location is a small bistro located just on the outer fringes of Seattle Center (think Space Needle, Chihuly museum, etc.) called Tilikum Place Cafe (TPC). Best known for brunch, including their famous Dutch baby pancakes that are made to order, patrons are treated to a light and airy space sporting huge windows that offers a bit of a reprieve from the nearby tourist mayhem. TPC offers reservations, and I suggest you make them, as the place fills up fast.

Dinner at Matt's in the Market (and first night in Seattle)

This post not only reviews a delightful restaurant in Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market, but also kicks off a series of posts centering on my second solo excursion to the Pacific Northwest. The first was last year's trip to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. This year I opted to stay south of the 49th parallel, and visit lovely Seattle, Washington. Speaking with a few college friends, I was directed to visit in late summer for optimal weather. Labor Day was free, so I booked a flight and an AirBnB, and the rest is history.

View from Matt's: dusk over the sound and Bainbridge Island
2017 Matt's in the Market. Seattle, WA 

Dinner at Californios

Growing up in Holland (MI), the idea of gourmet cuisine was pretty much relegated to whatever one could prepare at home. Even then, the menu was limited to what one could find at the local grocer. Upscale markets in nearby Grand Rapids, while offering the vast majority of missing ingredients for whatever Thomas Keller or Mario Batali cookbook one was using; asking for oxtail and other such ingredients was still a tall ask.

That's not to say Holland was devoid of good food. Local Dutch bakeries still churn out an incredible breakfast (Saucijzenbroodjes - Dutch sausage rolls - for the win!), and the local butchers offer some incredible meats that perfectly embrace the long summer outings by the grill. The sizable Hispanic population has also led to some excellent Mexican restaurants, with Taco Fiesta holding a special place in my heart growing up. 

Prior to dining at Californios, my experience with Mexican food was consistent with my upbringing. Platters of home made tacos, chile rellenos, asado de puerco con salsa verde and tamales. All accompanied with refried beans and yellow hued rice. I wouldn't call it greasy spoon food, but it certainly stuck to one's ribs, and it was/is darn good. 

The idea of a Mexican restaurant offering a tasting menu was completely foreign to me. Rick Bayless' Topolobampo offers a Mexican tasting menu, but over the years the family could never seem to get reservations when we would visit Chicago. After dining at Californios, I now know why it's so popular still to this day!

The slate gray exterior of Californios on 22nd Street in
San Francisco's Mission neighborhood

Dinner at RASA

Today's post takes us south of my usual gastronomic stomping grounds of San Francisco, to the suburb of Burlingame. Located there, on Park Rd. in the quaint downtown, is the subject of today's review: RASA. Opened in November 2014, RASA has become one of the top Indian restaurants in the Bay Area, through the combination of pan-Indian dishes and the finest - most sustainable - local produce. The approach may be painstaking for Chef Vijay Kumar, but the results speak for themselves as RASA has earned a Michelin star in 2016 and 2017.

Outer signage at RASA - Contemporary Indian

Dinner at State Bird Provisions

There are few places in the western hemisphere that have the quality and quantity of dim sum like the Bay Area. San Francisco has - after all - one of the largest and oldest Chinese enclaves outside of Asia. Thus, it's fitting that a restaurant creating 'American dim sum' should be found in this city by the Bay. What wasn't a foregone conclusions was just how popular State Bird Provisions would come to be. It's truly a testament to the ingenuity of Chefs/owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski for creating one of the hardest reservations in a city featuring some of America's top restaurants.

Outside of State Bird Provisions (right) and The Progress (left) on Fillmore St.

Dinner at Gary Danko

This edition takes us to one of San Francisco's culinary stalwarts that has dazzled guests with its delights for close to two decades: Restaurant Gary Danko. Located in the annoyingly touristy Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, the restaurant carries its owner's and executive chef's namesake, and both are institutions in San Francsico's culinary scene. Chef Gary Danko's mantra is to pair classical French cooking with the local bounty that California provides.

Outside of Restaurant Gary Danko, at the corner of Hyde and North Point St.

Dinner at SPQR

This week's update takes us back to back to the Western Addition neighborhood, just four blocks north of The Progress on Fillmore Street, to San Francisco's Italian gem: SPQR. SPQR hails its name from the Latin phrase Senātus Populusque Rōmānus (The Roman Senate and People), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. Fun fact: SPQR is still used as an official emblem of the modern-day commune (municipality) of Rome.

Outer façade of SPQR from across Fillmore Street

While SPQR has been open since 2004, Chef Matthew Accarrino has manned the helm since 2010. What's fascinating is that Chef Matthew literally fell in to a career in the culinary arts, when a bad cycling accident eventually forced a career change. Since then, the restaurant has garnered numerous accolades, including a Michelin star every year starting in 2013. Molded by his Italian heritage, personal experience, and classical training; Chef Matthew takes full advantage of what California has to offer... to the point of even taking part in the creation of certain ingredients.

Dinner at Lord Stanley

This edition of Jon Voyage! takes us to Lord Stanley, a little Californian-European inspired restaurant located in the 'Polk Gulch' neighborhood of San Francisco. This is essentially part two of my Memorial Day 2017 foodie-focused weekend, having checked out Mister Jiu's the night before.

To be more specific, the 'Polk Gulch' is an informal name of the neighborhood consisting of Polk Street, between Geary in the infamous Tenderloin neighborhood, and Union Street in the Russian Hill neighborhood. This strip is teaming with excellent bars (Lush Lounge, Hi-Lo Club, The Rusted Mule), and great eateries (Aquarello, Swan Oyster Depot). On the corner of Polk and Broadway sits Lord Stanley, its large Broadway street-facing windows allowing a glimpse of its culinary delights for those walking by.

Lord Stanley is the brainchild of co-chefs/owners Rupert and Carrie Blease. Before they took the plunge in restaurant ownership, their culinary odyssey took them to such acclaimed establishments as Thomas Keller's New York bastion Per Se, two Michelin starred UK stalwart The Restaurant at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, and local San Francisco establishments like The Commonwealth. Per Lord Stanley's website, their goal is to "[offer] simple yet refined cuisine with European influences served in a casual, friendly atmosphere." The results have spoken for themselves, including back to back Michelin stars in 2016 and 2017. Being all for refined cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere, I used the Memorial Day weekend as an excuse to see the magic first hand!

Dinner at Mister Jiu's

Tonight's edition takes us to the San Francisco's iconic Chinatown neighborhood - the oldest such enclave in North America, and the largest outside of Asia - to call upon the swank eatery Mister Jiu's. Opened in the Spring of 2016, Chef Brandon Jew (Bar Agricole, Quince, Zuni) has set out on a mission to offer traditional Chinese flavors with a modern approach. Working with Chef Brandon is notable pastry Chef Melissa Chou, previously of Aziza and Mouroud, and nominated for the James Beard award for outstanding pastry chef. This duo, along with the rest of the kitchen staff, have done incredible things in their first year, including earning their first Michelin star.

Dinner at The Progress

Tonight's outing takes us to San Francisco's Western Addition, located just west of the Civic Center area / Van Ness Avenue. On Fillmore street, in the heart of this neighborhood, lies two of San Francisco's top restaurants: State Bird Provisions, and - the topic of this post - The Progress.

Outside of The Progress and State Bird Provisions
2017 San Francisco, CA

The Progress is a New American restaurant featuring a family style format. The menu features three set starters, followed by fourteen options broken into two groups of seven that differentiate between lighter and heavier fare. For $62 per person, guests are asked to select four dishes for the table from the fourteen. Additionally, the menu includes four options guests can add to their meal that are seasonal in nature. Dishes are then served scaled up for the size of the party.

Dinner at Al's Place

Tonight's culinary adventure takes back to San Francisco's Mission district, a couple blocks southwest of Mission landmark la Taqueria, to Chef Aaron London's New American restaurant: Al's Place. Sporting a corner location, the eatery sports a beautiful blue outer façade and even a make-shift al fresco dining area on the 26th street side. Stepping inside the establishment, one enters the dining area, with only a little desk suggesting reception.

Al's Place outer facade on the corner of Valencia and 26th St.

The interior of the long and decent-sized dining area sports a delightful palette of white/off-white walls, light wood accent, and white tile wainscoting. Accenting this was various pieces of artwork, adding necessary color and an artistic flare to complete the walls. Near where the ceiling met the walls, a ledge had been built to hold various plants - their green again added a nice diversity of color to the visual aesthetic.

Dinner at Rooh

Tonight's culinary adventure takes us to a relatively new addition to the San Francisco culinary scene: Rooh. At the helm of this contemporary Indian restaurant is Chef Sujan Sarkar, who was awarded Times Chef of the Year in India. Chef Sarkar's goal is to take his guests on a gastronomical journey pairing flavors across India with the bounty available in California.

Rooh is located in the South Beach neighborhood of downtown San Francisco, only a few blocks away from AT&T Park. In fact, something to consider if one wants to visit during baseball season; the area backs up considerably when the San Francisco Giants play home games. The restaurant is located on the ground level of a renovated warehouse building.

Interior of Rooh from my table
2017 Rooh. San Francisco, CA

The renovated warehouse provides a nice space for its proprietors to work with. It's high, open ceilings offer a nice balance to the long and narrow space. Walking through the front door, one enters into a small reception area featuring a small desk as host station. From there, the dining room flanks both sides of the premises, with the left featuring a few tables along the outer wall and large array of two-top tables that can be combined for larger groups.

The right side of the dining room, again along the front all, features several two-tops situated parallel with the outer wall. Along the inner wall, a bar area dominates the space, offering  high-top seating  for those looking for a bit more casual element.

The color palette of the restaurant is fresh and vibrant, yet not to an obnoxious extent. Chairs are of a nice green leather, while the fabric of the bench seats along the walls are a delightful canary yellow. Tables are of a darker wood, with legs of lighter wood. Finally, accents of curtains in reds, along with lighter tans of the ceiling piping, offer nice color accents that really round out the space.

Breakfast at Tartine Bakery

In a day of low-carb diets and protein shake-sporting Instagram photos, the role of the neighborhood bakery has greatly diminished in many parts of the United States. One of the things I remember most about my time abroad in Europe, was walking to the neighborhood bakery in the morning for fresh croissants. Sure, I could stop by a Whole Foods that has a sizable bakery operation, but it just isn't the same. It's the charm of a neighborhood operation, and the heart and soul that the bakery imbues into every kneaded loaf.

Tartine Bakery, located on the corner of 18th and Guerrero in San Francisco's
Mission district, will have a line forming at least thirty minutes before opening

Those in San Francisco's Mission district are fortunate to have their own little slice of bread and croissant heaven in the form of Tartine Bakery. Started by the husband-wife team of baker Chad Robertson, and pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt, the two got their start at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. After traveling and training in France, the two opened up a bakery in Point Reyes Station. Their rustic wood fire-baked wares garnered them considerable attention, including being mentioned in celebrated chef Alain Ducasse's book 'Harvesting Excellence.' After 6 years in Marin County, the duo relocated their operation to the corner of 18th and Guerrero in San Francisco's mission district, where they remain today.

Dinner at KEIKO à Nob Hill

This edition of Weekend by the Bay takes us to a little Japanese-influenced French restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's posh Nob Hill neighborhood: KEIKO à Nob Hill. Before starting the restaurant with her namesake, Chef Keiko Takahashi earned a Michelin star in 2009 working in the Mill Valley stalwart El Paseo. Now with her own restaurant, and another Michelin Star to her acclaim, Chef Keiko continues to do what put her on the culinary map: create amazing works of Japanese-inspired french cuisine.

Dinner at Commonwealth Restaurant

The original plan for Easter Sunday consisted of meeting up with some fellow Michigan State alumni for brunch. From where I live in the Bay Area, heading into the city isn't the most convenient undertaking: requiring roughly a 40 minutes ride on the BART. Thus, the idea of just heading into the city for a two hour brunch seemed like quite a waste. I started looking for any restaurant openings in that evening to book-end an afternoon, and when I saw that the Commonwealth Restaurant had openings for dinner, I decided to stick around.

Wine tasting at Arista

After finishing a delightful Latin-inspired lunch at Guiso Latin Fusion, I picked up a coffee to go at nearby Flying Goat Coffee, and jumped back into the car to head to my next tasting. Winding down Westside Rd., which runs parallel with the Russian River, I managed to dodge a few cyclists en route to the second winery of the day: Arista.

Arista is located in the north-central part of the Russian River Valley, not too far from the Russian River itself, at the location where the river slowly ends its north-south journey, and begins to head west to empty in the Pacific. Due to the region's proximity with the Pacific Ocean, summers are tempered by the cool fog that blows in through the Pentaluma gap. This creates conditions perfect for cooler climate grapes, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The geology of the area also has a big influence on the wine making. Like most parts of the Pacific Rim, the collision of the Pacific and North American plates over the course of history has had a huge impact on the landscape and soil. More specifically to wine, it was eruptions of volcanic vents over top of the existing bedrock, that created the loamy soil prized for wine making. Combine this with a conducive climate, and one has a region growing some of the finest Pinot Noir in the New World.

Tasting room at Arista
2017 Arista Winery. Healdsburgh, CA

Lunch at Guiso Latin Fusion

Finishing the wonderful wine tasting at the Donum Estate, I pressed on with my Easter weekend wine country excursion and headed north to the delightful town of Healdsburgh, California. Located on U.S. Highway 101 just north of Santa Rosa, California, in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA. Healdsburgh is the perfect wine country town, sporting just enough restaurants and shops to be interesting, yet not nearly as developed as a Napa, California.

Pulling off Highway 101, I made a beeline through the downtown towards lunch at the subject of today's post: Guiso Latin Fusion. The first thing I noticed was that on a Saturday early afternoon, parking was hard to come by in downtown Healdsburgh. I circled the block a couple times, and finally a spot opened up a block from the restaurant.

Wine Tasting at The Donum Estate

With the Easter weekend, I decided to take a break from a Saturday journey to San Francisco, and instead drive up through Sonoma county for some good food and wine tasting. This culminated with dinner at acclaimed restaurant Terrapin Creek Cafe, which you can read about here. To break up the morning and afternoon tasting, I selected Guiso Latin Fusion in downtown Healdsburgh for lunch.

View from the Donum Estate entrance
2017 The Donum Estate. Carneros, CA

The first stop today was at the Donum Estate, located in the Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA) that straddles both Napa and Sonoma counties. Just north of the San Pablo Bay (i.e. the northern bay in the Bay Area), the cool winds and fog results in a micro-climate much cooler than a few miles north in Napa or Sonoma. This makes it perfect for cooler temperate varietals, such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Dinner at Terrapin Creek Cafe

This week's gastronomic adventure took a slightly different turn, as I decided to forego San Francisco and head north to California's wine country. I had the privilege of having an excellent Latin American-inspired lunch at Guiso Latin Fusion in Healdsburgh, CA. This was book-ended by tastings at two wineries, Donum Estate in Carneros, and Arista Winery in the Russian River Valley. You can read more about this in an upcoming post; what I wanted to focus on here is the capstone for the day: dinner at Terrapin Creek Cafe.

Dinner at Nico

Frugality and fine dining rarely seem to go hand in hand. To some, spending hundreds of dollars at a restaurant is justified by the artistry on display, similar to springing for front-row tickets to Hamilton. Sometimes the planets align, and a restaurant does provide an amazing gastronomic journey at a reasonable price, as witnessed in my previous write-up of San Francisco's Aster.

These culinary jewels are rare, and need to be celebrated when found. Thus, a fitting follow-up to my Aster review is another San Francisco eatery: Nico. Nico operates on a "carte blanche" style, where the menu is not known to the guest as the dishes are served. A five course prix fix menu runs for $70, while optional wine pairings run for an additional $65. That equals out to $115 for five courses with wine, right up there in the value department as Aster.

Lunch at la Taqueria

Johan Bartolomew's 1st law of gastronomy states that all Michelin starred restaurants are great, but not all great restaurants are Michelin starred. Franklin BBQ in Austin, Oklahoma Joe's in KC; none being featured in this year's Red Guide, but I dare anyone to say those places and their craft are not amazing. The fact that people wait outside Franklin BBQ in the wee hours of the night, hopping to snag a few slices of brisket the following morning before they run out, is a testament to their greatness.

Similar can be said for pizza places in New York and Chicago, and Mexican food throughout the American West. One of San Francisco's contributors in the Mexican food department is la Taqueria, located in the vibrant-yet-grungy Mission district. La Taqueria is a bit of an institution, providing its tasty Mexican fare since 1973, and in the process generating some pretty impressive lines (especially on the weekends). Claiming "America's Best Burrito" in a 538.com burrito bracket challenge certainly has not helped.

Dinner at La Ciccia

For this edition of Weekend by the Bay, I decided to put down the Michelin Red Guide and try a place off the beaten trail. After doing a little research, I settled on a cozy little eatery in the Noe Valley (pronounced Noey, or Noë) neighborhood of San Francisco called La Ciccia.

La Ciccia - or "the flab" if literally translated in Italian - is actually an Italian term of endearment (think "Ciao Ciccio/Ciccia"). And endearment is just what this place is going for, as this neighborhood gem is just wide enough for a 6 person bar on one side, and two banks of tables on the other. Walls are painted a beautiful olive green, while the art adorning the walls every now and then evokes the feeling of olives growing in the countryside of Sardinia.

Dinner at Aster

Spring time for someone working for a Treasury function within a Bank is usually the toughest part of the year. Banks do their final push to file their Comprehensive Capital Adequacy Review ("CCAR") with the Federal Reserve, which means lots of risk modeling and narrative drafting. Combine this with the annual shenanigans associated with March Madness, and one has an interesting dichotomy of fun and misery.

In anticipation for this stretch, I plan the annual Cayman trip to top off the fuel gauge. That trip made for some nice experiences, which you can read all about here. Of course there was a celebratory dinner at Coi, and couple nice weekends of Michigan State basketball. But now Michigan State is out of the Big Dance, and it's time to turn my attention to a deeper appreciation of the San Francisco culinary scene. The first restaurant to be crossed off the list: Aster.

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Celebratory dinner at Coi

As much as I wish eating - as well as writing about said eating - was my day job, it's sadly not. In fact my budding career in liquidity risk management (a topic I forbid to discuss on this forum) is what allows me to indulge in these culinary odysseys. Thus, when I was notified at the end of February 2017 that I was promoted, I decided it was a great reason to finally cross Coi off my list of places to check out in San Francisco.

Jon Voyage! Guide to Grand Cayman

After seven wonderful outings over the past week, it became clear to me that single restaurant reviews would not be enough to fully convey my thoughts on Grand Cayman. There are quite a few more places to eat on Grand Cayman than the seven that I picked. Furthermore, my posts didn't even scratch the surface on places to stay, or things to do. Therefore, it's only fitting that I collate my thoughts and provide a one-stop shop for those interested in a Cayman vacation to get started. With that, here we go!

Dinner at Luca

One tell-tale sign of a good vacation is the sad reality that the days come and go so fast. Thus, waking up on my final full day on Grand Cayman, I was in full-day savor mode. Two quality dives in the books in the morning, followed by a tasty al fresco lunch at Macabuca and some quality beach time working on a new Tom Clancy novel, made for an excellent day. It was fitting then to cap off such a day with dinner at one of my favorite restaurants on Grand Cayman: Luca.

Dinner at Morgan's

Day six came early, with another round of diving on the south sound of Grand Cayman. This led to another afternoon of relaxing as I typed up my thoughts on the previous night's feast at Blue by Eric Ripert. After such a grand meal, a smart person would plan on staying in the next evening and cooking something simple. We will definitely be doing that next year, but for now the Madre and I cleaned up and headed over to tonight's restaurant: Morgan's.

Dinner at Blue by Eric Ripert

Day 5 of this 2017 Cayman vacation got off to a rocky start... literally, as the prior day's storm kicked up quite a bit of surf all over the island. The side least affected was the south sound, so I packed up my gear and headed 25 minutes south to Red Bay dock to rendezvous with my dive boat. Waves were 2 feet out of the the southwest, which made for a bit of a bumpy morning dive session.

Coming back to the condo around noon, I relaxed all afternoon before getting ready for our 8 PM reservation at Blue, by Eric Ripert. Located at the lovely Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman, in the heart of Seven Mile Beach, Blue is a partnership between the Ritz Carlton and Chef Eric Ripert, known for his 3 Michelin Star signature restaurant in NYC: Le Bernardin. The restaurant is located on the lower level of the inland side of the hotel (seven mile beach road runs between part of the hotel located on the beach, and part of the hotel located inland).

Dinner at Cracked Conch

Day four of my 2017 Cayman Island adventure started off nicely, with a couple of great dives along Grand Cayman's north wall. Coming back to the condo around 11:00 AM, the sun was out making what seemed to be another stellar day. That's when a storm decided to roll into the island, kicking up a lot of wind and surf starting around 3:30 PM. We hunkered down for a few hours, but the aftermath brought some nice color to the sky.

A storm's respite
2017 Grand Cayman, BWI

 Being stuck indoors for a chunk of the afternoon made heading out for dinner even more enjoyable. We jumped into the car, drove north towards the northwestern edge of the island, and found ourselves at tonight's dinner venue: Cracked Conch. Cracked Conch is actually the more formal brother to a pair of restaurants occupying a spot about 100 yards from the Cayman Turtle Farm. It's other brother, Macabuca, is a tiki bar with a deck on the iron shore overlooking the water. Macabuca is an excellent casual restaurant for both lunch and dinner, with great salads, burgers and conch fritters.

Dinner at Calypso Grill

Day three of this year's Cayman adventure started off with reveille at 5:50 AM, allowing for a relaxed two cups of coffee and breakfast before heading down to the West Bay dock. There I was greeted by the wonderful folks at DNS Diving Grand Cayman, would be taking me on two dives this morning. I have been diving with DNS for the past 5 years or so, and highly recommend them to anyone who is interested in diving Grand Cayman. They have nice, open boats that are not packed like sardine cans, as done by some other operators. Their dive masters are friendly, informative, and dedicated to your enjoyment and well-being. They also do the little things, like offer you a towel, bottle of water, or surface interval snack. I had a great first day of diving, and a lot of that was because their operation is world-class.

Yet another gorgeous Cayman sunset
2017 Grand Cayman, BWI

Enjoying another sunset, this time sans gin and tonic, the Madre and I made our way down to one of the islands truly special restaurants: Calypso Grill. Since starting to visit the island regularly back in 2009, Calypso Grill has been the hallmark on fine dining on Grand Cayman. The venue has a nice combination of excellent food and aesthetic charm that is not found in fancier joints chained to large hotels. Indeed, Calypso Grill is located off the beaten track in Morgan's Harbor (right next to The Catch), and features both an indoor and outdoor seating area.

Dinner at Agua

Day two on Grand Cayman started at the ripe hour of 7:30 AM, with a quick jaunt to the dive store so my scuba gear could be serviced. This allowed for the rare occasion to grab a legit breakfast, and so we found ourselves at Cimboco for a morning bite. I opted for the "Spice up your life" frittata: three eggs, jerk chicken, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes & mozzarella cheese served alongside herb roasted potatoes & white toast. The jerk chicken added both sweet and Caribbean notes, while the bell peppers and onions lent their flavors to the overall palette. With a couple dashes of hot sauce, and perfectly cooked potatoes on the side, and my morning was set for success.

"Spice up your life" frittata
2017 Cimboco. Grand Cayman, BWI

 The remainder of the day was spent lounging on the beach, and writing the recap for last night's meal at Catch. After watching the sun set with G&T in hand, the Madre and I cleaned up and head to the evening's dinner venue: Agua. Located in the Galleria Plaza right on West Bay Rd., Agua is walk-able from many of the top hotel/condo locations. A boon to the traveler who wishes to forego driving on the left, but a pain for those looking for a quieter/more intimate setting.

Dinner at The Catch

Another year has come and gone, and suddenly I find myself making the annual pilgrimage to one of the hottest dive scenes in the world: sunny Grand Cayman. Located at the foot of the Cayman Trench, south of Cuba and due west of Jamaica, the three islands that make up the Cayman Island nation are nothing more than coral atolls growing over the centuries out of the ocean. It is this coral activity - as well as a constant up-swell of nutrient-rich water from the Cayman Trench - that makes it team with ocean life. Combine that with what I like to think of as "1st world" dive operators (you know, companies that don't treat you like a bucket of chum for luring sharks), and you have some damn good diving.

Birthday dinner at Spruce

As evening begins to take hold along the San Francisco peninsula, the hustle-bustle of shoppers along Market Street slowly yields to those in smarter attire heading to various eateries and functions. As my birthday was a few days to come, I decided to throw on an extra snazzy layer, join the bourgeois crowd and head over to one of San Francisco's top restaurants: Spruce.

Irish coffee and random San Francisco wanderings

The suburb of Walnut Creek - a place I currently call home - is roughly 46 minutes by BART to downtown San Francisco. While this is a pitiful distance in the grand scheme of things; it certainly limits when I venture into the city, and what I do when I visit. BART only runs to 1:00 AM on weekday and Saturday nights, which means my nights are usually cut short. That 46 minute ride usually means, unless I get up extremely early, breakfast and coffee mornings in SF are not going to happen.

Given the situation, the sweet spot for visits is roughly 11 AM - 11 PM. As such, spending the weekend in San Francisco - despite being less than an hour from home - brings opportunities to do some things I normally wouldn't. The first, as I wake up at 7:30 AM to start the day, is to grab an Irish Coffee and breakfast at the renowned Buena Vista.

Irish coffee to start the day!
2017 The Buena Vista. San Francisco, CA

Irish coffee is a very simple concoction. Hot water is poured into a chalice to pre-heat the glass. Once emptied, it is filled three quarters of the way with piping hot coffee. Two sugar cubes are added, and the liquid is stirred until they are dissolved. A full shot of whiskey is added, and then lightly-whipped whipped cream is poured over a spoon so it layers beautifully over-top the drink.

Night in the Mission with Mission Chinese Food

Being born in mid-January on the same day as the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. has certainly provided some advantages. While I still wish our birthday, and our nation's holiday, was in the middle of April to serve as a buffer between President's Day and Memorial Day; it nevertheless provides an opportune time to take a well-deserved long-weekend after the commotion of Christmas and New Years. So for this year, after finding a $150/night special at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, I decided to stay local a book a room in the city for the weekend.

Arriving Saturday evening, my first stop after getting settled into my delightful corner room, was to head up to San Francisco's notable Mission district for an extremely late (8:45 PM) reservation at Danny Bowien's Mission Chinese Food. But first I had some time to kill, and luckily for me, the Patriots were playing the Texans. Thus, en route to dinner I found a BBQ restaurant and whiskey bar about a block away from the restaurant called Southpaw BBQ.