reflections.

i think my love for food can be attributed to one thing: family- my parents, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and even close friends. for me food has always symbolized a gathering of the people i love and care about. i believe that there is no point to creating or eating amazing food if you can't share it with anyone.

there are so many reasons christmas is my favorite time to visit guam. bumping into an old friend at a bar. catching up on the latest gossip over lunch with a close friend. chatting with a second cousin at a family party. mom and dad's home cooked meals. hearing my baby cousin ask for more chicken. food and drinks bringing us all together. growing up on guam with such a large extended family makes me appreciate where i come from and who i have become.

the sickness and loss that has surrounded me, my loved ones, and even some i have barely known in that last few months has caused me to reflect. the support i have witnessed through these tragedies has been a testament to the strength of my "family". it makes me thankful for those around me who are always there to support me. if the last few months have taught me anything, it's that everyday we need to tell those we care about how much we love them

san diego adventures

a few of my girlfriends and i spent a week in san diego to celebrate closetcouture's 25th bday. a vacation always means lost of eating.

1st night- la puerta for a late night meal. this was my first carne asada fries experience and they were pretty darn good. the border tacos with freshly made guacamole were very good too.


day 2- a trip to san diego would not be complete without a trip to islander grill, a restaurant that serves chamorro (guam) food. being the only one who knew what to order, i ordered for everyone. the meal was both satisfying and filling.

red rice, short ribs, cabbage salad, chicken kelaguen, empanada

after a relaxing day at pacific beach, we went to eat at pacific beach alehouse. they brew their beers in house. their beers were good but i was surprised at how good their food was. the star of all the food was definitely the lobster mac and cheese.

front to back- pacific sunset ipa, whitewash wheat

calamari

lobster mac n' cheese

spinach artichoke dip

mile high ice cream pie

day 3- started with lunch at sand bar sports grill in mission beach. to continue my taco kick i ordered the carne asada and mahi mahi tacos. for the price these were pretty good. i've had better but these were quality for a sports bar.


after another day at the beach (mission beach this time), we went back to our new hotel, the porto vista hotel. we decided to have a drink at the hotel restaurant, the glass door, before going out. i'm glad we made a trip there because our bartender made the most amazing drink. i have a great appreciation for cocktails made with fresh ingredients. she made us a dragon berry mojito.

day 4- on our way back to the bay, foodicles and i stopped at stone brewing co in escondido. i recommend visiting here if you are ever in that area. they put a lot of work into the design of the restaurant and this extends to their food menu. you can tell they value the quality of their overall product and image.

13th anniversary ale

spud buds

bbq duck tacos