The Flying Pig @ Yaletown, Vancouver

While we were in Vancouver, we just DYING to soak in everything that the city had to offer; the neighborhoods, the atmosphere all the diversity of food and culture that makes Vancouver so alluring!

So a neighborhood that sounded amazing was Yaletown, a part of town that was formerly an industrial area, so it was filled with beautiful warehouse architecture and revamped spaces that was just wild!! I could have stayed in that area all day and just explored it was that fascinating...

In our original plans, we were slated to hover around a restaurant that had some pretty high accolades: Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar. But upon arrival, it looked a little stuffy and formal, and we were not into that scene at all (suits make me itch and the presence of them make me hurl)... So instead we ventured to stroll around and found a bustling venue: The Flying Pig- the name alone grabbed us so we decided to try it out.


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Pizzeria Delfina @ 18th St, San Francisco

One of our favorite restaurants in SF is Delfina; it serves super tasty food in an intimate, local and unpretentious environment that makes going there a delight (and highly addictive - I'm often caught in the midst of dreaming about their pasta dishes during a high carb withdrawal....)

Well, right next door is their casual spot; Pizzeria Delfina- a very small venue but with a menu that feel like you've arrived in Milan for a quick bite at a uber chic cafe.

The interior: simple and to the point, since it's so small, everything is used to it's utmost efficiency-delivery boxes become decoration, shelves lined with  plates and prepared items on display at the counter-it's modern minimalism with character and whimsey.

Pizza was the easy choice at this establishment, but once we looked at the menu, it got infinitely harder; there were a lot of items that could have easily been devoured, and had I not had the reigns pulled in by Rick, it could have gone gluttonous real fast...

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Eat @ 707 Carson St, Las Vegas

With the energy-charged locomotive of urban rejuvenation happening in Downtown Vegas, it's with much excitement that we ventured our way to it's newest arrival, Eat.

From what I gathered, Eat is a casual venue, similar to a diner, but with a hipper atmosphere and a focus on quality-driven, locally sourced comfort food.  We have been waiting for this kind of establishment for a long time; Vegas definitely needs an urban identity with a sense of community away from commercial strip centers and suburban hubs.  Downtown is growing into it's own, shedding it's identity crisis of yesteryear.

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Kabuto Edomae Sushi @ Desert Inn, Las Vegas

Kabuto is the latest addition of haute Japanese cuisine that's dominating the local Vegas dining scene, a highly anticipated newcomer, raved by critics to a hype like no other (reservations are hard to come by, you won't get in for months...)
Blah blah blah, I got us a Friday reservation at 7:30 on Tuesday.....

But I stopped listening to Vegas critics for anything other than information on new venue openings, their silly dithering about the fabulocity of every 'Strip Trap'; as if simply transplanting restaurants from other cities gives any sustenance/foundation to urban fabric of this somewhat 'tragically hip' enclave of lost souls...

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Next: Kaiseki

From the Executive Chef, David Beran of Next Restaurant in Chicago.  The video presents a wonderful description of 'Kaiseki' a traditional Japanese dining experience involving more than just style, greater than consumption, it evokes a spiritual ceremony unlike anything else...  The video is just beautiful

Due Forni Pizza & Wine @ South Town Center Dr, Summerlin

There's an uneasy feeling about this post, I don't know why...  Maybe a guilty conscience for betraying our all time favorite Settebello?  I mean, Settebello has everything; great location, supreme Pizza and great service, our loyalty runs deep and strong.

However, the need for exploration trumps loyalty (and we really wanted to see how good the Pizza really is).  We started convincing ourselves that since it was Summerlin, it wasn't cheating, we had to go since we were 'Food Bloggers', we needed to branch out and explore possibilities, we can't be tied downright now, no it's not you..it's me.... really... Sheepishly and incognito, we snuck over to the other side of town to scope out the competition.

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Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina @ 10740 S. Eastern Ave, Henderson

A place that has been on our 'wish list' for, like, forever..has been Bratalian...  Ever since Chef's Palate closed down, we've been missing a really good gourmet restaurant on our side of town...

So when Rick's Dad suggested that we go, (he read about Chef Carla Pellegrino and her two restaurants in an in-flight magazine on the way over) we were ecstatic at the opportunity to try out a new restaurant with him (he's offered great food criticism on our past sojourns)....


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Gaijin Noodle & Sake House @ Gaslamp District, San Diego

It's a drag being of Japanese descent sometimes, meaning that when you know a culture to a fault, it's a pain in the ass to go out and eat Japanese  that's popular everywhere, but is also pretty crappy...

But every so often, we throw caution to the wind, keep our minds open to new experiences and start from square one.  There was buzz about a relatively new Japanese venue in San Diego called Gaijin Noodle and Sake House in the Gaslamp District and so we checked it out!!

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Umami Burger Costa Mesa @ 2981 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa

It's now become our mission to eat at every Umami Burger and takes notes comparing each outpost, based on the location, the feel, and of course, the Burgers!!!

Located in a shopping enclave called, 'The Camp' Umami Burger Costa Mesa definitely has the O.C. Beach feel, with a casual, local feel, it a friendly departure from the LA venues.  AND this time, we actually departed from our mainstay-the Umami Burger!!!!!


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