Spring Break Trip 2017 - Day 7 Highlights

This was the building we saw peeking behind our hotel's courtyard...

Today happened to be as, what the teens would call it, "Windy af" (yes, click on those letters to be enlightened)...

Spring Break Trip 2017 Day 6 Highlights

As we left SF amidst rush hour traffic, we took note of the two new buildings going up downtown...

We noticed them on our way in a few days ago....

Spring Break Trip 2017 - Day 5 Highlights

Our vacation days cannot begin unless...

we have coffee...

Spring Break Trip 2017 - Day 4 Highlights

Back in the Sunset District again...

The street car lines, telephone poles and vibrantly painted homes make us feel at home...

Spring Break Trip 2017 - Day 3 Highlights

Thank goodness we have a Fast Pass transponder and used the carpool lane...

Shaving off fifteen to twenty minutes of wait time to get onto the Bay Bridge was pretty damn nice...

Spring Break Trip 2017 - Day 2 Highlights

Near Thane's home was a local coffee shop...

(that's an espresso con panna, my new favorite drink)

where Bert and I enjoyed our first caffeine of the day...

Spring Break Trip 2017 - Day 1 Highlights

In the wee morning hours...

we headed out in the darkness up to the Bay Area...

Coffee Revisits - Hawthorn, Duet, Virtuoso, Por Vida and Moniker

Sometimes I look on IG to see what new drinks are being concocted at local coffee shops...

This visit brought Bert and I back to Hawthorn on Adams...

Pasadena day trip but first, THH

Last weekend, we were finally able to use these...

which were a gift from my friend Caren, co-owner of the Velveteria in L.A....

Japanese Revisits - Tomodachi, Gunco Ramen and Bento Sushi

Here's another compilation post...

This time focusing on our "go-to" Japanese haunts in the South Bay...

The Nest on Third

In January I noticed a new coffee place had opened in downtown Chula Vista...

It's on the west side of Third Avenue before you hit Davidson Street.

and next to a streetwear store...

New mural replaced by yet another mural in downtown Chula Vista

During a recent visit to The Nest, I noticed that the #Horrible Monster Scene mural was gone!

There was also a "Coming Soon" sign which piqued our curiosity...

McCord's Bakery

During our recent visits to local coffee house, Imperial Grounds...

I noticed this bakery on National Avenue...

Turn it up to 11 for PCaRH's blogaversary!

A decade plus one...

(purple Bingo number from flckr user Leo Reynolds)

It's the11th Blogaversary of Pink Candles at Ridgemont High...

F esh Nuts? The tampering of the Star Dust Donuts sign

That's not a typo...

That's what the remaining Star Dust Donuts sign looks like as of early March...

Happy St. Patrick's Day + Seafood Friday 2017 - Week 3: Chipotle orange salad with shrimp from Rubio's

He's at it again...

Good ole Dano, the ubiquitous sign painter extraordinaire...

Filipino Revisits - MJ's, Halphen Red and Halo Halo

MJ's  is in this corner strip mall, Otay Lakes Plaza.

There used to be a Hollywood Video there which has since been replaced by a paint store.

The strip mall has a few places to eat that we like such as MJ's and Halphen Red.

Mine-a-Lisa mural, Grape Street offramp to the I-5

The other night when TC and I picked up Bert from the airport, I noticed that the old mural on the Grape Street onramp to the 5 was replaced!

This was another reason why I wanted to return to Little Italy, so we could see this new art piece in the daylight...

Return to Lofty Coffee Cafe and Bakery, Little Italy

TC and I were so happy that Bert was back home...

Daylight Savings time was the other day and we were crazy enough to head over to Little Italy the next morning...

Some coffee was in order here...

Sandwiches from Santos Coffee House, Subterranean, Corner Bakery Cafe and Caffe Italia

It's been awhile...

Bert and I had time to kill while TC was volunteering...

Coffeebar

For his last business day in Reno, Bert went to Coffeebar...

a place recommended by one of his classmates...

Vietnamese restaurant revisits roundup: Pho Cow Cali Express, Cali Baguette, Pho Hung Calli, and Pho Mai Cali

I'm finally getting caught up with posts...

choosing to combine them into "ethnic" food posts....

Homage

This morning, Bert paid a visit to a place I recommended...

as if I'd been there before, ha ha. But in researching online, saw that they had interesting drinks and so could he go there and try it?

Seafood Friday 2017 - Week 2: Ceviche kit from Northgate Market

Welcome to the second installment of this year's Seafood Friday. Bert was gone all week for a work training in Reno, Nevada (posts to follow!). He was coming home this evening and I opted to pick up something from Northgate Market....

(free magazine chock full of awesome recipes from Northgate Market)

so we could just eat dinner at home instead of trying to find a place on a Friday night..

Hub Coffee Roasters + Truckee River Walk

Here is another view of the mountains from another section of the parking lot of Bert's hotel.

Another classmate recommended Hub Coffee Roaster, as did I, after having looked up the hipsterish coffee shops in the area.

It's the small brick building in the middle...

Walden's Coffeehouse & Asian Noodles in Reno, NV

The majestic mountain views from Bert's hotel...

Bert scraped frost off his car window for the first time this particular morning with a snow scraping tool complete with a brush on the other end. He had a few hours to kill before starting his training class so...

Bert's Reno, NV posts - Taxidermy fun and late night snack at hotel cafe

Yesterday Bert left on a business trip in Reno...(sad face for me and TC)

The trip is for  a week and he was gracious enough to send me photos...

Return to Dolci Cafe Italiano

Sometime last month I met up with MFH and our former co-worker and his wife...

I hadn't been to Dolci in nearly two years...

Revisit - The future home of the Bayshore Bikeway Village

From this...

(photo from my "Bayshore Bikeway, Imperial Beach" post, May 2016)

Los Pollos Revisits

Earlier this week I was able to go to the South Bay's only Cuban bakery...

not once but twice...

New mural in downtown Chula Vista, "Horrible Monster Scene"

A month ago we tried going to the newest coffee shop in Chula Vista...

located in Third Avenue Village downtown...

Seafood Friday 2017 - Week 1: Pizzo's Pizzeria and Wine Bar

The Lenten season has begun.

Our original was to try a new sushi place in the San Miguel Ranch Area, Ika Sushi. It was mega crowded, so plan B was put into action...

Lunch with my mom @ The Purple Mint

Earlier today,  I took the day off to take my mom to an eye appointment...

Afterwards, we went out to lunch in Grantville...

It was a Friday and since this place was vegetarian...

Copenhagen once again

[Update: Copenhagen Pastry closed as of late September 2017]

Hey well, since this bakery is on our way home...

we can't pass it up now can we...

Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar

We didn't want to leave Pasadena quite yet...

A coffee stop was in order...

Mural at Savers 98 Market

This past weekend after coffee at Virtuoso (post will eventually come out as a compilation)...

Bert and I headed to National Ave to go to a nearby bakery, but first made sure to stop at this building we've always passed by while going to Imperial Grounds Coffee. I would always see the vibrant mural and always drive by. This time, we made sure to stop to get a closer look...