Last day of 2014 - breakfast plus dinner and a new dessert

Earlier this morning....

like waaaaay fkg earlier (5:30 am)....I had the kitchen set up for today's breakfast with some very good friends. Yeah, I'm pretty anal and set things out with labels a night or two ahead of time. Actual breakfast wouldn't be until a few hours later but I had to time things right with time to spare because that's how I roll...

Recent visits to Pho Hiep Grill Chateau

About a week ago, my sis and I went to one of our favorite Vietnamese spots down South for a late lunch...

We'd just attended our uncle's funeral service and didn't want to go to VIP Oriental buffet afterwards, so...

Pigs need love too? Brunch at Gelato Vero with Bert

See this cute thing?

Babe/Wilbur isn't served here...

and despite me having gone there twice before for brunch...

for some reason, my brain blanked out on their lack of meat in their  menu...

J & H Hopia & Filipino Desserts

As I was looking at all of my "unfinished" posts, I came across this one buried in the queue...

Late 2013, I had the ambitious plan of doing a series of hopia posts...

asides from my dad's (which are the best of course), this quest took me to various Filipino bakeries throughout San Diego...

Christmas Eve Desserts, Christmas lunch and the day after Dinner at Manna BBQ in Chula Vista with friends

This is what the parking lot looked like Christmas Eve (okay, late afternoon of Christmas Eve)...

It was crazier than normal with folks (myself included) buying last minute items...

You gotta love their version of the tree by placing Filipino foodstuffs as decor...

The reason I was here? To buy desserts for dinner...

Thai trio - Noodles Noodles,The Green Bar, and Krua Thai

Sometime during the winter break we had our Thai fix at various places in the South Bay...

I think I've pretty much covered all of the Thai places down here. Noodles Noodles is in IB in the same strip mall as Rally's....

Christmas Time is Here Again

Merry Christmas...

(Christmas tree in Graffiti Beach shop in South Park)

and best wishes for a prosperous, happy, and healthy new year...

Beef 'n Bun Whistle Stop

We were recommended to try Beef 'n Bun in El Cajon...

a place that has been here "forever" it seems...

How can you say no to this penguin holding a burger?

Trinitea Tea

We actually passed this on our way to Cowles Mountain and I was excited because I had a coupon for this place....

It was just a few minutes away from Cowles and also very close to our eventual breakfast destination...

Cowles Mountain Coffee

At the corner of Navajo Road and Golfcrest is this building...

which is right at the base and main trailhead of Cowles Mountain...

Highlights from this morning - Cowles Mountain

Finally, after all these years of living in San Diego...

We finally did it...