Archive for "Food and Drink"
Mo’ Bettahs
Posted on January 3, 2023 by Ching under Food and Drink.
When Brian and I went to visit David and Donna last week to bring Christmas presents, we got to try some delicious Hawaiian-style food from Mo’ Bettahs. I think Hawaiian food is all the rage these days because when I was in Kansas City a few weeks ago, I learned about Hawaiian Bros, which is everywhere over there.
Anyway, I really like the Hawaiian macaroni salad because the flavor reminds me of Filipino chicken macaroni salad which my mom used to always make for Christmas eve (or any other events where food is involved).
Since it was my first time experiencing Mo’ Bettahs, I made sure to take a bunch of pics. This one is located in Midwest City, not too far from David and Donna’s house.
The food was actually pretty good. I would totally eat there again.
But, even though the food was good and I liked the Chipotle-model where you go through the line and tell them what you want, I still like Hawaiian Bros better. For one, they did not have Spam musubi. They didn’t have any Dole whip either, which I could give or take. But it’s really the Spam musubi that I missed. I loved the Spam musubi so much that I am almost tempted to play in a tournament in Kansas City just so I could eat Hawaiian Bros again. LOL.
Until next time. Happy eating and happy new year. GNG!
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Succotash with Ramon and Katie
Posted on December 21, 2022 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
Staying in the same house as Ramon and Katie was so much fun. I feel like we took the whole “team bonding” concept to the next level. Firstly, Katie and I are both morning people so we are early risers. I feel like we had the best heart-to-heart conversations in the morning when first waking up.
Both days we ended up laying in my bed and just talking about things before we started getting ready. It’s so funny because I always thought the guys were exaggerating about Ramon’s snoring. Well, we put him in the basement and I could hear him snore all the way up in my room. The first morning Katie was like, “Are you sure it wasn’t me?” I said, “I’m pretty sure because it was coming from that direction [while pointing to Ramon’s side of the house].” Anyway, as we were chatting, she heard it too so that confirmed it was him because we were both awake at that point. LOL.
The next morning, she peeks in my room around 6:00 AM as I’m laying in bed. I’m wide awake because I always wake up around 5:30-ish, with or without my alarm. I’m like, “Come on in. I want to hear about last night.” After our dinner at El Canelo, Ramon and Katie went out with Ramon’s Kansas City pals while I stayed in to catch up with Brian.
She cracked me up because she was just laying on top of the covers at first and then started to get cold so before she got under the covers with me she asked, “Are you naked?” She knows I prefer to sleep naked and, when we were together in Tulsa, I just slept in my underwear and a t-shirt. Since I thought I was sharing a house with three other people, I did invest in some modest pajamas.
So we are laying there chitchatting when Ramon comes up from the basement. Now the three of us are laying around in my room trying to figure out plans for the day. Katie had some Christmas shopping on her agenda. Ramon wanted to watch the FIFA World Cup championships and was waiting for a text from his friends. As we were hanging out, chatting and waiting, Katie decided she wanted to have breakfast at this place called Succotash that Ryan (one of Ramon’s friends) suggested when they were out the previous night. I got super excited because Brian and I had been to Succotash twice before and loved it. The first time was in 2012 and then the second time was in 2017. Although, I went without Brian this time around, I feel like I’m right on schedule (visiting every five years or so). Ramon hadn’t heard from his friends (who were more than likely still hung over from the night before) and, since they have WiFi at the restaurant, he agreed to go with us and just watch the soccer championship on Katie’s iPad.
Succotash hasn’t changed much since Brian and I were there last. I think the most notable difference was that you now ordered at the counter, instead of having a server come to your table, and you pretty much had to fend for yourself on drink refills. I didn’t look at the fresh juice options but I think the menu might have changed slightly but everything else was pretty much the same for the most part.
Here are some pictures of our food:
The serve my most favorite corned beef hash there which is what I got.
Katie got these giant pancakes.
Ramon got French toast with both bacon and sausage. I have to say, I was a little jealous of his French toast and partially wished that I would have gotten it instead. Their corned beef hash is really good though, so I couldn’t pass it up. Katie wanted Ramon’s sausage and thought about taking one of the links when he got up to order some regular toast for his eggs but there were only two left and I told her he would notice if one was missing. Anyway, before we remembered to ask him for it, he had already eaten them both but he said he wouldn’t have minded if she ate one of them. So that was a missed opportunity.
Anyway, here’s a video of Katie demonstrating the best way to eat pancakes.
After our delicious breakfast, Ramon and I went back to Northland Racquet Club to watch some of our friends compete in DUPR 16. It’s basically the same as the team event that we played in the day before, just a different division. For this division the sum of the team members’ DUPR ratings could not exceed 16. In ours the cap is 18. Katie went on to the Lego place which was conveniently just steps away from Succotash. It’s like she planned the whole thing! LOL.
I’ll share pictures of the DUPR 16 teams in a separate post. This whole weekend has been fabulous. Well, except for my flat tire in the middle of I-35 while trying to leave Kansas City on Sunday afternoon. This would be my second tire blowout this year. The first time was in the middle of Kellogg traffic and I actually called 911 because I pulled over on the shoulder but the cars were whizzing by so fast that I was too scared to get out. Brian came to rescue me and replaced my tire in the middle of that mess.
I knew I did not want to be in the middle of Kansas City traffic so rather than pulling over on the shoulder, I took the very next exit. Luckily, there was a Phillips 66 right there. As another stroke of good luck, a man who works for Mopar just happened to park one stall over from me. As I was on the phone with Brian, telling him about my predicament, the man caught my eye as he came out of the convenience store. He asked if I needed help and I emphatically said, “Yes!” Anyway, he replaced my tire so fast it was like a NASCAR pit crew. I think it took longer for me to take all my crap (luggage, portable net, folding chair, umbrella, windshield sunshade, etc.) and dig out the spare tire, jack, and tools from the trunk than it took for him to replace the tire. This dude as amazing and I was ever so grateful. Brian was fully prepared to drive the three hours to Kansas City to rescue me but we were both relieved that he did not have to because it would have meant getting home super late. Three hours for him to get to me, another half hour to replace the tire, and then another three hours for us to drive home.
As it were, my three-hour drive home took nearly four hours because I couldn’t go faster than 60 mph on the donut. At least, that’s what the Mopar guy told me. Brian says there’s a reason that they call them 55-mph tires so going 60 was probably pushing it. Anyway, I made it home safely and while it was still daylight outside, thanks to the help of that nice man. I probably need to start seriously thinking about getting AAA, though. Or so my friends are telling me. ‘Til next time, GNG.
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Dinner at El Canelo
Posted on December 20, 2022 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
After the DUPR Teams event, which was an all-day affair, a bunch of us went to El Canelo for dinner. By a bunch, I mean Silly Gooses team members Parker Ward, Nicole Mathis, Megan White, and Megan’s son Miles plus me, Ramon, and Katie from DUPR Troopers, and then Tyson Steele, who although he didn’t play that day was super awesome in coming out to watch and support his friends.
Here are some pictures of our food:
I got the pollo blanco (pictured below) per Tyson’s recommendation. I didn’t take a picture of his plate because he got the same thing.
People who are dining with me for the first time always think it strange that I’m taking pictures of everyone’s food. They often ask me what I do with all the food pictures. Well, they end up here and also on our FLIP + CHING Facebook page.
And, I also create an album of all the restaurants (well, most of them, because there are some I have missed) I’ve visited in my Flickr.
Anyway, it’s fun to look back and see all of the delicious food I’ve enjoyed over the years. Pictures of food is a weird thing to collect but I’m kind of a weirdo, so there is that. Until next time, GNG.
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Caribbean Jack’s Restaurant & Bar
Posted on December 14, 2022 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
Caribbean Jack’s was my favorite meal in Daytona. Kumar arrived at the restaurant first and had ordered nachos as a starter. These Caribbean nachos were a unique twist on nachos. They were sweet and different. And, they also had chunks of mangoes which I loved. I really enjoyed the flavor of it.
Also, the place is super cute and they even have a little gift shop of Caribbean Jack’s swag inside the restaurant. Look behind Ryan in the below pic.
These are the alligator bites which tasted like chicken. I feel like, since everything pretty much tastes like chicken, how do we even know we are eating the real thing? They could serve us chicken nuggets and call it just about any animal. LOL.
Here are pictures of the rest of the food…
Ryan and I got the same thing (seafood bake), except I got double rice instead of the broccoli (because I love rice — any kind of rice — and can’t get enough of it).
He’s a picture of our group (same group that at the Grind Gastropub the night before). Clockwise from middle: Kendra, Ryan, Ramon, Brian, me, and Kumar.
One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is the dock out back and also the live music on the dock. We went out there briefly to check it out.
They were playing really fun music and at one point were playing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper (video linked below). Of course, the young ones in our group had no idea who she was.
While we are on the topic of Cyndi Lauper, I thought I would share my favorite song by her. I love this song and the message it conveys. The song was revived by the movie Trolls, which I also loved.
Anyway, I guess that’s all for now. Until next time, GNG.
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Grind Gastropub & Kona Tiki Bar
Posted on December 13, 2022 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
We ended up going to Grind Gastropub & Kona Tiki Bar at the recommendation of our server the previous night at Hull’s Seafood. Also, it had a fun name so I figured it must be good.
The restaurant is located off Granada in Ormond Beach, which is pretty much where all the good restaurants are located. Per our first Uber driver, there’s absolutely nothing good in Holly Hill (or Holy Hell as the locals call it).
The restaurant has a hip interior and cool vibe. Except I found the music too loud for my liking. I could barely hear the people across the table from me.
Kumar Krishnan joined us for dinner so it was (clockwise from left) Kumar, Ramon, Ryan, Kendra, me, and Brian at dinner that night.
Here are some pictures of our food, which was actually pretty good.
Brian and I split chicken skewers and a sandwich for our meal.
Kumar ordered the bread pudding to share (thus, all the spoons in this pic). It was really good. I feel like there are two kinds of people in this world — those who like bread pudding and those who hate moist bread and don’t like it. I am definitely #teambreadpudding. LOL.
Ramon had not had bread pudding before so we opened up his world to a whole new area of culinary delight. Kumar spoke of this place in Bartlesville that has great bread pudding. Ramon has never played in the Bartlesville tournament before so I think we might finally have him convinced. Play in the tournament and then enjoy some delicious bread pudding to celebrate your success after. We are hatching us a plan. Until next time, GNG!
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