Jullie: California Vibes

My family's Disneyland annual passes expired last month, and though we ultimately decided not to renew, we were at least able to get in one more trip to The Happiest Place On Earth! My parents are also Disney Vacation Club members (as mentioned in a couple of previous posts), so they were able to book a room at the Grand Californian Hotel! We loaded up the car, picked up my cousin Samantha (again, mentioned plenty of times in previous posts :P), and made the oh-so-familiar drive down to Anaheim...and we had a couple of fun stops along the way! I'll be using a combo of photos and video clips from my Snapchat throughout these posts, so here's a quick preview of what I'll be talking about in Part 1:

Jullie: Carmel-By-The-Sea

Back in July, my cousin Samantha sent out a group text to all of the Aquino cousins. Get ready for a beach day in August, baby! :D As all of the RSVP’s started to pour in (the group text was LIT)…I started to get really excited for another big family party! It's always a blast when we all get together, and I was definitely interested in exploring the picturesque Carmel-By-The-Sea. :)

Chelsea: Fish Face Poke Bar

I think we all know that I have a restaurant crush. It's on North Shore Poke Co down in Huntington. After the awesomeness that is North Shore, I was excited to get back home and try out some poke spots near me. Which inevitably led me to Fish Face Poke Bar in Sacramento. Believe it or not, there are actually a few poke spots in the Sacramento area, and they've all made it onto a list for me to try in my search for a spot near me to help me get over North Shore.

Jullie & Chelsea: Socal Finale | DCA & The Anaheim Packing House

Happy Friday, everyone! We hope you enjoy the finale of our SoCal trip recap! Today, we’ll be talking about a couple of stops in Disney California Adventure and an awesome Anaheim gem to hit up for even more food options. They’re all great places to take note of and to help plan your next vacation! :)

Jullie & Chelsea: SoCal Day 2 | Disneyland

Our SoCal recap continues! Matching t-shirts. Matching birthday buttons. Yup. Jullie and Chelsea take Disneyland! (Oh, and a little tip? You don’t need to wait in a ginormous line at City Hall to get your buttons. Most shops all over the park have them at the cash register. You just have to ask!)

Traveling together was really awesome. Both of us are veterans when it comes to Disney vacations, so there wasn't any pressure or “we have to do this” situations. We know what we like to do, ride, and see, and those are the things that we put at the top of our list when planning our trip.

Jullie & Chelsea: SoCal Day 1 | From Pasadena to Huntington Beach

Happy hump day, everyone! Jullie here! Chelsea and I are excited to finally share all of the details from our recent SoCal trip together. For those of you who don’t know…our birthdays are only a few days apart, so we planned a little weekend trip back in March, as a joint celebration. Over the next couple of days, we'll be talking about Disneyland (one of my absolute favorite destinations to talk about on the blog!) and each of the fun stops we made along the way! First up, Pasadena and Huntington Beach...

Jullie: Picnics & SusieCakes

The sky was bright blue and absolutely clear, and San Francisco was just bathing in sunshine. That's what I like to call ideal picnic weather. Not wanting to waste a beautiful afternoon, we packed up the two kids, picked up some grub, and headed straight to the Marina Green. Then, after chowing down on some sandwiches and soaking up some Vitamin D, we took a short walk to Chestnut St. I was on the prowl to satisfy my sweet tooth and craving for dessert. That's when we found ourselves in SusieCakes bakery!

Disneyland: California Adventure

Today, I'm wrapping up my Disneyland trip reports.  It would've been a very sad Sunday indeed, but I think I've got a pretty good finale! This one is all about California Adventure!

In past years, my interest in this park was at a bare minimum. It didn't quite invoke the same nostalgia or charm that Disneyland could, and many of its colorful shops and eateries were just downright confusing...or...*gasp* tacky. (Again, I ask, who remembers Pizza Oom Mow Mow? Or, better yet, the Soap Opera Bistro?!) My family and I have been able to literally circle our favorites on a map and focus on what worked for us, completely bypassing sections of the park. Half of a day, tops, is all we would need to get our fill of California Adventure.

The theme park's massive billion-dollar expansion, though, truly changed all of that. Dating back to 2007, renovations included the Toy Story Mania ride, re-theming of certain attractions, the Little Mermaid ride, and the innovative World of Color show. The makeover finally culminated in June 2012, with the opening of Buena Vista Street and the highly anticipated Cars Land.

Disneyland: Dessert at Hungry Bear Restaurant

In the last couple of years, the Disneyland Railroad has become a very important part of our Disney vacations. Ever since Jon developed a love for trains, this classic attraction shot all the way up to the Top 5 on our Must Ride List. I always hear the excited "Oh! Oh! Oooh!" when we enter the park, and the desperate "One more, pleeeeease!" before we leave the park. The numerous voyages on this "1.2-mile scenic tour aboard an authentic steam-powered train" is what finally led us to Hungry Bear Restaurant. The tour passes right through Splash Mountain, then continues behind Hungry Bear, offering extensive views of Critter Country and the Rivers of America.

Admittedly, we don't spend a lot of time in this portion of the park (which can be found on the far edges of a Disneyland map), and we were content with the passing views from the train. But, after catching glimpses of Hungry Bear's riverside tables over and over again, my curiosity just kept building. I would say, over and over again, "Hey, we should check that place out next time!" Finally, "next time" has arrived.

Disneyland: Cafe Orleans

A few days ago, I posted my first review from my family's Disneyland trip. Then...I left you all hanging. I got lost in the mayhem of the last 5 days, which included fun times in a Bangkok Suite, volunteering in Jon's kindergarten class, and receiving a pretty awesome gift in the mail. Luckily, that just means I have some exciting things to share with you all in the near future! But, first things first, let's go back to Disneyland! Think of it as a nice little mental vacation in the middle of the work week...

Our next destination is Cafe Orleans, located in the park's New Orleans Square. I've skimmed over it in past Disneyland recaps, but I love this restaurant so much that it deserves its own dedicated post. (There will probably be another one when I visit during the holidays...) My first meal here was in 2007 with my parents. We made reservations for a table outside, with a view of the Rivers of America. Patrons can watch the Mark Twain Riverboat and Sailing Ship Columbia go by, hear the music of the pirate band, or just do some good ol' people watching. Now, whenever my family and I play tour guide/host to visiting friends and relatives, Cafe Orleans is the centerpiece of our dining experiences.

Disneyland: Main Street U.S.A. & Carnation Cafe

My cousin Rozanna and her two boys, Akira and Kai, are visiting all the way from Virginia. They'll be here on the West Coast for about a month, and one of the things on their Sights-To-See List was Disneyland. As an annual passholder and DVC member, I've basically become the designated Disney "tour guide" for our family.  (A title to be worn with pride and extreme enthusiasm!) So, when I got the call to start planning another trip, I broke out the trusty pen & paper and fired up about 10 different tabs on my internet browser. (Lists, man. I'm a total research-and-make-lists maniac.)

The first task at hand was making dining reservations. Altogether, grandparents and my sister's family included, we were a nice big party of 12. It was important to be able to secure seating for our entire group, considering the crowd size to be expected during Summer months. Trying to hunt down tables, with 4 kids and 3 strollers in tow, just didn't sound very appealing. There may be many dining locations throughout the park with tables and chairs, but only a small handful actually accept reservations.

Chinatown: R & G Lounge

A week ago, I went to the California Academy of Sciences. Actually...First, I found myself in traffic on the corner of 9th Ave and Lincoln Way.

Basically, there was some bad traffic. Really, really, really bad traffic.

It was March 3rd, and it was one of only two days out of the whole year that Academy admission is free for everyone. And, clearly, I miscalculated the time that I'd actually need to leave my house. It took over an hour to move from that 9th Ave intersection to the parking garage...about 500 yards. Then, after navigating the twists and turns and "This level FULL" signs of the garage, we finally found parking. Luckily, it was a spot right next to the staircase to the Music Concourse. I thought to myself, "Okay. The worst part is over."

Then I saw the line.

Note to self: It may be free, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy. (If it weren't for the fact that it was my nephew's birthday, I might've turned around and gone home...) The end of the line already reached the trees at JFK Dr. But, thankfully, this massive pilgrimage moved at a quick and steady pace. Once inside, it took a few hours for my family and I to go around and see what we wanted. By the end of it all, I just wanted to sit down and enjoy a nice, hot meal. See that picture of the crab? If you're wondering where the heck it fits in to this story and when am I finally going to get to it, well that time has come. Because that feeling of longing and wondering about food is exactly what I was experiencing by the time we drove over to Chinatown. After the chaos/entertainment, I was exhausted and starving. I was ready for dinner at R & G Lounge.

Dolores Park & Pearl's Burgers

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is a famous painting by Georges Seurat. (Or maybe you remember this scene from Ferris Bueller's Day off?) Whenever I walk through the middle of Dolores Park in San Francisco, I'm immediately reminded of this painting. The original is often called by the misnomer "Sunday in the Park", and depicts a crowd relaxing on a grassy riverbank. It's meant to portray ordinary people in the midst of "idle leisure", with blankets spread out on the grass, dogs running around, and very little else going on other than lounging. Last Sunday afternoon, this was particularly appropriate.

My sister, brother-in-law, and I went to Dolores Park to meet up with my cousin Miko and his friend Steve. Instead of Ile de la Jatte, the urban oasis was Dolores Park. And rather than a view of the Seine River, city dwellers have a panoramic view of downtown. But all the different types of personalities that you could come across, from groups of friends to couples...to families...to dogs? All still relevant. And the laying around on blankets while soaking up the sun? Definitely still relevant. The modern twists begin to show when you dig a little deeper, past the picturesque surface.

Birthday Weekend Pt. 2: To Hyang Korean Restaurant

After our adventures in the Marina District, we ended the night in Inner Richmond. I chose where we went for lunch, so my dad picked where we ate dinner: To Hyang Korean Restaurant. I love Korean food, but I have to admit...there was some skepticism over To Hyang's 3-star rating on Yelp, especially with much more popular Korean joints in the same area.

"It's good. Trust me," my dad proclaimed.

And so I did...with the help of a little research. Chris Cosentino, chef-partner at Noe Valley's Incanto, says that he loves "off-the-beaten-path spots like To Hyang for great Korean food." Cosentino even took Anthony Bourdain here for an episode of The Layover, calling their house-infused soju "super rocket fuel". (Favorite quote of the segment: "Just when you thought pork belly was over...Nooo, pork belly is never over.")

Andrew Zimmern, of Bourdain's old Travel Channel brethren, also visited chef-owner Hwa-Soon Im and her small restaurant. He declared To Hyang as "Korean grandmother food heaven". (Okay, at this point, my skepticism was pretty much gone.)

So what finally tipped the scale for me, pushing me towards To Hyang instead of away? Ravi Kapur, who is from Oahu, grew up on Korean food, and went to culinary school in San Francisco, appeared on Munchies. He's the former executive chef at SoMa's Prospect and now runs a traveling, Hawaiian-inspired pop-up called Liholiho Yacht Club. In this webisode, I watched him bring his sous-chefs to To Hyang after closing up their restaurant for the night. Everything about their meal, from the 30-year-old ginseng wine to the spicy pork ribs, looked awesome. They even went to the back to meet Hwa-Soon Im, who makes all of her condiments/pickles/sauces/etc. in-house and cooks everything herself to order, and her daughter showed Kapur the patio where Im has her own herb garden and the clay pots of soy bean paste that she ferments herself. Fun fact? The "master" paste that Im uses to make her doenjang was started way before To Hyang ever opened.

This is not your typical Korean BBQ joint. There are the well-known dishes, like kalbi short ribs and mandoo dumplings, but you also get authentic Korean, "home-cooked" food. There are dishes that only a skilled and expert hand could make just right, that Hwa-Soon Im does very well. When my family and I arrived at To Hyang, I was ready for a good meal. We ended up having a great dinner, and I'll always remember to come back here when I've craving traditional Korean cuisine.

Birthday Weekend Pt. 1: Pacific Catch on Chestnut St.

My parents wanted to take me out for my birthday, so they planned on spending the whole day with me in the city. When I was picking out a place for lunch, I remembered a friend of mine who recommended Pacific Catch on Chestnut St. She had mentioned it when I was talking about my trip to Oahu and thought that I would like their Ahi Poke Bowls.

Yup. She had me at "poke".

I told my dad about the restaurant, and...I had him at "poke", too. (The photos feature on Yelp can be such a wonderful thing.)

Pacific Catch, "Fresh Fish Grill", has 4 locations in the Bay Area. Since the original location is on Chestnut St., we thought it was best to go where it all started. The menu includes fresh salads, fish & chips style baskets, island tacos, and "pan-asian" rice bowls. While it didn't have the specialty cocktails and sushi rolls like the other locations, everything this place has to offer is fresh, bright, and mouthwatering-good. In addition to my parents, I brought my nephew Jon and invited my aunt, uncle, and cousin to join us. San Francisco had more blue-sky weather that Saturday, so it turned out to be a fun, relaxing afternoon with family.   

San Francisco: The Farmers' Market Lightning Round & A Bowl of Pappardelle

The other weekend, my mom made plans with my Auntie Mel to go into the city and shop around the farmers' market.

When I caught wind of this, obviously, I couldn't let her go without me. That would just be crazy.

It ended up being San Francisco: The Farmers' Market Lightning Round. I tagged along with my my parents, aunt, and uncle, and we hit not just one, but three markets that day! You can call me crazy, but I have no problem getting up at 6 on a Saturday morning for a farmers' market. And you know what? It was absolutely worth it. Gorgeous weather, gorgeous views, gorgeous produce, and a gorgeous bowl of pasta at the end of the day? Check, check, check, and check. Using all market-bought ingredients, I came up with an extremely simple and easy recipe for Romanesco & Pappardelle! It was a perfect way to end a day of walking around the city, shopping, and soaking up the sunshine.

Oahu: From Fruits to Fishes

Green and pink anthurium flowers peeking out from buckets of water. The sweet smell of strawberry papayas. Jars of homemade jam with handwritten labels.

I love strolling through the farmers' market to see what little treasures I can find, and doing this in an exciting, foreign locale never fails to be an eye-opener. I always tell friends that want to visit the Hawaiian islands, "Go to the local market!" Checking out the local markets is a unique and mostly inexpensive way to get to know the area. You can meet anyone, from the very farmers who harvest the crop to business owners selling their homemade goods, from the neighborhood residents to fellow travelers.

So, for the finale of my Oahu posts, I want to shine a light on a couple of marketplaces on the island. I've mentioned all of the "home"-cooking that my mom did for this trip, and now I can finally tell you about where we found our ingredients. We would've loved to go to Oahu's bigger farmers' markets, but our schedule just never matched up with the days that they were held. (For information on markets sponsored by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, click here. For the county-run People's Open Markets, click here.) Nevertheless, we found a couple of places that are open all week long and are just as interesting to stroll through.

North Shore Eats & Honolulu Sweets

Continuing my posts about my recent trip to Oahu... I finally get to talk about some of the great food that I ate all around the island! While my family had the luxury of eating home-cooked meals for most of our vacation (Thanks, Mom!), eating out was inevitable. Fortunately, we've visited the island enough times to know our way around. Here are a few of my favorite places, and I hope you fit them into your plans if you're ever in Oahu! (I would hate for you to think that Cheesecake Factory or PF Chang's in Waikiki is as good as it gets...)

The Pros of Keeping the Pro Bowl in Hawaii

I want the NFL to keep the Pro Bowl going. And I want the NFL to keep the Pro Bowl in Hawai'i. These are sentiments of a football fan who's actually been attending the game, or at least been in town to partake in all of the admission-free festivities, and happens to have a deep love for the Hawaiian islands. While I'm aware of all of the variables in this issue...quality of play, ticket sales, TV ratings...I hope to at least offer a glimpse of what it's like to actually experience Pro Bowl week, beyond just watching coverage on TV.

Aulani Resort & Spa: The Super-Post

Today, I'm excited to talk all about my recent trip to Oahu, Hawai'i! To start, I want to talk about the place that was "home" for a week: Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. My parents are Disney Vacation Club members, so when DVC opened a resort in Hawai'i in August 2011, we were all ecstatic to come out and see it. We were blown away by every detail, and it became obvious that we'd be coming here again and again and again. This year, in town for the Pro Bowl once again, we had my 5 year old nephew with us! We really had a chance to experience the resort with a kid-friendly perspective in mind and to see how it caters to a big family made up of different ages.