Cocchi Cup cocktail – Starbelly

Cocchi Cup cocktail - Starbelly

Cocchi Americano, blackberries, soda, lime garnish. $8
Starbelly, San Francisco CA

This was ok, but the soda was flat! It took forever to make it to our table too. I swear this place must have gotten new management because the service and food has gone to sh!t.

Do not sit on steps

“Do not sit on steps” residential signage, Noe Valley. San Franciscans hate it when you sit on their stoop.

Potluck with friends!

Potluck tablescape

I love it when my friends throw potlucks at their homes! It’s a great time to catch up with everyone and enjoy wonderful food. I’m a little bit competitive so I always like to bring something that everyone will enjoy. It can be simple or complicated, but it should make a statement either way. My friends’ tablescape certainly did. It was really pretty with the assorted flowers, fruits, vegetables, and candles.

Mimosa with raspberry

And what’s a get-together without some refreshments! 🙂 You can never go wrong with a nice mimosa to start.

Grilled shutome – Roy’s

Grilled shutome - Roy's
Catch of the day (broadbrill swordfish) with vegetable tempura, black bean and corn salsa, queso fresco (?).
Roy’s, Waikoloa HI

This was a pretty thick cut of swordfish, yeah! I appreciated their straighforward preparation and clean plating.

Waikoloa's crisp pork potstickers - Roy's
Waikoloa’s crisp pork potstickers. Spicy peany curry sauce and Thai aromatics. $9.50
Sorry for the horrible pic, but it really didn’t taste that great anyway. 😦

White frangipani flowers
White frangipani flowers (Plumeria obtusa, Apocynaceae), Ali’i Drive.

White sangria and beer – Sliderbar

White sangria - Sliderbar

Fresh mint, peach white sangria: California chardonnay, fresh mint, summer peaches, fresh oranges and lime. $5
Sliderbar, San Francisco CA

Mmm, sangria! This cool sports bar is a nice addition to the restaurant scene in the Castro. It replaced Criolla Kitchen, and was Bagdad Cafe before that. We ended up here after a day of hanging out with friends and the service was amazing! The crowd was young and fun, and the food was pretty tasty too!

Allagash White beer - Sliderbar

Allagash White beer. Refreshing with orange peel and coriander notes. Portland, MA, 5.2% ABV. $6

Naked lady door handle
Naked lady door handle, 24th Street.

Loco moco – Starbelly

Loco moco - Starbelly
Prather Ranch beef patty, steamed rice, sunny egg, green onions and sweet soy. $10
Starbelly, San Francisco CA

Ugh, this was a joke! In my nostalgia for Hawaii, I was stupid enough to order a loco moco from Starbelly. The hamburger patty was tough and bland and there was no yummy gravy! And by the time it made it to the table, it was cold. Gross. I usually love this restaurant, but we were having brunch with a group and the service was terrible! They were super slow and inattentive. Also, more than one of our dishes came out overcooked and they even forgot a couple of our plates. Lame!

Muni wires
Muni wires criss-crossing the intersection at Market and Castro.

Bun cha cio – Little Saigon

Bun cha cio - Little Saigon
Imperial rolls (deep fried stuffed with minced pork, taro root and carrot) with rice noodles. Served with shredded lettuce, carrot, mint, bean sprouts, green onions, peanut, and house fish sauce. $6.75
Little Saigon, South San Francisco CA

Mmm, I love Vietnamese imperial rolls! I enjoy the crispy, almost hard texture of its fried wrapper and the salty fish sauce that it always comes with. Almost as good as lumpia, hehe.

South San Francisco Bart Station artwork
Artwork at the South San Francisco Bart Station.

Preparing for the long flight back to SFO – Red Carpet Club

Pre-flight snacks - Red Carpet Club
Rose Kennedy cocktails and snack mix. Complimentary
Red Carpet Club, Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

Wow, that’s definitely just a splash of cranberry juice in those cocktails! It’s barely pink, lol! Time to get my drink on before flying back to San Francisco.

Hawaiian sky
Bye-bye Hawaii! Unitl next time. 🙂

Mehana Mauna Kea pale ale – Walmart

Mehana Mauna Kea pale ale - Costco
An American pale ale by Hawaii Nui Brewing (Mehana Brewing Company).
Walmart, Kailua-Kona HI

When in Rome you gotta drink the local brews! This beer is brewed in Hilo on the Big Island, and it tasted really good. Nice and light which fits my taste, with lots of flavor.

Mehana Brewing Company bottle caps
Mehana Brewing Company bottle caps.

Green gecko
With some patience, I was able to snap a pic of this green gecko.

Herb grilled fresh fish – Bamboo Restaurant

Herb grilled fresh fish - Bamboo Restaurant
Fresh Hawaiian fish, basted with garden herbs and lightly grilled. Served with salad, steamed rice, tropical fresh fruit salsa and tartar sauce.
Bamboo Restaurant, Hawi HI

Sorry that I forgot what kind of fish this was, but it was their catch of the day. It was pretty good and the portions were generous on everything.

Black sand beach
Black sand beach at Lololu Valley.

Classic Italian sub – Quiznos

Classic Italian sub - Quiznos
Capicola, genoa salami, ham, pepperoni, all-natural mozzarella, black olives, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions, red wine vinaigrette on toasted wheat bread. $10.49
Quiznos, Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

Meh, Quiznos is Quiznos. I do like that they toast their bread and their toppings seem better quality than Subway for some reason. I also like how they have a pickle and sauce bar. I love their sauce!

United Airlines ticket counters
United Airlines ticket counters.