Knowing that the San Diego Zoo is an experience, my girlfriend and I devoted many hours to exploring what the zoo had to offer. We were lucky enough to visit while they were running a discount on their Beer Map. Instead of paying $10 for each pint, I got four 12 oz “tastings” for $20! Not bad, right?
Beer! Yay, beer!Normally $10/16oz, I got 48 oz for $20!
No visit to the zoo is complete without finding koalas… nope! We caught these divas while they were being fed. They had zero interest in the public… Just their lunch!
Drop bear!This guy was a goof“Ugh. More tourists…”Best friends!Sneaky!Reindeer!“Can I eat, now?”
Balboa Park… wow, where to start! Well, in addition to being a park, it is a collection of museums as well as the home of the San Diego Zoo! Across a walkway, are two gardens: cacti and roses. Further to the north, adjacent to the zoo is the Spanish Village – a collection of stalls for many artists to display their wares as well as show how they go about creating their works!
The architecture really blew me away – I love the return to the original Spanish influence to the area. Because of how late we slept in (being awake for 24 hours really takes it out of you), we weren’t able to explore too much our first day, but we picked up tickets to see the zoo as well as museums.
Thankfully, the rose and cacti gardens have no closing times, so we were able to take our time exploring them.
Turf Supper Club
For dinner, we discovered the Turf Supper Club thanks to Google Maps (seriously, Google… thank you). Unlike traditional steakhouses, the Turf Supper Club is a “cook your own steak” experience. You select your cuts and you cook it just how you would like it. If I lived in the area, I know I would be a regular here.
I just read an interesting piece from Roads & Kingdoms where they got to talk to Anthony Bourdain about his most recent Parts Unknown episode. This episode is special because President Obama reached out to Bourdain to dine with him. Instead of opting for an environment that the Secret Service would likely approve of more, the two of them adventured to a family-run Bun Cha establishment.
Bourdain recounts how moving the public’s response was the next day – they were proud and touched that someone like the President would do something they do. I love the idea of a world leader rubbing elbows with the working class, and it really grounds his image. In fact, my favorite part of the interview was when Bourdain was asked how he felt:
Bourdain: He’s so smooth, loosey-goosey, cool; he was lovely. At one point I asked him, “Do you ever miss just being able to go out in the afternoon and have a beer in an old man bar, just put a sad song on on the jukebox?” He looks up at me, smiles, and says, “In about six months.”
Many of Anthony Bourdain’s works, No Reservations and Parts Unknown in particular, are responsible for my wanderlust. I love the fact that you see not only the glitz and the glamour, but also how regular people survive in the various locales. He keeps the politics out of it and shows you what a country is like through his camera lens, and he doesn’t pull any punches in the process. I highly recommend watching the No Reservations special on Beirut. I can say, without a doubt, it is what got me hooked on the series.
Confession time – until this weekend, I had actually never been to a Ren Faire. Upon learning that it would be available, it was decided that we would be attending (after some needed recovery from the travel, of course) and rectifying this! This particular faire actually lasts for multiple weeks, with different events each week.
It’s TIME!St. George vs. the Dragon!Carrie the princess!Carrie and I with my new mug
We took our time exploring the wares and outfits, admiring the craftsmanship of many of the items for sale. One of the merchants, Dwarf Mountain Knives had made some beautiful knives, and both my girlfriend and I saw one that we felt was perfect. It was very reasonably priced for a hand-worked blade, and felt well balanced (and solid!) in my hand.
My new knife
We also came across a craftsman (Clay Images) who made quite a few incense burners and water fountains in the shape of adorable dragons. Unfortunately, I neglected to capture pictures of these creations, but I foresee one entering our house in the future…
Feeling a little peckish, I opted for traditional Faire fare: a turkey leg. Served hot, it really hit the spot!
De-freaking-licious!
Prior to leaving, we made our way to the puzzle-ring stand, and noted that they also sold pendants. I fell in love with one with Odin’s runes on both sides and purchased that as well.
Odin’s PendantThe back of Odin’s PendantInformation on Odin’s PendantMore on Odin’s Pendant
Dinner at Jack Stack
For those not familiar with Kansas City BBQ (admittedly, I was not familiar with it by name, but was in the underlying methodology), it involves a slow cooking process where the sauce is involved at multiple steps. This is different from Carolina or Texas BBQ, where sauces are added at different stages, or rubs prior to cooking, and so on. Jack Stack BBQ is one of the highest rated BBQ establishments of this style in the area, so we knew we had to pay them a visit.
We started the evening with fried mushrooms, onion rings, and burnt-ends (of ham and sausage, in this case) before ordering our entrees.
The tower of onionsMore mushrooms!
I opted for a sirloin with Parmesan broccoli with hickory smoked pit beans (with brisket!), with others ordering various combinations (lamb ribs and beef burnt ends… brisket and baby-back ribs… and more!), and salmon. The pit beans were a favorite all around – I can see why they are as popular as they are with regulars!
Sirloin with Pit Beans10oz of Salmon? Nom!Closeup of the potatoBrisket and Pit Beans!Burnt Ends and Pit BeansBeef Burnt Ends, Lamb Ribs, and PotatoVeggie Skewer
Arriving at MCI (or KCI, depending on how you remember the airport – watch out because many signs are KCI, though the IATA recognizes it as MCI), is both like and unlike arriving at other airports. For those that remember flying prior to 9/11, you will recall that your friends and family could escort you all the way to your gate. MCI is designed in a very similar fashion, where security is actually for individual sets of gates for each terminal.
Security at KCI
This is very different from other airports where the folks seeing you off, or collecting you, won’t be able to see you until you leave the secured area. In fact, there are transparent regions where you can see one another as soon as you get off the plane. Extremely convenient!
Map from FlyKCI.com
Furthermore, the parking is arranged in smaller sections, for each terminal, in addition to longer term parking which can be found in the middle. Each “C” has gates along the outer edge with security for each set of five or so gates. This makes for extremely smooth arrivals and departures. Transfers can be tricky, though, if the gate you are going to is in a different security cluster. The real food options (and gift options) are located outside the secure zone, so this should also be kept in mind depending on what your plans include.
For our second day, we opted for a fairly low-key start as we had been traveling well into the night (not arriving in Kansas City until midnight), and we wanted to be well-rested for our Rennaisance Faire adventure plans the following day. Our hosts mentioned many restaurants but two really stood out, so we knew we had to make time for them. Grünauer and Jack Stack BBQ. For our first night, we opted for Austrian.
Grünauer was founded by an Austrian family, and is still run by the same family. The food is carefully prepared and presented, taking additional care to remain true to tradition. The menu offered a wide variety of options, so we made sure to try a few different things. We started the evening with drinks (a Racing Bird, similar to a spicy margarita), and ordered appetizers: a plate of Austrian meats and fried mushrooms served with tartar sauce.
The Racing BirdJausenbrettl: Hungarian salami, liverwurst, black forest ham, bierwurst, and mortadellaToast for the meatGebackene Champignons
I was very pleasantly surprised by the drink, as I am usually not a fan of tequila, but the citrus flavors combined with the spicy salt (pepper and paprika were involved, I think) blew me away. The liverwurst was surprisingly delicate, while making sure you recognized its presence, and the real surprise was how well fried mushrooms went with tartar sauce. Two things I would -never- think of combining!
For entrees, we again wanted to try quite a few different options. I went with a traditional Austrian farmer’s meal (Bauernschmaus), while others had a Waygu-style beef Goulash, sirloin, Paprikahuhn, and crepes.
Bauernschmaus: Austrian Farmer’s DinnerSchwammerlHungarian Beef GoulashZwiebel Rostbraten: Center Cut Strip LoinPaprikahuhn: Chicken Breast with Paprika with Spätzle
Though the farmer’s plate was described as having bacon, it was truly more in the vein of pork belly. Delicious! The sauerkraut had an excellent flavor and the acidity left meat (served on top of it) tender. My girlfriend and our friends all enjoyed our respective dishes. If you are visiting, you really should make it a point to stop by!
We wrapped up our dinner with a nice cup of coffee, with some of us ordering Melange (a spiced cappuccino) instead. Delightful!
While in Sacramento this week, I made it a point to do a little exploring. What’s travel without food, right? If you are in Sacramento, definitely give these a shot!
Affordable French food? Sign me up! I started with French Onion Soup, which was perfectly caramelized, and a still-crunchy crouton… amazing. It was an excellent start of the evening!
French Onion Soup!
For my entree, I opted for Gigot d’Agneau – leg of lamb wrapped around cheese and excellently spiced. It was served on a bed of white beans and still moist throughout. Quite delicious!
I am a sucker for good BBQ, and Fahrenheit 250 didn’t disappoint! I opted for jerk chicken with brisket chili and cheese grits. The grits weren’t runny (yay!), and everything had a wonderful kick to it! These folks know what they’re doing, for sure. They also have a decent selection of beers on tap – be sure to be there for happy hour!
After a productive week, the team felt a night at an Irish pub was in order. With an expansive selection of whiskies and beers, it was an excellent decision! I opted for a Reuben with a fried egg, and their soup of the day: a turkey meatball in a curry sauce akin to that of butter chicken!
Mm… creamy!
The hat opted for Shepherd’s Pie – also with a fried egg! It was an excellent choice from what I was told! Our server, responsible for recommending the inclusion of egg with our entrees, certainly earned her tip – she knew the menu like the back of her hand, and was happy to suggest both libations and savories.
