Monday, October 31, 2011

Potipot Island




(June 2011)  Headed to Potipot Island for a late summer getaway...

While the beach was nice and inviting, I couldn't help but to miss surfing --- I should go back to Baler soon!

Details:

You can reach Potipot Island by:

1) Riding a bus to Sta. Cruz, Zambales, Victory Liner has daily trips to Sta. Cruz, alight at Dawal Resort in Candelaria, Zambales.

2) Driving to Candelaria, Zambales.

From Manila to Candelaria, the drive takes about of 6 hours.

From Dawal Resort, you can rent a boat that will take you to Potipot island, which is about 5 to 10 minutes away.

Fee:
Entrance to Potipot Island --- Php20/pax
Overnight camping --- Php100/pax
Boat to the Island --- Php400 for 6pax

Chicago's Deep-Dish Pizza


When in Chicago, eat as chicagonians do...so I found myself wandering around the streets, looking for a suitable place to try the chicago-style pizza.

I found myself at the door of Giordano's pizza.

Giordano's Pizza in downtown Chicago
The whiff of oven-fresh doughs and melted cheese would greet you upon entering. Heavenly.



Nice interiors --- I imagine this place to be packed whenever the game
is on.

I pored over the menu and quickly decided on a
spinach with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, an
extra serving of cheese, of course!
I was told that my pizza will be available in 35 minutes. My tummy grumbled in disbelief so I ordered a slice of cheesecake and have it served at once to pacify it.

a slice of cheesecake served as an appetizer! haha!

Look at how soft and creamy the cheesecake is!

My only gripe about this is that the crust was too thin for my liking; other than that, it proved to be the best opening act for the main act.


And then, my deep-dish pizza arrived!
Look at that cheese stretching and clinging on my knife!

My mouth literally waters at the sight of this!

Food porn at its best! The taste is a hundred times better!
I couldn't stop admiring the way the cheese sorts of clings at each other. I took one bite, sighed in disbelief. this is heaven on a plate.

I didn't know how long it took for me to open my eyes and finally realized I just swallowed the last bite.

In one of its walls, this sign is posted:
11th Commandment: Thou shall eat pizza.
Amen.
I rushed off to the airport after consuming my deep-dish pizza voraciously. As our plane made its way to the busy runway of Chicago O'Hare, it suddenly stopped. The flight attendant made an announcement that our plane was overweight and couldn't get the clearance to take off. They need 3 volunteers to leave the plane. They'll be seated on the next flights out, together with free vouchers.
 
I slid lower on my seat, hiding my guilty smile. I looked over to where my two other officemates/conspirators and whispered, "It must have been the pizza."
 

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard



On my last night in St. Louis, I decided to have one of its must-trys --- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.

St. Louis' famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
Opened since 1941, the branch in historic US Route 66 has become the flagship location for decades now. Their first location was in Florida, but by 1950s, only the 2 locations in St. Louis are operational.


Ted Drewes in Chippewa St.
So what makes Ted Drewes a favorite in St. Louis?

For one thing, they only have one flavor --- vanilla, which they combine with other toppings and flavorings.


Ted Drewes Menu is posted on the side of the store, near the parking lot
And then, there's their concrete --- a custard blended so thick that they serve it to customers upside down.

Ted Drewes Concrete served the right way

The verdict? Thick, creamy and with real ingreadients, it's definitely worth the visit! I'm sure Dairy Queen or Cold Rock serve almost the same flavors, but the fact that Ted Drewes has never been franchised and not so commercialized somehow added to the feeling that you're only high quality ingredients, big portions, prepared the traditional way. It's like having a legend in your yellow cup.

Details:
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
6726 Chippewa Street
Saint Louis, MO 63109