Leonard's Bakery - Kapahulu

It's been awhile, but I've been craving some Leonard's malasadas. You know from the bakery in Kapahulu...

As usual the parking lot was full, but I was able to sqeeze into a parking space not too far away. And as usual there is a line. Apparently it is a stop for tour buses, so there are benches outside where you can sit and enjoy your malasadas and coffee (if you can a find a seat).

 In addition to the usual assortment of bakery goods, there are all sorts of wearable items with the Leonard's logo on them for sale. But really, I was there for the malasadas! Fresh from the fryer - yummy!

More food in Vegas

Would you believe that we didn't stop at In-n-Out Burger on this trip!?! But no worries, we ate out share of burgers at other places.
 Hash House a go go at the M Hotel. Actually this was not a planned stop, we were going to eat at Studio B buffet, but the line was incredibly long. So long, it looked like a line for Disneyland and the wait was over an hour.

It's a good thing that Hash House a go go opened recently.  In the front is the Mushroom and Swiss burger and behind it is the Kokomo (meatloaf sandwich), with a salad.

 We also had burgers at the newly opened Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan. A classic burger on the left and the bbq burger with brisket on the right. (They both had fancy names, but I can't remember what they were). Delicious!

There were a few other dining adventures, like Metro Pizza, the Cupcakery and  The Cafe at Monte Carlo. But for this trip, that's all folks!

Arriving in the desert...

We decided to take one last trip at the end of the year. Somewhere there would be a chill in the air... So we hopped on the plane (the new Airbus) to Vegas, of course!

It was wet, dark and cold when we landed. You know how you can almost see the entire length of the strip? Well, the clouds were so low, that you could just barely see two properties ahead. We were hoping that the weather moves on quickly and change back to the crisp, dry desert that we are accustomed to.



A hearty breakfast should lift our spirits. This time we decided to try Black Bear Diner on Tropicana Ave.

The Mr. had his "lucky" breakfast of Eggs Benedict and I had a chorizo scramble. Yummy. After filling our bellies we headed back out in the rain in search of our fortunes.

The root beer place...

We always pass it on the way to Boehms candy, but this is the first time we stopped to eat at Triple XXX Rootbeer. How can you resist a place that actually tells you:

 You know it's gotta be good!

It is a little overwhelming when your first walk in, every inch of the walls and ceiling is covered with stuff... Cool stuff...

The menu is just as overwhelming... lots of choices and they all sound good! Dessert first - a Root Beer Float!

The Rocket Super 88 (the Classic Cheeseburger with Chili Fries)

 

The Chevelle SS 396 (Mushroom and Swiss Burger with Curly Fries and 2 Onion Rings

And the Bumper (fried prawns)...

Another recommendation found us walking to The Sticky Wicket Pub and Restaurant at the Strathcona Hotel for lunch.

 The sandwich of the day was a Grilled Prime Rib Steak Sandwich. Perfectly cooked open-faced sandwich.

This is a Stickey Wicket Burger (bacon and cheddar) with a cup of Salmon Chowder. The best burger on the trip! Definitely not counting calories or cholesterol on this trip!

And you gotta love the sign - " No rotten looking jeans"!

The best way to start the day

We stayed at the Chateau Victoria, which boasts a rooftop restaurant, Vista 18, with a 360 degree view...

I'm sure it is a spectacular view when there is no fog! When we first stepped in the restaurant, it felt as if we were up in the clouds. You couldn't even see the buildings next door. This photo was taken after 30 minutes, a little better.

Breakfast, however, was a much better view. If you are hungry, then Mount Baker is for you... Eggs, ham, bacon AND pancakes with a berry compote. Delicious!

 

 Made to order Omlette with Breakfast Potatoes. Chips for breakfast - I love it! And they had homemade blueberry jam, yummy.

Vista Scramble - Chorizo, Tomato, Cheddar and Mozzarella on Sourdough toast.  Perfect way to start the day!

Follow your nose!

We walked past a Greek restaurant each time we walked back to our hotel and we'd catch a wiff of some wonderful cooking. Follow you nose, right? We stopped in for an early dinner. Step in to a charming dining room when you walk into Millos Restaurant.

Spanikopita to start, then bring on the meat!

The rack of lamb with Greek herbs and spices and the Millos Ribs... No room for dessert after that...

Next time we're in town, we'll go when there is belly dancing!

Museum Day

The forecast was for rain, so we postponed our visit to the gardens and went to the Royal BC Museum instead.

The permanent exhibits were great, but my favorite was the "Behind the Scenes: Part 1 Natural History". They put their collection of specimens on display. Plants, animals, insects, birds, feces (replicas, but still...). I spent the most time in the birds section (especially the eggs) and the least time in the insect section (yuk!). There were also displays telling you about the curators and the collection managers. Well done!

And then it was time for lunch... following another recommendation, we walked to Nautical Nellies.

On the menu - Wild Halibut tacos and "The Ultimate Lobster Sandwich" (with yam fries, of course).

Onto Victoria

We took the ferry to Victoria for a few days. It is a 3 hour ride. Luckily, it was smooth sailing and the trip went by quickly.

After going through customs and checking in, the first order of business was to get some dinner. On a recommendation we walked to Bard & Banker. It used to be a bank, now it is a pub. A pub with delicious food and live music at night. We had burgers (lamd and beef) and steak and ale pie. Oh, yeah, don't forget the chowder and yam fries...Comfort food, done right.

Pike's Place Public Market

You know you are in Pike's Market when you see the flowers. Since we were there in September, the bouquets were full of fall colors.

And I have to make time to see the fish. The last time we were there, they had a rock fish (?) on display. This time there is a "Giant Pacific Octopus".

I enjoy walking around when the vendors are setting up their stands. But most of all, I love the variety of food that you can find. I usually make a stop at Three Girls Bakery to get a variety of pastries and the Mr.

insists that we make time for a Smoked Salmon Pate piroshky at Piroshky Bakery.

 

My new favorite is the Farm Fresh Potato Chips. You get a small paper bag of freshly fried chips made from some of the potatos that you see here. I got a mixed bag of purple and gold chips that just came out of the fryer. They were gone in a flash, so once again, no picture...  You should try a bag if you are there!