Instant Grativacation

This is a very special guest post from my dad, Rodney Broughton. I love that both of my parents still possess an adventurous side, and are always accepting in turn of my sometimes-crazy antics. Even as open-minded as I am to new experiences, I thought my dad was out of his mind when he told me he was going skydiving. So, I made him promise that he wouldn’t tell me about it until he was back safely on the ground.

Here is his story.

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The old cliché about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is enough to make most people keep their feet firmly planted on the ground. But at 55 years old I thought it was time to cross this off my short but ever changing “bucket list.”

Ever since going on the Freefall ride at Six Flags Over Georgia I wanted to experience the feeling of a real free fall. With thanks to my wonderful wife, she purchased a skydiving trip for me for Valentines Day. I was very excited but nervous. After getting the okay from my physician and dropping 25 pounds I was on my way to Skydive Tampa Bay.

On arrival I was quick to notice that I was old enough to be most of the people who were jumping or the instructors father. After a short conversation with my tandem partner and self proclaimed adrenalin junky, he instructed me on the free fall position. I realized that this tired old body just didn’t flex like it used too. After his reassurance that I would be fine, I settled in for a two-hour wait.

Thirty minutes prior to my death-defying leap my partner tossed me an official skydivers jumpsuit to put on. I have to admit that after sliding it over my clothes and putting on my harness I felt a little like Maverick in Top Gun. After voguing for all the people in the hanger, I was given my last minute instructions before loading up on the plane to set out on our 10-minute journey to 13,000 feet.

The trip seemed long, and the plane grew warmer as we continued our ascent. When we were at jumping altitude the first two out the door were a father and daughter out for a nice Saturday jump. Then one after another the planeload of tandem jumpers were rolled out of the door. Tandem jumping brings a whole new meaning to the word close. You are harnessed so tight to your partner it is almost hard to tell where you end and he begins.

Well it was my turn. After my duck walk to the door with my partner firmly anchored to my back I was sitting in the doorway of the plane with my feet dangling out at 13,000 feet wondering what the hell I was…. Couldn’t get to the word “doing” before my partner rolled us out the door and we were free falling at 126 miles per hour.

The one word I would use to describe the experience was intense. It was very noisy with the air rushing by, but when the parachute is deployed you quickly transition to a very quiet peaceful ride. I felt like Mini Me in Austin Powers hanging in the harness in front of my tandem partner – but not as small.

After my last minute landing instructions, and a final corkscrew move just to be sure I didn’t leave my stomach elsewhere, we had a very smooth and successful butt landing. Like my partner had told me before the jump my insides were in hyperspeed, and it was a while before I came back to Earth.

The best way to sum up my experience was my answer to the last question that my videographer asked me. Would you do it again? My answer – in a heart beat.

I’ll cut right to the chase: Lola in Seattle is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. Everything I have had is delicious, and even when I’m stuffed, I keep eating because the pain of being full is absolutely worth the pleasure that comes from absolutely every item on the menu.

I mentioned the amazing tzatziki and the fresh donuts in my post highlighting which Tom Douglas restaurants I enjoyed while in Seattle, and while all are worth a full article, I’ll start with Lola.

Everything is amazingly fresh and just so tasty. It is how all food should be. So what are the best parts of this great restaurant? While it’s hard to choose, I’ll give you my take, but it has no shortage of accolades if you need more convincing. But come on, people, Tom Douglas won when he was a contestant on Iron Chef America, so if that doesn’t mean something to you, I don’t know what would!

• Lola makes their pita bread! Pita bread on its own isn’t the most exciting bread in the world, but at Lola, it is incredible – warm, soft, a slight grilled taste, covered in rich olive oil and salt. You almost don’t need the dips, but they are so good, you’ll want to try at least a couple. And order extra pita. You’ll be glad you did.

• The tzatziki is out of this world. While I mentioned this before, it is amazing that tzatziki is another items that is so simple, but when done right, you can’t help but wonder why all simple food can’t be so amazing. I recommend ordering it as an appetizer and then ordering the kabob of your choice since many (maybe all, but I haven’t had them all, although I would like to) also come with a side of it.

• They know what skordalia is and they do it right. Not to harp on the spreads too much, but I’m one of those people who could make a meal out of the appetizers.

• The made-to-order donuts that Giada de Laurentiis raved about in the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” are even better than she expressed, and she did a pretty good job. It is hard to put it into words, but no matter how full you are, the donuts are not to be missed! Trust me. In fact, get two orders per person!

• Open for three meals a day. That is nice. You could eat there multiple times in a single day and the food is so good, I certainly would if I still lived in Seattle. While I haven’t experienced the joy that appears to be breakfast, it’s on my list for next time.

Bottom line – don’t miss it if you make it to Seattle! While I could go on and on about everything from the wine and drink list to the desserts, there isn’t a bad item on the menu, so start with a few things and work your way around.

Although I moved from Seattle back to the Bay Area nearly five years ago, there is still a lot that I really miss about the Emerald City. One of the main things I miss is all of the amazing food. While San Francisco is no slouch when it comes to great dining and drinking options, I found the food in Seattle to be much more accessible, affordable and just simply, consistently good. And not just at fine dining establishments, but everywhere, from dive bars and food stands to celebrity chef outposts.

One of the most renowned Seattle chefs is the very amazing Tom Douglas, and on my most recent trip to Seattle, we made sure to visit as many of his restaurants as possible. Since we were only in town for a few days, we only managed to eat at four, but all were amazing and I highly recommend each of them. A brief overview of some of the highlights follows:

Cuoco
The Tom Douglas Italian spot in Westlake is worth the trip for the pasta alone. We had three dishes and all were great, but I recommend the Tajarin, thin hand-cut pasta with butter and sage. Rarely can you get such simple, yet delicious, pasta at a restaurant.

Serious Pie (downtown)
You can’t go wrong with the buffalo mozzarella, red sauce and fresh basil. A wonderful take on the margherita, the super thin crust is the perfect amount of crispy. They say the pizzas are good for one or two people, but do yourself a favor and get your own. Sure it’s nice to share, but do yourself a favor and get at least one per person

Lola
I can’t say enough good things about this restaurant! Definitely one of my favorite spots in the whole world. The homemade pita bread and Tzatziki were worth the flight alone, and the fresh donuts are out of this world.

Serious Biscuit
Located within the Serious Pie location in Westlake, Serious Biscuit serves biscuits and breakfast until 3 p.m. most days. I love any place with fried green tomatoes, so I got the fried green tomato, bacon, remoulade, egg on a biscuit sandwich and I wasn’t disappointed. But I don’t know if liked the biscuit sandwich or the hush puppies more.

I hope that next time I visit Seattle, I can enjoy even more of the spots within the TD empire! Look for more in-depth reviews on the best of Tom Douglas coming soon.

Today’s post is brought to you by one of my good friends, Stephanie Schlegel. Being from the South where there is a lot of great BBQ, I am constantly on the lookout for new places to try in the Bay Area. So, when Stephanie shared her latest discovery — Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life in San Jose — I knew I needed to make a trip ASAP and that she needed to share her experience here. What made this even more exciting is that this place was featured on one of my favorite shows – Man v. Food. 

Take it away, Steph!

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A month or so ago, I was lucky enough to take a trip to Austin, Texas for work. It was a fantastic work trip but left me with a unique craving, BBQ’d meat. I’m a San Franciscan by birth and haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying real BBQ before that Texas trip. I’m happy to say I found an amazing BBQ experience in the Bay Area.

My sister and I drove out to San Jose for a concert and decided to leave a little early so we could grab a quick dinner. A friend gave me a few recommendations near San Jose’s HP Pavilion, and I knew instantly that Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life was going to be a winner.

When we arrived, we grabbed a number and a few minutes later our order was taken while we hung out by the bar. With limited menu time, we both went with the obvious choice — the ribs and chicken combo. Why have one when you can have both?

My sister commented that $16 seemed pricey, but I don’t think she understood the volume of food we were going to receive. We were seated and instantly presented with a small salad and a plate of bread with BBQ dipping sauce. The bread was dripping with butter, and the sweet and tangy BBQ dipping sauce complemented it perfectly. To be honest, I was full just from the bread and salad, but the main course was still to come.

A huge plate of meat and a baked potato arrived shortly after we finished our salad. Someone in Texas told me that good BBQ stands alone and doesn’t need sauce, and the second I tasted the chicken I knew this was good BBQ. It was perfectly cooked, as were the ribs.

But the shining star of the meal was definitely the baked potato. It came with butter that was mixed with chives and perhaps just a hint of BBQ sauce, and it was the most amazing baked potato I’ve ever had. The waiter brought sour cream, but it really wasn’t necessary with butter like that.

One order would have been enough for the both of us, but we each walked away with a box of leftovers that weighed a good ten pounds or so, which happened to be a delicious lunch the next day.

We also noticed a sign reading “As Seen on Man v. Food” and had to ask about it. The host of Man v. Food, Adam Richman, visited the Hi-Life to eat the baby back ribs, you can check out a clip from that episode below.

Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life isn’t fancy, and from what I could tell didn’t have a dessert menu or offer any unique cocktails, but they have delicious food and the team working there is fast and friendly. I highly recommend checking it out if you find yourself in San Jose, just make sure to allow a little extra time if you’re attending an event at HP Pavilion — the place gets pretty packed.

Happy hour should be a plural situation that includes multiple hours that a working person can actually get to on a normal day. We are always on the look out for happy hour spots, but also bars that have good food so even on the days we get out of the office later (read: every day), we can have something tasty to accompany our cocktails.

One of the spots we like to frequent, if we can find an open table, is the bar at One Market, unsurprisingly located at one Market Street. It has pretty decent happy hour specials on wine and beer, but the food is the real highlight. The Michelin star-rated One Market is known for creativity in the the food department. Even Michael Bauer once listed the tongue as one of his favorite dishes.

Despite the accolades, we have yet to make it into the main dining room, instead opting for the delicious bar bites, especially the savory cheese donuts.We have tried several of the bar bites and while we can vouch for the polenta fries, homemade tater tots, mini corndogs and several other dishes, we definitely have a soft spot for the cheese donuts. Warm, fluffy and covered in cheese, they are served with habanero cheddar and bacon aioli, so there is a little spice and bacon goodness to accompany the pillow-y materpieces. They are so good, we keep going back despite not being able to find seats on multiple occasions, or sometimes not being able to flag down the waitress for a second round. The savory donuts are definitely worth the trip and the wait.

Not that I am old, but being in my late twenties sometimes proves to be emotionally trying on my soul. (I blame it on the quarter life crisis.) Every chance I get I cling to my youth and seek out positive reinforcement that I still look like I am in college (despite the lines that have infiltrated my forehead and the crows feet that accent my eyes).

Recently, Elisabeth and I hopped a ferry and crossed the Bay and visited Sausalito. After doing some shopping for crystals to help with our energy and transitions in life (if that is not a quarter life crises I don’t know what is) we were ready for some cocktails.

In the distance we spotted a restaurant overlooking the Bay called The Spinnaker. Inside, time had stood still and it looked like it was stuck in the 80s. Too fabulous to pass up, we bellied up to the bar only to find the classiest cocktail menu around. Chockfull of kitschy island drinks like the Pina Colada and Mt. Tam Lava Flow it was love at first site.

Naturally, I ordered the most delicious drink on the menu – the strawberry daiquiri. At this point the bartender asked to see my ID, which he then demanded I take out of my wallet. Still not convinced I was old enough to drink he began looking at it under the light and showing it to other bartenders

Eventually, I did get served my strawberry daiquiri. Maybe it was the drink choice, or maybe I still look that young – either way it was the best self esteem boost I have had in awhile.

The drink that almost wasn't

Elisabeth and I are two of the least trendy people. But when it comes to finding the best cocktails we bring our A game. Our most recent quest took us to the latest hot spot in San Francisco – Local Edition. The bar is located in the basement of the Hearst Building and was the room where the Examiner was printed at one time.

The people working the door look like 1950 pimps – with pinstripe suits and brimmed hats – which in my opinion is a really good way to set the tone of the place. Inside the walls are draped in red velvet curtains and there is a nook devoted to old printed copies of Examiner and The Call.

Indeed, Local Edition’s interior is very glamorous, and it has some pretty fabulous concoctions to match. Be prepared to wait, as the the line went several people deep, and these are some pretty involved drinks. We stuck it out and managed to try a few different cocktails and even snagged one of the reserved tables. Here is our take on the drinks we had:

• U.S.S.R. – A spicy and rich mixture of vodka, ginger, dill, allspice syrup and soda water. I chose it for the vodka, but the ginger and dill combination made it memorable.
• Yellow Kid – This cocktail was composed of gin, lemon, dill syrup, velvet falernum, vya dry, vermouth and ginger beer. The freshest and lightest out of the three, this is the perfect cocktail if you are looking to tip back a few. (When are we not?!)
• The Enchanted Hill – I am really big on cocktails with egg whites right now, so I gravitated toward the Enchanted Hill, which was made up of pisco, lemon, aji pepper syrup, firelit coffee liquer, egg white and aromatic bitters. This drink has big flavor – from the pepper that hits you up front to the coffee that rounds out each sip.

It is always fun to try something new, and the ambiance and creative cocktails make Local Edition worth the trip.

Home is where the heart is, and for me it is also where my stomach is. While San Francisco is one of the best foodie cities, Florida seafood just cannot be beat. So, whenever I return home getting seafood is always on the itinerary, and Millikens Reef in Cape Canaveral, Fla. is one of my favorite places to visit.

Millikens Reef sports a waterfront view and is located in the heart of Port Canaveral, so it is a great place for viewing the cruise ships. The restaurant also has a rockin’ outdoor patio complete with raucous beach goers; a tiki bar; and live music. It makes every day feels like Spring Break. On my last trip home, we decided to go for a low-key evening and opted for the indoor dining area.

Each meal at Millikens starts with bite size hush puppies that are served with cinnamon butter. These cornbread balls are deep-fried to perfection and are crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside, so the butter melts right into the nooks and crannies. It is hard to not want to make a meal out of them.

But I had to save room for the main event. If you are like me and are looking to dabble in all the goodness the ocean has to offer – check out Millikens’ Deluxe Shore Dinner. The entrée includes flounder, half a lobster tail, scallops, shrimp, deviled crab, oysters and your choice of a side (of course I went for sweet potato fries).

There is a very delicate balance when it comes to cooking seafood, and each item from my meal was well executed. The highlight for me was the two-bite raw oysters. These giant shellfish were sweet and tender with a hint of saltiness. Having them raw really allows you to appreciate them in their pure form.

With swaying palm trees and stunning views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Millikens Reef has that Florida charm. Coupled with some of the freshest seafood around – it will remain one of my top destinations whenever I return home.

Millikens Reef

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It is gorgeous in San Francisco today. So warm in fact, that it doesn’t even feel like San Francisco. It feels more like an east coast summer day, minus the humidity. So let’s toast to an east coast classic food – Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, and more specifically, the delicious crinkle cut fries.

I had the privilege of visiting the original Nathan’s during a very cold winter day in February, when I dragged my good friends to Coney Island to finally see it for myself. They were nice enough to indulge me in crossing an item off my bucket list to see the famous roller coaster, and they even let me stop by Nathan’s for some fries. Nothing says warm weather better than hot dogs, fries and a diet coke, and that is sounding pretty good today.

Here’s to hoping I can do it again in the real summer!

The Sandbar Sports Grill in Cocoa Beach, Fla. is the epitome of a dive bar. Tikis make up the decor and swimsuits are proper attire. Set against the backdrop of the ocean where the crashing waves are in earshot – everything about this place is just my style.

Sandbar Sports Grill

The true sign of a good dive bar is ridiculously strong drinks.

Floridians are no strangers to hurricanes, but we prefer the ones in the form of a cocktail. In fact Sandbar’s catch phrase is, “We don’t run from Hurricanes… we drink um!” The drinks range on a scale of 1-5. Being a native Floridian that has weathered some storms I went straight for the category 5.

Called the “mother of all hurricanes” this concoction is made with light rum, spiced rum, triple sec, Trader Vic’s coconut rum, a float of dark rum and 151. Let’s just say that a hurricane could hit and you might not notice after knocking one of these drinks back.

Hurricane - Category 5

A drink like that calls for some food.

The Sandbar’s menu is eclectic with dishes ranging from pizza to alligator tail to a five-pound burrito. I didn’t take on the burrito during my last trip, but I did manage to try several dishes including its famous fish tacos.

Not one for portion control I went for the Monster Taco Platter. Made up of three giant fish tacos and a separate platter of rice, beans and plantains – this dish definitely lives up to the name. Perhaps some of the tastiest fish tacos I have ever had, the mahi-mahi was tender and perfectly blackened. The jalapeño white sauce helped dial up the heat, but did not overshadow the fish.

Monster Taco Platter

The Sandbar Sports Grill is everything you could want in a dive bar – people with little to no inhibitions, strong drinks and some mighty good food.