ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Ever since the closure of La Famiglia many years ago, Orcas Island didn't have a good Italian restaurant to go to. Portofino hardly qualifies since it's mainly a pizza joint. That all changed when Bill Patterson purchased Chimayo and opened Sazio di Notte. His plan was to convert Chimayo, a favorite Southwest restaurant among locals, to a... Continue Reading →
The venerable Bilbo's Festivo, a popular and long-time Mexican restaurant in Eastsound, is now Chiladas, after having gone through several ownership changes. The current one is Bilbo's original owner. While the menu has changed and aims higher than standard Tex-Mex fare that mostly (though not entirely) made up its previous menu. Now, the entrees represent... Continue Reading →
After visiting the Sky Tower, we decided to have dinner on our way back to the hotel. While walking along Wellesley, we came across Homeworld BBQ Restaurant. The menu posted outside seemed interesting, so we ventured inside. At around 5pm, there weren't any other customers. We decided to stay and eat. The experience was good.... Continue Reading →
The receptionist at our hotel suggested that we have breakfast at Café Melba, a small but popular restaurant in a section of town called Vulcan Lane, an alleyway lined with small shops and restaurants. We walked since it wasn't too far from the hotel, thanks to good directions by the staff. We started off the... Continue Reading →
We could easily have passed by Kiwi Country, a Chinese-Malay restaurant in the basement of a building near Albert Park. Wide stairs from street level pointed us down to the front door. Once inside, we were faced with a very extensive menu on the wall with pictures to help us decide. Next to each item... Continue Reading →
You don't have to live in Italy anymore to have gelato. It seems that this dessert has taken the world by storm. As we were walking around Auckland's beautiful waterfront area, Valentino's seemed like a very popular place. There were crowds of people in the store. Never being ones to willingly forego gelato, we slipped in.... Continue Reading →
Sitting atop a hill across from the B&B, Huhu is without question the best place to eat in Waitomo Caves. A restaurant of this caliber would do quite well in a larger urban area. After we dined here the first time (lunch), we knew we had to return before leaving for Auckland. Simply put, Huhu... Continue Reading →
One of the places recommended for a lunch by the proprietors of Waitomo Caves Guest Lodge was Curly's Bar, a tavern in the village just a few blocks up the main road. There are quite a few tables inside, likely filled when tourism is in full swing. There are pool tables and an internet café.... Continue Reading →
For diners wanting a taste of food from across the ocean, Sabroso offers Latin American cuisine, which not only includes Mexican food but entrées from South America, too. An American ex-pat and his Venezuelan wife own the place. It gets consistently great reviews on the standard NZ food/travel sites. Inside, the space is modest with... Continue Reading →
New Zealand seems to have a café attached to every kind of business or public building. When we were in Christchurch two years ago, the public library near Sydenham had one. Coffee and snack were served right to your table in the reading room. The local community center where my grandson takes swimming lessons also... Continue Reading →
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