No Bones to Pick with Herringbone

If you watch Top Chef and live in San Diego, then you are likely familiar with the name Brian Malarkey. In the span of 2 years, he has opened an impressive five restaurants in San Diego. I have to give Chef Marlarkey and his partner credit for the clever names based on different material--Searsucker, Herringbone, Burlap, Gingham, and Gabardine. I have tried Searsucker on 2 occasions and am not a fan of the restaurant--the food was subpar, and the ambiance was very "sceney." (You can find my review, as P.K., of Searsucker on Yelp back on April 19, 2012.) So, when Mr. Tall took me out to Herringbone, I was a bit skeptical but had an open mind (and an empty stomach, as they would say on Iron Chef America ...).

Located in a converted warehouse in La Jolla, Herringbone looks nondescript from the outside. But, of course, the interior and decor were thoughtfully hip with nods to the ocean (many artistic interpretations and uses of blow fish) and four olive trees among the dining tables (I guess, that's the "field" portion in their "Fish Meats Field" motto). The open kitchen is enclosed in glass windows; unfortunately, it is not as easy to admire the work of the kitchen staff as the kitchen is slightly elevated from the dining room. The ambiance was casual and lively. The front bar was bit loud, but the dining room area was not loud at all--Mr. Tall and I were able to comfortably converse throughout dinner without having to yell and huh at each other.

Along with the olives and almonds "compliments of Chef Amanda" (you may remember her from season 7 of Top Chef), I ordered a glass of Albarino and Mr. Tall got a Trumer Pilsner, served in a really interesting, cylindrical beer glass. They also have a nice selection of intriguing cocktails (which I may have to try on our next visit). Our nice waiter suggested that the chef intends for the menu to be ordered as a 3-course meal of "Cold Fare," "Hot Fare," and "Plates." So, that we did.

Mr. Tall is not a big fan of most seafood (he only eats fish; no raw fish either), but the seafood-heavy menu at Herringbone still had enough options for pickier eaters. We started off surf-and-turf style from "Cold Fare"--tuna and beef carpaccio, served with pistachio, lemon oil, and a micro salad. The carpaccio was sliced paper-thin, super tender, and tasted mild. The pistachio provided a nice crunch and saltiness; the lemon oil and micro salad added a much needed acidity and pepperiness to the dish.

We followed up with a smoked trout dip and toasts. The menu only says smoked trout and toasts, but luckily our waiter clarified that the smoked trout is in a hot, cheesy dip and made sure that we were okay with the dish before taking our order. We decided to go for it, and we were glad that we did. The unusual and surprising combination of smoked fish and cheese totally works! There was a lot of acidity in the dish, which I think helped to make the flavors really stand out.

Our waiter said that they are "known" (not sure how you're "known" for a dish when you have only been opened for 2 months, but I'll run with it) for their Day Boat Alaskan halibut dish, and also suggested the whole roasted Tai snapper. I was not feeling those dishes, so I went for my go-to dish of seafood stew with mussels, fish (I think it may have been sea bass), fennel, tomato, and harissa aioli--and, of course some toasted bread to sop up the juices. The seafood stew did not disappoint. There was a lot of fresh, plump seafood (the shrimp were huge!), and I love the addition of fennel. I was expecting a real kick from the harissa aioli, but it tasted more like a plain aioli, which was still flavorful.

Mr. Tall went the "meats" route and ordered the braised lamb shank, served with mashed potatoes and baby broccoli. The braising gravy had black olives, orange, and piquillo peppers. Mr. Tall enjoyed this new American dish with great Middle Eastern flavors and very tender lamb.

Of course, Mr. Tall and I couldn't leave without trying some desserts. The Herringbone sundae (chocolate ice cream, espresso caramel, sea salt blondies, caramelized cocoa nibs, and marshmallow cream) immediately stood out on their dessert menu. It had the best of both sweet and salty; the caramelized nibs added an amazing crunch and deep chocolate flavor; and the espresso caramel was perfect. We loved this dessert!

Mr. Tall and I really enjoyed our meal and would likely return to Herringbone to try more of their menu offerings. Casual, cool ambiance, solid food, and good service. It may not be our favorite restaurant in San Diego, but it is a place worth checking out if you are near the area and looking for something different than the usual spots on Prospect or in downtown La Jolla. Mr. Tall and I will probably check out Gabardine in Point Loma in the near future, and will definitely blog about it! Eat well and until next time!

Enjoy,
LMC

LMC Eats LA: Pizzeria Mozza

Mr. Tall's favorite food, without a question, is pizza. So, naturally, I wanted to take him to a really  good pizza place for his birthday. Two years ago I had attempted to make a reservation for us at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles about 2 weeks in advance, and they were all booked up for a dinner on Saturday night. For Mr. Tall's birthday this past year, I knew I had to call 3 weeks before the dinner date (that's the earliest they accept reservations in advance), and managed to snag a reservation early on a Saturday evening for a party of five.

We started the meal off with the incredibly simple but fantastic Proscuitto di Parma and bufala mozzarella. Pizzeria Mozza makes sausages, cures their salumi, and makes their mozzarella in-house, so you know they are not messing around.

We also shared a tricolore insalate with Parmigiano Reggiano and anchovy dressing. I love anchovy, so this salad was a winner for me.

The birthday boy is serious about his pizza and salumi, so naturally he went with the bacon, salami, fennel sausage, and guanciale (what I call the "meat lover") pizza. He really enjoyed the pizza, and said that it was the best pizza he had ever had.

On the other hand, I went with the classic Margherita with mozzarella, tomato, and basil, which was simply delicious.

My sister ordered the fennel sausage pizza with panna, red onion, and scallions.

Another pizza we ordered was one with cherry tomatoes, anchovies, olives, and chiles.

The pizza dough is obviously the star--it had the perfect chew, crisp, and char (yup, the three C's of good pizza). But the toppings were not to be outdone; the ingredients had a great artisan quality and were thoughtfully prepared on each pizza.

The most surprising part of the meal were the desserts. Holy moly, some of the best desserts we have ever had. I only found out after the fact that Nancy Silverton was the James Beard Foundation's Pastry Chef of the Year in 1990, and it all made sense.

One of the two desserts we ordered was caramel copetta topped with with 2 generous scoops of caramel ice cream, marshmallow sauce, and Spanish peanuts. This dessert was amazing--the combination of sweet, creamy, crunch, and a little salty was perfection. Seriously, one of the best desserts I have ever had.

Last but not least was the butterscotch budino, sprinkled with some sea salt (a necessity in my opinion) and served with rosemary and pine nut cookies. I love, love me some butterscotch budino (or pot de creme)--if it's on a menu, you can bet that I will order it. This budino was divine, even the cookies on the side were the perfect, crunchy, salty addition to the sweet and creamy pudding.

Pizzeria Mozza did not disappoint, and lived up to our high expectations when it came to the names of Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali. If you are a pizza lover, you must check out Pizzeria Mozza--and save room for dessert! Reservations are had to come by, but it is worth the hassle and wait. Unfortunately for us, Pizzeria Mozza is in LA, but we have happily discovered Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria in Encinitas. Mr. Tall has already requested that Blue Ribbon be the destination for his next birthday dinner. Eat well and until next time!

Enjoy,
LMC

Sweet Start to Our Married Life!

One of my favorite aspects of planning our wedding was choosing the desserts! I knew that I did not want a giant wedding cake and definitely wanted cupcakes and French macarons. (Again, photos courtesy of our amazing photographer Aaron Huniu at Aaron Huniu Photography). Here is a shot of our dessert table!
 

We found a wonderful local bakery called Sumi's Oven. Her bakery is located in a somewhat random business park; but I think because her bakery is located in a non-traditional location, she is able to keep her prices reasonable given the great quality of her cakes. Our 2-tier wedding cake consists of a marble cake with raspberry filling layer and a hazelnut chocolate layer with simple whipped cream. We didn't get to have any of the marble/raspberry layer (I mean, we already tried it at the cake tasting), but we had some of the hazelnut chocolate layer, which was so delicious! We have half of the hazelnut chocolate layer in our freezer that we are planning to bust out at our 6-month anniversary (not sure if the cake would still taste good if we wait for our 1-year anniversary ...). We also order mini vanilla, lemon, and red velvet cupcakes, which flew off the tier like hot cakes!

The next item on our dessert table are macarons! I have had some amazing macarons from Bouchon, Bottega Louie, and Miette, but I realized that finding good ones in San Diego may be a challenge. Fortunately, a friend of mine introduced me to Heidi at Triple Cream Bakery. We had strawberry macarons with strawberry buttercream filling, lemon with lemon buttercream filling, key lime with dulce de leche filling, and chocolate with chocolate hazelnut filling. We were so happy that we were able to find delicious macarons for our wedding!

Last but not least, I surprised Mr. Tall with a groom's cake from my friend Janelle's Silver Cup Bakery. Mr. Tall is a HUGE San Francisco Giants fan, so the design was an obvious choice. The cake is a chocolate cake with chocolate malt filling and cream cheese frosting. Mr. Tall loved the cake and it was delicious!

Mr. Tall and I would highly recommend all of the bakeries that we worked with for our wedding--or any special occasion! Our wedding was such a fun fiesta, and we would love to do it all over again especially taste testing desserts. Eat well and until next time!

Enjoy,

LMC

Coming up: LMC's culinary adventures in Los Angeles (Pizzeria Mozza!) and some of our new favorite spots in San Diego.

New (Blog) Look, Newly Wed

Hello, everyone! I realize it has been forever, but I am determined to not abandon this blog of mine. I have been quite active on Yelp and Instagram, so I thought I should show some love in the blogosphere as well. I cleaned the blog up a bit and chose a new, simple design for a fresh look. Also, Mr. Tall and I recently got married, so yay! We had an amazing time, which could not have happened had it not been for our vendors. A big part of our wedding was the food, of course. The Darlington House in La Jolla was our lovely venue, and we were required to choose from a list of caterers. Out of the long list, we enlisted Culinary Concepts to provide the food for our wedding. We contacted 2 other catering companies, and had tastings with CC and another company, but CC won us over with their food and presentation. With the modern Mexican fiesta theme in mind, the folks at CC created the perfect menu for us. (Photos courtesy of our amazing photographer Aaron Huniu at Aaron Huniu Photography.)

One of our appetizers for cocktail hour were the pernil arepas, which are Columbian cornmeal cakes topped with braised pork. Our guests' favorite was probably the inside-out nacho, which is especially a scoop of fresh guacamole rolled in crush tortilla chips and panko breadcrumbs, deep fried, and served with chipotle creme and roasted tomato salsa. Delicioso!

Instead of having the usual sit-down dinner, Mr. Tall and I opted for a plate salad course and 3 food stations of chicken mole, beef short ribs, and street tacos. The stations gave our wedding a less formal ambiance (but a bit more formal and service-oriented than a buffet) and allowed our guests to try more dishes than they would have gotten in a traditional sit-down dinner.

Everything tasted great, but my personal favorite was probably the short ribs kabik (apparently, a Rick Bayless recipe), which are beef short ribs braised with garlic, banana peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, onions, oregano, and achiote, served with arroz blanco. Muy delicioso! If you are looking for a caterer for any event, weddings, birthday parties, etc., we would highly recommend Culinary Concepts--great food, great presentation, and great service!

Also, another favorite thing from our wedding were our favors, which were from Jackie's Jams. We wanted something edible for our favors, so naturally our local favorite jam-maker Jackie's Jams came to mind.

We ordered the 1 1/2 oz. jars of mango raspberry, strawberry rhubarb, mango habanero, and, our all-time favorite, triple berry jam. We taste-tested the jams at their location at the Little Italy Mercato and picked up our order from the Ocean Beach Farmers Market. David from Jackie's Jams was super nice and helpful throughout the ordering and jam-making process. He even provided blank labels to us since we wanted to design and print the labels ourselves--and even threw in a jar of their cherry apple jam on top of our order!

Our wedding was a fantastic fiesta--totally worth all the stress, time, and effort! But I am glad that everything is back to normal, and we can enjoy our day-to-day lives without having to panic about a wedding detail. Until next time ... not 5 months from now!

Enjoy,
LMC

Coming up next: as promised, LMC's Culinary Adventures in Los Angeles (Pizzeria Mozza!) and wedding desserts!

SDRW: Café Chloe

This past September was another San Diego Restaurant Week, which is a great opportunity for Mr. Tall and I to try new restaurants. Mr. Tall and I initially wanted to go to Market in Del Mar, but could not get a reservation (a week in advance!). So, our second choice was Cafe Chloe in the East Village. This restaurant has been on our radar for a few years, but we just have never made it there until now.

The ambiance of Cafe Chloe is fantastic--it really captures the look and feel of a chic, Parisian bistro. When we stepped into the restaurant, it was a bit confusing at first because there was no host/hostess; but we were quickly greeted and seated once someone spotted us by the door. The SDRW menu had a nice selection of 3 options to choose from for the appetizer, main, and dessert courses.

Mr. Tall started with the classic French Onion Soup served in a darling ramekin. Sweet and savory caramelized onions in a rich broth, topped off with a piece of baguette crouton and cheese--can't go wrong with that.

I started with the Warm Crottin Goat Cheese and Fig Salad, which was simple and delicious. The Crottin goat cheese was coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried. The warm goat cheese went really well with the perfectly ripe and slightly sweet fig. My only complaint was that I could have used more figs than one sliver of it! Nonetheless, the meal was off to a good start.

On to the main course: Mr. Tall again went for the classic choice of Steak and Frites. The steak was served with herbes de provence butter, a side of roasted corn and peppers, and, of course, a stack of pomme frites. Mr. Tall thought that the steak was cooked well, but tasted average and underwhelming. Not sure if it was just not the best cut of beef, but the only flavor came from the herbes de provence butter. (Cafe Chloe's website says that they use products from local and sustainable sources, so I do wonder where the beef came from ...)

I have a soft spot for mussels and seafood stews in general. So, the choice was obvious for me to go with the Mussels Belgique with Pomme Frites. The Belgian-influenced dish was nice, but the cream-based broth was a bit salty and one-note in flavor. Maybe I could have used more white wine or lemon in the sauce. Anyway, I can't hate on the dish though because I pretty much devoured all of the frites.

To end our meal, Mr. Tall went with the Bittersweet Chocolate Pot de Creme served with vanilla bean whipped cream and a brandied cherry. The pot de creme was good, a bit dense, but he enjoyed it.

I chose the Apple Galette with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream. The apples were not overcooked, and the ice cream was delicious and not overly sweet. However, the galette crust dough was way too thick and not flaky, so the crust was disappointing for me. Overall, Mr. Tall and I did enjoy the meal and the ambiance of Cafe Chloe--a great place for date night! And you can't beat the SDRW price tag of $30 for a 3-course offering!

Two weeks after our visit to Cafe Chloe for SDRW, we went there again to meet some friends for a weekend brunch. I had the House-Cured Salmon Gravlax Tartine with Creme Fraiche and Cucumber-Dill Salad, and Mr. Tall had the Two Eggs with Bacon, Baguette and Herb Butter. We really enjoyed the brunch, and would definitely go back to Cafe Chloe again for brunch and at least once again for their full dinner menu. They also have "Urban Tea," which I will have to try one of these days because I absolutely adore high/afternoon tea.

Enjoy,
LMC

Coming up next: LMC's Culinary Adventures in Los Angeles!

The Marine Room

While I was studying for the California Bar last year, Mr. Tall had promised that when I pass the Bar that we would celebrate at The Marine Room. Even though the July 2010 Bar results came out in November (yay, I passed!), Mr. Tall and I decided to wait until summertime for a better sunset. Also, Mr. Tall was saving his change for almost a year for us to go to there. So, finally, the time came a few weeks ago for us to finally go to The Marine Room. 

The evening didn't start out perfectly. Mr. Tall made reservations for 7:00pm on a Saturday, which was not the best idea because that is apparently the middle the restaurant's dinner seating, so we were not able to get seated at one of the tables by the windows (which obviously have the best ocean views). If you plan to go there, I would recommend making an early reservation for 5:00-6:00pm or a later reservation at 8:00-8:30pm (but you will likely miss the sunset with a later reservation). But without further adieu, here is the rundown of our dinner. 

I started with the Ocean Trilogy Tasting--Vanilla Lobster topped with Spanish Trout Caviar, Plum Tuna Tartare in Sesame Cone, Yellowtail Sashimi, and Lemon Myrtle Aioli. The tuna tartare was probably my favorite tasting, followed by the yellowtail sashimi and then the lobster. The tuna tartare was prepared impeccably--each piece of tuna was diced perfectly; the plum sauce had the perfect sweet and salty balance; and the sesame cone provided a tasty, crunchy vessel for the tartare.

Mr. Tall started with the Ancho Cacao Rubbed Brandt Farm Beef Carpaccio served with Winchester Cumin Gouda, Watercress, Fig Vincotto, Tamarind Pate de Fruit, and Horseradish Oil. There was also a toasted rye cracker and cocoa nibs. As you can see, the presentation is impressive (and the portion size was quite generous as well). There were so many unique components on the dish that you don't usually see with beef carpaccio. But once you put them all together, each bite was amazing and flavorful.

For the main course, I ordered the Lemon Verbana Annatto Basted Lobster Tail, which was served with Plaintain Timbale, Habanero Mango Sausage, Tangerine Lace Canton Ginger Butter, and seasonal vegetables. It was getting dark, and the photo doesn't do the lobster justice. The lobster was cooked just right, and the ginger butter was absolutely delicious and well-balanced. The dish was not as innovative as the appetizers, but really well executed.

Worth noting that The Marine Room has an impressive wine list with many wines by the glass and bottle, as well as classic cocktails. My appetizer and entrée went really well with a glass of Voignier (my new favorite type of white wine), and Mr. Tall enjoyed a Pimms Cup No. 1 (which is dangerously delicious considering how much liquor is in the cocktail).

Mr. Tall ordered the Midwestern Center Cut Filet Mignon, served with Hazelnut Potato Pie, Tilston Point Blue Cheese, Moutain Berry Chutney, all atop Mustard Seed Garnacha Sauce. He was initially going to order a halibut daily special, but they were out by the time we ordered. The filet mignon was cooked to a perfect medium, and the sauce was deliciously savory with a hint of sweetness.

Of course, we couldn't pass up desserts. We ordered the Spindrift Cobblestone Pie, which is definitely their most popular dessert item. It is essentially a gelato pie with a chocolate cookie crust, layers of Vanilla and Espresso Gelato, topped off with toasted hazelnuts and Myer's Rum Butterscotch. The pie was good, but nothing to write home about--and the butterscotch made the dessert too sweet.

We also ordered the Organic Cordillera Chocolate Bomb with Gianduja Crunch Crust, Griottes, and Red Currant Coulis, served with a shot of Pomegranate Aquavit. This is definitely the dessert for chocolate lovers--it was deep, rich, dark chocolate--and the more sophisticated dessert of the two we ordered. Mr. Tall and I took sips of the Aquavit, but it was powerful and had a really strong taste of cardamom.

The Marine Room is undoubtedly one of the most romantic and best fine dining restaurants in San Diego, so Mr. Tall and I definitely had high expectations. Our waitress was knowledgeable, friendly, but not intrusive, and the service was first-class as expected. The Marine Room didn't exceed my expectations because I was expecting perfection, and The Marine Room was perfect.

Enjoy,

LMC

Sunshine Means Strawberry-Lime Yogurt Pops

Since the weather in San Diego has been warming up, it was finally time to bust out the Zoku Quick Pop Maker, which Mr. Tall's mom got me last Christmas. I remember making popsicles using sodas and various juices when I was younger, but this Zoku Quick Pop Maker made the process, like its name, quick and easy--you can have popsicles in your hands in less than 10 minutes! 

Strawberry-Lime Frozen Yogurt Pops (Makes about 5-6 pops)
1-7 oz. container of Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
4 teaspoon agave nectar (add more to taste)
4 strawberries (de-stemmed and hulled)
A couple of tablespoons of milk

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and add milk until mixer turns to a pourable/smoothie-like consistency. I followed the instructions on the Zoku, which required the Zoku itself to be frozen for about 24 hours prior to use. These yogurt pops actually took about 12 minutes to freeze, but I think it generally takes less time (8-10 minutes) when it is a juice-based pop recipe. The tang of Greek yogurt is stronger than regular yogurt, so you may want to add more strawberries and agave nectar to balance out the flavor to your taste.

I can't wait to make other kinds of popsicles. I love acai, so I'm going to try and incorporate that into a popsicle recipe. I like the Zoku, but my popsicles will come close to the incredible and gourmet popsicles of Viva Pops.

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather!

Enjoy,

LMC

Happy V-Day 2011!

I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day because it is such a Hallmark holiday, so Mr. Tall and I don't really celebrate it. But it sure is a good excuse for me to bake! 

I made these heart-shaped Glazed Butter Cookies--they were super easy and fun to make!

Butter Cookie Dough (Cook's Illustrated, Holiday Baking 2007)
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup superfine sugar (or granulated sugar put in the food processor for about 20 seconds)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature

In bowl of standing mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt on low speed, and add butter 1 piece at a time with the mixer still running on low until mixture looks crumbly. Add vanilla and cream cream, and mix until dough just begins to form large clumps. Knead dough in the bowl to form a mass, then turn out onto counter top, divide in half, form into two 4-inch disks, wrap, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes (or up to 3 days).

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out 1 dough disk to 1/8-inch thickness between 2 large pieces of parchment paper and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter. (Cook's Illustrated suggests that you refrigerate the dough after it's rolled out and before it's cut out, but I didn't and it still baked up fine.) Bake until light golden brown, about 10-12 minutes, and cool on wire rack.

Glaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Whisk cream cheese and milk until combined and no lumps remain. Wish in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Drizzle or spread glaze on cooled cookies.

I sprinkled rainbow baking sugar on the cut out dough before baking the cookies that I didn't plan on glazing--a colorful and festive option if you don't like the glaze. Although I like this glaze recipe because it's creamier and less sugary than most recipes, so it's worth trying the cookies with the glaze.

Happy Valentine's Day--however you spend it!

Enjoy,

LMC

Travelogue to Greece, Part II: Meteora and Santorini

After some sightseeing in Athens, my family and I traveled to Meteora. During the road trip, we made a pit stop where I enjoyed my first slice of Baklava.

The baklava had layers upon layers of crispy phyllo dough, bits of nuts, all drenched in syrupy Greek honey. It's definitely a dessert that you need to sit down with a cup of coffee, espresso, or tea--and to be shared--because it is so sweet.

While in Meteora (which in Greek means "in the heavens above"), we visited many monasteries that were literraly "suspended in the air," or set atop of hill tops and rock formations. We hiked up to a few monasteries, but others like the one in the picture below are not really by the public.

For lunch, we visited the simply named Cafe Meteora, which is family-owed and operated.

The place was so charming and had a lot of character--they even had a torch from the 2004 Olympics in Athens!

Every diner was invited to walk through their kitchen and see huge pots of stews, rice, and potatoes. We got a few different dishes, including lamb meatball stew served with rice. It was delicious and hearty.

The better dish though was this stewed lamb. The lamb was so tender and had a wonderful depth of flavors from the time it spent on the stove.

After a wonderful visit to Meteora, we went back to Athens for a night before we flew out to Santorini. We decided to keep things relatively low key and went to Athens' Old Town, Plaka, where there are many shops and tavernas. Because there are many tavernas, we didn't really quite know where to go, so we just chose a random taverna in one of the alley ways in Plaka. The ambiance was really nice, candle-lit tables, and an acoustic guitar band serenading the diners.

We started with this grilled Halloumi cheese. I'm not sure if this was just not the best Halloumi since I've never had it before, but I was not a big fan of the dish.

My sister Pinnerton really wanted to try the Dolmadakia, which are grapevine leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables. Pinnerton thought it was good, but I was really put off by the briny and sour taste, so I really did not enjoy this dish.

And the meal went down hill from there ... We ordered this sad looking plate of stewed lamb, and shared even sadder looking plates of chicken Souvlaki and stew that I don't even want to post.

Finally, we made it to Santorini! After a short flight from Athens, we are ready for lunch. My mom had read somewhere that a little gyro restaurant by the tourist information booth is supposed to be good.

The gyro pita sandwich was a bit disappointing. The meat was not as good of a quality as the gyro we had in Athens.

The Souvlaki suffered the same fall of low quality meat, which made the dish not as enjoyable as it could have been. But who cares about the food, when you're in Santorini--I mean, look at the view!

Santorini is even more beautiful in person--the blue ocean's contrast with the white structures is so breathtaking. If I thought Athens was hot, Santorini is ten times as hot! We were practically drenched in sweat just walking around.

After wandering around the island, we needed to cool down. So, we stepped into this little cafe and sipped on some deliciously strong iced coffee. I don't even drink coffee, but it was so good!

Here's another gorgeous view of this Greek island. 

After we watched a beautiful Santorini sunset, we enjoyed our last dinner in Greece at a rooftop restaurant. I ordered yet another lamb meatball stew--I can't help it, I love lamb and stews! It was not the best meal of the trip, but we were so exhausted by that point that we just wanted to sit somewhere and take in as much of Santorini as we could. 

I would definitely want to go back to Santorini and the other Greek islands, but am not sure if I would return to Athens. Overall, Greece was a fantastic experience! 

Enjoy, 

LMC