Tag: Alcohol

Food & Place Alert: Florida – Tampa and Orlando.

I feel like I only ever food blog about two locations and Orlando is one of those places. You can read the other Orlando food blog here! This time we have both Tampa and Orlando. This won’t include all foods from our Epcot day, but you can read the Epcot foodie adventure here. Stay hungry! ♡

Tampa, Florida

So let’s start off with Tampa! Our first meal after arriving in Florida was in Orlando, but we drove to Tampa and got food to-go for a dinner and night in at our airbnb. We got pretty random foods from 3 different places, La Casa Della Pasta, KFC, and Taco Bell. We said we wanted to “eat light” before the wedding, so much for that LOL. Taco Bell is nothing special to write about, but we did try the Chizza from KFC. If you don’t know what the Chizza is, it’s just a fried chicken pizza. Literally a fried chicken topped with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. If you like lunchables, then you’ll enjoy the Chizza. There’s definitely that nostalgic pizza sauce taste.

There’s no picture from La Casa Della Pasta, but what I can say is that they know what they are doing! I really wanted some pasta. (Pasta is my favorite type of food btw. It’s an easy way to my heart.) La Casa Della Pasta was the closest to our airbnb and that’s how we chose it. what we didn’t know was that according to Tampa Bay Times, they are the best Italian restaurant in Tampa Bay and have been four years in a row. It was everything and more! Next time in Tampa, I’ll have to come back and try more. I love a good pasta. I got the Pappardelle Al Ragu’ (Bolognese). It’s made with their homemade Pappardelle pasta, ground beef, tomato sauce, basil and garlic. Besides all the flavor, it was very fresh.

The morning of our friend’s wedding, we went to Banh Mi Factory. Banh Mì Factory is a cute spot to chill with friends or even go to study. Not only that, but they are so good. They have tons of different bánh mì options to choose from. I said before that I thought Lee’s Sandwiches in California was good, but this place is even better. You always have to try the classic Bánh Mì Đặc Biệt or the Special Combination, so we ordered that and the Bánh Mì Bò Nuớng or the Bulgolgi Beef. Both were super good. The way the bread soaked up the juice from the bulgogi beef and the crunch of the baguette was *chefs kiss*. I wasn’t going to start my day without any coffee either, so a Viet Coffee or Cafe Sua Da was a must. On their menu they call in their Vietnamese Phin-Drip and I got the Saigon Savory option. It was more like a ca phe trung with the cream on top which is a little different from just a regular coffee. It literally translates to coffee egg. The cream is a mix of egg yolk and condensed milk. It may sound a little weird, but it’s so good and elevates the drink!

The morning after the wedding, we chose to eat at Ha Long Bay – New Tampa location. After a day of open bar, this was needed. I can’t tell you enough how GOOD the Thai Tea was and how it brought me back to life! I would come back just for the Thai Tea. I almost ordered another one to go because it was so good.
Don’t worry I ate too. Noodles with broth is also another life saver after drinking.

We ordered Bún Bò Huế (Spicy Beef and Pork Noodles) and Bún Riêu (Crab Paste Noodles). For me the Bún Bò Huế was a little too sweet for my liking, but the Bún Riêu was the best that I have ever had at a restaurant. Nothing will ever beat my mom’s homemade bún riêu though.

Bún Bò Huế: Thick noodle, rich and spicy beef soup with tender beef slices, beef tendon, Vietnamese ham, and topped with mixed fresh herbs

Bún Riêu: Thin vermicelli, crab mixed seasoning, ground pork paste, Vietnamese ham, fried tofu, and tomatoes

Orlando, Florida

We landed in Orlando first, ate, drove to Tampa, stayed a couple days, then drove back to Orlando for the rest of our trip. In Orlando, we had a foodie adventure! So let’s get into it.

Our first stop was at Twenty Pho Hours. It’s a super cute 2d noodle bar. They are known for their 2d decor and their fast & casual dining service, which was great because we were both starving. They had these cute bear cups, so you know I had to get one! You can never go wrong with a taro bubble tea. We tried their Short Rib Pho and the “Black Ox” pho. For fast and casual dining, the meats were so tender and melt in your mouth. I was super impressed with the flavor of pho with how little time it came out.

Short Rib Pho: Rice noodles, onions, cilantro, scallions, bean sprouts, basil, jalapeños, lime, eye round steak, short rib and brisket

“Black Ox” Pho: Rice noodles, onions, cilantro, scallions, bean sprouts, basil, jalapeños, lime, eye round steak, brisket, and slow-roasted oxtail

Our next stop was Disney downtown or now it’s known as Disney Springs. I absolutely love Disney Springs and all the restaurants and shopping. It’s such a happy place to be at when you aren’t at Disney World! I am IN LOVE with Amorette’s Patisserie located in Disney Springs. Every time I visited they have new cakes and desserts to try out, plus boozy sweet drinks! We got the Amorette’s Rose dessert with a little milk carton on the side. It is a chocolate biscuit with dark chocolate mousse and raspberry sauce. This dessert is as decadent as they come. I’m not a huge raspberry fan, but the pairing of the raspberry sauce and dark chocolate mousse just paired so well together!

After Tampa, we drove back to Orlando and went to Icon Park. We’ve always driven passed the wheel, but this trip we had the time to visit it. Sadly, the iconic wheel was not being used, so we weren’t able to ride it. One of these days it’ll happen though! Icon Park was smaller than I imagined, but there’s still tons of things to do and see. I chose to do the Museum of Illusions. Maybe it’s the kid in me, but I love interactive museums like these. They are so much fun and the photos came out pretty cool. My part was the spinning tunnel where you try to walk straight on the path, but it gives you the illusion that your pretty much walking drunk. The only reason why that was my favorite part was because right when you get out of the tunnel, there’s these 3d holographic pictures framed on the wall and my boyfriend had a little jump scare from the Albert Einstein one. I still laugh about it today when I think reimagine it in my head.

After 4 long years, we made it back to King Cajun Crawfish. My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE seafood boil place. I dream of the seafood boil here all the time. I’m literally obsessed. I have not found a better seafood boil than King Cajun Crawfish and I know you guys have seen all the different seafood boil places that I have gone to on every trip. The absolute best, my mouth is watering as I type. I wish there was another location closer to me than in Florida. TAKE MY MONEY. This is a must go to if you love seafood boils!

We had to go with their Shabang sauce with the hot spice level. Their Shabang sauce is a mix of all their flavors which are: lemon pepper, rajun’ cajun, and garlic butter. The hot level spice was pretty hot, our noses was dripping and there were moments of sweat, but it made the flavor 100% better. I believe we ordered the Royal Feast and that includes 1 cluster snow crab, 1 cluster dungeness, 1 lb. crawfish, 1 lb. shrimp, 1 lb. clam, 1 lb. green mussel, 4 corns, 4 potatoes, and sausages. Seriously unbelievably amazing.

Sometimes I wonder, “how can we eat so much in one day?” The answer will be forever unknown. Maybe the foodie in us comes out on vacation.
We went to Universal CityWalk to try to walk off all the food, but instead found ourselves grabbing a drink and dessert at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. There we ordered the Chocolate Potted Cream, Chocolate Old Fashioned, and Vanilla Chocolate Cocktail. The drinks were good and strong, the pudding was amazing and perfect consistency, it was a chocolate heaven. After, I had the biggest food baby that I have ever had. I don’t remember when I had that much to eat and drink in one day. I was happy!

Chocolate Potted Cream: Creamy chocolate pudding served in a copper pan

Chocolate Old Fashioned: Bird Dog chocolate whiskey, cherry liqueur, sugar, chocolate and orange bitters

Vanilla Chocolate Cocktail: 360 Madagascar vanilla vodka, Trader Vick’s dark chocolate, Faretti chocolate, chocolate bitters

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We went to Epcot at Disney World and you can read all the food and drinks in that blog here. It’s a long one, but well worth the read if you plan on visiting Epcot! On our last day of the trip, we went to the Florida Mall and shopped until we ran into Gatcha. Gatcha is a clawcade. Yes, that’s right an arcade full of claw machine! I love claw machines, so I was having a blast. My secret talent is how good I am at claw machines. I don’t know when it started or how it happened, but 90% of my plushies in my room are won from a claw machine. I’ve never seen a clawcade in person before so this was really fun. Gatcha has two spots in the mall, one is filled with plushies and figurines and the other spot is filled with drinks and snacks. Plushies? I got you, we’re winning tons! Drinks and snacks? Sorry, but we might be out of luck there. Those are so hard to pick up and the items are heavy compared to the claw. Gatcha is opening new location around the US, so hopefully they’ll make their way to Michigan!

A little dessert never hurt anybody! I’ve been having a major sweet tooth lately and when I saw this cute dessert shop in the mall, you know I just had too! Lucciano’s is the ultimate gelato place and they had a cute table/photo op! We got the Mango Gelato Icepop.

Our last stop on our trip before flying out was to SnowBean. It’s a cute small cafe that’s located right next door to Izziban Sushi & BBQ, which we have eaten at a few times. We just never know that SnowBean had their own little Love Lock Bridge! (We did order a strawberry smoothie from there as well) My boyfriend and I put up our own lock on the bridge. This would be our second lock that we put up together, out first one is located in Houston, Texas on a love lock bridge there from our trip back in 2021. It may seem like a silly thing to do, but I honestly think it’s so cute to do and it’s fun to have that memory and souvenir to go back to on your next travel back!

Traveling and exploring makes my heart super happy. It’s one of the best things in life. If I could travel all the time, I would! Thank you Florida for being so wonderful again. The food will never not amaze me. I’ll definitely be back soon! Remember, we live to eat and not eat to live! Live your very best life ♡

✈ ✈ ✈ next trip/blog: EDC Las Vegas ✈ ✈ ✈

Epcot: Drinking and Eating Around the World.

Drinking at DISNEY? YES, you heard that right. The happiest place on earth just got happier for the adults. Disney World already sells alcoholic beverages in all of their theme parks, but it’s nothing like Epcot. You’ll want to experience a drink and food tour around the countries at Epcot at least once! Honestly, I got a little drunk towards the end and have never, EVER eaten so much in one day. I went to Epcot thinking that we would have time for eating, drinking, rides, shopping and checking everything else out, but we ran out of time. The International Flower and Garden Festival was going on as well, so there were extra things to look at. We were there from 11 AM to 10 PM too. We’ll for sure be back another time to try more foods and drinks and actually ride the rides.

Now let’s go world traveler, to Epcot we go! ºoº

Lunch Reservation at Chef de France (France)

Cassolette D’escargots
Casserole of Burgundian escargots baked in parsley and garlic butter

I don’t even know how to describe the taste of this except for the word délicieux! It may not look very good in the photo, but you can trust me that it very much was. I could eat this appetizer all day. The mixture of flavor is perfect.
C’est vraiment très bon!

Boeuf Bourguignon Linguine
Braised beef in Cabernet, baby onions, carrots, pasta

Jarret De Porc Braise Au Miel
Braised Heritage pork shank, mashed potatoes. Scallions, tomatoes

In NO way did we regret eating here, but what we ordered for lunch was pretty heavy to start off a drink and food tour. Maybe next time we’ll start off a little lighter, but we just couldn’t resist. Both proteins were so tender and melted in your mouth. The sauces and flavors were out of this world. Chef de France knows what they are doing in the kitchen!

France

Beignet Caramélisé
Caramelized Beignet filled with Vanilla Cream and glazed with Caramel Fleur de Sel

Sparking Pear Cocktail
Sparkling Wine with Pear Flavor

Yup! We started our drinking and eating tour right after our big lunch. I was already so full, but there’s always room for dessert! Usually the cocktail is a Sparkling Raspberry, but they ran out already so pear it was. Then the Beignet Caramélisé was good, but nothing too special in my opinion though. It was like a crème brulée doughnut.

Morocco

Orange Blossom-Saffron Cake

Cider Flight:
Keel Farms Pear Honeysuckle Hard Cider (Plant City, FL)

Woodchuck Imperial Sippin’ Citrus Hard Cider (Middlebury, VT)

3 Daughters Brewing Pomegranate Hard Cider (St. Petersburg, FL)

I couldn’t find a description of the Orange Blossom – Saffron Cake online at all, so let me try to describe it in the best way that I can. The top orange layer is a cream almost like vanilla ice cream and it was covered with a orange chocolate like layer with orange powder. That tasted like an orangesicle, then the green layer was a pistachio flavored cake (with pistachios on the side) on top of a raspberry syrup. It was a perfect burst of flavor!

Japan

Cocktail Flight:
Winter Melon Cocktail

Tokyo Sunset
Coconut Rum, Peach Schnapps, Banana Liqueur, and Pineapple Juice

Violet Sake
Sake, purple pear, and lime juice

Again, I couldn’t find a description online about the Winter Melon Cocktail. It was very sweet and tasted just like those little winter melon candies that are in small balls, very nostalgic. The Tokyo Sunset and Violet Sake were also sweet drinks, but all three were very good The Violet Sake was actually my favorite drink out of all the drinks we had! It tasted like a grape jolly rancher, but lighter in flavor mixed with lemon. Third country and 7 different drinks later, I was still feeling sober. The food we ate was doing some work or maybe I have a high alcohol tolerance, but let’s say it was the food!

America

Spicy Chicken Gumbo
with Andouille Sausage and Long Grain & Wild Rice

Bayou Cocktail
Spiced Rum, Coconut Rum, Fruit Punch, and Orange Juice

The Spicy Chicken Gumbo was my most favorite food item that we tried all day (besides our lunch at Chef de France). Who knew it would be gumbo from America? The Bayou Cocktail was okay. I think it reminded me too much of a drink that we serve at the restaurant I work at, so it wasn’t anything new to me.

Italy

Arrabbiata
Pennette Pasta, Spicy Tomato Sauce, and Buttery Shrimp

I am a pasta lover! At this point I was so full of food, but I had to try a pasta at least. The picture does not do it justice, it really just looks like school food, but you’ll have to trust me that it wasn’t. The sauce had the perfect spicy kick for those who only want a mild spice. The sauce had a thick, rich consistency too!

Orangecello Cocktail
orangecello, orange juice, pineapple juice and strawberry puree

Peachy Dream Bellini
peach purée and Prosecco

I must have started to feel a little tipsy around here or was too excited to drink because this is the only photo that I have of our drinks from Italy. These two went down too easy! Out of the two the Orangecello Cocktail was the better one. I still loved the Peachy Dream Bellini though! This is when we were getting drinks back to back at a quicker speed.

Germany

Apfelschaumwein
Apple Sparkling Wine and Apple Liqueur with a Rosemary Garnish

I’m still trying to pronounce the name of this drink, so if anyone would like to teach us all feel free! This drink tasted like a light apple flavored hard cider, but with the perfect amount of sweetness. The rosemary garnish was super strong and we left it in the drink the whole time. That was our fault because it took over the taste towards the end of the glass.

China

Dragon Butterfly
Butterfly Pea Flower Gin, Vodka, Green Tea, Lemonade, Soda Water, Hibiscus and Dragon Fruit Syrups, with Blueberry Popping Boba

Did I use this as an excuse to put a picture of me in here? Yes, I definitely did. Plus the picture that I got of this drink is not that great. I was feeling the drinks for sure at this point and even more after this drink. This drink was very strong tasting. The popping boba at the bottom was our chaser with every sip. From here to the end, the Disney cast members were heavy handers!

Mexico

Tamale de Rajas
Poblano Peppers, Corn, and cheese in Masa topped with Poblano Cream Sauce, Crema Mexicana, Pickled Carrots and Onions with Chives

Lychee Margarita
Centinela Blanco Tequila, Lychee Liqueur, Citrus Juice, and Agave Nectar

As you can see from the picture, that I was drunk. I did not care for the photo HAHAH. That Dragon Butterfly drink from China really got me. THEN, our Lychee Margarita wasn’t any lighter. I swear it was pure tequila. I still was having a good time though! The tamale was good, but I feel like the cream sauce made kind of made it less authentic, it tasted more like mayo. My tastebuds could have been a little off at this time though. In the end, I would get it again.

Germany

Welsh Dragon
peach schnapps, melon liqueur, creme de menthe, orange juice, and pineapple juice

I can’t tell you why the last drink of the night has the best photo. I amaze myself and also confuse my own self A LOT. Anyways, the last drink we had! It was another sweet cocktail and my second favorite of the day. It was pretty close to being my first favorite. This drink wasn’t as strong as the last few and we had a little bit of down time before getting this drink. I was better after this.

BONUS: Disney Traders & Port of Entry

Soy-glazed Sticky Ribs
with Green Onions and Peanuts

Bonus foods! The down time we had between Mexico and United Kingdom, we got some more food and visited Canada (no purchases). So these foods aren’t in any of the countries, but in their own section. You can find these Soy-glazed Ribs by the Disney Traders. These are good, but I think they have great potential to be better. If they had a little more of the soy-glazed flavor, then it would have been perfect! The ribs were tender and fell of the bone otherwise.

Spicy Hotdog
with Pineapple Chutney and Plantain chips

You can find this Spicy Hotdog in Port of Entry. I was so full that I only took one bite of this, but that one bite was pretty good. It actually has a spicy kick to it. Yes, I know how basic it sounds, but plantain chips on a SPICY hotdog? An actual spicy hotdog? You can’t beat that. I’ll be coming back for it next time with an empty stomach. Maybe I’ll get two!

9 countries, 2 worlds, 14 different drinks, and 10 different foods all in one day. We even skipped getting drinks and/or food from two countries, Norway and Canada, to make sure we would make it through the whole park at least. We also skipped a whole bunch of other restaurants and food booths in every country and multiple items from the booths that we bought drinks and/or food from. There’s at least 4 different restaurants and booths to choose from in each country. To try everything at Epcot that we want, we’d probably have to spend at least three more full days at Epcot. There’s just tons of delicious sounding options there. I’m already drooling over the thought of trying more again. ♡

Until next time world traveler! ºoº

Drunk Thoughts: More Like Just a Few Glasses of Wine.

For those who “want the tea”, this is MY blog. Let me set everything now.

I don’t know if I would consider this as ‘drunks thoughts’ because honestly I’m not drunk. I don’t even feel tipsy, I have just had a few (four, yes four) glasses of wine. If you have seen me lately, you know it doesn’t have ton of affect on me anymore, BUT I am still under the influence. It can still count right? Anyways, let’s do a check in.

It’s been a while since I’ve written or posted a blog. September 8 to be exact and today is November 8, so 2 months exactly. Yes, I took some time to myself and I took time for me to figure out what my life is going to be like and then I went through some things and I needed to figure out where I was going to be. I’ve hid, I’ve disappeared, I’ve acted crazy, I’ve joked around, I went through these crazy ups and downs, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve loved while being broken, I’ve been dealing with this broken version of me. I’ve done everything during those two months to present time. I was someone who I did not want to be, I was someone who I wanted to be and I was someone who I didn’t think I would become. To this day I’m still going through the motions and trying to become someone who just understands that I did what I could. It just wasn’t it. That’s the hardest part of it all, I want to blame myself for everything when it has nothing to do with my actions.

I still have a long way to go with everything. I know it’s going to be journey of ups and down, but at the end I just need to focus on me and my wellbeing. I have to be selfish right now and that’s very new to me. I would also like to ask everyone if they can respect my boundaries. I don’t want to hear or know of anything. I think I’ve heard enough already and that was more than what I could handle… If you have any words of wisdom or encouragement for myself, I’ll be more than willing to accept that instead. There’s still so much love coming and pouring out from me and that love will continue be there for a long time, just respect my boundaries.

I’m not proud of some of the things I’ve succumbed too. I’m not proud of the actions I’ve taken or some of the words I’ve said, but I do understand that I acted out because of how I felt emotionally and I would like to make a public apology. It ended up spilling out to more parties than just the one.
I’m sorry. I know that if I was on that receiving side, I would have been livid or annoyed even if it was “understandable”. I hold myself accountable, that is not the person I think that I am nor wish to be. I let the worst get to me and I let what I’ve been trying to heal break. I know I apologized before, but I hope this reaches to those who it effected.

For those who “want the tea”, this is MY blog and this is what you get out of me. I’ll get what I deserve, they’ll get what they deserve and you’ll get what you deserve whether it’s good or bad. At this point please forget about me and leave all that negativity behind. I’m not fighting you or fighting for anyone or anything, but myself. I’ve removed myself a few months now, your problem is who you have been fighting with me for. Take it up with them, I wasn’t the one to begin with and definitely not the one now.
Maybe take it up with yourself and finally hold yourself accountable. Stop lying to yourself and find peace within you. Hurt people hurt other people and like you, I need to find my way through too.

This is my piece and I acknowledge it’ll get passed around. I get to be selfish now, so please pass it around whether it’s with pure intentions or ill intentions.

Here’s my truth.

Food Alert: One Day in Chicago, Illinois.

Helloooooo, I’m back with another food blog from Chicago! You’ll probably see tons of Food Alerts blogs from Chicago because I only live a few hours away and I’m the type of person to drive for some good food. What I love about Chicago is the variety of food spots that exists and how there’s constantly new places popping up! This one has a special location because we also have one of these restaurants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Yes, you read that right! You don’t have to travel as far to my Wisconsin readers. In today’s blog, I’ll be talking about all the spots that I visited in one day. Let’s get HUNGRY.

First stop of the day was Bearology. Boba teas are always a must when traveling! I don’t exactly enjoy tapioca pearls like that, but the teas or the drink part is where it’s at. This was a smaller location in Schaumburg, but they had this cute bear decor on the wall! If only they had it on sale, I would have bought it on the spot. The green drink on the left is their Shimmering Kiwi Lemonade with Tapioca Boba and the right drink is their Strawberry Mango Green Tea with Lychee Jelly. The cool thing about Bearology is that you can choose their jars or flask to have the drinks in and if you bring it back on your future visits, you get 10% off your drinks! We love reducing plastic waste ♡

Imagine this, you’re sitting down in a small convenient store eating a pizza puff, Pho Bo, an Ube Cookie and the Viet Dip while listening to Slow Down by Bobby Valentino. Yeah, you bet I felt like I was 10 years old back in 2005 eating a home cooked meal blasting the radio. Phodega is where it’s at if you want that nostalgic experience. The food is authentic Vietnamese food (yes, even the pizza puff. It’s the bread dough that they use.) Plus where can you get a pizza puff and pho at the same place? The place has limited seating, but it’s worth the wait!
The Viet Dip is an Italian dip, thinly sliced ribeye, cilantro, onions, and jalapeño on french bread with a side of pho jus to dip in.

Now let’s talk about some drinks! A foodie adventure is not an adventure if you don’t have some drinks and I’m not talking about our boba from earlier either.
A L C O H O L, but make it unique and innovative. Yes, you heard that right! Machine: Engineered Dining & Drink is the place to go for that. I’ve never seen a place like this before, they had a flower wall and fall trees indoors. Then you can request the florist and flower cart to come to your table and make a personalized bouquet for you right on the spot! Now that is service! I ordered the Caged And Infused cocktail drink and it came with a little hammer to smash the candy cage. I failed pretty badly, but it was fun. My boyfriend ordered the Dragon’s Breath.

Caged And Infused
Butterfly flower infused roku gin | Maraschino | Lemongrass | Lemon | Violet candy cage

Dragon’s Breath
Tenjaku Japanese whisky | Spice note cinnamon tequila | Lemon juice | Triple syrup | Orange peel | Served hot

Boba, lunch, drinks and now some sweets! You can’t forget the dessert treats, you always have to make room for dessert. I came across 2D Restaurant on Instagram and knew we had try their mochi doughnuts. The idea of the restaurant is super cool, the interior decor is painted to look as 2D as possible like you’re in a comic strip! 2D Restaurant has more than mochi doughnuts, so we had to try their Mild Rooster Sandwich and the Iced Organic Blueberry Tea. The chicken sandwich was very good and very mild, basically no spice at all. I think we could’ve handled the hot one. The Mochi Doughnuts that we ordered were The Pooh, Strawberry Sprinkle, Berry Easter, S’more, Matcha Dream and the Churro.

2D Restaurant is also very limited in seating, so you might have to wait a bit in order to get in! I believe you can make reservations though.

Last, but not least…. SEAFOOD BOIL!!!
Yes, we are obsessed. We’re always on a lookout for a new seafood place to try. Lowcountry is the name of the restaurant and good news for us Wisconsin readers, they have a location open in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So we’ll be able to have it again whenever we’re in town. The seafood boil here was good, not the best cause Orlando is still my #1, but I will definitely be eating here in Milwaukee. Lowcountry is doing something right cause when we ordered the heat level as hot, it was actually hot. A spicy hot, but a good spicy hot. It lived to its name.

We ordered a Combo A – Shrimp Combo (1 lb shrimp, 2 piece corn, 3 piece potato, 2 piece cornbread and drink) and did a fill your own bag with 1 piece Snow Crab Cluster, 1 piece 8 oz Lobster Tail, and 1 lb Crawfish. Both with the Everythang sauce and one in heat level hot (2 pepper) and very hot (3 pepper). The sauce was addicting even when our mouths were burning from being pretty spicy, we kept smothering our seafood in it. I’m actually ready to burn my mouth again for it, I can never get enough seafood boil!

You can visit a good amount of restaurants in one day, you just have to plan it accordingly. Food trips are one of my favorites. So many good foods and drinks out there that’s waiting to be consumed! I told my boyfriend once before “I don’t eat to live, I live to eat” and I will forever stick to that hahah. All I’m thinking about is the seafood boil now because I just relieved the experience through writing about it. I’m also about to heat up the last of our mochi doughnut for a quick morning snack. I hope you guys are enjoying these Food Alert blogs, many more on the way! STAY HUNGRY ♡

Food Alert: New Foods in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Hello again food lovers! I am here with a couple of new food places that opened up in my hometown Grand Rapids, Michigan. With the pandemic still going on *cries* and Michigan being pretty closed (but I’m thankful for the Gov. Whitmer taking cautious steps), I haven’t been able to go out to eat as much as I wanted too. Otherwise, there would be tons of more foodie post from Grand Rapids. The city is growing and there’s so many great food options! Luckily before my move, I was able to eat at two recently opened restaurants. I just want to acknowledge that the community of Grand Rapids is so full of support for each other. I haven’t heard of too many restaurants closing down and the customers have been really nice, kind and thankful to restaurant staffs. Hearing a “thank you” for working during this crazy time really makes your day. Not only customers, but I see a lot of restaurants around town being very active with helping and getting involved with the community as well! I have so much love for Grand Rapids.

The first food place that I was able to try out is called Kaffeine. It is this cute little cafe over on Michigan Street. They have coffee and fusion Korean foods. It’s such a great place for a more quiet or relaxed eating date. I would love to go to Kaffeine for some delicious food, coffee and time to work on homework, studying, work, etc. by myself and I don’t like going places by myself.


In my opinion, the bulgogi is probably the best bulgogi that we have in town. It is so flavorful and they give you a pretty good portion of bulgogi in or on their meals. My friend ordered the Bulgogi Toast with a Matcha Latte and I ordered the Bulgogi Burrito with Sweet Chili Sauce with an Apple Caramel Latte. It was so delicious that I actually took my mom and boyfriend there the following week. I will definitely be back to try more foods from their menu! They also have stickers of a cute puppy drinking coffee as their little logo and it was too cute to not buy.

The second place that I went to was called Condado Tacos. Condado Tacos is located over on Bridge Street. I actually ate here twice as well because the food was that good. One thing, that I love about here is that they have an outdoor patio area! I love eating outdoors on a nice patio. The vibes is just so different and you get some Vitamin D, life can’t get better than that.
Condado Tacos is not authentic tacos, but don’t let that stop you from going. The picture does not do any justice either!

So now for the food part! The first time at Condado Tacos (pictured above), I ordered the House Flight Margarita. The 3 flavors that I chose were Blood Orange, Prickly Pear and Pomegranate. Then ordered the Chorizo El Tradicional taco, the Beef Bad Habit taco, the Pulled Pork Bubba Kush taco and the Beef The Heater Taco with a side of guacamole. Plus my friend ordered the Dirty Queso to start off with and it was THE BOMB. Hands down best queso I’ve ever eaten.
The second time eating (video next to this), I just had to order the Dirty Queso again. You can easily say that I’m hooked. I got some of the same tacos as before, the El Tradicional and the Bad Habit, but tried the Beef Cali Dream Taco and the Beef Sweet Heat Taco this time. Of course with a side of guacamole, I love anything avocado. All of them are just as good as the ones I tried before. I haven’t had anything that I disliked yet!

My mouth just waters when I think back to these foods. I’m so excited to see all the new restaurants that will open while I’m gone. I definitely will miss all of the awesome restaurants that we have back in Grand Rapids, but I’m certain that I’ll find some spots here in Wisconsin. It also gives me more reason to explore the area and get to know the location better. Thankfully, my boyfriend loves to try new food places as much as I do too! This won’t be the last of Grand Rapids or Michigan though, I’ll be eating good when I come home to visit haha.
Stay hungry guys ♡

SALLY ♡ T

Drunk Thoughts: I’m Tired, Exhausted Really.

I’m tired. Tired of a lot of things. Tired of a lot. It gets pretty exhausting in this head of mine. To do this and then to do that, to make myself look put together when I feel like I’m not. I have to care for this, I have to look after that, I have to hide this, so I don’t step on that. It’s exhausting. It gets really tiring.

I feel like I take care of a lot and I do. I just wished I didn’t put myself in that position so often because when I need it, who’s going to take care of me? I’m too tired to take care of me sometimes. Who’s going to tell me that I’m going to be okay? I need someone too.

Who’s going to let me let it all out and just sit there to listen? I don’t need advice, I don’t need to be told anything, just someone who will just sit and listen without saying a word. It’s funny though, I have a lot of people that are willing to be this person for me, but I would never let them because I don’t want anyone or others to worry about me.

SOBER SALLY TIME
I actually wrote this back in August/September of 2020 and never posted it because there were so many other Drunk Thoughts post that I was writing at the time. As you can see I was not in the best headspace. Pandemic and my own life was really hitting me hard. I’ve been going back and forth with myself with my decision to post this or not because it’s such a personal and vulnerable feeling to me, BUT that’s what I created and intended this blog to be. A safe place that I created, where I can share that side or those thoughts. I can also share that I do not feel this as intense anymore, which makes it easier for me to share. I have been working on the healing that I’ve been needing, I’ve been working on positive healing and actually accepting and letting it in. I have made peace with things and is still working on looking for the peace in others.

I share this because I know there are others who feel this way and honestly sometimes I go back to feeling this way. It’s not something that you can beat and it goes away forever. You have to actually make your peace and teach your brain not to go there and that’s hard. YOU WILL HAVE BETTER DAYS. I promise you that you will. Find your footing first, then learn how to walk. Remember to take care of yourself and be kind to yourself. There is no other you.

SALLY ♡ T

Dear February.

February, you always find a way of repeating yourself for the past few years and honestly I’m over it. There’s very little good to remember, instead it’s a stretch of time and waiting. You try so hard for something so simple. I wouldn’t say rock bottom, but why does it feels like it’s always desperate climbing out of something? Why must you be so stubborn?
First was a start of something I would have never known. Something that I didn’t think was capable of happening. Something that I just didn’t know. Something that won’t ever leave me. Just a lot of missing and things unknown. A strange feeling, but I trusted something else because there was no way. It’s just not there, right? It’s happy still. It’s still just a day dream, still that fairytale, but you’re losing it right in front of you without even realizing it. It’s busy, one starts to feel lonely while the other is doing something with a bigger vision in mind. It’s not aligned.
Second, just more of the same thing except it’s known. Be aware of your surroundings. You’re more aware of the bottles than what going in your life. That warmth from last month got you through, so why not continue? It allows you to escape the old and the new, it allows you to escape the feeling of being a ticking time bomb. Any emotions released, good and bad, but you just don’t care because it’s the only time you can express anything. Otherwise, it’s too much to even think of any other time. Stand up for yourself and pour out whatever you feel. Pour out a cup, pour out two, pour out three at least. Shit, we’re already on five, make it six and we’re numb. Perfect. It’s the only thing you can make sense of, the only thing that feels real, the only thing that is staying consistent. The one thing reality is letting you take control of. Just keep busy.
“So I’ll take all of all of my wasted love and turn it into wine in my cup.”
Third, it’s not a full repeat, but there’s lingering. There’s still some of the same. There’s some of the same cups, but not out of control. We don’t drink until we’re numb anymore, but emotions still are there. It’s still there. Keep busy only a few left. There’s joy, but it can still feel lonely, but there’s joy. Things aren’t fueling anymore. There’s room to think with clarity and understanding. Understanding? Maybe that’s a reach. Your skin is tough, but things still sit under it. All you can do is sit and control yourself.

Dear February, save me. You’ve given me everything you gave me, but you’re scorned.

SALLY ♡ T

Dear January.

You are always so cold, but somehow always filled with warmth and love. The start of a new year and the celebration of making it through another. Everyone thinks you’re a new chapter, but really you’re just a continuation. People count on you to be the new chapter, but it really starts with them to write that.
Adventure comes to mind when I think of you. The first January was the first adventure. It was so perfect, not a thing could or can ruin all those moments. Pure joy and happiness, nothing was questionable. My favorite of them all, the one that only really exists in my head. The last of the daydream.
The second January was a slow warming, if that warming was of a lit match. Trying to put together what was broken and not understood. Figuring out exactly what you need to get through the day, but running to an escape instead. The bottles were warm though. The feeling you had missed and lost. It was temporary and numbing, but it made anything confusing go away. A quick break to breathe. You threw love everywhere, not sure if it even belongs there and then went to the bottles with the same energy.
The third January was full, a more at peace feeling. Seeing actual waves and not the ones that mentally take you in and drown you. In a beautiful place where you don’t need to wait for any unknowns because now you are the unknown. A real reality that you could actually grasp. The understanding isn’t fully there, but you have a better idea of it than before. Something you can let go of at times without a lingering. You keep more to yourself because it’s only right. Protecting yourself, but in a healthy way. Working on recovery on problems you all created.

Dear January, please don’t let me fall. Stay cold, but give us your warmth. Please continue to let the patience of love wait on my drunk heart.

SALLY ♡ T

Drunk Thoughts: Hungover

I’m actually hungover as I post this, but when I was drunk last night I wrote this and honestly it’s one of my favorite things that I’ve written. Not because it’s cute, but because most of my drunk thoughts are never about me being happy. I’m sure you’ve read some of them, this is very different from all of those.

I’m in a very good place in my life and just figuring everything out slowly, but in a healthy way. I owe that to myself. For me it’s so easy to write about the sad stuff and stuff that will help me feel better, but so hard to write when I’m happy. Why is it like that? I don’t know, but it explains why I haven’t written anything recently. Things are good though, I can’t complain. I’ll write an update on what I’ve been up to when I’m not dying from being hungover lol

SALLY ♡ T