Puerto Rico has some pretty epic annual festivals like San Sebastian in Old San Juan every January, and there are plenty of other activities year round including the unofficial pork festival every weekend at Guavate!
Every Saturday and Sunday the main road through Guavate transforms from sleepy little town to party central. Guavate is the home of Lechonera, these are food stalls and restaurants that feature roasted pork, so much so this area of Puerto Rico is known as the Pork Highway. Located in the mountains of Puerto Rico, the best way to visit the pork highway is from the town of Caguas, then head East on highway 184.
The Borough Market in London is a foodie lover’s dream come true. With fresh fruit and produce stalls, meals to go available in every type of cuisine that you can imagine, nibbles galore, and refreshing beverages of all kinds there is still more to explore.
I met a friend for lunch today at Bombay Spice restaurant. This was not our first visit and there will be many more meals here.
Bombay Spice is Indian Cuisine with an american twist. They have a dog friendly front patio and intimate indoor seating. I first sampled their cuisine at Scottsdale Culinary Festival, but never knew the location (Northwest corner of Tatum and Shea, Phoenix).
Between my friend and I, we are have quite the food allergy list. Bombay Spice offers vegetarian options and can accommodate any food allergy that you can imagine (gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, corn, yeast, rice, and more).
The appetizers are big enough to share. My favorite are the Chickpea Ceviche served cold, and Lentil Cake hot appetizer.
The Tikka Masala is coconut-based for a lighter sauce than the more common yogurt or cream based sauce. They offer white rice, brown rice, or quinoa for many entrees, served with Naan or Dosa.
Indian cuisine, or you want to try a non-curry meal, then try a Biryani containing basmati rice, spinach & vegetables, almonds, and mild spices. Served with Papadum crisps so my gluten-free friend share part of my meal.
Save room for desert the Mango Sorbet topped with pistachio is not to be missed! The service is excellent, taking great care of us and the dog in our party. I am already looking forward to my next visit!
Quiessence is one of my favorite restaurants in the Phoenix area and the choice for my Birthday dinner. The menu changes daily featuring fresh, local ingredients. The best dining option is in the Tasting Menu that is a 5 course chef’s choice (you do not order any specific food, but you can specify Vegetarian and/or food allergies). An optional wine pairing is available, and highly recommended (if you like delicious wine).
My Birthday Tasting dinner included a chilled vegetarian starter, bread (do not eat too much of the bread, pace yourself!), meat & cheese appetizer (not quite fast enough with the camera), yellow squash salad with yogurt dressing, perfectly fluffy gnocchi pasta, salmon and fingerling potatoes, lamb with stuffed mini bell peppers, and desert course (complete with birthday candle).
Quiessence is only open for dinner. There is limited patio dinning and plenty of window side tables to enjoy the beautiful surrounding area on The Farm. For a more romantic experience try to plan your dinner before sunset. Be sure to make reservations. Open Table is my favorite on-line reservation system and the mobile app is really easy to use.
Arizona Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to try a three course meal at a much reduced fixed price to try out the scrumptious food from Quiessence!
Le Chocolat du Bouchard is a delightful, little, neighborhood chocolate & coffee shop located in Downtown Naperville (Chicago suburb in Illinois). They have a variety of chocolate everything!
The decor is charming, the entire store is inviting you to come in and enjoy a slice of chocolate cake with your coffee and a lazy afternoon.
The girls enjoyed picking out a special chocolate from the case.
The espresso is top quality, great with a dash of chocolate or delicious on its own. The service is consistently good.
If you are hard-core, then try a slice of cake with your coffee. They offer gluten-free, milk or dark chocolate, and many flavor options to choose from.
June 2014 Update – Chocolate Shop Expansion!
They have added an extra room with more chocolate related gifts, chocolate bar, and this gorgeous chocolate apothecary for even more selection of chocolate goodies!
Behold, the expanded Chocolate Bar!