Living it Up at Voula's

Last night, I stayed up to watch Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah and I didn't realize how inspiring the film could really be. A lot of us withhold ourselves from dream experiences, whether it's a vacation (because we need to save money), telling a person how we feel (because we're shy), or not eating certain foods (because we think we need to watch our weight). Queen Latifah's character would cook amazing meals for her neighbor, but would stick to her Lean Cuisine until her doctor told her she only had 3 weeks to live. And live, she decided to do.

The restaurant scene was priceless. After being told the chef did not repeat the long list of mouth-watering specials twice, she decided to order one of each. No restrictions or substitions, just full fat and full force.

So today, I decided to go to one of my favorite breakfast spots, Voula's Offshore Cafe. I hadn't been there in weeks, not since my cousin was in town, mainly because of the "watch-my-weight" excuse. I enjoy Voula's for the down-home family atmosphere, but I truly love it for Niko's magical hash browns. And at this place, hash browns aren't a side dish, they practically are the dish, covering the plate in their golden majesty.

They had a special, the "Irish I had a hobo" which combined two indulgences for me, 1) their hobo which combines a lot of things I love for breakfast:
eggs, hashbrowns, mushrooms, onions, cheese and 2) corned beef. What the hell, I'm living it up, right? And I'm glad I did. It's always nice to reconnect with people you enjoy and the special bonus is Bryan, their long-time employee, came back from Southern California and is cooking up a storm again behind my favorite counter. I'd forgotten how much the people at this place make you feel at home so I'll be coming back more often.

Off for a White Christmas -- A White Sand Christmas

I'm off to try my first attempt at a quasi-culinary tour in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. My itinerary includes a tequila flight tasting at the Ritz Carlton, education in Mayan cuisine, including a hunt for the best pollo pibil, and some cooking classes at the Culinary Center (also at the Ritz Carlton).

Feliz Navidad, everyone!