Mar 30thSong Que at Eden Center (beginners’ guide to the Eden Center), Dolcezza Gelato, Gibraltar, OHOP

We started the weekend by getting some breakfast at Mike’s Deli.  Delicious and filling.

If you live nearby and have not been to the Eden Center, you are really missing out.  It is slightly intimidating to the uninitiated, but with a few simple tips, you can find out what all the fuss is about.  I wanted to go to Nhu Lan, which was featured in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, but it was closed.  So we went to perhaps the most popular banh mi spot in Eden Center.  Song Que is easy to find, as it is outside (the Eden Center has a few mall-like inside areas), and in the main corner under the clock tower.  The cashiers generally speak english well, and the sandwiches are numbered.  I like the #2 (pork and pork skin).  If you get a banh mi, and a bubble tea (all the flavors are good, but I got thai iced tea), you’ve had a great first Eden Center experience.

We went to see a movie at the Angelika, but first stopped at Dolcezza Gelato.  We shared some gelato (always particularly good), and I got a gibraltar.  If you’re not up on your espresso drinks, a gibraltar is kind of a like a cortado.  Essentially, its espresso, hot milk, and no foam.  The absence of foam is what differentiates it from a cappuccino.  The type of glass in which is is served, its namesake, is what differentiates it form a cortado.  Some call it the fools cappuccino, but to me, its just a decent cupa with a hipstery name and following.  Not unlike a flat white.  At 4.5 oz, its a good size before a movie.  We saw the grand budapest hotel, and found it quite enjoyable.

Sunday, the weather was crappy again, canceling my golf plans, and turning this entry into a food-exclusive post.  I did nothing this weekend but eat.  At least we had some good food.  OHOP is about as good as it gets if you want a huge classic breakfast.  It doesn’t matter what you order, as long as you get the bacon.