Society Life Magazine

I’ve been eager to post something new for some time now, but things have been a little crazy.  My Seattle run is just on the horizon, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve been pre-occupied with that.  Both training and fundraising are coming down to the wire, but enough about that.  Bring on the grub, you say!

The past few weeks since my last post have not been without a few notable food moments.  There’s the visit to Mina’s Pizza and Pasta (a full review of which is in this month’s Society Life).  Wow, gluttony never felt so good, not virtuous, but still very good.  I’ve been craving their stracciatella and chicken à la casa since we left.

Then my brother got married in Orlando.  Food-wise, that trip was a mixed bag, starting with a ho-hum Asian buffet, followed by an even ho-hummier hotel breakfast buffet, followed by absurdly overpriced soft pretzels and a turkey leg at the Magic Kingdom, followed by a belt-busting rehearsal dinner (Chinese banquet style at Lam’s Garden), followed by a fast-but-good falafel at Winter Park’s Pita Pit, followed by a wedding reception dinner at the Orlando Science Center in the rain – the highlight of which were some amazing cupcakes from Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly, followed by a surprisingly fun lunch at Cracker Barrel in Daytona Beach, followed by a why-did-we-even-bother-waiting-an-hour-for-this pizza at Pizzeria Uno.  Not the most profound culinary exploit, but I not giving up on the Orlando food scene, which I’m sure is far more interesting than I experienced.

Back to DFW, and the most notable eats I’ve had in a long time were not ordered à la carte but served family style at my parents’ home in Colleyville.  This time it isn’t mom’s cooking that I’m writing home about, but my cousins Glenn, Mark (tall and taller, I like to call them) and cousin-in-law Paula.  Filipino home cooking is some of the heartiest, most soulful food on the planet – from a nutty kare kare (an oxtail, beef tripe, and vegetable stew), to unapologetically gamey kambing kaldereta (a sweetish stewed goat dish), to a liver lover’s dream in beef menudo, which is nothing at all like the Mexican soup.  The guys have wanted to open their own restaurant in Baltimore since they moved there, and it may just succeed since they’d have a huge niche to fill.  But I’d wager that North Texas could really use some powerful Pinoy flavors, as much for its cultural impact locally as for its gastronomic impact.  I won’t miss the extra ten pounds I’ve gained since their visit, but I’ll miss them and their distinct culinary point of view.

I’m already looking ahead to Seattle, and the edible bounty of the Pacific Northwest.  If you’ve got any Seattle dining suggestions, please post them here or email me at frank@societylifemagazine.com.