Bravo, United

Sitting at my desk never felt so good.

After a wonderful short trip to San Diego to visit Nick and accompany him to the HMLA/T-303 Marine Corps Birthday Ball, I knew I had to get back and get packing! After all, the countdown to check out has begun.

As luck would have it, my flight from San Diego to Norfolk (via Chicago) would be drastically delayed. I spent 6 hours at the San Diego Airport. United Airlines assigned us a broken aircraft, there was no back up and no availability on any other flight (what are the odds I visit during a Realtor's conference week?). My only option was to get to Chicago whenever the aircraft was repaired and take a Monday flight to Norfolk. Awesome.

Arrived at the airport and with time to spare, I agreed to a fast food breakfast with my fiance. McDonald's, his favorite. Arrived at the gate and with time to spare, I enjoyed some coffee. Starbucks nonfat latte, my favorite. And as the flight time kept getting pushed back, I had tons of time to spare. Then it was time for lunch.

ENTER: Relevance to food blog --> There is no such thing as eating well or inexpensively when traveling. My options for lunch were $9.78 pizza or $9.78 sandwich. Really? I have yet to be introduced to a sandwich worth the ten dollar bill in my wallet. This sandwich was no exception to that rule, but I was hungry and I knew it was this or airplane peanuts.

This airplane didn't have peanuts. Only $8 snack box options. Really? Eight dollars for the food I used to get for free? I thought everyone shared these sentiments, but apparently not. The gentleman next to me ordered the Luxe snack box and the Original snack box, plus a cheese tray. I laughed to myself at first, but soon realized he must have been in this situation before.

After a long flight, a long walk to the customer service desk at O'Hare, a long line at that desk to get my hotel voucher, and a long wait for the hotel shuttle, I needed dinner. I was starving! I was wishing the guy in 17F would have offered to share his crackers. Anyway, anyone who knows me well, knows that my patience wears thin the longer I go without food. And patience truly is a virtue when you've been traveling for 12 hours, you aren't allowed to collect your luggage until your final destination, and you aren't booked on the first flight to Norfolk, but the second.

So my first question when checking into the hotel was,"where is the restaurant and how long is it open?" I had 15 minutes. Again, I reiterate my first point. There is no such thing as eating well or inexpensively when traveling. My caesar salad and wings were not memorable, and not worth the $25. I did enjoy my company, Alice and Pei Lin, two realtors (probably not a coincidence) I will always remember!

So Monday morning I woke up early, showered with hotel amenities, put on my Sunday clothes and rode back to the airport. I was saying a prayer for an open seat on the first Norfolk flight. It seemed like a three mile walk to gate F12A, only to find out the flight was booked and everyone was checked in. I would only get on the flight if someone didn't board.

The announcement was made and the lucky travelers booked on the first flight walked down the jet way. And then, "Norfolk passenger Bravo, your plane is boarding now." And "Paging Ms. Bravo, your flight to Norfolk is boarding." I was hopeful, but fully expecting this "passenger Bravo" to speed up to the gate at any moment, frazzled and frantic and ready to get to Norfolk. And then she didn't. And I flew home, earlier than expected.

So for dinner last night I made pan-seared NY strip, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and an herb salad. It was delicious. And maybe $12 total.

No thanks to United. My thanks are to Ms. Bravo, for having a case of the Mondays and missing that flight.

And while I was planning on writing about my first meal in San Diego, or the fact that my fiance tried Thai food for the first time, or my delicious homemade sausage gravy and biscuits that are a post-USMC Ball tradition...those events were overshadowed by the 2-day return to the East Coast.

No Frills Weekend

After two weeks at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) at Fort Meade, Md., I was ready to be home in Norfolk! As much as I enjoyed the two-week Visual Information Manager's Course (shout OUT to class 010-10), I think it's safe to say that was plenty of time to talk production, imagery accession, budget, and personnel.

It is pretty much perfect right now in the Hampton Roads area, and I'm really trying to hit up my top spots in town. I have orders to the Navy Public Affairs Support Element (NPASE) West, and in a few weeks I'll be making my cross-country road trip to California.

Realizing our limited time together on the East Coast, my sister Sara decided to head down Saturday. We both just wanted to hang out and spend time together.

After the long (lots of traffic) drive from DC, a (super busy) day babysitting my friend's beautiful 9-month old daughter, and a last minute decision to skip the gym, we weren't making big-time, late-night plans for Saturday. We were, however, incredibly hungry!

We decided on No Frill Bar & Grill, a Norfolk favorite conveniently located in Ghent.

First thing to order: beer.

Best choice: Sierra Nevada Harvest Wet Hop Ale. (It only came in large bottles, darn it!)

Second thing to order: food.

We started with a delicious artichoke dip! It was nothing like I've had before, extra creamy and pretty much awesome, served with pita instead of chips. The appetizer was so delicious, I didn't get a photo before it was gone! >> Coming soon! >> Beth's new and improved spin-arti recipe!

Our salads had a pepper parmesan dressing (like ranch with extra deliciousness).

My dinner? London Broil Pita.

Sara and Steve had burgers, Adam had some crazy huge deli special. NFG has great burgers, famous meatloaf, HUGE sandwiches and great service. Whatever you like, you'll find it there! It is highly recommended!

Basically, my dinner was exactly like my weekend. Close to home, in great company, comfortable and totally satisfying!

Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer Made a Very Tasty Dish

After USS Cole successfully completed her participation in Exercise Joint Warrior 09-2, we headed east to make a couple port visits. These were regularly scheduled visits intended share goodwill with the Navy’s friends and allies.

Our first stop was in Helsinki, Finland. The first thing I asked was “What should I eat here?” The typical I response I got was to “Eat reindeer.” Reindeer? I didn’t even know that people ate reindeer. With the holiday season quickly approaching eating reindeer almost seemed appropriate. (because the holidays are eating at me… kidding!) So, where would I find this delicacy?

It turns out that most restaurants in Helsinki serve some version of reindeer. The traditional way to cook it is to sauté strips of reindeer, make a gravy from the fond, and serve it over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with lingonberry compote/jam/sauce on the side. Lingonberries (AKA cowberries, lowbush cranberries, or mountain bilberries) are red, round, and extremely tart; they are more closely related to the blueberry than the cranberry. You can buy lingonberry jam at IKEA (by the bucket if you like).

My liberty group found reindeer at the tourist favorite, Zetor. Zetor is the Finnish hillbilly version of Friday’s, though it’s not a chain. It’s designed to look like a 1960’s era ski lodge and includes a tractor as part of the décor. The bathrooms are bedecked with pages from 1960’s era Finnish pinup magazines. Classy, I know. This wasn’t fine dining, but that wasn’t our goal. We wanted fun and memorable. That’s certainly what we got. Our server was friendly, prompt, and fluent in English. (Seems everybody in Finland is multilingual).

I ordered the sautéed reindeer, but swapped with a friend who didn’t like the potatoes that came with his roasted reindeer. He clearly made the better choice. The roasted reindeer was a fillet served over a bed of scalloped potatoes with the same lingonberry compote. It was a comforting dish that brought Thanksgiving to my mind, minus the turkey, of course. The reindeer was tender like a medium rare cooked fillet mignon, but obviously not as beefy; nor was it gamy. I think AB needs to do a Good Eats episode on reindeer and lingonberries. Dinner was pricey, but that had more to do with the value of the dollar than the price of reindeer.

Reindeer isn’t as exotic or even gamy as you might expect. I highly recommend eating reindeer if you get the opportunity; I’ll try cooking it if I get the chance. Maybe I should leave reindeer bait with the cookies I leave for Santa… Hmmm.

Happy Belated Birthday USN!

Dear United States Navy,

I know this is a little late, but I want you to know that I didn’t forget your 234^th birthday. (I know it’s October 13^th!) I hope you’ll accept these birthday wishes.

You have 329,390 active duty officers, Sailors and midshipmen; 10,556 of whom are serving as individual augmentees. 138 of your 285 active ships are underway and you just commissioned the USS Makin Island (LHD 8), the “Prius of Navy warships.”

It’s a cheesy slogan, but you really are “America’s Navy: A Global Force for Good.” You’re around the world, protecting the maritime environment with the understanding that the prevention of war is just as important as the conduct of war. To that end your Sailors serve around the globe, providing presence, combating piracy, providing humanitarian relief, and making friends with people and other navies. You are an important ally in the task to protect global security and prosperity.

You’ve been an important part of my life too. You helped me pay for my degree at Notre Dame. You’ve given me the chance to travel and expand my horizons. Most of the time, you keep me in shape. (haha, I’m kidding!) Best of all, you’ve given me a job; a job that I’m very proud to do.

I wish you many more years of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. I wish you many more generations of proud, American Sailors whose actions will continue your heritage and traditions.

I’ll have a slice (or two) of cake in your honor.

Happy 234^th Birthday!

Michael

Great Scot! Or that time I ate Haggis.

My name is Michael. I ate haggis.

I don’t remember the first time I heard about this offal dish (yes, I punned), but I’ve always been fascinated by the thought of eating this Scottish delight. I remember talking up my adventurous palate to my friends; haggis is one of the dishes that always came up (stir-fried insects, Rocky Mountain oysters, and Filipino Dinuguan besides). What could sound less appetizing: “sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours.” Sure, I eat hotdogs. Who knows what parts of what animal they contain nowadays? But pluck and oatmeal boiled in a sheep’s stomach for hours? The British must have told the Scottish a joke that they mistook for a recipe. How could oatmeal, the reliable breakfast favorite, become savory pub fare? Alton Brown humorously demonstrated a recipe for haggis during his oatmeal episode of Good Eats complete with a kilt, a club, and a horrible Scottish accent. If AB approved, I knew I had to give this dish a shot.

I’m currently aboard USS Cole (DDG 67), augmenting the Destroyer Squadron 24 staff with two Mass Communication Sailors as the public affairs officer. We just completed Exercise Joint Warrior, a UK-led, multinational, multi-warfare designed to improve interoperability among the participating navies. The exercise kicked off in Faslane, Scotland, a 2-hour westward train-ride to Edinburgh. I had one full day of liberty and did my best to take advantage of it. One of my goals was to eat haggis.

My liberty buddies and I left Faslane and made it to the Edinburgh Waverly train station by noon. We stepped into the city (to the sounds of bag pipes) and made our way to High Street via the North Bridge. High Street is also known as the “Royal Mile,” a gradual incline of tourist shops, cashmere/tweed stores, scotch whiskey retailers, and other such distractions leading to Edinburgh Castle at the top. The plan was to start at the Castle, then grab lunch and make our way down the Royal Mile.

After building up a big appetite surveying the impressive Edinburgh Castle, we went searching for food, preferably traditional and reasonably priced. We meandered down the “mile” and stumbled upon a little pub, Ensign Eward. (I was hanging out with junior officers; how could we resist)?

Dimly lit and bedecked with Scotch Whisky (that’s how they spell it) and Guinness (what?!) posters, Ensign Eward’s seemed a little touristy to me. The menu was even less impressive: a single-page menu populated with typical pub grub. The first item, though, caught my eye. “Haggis, Neeps & Tatties…..£7.50.” It was fate. The bar mistress recommended a light lager, so I ordered both. (It turns out that it is more traditional to drink whiskey with haggis).

A few minutes later, lunch was brought to our table. The steaming

plate of haggis and I eyed each other (not that it has eyes) and I gave it a minute to cool by snapping a couple photos with my trusty ELPH. To call it unappetizing to the eye would be a gross understatement. It looks like a cross between a brown corned beef and moist mulch. It smelled of meat, but was mostly nondescript; no posh spices here. I scooped a forkful and took a bite. Meaty and mushy; not bad. Neeps turned out to be mashed swede (rutabaga) and tatties were mashed potatoes. There were peas and carrots for color. This is Scottish comfort food. Homey and simple; this would fit right into a retirement home menu. Lots of protein, fiber, and it’s easily chewed and digested. It may have been the spice of hunger, but I finished it all. (Though I think the years of dinner with my dad have programmed me to clear my plate).

My parents instilled in me a passion for food and zeal to eat new things; I think that comes naturally as a Filipino. (Well, Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods is also an inspiration). I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t try to travel and eat adventurously. So, I ate haggis. Did I enjoy it? I guess so. Will I ever try to make it myself? Not likely. My personal ethics would not allow me to cross Scotland off my “places visited list” if I didn’t eat haggis at least once. I also ate fish and chips; and sampled a wide variety of Scotch. (I’m taking home a half-dozen bottles)! So, check in the box, mission accomplished.

Though I only spent a short while in Scotland, I have fallen in love. It’s a beautiful country with a storied history. I hope I come back someday. I still have to see the Highlands and search for Nessie.

(oh. I feel bad about stealing the first food and travel post from Beth; I’ll make it up to her. I’ll make sure to introduce myself in a future post too). Props to wikipedia for the basic haggis recipe.

Home for Fall, my favorite season of all

Deployment 1: COMPLETE

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower left for a five-month deployment in February and I was on it. The ship and her crew returned in late July and, thankfully, I was still on it. So why, in October, am I starting a blog about my travels?

1. Fall is my favorite season. Fall brings a long list of my favorite things, many of which start with "F": fuzzy sweaters, football, festivals, lit fireplaces, family time, and FOOD. And as my favorite season rolled into Virginia a couple weeks ago, I walked outside and was thrilled that I was home to enjoy it.

2. People still ask me about my deployment. When I tell stories about the foreign port calls, my adventures rarely went in-depth on historical monuments or guided tours. My adventures with friends were centered around good food, a cold beer or glass of wine, and conversation. When given the opportunity in port, we escaped our duties and the daily grind by finding a great restaurant or bar and making ourselves comfortable.

3. I like to cook and I love to eat. In the world of blogging, that makes me a subject matter expert, right?

So somewhere between the temperature change and a pumpkin ale, a pot-luck lunch at the office and sharing stories about being overseas, and trying to become more Internet and social media savvy...

A blog about my adventures and travels in the Navy, and the food I eat along the way.