food heaven travels

Puerto Rico: La Isla Del Encanto

February 9, 2016 by Wendy Leave a Comment

Puerto Rico. Where do I begin? I’ve been to this gorgeous island multiple times, and all my trips have been memorable. My favorite part about PR is that you can cover a lot of ground within a short period of time. The island is pretty small. It’s also the perfect blend of chill vibes, beach, sun, and piña coladas. My most recent trip was this past December 2015. I went to celebrate my girl’s big 3-0, and we stayed at her grandmother’s house in Vega Alta. We drove all over the island, explored, met awesome people, and most importantly, ate really great food. Just a heads up that if you want to really go out and explore places outside of San Juan, I recommend renting a car. Public transportation is terrible within the island, as most people drive. With that being said, here are some of my favorite places. If you’ve been to Puerto Rico, definitely share your go-to spots with us!

Viejo San Juan:

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love Viejo San Juan. The cobblestone streets, colorful houses, colonial architecture, chic restaurants and bars…it’s just too damn much. I can literally walk for hours just staring at all of it (and taking cute pics).

Castillo San Felipe del Morro y San Cristobal:

Amazing view of the coast and the most beautiful architecture. Both fortifications can be explored alone or with a park service ranger. Historical information is posted throughout the fort for those of you who wanna get your read on.

La Cueva de La Ventana:

We ducked bats and hiked through dark caves to reach La Cueva de La Ventana, a cave that offers a stunning view of Arecibo.

El Yunque National Rainforest:

Rainforest. Hiking. Waterfalls. If you’re into getting a nature workout in, this is the spot for you.

Mate:

I love this place! They make delicious wraps and smoothies, and also have homemade empanadas (veggie options included!) I’ll also mention that they made me a pina colada to die for.

La Cubanita:

A low-key bar/lounge with specialty cocktails. Expect good music and super sexy vibes (put on that freakum dress).

La Salita Café:

Open mic nights, local music, art, & film. My friend Carolina from Miss Rizos had an event here and the service was great. Check out their calendar for a complete list of all their events.

El Departamento de la Comida:

Located in Santurce, this place is a must for vegan/vegetarian lovers. All of their food is locally sourced, and they work closely with a family farm to bring you the freshest meals imaginable. Definitely going down as a favorite.

Oceano Lounge:

Located just 15 minutes outside of Viejo San Juan, this place seriously has the best calamari ever. Oh-em-gee. Just so good! This restaurant is on the pricier side of things, but if you’re in the mood to splurge a bit (as you should be), then check it out.

Cerro Gordo:

This beach is one of those “off the beaten path” situations. You’ll find mostly locals laying back and enjoying the sun. You can hike to the far end of the beach, for stunning views of the ocean. You’ll also find really cool rock formations.

Loiza:

This Afro-Puerto Rican town made my heart smile. Not only because I was so excited to see an entire community of brown faces, but also because Loiza is home to many Dominicans (woop!) We stopped by Los Piñones, which has a strip of food kiosks and restaurants. We ate at La Casita (so good!) and went to the local beaches that line the coast, before heading into town to visit Las Cuevas de Loiza:

Cabo Rojo:

We drove to Cabo Rojo, a cute beach town with tons of cute bars and restaurants. It’s super chill, and great for getting in that much needed rest and relaxation.

And then there was Vieques and Culebra. I’ve been fortunate enough to explore both these islands, and they are truly a treat. I’ve done day trips to Culebra, and did an extended vacation in Vieques. If you’re interested in visiting, you have to catch a ferry from Fajardo (if going to Culebra, arrive 1-2 hours early or you will be left). Here’s a quick summary of both:

Vieques:

I stayed in the Vieques Good Vibes house, which is run by my good friend Pacifica. She drove us all over the island. I wish I kept track of the names of the beaches we went to, but I’ll just say that it’s a pretty small island. You probably won’t get lost, and will be able to explore most of the beaches within one weekend. Vieques has really cute cafés and restaurants, and the southern side of the island is considered to be the liveliest if you’re looking to turn up.

Culebra:

Culebra is smaller and more tourist-driven. It also has a ton of beaches that are great for swimming, snorkeling, diving, and all that good stuff. I visited Flamenco beach while there, and it was everything.

Nashville, Tennessee

January 18, 2016 by Wendy Leave a Comment

We’ve heard so many amazing things about Nashville- mainly the food, music, shops, and nature outings. Just about everything we need in life. When we found out that the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE 2015) would be taking place here, we knew we had to go. We were not disappointed. Although we only spent 4 days (most of our time was spent attending geeky nutrition workshops and seminars) we were able to do some exploring. Here are some of the cool spots we checked out:

Merchants:

After we landed, we headed to this spot for lunch. Jess had the strawberry salad, and I had the grilled salmon BLT (without the bacon). We also enjoyed their sweet potato wedges. Merchant’s is located right on Broadway, so afterwards we went for a stroll and listened to all the great live music that was playing in various venues on Broadway (mid-day!)

The City Winery

As we were driving through town, we spotted this beautiful building that said “City Winery.” We looked up the menu that evening, and decided on checking it out for dinner. We had such a great time. The City Winery is a multi-purpose space- they have concerts, food and wine classes, they run a fully-functional winery (I took a tour of where the wine is stored- amazing!), and offer incredibly tasty meals. We ordered the Margherita flatbread, the shredded kale salad, and macaroni and cheese. For desert, we split a scoop of locally-sourced vanilla ice cream. We loved it so much here that we actually returned the following day for dinner hahahaha

Pinewood Social

Hands down, our favorite spot! The coolness factor for Pinewood Social is through the roof. They have a cafe area, a dining area, an outside seating area, a living room, a bowling alley in the back (whoa), anddd a pool in the back that is open during the warmer months. Insane. For dinner, we ordered split the kale caesar salad, fried broccoli, and the salmon entree. We loved our experience so much that we then returned the following day for brunch!

The Post East

Not gonna lie. The food in Nashville can be on the heavy side of things and after eating a few southern comfort meals, we were ready to gulp down green smoothies. We checked out The Post East, a cute coffee shop that makes smoothies, juices, salads and more. We were able to customize our green smoothies, and also enjoyed a tasty brown rice and black bean salad. We then took a stroll in the neighborhood, which had some cool murals and adorable houses.

Shelby Bottoms

We took a ride through Shelby Bottoms, a beautiful nature park in East Nashville. This is a great place to go to unwind, lay down, or even get a workout in. They have trails for biking, running, hiking, and wildlife watching.

New Orleans, Louisiana

November 8, 2015 by Wendy 4 Comments

New Orleans is just one of those places that you must visit, especially if you’re a lover of food. We’ve been a few times, and it’s always a memorable experience. New Orleans wins for having the best food I’ve ever experienced in the states. Restaurants, cafes, food trucks- we were never let down. Like the food, the culture in New Orleans is vibrant and full of life. There is live music wherever you go, during all times of the day, and people take great pride in being from here. Here are just some of the treasures we came across during our trip in 2012.

Rum House

The Rum House is a Carribean Taqueria…what does this mean? Well, they have a plethora of Carribean-inspired plates, many with an added Mexican twist. The extensive menu has everything from jerk, curries, roti, patties, quesadillas, tacos, and more. The dessert was out of this world. We enjoyed the Chocolate Molten Fritters and the Banana Bread pudding. Seriously amazing stuff.

Cafe Abyssinia

Cafe Abyssinia is a family-owned Ethiopian restaurant that has a very down-to-earth chilled vibe. They offer plenty of vegetarian options, and plates are meant to be shared family style. The food was incredibly tasty and affordable.

Slim Goodies

This daytime diner is located on Magazine Street and has tons of great Southern dishes, many of them suitable for vegetarians. I went out to explore the backyard, and found chickens roaming around. Definitely that kind of vibe.

Dragon’s Den

We hit up Dragon’s Den for some dancing. We sweated it out for a few hours, then hit the streets to listen to live music.

Blue Nile

We came across this amazing spot for live music. It’s located in the historic Frenchmen Strip, and each night they feature different musicians, DJ’s, and artists.

Cafe Du Monde

Cafe Du Monde is a coffee shop in the French Quarter that is popular for its beignets- a deep-fried French pastry. It’s been around since 1862 and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Definitely consider visiting when that sweet tooth kicks in.

Commanders

If you’re feeling fancy, Commanders is where you want to be. They offer Creole-inspired dishes, and have live jazz for brunch. A perfect excuse to dress up, enjoy great food, and if you’re up to it- sip on a cute cocktail.

Drago’s

Drago’s is a restaurant known for its seafood, and more specifically, for its charbroiled oysters. I am not lying when I tell you these are the best oysters I have ever had. We even went a second time during this trip for more.

Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico

November 8, 2015 by Wendy Leave a Comment

One of our close friends was getting married in Valle de Guadalupe, and so we decided to make it a road trip to the wedding. We flew into San Diego, spent a couple of days exploring, and then drove across the Tijuana border (about 30 minutes from SD). From Tijuana, the drive to Valle de Guadalupe was about 90 minutes.

The best way to describe this majestic place? Endless vineyards, beautiful mountains, desert vibes, excellent wine, and yummy food. Voted as a top wine travel destination, it is considered to be the Napa of Mexico. Valle de Guadalupe is pretty isolated, and you definitely won’t be seeing tons of tourists. Here are some of the gems we experienced:

Where we stayed:

Hotel Boutique Valle de Guadalupe

We stayed at Hotel Boutique, which is located in the heart of Valle de Guadalupe. The hotel has bikes that you can use to ride through the vineyards, has a restaurant with great food (and live music on weekends!), and the views from our room were breathtaking.

Troika

The first stop we made was at Troika, a food truck located near the Vena Cava winery. Let’s just say it was quite an adventure finding this place. It’s literally a taco truck in the middle of nowhere- not even google maps came to the rescue for this one. Once we finally found it, we had tasty tacos, grilled vegetables, and local wine.

La Cocina de Dona Esthela

The following day, we had lunch at La Cocina de Dona Esthela, which is a simple and traditional Mexican restaurant. We felt like we were eating in someone’s kitchen. Tortillas are made fresh on the spot, and we enjoyed them with eggs, nopal (cactus eaten as a vegetable), refried beans, fresh cheese, and salsa.

Finca Altozano

The wedding was at Finca Altozano, a beautiful farm that has a restaurant on site, great trails for exploring, and an array of artisanal beers and wines.

Chateau Camou

The following day, we went wine tasting at Chateau Camou. We enjoyed beautiful views, while tasting locally-sourced wine.

We had such an amazing time at Valle de Guadalupe, and can’t wait to plan our return visit. There are so many hidden treasures to be experienced!

Mexico City, Mexico

November 8, 2015 by Wendy Leave a Comment

We planned a quick stop 2 day stop at Mexico City, as part of a longer trip we took to Puerto Vallarta. After spending the couple of days in Mexico City, we tried everything we could to change our flights so we could spend more time there. We fell in love with the architecture, food, culture, art- pretty much everything. Mexico City isn’t very touristy- which is a plus in our eyes. There is a booming restaurant scene, and there wasn’t a place where the food didn’t blow our minds. Here are some snapshots of our experience:

Pyraminds of Teotihuacan

Shortly after arriving, we caught a public bus from Mexico City to Teotihuacan, an ancient city located about 45 minutes away. Aside from seeing the breathtaking pyraminds, (the Pyramid of the Sun is one of the largest in the world!) you will be able to learn about the history of this majestic place. Thank goodness we dressed fairly comfortably because the hike up the pyramids was no joke.

We enjoyed lunch at Restaurante Gran Teocalli, which offered great views of the pyramids.

Casa Azul

The following day, we hopped on the subway and headed to Coyoacan to visit Frida Kahlo’s home. Frida is basically my spirit mother, so I had to make this a stop during this trip. Coyoacan is a vibrant neighborhood, with shops, great food, and other museums. After visiting La Casa Azul, we took a stroll through the neighborhood before heading out.

After visiting La Casa Azul, we took a stroll through the neighborhood before heading out.

Food Market

La Condesa & Roma

La Condesa (where we stayed) and Roma are trendy neighborhoods with cool shops, restaurants, and nightlife. We were able to see the most beautiful buildings and homes, and stopped by a few places to experience food, drinks, and music. Although we don’t recall the exact names of the spots we checked out in these neighborhoods, they are definitely worth a visit.