Rama Thai

This weekend I was invited to come and check out the menu at RAMA,

a fine Thai restaurant, located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. 

I got so excited when I recieved the offer because this is actually my favorite Thai joint in all of San Diego,

and the husband and I used to come here all the time when we lived downtown. 

The experience was like a little walk down memory lane.... with delicious food included!

The ambiance of the restaurant is perfect for a date night -

the booths in the  main dining room are strategically covered with sheer liners, the light is romantically dim, and the DJ is regularly spinning the right jams. 

Once we were told to pick whatever we wanted from the menu,

we were like little kids in a candy store. 

I'm happy to report that ALL of our selections exceeded our expectations!

Yum Salad - with chili, mint, basil, cherry tomatoes, onions and shrimp

Shaking Beef - cubed rib-eye with cherry tomatoes, onions and shallots

Spicy Basil Lobster - lobster tails stir fried with basil, onions, bell peppers, and fresh thai chili

Sticky rice with mango for dessert!

Erik and I had such a great experience,

 and we can't wait to come back the next time we're craving Thai food!

Postcards from Hawaii - Part I

You may have seen through my Instagram feed that I was in Hawaii a few weeks ago.

It was kind of a spur of the moment decision..

we saw a flash sale on flights, somehow finangled our friends into coming along, booked a condo on the beach, and boom,

we're sunning our fannies on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Erik and I have been to Hawaii a couple of times before,

so the loveliness of the tropics wasn't too much of a surprise for us.

My friend on the other hand, was a Hawaii virgin,

so we opted to participate in all the touristy goodness that Oahu has to offer.

The photos above capture some moments from the first two days of our stay.

Gorgeous sunrises over Diamondhead, crystal clear water of Kailua beach, traditional Luau at Germaine's, and long walks along Waikiki beach... that's what life is made for.

Oh and that last snapshot?

Yeaahh... that's our expression after getting struck by a monsoon after dinner one night.

Welcome to the tropics baby!

Weekend Diary

Where on earth does the time go? 

Another weekend came and went,

and although it flew by really quickly,

we still took advantage of every minute.

This weekend I:

-Celebrated Friday with a yummy seafood feast at Oceanaire. 

The Oyster bar is one of the best in San Diego (mental note to come back for happy hour soon),

and the ahi salad pictured below was super fresh and delicious. 

-After dinner on Friday, my bestie and I walked over a block (in the rain!) to Fluxx for a little dirty dancing. 

Can't tell you much about that night, because I honestly don't remember.. 

All I know is that we had a fabulous time.

-On Saturday Erik and I went up north to celebrate my mother in-law's birthday and to play in the SNOW. 

How beautiful is this? 

Love getting away for a little R&R, even if only for a day. 

-Sunday was definitely a fun day!

The mister and I teamed up with our best friends to participate in the San Diego Challenge,

an Amazing Race type of event that had us chasing down clues all around downtown. 

If you ever have a chance to participate in an event like this, do it!

Just think of it as a giant scavenger hunt. 

-And although we didn't even come close to winning,

the four of us decided that we should still reward ourselves for our efforts with an extravagant meal. 

It just so happened that one of my favorite restaurants, Gabardine, was hosting a special four-course dinner with wine pairings from Laird Family Estate that night, so we decided to go for it. 

It was such a phenomenal experience!

Brian Malarkey's young chef proteges prepared a feast from some of my favorite foods, 

that went along pefectly with the wine. 

Fresh oysters, tender lamb, decadent blue cheese strata... yum!

I'm drooling just thinking about it. 

The amount of wine we consumed was definitely too indulgent for a Sunday night,

especially when we had to lose an hour of sleep the next morning before work (side eye time-change deciders). 

So worth it though!

How was your weekend?!

Bruges, Belgium

Chocolate temptation on every corner!

Christmas spirit all year round. Perfect!

Just a typical Sunday afternoon performance in the park....

Oh Bruges.. you're better than a fairy tale.

This tiny city was our last stop during our latest trip to Europe last year. 

I'm so glad that we dedicated a day to make it out there. 

It felt like we stepped back into history the minute the train stopped. 

Sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North",

Bruges has been gaining notoriety as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Belgium over the past few years. 

And it's no wonder why! 

This place is absolutely gorgeous. 

Have you ever been? 

If not, I recommend you add it to your wander list immediately!