you can't forget / from sunrise to sunset* (bardot travels 11.14.17)

Ah San Francisco.  Jon and I traveled back to our home away from home, for the weekend (from the 10th to the 13th, perfect amount of time), and it was like old times. Visiting the city as a tourist is an odd experience - things look the same but everything feels different.  Since I'm horrible at linear storytelling, here are the highlights of our trip to San Francisco.

San Francisco- The Sights

We stayed at our old apartment in lower haight. it was a bizarre feeling. the current occupant lives a very minimalist lifestyle, so the place has a very “short term rental” feel to it.

I miss seeing this building.

since jon is still a card carrying member of the deyoung and legion of honor museums, we decided to check out the “gods in color” and the “klimt and rodin” exhibits.

Oakland and Berkeley - The Food

i’d heard good things about the new doughnut shop in oakland called vegan donut gelato. they may have a simple straightforward name, but their doughnuts are so amazing. 

we had to go to butcher’s son, of course.  this is their killer b.l.a.t ("bacon", lettuce, avocado, and tomato).

we checked out the new timeless on 2965 college avenue in berkeley.

a late night dinner feast at kennedy’s irish pub and india house.  we ordered way too much food!

San Francisco and Berkeley - The Sounds

of course we had to go to seablite's show!

even though we had just seen them in cambridge, we had to see the clientele again in san francisco among friends.  the crowd was more appreciative than cambridge!

Check out my photo album here on Flickr (with more if you're "friend" on Flickr).  Suffice to say, every time we visit, we leave a bit of our hearts in California.

*Marlena Shaw - California Soul

i won't be fooled by a cheap cinematic trick* (bardot travels 5.31.17)

Jon and I have traveled to Los Angeles a bunch of times now, and our trips are just short weekenders.  It's easy to do when you're on the same coast!  Since we were there for Eat Drink Vegan, we flew in on Friday night and left on Sunday afternoon.  Most of our exploring was around the Echo Park neighborhood.  I love that area!  Here are some highlights:

The Sights

Where we stayed - An AirBnB off of Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park

cool and homey.  i like places that are welcoming to their guests.

simple

dig the succulents

Nico and Bullitt - 2205 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (link)

so california

not a cigarette machine

The Food

Mohawk Bend - 2141 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (link)

the buffalo cauliflower is always a winner.  i'm usually not a fan of spicy, but these are properly spicy.

Donut Farm - 2609 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (link)

all the cakey doughnut varieties

Little Pine - 2870 Rowena Avenue, Silver Lake, CA 90039 (link)

kinda wish they had fries instead of chips

The Record Shopping

Cosmic Vinyl - 2149 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (link)

stage where bands play, i assume.


i like this cover!  alas, i didn't get it.

Rockaway Records - 2395 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (link)

wall of expensive records

Atomic Records - 3812 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505 (link)

a little bit claustrophobic, but i like their selection of old music

If you haven't yet, read my post about our Eat Drink Vegan experience.  Check out my Flickr album here.

*Missing Persons - Walking in LA

but not you, dear, you've got to live* (bardot travels 05.29.17)

Another year, another Eat Drink Vegan in the books!  Jon and I traveled to Los Angeles again to enjoy the sunshine, eat multitudes of vegan food, and imbibe glasses of tasty beverages.  The golf course at the Rose Bowl suits the food and drink festival well, with the space carefully planned out for all the vendors.  This time around, the weather was pleasant - sunny and warm!

sizzle

from brooklyn's chickpea and olive and l.a.'s donut friend.  basically a heart attack in sandwich form.

they had different glasses this year, which was cool. 

all the stickers from herbivore

the end of a long, gluttonous day

i needed an outfit with a little give in the belly area

- Shirt dress: from Anthropologie (from years ago)

- Shoes: The Souvenir in vegan leather by Lucky Lou Shoes | here

- Bag: Kitsch kitty bag by Betsey Johnson | similar

- Canvas bag: from Forever 21

- Boater hat: straw boater by Scala (actually a men's hat) | here

- Sunglasses: by Kate Spade

It's so awe inspiring to see all the people at vegan festivals.  We all have our reasons to vegan, so sharing our excitement with food and drink bring the camaraderie.  While the event can be a bit too LA and a bit too social media (uh what's up the the tipis?!  not cool), I still have fun there and always look forward to attending the next year.

Check out my Flickr album here.  Next post will be about our trip to LA.  Here's to next year!

*My Favorite - Let's Stay Alive

tell me how i can tell him i love him* (bardot travels 03.09.17)

As I mentioned earlier, the real reason we went to Portland is to go see The Radio Dept. and Jen Lekman perform.  Now, I figure most tourists don't really go to concerts or shows, let alone local events, when they visit.  However, I try to go to concerts when I travel because, other than music is my life, I get to see the true local culture, not some shiny tourist book representation.  Anyway, I've been going to Portland for years - visiting friends, going to conventions, hanging out - that all the tourist places are nice, but they don't reflect the true city.

Portland - Music and Nightlife

The Radio Dept. at the Doug Fir


Jon found me a copy of Martin Denny's "Afrodesia" at Crossroads Records.

The photobooth was broken so I improvised.  The White Owl Social Club played some serious radio-friendly 90's R&B and hip-hop that night.


Record shopping at Exiled Records.

Jens showed up at Ground Kontrol, and we kinda freaked out.  My biggest regret is that we didn't say hi to him!

Jens Lekman at Revolution Hall

Both The Radio Dept. and Jens' performances were well worth the visit to Portland.  It was my first time seeing either bands, and I was really impressed.  Quite honestly, I was quite smitten with Jens Lekman - he was so charming and enthusiastic during his performance, and he stayed at the end to talk to everyone!

I hope you enjoyed our Portland photos! Please check out the Flickr album here.  I definitely can't wait to go visit again.  If you have any questions, let me know! 

*Jens Lekman - How Can I Tell Him

walk with me in portland* (bardot travels 03.07.17)

A trip to Portland, Oregon wouldn't be the same without vegan food and a multitude of drinks!  I'm not a foodie person at all - my relationship with food is complicated - but I'm just glad there's a lot of vegan options in bars and restaurants.

Portland - The Food and Drinks

Sweetpea Baking Co. - 1205 SE Stark St, Portland, Oregon 97214 (link)

Coffee and chocolate chip scone (which has chocolate filling inside!).

One of the first places we visited was Sweetpea Baking Co.  They have a bunch of tasty vegan pastries, desserts, and sandwiches.  They have gluten-free pastries and desserts, as well.  You can't go wrong here.  We ended up visiting the cafe a lot, since our AirBnB was really close by.

Sweetpea Club Sandwich

Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery -928 SE 9th Ave, Portland, Oregon 97214 (link)

The taps at Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery, where I finally got to taste Pliny the Younger.  I remember seeing the brewery when it was a small building (which is still there), so visiting the proper restaurant was nice to see.

Hazelutely Choctabulous - I'm thankful for Untapp'd because I couldn't remember the name of the beer for the life of me.

Black Water Bar - 835 NE Broadway St, Portland, Oregon 97232 (link)

Vegan chicken sandwich with tots was decadent.  Honestly, anything with tater tots is amazing, really.  This vegan restaurant is a divey punk rock bar, but it was a nice subdued night when we went.

The Bye and Bye - 1011 NE Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon 97211 (link)

Pretzel bite - they only give you two!

It amazes me that Portland has all these bars that have awesome vegan options. Why can't they have this in San Francisco??  I love getting the Southwestern Bowl; it's that sauce.

Harlow - 3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, Oregon 97214 (link)

Adobe salad

I'm not a fan of going to brunches because of the lines. I'm not a fan of the line culture AND the brunch culture because I have better things to do with my time. However we decided to check out Harlow because it was relatively new to us, and we thought, since it was a weekday, the line wouldn't be bad.  Nope - there's still a line.  Other than their restrictive rule about not getting a table until you've ordered (so lame), the food was ok.  I'm glad that it's mostly vegan, but the food isn't something to shout from the rooftops about.

Voodoo Doughnuts - 22 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204  (link)

We had grandiose dreams of getting a dozen vegan doughnuts but opted to just get two.  There's usually a line, but, shockingly, there wasn't a line when we went during the weekday afternoon.  The Boston Creme is my favorite - that cream filling is the best.

We also went to No Bones Beach Club and the Alibi Lounge, but I'll save that for a tiki review!  If you want to see the rest, check out the Flickr album here.

*The Raveonettes - Aly, Walk With Me