It was the closest Starbucks from our Sunday lunch place. (And it’s not just your plain vanilla Starbucks. It’s a Starbucks Reserve® store. Deceivingly quiet from the outside but packed inside. We had to wait for close to an hour just to get our seats. (Yeah, we waited that long. We didn’t want to move out of the seaside complex just to find another coffee shop. We wanted the place so bad.)
We were looking for coffee last Sunday but all the Starbucks in the area were packed and about to close. We wound up at this place called High Grounds Café. First impression? It’s huge! Lots of tables! (They seem to have an upper floor but it’s cordoned off.) The café is obviously meant for people who’d bring their laptops along to work or study. But it was loud from the late hours to the wee hours while we’re there. I wouldn’t be able to work or study what with all those distractions. LOL!
I really liked the place! They have a wide selection of food and drinks. Of course, coffee options are the main attractions, well, at least to me. Would love to be back here soon one of these days.
Tried the Korean barbecue offering at Casa Urban Table at Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA. I’m not a fan of Korean barbecue places that won’t let you cook your own food. So here, you have to order your meats in limited amounts (3 types only) every single time. Then the kitchen grills it for you before they bring it to your table.
Unfortunately, the kitchen took too long a time to grill these things. I think it’s unacceptable since there were only a few diners at the restaurant, less than half of its capacity. But since a lot of restaurant owners have this take-it-or-leave-it attitude, I wasn’t really surprised with the excruciatingly slow service.
Too bad because the place is conducive for dining and chit-chat. Oh well.
The first wedding I attended since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the globe. It was my first time to be there at the historic Barasoain Church (Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish) in Malolos, Bulacan. Our connection to the event is with the bride, K, a cousin of TW’s. No, I wasn’t part of the wedding photographers. I just sneaked in some shots. This was actually the first wedding I was invited to that explicitly asked everyone involved to “please be our guest, our photographer will take care of the rest.” Of course, it’s fine.
The noticeable thing with the easing of the metropolis lockdown to Level 2? There were too many kids running around in malls and other commercial places. Good or bad idea?
Certainly hoped you’re going to still be with us for maybe another decade or so, perhaps even more. But I guess your body wanted to rest for good. Farewell, Dad. I wish I could say “See you soon,” but you know I’m not into that kind of belief and thinking.
Saturday errands with TW! Renewed an annual contract with a storage provider in San Juan early in the afternoon. Then had our first meal of the day. (We woke up late, that’s why.) I was gunning for ramen but we eventually hankered for steaks from Grills and Sizzles. I thought they’d be offering on site a few of my old favorites. But unlucky me. Their pandemic dine-in menu only consisted of three items and only one was available when we arrived.
So, we both “settled” for T-bone steaks.
So, how was your Saturday?
WILL GALANG 