Frannywanny

We all know that Metro Manila is literally bursting with so many restaurants, cafes, eateries and foodie spots found all over the 16 cities and 1 municipality of the region. I've lived there for 20+ years of my life and I can say that I still have a lifetime to go if I seriously want to try at least half of all the restaurants available. Despite the big number, when it comes to dining out with my family to celebrate a special occasion, we would always have just a handful of choices to choose from. Don't look at me. I'm not the only  picky eater in the family! Obviously, my picky taste must have originated from somewhere , right? ;) As the person who frequents the very few places that he loves to dine in, my Dad has quite a growing list of requirements whenever we go out to celebrate someone's birthday or a family milestone. Clean ambiance? Check! Delicious, high quality food? Check! Serves steak or beef? Check check check! So far, Mario's Restaurant has passed...

When we finally got to Baguio a little past 12 noon, the first thing we did was to look for a place to eat. Our three little passengers were starting to verbally express their hunger already so we all kept our eyes on the road in search of any of the restaurants included in our list. Thankfully, we immediately saw Hill Station which is located very close to SM Baguio . I've been reading a number of good reviews about this new restaurant and was quite excited to try it. After securing a good parking spot, we all made our way towards the basement of Casa Vallejo , an old hotel that closed down last 1999 and was revived recently and was made into a small bed and breakfast place. The ambiance was very pretty giving a traditional Filipino feel. At the entrance is the bar area with an old wooden (yet working) piano where I ended up playing a few songs later on. We walked further in towards the main dining area and I love the heavy wooden chairs, the comfy looking couches and th...

Every single time I dine at Mario's Restaurant in Tomas Morato , I can't help but reminisce about my childhood years. The time when I would dine there with my parents and we would order their Grilled Tanigue with Dill Sauce for starters, have our own plates of Caesar Salad and this immediately will be followed by our respective choice of main dishes -- on most occasions I would switch back and forth between the Lamb Chops or the Chicken Parmigiana. Our meals will never be complete without looking at their dessert cart where my sister and I would always choose the gelatin with fruit cocktail inside. Oh how I always feel like a grown-up woman every time we dine at Mario's as I would carefully slice through my lamb chops or fork through my crisp salad. Fast forward a little more than ten years after, I'm back at Mario's this time really as a grown married woman with my husband sitting beside me as we attended a special dinner hosted by Fil and Anton Benitez , the ...