A Tropical Storm called Life...

Aloha amigos. So here we are. Life is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, forks and narrows; and it's a beautiful thing. There has been packing, unpacking, repacking, transitioning, staying put, and moving forward. And this is all good. So I hope you're all good too. 

But let's get back to what TheSizzle is really all about. Really good thangs. Food, tunes, treats, surprises, trips, adventures and the ever so random post. 

About a bajillion years ago, I brought you Hawaii Part 1. Well folks, it's time for Part 2. And so we begin:

Hawaii Part Deux:

My mind was already blown from the absolute perfection I experience at Ono Seafood. I still crave that Poke on.the.reg. But MS had more in store for moi. We lazed on the beach in Waikiki, had a few cold cocktails, and watched the world go by. But then it was time. For SASABUNE. 

I'm a sushi person. And I feel like a lot of people say that, but I think my appreciation goes a little deeper than the average bear. 

MS and I decided to walk to our dinner destination. We found a groovy little spot on the way, stopped and had a cocktail to rev up our appetites. Pint + Jigger was a great place, low key vibe with #nomz that looked quite tempting. But we pressed on and refused food to save room for sushi. 

MS had made a reservation at Sasabune and we decided to order "omakase" style. Where you sit, and they bring you food. Forever. And you want it to stop because you're so full, but you don't want it to stop because it's just UNreal. 

COURSE 1: Albacore Tuna Sashimi Style. Creamy rich albacore served in a delicate, light ponzu sauce. I'm hooked already. 

sasabune hamachi appetizer

Course 2: California baby squid stuffed with blue crab. Tender, sweet, NOT chewy WHATsoever. The dream continues...

sasabune california baby squid with blue crab

COURSE 3: Toro. What else can I say other than it's a fatty part of the Tuna that literally melts in your mouth. Divine. There were two sauces glazed on top, but my eyes were totally glazed themselves and I couldn't type it into my notes fast enough (cold sake wasn't helping my motor skills much either...)

sasabune toro sushi

COURSE 4: Halibut and Red Snapper (from left to right). Fresh, light, incredible. Again, I couldn't type the sauce quickly enough. So feast your eyes....

halibut and red snapper sasabune.jpeg

COURSE 5: Hamachi 2 ways. Whatever ways these were, these were one of the highlights of the meal. Perfectly creamy and buttery. I'm pretty sure the left piece had a ponzu ginger concoction but I was having a hard time keeping up with the amazingness. 

sasabune hamachi 2 ways

AND THEN MY PHONE DIED. I'm not kidding. And we needed to conserve MS's battery to get us home. SOOO......I didn't take any more pics and I decided I really just wanted to enjoy the experience and enjoy the company. Amazing. 

If you get to Honolulu, you've got to try this place. It's small, unassuming, and only takes reservations. The waiters know their stuff, and they take their sushi seriously.

FOR EXAMPLE:

At one point, I was getting so full, that I was about to pull the fish off the rice, and go riceless. The waiter SWOOPED over, and said "Maa'm, please do not upset the chef. Eat the whole piece, it's an insult." So I felt silly and wasteful, and put the whole thing in my mouth and thought I was going to burst. But it was worth it. Later on, we had South African Rock Lobster, sweet Japanese shrimp, hand rolls, and more incredible culinary delights.

MS and I left thoroughly impressed, full as ticks and already looking forward to doing it all over again. 

Next on TheSizzle.... Hawaiian Delights, sneaking into state parks, and being rrrrreally awkaward around a (notveryfamous) celebrity right before running 13.1 miles. Oh and some pretty #nomtastic San Diegan (is that a word?) meals....Until then, adios amigos. 


Up & Away

Bonjour Sizzlers, it's been a heck of a week! The Spurs won last night (yeehaw) and I'm off on another trip tomorrow. This time I'm going on a beach vacay to see one of my college besties get hitched! I'll be FL bound in the am and MS gets to come too. 

In the meantime, I'd like to give you the full Hawaii/San Diego experience, so I'm working away on those posts. BUT I won't leave you empty handed. And now, I introduce to you....Tuesday Tune-Up. 

Below you will find a short list of some of my favorite tunes for the week...I hope you enjoy, and you can always just follow TheSizzle on Spotify to check out our musical side! I'm working on my blog intricacies, but all the songs are clickable and will send you to the music!

EAR SNACKS:

Hozier- From Eden

Whiskey Wit- Kwesi Kankam

Badfish- Sublime (I mean obviously)

All I Need- The Cerny Brothers

Baby- Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti 

You Go To My Head- Oscar Peterson & Louie Armstrong

All I Want Is You- Barry Louis Polisar

Fur Coat Blues- Jamestown Revival

River Water- Moon Taxi

I Got Loaded- The Wood Brothers

Let's Get Lost- G-Eazy, Devon Baldwin

Stolen Dance- Milky Chance

Cigarettes and Coffee- Otis Redding (oldie. goodie. makes me tear up a little in the best way)

 

I hope you enjoy, I will be instagramming on my trip and enjoying every single second. Because that's what life is for. The little seconds. It's too short not to. 

Throwback Thursday

Ciao y'all. Happy almost almost almost Friday! I don't know about y'all but this has been w.i.l.d.

Also. Eating salads alone is no fun. Luckily I have many many recipe books to keep it interesting so I don't go off the deep end and end up face first in a bowl of buttery mashed potatoes. 

It is officially one month on the nose from our 1/2 marathon. Yikes. Prepare to see me laid out on the pavements and running trails of H-town. Just feed me so agua (water) and tell me to get back to it. 

Anywhooo. My #TBT today goes to an amazing amazing trip to Italy I took, and many amazing amazing meals. I spent the majority of my time in Firenze (Florence) but had jaunts in Roma (Rome), Cinque Terre, and Siena. All utterly breathtaking, and taste bud tantalizing. 

say hello to my little fren.

say hello to my little fren.

This photo was taken before my life changed. We went to Il Paleo in Viena for the major bi-annual horse races, and it was so crowded that we decided to duck into this charming salumeria. Once inside, you are NOT allowed to take pics. However, the owner took a liking to us, and two hours later we were upstairs in his private kitchen learning to make risotto and seeing his homemade sauces and house cured prosciutto. We also drank lots and lots of vino rosso. I also learned that "Een Eetaly, a men will trade heez wife for bottle of Sassicaia". I don't know if you've had the pleasure of tasting this wine, but it's PHENOMENAL. 

ultima notte 

ultima notte 

This phot of me stuffing my face was taken my last night. We found this charming little restaurant on the square in Santo Spirito called...Osteria Santo Spirito. I fell in love with this part of town, and you should as well.  (Seasonal menu, so what I had is no longer available, but you can't really go wrong here!)

Afternoon snack

Afternoon snack

Here you have TheSizzle standard snack. Prosciutto e melone. I was there in the summer, so the cantaloupe was PHENOMENAL. And eating prosciutto in Italy? Not a bad thing. 

I am walrus. 

I am walrus. 

Any given night, I was to be found in a café or outdoor patio sipping Amaro or Campari spritzers, taking in the scenery. Italy is just so alive, all the time. And you see someone wearing a super chic outfit, only to realize you're sitting in a piazza that has artwork by amazing artists that have been gone for hunnnndreds of years. Mind-blowing. 

Fiocchetti: delicious pasta "purses" filled with taleggio cheese and pear served in a creamy sauce with asparagusNot fattening AT ALL.

Fiocchetti: delicious pasta "purses" filled with taleggio cheese and pear served in a creamy sauce with asparagusNot fattening AT ALL.

One of my all time faves in Firenze was 4Leoni. We went as often as possible, and it's in an adorable little piazza tucked away across the bridge. HIGHLY recommend. Plus they have sassy flowerbeds..See below. I died laughing.

4Leoni even has sassy flowerbeds, so what's not to love?

4Leoni even has sassy flowerbeds, so what's not to love?

Monterrosso al mare. 

Monterrosso al mare. 

And now, beach times. We only had 2 days in Cinque Terre, and while the food was fine, the beach was my only concern. I'm a water fiend, and any chance to be near it, in it, on it, I'm there. SO there. I tried paddle boarding for the first time and loved it. It's a great place to visit and make sure you hike through the 5 villages, the views are unbelievable. 

Another favorite restaurant, Acqua al 2

Another favorite restaurant, Acqua al 2

Another great spot is Acque al 2 in Firenze. Great food, incredibly helpful staff and delicious wine. I'll an in-depth Italian wine post another day. It's too close to Friday for me to get so detailed. 

In the meatime, if you've gone to Italy, leave your comments below, and if not, buy that ticket!

Happy early Friday amigos.