The best food while at sea was at Palo (not surprising). Go for the dishes your server says isn’t available elsewhere on ship. You also need to try Palo both for dinner and for brunch. These are two different experiences with very different menus and styles.

Zefferelli’s in Vancouver was a completely lucky find. Late in the day while on Robson Street, our group couldn’t decide what to eat. Adults wanted Thai or Asian while the kids wanted spaghetti. The kids won out so we headed to the closest Italian place which happened to be the second-floor Zefferelli’s. Wow. Here’s my abbreviated Yelp review I drafted on my iPhone. In general though, Vancouver is a great place to sample different cuisines. There’s so much to pick from, all within walking distance. Biggest challenge for a large group is the small size of many restaurants.

I was not disappointed with the sit down meals we had on the Wonder. The menu featured a large variety, but some dishes really sang. The soups were surprisingly good and always save space for dessert. Our server would always exclaim “calorie time!” when he came to take our dessert orders. I’m not sure why, but asparagus had no effect on me during the cruise, and trust me, I tried by ordering several dishes with asparagus.

In Juneau, seek out Tracy’s King Crab Shack and soak it all in. Located right on the docks, this literal shack serves the biggest, freshest crab product you’ll probably ever find (I think I’ll post pics in a separate post).

Now, I’m getting hungry…

Juneau on Dwellable

On the Disney Wonder

Did I mention that brewed coffee onboard the Disney Wonder is free and always available. Let’s repeat that, free and always available. Whoa.

This espresso bar is happening. From the outside, it appears deceptively simple. Step inside and let the luxury enfold you.

The baristas can make all kinds of drinks, but again, for a price. Be prepared to wait since some days are slammed with caffeine addicts. There’s plush outdoor seating or you can go upstairs to the posh Outlook Cafe. I opted for outside whale watching while drinking my mocha.

Skagway

So staying caffeinated at sea is easy to do, but what about in Alaska. Now that’s a different story. First port of Skagway, Alaska with a population of 800 locals. Four cruise ships in dock, each transporting at least 2000 passengers and 900 crew members. So roughly 12,000 visitors crushing into this “city.” Could the coffee keep up? If you’re a business entrepreneur like the Excelsior Coffee Cafe, you see a definite opportunity.

Located inside of a jewelry store (and what is with all the jewelry spots in Alaska?!?), this cafe serves Starbucks but is NOT a Starbucks. But really, when you see that green mermaid logo in the window, do you really care? The menu is, not surprisingly, more expensive, and due to the constant flow of visitors, they ran out of cup sleeves, but it’s all good when the coffee enters your bloodstream. Walking around the blocks of Skagway and checking out the shopping spots is just a little more fun holding a cup of coffee.

Juneau

Our cruise’s second port was the capital of Alaska, Juneau. Of course I’d find coffee places in the capital, right? Yup, but with our activities and limited transportation, squeezing in a coffee pit stop was too tough. But after visiting the sights of the Mendenhall Glacier, we had enough time to check out the area around the dock. That’s when we came across Tracy’s Crab Shack. Featured in a Top Chef Quick Fire Challenge, this place is really a shack, a very, very crowded shack that serves the hugest crab legs you’ll ever see.

But wait, we’re talking coffee, not crabs. Luckily for me, a few shacks down from Tracy’s is the Crepe Escape. Where there’s crepes, there’s coffee, and sure enough, their full menu offered coffee options.

Did I have a mocha? I forget already, but that is my “safe” drink. If you screw up a mocha, you don’t belong in the espresso game. A mocha with king crab, crab cakes, and crab bisque? Sure, why not?

Ketchikan

A private fishing tour with Captain Jerry for four hours will make you thirsty as well. Or maybe it was from reeling in 40 salmon? Maybe it was just the salt of the Pacific Ocean, but after some great fishing, I needed a pick me up. At 3:45pm, that shouldn’t be a problem right? Hold up there, visitor of Ketchikan. Things work differently here. The Yelp app helpfully listed many coffee spots. I headed to the closest one – open but no longer brewing for the day. Headed to another location. Closed. Did more shopping and came across another closed cafe. What’s with that?

The Disney Wonder was in port for several more hours and other cruise ships were also docked so people were aplenty. But why all the early closures? I guess that’s the way Ketchikan rolls?? Did more shopping and spied this garage-looking space with people in it. And they were drinking coffee! I hurried on over and yes, the Good Coffee Company was open, even after their posted closing time. The workers said they go with the flow so if there’s business, they stay open. I had another “safe” mocha but should’ve gotten a larger size since it was so good.

So coffee addicts, there you have it, my coffee tales in Fresno, Vancouver, and lastly, Alaska. After writing three installments, I’m tired. I think I need some coffee.

Don’t forget about Part 1 and Part 2 of Coffee While Cruising.

Ketchikan on Dwellable

It was during a summer trip to Central Valley, California, and we were driving for awhile. Were we driving to San Francisco? Monterey? Santa Rosa? Sadly my memory fails me. But all I remember was I was tired after driving for hours. I needed a caffeinated pick-me-up before continuing to drive for a few more hours. So I asked my wife to use the Starbucks mobile app to locate a nearby store. The app showed a few locations, and I headed to the closest one which so happened to be located in an outdoor shopping outlet area. Seeing the familiar Starbucks sign was truly an oasis.

I got out of the car, walked to the door, and noticed this unfamiliar logo in the window.

Holy Starbucks! We randomly stumbled upon a rare Starbucks Clover location!! I couldn’t believe it. Off all the stores displayed on the Starbucks app, we happened to pick one with a Clover brewing system.

Like I said, I was fatigued from driving and my memory is fading, but I couldn’t quite figure out the Clover menu. A barrista cheerfully guided me through the various options, and I got an iced Kenya. Because it’s freshly brewed, the wait time was a bit longer, but it was fascinating to watch the individual brewing process. I do remember the coffee tasting fresher and not as bitter. The flavor was deeper, but since my drink was iced, the fresh brew quickly became watered down as the ice melted.

Still though, having a Starbucks for the rest of the drive was great and just thinking about the kismet of this happenstance is still incomprehensible.

While there is no official map of all the Starbucks Clover locations, check out Starbucks Melody’s blog as she documents her visits to as many Clover locations as she can.

Update: this location is store number 69034 located in Town Center Corte Madera.

Mill Valley on Dwellable

All hotel brunches are expensive, and this brunch is probably the costliest around, BUT the food is so good! The variety and freshness of all the dishes are all top notch (this is Halekulani after all). You can’t beat the service, not only at the restaurant, but from the entire hotel staff starting with the friendly and fast valets.

Back to the food. Check out the slideshow for more pics of gut busting decadence.

And oh yeah, any outing is an open invitation for any LOST members to attend. I was delighted that Sonya Walger decided to take up the offer and came to brunch. Sonya plays Penelope Widmore on LOST and appeared as Michelle Dixon on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Unfortunately, I didn’t want to bother Ms. Walger during a meal since that’s a celebrity no-no, so I don’t have a good pic. Instead LOST fanatics have to settle for this LOST-arazzi shot.

From Brunch at Halekulani

The photo album also has pictures from the new Waikiki Beachwalk area and the huge Kapahulu Safeway.

Beach Walk on Dwellable

On Saturday, we were going for dim sum at Royal Garden in the Ala Moana Hotel at 11:30. Turned out closer to 12:30 after finding parking at a packed Ala Moana. The new Nordstrom’s parking structure has tons of covered parking, so if you’re willing to walk a bit, save some time and head straight there. While at the Ala Moana Hotel, saw quite a few attendees of the Comic Convention(?) walking around dressed up in some outlandish outfits.

The new Nordstrom’s area is impressive. A little different feel from the rest of Ala Moana since it was designed new, not just retrofitted from the existing mall spaces. Lots more stores added and the relocated Williams Somoma is huge. I didn’t go inside the new Nordstrom but did get a Mexican Mocha from their eBar.

Ala Moana Hotel on Dwellable