Breakfast at Antonio’s

Yesterday, we went to Tagaytay for Breakfast. At Antonio’s. For a change, we went up early. You know, when the air is still chilly and there’s still a bit of fog. We went straight to Breakfast at Antonio’s.

Well actually, straight is not accurate. I got caught up enjoying driving a bit too much and somehow ended up to the end of SLEX. So I had to backtrack via the back roads and ended up at the far end of Nuvali. Thankfully, the guard allowed us to pass through after some good-natured chit-chat ;)

So anyway, we did finally get to Tagaytay and Breakfast. It was already crowded when we got there. But we we’re able to park and get seated reasonably easily. Ordering and getting the food served took a bit longer. But not too long either.

I ordered Beef Roesti. Per Wikipedia: Roesti or Rösti is made with coarsely grated potato, either cooked or raw. Depending on the frying technique, butter or another fat may be added (and usually salt and pepper). If not, oil is used for the frying. In this case, it is fried to crunchiness and topped with roast beef, poached eggs, and cheese.

breakfast1

Michelle ordered Eggs Hemingway, a variation of Eggs Benedict. Per Wikipedia: Eggs Benedict is an American dish that consists of two halves of an English muffin, topped with ham or bacon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. With Eggs Hemingway, smoked salmon is used instead of ham or bacon.

breakfast2

Both our sevings were large, tasted great and were a wonderful departure from the usual simple breakfasts like something-silog or something sandwich. They’re a bit harder to prepare which should be part of the reason they’re expensive. The other reason is, I expect, the general expensiveness of everything in Tagaytay.

Service is generally good and the staff is quite attentive. But there are occasional lapses such as when it took a long time to get an extra slice of bread. One slice. We followed it up and the waitress said it’s been punched in. And yet it wasn’t on our initial bill. So we actually had to ask them to re-check and recompute. And there there’s the missing staff at their shop.

Good place for when you feel like a special breakfast (and willing to pay the price). But can certainly still be improved.

Mugshots

So I got this black mug as a Christmas gift. I fill it up with my freshly-pressed steaming-hot coffee.
mug1

Then Jeanne says: “Daddy, you don’t like your black mug anymore?” I look down on the mug:

mug2

Ooops!

WTF: MMDA proposing to ban cars two days in a week

The geniuses over at MMDA are proposing to ban cars two days in a week.Why oh why are there people in the government thinking this way? With this kind of thinking then why not three days in a week? How about four? How about ban cars altogether? That ought to solve the traffic problem. Sheesh! Talk about killing the patient to free up hospital beds.

It’s elementary but maybe it’s worth stating for the sake of the people at MMDA: Transportation of people and goods is the objective. Traffic congestion is the problem. How about solving the problem while preserving the objective? Finding solutions may not be easy but that’s what you’re there for. That’s what you’re being paid for!

How about some ideas as well? Improve the existing mass transit system capacity (MRT, LRT), expand mass transit system (say PPP), unify intra-city bus system, get rid of provincial-route buses within the city, get rid of colorum buses, get rid of jeepneys and tricycles on the major thoroughfares… Beyond Metro Manila: develop other cities, improve intercity transportation. Oh right, you’ve thought about them. You just don’t find them easy. But nobody said it was easy. Again, that’s what you’re being paid for!

iOS 7 beta 3

Apple has released iOS 7 beta 3 to developers. Looks like it’s gonna be a 2-week cycle. The most visible change is the system font: thicker and more readable. Most importantly, it’s much more stable now. Haven’t experienced a crash or reboot since installing yesterday. Good going Apple!

The Place Beyond The Pines

theplacebeyondthepinesThe movie features Ryan Gosling as Luke. And after last seeing Gosling in Drive, I was expecting something similar. This time he is a motorcycle stuntman who finds out that he has a newborn child with his ex-girlfriend in one of the towns the circus passes through. He decides to stay and turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for their child. But it wasn’t so simple since his ex-girlfriend is already with another man, Kofi. Then he got shot and killed by Avery (Bradley Cooper) and that’s that for Gosling. Quite a surprise really.

The story is then picked up by Avery who is a rookie cop and a new father himself. The shooting elevated him to something of a local hero. This and his idealism eventually got him into conflict with the corrupt cops in the police department. He then leveraged the situation to become the district attorney and eventually a candidate for attorney general.

Then the story shifts to Avery’s and Luke’s sons who are now teenagers and studying in the same school. There’s the irony that Luke’s son had a father in his mom’s husband (Kofi). While Avery’s son didn’t since Avery got divorced and was very busy with his career. The two became friends, then enemies when Luke’s son realized who his friend’s father is. The story culminates in a confrontation in a place beyond the pines :P and with Luke’s son following his father’s tracks. Motorcycle tracks, that is.

Good watch. Almost like reading a good book.