Fun, flavorful adventures in Northern California
My past two columns tracked my travel adventures to Mexico City with my kids, Gabbie and Paolo, and to Los Angeles with my BFFs. This week, I want to highlight my food adventures in Northern California.
Days leading up to our departure from Manila, I was already drawing up a mental list of the foods I couldn’t wait to eat. Having last visited the US in 2019, it had been far too long since I’d indulged in classic American fast food.
First on my list was the legendary, family-owned, California-based In-N-Out Burger, famous for its fresh, made-to-order burgers and milkshakes. We landed in San Francisco at 9:30 p.m. on May 27. By the time Paolo and I cleared immigration and collected our luggage around 11 p.m., my BFF Arlene Sanchez and my daughter Gabbie (who flew in a week earlier) were waiting at the carport to fetch us.
The moment we piled into the car, Arlene asked the golden question: “Want to grab In-N-Out?” It was a unanimous, enthusiastic yes. Fortunately, there was a location right near the airport. Even for a late weeknight, the place was packed. When our orders arrived and I took that first bite, it was exactly as I remembered — juicy, flavorful and absolutely worth the wait.
While our food tour started in the Bay Area, it was in Sacramento — where my Tita Jojo (my mom’s younger sister) lives — that I truly got my fill. I had intentionally planned Sacramento as our final stop before heading back to Manila so I could do all my heavy shopping and eating.
Next up was Chipotle Mexican Grill, which specializes in custom-made burritos, bowls, tacos and salads. I first tried Chipotle back in 2012, and it quickly became a family favorite, especially for my son, Paolo. He obsessed over it in Los Angeles in 2015, New York in 2019, and even during a 2023 trip to Paris, he went out of his way to get his favorite bowl of cilantro rice, steak and cheese.
On this trip alone, he hit up Chipotle in San Francisco, Vacaville and Sacramento. My personal go-to? Grilled chicken, white rice, salsa, lettuce and sour cream paired with a side of their famous guacamole and chips.
Third on the list was El Pollo Loco, renowned for its fire-grilled chicken. After attending Sunday Mass with Tita Jojo in Sacramento, I suggested it for lunch. My cousin, Marc Yap, looked at me in utter disbelief. It might seem silly to crave El Pollo Loco when we have branches right here in Manila, but the taste in the US is distinct. Perhaps the chicken is larger, or perhaps it’s just the nostalgia.
I absolutely love their pico de gallo — a fresh mix of tomatoes, onions, chiles, cilantro and lime juice. Shredding the chicken, smothering it in pico de gallo, and wrapping it in a warm flour tortilla is pure bliss.
Finally, there was Chick-fil-A. Driven by its founders’ Christian faith, the family-owned chain famously keeps all US locations closed on Sundays — a policy started in 1946 to allow employees a day of rest and worship.
While they are world-famous for their classic fried chicken sandwich, my preference leans toward the spicy fried chicken sandwich with their secret dressing and paired with the iconic waffle potato fries. Their secret sauce is so popular you can actually buy it by the bottle in local grocery stores.
To satisfy our sweet tooth, we also made a pit stop at Sacramento’s iconic Gunther’s Ice Cream. I happily devoured my favorite butter pecan, while Gabbie opted for the birthday cake flavor and Paolo enjoyed a rich cookies-and-cream malt shake.
As wonderful as the fast-food run was, the absolute best meals of the trip were the home-cooked ones, seasoned with love and family fellowship.
I owe a massive thank you to my BFF Arlene, who lovingly prepared a dinner of beef with broccoli and pan-fried skirt steak at her San Francisco home the night we arrived from Mexico City. It was the ultimate comfort food after days of heavy Mexican cuisine.
And on our last night in San Francisco, Arlene hosted a small, intimate dinner and invited her two good friends from Alaska Airlines: Marilen Cepeda and her husband Claude, who brought home-baked chocolate chip cookies and Lizzie Alfonso, who came with her daughter Maja and brought a tray of delicious pancit palabok. Arlene whipped up crispy and delicious lechon kawali using her air fryer, while her husband Chris Roomian grilled burgers complete with a DIY bar of cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and burger buns.
Another highlight was a beautiful steak dinner hosted by my cousin, Mariles Daza, and her ex-husband, Henry Enriquez, the day after we arrived in San Francisco. It turned into a wonderful mini-Daza reunion, made extra special because Mariles’ sister, Stella Daza-Belda, had flown in all the way from Vancouver, Canada. The dinner was attended by Stella’s daughter Bettina, her husband Stevie Rodriguez and their two adorable boys Stefano and Mateo, who also live in the Bay Area.
Present, too, were the son of Mariles, Eduardo, and Henry’s brother, Bombet. Unfortunately, the other son of Mariles, Rigo, could not make it, but his fiancé, Terry, joined us.
In Sacramento, a special shout-out goes to Dave Lambros, Tita Jojo’s husband. On our first night, he welcomed us with incredibly flavorful, smoky, fall-off-the-bone BBQ spareribs served with coleslaw and corn on the cob. On our final evening, he treated us to grilled New York cut steaks — perfectly seasoned, tender and served alongside mashed potatoes and buttered mushrooms. It was an exquisite meal, and the perfect culinary cap to our short but sweet California stay. Both meals were delightful because Marc (Tita Jojo’s son), his wife Lindsay and their lovable and handsome son Lincoln joined us.
At the end of the day, the delicious food was just a beautiful excuse to gather. Long after the taste of In-N-Out and home-grilled steaks fade, it’s the memory of these shared tables that I will savor and hold close to my heart. There is a distinct comfort in being surrounded by family and old friends across the globe, proving that no matter how much time passes, some bonds never lose their flavor.
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