Food Tripping in America

Warning: If you're on a diet, don't read through. This contains mouth-watering cuisines, tempting desserts and absolutely filling snacks that may cause your craving to heighten and deviate you from your dietary regimen.

One thing that I really look forward to making a trip to any destination is always food! Apart from the sights and sounds, I believe what makes any holiday truly worthwhile is the daily gastronomic encounter. From the finest cuisine down to the basic snack, each bite I savor completes my total travel experience. Upon making travel plans, what comes to mind instantly is "Which places to visit for a good chow?" And in my recent vacation to the United States, none of my listed restaurants or food-in-mind was ever spared from my desire. From day one, I, along with my brother, documented practically every crumb and garnish we washed down with our insatiable appetite. In every city, we took note of that stand out dining place and its extraordinary specialty. Naturally, when I got home, I had to shed off some additional 10 pounds!

A HEFTY START. In the city of Mesa, Arizona, TC Eggington's is the best place for brunch. Serving a wide variety of omelets, waffles and pancakes, an order is just enough to last for the day. Well, I ordered my favorite broccoli and mushroom omelet served with sour dough biscuit and potato cubes. I got the cashew and walnut pancake, too!

If it is pastries you crave, this favorite of the citizens of the City of Glendale in California is must-go. As early as 6 in the morning, customers line up at Porto's just to get a bite of that rich cheese roll. They make the best sandwiches, fresh juices, coffee, desserts and all the Danish you can ever imagine!

SUPER ITALIAN. I love this restaurant! Although I'm watching my carb intake, I just couldn't let this pass. Buca di Beppo has a unique dining spot that if you're lucky enough to make a reservation-you get to sit in the kitchen! With fun and gregarious kitchen staff, your eating experience is quite out of the ordinary. Before every ordered food gets out of the kitchen, the chef presents it to your table, reveals the ingredients and explains how it was prepared. Trust me, you would want to have every food that comes your way! It shares a moniker with that prominent Italian spice: Oregano's is popular among friends and family. The reason? They have the largest pizzas and flavorful pasta dishes in town. Apart from that, the staff just provides that welcoming camaraderie while in service. Surprisingly, though not your choice for fine dining, Oregano's also keeps some of the best wines! And you just gotta save some room for that cookie pizza topped with all the ice cream you can indulge-a sinful end to your entire course.

VIVA LA MEXICO! For me, the Filipino palate can very much relate to Mexican cuisine. You have meat in all forms, cooked in various styles and prepared in many ways spiced with all the flavors you can learn to like. Most of all, they too have rice! Thus I always make it to a point to dine at Macayo's. While having branches all over Arizona, the Macayo's in the city of Tempe is always a watering hole. Within the University belt (Arizona State), this is where college coeds get their fix of Tequila, beer and Margaritas. And in this joint I get my own fix of quesadillas, chimichangas, buritos, fajitas and enchiladas! Another can't-miss stop is Sam's Café. Situated in Phoenix's posh Biltmore mall, this café is a popular hang-out for yuppies who grab a cocktail or two after a hard day's work. A subtle fusion of southwestern food and Mexican, selected appetizers and cocktails are half-price from five in the afternoon until seven in the evening.

EAST MEETS WEST. Named after that famous northern Japanese peninsula, Sapporo boasts of its mouth-watering and very filling appetizers. Situated in the city of Phoenix, the best time to go there is during happy hour. Drinks and food are half the price! You can gorge on their sushi, caterpillar and Las Vegas rolls, nagiri, and a lot more, while sipping a favorite cocktail. Dining fit for the Maharajah. You'd feel like royalty in every time you dine at the Jewel of the Crown. To date, this is probably the best Indian restaurant I've ever been to. This establishment is must-come-back-to. Ordering the usual chicken tikka masala, seafood curry and chicken saag together with Indian rice or na'an (bread) is always a royal feast.

ON THE ROAD. Yehah! Living up the Texas spirit of fun and rowdiness, stepping inside the Texas Roadhouse you'd immediately let loose and be part of that cowboy spirit. While waiting, you are served with roasted peanuts, which (check this out) you can just throw the shells on the floor! For starters, they fill you with oven-fresh rolls served with cinnamon flavored butter. But don't be too hasty, remember to save a lot of room because the steaks here are a hit! A slab of baby-back ribs are cooked to perfection, so tender that it slides off the bone. The rib eye and the choice-cut t-bones are succulent as they are flavorful. All entrees come with your favorite side dishes of beans, rice or baked potatoes and steamed veggies.

CHICKEN FLAG. Appropriately named Bandera, this restaurant should be the flagship of all chicken specialty restaurants. Its roasted-to-perfection chicken is (cooked on an even spread of fire) blended with their own flavor and spices turning chicken more than just chicken but a joyful feast to the palate. Bandera is another don't-miss for me. Aside from poultry, they make the best cornbread and that famous Oreo cookie dessert is just devilishly worth seconds.

LEAP OF FOOD. Its philosophy: "It takes equal amount of effort and overhead preparing food for one or more" Thus, at the Claim Jumper, you'd get the most generous of portions. And mind you, the whole is just for one. Needless to say, diners always end up with a 'doggy-bag' to take home.

SNACK TO FILL. This is where the stars and celebs (its walls are covered with autographed photos proclaiming their love for the famous eatery) go to get a bite of wieners. The only existing diner in the world, Pink's is located in the busy street of La Brea, West Los Angeles. This place is so renowned that going there on meal hours can be a very long wait. The queue stretches the entire street. But once you grab that bite of those hotdogs, it's definitely worth the wait. There's the Martha Stewart hot dog special, bestseller the Chili dog, or the Rosie O'Donnell Long Island special, the Mulholland Drive dog all complimented with choices of onion rings, fries and many more.

Well, nothing beats an American classic: burgers and fries. In-n-Out is just the right place to be. With branches all over California, its large burgers take more than the average bite. In this fast food joint, everything is more than a mouthful. (all photos were taken by this writer's brother, Junjun Pilapil)