SSSH…It’s A Secret (Garden)

Tucked into a side street along South Drive is a cozy restaurant that serves good comfort food. 

Sumptuous pastas, thin crusted and freshly made pizzas, plus decent handcrafted beverages make this the go to place for kicking back.

 

Did I mention that this establishment works well for dates too?

Upon entering its tiny gate, a pretty walkway in the midst of a quaint garden leads your path to the restaurant.   

The restaurant itself is a one story wooden structure that brings to mind Goldilocks and the 3 bears. 

Upon walking through its doors, cozy wooden furniture and décor fit for a country home welcomes you with open arms. While big picture windows allow you to view the garden and bask in the natural light.

The ceiling, with its wooden beams and rafters evoked images of what a barn’s ceiling might look like. 

Upon being handed the menu by a friendly and product knowledgeable waitress, I decided to order a refreshing beverage and pasta with some pizza (for the folks I was going to have a meeting with).

Here’s a look at their menu:

 we tried the Secret Garden Pizza - nice crust, full of toppings, GOOD!

I had the Shrimp Chili Pasta. Quite heavy, sauce was light but tasty

I guess I should have taken more food pics, but was just too caught up in the moment. For a look at what’s available at Secret Garden, check out their Facebook page here: (PLEASE CLICK)

 

All in all, service was great, prices were quite affordable, the pizza and pasta was just right. Would I go back there and sample more of their food? The answer would be a definite YES!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours.

Good Ol' Reliable...Mario's Baguio

MAX and moi at Mario's

Valentine's Day may be over and done with, but I'm sure a lot of us would want to keep all  that love and romance alive 24/7.

Tuscany platter

Perhaps violin music, a candlelit dinner and a great bottle of wine spells romance for some. In our household, nothing spells love like great food. Usually, it's awesome home cooked meals that are appreciated. But on those special days, one can count on Mario's Restaurant.

step inside ...

Opened in the 70's here in Baguio City, the flavors were so good that another one was opened a decade later in Quezon City. The one we've got here is conveniently located along Upper Session Road.

Continental cuisine covers much of their menu selections. My personal faves are their Spanish dishes and US choice cut steaks. They also make huge and appetizing salads. A must try is their Crepes Jubilee (or, as described in their menu (mango, banana or strawberry (when in season) bathed in fine liqueurs and flamed over ice cream).

some salad we requested for that's not on the menu 

**Quick tidbit on steaks in general:  There are 3 kinds of beef grade; Prime, Choice and Select. Prime indicates that the meat cut has a moderately abundant amount of marbling, Choice means it's got a  moderate  amount of marbling and Select to indicate a slight marbling on the steak. For the curious, marbling is the streaks of fat found on lean meat).

Surtido de Tapas: spicy chicken wings, chorizo, drunken shrimps and fried squid rings w/ 3 sauces

Reservations are only hard to come by during the holidays, on Valentines and graduation season. Usually, you could easily get a table for one, 2 or six at a moment's notice. They usually have Sunday lunch buffets that vary. Here's their website for contact details as well as their menu.

chicken and sausage jambalaya

We had our Valentine's lunch date (with our 3 year old) at Mario's this year. Despite having a special menu for the date, nothing speaks to us more than eating tripe and tongue on a February 14.

lengua con setas

For those imagining the worst, I had my fave, Lengua Con Setas or tender ox tongue boiled in wine sauce with mushrooms and olives. Phil had Callos Madrilena or a tripe Spanish styled stew with it's delicious tomato based sauce, potatoes and garbanzo beans. 

Callos

MAX just had mashed potatoes and gravy that's why he managed to tuck in more than half a slice of Banoffee Pie. I also included some food pics from previous visits to the place.

better late than never...our banoffee pie

Another thing about Mario's that makes it a great place to head out to is the service. fast, efficient and quite intuitive, over-tipping is a common practice. The ambiance itself is cozy, intimate yet comfortable enough for a casual meal. Parking is rarely a problem, although one might have to park across the street on those "crowded" days I mentioned above.

some skewered seafood

You can also have made to order cakes for all occasions. Their chocolate cakes are simply to die for!

a complimentary V-day gift from Mario's...

You can always be assured of a great and a good time at Mario's.

...that used to have four dark chocolate and peppermint truffles in them :)

satisfied customers (still have to find our latest pic together at Mario's)

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours.