Looking to take my fiancé out for his birthday this upcoming week. Trying to find a nice restaurant that gives us the excuse to dress up and eat some really good food. A place preferably with steak options on the menu that isn’t too pricy!!

Let’s get this sub going. I grew up in Texas and moved away over a decade ago. I still visit and what I miss most is the food. I moved to Oregon and lived there for 10 years. I asked the locals where I could find good Tex Mex. I was referred to a restaurant that only had mango salsa and mango or pineapple in the majority of dishes. You know, because the west coast is the closest to Hawaii, so they integrated that into their cuisine. It’s not Tex Mex in any form or fashion. There was no queso dip outside of Chipotle once they started advertising it and it was not sufficient and it’s not the same. The Mexican restaurants that offered queso were more Mexican focused and the “queso” was mostly cheese and not dip. A solid piece of melted cheese that was fried. Growing up in DFW, Taco Casa was the best. In my hometown, the high school was next door to a Taco Casa, so I ate there for lunch regularly. Back when we had off campus eating. And also Whataburger. Did you know Whataburger has chicken fajita wraps? They aren’t always on the menu, but they still have them and I love them. Also Braum’s ice cream. There was no drive thru ice cream in Oregon. There are multiples here in NY, but it’s not Braum’s. All places have limited options of flavors and it’s mostly soft serve yogurt. While I do recommend Texan’s try Oregon Tillamook cheese and ice cream, I still miss Braum’s.
Thank you for reading my rant and reminiscence.

The Bay Area is home to a vibrant and diverse Indian food scene, with numerous restaurants offering authentic and delicious Indian cuisine. While it's challenging to pinpoint the absolute best Indian restaurant in the region, here are some highly regarded establishments known for their exceptional Indian food:
Dosa : Dosa is a popular restaurant with locations in San Francisco and Oakland. They specialize in South Indian cuisine and are known for their flavorful dosas (rice and lentil crepes), as well as other traditional South Indian dishes.
Amber India: Amber India has multiple locations in the Bay Area, including San Francisco and Mountain View. They offer a contemporary twist on Indian cuisine, with a menu featuring a wide range of dishes from various regions of India.
Udupi Palace: Udupi Palace is a vegetarian Indian restaurant located in Berkeley. They specialize in South Indian vegetarian cuisine, serving dishes like dosas, uttapams, curries, and thalis.
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Vik's Chaat Corner: Located in Berkeley, Vik's Chaat Corner is a popular spot for Indian street food and chaat. They offer a variety of flavorful snacks and street-style dishes, including samosas, bhel puri, and various chaat items.
Curry Up Now:Curry Up Now is a fast-casual Indian restaurant with multiple locations in the Bay Area. They serve a fusion of Indian and Mexican flavors, offering items like burritos filled with Indian-inspired ingredients, as well as traditional Indian dishes.
These are just a few examples of highly regarded Indian restaurants in the Bay Area. The region is known for its diverse and high-quality Indian food offerings, so exploring different neighborhoods and trying out various restaurants will provide you with a wide range of culinary experiences.

California offers a wide range of dining options, including many affordable restaurants that serve delicious food. Here are a few recommendations for good, reasonably priced restaurants in California:
In-N-Out Burger:
In-N-Out Burger is a beloved fast-food chain that originated in California. They are known for their fresh and customizable burgers, hand-cut fries, and milkshakes.
Taqueria La Cumbre:
Located in San Francisco's Mission District, Taqueria La Cumbre is a popular taqueria that offers tasty and affordable Mexican food. They are known for their generously sized burritos and flavorful tacos.
The Hat:
The Hat is a casual eatery in Southern California that specializes in pastrami sandwiches and chili cheese fries. They offer hearty, satisfying meals at an affordable price.
Porto's Bakery & Cafe
: With multiple locations in Southern California, Porto's Bakery & Cafe is a popular spot for Cuban pastries, sandwiches, and other baked goods. They offer a wide selection of affordable and delicious options.
Sushi Gen:
Located in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, Sushi Gen is a well-known sushi restaurant that offers high-quality sushi at reasonable prices. They are known for their fresh fish and traditional sushi preparations.
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Tacos El Gordo
: Tacos El Gordo is a popular Mexican street food-style restaurant with locations in San Diego and Las Vegas. They specialize in authentic tacos and other Mexican dishes, offering tasty food at affordable prices.
These are just a few examples of affordable restaurants in California. It's always a good idea to check reviews, menus, and prices to ensure they align with your budget and preferences. Additionally, exploring local food trucks, ethnic eateries, and small family-owned restaurants can often lead to great, affordable dining experiences.

Do you have to pay extra with half-board plus / meal plan option when you only get a dedicated menu (with one included drink) in for example Walt's restaurant? You don't know the exact value of a meal voucher and you have to pay extra (see below from Disney website). So you don't know what to pay. We pay €60 for breakfast and dinner. Walt's menu cost € 55 and breakfast in Marvel Hotel €28. I think you get discount with half-board plus / meal plan.
Disney website: If the price of your meal exceeds the value of the voucher, then you must pay the difference (see conditions in the restaurants). No refund will be given if the price of your meal is lower than the value of the voucher. The use of vouchers is limited to one voucher per person per meal.
How can I use my Meal Plan in a table service restaurant? In our table service restaurants, you an enjoy a dedicated Meal Plan menu that includes your choice of a starter, main course, dessert, and soft drink. Please note that the same menu is proposed for all options (Standard, Plus and Extra Plus).

Hi Readers - I was looking with my agent to open a restaurant in The Soo and move my family up there. We narrowed down a location at Station Mall which was previously a restaurant/bar but seems to have been closed for a couple years . We have asked the management company if they would expand the patio and they are open to it. However, I wanted to poll what would be a community favourite to see in terms of menu or drinks. I previously managed and owned both bars and pizza and quick service restaurants in downtown Toronto. Please leave suggestions for what you would like to see served at the restaurant in the comments. Excited to be a member of the Soo!

Four years ago my now-wife and I went to Pure Spirits at the Distillery District. We had a great meal. Everything was tasty. Oysters, then lobster Mac and cheese and a burger and fries. Fast forward to last week. We ordered oysters, fish and chips and the house burger. Everything sort of tasted average. But they were still charging premium prices. Last night we went to Oyster Boy on Queen. We ordered two rounds of oysters, seared scallops and fries. It was fantastic!
Has the DD and their restaurants flipped to a larger focus on tourists, skipping quality for volume, or did we catch them on a bad night? Weve been to a few restaurants at the DD, but not recently. I believe the last time we went to Clunys. I don't remember how the food was. Has anyone been to other restaurants there recently? We both really love the Distillery District for its ambience and food.
P. S: They didn't have the lobster Mac and cheese on the menu anymore either, which was disappointing. Maybe it's a seasonal thing.

I cook for a rather high-end memory care facility. I've been here six months and I really like it. I've never worked in a restaurant, but my boss has worked in few Michelin Star restaurants and under some of the best chefs in the area.
I, on the other hand, worked in a grocery store deli for 13 years, albeit for a grocery chain known for their scratch-made deli and bakery items, and then did two years cooking for an assisted living home. My specialty is comfort food and baked goods; meatloaf, browned butter chocolate chip cookies, macaroni and cheese from scratch, banana muffins with almond streusal, stroganoff so good, my partner (a British army brat) says it reminds him of living in Germany when he was a kid. Stuff like that, which for the most part is what elderly people want.
Since working under Scott, I've gotten REALLY good at whipping up a white wine cream sauce, and my plating has improved a lot.
A question I get a lot is where I went to school, but I didn't go to school for cooking. Hell, I didn't even graduate high school. Everything I know about cooking I learned through experience and cooking shows. Many of my favorite baking recipes were lifted from British Bake-Off and I learned how to make a roux from watching Emril Lagasse on Food Network when they still had shows like that.
Scott and I get a lot of compliments, from residents, their families, and staff, and while I know I'm damn good at what I do, sometimes I feel like I don't deserve all the praise. It's just the two of us, a 60 yearold pothead Chef and a weird little ADHD-goblin Sous Chef, listening to classic rock, and laughing too hard at our own jokes, and we've gotten standing ovations from the dining room on holiday dinners. I'm just doing the same things I do at home for my own family, and besides Scott makes the menus. I just follow instructions and put love into my work.
Anyway, those are my kitchen thoughts for the day. Kick some ass, kitchen folks!

Thank you all so much for the feedback on all of the places to eat on my restaurant post yesterday! I know that some dessert places were brought up in that post, but what are some other can’t-miss, gotta-have dessert places?
We love ice cream and cookies, but there’s not many desserts we won’t turn down! We also count donuts as desserts, so those recommendations would really help too! Any bakeries, creameries, candy shops, etc that we need to try?! Thank you!

Anyone know of a restaurant/bakery/grocery store selling gluten-free pizza dough? It is for someone with Celiac. I have tried the frozen pizza dough at whole Foods (Mama B's .. I think) but it seems they are no longer carrying them and would love something fresh.

Are there any restaurants like Xixa in Brooklyn? I went there the other day for a group dinner and it was great. It was kind of like a tasting menu but each dish was brought out with 4 portions.

(sorry if the title was word vomit)
SW: 185 CW: 160 GW: 136
28 F , 5 ft 3.75 in
Longest fast: ~72h (gallbladder surgery)
Plateau: 155-160lb for ~9 mo - since Sept 2022? When I reached size medium
Current eating window: ~1pm - 8pm

INTRO

I started IF I think sometime around (I think) August 2021. I started out slow (2-3 weeks per type) with 16:8, then 18:6, and then when comfortable, I moved towards 20:4 sometimes. No breakfast, drink black coffee, try to drink lots of water (I'm bad at it), and window started around 2-3pm and ended around 8pm. I still have dessert, way less than before, but still dessert
After a while, I learned how to listen to my body better about what I want to eat, and how much. Once I got to that point, I started allowing my eating window to be more flexible. Now I try to stop eating at 9 at the latest, occasionally it might go past on the weekend or if we're doing something social. For my first meal (lunch), I try to push it back as far as I can (3pm), but probably averages out to 1pm
EXERCISE: Definitely not helping my case, but very low. We used to play tennis and go to the gym but we come home after work and just don't want to do anything because then the day feels over by the time we get home. During work, every day, I get in a solid 30m walk every day. Also, I unfortunately work at a desk job. Weekends we like to take a walk sometimes

WHAT I'M EATING

Realistically, this isn't helping my case. But, I am eating way better than before
LUNCH: We have a chef at work, so when I eat lunch, I try to aim for (in my mind) "half of a lunch". They have a huge variety and different menu every day, and I usually try to get a variety on a mini plate. Grilled chicken, salad, wraps, soup, turkey meatloaf, pasta, chicken tenders, rice, sausage, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm eating 200 more than I expect. They also have fruit and stuff so I have a banana multiple times a week, and maybe an apple w/ pb+honey for my lunch
I probably have meat and carbs every day, and a healthy amount of broccoli every other day (praise our new air fryer). Salad not that much, but we do LOVE caesar salad (usually from a restaurant, not at home) which I know isn't very healthy
DINNER: At home, neither of us want to spend a long time cooking, like at all. Usually for dinner we'd have leftovers from eating out, or something frozen - frozen breaded fish (like costco's everything breaded cod), costco's seasoned salmon, tyson chicken, pfchangs beef and broccoli, bertolli chicken farfalle, etc. Sides could be broccoli, rice, or apple sauce. Sometimes a glass of skim milk with dinner, but usually water. Sometimes a banana after dinner
DESSERT: I'm a huge chocolate addict. Usually I'll have a handful of hersehey kisses (5-8). Occasionally a small glass of sweet red wine, I also recently re-discovered chocolate covered strawberries so I made my own with very light chocolate drizzle
WEEKENDS: We like to eat 1 main meal on Sat and Sun (~2pm), and it's not skimpy. We like to eat out (pizza, burgers, etc). Also I usually get a latte on the weekend from the local coffee shop with skim & no whip (~300cal?)

STEPS TO GET OVER PLATEAU SAFELY

I looked around other threads, since this is apparently super common. I came to the conclusion that most people got over their plateau by doing a 48 to/or 72 fast
I know that if I'm not losing weight, then that almost always means I'm still eating too much. I already feel like I'm eating 1.5 meals / day with dessert and that feels bad (I'll blame America). Since this plateau has been so long, I'm starting to think that maybe there are other significant factors
I have many questions:

1. Should I go back to 20:4? (4pm - 8pm) or will that not kickstart it?
2. Should I just do 1x 48h fast and that will kick my weight loss in? Or do I need to do longer?
   1. Do I need to work up to it? (like do a 24h?) or get right into it?
   2. How can I safely prep, in detail?
   3. Should I be having tea, in addition to black coffee , water, and water with salt? Anything else? Anything for nutrients besides a vitamin D pill?
   4. After an extended fast to get over the plateau, then what? Should I be slightly stricter than before? (so like 3pm - 8pm)
   5. If I do an extended fast, does it matter what day I exercise (tennis or weights)? i.e. before, after, same day
   6. If I do this, would I only do it once a week? What about the rest - like 19:5?
3. Where can I find a dumbed down explanation of the benefits of 24h fasting, 48, 72, etc?
4. Is my very low exercise that's the #1 issue? i.e. should I start playing tennis every week Tu and Thurs? Obviously I know it'll help, but I'm not sure how much of this is the issue

Specific question about an extended fast:

I understand that anything past 72h requires doctor supervision, but what are the benefits exactly, and what is the reason that fasting for 2-3 days is safe? Maybe if someone has a legitimate source I can refer to (with simple explaining please)
A lot of the time when I mention fasting for a "long time" (anything 24h+), I feel like the immediate reaction from other people is that it seems unsafe. Probably common, and most people aren't educated, but I have never been able to answer actually how it is safe in detail
For example: "not eating for 2-3 days straight with only water is what some hikers do when lost, and then they go to the hospital after being rescued". What is the explanation for this? Probably missing some crucial details?

Alright thank you for bearing through this with me, I know it was a long read and probably too rambly also. I hope that I wrote all the important info, if anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to answer. And of course, I appreciate any tips and answers to my questions!
P.S. Currently reading through this post 6 benefits of prolonged fasting 24-72+ hours

We're trying to pick between 4 restaurants (Goosefoot, Schwa, Smyth, and Sepia) for our anniversary dinner next week (10 years and we're still super into each other!). Our tradition is to do a tasting menu to celebrate our anniversary each year and since this is a decade we want to go all out with the michelin stars.
Oriole, Alina and Ever are booked up, and El Idea is closed that day. We're on the wait list for Oriole.
Goosefoot -- we actually already have reservations here. It's nice that it's BYOB. Food seems pretty amazing.
Smyth -- more expensive especially since it's not BYOB but wondering if the food might be more special.
Schwa -- I'm back and forth on this. We, like, have tattoos and stuff and the atmosphere and food both sound fun, but my main hesitation is I'd like to be able to have a conversation with my husband during our anniversary dinner and I'm worried that the music volume would make that hard. If it was a different special occasion like a birthday I think I'd be all in.
Sepia -- Also seems really good but I think we are more into a larger tasting menu
Esme -- we thought about this one but we're coming from Texas so the current latin american menu feels less exciting.
What would you pick? Reservations are available at all the ones I listed since it's mostly pre-pay.

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Oyster Creek Restaurant and Boat Bar - Leeds Point, Galloway, NJ
East Coast Oyster Stew
I have heard good things about The Oyster Creek Restaurant before, and recently had an opportunity to check it out on Memorial Day weekend with some family members. We were a little worried that holiday crowds would swamp the place, but we sat late enough (7:30 PM) that there was no problem.
They advertise the place as Casual Dining and Exquisite Cuisine, which from my standpoint they were dead on with both. A pleasant, casual atmosphere and a very large varied menu. All my dinner companions raved about their meals when it was over.
Their menu soups include: “East Coast Oyster Stew”, “Manhattan Clam Chowder”, “Snapper Turtle Soup” and “New Jersey Crab Bisque”. Conspicuous by its absence was “New England Clam Chowder”.
Luckily, on the evening’s specials menu, was “New England Seafood Chowder”, certainly a decent substitute when you are about to take an oh-fer.
I ordered it.
They were out.
(one of the bigger downsides of a later seating)
So I inquired about the oyster stew - never having had oyster stew and not having had oysters in, well, decades.
Our server, who was impossibly smiley (can anyone really smile that much? For sure, it looked genuine to me, so I guess yes) indicated that the oyster stew was not only cream based but “made to order”. Now, I don’t know how many ingredients you can make ahead of time and still call the soup made to order, but even if they made all of them but for the cream, and added the cream just before delivering to me, I think that is an advantage. Simmering cream based soups for extended periods ruins them.
They say their ingredients are “diced celery, onions, chopped oysters, butter, cream and Old Bay”. My bowl had a distinctly peppery flavor, which makes me think they also added black and/or cayenne pepper and likely (from the looks of the soup) cayenne pepper sauce.
So, I was very interested in how this would taste. My first sip was creamy and also, as I said, peppery. The broth was the thinner, creamy texture that I prefer, not the thick style of so many New England Chowders. The celery was very crisp, almost as if it had not been sautéed long enough, but I had nothing to compare it to (is this the way oyster stew is supposed to be?), and it was flavorful.
Then I had a near religious moment - I had one of the oysters. It was incredibly tender, almost like I had just put a pat of butter in my mouth (yes, I have eaten pats of butter - they are fabulous - just don’t eat too many of them at one time). It basically just dissolved in my mouth. Not being a connoisseur of oysters, I did not know they could be so good. These were fabulous.
Overall, the dish was extremely flavorful, well balanced despite being so boldly peppery, and just a joy to eat. If this is what oyster stew is supposed to be, I could definitely become a fan.
Bottom Line Rating:
CM - 9.0.
So, the skinny so far on the Atlantic City area is: There’s some damn good seafood chowders and stews available. A quick list so far:
Dock’s Oyster House, AC, NE Chowder 9.5
Knife and Fork Restaurant, AC, NE Chowder 9.0
The Oyster Creek Restaurant and Boat Bar, Leeds Point, EC Oyster Stew 9.0
The Crab Shack, Brigantine, NE Chowder 8.5
The Pirates Den, Brigantine, NE Chowder 8.5
The really interesting part is that, so far, there have been no clunkers. Its not like I’ve been sandbagging, either, if I eat it, I review it, so when I get a less than impressive bowl, you will hear about it.

Today my Provinces (British Columbia) minimum wage increased to $16.75 and as expected the Food and Beverage Sector is screaming bloody murder. The threat of $25 hamburgers was thrown into the rage along with claims that their staff rarely looks at their paycheque and would rather live on customer tips. I'm sure that $25 hamburgers already exist at restaurants where servers live exclusively on tips. That's not what this increase addresses. It's for all of the retail, manufacturing, service jobs including fast food that don't see tips. Employers use tipping against both the consumer and their employees to benefit their bottom line and the tipping culture has gotten out of hand. Many people have stopped or curtailed there dining out activities and record numbers of restaurants are closing or filing for bankruptcy because they aren't necessarily needed. Covid and the resulting economic realities have forced priorities and dining out is now a luxury for most of us, adding 20+% to a bill I don't need doesn't incentivize me one little bit. Restaurants should pay their employees what they're worth and adjust their menu prices accordingly, not slip in hidden fees or "suggesting" higher tips. If they go out of business, they shouldn't have been in it to begin with. For the record $16.75 is $8.00 below the poverty level where I live, one bedroom apartments are $2,300 mo.

Since this sub was so helpful in planning, I wanted to share my itinerary and trip report! We had an incredible first time in Japan and I can't wait to go back.
Couldn't fit our (very detailed) itinerary in this post, but if you'd like to download it's here.
Medium article version with photos + itinerary is here.
And our shareable Google map is here.
About us:

• We’re New Yorkers in our 30s who have been planning this trip for about 6 months.
• My bf has been learning Japanese for about a year, and I’ve been learning for about 5 months (a mix of Pimsleur and Duolingo).
• Boyfriend is into history and baseball, I'm into skincare and nature, but we’re both big on food so that was our number one priority.
• He has a peanut allergy and avoids all nuts. He learned to say that in Japanese (私はピーナッツアレルギーがあります - "Watashi wa piinattsu arerugī ga arimasu”), and every restaurant and hotel was understanding and careful. Luckily most cuisine is nut-free anyway, but we managed not to have any close calls in 2 weeks which is amazing.

Some overall learnings:

• If I were planning this trip again, I think I would skip Kanazawa. It was a lovely town and the food was amazing, but we wished we had spent that time with a night or two in Osaka instead of just making it a day trip from Kyoto.
• Even if you’re not a baseball fan, Japanese baseball games are so much fun. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
• I packed a suitcase and brought a fold-up duffel bag, and halfway through the trip I moved my clothes to the duffel and just used the suitcase for souvenirs. It was a great idea but we ended up buying an extra suitcase at Donki our last day anyway.
• We both felt a bit underdressed compared to locals, especially in Tokyo. I wish I’d packed more dresses, skirts and trousers and fewer jeans and tees - the only people I saw wearing sweats, athletic wear or cutoffs were other tourists. Obviously you can wear what you want, just be aware you’ll stick out! Also, women are generally more covered up, even on warmer days, to protect their skin from the sun.
• If you go clothes shopping, take your shoes off in dressing rooms. I made a right fool of myself.
• Clothes sizing is wildly different in Japan. Know your cm measurements! Your size here may be hurtful to your ego.
• People line up to get on the train (check the ground for a guide of where to stand) and let everyone off before they get on. This seems obvious, but I’ve been living in New York so long that I wanted to weep tears of joy every time.
• If you’re new to sitting showers: there are two buttons. One is to fill up a bowl of water, and the other is to turn on the handheld shower head. Both automatically turn off a minute after you turn them on, but you can also turn them off manually. You sit on the little stool and there’s usually a mirror in front of you, which is… a humbling experience. There are usually also scrubbing washcloths.
• The worst train station toilet was still nicer than a goddamn Nordstrom bathroom. It was a pleasure to have IBS in Japan.
• At many European and American historical sites, you pay a hefty flat fee to see everything. In Japan, you can usually get into the temple grounds for free, then pay for each individual building you go into. Most were 400-700y/person, which felt really reasonable.
• We came at an almost perfect time (mid-May) weather-wise. Most days it was clear or sunny with a high in the mid-seventies. We definitely got some rain, but less than we were expecting (maybe 3-4 rainy days and 5-6 rainy nights).

Hotel Reviews:
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside (Tokyo): This was a great basic hotel, close to plenty of transportation and right on the edge of Kabukicho. The buffet breakfast was the highlight - a great mix of Western and Japanese breakfast options, including a great miso soup.Hakone Airu (Hakone): Mixed review here. On the one hand, the in-room onsen and public onsen were both wonderful, and the service was extraordinary. On the other hand, the mix of Balinese and Japanese didn’t quite work, and dinner and breakfast were more confusing than enjoyable.Hotel Alza (Kyoto): By far our favorite stay. I can’t recommend this place enough, and it was definitely worth paying a little extra. They brought us an amazing bento breakfast in our rooms every morning, they had every amenity we could need (they even re-upped the free sheet masks every day), and the micro-bubble bath at the end of a long day of walking was amazing.Koyasan Syukubo Ekoin Temple (Mt Koya): This was a great temple experience. Koyasan in general is obviously pretty tourist-y, but Eko-in still made it feel authentic, and dinner and breakfast were both amazing. Your stay includes a meditation class, morning prayers and a morning fire ritual, and you can pay to attend a cemetery tour, all of which were great.Utaimachi (Kanazawa): We were only here for two nights, but this place was pretty good. Very close to the Higashi Chaya area, where we didn’t actually end up spending much time. Always love tatami mat flooring, and the washedryer was a nice bonus, but we were also right next to the lobby and right under another room so there was some noise.The Gate Asakusa (Tokyo): A great and very Westernized hotel with amazing views of Shinso-ji and the surrounding area. It’s on the top floors of a building right in the middle of all things Asakusa, but is still pretty quiet. And has a wonderful, deep soaking tub with free bath salts.

Tuesday: Arrival, Shinjuku

1 PM: Arrival at Haneda
We got customs and immigration forms to fill out on the plane and everything went fairly quickly. Picked up some cash and Suica cards, went to see about taking the Airport Limousine bus ($10/each) but we should have booked in advance because there wasn’t one for another hour. We ended up taking a taxi (about $50) to our hotel in Shinjuku.
4 PM: Arrival at hotel - Tokyu Stay Shinjuku East Side
We dropped our luggage and went to a nearby eel restaurant, Shinjuku Unatetsu. The eel was incredible and not too filling. Wandered Kabuki-cho for a bit, I dragged my bf through all 4 floors of Don Quijote (I had a list of beauty items to pick up), then rested at the hotel.
7 PM: Dinner in Shinjuku (Tsunahachi)
We went to Tsunahachi for dinner and got some amazing tempura (I wish we had sat at the bar to watch it being made!) and then crashed by 9 pm, because we are young and cool.

Wednesday: Harajuku, Meiji, and Shibuya

7 AM: Hotel breakfast
Up early for hotel breakfast, which has convinced bf to start making miso soup every morning.
9 AM: Shinjuku Station - Pick up JR Passes
We went to Shinjuku station to pick up our JR passes, then spent 30 minutes finding the place where we could get them before 10 AM. There was a long line (staff shortage) so we waited about an hour but we got them and headed to Harajuku.
11 AM: Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park
We walked to Meiji Shrine, stopping at the gardens along the way (well worth the 500y entrance fee, especially on a beautiful day). We were lucky to come across a wedding at the shrine. Then we walked around Yoyogi Park a bit.
1 PM: Lunch (Gyoza Lou)
Walked into Gyoza Lou and were seated right away. Incredible gyoza as well as beer and bean sprouts with meat sauce - maybe 10 bucks total for 2 people.
1:30 PM: Shopping/museums in Harajuku
We split up so I could do some shopping in vintage stores - Flamingo, TAGTAG and Kinji (my favorite), and bf could go to the Ota Memorial Museum for their Cats in Ukiyo-e exhibit (which he loved). I walked down Takeshita street to meet him and managed to get a green tea, strawberry and red bean paste crepe from Marion Crepes.
3 PM: Shibuya Scramble & Hachinko Statue
We grabbed the train to Shibuya, saw the scramble and the Hachinko statue, then entered the maze that is Tokyu Hands. I got some onsen powders for gifts and some more cosmetics. My boyfriend checked out the Bic camera store and I went to Gu, which is like the love child of Uniqlo and Primark. I immediately undid all the “light packing” I did with new clothes.
7 PM: Dinner Reservation - Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima
I got us a reservation a few months ago at Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima. It was probably one of the best meals of my life. The omakase came out to less than $100usd each, which felt like a steal.
9 PM: Golden Gai bar (Bar Araku)
We wandered Golden Gai and went into a bar where the entrance fee was waived for foreigners called Bar Araku. It was very small but had great vibes, highly recommend. I drank too much sake, which will be a theme.

Thursday: Shinjuku

4 AM: Earthquake
The phone alerts are insanely loud! We rushed down to the hotel lobby and the only other people there were fellow foreigners - apparently Japanese people at the hotel knew a 5.1 is okay to sleep through.
9 AM: Shinjuku Gyoen
We strolled around in the sun taking photos for about 3 hours. Today is a lot less planned than yesterday - I kind of wish I’d switched the itineraries after how long getting the JR Pass took. We did go to the fancy Starbucks, of course.
12 PM: Lunch (Kaiten Sushi Numazuto)
We tried to go to a nearby sushi place but it was full, so we walked up to Kaiten Sushi Numazuto. We were a little disappointed it wasn’t actually conveyor belt sushi (the conveyor belt was for show and you ordered from the staff). Stopped in Bic camera afterwards for a bit.
2 PM: Ninja Trick House
We tried to go to the Samurai museum but learned it closed a few weeks ago. A good excuse to go to the Ninja Trick House instead. You’re thinking: “Isn’t that place for children?” Yes. Yes it is. And we loved every minute. I now have a camera roll full of myself being terrible at throwing stars. The dream.
3 PM: Don Quijote
More Don Quijote, mostly to get out of the rain. Got my last few beauty products I really wanted and a few souvenirs. An overstimulating heaven.
6 PM: 3-hour Shinjuku Foodie Tour
We signed up for a 3-hour “foodie tour” of Shinjuku that stopped at a sushi place, a Japanese bbq spot with insane wagyu beef, and a sake tasting spot. It was great, and we loved our guide, but wished it had stopped at a few more spots to try more things.
9 PM: Walk around Shinjuku
We attempted to play pachinko, got very confused and lost $7. Tourism!

Friday: Hakone

7 AM: Set up luggage forwarding to Kyoto with hotel
Luggage forwarding is brilliant. We did it twice and it went so smoothly, for about $10 USD per bag. Highly recommend.
9 AM: Transit to Hakone
We got to experience Japanese transit at rush hour. I can’t believe I have to go back to the MTA after this. We took the subway to Tokyo station and then the Shinkansen to Odawara, then a train to Hakone-Yumoto. The hotel was only a 20-minute walk away, so we decided to take a more scenic route - which turned out to be a forest hike straight up switchbacks most of the way.
11 AM: Lunch in Hakone (Hatsuhana)
We stopped in a soba place called Hatsuhana with a system of writing your name down and waiting outside to be called in. They skipped our names because they weren’t in Japanese, but let us in when they realized their mistake. The soba was made and served by old aunties so of course it was insanely good and well worth it.
1 PM: Hakone Open Air Museum
We took the train down to the Hakone Open Air Museum, which lived up to the hype. I’m not normally into sculpture, but seeing it in nature, and the way the museum is laid out, made it incredible. And obviously the Picasso exhibit was amazing.
3 PM: Owakudani, Pirate Ship, Hakone Checkpoint
We took the train to the cable car to Owakudani, then the ropeway to Togendai, then the pirate ship ferry to Motohakone. We were running behind so unfortunately had to rush through the Hakone Checkpoint, which was empty but very cool.
6 PM: Dinner at hotel
Back to our hotel for our kaiseki meal. The staff spoke very little English and Google struggled with the menu, so we had no idea what we were eating half the time, but overall it was pretty good.
9 PM: Onsen time
Experienced my first public onsen, followed by the private onsen in our room. The tatami sleep did wonders for my back.

Saturday: Travel to Kyoto, Philosopher’s Path, Gion

8 AM: Breakfast, travel to Kyoto
Took the train to Odawara and then the Shinkansen to Kyoto station. We booked all of our Shinkansen seats about a week in advance but you can also book them on the day, I believe.
1 PM: Lunch in Gion
Our Kyoto hotel let us check in early, and then we went looking for lunch. Quickly learned that most every place in the Gion area has a line outside and closes at 2! We eventually found a tiny spot with insanely good ramen. It also had chicken sashimi on the menu but we weren’t brave enough.
2 PM: Philosopher’s Path, Ginkaku-ji
We took a bus over to the Philosopher’s Path, which was not busy at all because of the rain. It was pretty, and I could see how great it would look in cherry blossom season. We had to kind of rush to Ginkaku-ji, which was gorgeous nonetheless.
4 PM: Honen-in, Nanzen-ji
Stopped by Honen-in (which we had completely to ourselves, thanks rain!) and then Nanzen-ji. My bf is a big history guy and he went feral for the Hojo rock garden. It was very pretty and I’d love to see it in better weather.
6 PM: Food Tour of Gion & Pontocho
This food tour stopped at two places (an izakaya and a standing bar) with a walking tour of Gion and Pontocho in between. We also stopped at Yasaka shrine and caught a rehearsal of a traditional Japanese performance.
10 PM: Pain
My feet hurt so bad. Bring waterproof shoes, but make sure they don’t have 5 year old insoles. I tried some stick-on cooling acupuncture foot pads I picked up at Donki and they were bliss.

Sunday: Arashiyama, The Golden Pavilion and Tea Ceremony

8 AM: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
The forecast was for heavy rain all day, but we lucked out and only got a few drizzles here and there. We headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the morning and it wasn’t too crowded. We did have an amazing bamboo dish at dinner last night so now bamboo makes me hungry.
10 AM: Tenryu-ji, Iwatayama Monkey Park
Headed over to Tenryu-ji, which was very nice but very crowded, and then to one of the things I looked forward to most on the trip, the Iwatayama Monkey Park. It’s a 20 minute hike up there but it is worth it. Oh my god. Getting to feed a baby monkey made my whole week.
12 PM: Lunch near Arashiyama (Udon Arashiyama-tei)
Headed back down to the main road and got duck udon at a little place called Udon Arashiyama-tei. I know I keep calling everything incredible but… yes.
1 PM: Ginkaku-ji
Ran into some bus issues (the first time we experienced anything public transit-wise not running as expected!) but eventually got over to Ginkaku-ji. It was also very crowded (seems like Japanese schools are big on field trips, which I’m jealous of) and not my favorite temple, but beautiful nonetheless.
3 PM: Daitoku-ji
We were ahead of schedule so we got to spend some time at our meeting place for the tea ceremony, Daitoku-ji. It ended up being our favorite temple, especially Daisen-in, a small and very quiet spot with a great self-guided tour. The monks showed us a section normally closed to non-Japanese tourists with beautiful calligraphy.
4 PM: Tea Ceremony (90 mins)
The tea ceremony we booked said it was in groups of up to ten, but it ended up being just us. It was very nice and relaxing, plus we got a little meal.
6 PM: Dinner (Gion Kappa), Pontocho Alley
We both nearly fell asleep on the bus back so we took it easy for the night. Went to an izakaya called Gion Kappa which had the best tuna belly we’d ever eaten, then did a quick walk around Pontocho Alley, got treats at 7-11 and went to bed early.

Monday: Fushimi Inari, Nishiki Market, Kyoto Imperial Palace (kinda)

9 AM: Fushimi Inari
Our plans to get up super early to beat the crowds to Fushimi Imari were hampered by the fact that we are no longer in our 20s. It was packed by the time we got there, and the amount of littering and defacing done by tourists was a bummer.
11 AM: Tofuku-ji
We had planned to go to the Imperial Palace at 10:30 for the Aoi Parade, but decided instead to get away from crowds by hiking from Fushimi Inari to Tofuku-ji, which was beautiful (I’d love to see it in the fall).
12 PM: Nishiki Market, lunch (Gyukatsu)
Grabbed lunch first at Gyukatsu (wagyu katsu - delicious) then wandered Nishiki a bit. It’s touristy, but fun.
2 PM: Kyoto Gyoen, Kyoto Handicraft Center
It was supposed to rain all day but ended up sunny, so we went back to the hotel to drop off our rain jackets and umbrellas. Stepped back outside and within ten minutes it was raining. We went to Kyoto Gyoen and saw the outside of the imperial palace; it was closed because of the parade earlier and half the garden was blocked off because the former emperor was visiting. Without the palace, Kyoto Gyoen is kind of meh. We walked over to Kyoto Handicraft Center which was also meh, but we picked up some nice lacquerware.
7:30 PM: Dinner at Roan Kiku Noi
We had a reservation at Roan Kiku Noi where we had maybe the best meal of our lives. Amazing that it only has two Michelin stars, honestly. Had fun trying to decipher the pain meds aisle at a Japanese pharmacy afterwards and then called it a night.

Tuesday: Day Trip to Nara

8 AM: Travel to Nara
We took the subway to the JR and were there in about an hour.
9 AM: Nara Deer Park
Two things about the Nara deer. One: if you bow to them, they bow back, and it’s very cute. And two, if you buy the 200y rice crackers to feed to them, do it somewhere where there aren’t very many of them. I got mobbed by like 15 deer and bitten 3 times. My fault for having skin approximately the shade of a rice cracker.
10 AM: Kofuku-ji, Nara National Museum
We saw Kofuku-ji and then the Nara National Museum, then stopped at a random little cafe for rice bowls with some kind of regional sauce (I can’t find it now!).
12 PM: Isetan Garden
We spent a long time finding the entrance to the Isetan garden only for it to be closed on Tuesdays.
2 PM: Giant Buddha
Saw Nandaimon Gate and the Daibutsu (giant Buddha), which are both every bit as enormous and glorious as advertised, as well as very crowded.
3 PM: Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Wandered over to Kasuga-taisha shrine, which is famous for its hundreds of lanterns and thousand-year-old trees. There’s a special inner area (paid) where you can see the lanterns lit up in the dark.
4 PM: Wait for the emperor
We got held up by a procession for, guess who, the former emperor again. Stalker.
5 PM: Nara shopping and snacks
Walked around Higashimuki Shopping Street and Mochiidono Shopping Arcade, bought a nice sake set and an amazing little hand-painted cat, ate some red bean paste pancakes and headed back to Kyoto.
7 PM: Dinner in Kyoto
Walked around Pontocho searching for dinner and landed on Yoshina, where we got even more kaiseki. Finished the night at Hello Dolly, a gorgeous jazz bar overlooking the river.

Wednesday: Day Trip to Osaka

7 AM: Depart hotel
Started by taking the subway to the JR. Took us about an hour altogether, though it would have been faster if we’d caught the express.
9 AM: Osaka Castle
We got to Osaka Castle in time for it to hit 85 degrees out. The outside of the castle is gorgeous, but the line to get in was long and I don’t know if the museum parts were worth the wait, especially with the crowds. The view from the top is nice, though.
12 PM: Okonomiyaki lunch (Abeton)
We went to an okonomiyaki spot in Avetica station called Abeton that was full of locals and absolutely bomb as hell.
1 PM: Shitteno-ji, Keitakuen Gardens
We headed to Shitteno-ji (our oldest temple yet) which was nice, though the climb to the top of then 5 story pagoda wasn’t worth the sweat. Then we walked over to Keitakuen Gardens, a small but gorgeous garden in Tennoji Park. Had a nice sit in the shade to digest and plan our next moves.
3 PM: Ebisuhigasbi, Mega Don Quijote
I am a crazy person, so I had to go to the Mega Don Quijote. We walked around Ebisuhigasbi for a while first, and while I was buying gifts in Donki, my boyfriend entered a sushi challenge for westerners (which turned out to just be “can a white boy handle wasabi”) and won a bunch of random crap! Now we own Japanese furniture wipes.
5 PM: Dotonbori & America-mura
We took the Osaka Loop to the Dotonbori area, which was super crowded as expected. We walked around America-mura and enjoyed seeing what they think of us. There are great designer vintage clothing shops here if that’s your thing.
6 PM: Dinner (Jiyuken)
We tried to get into Koni Doraku, a crab restaurant, but they were booked up, so we went to a tiny spot called Jiyuken for curry instead. I would do things for this curry. It was the platonic ideal of curry. It was served by old Japanese aunties from a very old recipe, so we knew it was going to be good, but it exceeded our wildest expectations… for <1000y each.
7 PM: Return to Kyoto
My feet were feeling real bad (the Nikes may look cool but they cannot support 25k steps a day) so we headed back to Kyoto and packed for our early morning tomorrow.

Thursday: Travel to Koyasan, Temple Stay

8 AM: Bus from Kyoto to Koyasan
The transit from Kyoto to Mt Koya is complicated, so we ended up just booking a bus directly from Kyoto Station to Koyasan (which barely cost more than public transit!). We got there bright and early for the 3 hour trip - if you take a bus out of Kyoto Station I definitely recommend giving yourself extra time to navigate to the right bus.
11 AM: Arrive at Eko-in, lunch
We arrived in Mt Koya and checked in to our temple, Eko-in. The quiet and the beauty hit me hard and I fell asleep for a few hours. We got a nice lunch at Hanabishi in town.
4 PM: Meditation class, dinner
The temple offered a meditation class, which was lovely, followed by a vegan dinner in our rooms. I can’t explain how peaceful this place was.
7 PM: Okuno-in Cemetery
We signed up for a monk-led tour of Okuno-in, which was definitely worth it. Came back for some public baths and fell asleep to the sound of rainfall.

Friday: Travel to Kanazawa, Higashi Chaya District

7 AM: Service & ritual at Eko-in
The day started with a religious service and a fire ritual at the temple. Both were stunning. I did wish that my fellow tourists had been a bit more respectful by showing up on time and following directions, but luckily, no one has more patience than a Buddhist monk.
9 AM: Travel to Kanazawa
We took a taxi through some sketchy mountain roads to Gokurakubashi Station, took two trains to Osaka Station, and then the JR Thunderbird to Kanazawa.
1 PM: Arrive at Kanazawa, Lunch (Maimon)
We got into Kanazawa station and went straight for a sushi spot called Maimon, which was delicious. Struggled a bit with the bus system and eventually got to our hotel, Utaimachi.
4 PM: Higashi Chaya District
Wandered the Higashi Chaya district a bit. It seemed kind of dead, but maybe we are just used to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo/Kyoto.
7 PM: Korinbo, dinner (Uguisu)
Walked down to the Korinbo area southwest of the park and found a tiny ramen spot called Uguisu. Incredible. Some of the best broth I’ve ever tasted plus amazing sous vide meats.
9 PM: Bar in Korinbo (Kohaku)
Went to a little upstairs whiskey bar called Kohaku. Boyfriend got Japanese whiskey and they made me a custom cocktail with sake, pineapple and passion fruit that was just insane. They were very nice and talked baseball with us for a while.

Saturday: Omicho Market, Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum

9 AM: Kenroku-en Garden
We walked over to Kenroku-en Gardens, which were as beautiful as advertised. I was hurting pretty bad (crampy ladies, just know Japanese OTC painkillers are much weaker than ours, BYO Advil) so we’re moving slowly today.
12 PM: Omicho Market, lunch (Iki-Iki Sushi)
Walked to Omicho Market and ate little bits from different stalls, then waited about an hour to get into Iki-Iki Sushi. It was worth it. Some of the best, freshest sushi of my life.
2 PM: Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
We walked around Kanazawa Castle a bit, then walked over to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It was packed and the line to get tickets to the special exhibits was crazy, so we looked at the free ones and then headed back. Along the way we stopped in a few little stores and bought some handcrafted lacquerware from a local artist.
6 PM: Onnagawa Festival, dinner (Huni)
As we walked towards the restaurant, we came upon the Onnagawa Festival on the Plum Bridge, which included a beautiful dancing ceremony and lantern lighting. We went to Huni for dinner, our first “westernized Japanese” restaurant, and it was fantastic. 9 dishes served slowly over 3 hours at a table overlooking the river. Highly recommend if you’re in Kanazawa.
10 PM: Why does the bathtub have a phone
We went back to our hotel, struggled with the automated bathtub, and enjoyed our last night on tatami floors.

Sunday: Travel to Tokyo, Tokyo Giants Game, Ueno Park

7 AM: Travel to Tokyo
Grabbed a taxi we arranged the night before to Kanazawa Station - it would have been an easy bus journey but our number of bags has increased - and boarded the Shinkansen for Tokyo.
12 PM: Travel to Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome Park
Dropped our bags at our hotel in Asakusa, then headed for Tokyo Dome. We got there a little early to look around - there’s basically a full mall and food court and amusement park there. We grabbed some beers and some chicken katsu curry that was delicious.
2 PM: Tokyo Giants vs Chunichi Dragons
Japanese baseball games are so. much. fun. This was a random mid season game, and the stadium was full and people were amped. I’ve been to many American baseball games and never seen fans this excited. We also scored some fried cheese-wrapped hot dogs on a stick and a few more beers and had the time of our lives cheering for the Giants.
5 PM: Ueno Park
After trying and failing to find the jersey we were looking for, we walked to Ueno Park and looked around a bit. It was lovely, but we were exhausted and full of too many beers, so we headed back to Asakusa.
7 PM: Dinner in Asakusa
There was a festival all day around Shinso-ji and there were a ton of street vendors and day-drunk people when we arrived in the afternoon (as a native Louisianan, I approve) and it seemed like the partiers were going on into the night. We ducked into a restaurant for some buckwheat soba (never got the name, but it was only okay) and tucked in early.

Monday: Tsukiji Food Tour, Kapabashi Dougu, Akihabara

8 AM: 3-hour Tsukiji Food Tour + lunch
We started the day with a Tsukiji food tour, which ended up being my favorite food tour of the 3 by far. The guide was great, and we stopped by a dozen food stalls and sampled everything from mochi to fresh tuna to octopus cakes. We finished with lunch at Sushi Katsura, where our chef prepared everything in front of us.
12 PM: Imperial Palace, Don Quijote
We were planning to spend the afternoon exploring the Imperial Palace and Edo Castle Ruins, but it was hot and the palace was closed, so we walked to Taira no Masakado's Grave, then headed back to Asakusa for, you guessed it, Don Quijote. I did not intend for this trip to be “guess how many Don Quijotes I can visit” but here we are. We bought another suitcase and I filled it with food and gifts to bring home.
3 PM: Kappabashi Dougu
We walked Kappabashi Dougu and browsed kitchenwares while wishing we had a bigger kitchen, an unlimited budget and a way to get a hundred pounds of porcelain home in one piece.
6 PM: Akihabara dinner + games + drinks
We took the train to Akihabara, got dinner at Tsukada Nojo, then played games in a few arcades and ended the night at Game Bar A-button, which lets you play vintage handheld games while you drink.

Tuesday: Senso-ji, Flight

9 AM: Breakfast, Senso-ji
We got breakfast pancakes at Kohikan, then walked around Senso-ji and the surrounding shopping streets for a while.
12 PM: McDonald’s
Look, I couldn’t leave Japan without doing it, okay? I got the Teriyaki Chicken Burger (too sloppy and sweet) and bf got the Ebi Filet-O (he said it tasted exactly like a Filet-O-Fish). It was not great but I deserve that!
3 PM: Cab to the airport
I caught the flu on the flight home and have now been in bed for a week! Welcome back to America, baby.

I had a restaurant den 2 years ago and I’m loaded with the items. Do they have sapphire value? Willing to trade/ sell all
-Diner Jukebox -Diner table (5) -Diner booth (6) -Diner stool (10) -Diner lamp (5) -Diner counter -Diner Menu -Diner hostess stand -Diner prep counter

I'm interested in using Multi-Location Management at a handful of the stores in my restaurant group and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with it.
Specifically, I have four stores (different concepts) that are physically connected and operate under the same LLC. Two of the stores share a kitchen and menu, and all four share a central storage for liquor and wine. Because they are all parts of the same business, we can share resources, but each different concept has its own identity e.g.: the Italian restaurant has mostly Italian wine, the French restaurant has mostly French wine, the cocktail bar has the largest selection of spirits, etc.
What I would like to do is create 'master' menus from which I can link items that appear at some or all of the stores. I could update them at the same time and decide which stores have access to each menu / items by making certain menus visible. My question is if anyone has any experience operating like this and how did it work for you? Just looking for feedback or insight, really.

Hey everyone, I'll try to make this short.
I'm a pretty good cook, but I suck at baking. It was my fiancée's birthday last week and I know that pears are her favorite fruit. So while she wasn't home, I baked a pretty good fancy pear tarte. While doing this, I snacked on a few pieces of the pears I used.
When I presented her with the cake on her birthday, she was super happy and thanked me. I told her I hope she likes it, and that I tried a few pieces of the pears I used and they were great and sweet.
Her smile dropped and she said "Did you cut up the pears and ate some of it?"
I was confused and said "yes".
She said she cant eat it, because sharing pears is super bad luck in her culture (she's half chinese).
The cherry on top was that I got a reservation in a restaurant that we've been wanting to try for ages. She looked at the menu online and said we cant go there, because they dont offer any pasta or noodle dishes. Its important to eat long noodles on one's birthday for a long life.
I was dumbfounded. I even offered to make her some spaghetti or udon noodles at home and she could eat them after or before our dinner. She refused.
She's a great person otherwise, super intelligent, has a good position in a STEM field, doesnt believe in horoscopes etc, but she really holds on to those beliefs. Even her license plate says "8888" in the end, because apparently thats good luck or brings wealth or something like that in her culture.
I respect preserving one's culture, but like I said, it sucks when it's interfering in your regular life.
I tried to keep it together because I love her and it was her birthday, but the day after she asked me why I was so quiet and I told her what I said here.
So am I the asshole for being hurt and for telling her that it makes me sad that I worked hard on that cake and she wont even touch it, because its bad luck, whatever that means.
Thank you.

My family of four stayed at the Conrad which is really close to Akumal for 6 days and then one night in Cancun before we left.
We rented a car from easyway which was no problem at all except I am still waiting to get the deposit back. I was really paranoid about being pulled over after reading some posts on here but we never had an issue. Renting a car was nice, but driving into Tulum was kind of a nightmare with the car. Parking was extremely hard to find and the cops at the beginning of town really made me nervous. The other drivers in Mexico are really aggressive so you have to pay close attention to avoid accidents.
The resort we stayed at was beautiful and the seaweed really wasn’t an issue until a storm came in on one of our last nights and then we could really see what everyone was talking about. There was tons of seaweed floating and the water looked brown instead of the pretty blue that we saw all the days before. We did have an issue at checkin where our room wasn’t ready at 6pm which was extremely frustrating considering we had been traveling since 3am that morning and we were wearing sweatpants and tennis shoes. We also brought a 12 pack of beer to the resort and the staff misplaced it. I had to ask about it and then they figured out where it was and brought it to our room. Our problems were resolved with a $100 credit to our bill. The restaurants and alcohol on our resort were extremely expensive. Luckily the 2 adults got free breakfast every day and we mostly went off the resort to stock up on booze and snacks and sometimes ate a late lunch in town.
We visited Akumal and I loved it much more than Tulum. It was much less stressful to park and we took the snorkel tour with the turtles and the beach was nice there.
We also went to casa tortugas cenotes which was a really great experience just make sure you bring a waterproof cellphone case and cash rather than card.
On our way back to Cancun we stopped at playa del Carmen which was really beautiful and had tons of shopping. Lots of people thought we were Canadian and we constantly trying to pull us into their shops placing necklaces on my daughters and pressuring us to buy shit we didn’t want. We ended up avoiding 5th avenue on the walk back to our car so we wouldn’t get hassled.
Cancun was actually really awesome because everything was so convenient. ATMs were easy to find and the hotel we stayed at was walking distance from all the cool stuff.
The cons:
Not following advice on how to convert money was super annoying. We found ourselves searching for a working atm multiple times and we were paranoid about using the random ones in Tulum. Our hotel had two machines but the pesos machine was out of order and the usd machine charged us nearly $30 to take out $200. I got ripped off $20 at a money exchange in playa del Carmen where the lady said I gave her $20 less than I did and then when I called her out she said “no ingles” I realized I shouldn’t have tried to convert as much money as I did and that would have helped in that scenario.
Also got ripped off at the gas station. I gave the guy a $20 and turned around and he had $1 in his hand instead. At the time I didn’t realize what had happened so I didn’t know until we got back to the hotel and I read the post on here and realized that’s a common scam.
In Cancun we were set on eating tacos and we found this little taco shop that we had to go get money out for. We came back and sat down and started to order and the lady told us all the prices on the menu were actually 20 pesos more than what was listed. It was a slap in the face but we paid it anyway.
And the last downside is that because we did eat off the resort a few times, my husband and I are suffering from diarrhea still.
Overall we had a great time but it does feel shitty being taken advantage of because I’m a white tourist. I want to support these Mexican vendors but found myself sticking to shops where prices are listed to avoid being haggled and ripped off. Oh an we never had any moment where we didn’t feel safe.