Another trip to San Francisco – and another all-out foodfest! What is it about traveling home that brings out the glutton in me?

We landed at 11am on Thursday, after a fairly uneventful flight from Philadelphia (okay, after boarding, they discovered we had a leaking fuel pump on the plane and United brought over another plane – only an hour delay in leaving…) and after picking up a car and checking into the hotel, went to pick up Pop for lunch.

We headed to the local IHOP. It’s been a while since I’ve been in an IHOP, and this particular one in San Bruno hasn’t changed much on the inside, but the menu has definitely improved! It was high noon on the west coast, but I hadn’t really had breakfast, yet, so I decided to blend the two with their new Bacon and Egg Burger. I hate to admit it, but it was really good! I ordered the egg over easy to the shock of the waitress (who had to let me know it would run all over the place – the whole idea!) and it did, indeed, make a bit of a mess. A yummy mess, I might add. Victor ordered waffles and Pop had a burger. We ate like there was no tomorrow!

Going out with Pop is always a treat – his. He flat-out refuses to let one of his kids pick up the tab. One would think that after almost 55 years I’d be used to it – but I always try and grab the check. The man is fast at 83!

After lunch it was back to the hotel to unpack and get ready for dinner. We were meeting our friends Christi and her mom, Pat at Nick’s Rockaway in Pacifica at 5:15pm.

Nick’s hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s still an adequate 1950-s Italian-ish restaurant with a killer view of the Pacific. Our waiter, Jim, was another story. Fun and talented, he really made the meal a memorable one. I opted for a Crab and Shrimp Louie – an old San Francisco salad one cannot find east of the Pacific Ocean. Iceberg lettuce, hard cooked eggs, beets, tons of crab and bay shrimp… Tres fabu!

Of course we had to spring for desserts, too. Tradition when eating with Christi and Pat is ordering desserts and then taking a bite, passing to the right, taking a bite, passing to the right… We ordered “Banana’s Foster” that actually was banana fritters – OMG good!

Saturday breakfast was at Big Joe’s in San Bruno. It’s an institution in SB with food that’s hard to beat – and prices that are cheap, cheap, cheap. I had the requisite bacon and eggs with hash browns and sourdough toast. I got 6 slices of thick-sliced bacon and perfectly cooked over easy eggs. Buttery hash browns… It was perfect. As usual.

Saturday night took us to Celia’s Mexican restaurant in San Bruno. I’ve been going to Celia’s since first stepping into the original Celia’s when it was a mere storefront on Judah Street. (I also went to grammar school with the owner’s son many moons ago…) We were actually supposed to go to my grammar school’s 40th Reunion that night, but Pop had other plans for us. 40 years ago I would have done what I wanted. Funny how priorities change as we age.

But, back to dinner… One “Perfecto Special” later, I was stuffed beyond belief. Carne asada, flautas, enchilada, chile relleños, taco, burrito, rice, and beans. It was perfecto, as usual!

Pop’s birthday – and Super Bowl Sunday – brought all of us to my brother’s house for a day of serious eating! Debbie made chili – a recipe she found that called for Kobe beef (she didn’t use it…) And Mike mde ribs… fall-off-the-bone ribs… and Phoebe’s baked beans, and fresh Dungeness crabs from Eileen. Susan brought jalapeño chicken wings. And chips and dips, and guacamole… more food than we could possibly eat. But we did try.

And then not one, but two birthday cakes!

I was pleasantly miserable until the cakes came out. I had to go for it. Both cakes. Not small pieces.

Pass the Bromo.