There Is No Sincerer Love Than The Love Of Food

I am so excited about this post, because I love discovering new places with amazing food! I’ve been to many places with great food, but I want to share an incredible pizzeria with you all! Enjoy!

What?: Michael’s Pizzeria

Where?: Downtown Long Beach, California

Who?: I got to experience this awesome place with my dad! Thankfully, I inherited my appreciation for food from him!

When?: On a two week trip to Los Angeles with my dad last October around dinner time. We read about the number one pizzeria in the United States, and realized we were in driving distance. So of course we had to check it out!

As soon as we arrived we were welcomed by a friendly hostess, and asked if we preferred to sit inside or outside. We chose to sit out on the patio. The decor was very clean, modern, and crisp. They had a sleek area with a fire, and they had heaters all around, because it got cooler as the sun went down. Our waiter was incredibly friendly, as well as helpful considering this was our first visit. He explained the entire menu to us, as well as the beverage menu. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the prices were reasonable, and you were definitely paying the right price for the portions of food. I ended up ordering a White Belgian beer on draft, and my dad ordered an IPA. The atmosphere was very relaxed, so we were able to sit and chat while enjoying our beers. Soon after our appetizer arrived, and it was heavenly. We ordered the Zucchini Blossoms with honey, because it was our waiter’s recommendation. It was definitely the right choice!

For our entree, we decided on something pretty basic. We ordered the Prosciutto E Arugula, which has prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella on it. When they brought the pizza out, they explained to us that they don’t cut the pizza into slices, because that causes it to get soggy. They said the best way is to just cut pieces off as you go. We devoured the entire pizza, needless to say it was DELICIOUS! The ingredients complimented each other so well! All of the toppings were fresh, and the crust was perfect thanks to their brick ovens. This pizza was one of the best I’ve ever had, and that’s speaking volumes considering I’ve had pizza in Italy.

Even though we were basically stuffed, their dessert menu looked so appealing. We decided on the homemade chocolate gelato. Yes, I said homemade chocolate gelato. It was divine, and writing about it makes me want some right now!

This experience was such a memorable one!  We were very satisfied with the environment, service, and the amazing food! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Southern California area! They have three locations, and their menus differ between the three. If I am ever back in Long Beach I will most likely be making a stop by Michael’s Pizzeria! Follow the link below for locations, menus, and contact information!

http://michaelspizzeria.com

Atlanta Streetcars: Helpful or Hurtful?

Atlanta, Ga is an eclectic city full of awesome restaurants, incredible art, and is the central city to the growing film industry in Georgia. I have lived in the metro Atlanta area my entire life, and I think it is a great city, but compared to New York City and Chicago, the public transportation needs some improvement. The city of Atlanta has been working hard to come up with the funds, as well as ideas of how to create a better public transportation option within the city. As of a month ago, the “Atlanta Streetcar” has been rolling through the streets of downtown. It’s awesome that the city has come up with a solution to the transportation issue, but is it really the best solution? The project was supposed to be completed by Summer 2013, but has been pushed back numerous times, and has already gone six million dollars over budget. Because the streetcars are so new they have been doing some test runs for the past couple of weeks, and this has already led to some chaos. Although the streetcars are not yet moving people, they are causing some troubles with the surrounding cars in Atlanta traffic. There have been two accidents involving streetcars within the same week. No one was hurt, but this poses the question of their safety within the community, and has yet again pushed back the launch date. When the drivers of the streetcars were asked about these accidents, they said that they hope Atlanta drivers will eventually get used to the streetcars sharing their roads. When people in the Atlanta area were interviewed they said they do not like the idea of the streetcars. They know that Atlanta drivers are trying to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, and they believe the streetcars are dangerous as well as slowing traffic down. The city has spent a lot of money on this project, so I have a feeling they will be here to stay, but it is going to take some time for the Atlanta drivers to adjust to such a big change within the city limits. Unfortunately there are two sides to this story, but the question of the success of the streetcars still remains until Atlanta sends them out for service on December 6, 2014. Until then we will have to question whether or not this is the best solution of transportation, or if the streetcars have already overstayed their welcome.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/morning_call/2014/11/atlanta-streetcar-involved-in-second-accident.html

How to Pack a Carry-On for a Week Abroad

Packing for a trip abroad can be a hassle, because normally you will be gone for a week or more. Most people think this means checking luggage, hoping it makes it from point A to point B, and then waiting at the baggage claim for an extremely long time. This doesn’t have to be the case if you know how to efficiently pack your clothes in one carry-on size suitcase. I’m a Delta kid, so I grew up traveling, and checking luggage was a no no. My dad taught us how to pack all of our clothes in one carry-on, saving us time, money, and the headache of lost bags. So, without further adieu, I give you the step-by-step instructions on how to pack one carry on for your trip abroad!

Step 1: Make sure you have a suitcase that fits the airline’s size requirements for a carry-on. You can go to any airline’s website to look up the size dimensions required. I’ve listed the link to Delta’s requirements as well as pictures of my own carry-on below.

Delta Airlines Carry-On Restrictions

 

Step 2: Once you know you have the right size suitcase, lay out all of your outfits you will need for the week. When picking out my outfits for each day, the first thing I do is check the weather. Since you will be abroad, the weather is more than likely to be a little different than at home.

Step 3: Once you’ve done that, start choosing your outfits! The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to re-wear your jeans. Packing a pair of jeans for every day of the week is going to take up a lot of space in your already small carry-on. I usually bring two to three pairs of jeans, saving me room for other things in my bag. Obviously this next tip won’t apply to men, but I have found that packing dresses for travel is perfect! They don’t take up too much space, and they are so comfortable to walk around in while you’re sight-seeing. This goes for summer and winter dresses! You also only want to take a couple of pairs of shoes. Three at the MOST, but I normally just try to keep it to two pairs that go with everything.

Step 4: Now that you have all of your clothes picked out for the week, it’s time to fit them all into what looks like the smallest bag ever made. Don’t panic. I promise we can make it all work! Start with your shoes. If you’re going to colder weather where you’ll need boots, pack one pair of your boots at the bottom of your bag, or in the top zipper section. Wear the other pair of shoes to the airport, so you’ll have them with you, but won’t have to pack them.

Next, fold your pants in half, and roll them as tightly as you can. This will allow you to put three pairs of pants side by side without taking up so much space.

 After putting your pants in the bag, do the same thing with your shirts. If you have dresses save those for last, because they fit nicely on the top.

I know what a lot of you are thinking at this point: “My clothes are going to be so wrinkly by the time I arrive at my destination”. That’s probably true, the hotel you’re staying at most likely will have an iron. Make sure you pack your intimates, socks, and scarfs (for colder weather) at the end. These things can fit wherever there’s extra space. Also, if you’re packing for colder weather, take your coat with you on the plane. You’re allowed to have a carry-on, personal item (purse or or small bag), and you can also have a jacket with you. No need to take up that space in your suitcase!

Step 5: Packing your bathroom essentials can seem like a scary task to fit in a carry-on, but I promise you will survive without your huge bottles of shampoo and lotion for a week. If you don’t already have all of your bathroom essentials in three ounce bottles or less, you can go to Target or Wal-Mart where they have a whole section dedicated to travel-size bottles of anything you’ll need. Once you have these products, go ahead and put them a in a clear plastic bag, and either put the bag in the front zipper of your carry-on, or in your personal item bag, such as a purse or briefcase. That way when you’re in line for security, you don’t have to dig through your bag while everyone else behind you gives you dirty looks.

                                           

As for your hair dryers, straighteners, and curling irons, LEAVE THEM AT HOME. Chances are, the outlets are going to be different than the ones we have in the states, so unless you have a converter that you trust, don’t risk ruining your expensive hair tools. The hotel you’re staying at will probably have a hair dryer, so don’t fret! For your other essentials like your brush, deodorant, and all of that jazz, just put all of these things in a small travel bag, and stick it in your carry-on.

Doing all of these things will ensure that you have packed the perfect carry-on for your trip abroad! If you’ve finished these steps and still have some extra room, feel free to put an extra outfit in there, or another pair of shoes!(I packed an extra pair of boots!). Having just a small personal item and carry-on when you’re traveling makes everything so much easier in my opinion. No more worrying about your luggage getting lost somewhere along the way, having to pay the fees to check a bag, or waiting forever at the baggage claim. You can just grab your bag, and be on your way! I hope this helped you for your next big adventure! Happy traveling!

XO  -Ashley