Join us for a flavor-packed brunch at Butter House in Monterey (technically Seaside)âwhere breakfast gets a bold fusion twist! We stumbled upon a menu infused with Hawaiian, Korean, and Filipino influences, making every bite unforgettable.
đ¸ What We Tried:
Pork Belly Fried Rice and Marcianaâs Fried Rice: crispy pork belly and savory combinations of bacon, sausage, ham or Spam
Loco Moco: a hearty Hawaiian-style dishâbeef patty smothered in gravy, topped with eggs
Longaniza: a sweeet filipino sausage that goes really well with fried rice and eggs.
This zesty pepper sauce blends jalapeĂąo, red peppers, and garlicâperfect on eggs, rice, or meats.
⨠Why Butter House Stands Out:
Cozy, family-friendly vibe in Seaside
Women- and Asian-owned
Bold, island-inspired menu with vegan & gluten-free choices
If you’re craving next-level brunch or breakfast with global twists and local flavors, hit âplay!â Donât forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bellâlots more Central Coast adventures on the way!
Come along as we kick off our California adventure in the beautiful coastal town of Monterey. From the awe-inspiring exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium to discovering a hidden gem for Turkish delights and coffee, this day blends iconic attractions with unexpected surprises.
â What You’ll See in This Episode:
Highlights from the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium
Scenic clips from downtown Monterey and the marina
A relaxing start to our Central Coast road trip
If youâre planning a trip to Monterey or just love coastal California vibes, this video is packed with inspiration, flavors, and unforgettable views.
In this very serious and deeply academic video, Ryan finally reveals the secrets behind his 1â10 food rating system â the one he uses across our travel and dining videos to rank everything from prime rib to pink cake.
⨠Whatâs a 10? Whatâs a 6?
Is a â9â even possible?
Does a perfect 10 require fireworks, a live band, and tableside brisket carving?
Ryan breaks down the logic (and logic holes) behind his now infamous system.
đŻ Topics covered include:
Why Ryan created his own unofficial food scoring model
What it actually takes to earn a perfect 10
Why some ratings have nothing to do with the food at all
If youâve ever wondered why he gave steak in San Francisco a 9.2, but breakfast in Morro Bay a 7, this oneâs for you.
Drinking Made Easy posted the 2nd part of my California Vineyards series. This article is about a visit to the super secret-Frei Brothers vineyard which is not open to the public.
Also since the good people at Kress made this article possible, if you are in South Jersey, stop by today and during the holidays to get a nice bottle of wine by good people. You know they are good, I married into their family đ
I went on a trip to the California wine country and I found America. I wasnât looking for her by any means. I wasnât interested in finding picturesque landscapes that would make pretty post cards, but I found them and in a very American way: in a car and just driving.
As soon as we landed in San Fransisco International, we scrambled to get the rental car and we just went. My wife and I drove almost 100 miles away from the city and then took the whole route back on the iconic Route 1 coastal highway. There are miles of unmolested landscape and ocean. Mountains, fields, and for huge stretches, no people… it was fantastic. We stopped and stretched our legs, checked out some scenic stops and then we kept moving on. We had some authentic Mexican food at little road stop and then we continued to Napa for the night (and got snagged in a few hours of iconic American traffic).
The next morning we headed off to Sonoma for a private tour of MacMurray Ranch. This ranch was owned by Fred MacMurray, star of âMy Three Sonsâ. The scope of this place blew my mind. It is 1100 acres of fields and mountains. The Gallo family purchased the property in the late 1990s after MacMurray died and converted it into a vineyard. Fredâs family is still involved with the property which is a nice touch.
The idea of holding that much property is astounding to me (not in a critical way). Past generations seemed to understand that you canât over manage the land. Fred MacMurray left hundreds of acres alone (Gallo actually has a policy about that as well which is very cool). After we toured the ranch, we were taken down the road to see one of Galloâs other non-public vineyards that was massive. I am going to do an actual write up about these places for Drinking Made Easy, but for the sake of this post, just walk away with the idea of land as far as the eye can see with mountains, trees, and in some cases grapes. I think I understand the imperial-land-grabbing-blood-lust of our forefathers.
The primary reason we went to California was to see Ryan Adams. I covered that already (read here). The show was great and the venue was small and intimate. It was a perfect night.
The next day we headed to San Francisco. We spent most of the day walking around the city without an objective. We went to China Town and Little Italy. We ate a nice dinner recommended to us by one of the local bakery owners (Michelangeloâs if you need to know). By the time we finished it was dark, so we took a cab back to the hotel and called it a night.
Tuesday morning we found ourselves on Golden Gate Bridge. We walked across as far as we could but didnât get to the end because it was closed. We spent some time in the Golden Gate Park, walking up and down hills before it was time for lunch. We wanted to do Dim Sum. We went to an authentic dim sum place. Too authentic. I was excited when we walked in and saw only Asian people – I knew this place was the real deal. But then I noticed no menu and servers walking around with carts. Nobody really spoke English and I didnât know what I was ordering. I managed to get my hands on some beef soup during the 30 minutes we were in there (one bowl), before we decided to split (paying was also interesting, I donât think I was supposed to get up and pay myself – oh well). We ended up back in Little Italy which was not the plan at all, but we had a nice lunch at the Stinking Rose and we were served by Count Dracula, who was very nice (no I will not explain any further).
We walked around the city some more to burn off lunch and then went back to the hotel to clean up. I booked dinner reservations at âThe House of Prime Ribâ and decided that I needed to get in an extra run to burn off what I knew we going to be a calorie fest in the evening. I managed to get the gym completely empty and it overlooked the city in a small panoramic room. It was dusk and I was able to overlook the city which is a nice way to spend time on a treadmill.
Dinner was completely insane. This place served only one thing: Prime Rib. Salad, two sides. Thatâs it. It was perfect. Going back to my ghosts of America, this place was a call back to another time. Martinis and red meat. Baked potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. Classic.
In the morning, we found a nice little place (Honey, Honey) to get a simple breakfast and got ready for our flights home. Of course the flights were delayed and we ended up in Vegas, but that is all part of travel in the modern age. It is hard to get mad when you look down and see hundreds of miles of untouched landscapes and realize that there is still room to grow.
