Rating: All-Star

Stubbs is just a short walk from the hotel, and it definitely feels more upscale than Cooper’s. Instead of laying everything out on butcher paper, it’s menu ordering here — but still with that Texas BBQ soul.

Rating: Role Player

The Residence Inn Downtown Austin proved to be a solid home base for the trip. The rooms were clean and well-kept, with a king bed and sofa bed setup that made it easy to crash with the boys — felt a little like the college days all over again.

Rating: Role Player

After landing in Austin, I was craving BBQ — and Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in downtown fit the bill without having to trek outside the city.

Rating: All-Star

Airports usually tempt you with high-fat, high-carb, high-sugar, salty meals that can derail your health before you even take off. But at Napa Farms in SFO’s Terminal 2, I found proof that travel doesn’t have to mean compromising your body’s fine tuning.

Rating: All-Star

Before I even landed in Austin, I had a small crisis to solve at SFO. On my way out, I realized I had forgotten to get something for a dear friend. He’s Turkish, and like so many in that culture, he’s incredibly generous with kids — always bringing gifts for mine, never letting me pay when I visit. I needed to find something thoughtful for his children, but time was short.

Rating: All-Star

We stopped into North Beach Cantina recently, and it quickly became one of those meals you want to tell your friends about.

Rating: All-Star

Getting a smog check in San Francisco isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. Too often you run into long waits, confusing upsells, or shops that “find” problems you didn’t come in for.

That’s why Clean Air Smog stands out.

Rating: All-Star

I bought this hat as a birthday gift for my wife after she mentioned wanting something that would actually protect her whole face from the sun.

Rating: All-Star

If you’re looking for a night out with the family that won’t drain your wallet, a USF women’s volleyball game might just be the hidden gem you’ve been missing.

Rating: All-Star

If you’ve got some money saved and you’re thinking about investing, it’s tempting to chase the hot stock everyone’s talking about, or to believe you can outsmart the market with quick trades. That’s how most people lose money. They gamble instead of investing.

Rating: Role Player

We turned a family milestone into a sweet celebration—our daughter finally got her braces off. The reward? A trip to Uji Time, the kind of spot where dessert feels like a victory parade.

Rating: Role Player

On our trip to Berkeley to watch the Cal Women’s volleyball team, we stopped at Mixt for lunch. The salads hit the spot — healthy and fresh, just what my wife and I needed.

Rating: Role Player

We stopped into Sheng Kee for an afternoon treat and ran into an odd house rule right away

Rating: Liability

When El Porteño in the Ferry Building ran out of chicken empanadas (WTF?), we went searching for a backup because our kids love empanadas. We landed at The Epicurean Trader a few stores down, hoping for a save.

Rating: Role Player

Before the ice cream run later that afternoon, we made a quick pit stop at Gott’s for the kids to refuel after swimming on one of those rare hot San Francisco days. Nothing fancy, just a kids’ chicken tenders meal — two pieces, crispy on the outside, tender inside, and enough to keep the hunger at bay before dinner.

Rating: Role Player

Catching a hot day in San Francisco feels like spotting a unicorn — rare, fleeting, and best enjoyed with something cold in hand. We ducked into Gott’s at the Ferry Building for a quick ice cream treat for the kids, and it hit the spot.

Rating: All-Star

Food was good! Our kid scarfed down the chicken pad see ew — and trust me, his first response is usually, “I don’t want that.” But this time, he dove right in and ate without hesitation.

Rating: Role Player

If you want the taste of old-school Hawaiʻi, Keneke’s Grill in Punaluʻu is the real deal. This is not a polished, touristy spot—it’s a down-home, country-style eatery where the food speaks for itself and the atmosphere brings you back to simpler times.

Rating: All-Star

We stopped at KOA Pancake House near the Honolulu airport (HNL) for a family breakfast, and it hit the spot perfectly. This place is old-school local, with friendly service, hearty plates, and the kind of comfort food that feels like home.

Rating: Role Player

We sampled a handful of spots here on our visit, and overall it gave us a good variety of Asian flavors under one roof.