Bella Gelateria: Old-World Handcrafted Gelato

I love Gelato! People tell me that gelato contains less fat than ice cream, is that true? It probably is... In my opinion gelato taste better.  The flavors of good gelato is more intense, and the texture is much more lighter and softer than ice cream.  

Bella Gelateria is probably one of best Gelato shops in town.  I love the flavors, texture, and freshness of the gelato.

Blood Orange and Matcha

Mango, Chocolate, Hazelnut - Hazelnut is delicious!! 

Everytime I visit, I try to order a different/new flavor. If you have any recommendations for gelato flavors please let me know! Thanks!

I highly recommend that you try Bella Gelateria out! 

Bella Gelateria: Old-World Handcrafted Gelato

I love Gelato! People tell me that gelato contains less fat than ice cream, is that true? It probably is... In my opinion gelato taste better.  The flavors of good gelato is more intense, and the texture is much more lighter and softer than ice cream.  

Bella Gelateria is probably one of best Gelato shops in town.  I love the flavors, texture, and freshness of the gelato.

Blood Orange and Matcha

Mango, Chocolate, Hazelnut - Hazelnut is delicious!! 

Everytime I visit, I try to order a different/new flavor. If you have any recommendations for gelato flavors please let me know! Thanks!

I highly recommend that you try Bella Gelateria out! 

Travel Photo of the Day: Sugar Loaf Mountain in the Clouds, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In April 2010, Luis and I visited Brazil for the third time, this time starting with Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's incredible city by the sea. On the first day we arrived, there was a torrential downpour which didn't let up until two days before we left. Undaunted, more or less, we decided to forge ahead and visit the sites for which Rio is famous, including Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf Mountain). As we rode the cable car to the first mountain, then the second, the clouds miraculously cleared and we were able to enjoy the view for a few minutes, but soon the clouds rolled back in and Luis snapped this lovely, ghostly shot of the view from the top, including the cable car and Ipanema Beach. 

To reach the 1,300 foot summit of Sugar Loaf, passengers must first ride the bondinho or cable car to Morro de Açúcar, the smaller mountain that stands next to Sugar Loaf, then take a second cable car for the rest of the trip (each ride is about three minutes). The views are spectacular from all points, including the cable cars. For the more adventurous, there is also the option to rock-climb your way to the top up the mountain faces, with more than 270 routes available, between 1-10 pitches long. I think I'll stick to the nice, safe cable car.       

Travel Photo of the Day: Sugar Loaf Mountain in the Clouds, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In April 2010, Luis and I visited Brazil for the third time, this time starting with Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's incredible city by the sea. On the first day we arrived, there was a torrential downpour which didn't let up until two days before we left. Undaunted, more or less, we decided to forge ahead and visit the sites for which Rio is famous, including Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf Mountain). As we rode the cable car to the first mountain, then the second, the clouds miraculously cleared and we were able to enjoy the view for a few minutes, but soon the clouds rolled back in and Luis snapped this lovely, ghostly shot of the view from the top, including the cable car and Ipanema Beach. 

To reach the 1,300 foot summit of Sugar Loaf, passengers must first ride the bondinho or cable car to Morro de Açúcar, the smaller mountain that stands next to Sugar Loaf, then take a second cable car for the rest of the trip (each ride is about three minutes). The views are spectacular from all points, including the cable cars. For the more adventurous, there is also the option to rock-climb your way to the top up the mountain faces, with more than 270 routes available, between 1-10 pitches long. I think I'll stick to the nice, safe cable car.       

Falscher Hase

On our recent visit to Fairfax, Tom made us a really delicious meat loaf. Inside it were hard-boiled eggs, giving each slice a very pretty cross-section. (I regret having taken no photos.) I am a meat-loaf lover -- I often order it in retro restaurants and diners -- so I really enjoyed it.

Tom told us that his mother often made this dish, and that it's called "Falscher Hase," or "Fake Rabbit." However, he had no idea why it had this name -- and it's not an Easter-dish, just one that his mother made from time to time.

Franz and Rosi, Tom's parents, subsequently sent this explanation of the dish:

Fortunately, our friend Peter made us this translation:

"Did you know? In days gone by, many a Sunday dinner had for its main course a so-called false hare. That's a meat loaf put in a form that shaped it like a rabbit which usually had an egg filling and had strips of bacon on top. Very tasty --but basically a hard times dish. Since only a very few families could afford an expensive rack of rabbit roast, along came an inventive lady of the house who came up with the idea to prepare reasonably priced ground beef, shaping it so that it looked like a fine rack of rabbit. And so it came about that the plain meat loaf became a dish that looked proper for the affluent folk."

I write with gratitude to Tom for cooking us this great dish, Rosi for being its original author, Franz for the explanation, and Peter for the translation. Thanks, everyone!

Falscher Hase

On our recent visit to Fairfax, Tom made us a really delicious meat loaf. Inside it were hard-boiled eggs, giving each slice a very pretty cross-section. (I regret having taken no photos.) I am a meat-loaf lover -- I often order it in retro restaurants and diners -- so I really enjoyed it.

Tom told us that his mother often made this dish, and that it's called "Falscher Hase," or "Fake Rabbit." However, he had no idea why it had this name -- and it's not an Easter-dish, just one that his mother made from time to time.

Franz and Rosi, Tom's parents, subsequently sent this explanation of the dish:

Fortunately, our friend Peter made us this translation:

"Did you know? In days gone by, many a Sunday dinner had for its main course a so-called false hare. That's a meat loaf put in a form that shaped it like a rabbit which usually had an egg filling and had strips of bacon on top. Very tasty --but basically a hard times dish. Since only a very few families could afford an expensive rack of rabbit roast, along came an inventive lady of the house who came up with the idea to prepare reasonably priced ground beef, shaping it so that it looked like a fine rack of rabbit. And so it came about that the plain meat loaf became a dish that looked proper for the affluent folk."

I write with gratitude to Tom for cooking us this great dish, Rosi for being its original author, Franz for the explanation, and Peter for the translation. Thanks, everyone!

Falscher Hase

On our recent visit to Fairfax, Tom made us a really delicious meat loaf. Inside it were hard-boiled eggs, giving each slice a very pretty cross-section. (I regret having taken no photos.) I am a meat-loaf lover -- I often order it in retro restaurants and diners -- so I really enjoyed it.

Tom told us that his mother often made this dish, and that it's called "Falscher Hase," or "Fake Rabbit." However, he had no idea why it had this name -- and it's not an Easter-dish, just one that his mother made from time to time.

Franz and Rosi, Tom's parents, subsequently sent this explanation of the dish:

Fortunately, our friend Peter made us this translation:

"Did you know? In days gone by, many a Sunday dinner had for its main course a so-called false hare. That's a meat loaf put in a form that shaped it like a rabbit which usually had an egg filling and had strips of bacon on top. Very tasty --but basically a hard times dish. Since only a very few families could afford an expensive rack of rabbit roast, along came an inventive lady of the house who came up with the idea to prepare reasonably priced ground beef, shaping it so that it looked like a fine rack of rabbit. And so it came about that the plain meat loaf became a dish that looked proper for the affluent folk."

I write with gratitude to Tom for cooking us this great dish, Rosi for being its original author, Franz for the explanation, and Peter for the translation. Thanks, everyone!