Breakfast At Antonio’s in Tagaytay City

There are circumstances and events that live in one’s memory more prominently than the others and going on road trips with the family is one of them – remembering the happier days. I am transferring some of my family albums from Multiply which according to news will close in a few months and I can’t resist posting this particular album here since I loved the place when we dined there more than three years ago, a few months before I discovered that I had colon cancer. It changed my perspective about life because after my surgery, we have cut down on taking trips like this. It was replaced by regular trips to the hospital, diagnostic centers and my doctors. I am so grateful though that before  that life-changing ailment, I was able to visit here.

This was when I was still starting my love affair with my camera. I can’t remember now which one I used here, because I used to have a Pentax Optio and a much-lower-priced Samsung. I am using a Canon Ixus now with many added features. These are raw shots that were never altered, not even cropped.

Breakfast at Antonio’s (that’s actually the full name of the restaurant), is a high-end restaurant that serves breakfast meals all day long.  I remember the date, it was January 15, 2009. We came from our first road trip to Caleruega and we were on our way back to Manila. We were talking of where to take lunch even before we left Caleruega. And the kids were unanimous in saying that we will have it in Tagaytay so they could also enjoy the view of the Taal Lake. It was quite cloudy when we were there so I suggested why not try Breakfast at Antonio’s? It is about two and a half kilometers from the main highway but it is worth the time and the wait. We waited for about thirty minutes to be served. There were only about three occupied tables when we arrived. It’s gourmet dining at its best. Hubby was impressed. My two kids ordered chocolate milk drinks while  hubby  had tomato juice. I just had plain water because I had so much coffee while we were in  Caleruega.

It’s an architectural showcase, notice the high beams, it blends so well with the place.

While waiting for our food, we had one of the waiters take a shot of the four of us.

The fun part – eating! They call this Sausages and Scrambles.

Beef  tapa, a must have for a nourishing breakfast but we had it at lunch.

Ham and Swiss Cheese Roesti

Croque Madame

More than the food, I just love the ambience of the place.

This greets you at the reception area, a room full of antique items on the walls and as decors too. Even the floor entices you to go barefoot.

Ah, the Koi, we all love Koi!

Love that big pot of Anthurium, part of the charm of the place.

The main door stays closed but they open it for clients and diners.

My two kids….

A rare shot of the four of us – as always, we have to set up the tripod for this.

Love those paintings on the wall. This dining area has that airy atmosphere which is just perfect for a lovely chat.

I love that picture window and the garden beyond.

And this lush Koi pond….

The Koi fish are bigger than the ones they have at Caleruega.

Couldn’t resist these  lovely blooms….

Another shot of the reception area…

The garden in front…

That’s my son enjoying a few minutes of walking around the place.

I really hope one of these days, we could come back here and sample their other menu on the list.

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Rainy Days And Mondays

There was a sudden rain shower, short but enough to  wet the  leaves of the plants sweltering in the noonday heat.  You can never be certain of the weather nowadays, it’s not only unpredictable but predictably uninspiring.  One moment it gets dark then the sun shows its brilliant rays on the parched pavement.

Mondays!

Why does Monday almost always brings with it that lethargic feeling within me?  I went back to bed this morning, for the second time in a week while the hubby went off to play tennis at the village court. The news on TV does not help either except  the few minutes I saw Francis Kong being interviewed on Umagang Kay Ganda. They were talking about the advantages and the setbacks of having a credit card. I can easily relate to it since I was a banker for more than twenty- one years. Some people think that having a credit card is some sort of  status symbol, when you have that shining plastic in your wallet, you could go anywhere you want, buy an item at the spur of the moment or eat at some fancy restaurant. When the billing statement comes, that’s when you scratch your head thinking where to get the money to pay  your bills. Credit card approvals are quite easy to get nowadays and the credit card limits,once you start using them are considered short loans from the bank and have fixed rate of interest if you opt to pay them the minimum amount stated on your bill. Once you make a default payment, surcharges are slapped on your next bill. Do you know that you could turn it to your advantage if you are a full payor? Being a full payor means you pay the full amount stated on your bill and you don’t need to wait for the due date to settle it. When you are short of cash and you want to have a month’s leeway in paying your bills, by all means do so and it would be to your advantage. How? You’ve used the bank’s money for a month without paying interest in return. Get what I mean?

Did I say it is a lousy Monday? It’s quite disappointing to see the Senate Resumption of Hearing on Garcia Bargain Deal on alleged AFP corruption. The nerve of these guys lying to their teeth, fooling all Filipinos in the process. At some point during the Senate investigation it became  sort of zarzuela, laughable and irritating at the same time. I wonder if something good would come out of this investigation. No, I won’t elaborate on what happened on the Senate floor, you’ve probably read about them anyway since they are all over the place. Now that we know the truth, what do we do with it?

I was thinking of LUCY TORRES’ article yesterday at Philippine Star. She said that when she feels a little under the weather, she goes to her favorite place, one of which is Bellini’s. I love Bellini’s, it’s an Italian restaurant located in the heart of what used to be Marikina Shoe Expo Cubao. We’ve been there twice with the family and the last time was during my son’s 26th birthday last June 26, 2010. Mr. Roberto Bellini is a very kind and accommodating guy. We did order Lucy’s favorite cake and mine too, the famous and yummy orange cake of Bellini’s. The last time we were there, we  had it for dessert and when Mr. Bellini learned that we were celebrating my son’s birthday, he provided a blue candle and even had a photo with us. That’s what I consider a personalized service. It’s kind of expensive to dine there though so we always reserve it for celebrating special occasions. Here are some of the pictures I took when we dined there last year.

Yummy Orange Cake

The birthday boy and a family shot with Mr. Robert Bellini and our close friend Lovell.

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