The 2013 SoCal Holiday Excursion Recap: Part 5

**This is a recap of my vacation back to Southern California from 12/28/13-1/9/14.**

For a typical Southern California interlude, I present a soccer game in early January. Okay, fine...it's more of a photo to just rub in the fact that my home is pretty much an eternal summer with a slight variation of a few degrees. By the time I was sitting on the sidelines watching one of my nieces start her first game of the season, I almost had to take off my hoodie.

Food Review: Buckeye Pho (Columbus, OH)

Here's another local eat I had the chance to enjoy with a friend a couple weeks ago, the same one who helped me explore the Mazah Mediterranean Eatery back in January. This time, we've traveled to another continent with Buckeye Pho in Columbus.

It's a very casual place with multiple TV screens and a open table seating. We sat around the middle of the restaurant to enjoy the open scenery. Since it was a Tuesday evening, the place was relatively empty so service was quick.

We started with fried calamari with a tangy sauce. The squid was a bit heavy and had a deep-fried taste to it, but the sauce helped to cancel it out and give it a bit of flavor.

The pho, however did not disappoint. I ordered their deluxe pho (fully loaded) and received it piping hot and loaded with noodles. It was a well-balanced soup and I could taste the various types of brisket, meatballs, tripe, and tendons. I would have liked, however, more tripe and tendons but overall it was a great rendition of this staple Vietnamese dish.

For dessert, I went for a mocha bubble tea. It was quite tasty. My only qualm about full slush with tapioca boba balls is that the huge amount of ice tends to freeze the tapioca and makes it hard to suck them up with the straw. But for the seasoned boba drinkers, it's half the fun.

Overall, Buckeye Pho is great place for cheap eats, filling food, and casual dining. It's located at 761 Bethel Rd, Ste. E195, Columbus, OH 43235.

 

Food Review: The Green Papaya (Lincoln, NE)

Authentic Vietnamese food in Lincoln...NEBRASKA? It's a bit far from Westminster, CA but the flavor is definitely spot on!

I rode past this place on my motorcycle on the way to the Super 8 hotel in Lincoln, NE where I have my quarterly board meeting with the Women On Wheels® Board of Trustees and just had to try it today during our lunch break. It's been a while since I had Vietnamese food; the last time I had a nice hot bowl of pho (beef portions and rice noodles) was in La Habra at the then newly-opened Olivia's Bistro almost three years ago.

I took a couple of my fellow WOW board members along for what turned out to be a very tasty first-time experience for both of them.

We came into the restaurant and were immediately greeted. For my pho, I ordered the combination bowl that included beef sirloin, flank steak, brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs. When I go with pho, I like everything in it. The entire bowl was very well balanced. I was able to taste all of the ingredients in the soup and it wasn't salty like some other bowls that I've had in the past. It disappeared quite quickly.

Huge bowl of pho! Bring your appetite!

For dessert, I indulged in a Thai bubble tea. It took me back home to CA for just a few minutes with its sweet and creamy texture. The boba (tapioca balls) at the bottom was plentiful and were properly cooked.

After hanging out in Lincoln area a few times, I would consider this place to be a local culinary gem in my book. The restaurant is Vietnamese-owned and completely authentic. If you're driving through Lincoln, NE on I-80, swing down 27th Street and make a stop here - and perhaps spend the night at the Cornhusker Super 8 (they've taken care of us every time we've been here)

The Green Papaya Vietnamese Cuisine & Deli is located at 2701 N. 27th St. in Lincoln. Check out their Facebook page and give them a like!