One Friday, gabbing over a pair of juicy burgers at Tio Pappy's, Alexis and I looked at each other and decided, we should do this EVERY Friday. And from there a tradition was born.  Since then Alexis and I have been taking Santiago by storm, testing out a new restaurant every week and playing food critics. Besides being a nifty little way to get to know more about our fair city, it was also a great way to wind down after a long work week, and catch up with one of my favorite ladies. So every Friday for the past 2 months I´ve been callin´ it a day at 8 p.m. when my last class finishes, and then callin´ up a taxi to head out into the night.
And now that the semester has come to a close, I can share with you the final round up. So without further ado, the Molexis (Molly and Alexis) Foodie Tour of Santiago!!

First up, Bené, an upscale restaurant lounge. 
The food is a bit underwhelming, but the service is good, and the atmosphere is great,  nice and chill with low lights, comfy couches in the back, groovy music and a large selection of fancy schmancy drinks and wine to keep you happy. 

We ordered the taquitos appetizer to share, and for the main course I chose a pesto pizza while Alexis went for steak with tostones. 

Second, Ristorante Trinacria.
This was a little Italian gem. We opted to sit outside and enjoy the perfect Santiago night air, but I regret not taking pictures of the interior which was decorated with funky art work in odd shapes and bright colors, adding a bit of magic to the place. Very cirque de soleil-esque. 

We were joined by the lovely Sydney on this particular night.

The menu consists of all different types of pastas and sauces, and you get to mix and match to create your favorite dish. 
I opted for the Gnocchi in Vino Rosso sauce and it was TOP NOTCH. I ate the whole thing up...hence there is no picture of the actual dish. 

Sydney went for a traditional spaghetti with tomato sauce and Alexis opted for the grilled salmon and salad. 

Take 1!

Take 2!

The dessert menu was too tempting not to try. Especially since one of the items listed was "Peach egg and chocolate sausage." What?! It had to be ordered. True to its word, we received part of a peach surrounded by whip cream and soft chocolate cookies resembling sliced sausage. 
We also ordered tiramisu, but it came out still a little frozen. 

Overall, it was a bit pricey (by Dominican standards), but the atmosphere was charming and the main courses were great. 

Our next stop: El Zócalo, a trendy little Mexican restaurant. 

We decided to sit inside since Alexis was all dolled up for a wedding later, but there is a fantastic outside patio that intersects with several other bars: very lively and a great place to people watch on a Friday night. 

Just take a look at that heartstopper: choriza and cheese dip with fresh fried tortilla chips. 

I ordered Gorditas with Chicken Molé filling. 

Alexis had a super scrumptious Pozole soup. I´d say you can´t really go wrong with anything you order here. 

Final Score: The food is delish and very authentic (the owners being from Mexico), the service is sub par, and the price is right. 

We also visited Sushi Ya and a little outdoor (literally, all the seats are located under a tent) Arabic place whose name I forget, although sadly I forgot my camera at home those two nights. Rookie mistake. Anyways, to break it down,  once I figured out that Sushi Ya delivered, they went onto my speed dial button. As far as sushi goes, its the best quality you´ll find in Santiago. (Having now burned through almost the entire menu, I can safely say, go for the yuyito roll and the elf roll, the specialty dishes are also good). As for the Arabian place, it was cute, but the portions were small and the food pricey. If you are looking for Middle Easter fare, I´d go for Shawarma King.

So there you have it folks, a tour of Santiago in food. But as with all things in life, it´s not where you are or where you go, but who you´re with that´s most important. I couldn´t have chose a better partner in crime..er...food ¡Que les aprovechen!

Ok so maybe it wasn´t quite the billionth, but it´s easily one of my favorite local spots here in Santiago. 

I mean, just look at it. It´s so darn cute-- all lit up like and twinkly like Christmas!
And see how pretty the tables!-- each with its own vase of flowers and porcelain elephant candle. 
Soft Spanish ballads drift in the background, setting the mood nicely. 
But don´t be fooled,  underneath the dainty charm is a menu that packs a seriously meaty punch.   
And the best (most dangerous) part, it´s only two blocks from my house! Just close enough for me to catch the sizzling smell of hamburgers on the breeze every once in a while, wafting through my open windows at night and calling me back.

Often times, Tío Pappy, a Canadian expat, will be out to take your order himself, so you know the service is going to be good. And if he isn´t the one taking your order, you can be sure he´ll stop by your table later to chat and make sure everything is alright, which makes for a very home-y, easy going atmosphere.  

After you place your order, he´ll be back in a few with a bowl full of mixed nuts and your drinks, so you are free to nibble and sip and chat while you wait for the main event. 

Everything on the menu is good, trust me, I know, but what Tío Pappy does best is burgers. And I´m not talking your typical grass-fed, dry Dominican burger, I´m talking a big, juicy, flavor-packed hunk of meat, dripping with gooey-cheesy goodness and all the fixins´. 

Since the grill is located inside Tio Pappy´s garage, you can go sneak a peak to watch the burgers sizzle if you´d like. 

Just look at that beauty; that´s a two-hander for sure. 

Of course, once you see the burger up close and in person, you might have second thoughts as to whether you´ll be able to finish the whole thing or not. At this point, you might considering calling out to Tio Pappy to come back with a big knife to cut the burger in two, that way you can save the other half for later.
This would be a mistake. I can tell you from personal experience (as I´ve tried this method on various occasions), you´re going to eat the whole thing. You might not think so, but you will.
 It´s that good. 

Cheers to Tío Pappy! 

If you want to check it out for yourself they are open every Wednesday through Saturday from 5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.  I don´t know the exact address- but they are located in La Zurza, on calle 16 de Agosto, 2 blocks up from Avenida Francia. Just follow your nose :)

My favorite little spot for a treat, i.e. the best mojito you'll ever taste. . 

With a lovely little patio for enjoying the warm Dominican nights and a small indoor bar area, this relaxed little joint is perfect for a casual night of good conversation. 

Plus the menu is chock full of delicious drinks and tasty "tapas". Although, do we really consider chips and taco dip a tapa? Let's be real now. (Tapas are from Spain, not Mexico). I suppose I can let that one slide though,  since it was pretty scrumptious. Plus the chef took the time to write "R" for  "la Rue" in cheese whiz on the top. Now that's what I call presentation ;)

But who are we kidding, its the Mojitos that keep us coming back! From Chinola (the crowd fave) to Frutas del Bosque (mixed berry, and my selection of choice), these syrupy sweet and tart little concoctions of fresh fruit and mint are hard to beat. And even harder not to suck down in less than 10 minutes. Be careful ladies and gents, these are too delicious to order just one! And with all the different selections, you should probably order at least two ;) 
Or even better, bring a few friends and try them all :D

Find more info here.

The name was enough to grab my attention. "Vino A Beber," in Spanish,  translates as "He/she came to drink." It already sounds like a great bar. But throw in the fact that "vino" also means "wine" and we now have a very clever play on words. One can only assume that he/she came to drink wine. So now we have a witty bar serving up wine. Could it get much better?
Well, why yes it could....check it out...

They have a room surrounded with three walls full of wine! 
Doesn't that just look like the best seat ever?!

They serve tapas! (And it a reasonable price might I add). And everyone knows nothing goes better with wine than a few tapas to munch on. 
They also serve all different styles of coffee, so if you need a little picker-upper before a long night (of wine drinking), or maybe after a long night (of wine drinking), you're covered. 

The owners of the bar are from Spain, so this place has some serious international flare. Not to mention the owners are the waiters! So you know you will be getting top-notch service. 

There's plenty of seating, in either the inside area (where you will be tempted by the walls of wine), or the outdoor patio, surrounded by twinkling lights and sultry music wafting on the warm night air. 

Which means it's perfect for bringing friend and just kicking back to relax. And if wine isn't their thing, don't worry, they also have the best beer selection in all of Santiago, with lots of imports that you simply can't find anywhere else. 

You could spend days sampling all the different types of beer. And weeks sampling all the different wine.  What's that you say? Challenge accepted!

If I fall of the grid for a couple of weeks, well, I think you'll know where to look. 
For more info check out vinoabeber.com

So you may remember that upon my arrival in the D.R., I spent my first week in a hostal called The Hub. Little did I know then that this hostal was so much more than it appeared. In fact, to me it has become a little piece of home away from home. 
You may remember that the hostal is run by Elaine and Marcos, who also happen to live right above it with their two ridiculously adorable children. 
So here´s a little background info: Elaine and Marcos head up CIEE´s Service Learning Program here in Santiago. The Service Learning Program is something I wish I had known about when I was studying in college. I truly cannot think of a more worthwhile study abroad program. The students that participate not only have to take courses at the University, but they must become involved in and organize their own community service projects, consistently volunteering in the community, interacting in Spanish, and improving the lives of everyone they meet here. 
Not only do Elaine and Marcos help orquestrate these community service projects and meaningful experiences between the students and community members, but they also have opened the doors to the bottom floor of their home to provide extremely reasonable lodging for peace corp volunteers, non-profit groups, and wayward travellers passing through the city, who are often on tight budgets. 
In addition, (I know, right, is there anything they don´t do!), they also host a non-denominational "church" service almost every Sunday. 
This service is the thing that keeps bringing me back to the Hub. It´s usually a small rag-tag bunch of whatever peace corp volunteers are lodging for the weekend and a few core Santiagueros and ex-pats. Someone volunteers to strum out a few songs on the guitar while the rest sing along. We have a moment of prayer and a short lesson or reflection period, usually prepared and presented by one of the group members in advance. Coffee is free and every last Sunday we have a potluck lunch. The whole thing is so cute and quaint that I fell in love with it immediately. But it goes far beyond just being a lovely idea. This little church service has become a safe haven for me. A place for me to center my thoughts, to connect with people, to find peace.  Amidst the whir and buzz of falling into a new culture and new way of living, this place has become the one constant in my life, somewhere I know that I can go with whatever burden I am carrying. And I know that many others feel the same. The Hub is truly a blessing for everyone who enters through its doors and a little piece of home for those of us who are so far away from our own. 

Exhibit A: Thanksgiving. The Hub opened its doors not only to the CIEE service learning students and interns, but also to any ex-pat missing home on this important holiday. Everyone was asked to bring a dish to pass and something thankful to share. Before long, the table was groaning with the weight of all the food acquired: everything from classic American mashed potatoes to Dominican pineapple pie. And somewhere between the mouthfuls of turkey and bubbling conversation something special happened: strangers, friends, and relatives all became family for one night. That´s the magic that is the Hub. 

CIEE Service-Learning Family

Marcos and Elaine had a turkey cook-off. Marcos deep fried his, Elaine went with the classic roasting method. We weren´t allowed to know who´s turkey was whose, and at the end of the meal we were forced to vote, even though they were both absolutely delicious!
The competition was tight, but Marcos scraped out a win by 1 vote.

Elaine and the Service-Learning students. Love them to pieces! Take a good look because these kids are going to change the world. 

Annie and Porscha in a tickle fight. We were told to dress "pilgrim chic" for the night. I think Porscha nailed it. 

Happy taste buds and tummies all around!

Thanksgiving dinner was Lindsay's first night at the Hub. In her regular email update to friends and family (which I was lucky enough to read)  Lindsay described her first experience with the Hubsters. She was kind enough to let me borrow an excerpt to share with you all. This is just one example of how the Hub has become a source of love and support whenever we need it most...and who am I kidding...that is all the time here. 

Joe was thankful to have someone to play with. 
P.S. This is just the most adorable picture ever. 

Cheers to the Hub!
 May God forever bless you and all who enter under your roof