Uptown Cravings: Jeannette's Pizza, Pasta and More

I was home alone last weekend and I wasn't feeling cooking lunch for myself. So instead I went out, intent to trying out the food places in my uptown neighborhood. I struck out on my first stop; King's Food and Wine was closed! Their bakery and deli were still open, but they shuttered their diner. Longtime readers would remember that I wrote about their bruschettas here. I guess now would be a good time as any to try Jeannette'a Pizza, Pasta and More at the Primavera Residences building in Pueblo Business park.

Initially I was impressed, the diner had an extensive menu for some of my favorites: pizza, pasta and breakfast! They serve breakfast all day! But for lunch I settled for lasagna, two slices of Hawaiian pizza and buko pandan for desert. They don't carry all the items on their menu though, which I learned the hard way as some of the interesting items on the menu weren't available.

The pasta was good. It was a few layers short of what I expected but it was multi-layered enough to be filling. They didn't skimp on the cheese. The price was good too. Their price range was a lot more affordable than I expected.

They were quite generous with the cheese on their lasagna.

The pizza looked appetizing and they were again generous with the cheese. Hawaiian isn't my favorite flavor but I was willing to look past that because it looked so good. But they lost me with their crust, it didn't tasted fresh, even for it being store bought.

Their hawaiian pizza looked quite goof to eat,
and this was fresh from the oven.

The dessert looked blasted with liquid nitrogen but by the time I was finished with my pasta and pizza it melted enough to be edible. Buko pandan is probably one of my favorite desserts, but looking at it as it was in its cryogenic state, it didn't look appetizing.

And here is their buko pandan fresh from cryogenic suspension.

Although I had was a mixed experience. I still would want to try their breakfast, so I'll probably come back again. Their pizza and pasta hinted of greatness and I wished I had tried them earlier when they first opened for business. But what's past is now gone and I'm looking forward to trying their potato omelet, which sounds positively perfect for breakfast.

Uptown Cravings: King's International Food and Wine Bar

The CDOmnivore blog has become lately my personal journal of my epicurean adventures around the city. I've even classified them with following headings: Snacking Around XU for my snack jaunts in and around my school and workplace; Food Adventures at Home is my commentary on my sister's culinary ambitions and experiments; and now Uptown Cravings chronicles my indulging of the various eateries that are mushrooming around my neighborhood.

Uptown pertains to the suburbs above Cagayan de Oro and known for the residential subdivisions along the soon to be misnamed Airport Road. The proper name for the road with subdivisions sprouting like mushrooms after a thunderstorm is Masterson Drive, named after the Jesuit who had the foresight to buy land which then was essentially wilderness for the future expansion of Xavier University. Now it has an SM Mall and other development that are rising one after the other. Along with the infrastructure growth, more than a few eateries and stalls are staking their claims as well. This is Uptown and this is the third phase of my epicurean adventures.

Bruschetta

I was looking for a quiet and cool place to read a new book and maybe have a light snack. I thought now would be the best time to finally try King's International Food and Wine. The eatery is located in Lorraine's Portico, just ahead of the SM Mall. I've actually wanted to try them for a while now. Their sandwiches are said to be quite tasty, but I was not in the mood for something heavy, so I had some Bruschetta instead.

Their version of the Italian antipasto is toasted bread topped with tomato salad in olive oil and basil. I loved the chewy crust of the bread. It made the appetizer something to try again on a future visit. They also have their own bakery and sell it freshly baked daily in their deli just next door of the food and wine bar. I downed all of five pieces with Strongbow cider. I got lucky with my choice of refreshments. I've been looking for quality apple cider ever since SM grocery stopped stocking cans of Schweppes from Hong Kong. It is a lot stronger than the cider I was accustomed but I liked the refreshingly bitter aftertaste of fermented apples. I guess I found my new comfort drink.

I just love the name Strongbow. Sounds like a man's man drink. 

I feel like I'd coming back here in the near future. I've yet to try their acclaimed sandwiches, and made with their freshly baked bread too. They have a nice selection of wine, beers and other drinks that it would be a crime not to come back and indulge my international cravings. It is a nice place to chill and relax.