The Must-Have Happy Hour at Picaro Restaurant

Reaching my mid-twenties, I've become so appreciative of both a good meal, and genuine friendships I've maintained over the years. With a majority of my friends well into their careers, making time for one another to share a good meal together after a long day at work is something I cherish a lot. 

Earlier this week, not only did I get to reunite with Anjuli for a belated-birthday dinner and catch-up, but she also introduced me to Picaro, right on 16th and Valencia. Someone please tell me, why haven't I been to this place sooner?

It's good to note: I was so caught up in enjoying conversation, and I didn't really capture the whole food experience in it's essence. *insert whiny face emoji here*  I did still capture some photos that I'm sure will make you crave this place for your next happy hour.

The Thirst

First off, we need to mention why this place is perfect for an after-work dinner with anyone. Daily Happy Hour from noon-7:00pm. Carafes of Sangria go for $10, and for one glass it's only $2. On Fridays and Saturdays this deal is also offered from 10:00pm to closing. That should already be enough to convince you.

TAPAS

Every table receives complimentary bread paired with their salsa brava sauce. Try not to fill yourself up on the bread before the meal! It's hard to resist.

We picked three plates: Esparragos a la Plancha (Grilled asparagus), Tortilla de Patata (Potato and onion omelet) and Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp). By we, I mean Anjuli picking her favorites since she is a Picaro veteran and has impeccable taste in good food.

Just a few of our delicious picks on the table, featuring the grilled asparagus and salsa brava that didn't make it into pictures of their own.

Tortilla de Patata (Potato and onion omelet). This is one the most popular plates and I can taste why!

Nostalgic note: when I was young, my grandma used to make me potato omelets and this dish reminded me so much of that. 

Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp) the shrimp, and the buttery sauce it's smothered in really speaks for itself.

Paella for Two, Please!

The paella plates are meant for at least two people, and being plenty for two people, it included leftovers for the both of us! They are $30, and take about a half hour to be prepared... worth the wait though.

We chose to get the lobster paella, and my mouth is watering thinking about how good it was. We squeezed the lemon wedges all over the plate, and that pretty much did it for me. I was a done deal, and I've been craving it since we went on Tuesday!

Paella de Longosta (Lobster paella) up close and personal... in all it's glory.

Between the easy accessible location, the affordable sangria, the taste of the tapas, and the paella portions, this place is an easy suggestion you can be confident when suggesting where you should eat in the Mission.

Swing Away at Billy Goat Hill

Shorty, swing my way.

A few weekends back, my adventure friend, Daniel, and I decided to hit up some of the city's best views, aka the instagram jackpot locations. Billy Goat Hill was high on that list, and we lucked out because this time the swing was there! For some odd reason, it's hard to gauge if it's there. It gets taken up and fixed pretty often. I've learned to check the instagram hashtags for the most recent photos to see if it's up.

We people-watched in between snapshots. Each group of people that passed by couldn't resist hopping on for a turn on the swing: families with young children, two college students stopping by to smoke, and saw locals taking their pups on a walk.

It's an easy place to go if you want the city view, but don't want the hike. The location is hidden in the Glen Park neighborhood, and you can park nearby so no need to worry if you aren't wearing comfy shoes.

Chill at Coachella

Coachella with my bellas

Festival life... I'm all about it. When I take time off to go to a festival, I unplug from my day-to-day life and commit to living in the present. I go in with zero expectations, other than to leave with lessons about something new... about myself or the world around me. I treat them like a modern day retreat for my soul. 

Exploring Coachella with Kamp Kawaii

For the most part, Coachella was a blast. Looking at the event from an event planner's point of view, it's a well-curated festival. Coachella is infamous for it's legendary and diverse musical lineup with food vendors that redefine what carnival food should be. It's so well put together, it's earned itself a reputation that "any body that's anybody" must go, and is one of the country's most media-covered and branded music festivals. 

Day two during it's golden hour. It made for perfect sunset vibes and good lighting. 

In the Campground

Every morning, I woke up to beautiful palm trees and desert views, and walked on lush grass that felt good on bare toes. Though we did get some pretty bad wind at night, having a little park ranger background always goes a long way in these circumstances.

One the first day, we woke up and lined up to try the beauty bar, where they styled or braided your hair any way you wanted! The line was pretty long to return to one day two, so we tried doing something else. One of my favorite moments was the detox yoga session I participated in that Saturday morning. It brought me to tears.  

Inside the Festival

As expected, almost every performance had a special guest and the Yuma tent was lit. I wish I spent more time at the Do Lab stage, but I allowed my experience to follow where my group was headed. 

Heading into the festival from camp with Abbie and Nisa.

My festie bestie, my soul sister, Abbie.

Did I make the most of my experience there? Of course, that's what it's all about. Being present. Leaving Coachella, I did gain an appreciation for attending more multi-genre music festivals, and through the lack of, it confirmed my love for festivals with a focus on community and self-growth. Time to revisit my festival bucket list!

Besame Mucho.... or same, much?