St. Mary and ArchAngel Gabriel Coptic Orthodox Church located at 309 Beauregard St. in Charleston. The parish was founded in 2015. It is part of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Pennsylvania and its affiliated regions, which includes the Charleston parish among its churches. “Coptic” refers to the ancient Christian tradition of Egypt. The Coptic Orthodox Church traces its history in Egypt back to St. Mark the Evangelist, and its liturgy, iconography, music and traditions are distinct from both Roman Catholicism and the various Eastern Orthodox churches. The Egyptian Festival is essentially their big annual open-house/cultural celebration of Egyptian heritage, with food being a major draw. The Egyptian Macarona Béchamel is essentially a baked pasta casserole. It was a ziti pasta layered with seasoned ground beef and a thick, creamy béchamel sauce, then baked until the top is golden. The béchamel makes it creamy and rich, while the beef gives it a savory layer; the browned top was the best part. Egyptian kofta is seasoned ground meat that’s formed around a skewer or into an elongated kebab and grilled. They're made with ground beef, onion, parsley and spices. It was browned, slightly charred edges and had a juicy, highly seasoned interior. The final meat entree is grilled chicken. Simple, moist and a delightfully savory seasoning.

Koshari is the vegetarian entree - rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas topped with crispy fried onions. This is probably the quintessential Egyptian street-food dish.

Sides included a simple salad and wara’ enab, which are Egyptian stuffed grape leaves. They’re grape leaves wrapped around a filling of rice seasoned with herbs, onion, tomato and spices. They’re similar to dolma at Greek or Middle Eastern restaurants, but the Egyptian version was less sour and had its own seasoning and preparation. Dessert included: Basbusa is a traditional Egyptian semolina cake made with sugar and butter, baked until golden and then soaked in a sweet syrup that gives it a moist, dense texture. The piece I tried was tender and slightly grainy from the semolina, with a buttery flavor and a sweetness that lingered without the flaky texture of baklava, while a nut on top added a little crunch. The other option was listed as baklava, but I received a sort of date roll, which was tasty.

Animae is an Asian-inspired steakhouse in downtown San Diego that combines a menu of steaks and seafood with flavors drawn from across Asia, including Filipino dishes and ingredients. Executive Chef Tara Monsod has led Animae’s kitchen since 2021, bringing a Filipino-American perspective to a menu that draws from her own culinary background. Monsod has been named a James Beard Award semifinalist three times and was a finalist for Best Chef: California in both 2024 and 2025, becoming San Diego’s first chef to reach the finalist stage in the category. The restaurant is located at the base of the Pacific Gate tower, with a dramatic dining room that leans into Art Deco-inspired design, velvet and gold accents, and a large-scale, theatrical feel. SHORT RIB KARE KARE - green beans, eggplant, peanut sauce, bagoong oil. The kare kare subs in braised short rib for oxtail and uses the pungent bagoong, a fermented shrimp paste. MANTOU -chive steamed bun, soy glaze, sour cream butter. Delish. For dessert, the Turon Tart combines caramelized brown sugar custard, jackfruit gel and banana ice cream in a take on the Filipino fried banana-and-jackfruit dessert. The custard was smooth and caramelized, with the jackfruit and banana bringing the familiar fruit flavors of turon into a much more composed dessert. Grade: A

The Jungle Drive-In is the Mid-Ohio Valley's only drive-in movie theater -- and one of the few remaining in West Virginia. I love searching out West Virginia experiences -- and while this one isn't centered aroubd food, there is definitely food involved. They have a "Jungle Snack Store" concession stand that includes pepperoni rolls from none other than The Pizza Station and popcorn from Smith Candy Co. Have you been?

Roberto’s Taco Shop is one of the classic San Diego taco-shop-style Mexican fast-food spots -- the kind of place associated with big burritos, rolled tacos, carne asada fries and open late-night/24-hours. There are multiple Roberto’s locations, and menus/prices vary somewhat by location.

The California burrito is one of the foods that really captures the overlap between San Diego’s Mexican-American taco-shop culture and California’s fast-food culture: carne asada, a flour tortilla and Mexican flavors combined with something decidedly American—French fries.

At Roberto’s, the basic version is simple: Carne asada + French fries + cheese + flour tortilla. The combination of salty, savory, charred beef with a soft/starchy fry is made even better with melted cheese - all wrapped in a giant flour tortilla. Dipping it in a salsa adds a punch of flavor. I wouldn't mind some more inside.

Grade: B

There are so many incredible restaurants in San Diego and so little time. So, I got this one delivered to me at the hotel.

Meet Dumpling is a tiny, family-run Northern Chinese dumpling shop in Point Loma, at 2907 Shelter Island Drive. It opened in 2023 and was specifically highlighted by Eater San Diego for its handmade dumplings, which the owner's mother-in-law makes.

The menu is focused on boiled Northern Chinese dumpling, and I went with the "Green Chive w. Shrimp & Pork Dumplings."

That filling is savory pork, sweet/briny shrimp, and the fresh, slightly garlicky chive flavor. And the noodle is so silky and delicate. It's exactly why pasta is one of my favorite foods.

Grade: A