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Tagaytay’s best kept secrets
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: -
Date: 2007-07-30
 
Because Baguio and Boracay are time and treasure away from Metro Manila habitues, this picturesque city in Cavite is the best alternative. Considered the country’s second summer capital, Tagaytay is just an hour drive from Manila via the South Superhighway or Coastal Road.


Its premiere attraction is the crisp and cool climate, a boon by its location of 2,500 feet above sea level. Next is the haven of restaurants, lodges, inns and hotels where one can make up for wanton days fastfoods and instant meals. There is a mélange of places to choose: from the glitzy golf course members – only enclave, to the tiendesitas along the church patios.

But standing out from these are two relatively newbies in the playing field of the dining food. Along the Tagaytay National Road, a stone’s throw from the newly constructed Lourdes Church, unassumingly stands two family-oriented sanctuaries: Carlo’s Pizza and Mile Hi Diners both located at One Destination. Both have a breathtaking view of the famous Taal Lake and Volcano.


MEDITERRANEAN

Carlos’ Pizza is as refreshing as a Mediterranean summer. One of four branches in the country (others are at Camp John Hay, SM Baguio, BF Homes-Parañaque and soon at SM Mall of Asia), it serves authentic Italian pizza, along with pasta and rice meals.

Behind its marble-topped counters, the crew in their smart white chef uniforms, whip up dough the traditional way, using extra virgin olive oil to give their pizza such aroma and taste, distinct to Carlo’s Pizza.

There are 17 pizza varieties to choose from, sure to raise eyebrows in Naples, where it is believed there are only two kinds: the Margherita, named after their queen, resembling the Italian flag with mozzarella, basil and pomodoro tomatoes, and the Marinara, so named because this was what the fishermen ate when they returned home from their fishing trips in the Bay of Naples.

The special Capriccioso, has almost everything on it: pepperoni, salameti, ham, Italian sausage, bacon and vegetables. For those adventurous palates, there is the Double Deal – two different flavors in one pizza. Ergo, one can have half Abruzzi (meat lovers pizza) and half Sardinia (sardines with black olives) and enjoy the best of both worlds.

Standing out as ingredients in its entrees are the fresh vegetables toppings and side dishes, and the cold cuts piquantly smoked and flavored with just the right amount of spices and herbs. One can almost see the cerulean waters of the Mediterranean sea while savoring its pizza, pasta, and rice dishes.


MASSACHUSETTS

The second is Mile Hi, an American-style diner which also has a branch at Camp John Hay in Baguio. Configured like one of America’s most recognized icons, the diner, serves flame-grilled burgers, Buffalo chicken, babyback ribs, steak, fries, freshly brewed coffee, tea and juices that reminds the taste buds of New England summers, particularly in Massachusetts, where the predecessor to the diner began Samuel Messer Jones created the first distinctive lunch wagon.

A bestseller is the delicious Baguio longganisa for breakfast with free freshly-brewed coffee and salad.

From horse-drawn covered wagons that sold sandwiches and coffee, the diner begun to appear in many New England towns and cities during the late 1800’s. The lunch wagons became very popular because workers and pedestrians could purchase inexpensive meals during the day but especially at night when most restaurants closed by 8 p.m.

After World War II, the diners evolved into eateries styled like the dining cars of trains, but the food and the down-home style it served remained basically the same. It became synonymous with from all walks of life and origin shared a home-cooked meal in a small and comforting ambiance.

At Mile Hi, a new dimension is included in the all-American package; the bed and breakfast. Below the street level, the inn offers three rooms where tired souls could imbibe the balmy Tagaytay air for a full night’s rest. Everything is spic and span here, nothing fancy or glitzy, but comfortable and cozy.
 

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