Philippe Lazaro
OCTOBER 2016

Notes from Quebec

Kouign Amman

One of my favorite bakery finds over the past year was this little bakery on Avenue Mont-Royal. 

Of course the thing to get is the treat that lends the bakery its name, the kouign amman- a flaky cake with a hard shell and soft interior hailing from Brittany. If you want to get a slice to enjoy, don’t make the same mistake I did and order the ‘small/petit’– that would get you a small cake, which is still a rather large thing to eat in one sitting. Then again, there are many worse mistakes one could make. 

The other heads up is that there’s only seating for two or maybe three groups, so maybe plan on picking up something to enjoy on a picnic.

2025: The Good Times

Turning the calendar page slowly.

2025 was an understated year. Fewer trips, smaller adventures, lots of recharging from the chaos of years prior. Before I might’ve considered that a boring year, but it was actually really restful and made me much more appreciative of the life, the people, the work, and the fun times I have in front of me.

Here’s a highlight reel of some creative work, family moments and milestones.

Sou Khuan

“Bad is swept out, good is swept in”

“Hai Kuard Nnee, Dee Kuard Kao"

Sou khuan means "calling of the soul" and refers to a Lao ritual, also called the Baci ceremony, that welcomes, blesses, and binds a person's spirit to their body for good fortune, health, and harmony. This is often performed at major life events like weddings, births, etc. It's rooted in the belief that humans have 32 spirits that can wander, so the ceremony calls them back to ensure well-being.

Welcome 2026

Oh hi, 2026!

Friends, I love all your reflective social posts at the turn of the year. Feels like a slightly deeper look at your selves than typically hits the feed, and I’m for it!

Last year was an extended recharge from the year before. Much needed and much appreciated. I have a feeling 2026 will be a bit more lively, with some exciting trips starting to take shape and all the kids entering school-school.

If I get the treat of being an old guy with decades and decades to look back on some day, I imagine these days would be some of the ones I get most nostalgic about. The years while the kids are young, but old enough to explore. The years when we had so many places to go.

Here’s to living freely & generously.

2025 Classic

2025 wasn’t really about shiny new things. It was a pretty slow and quiet year in terms of travel, speaking, and other creative pursuits. The end of 2024 was such a handful that I started out in hibernation mode and sort of let that ride through the whole year.

This past year was instead more about falling more and more in love with things that have been part of our lives for a while. I appreciate working at Plant With Purpose more than ever before. Community via improv and church and other things. The kids making a full exit from toddlerhood into just being little kids. To that effect, it was a fitting time to celebrate a tenth anniversary of being married to Deanna with a visit to New Zealand.

The year wasn’t without its challenges, some of which were very loud. But it brought so many reminders of the importance of recognizing a good moment while you’re in it. There were plenty of moments like that.

Recharging: The Wins and Losses of 2025

It’s my end-of-year time to be all reflectey. It’s been a year! In the macro-sense it’s been a pretty difficult year for people the world over. In a micro-sense, it’s also been a challenging year. The day-in day-out demands of three young children and such. But in those in-between spaces, there was a whole lot of good that went on.

In many ways, this was my year to recharge. While 2024 was one of the most fun years of my life, it was also exhausting… particularly at the end.

I started 2025 wanting to take things slow and easy. Travel was light. While 2024 was one of my most traveled years, I spent most of the early months of this year at home. My few trips in those early months were short and easy.

It took a while, but my normal appetite for activity and adventure came back around. I made it to New Zealand and Ecuador as highlights of what remained a lighter travel year. Things picked up in other ways, like improv, parenthood, and art.

We’re ending on a high note with a wonderful holiday season. Here’s looking back on a kinda hard, kinda good, pretty weird year.

L: Recovering from 2024

I didn’t notice how chaotic and challenging the last few months of 2024 were. Not until the calendar flipped over to a new year.

In September 2024, I went to Kenya to run in a marathon. It was the last big adventure of a year full of them. But I came home to a whirlwind of reality checks.

My oldest kid started Pre-K, which was a big change to our schedules and routines. A welcome one, for the most part, but it also meant the introduction to a brand new germ pool. Deanna got sicker than she’d been for a long time, and for quite a while. I tried stepping in as much as I could. I wanted to cover every aspect of taking care of the kids as much as I could on my own. Of course they kept circulating whatever viruses that were in the exchange. There was no avoiding getting hit by that proverbial bus.

Amidst all that came some sudden shifts in the sociopolitical sphere. I didn’t have much capacity to engage with all that. Instead I focused on what I could impact- packing lunchboxes and bathing children. It made me think of that Mother Theresa-ism: if you want to change the world, go home and love your family.

I sure would like the world to change in a few ways, so I hope she’s right.

W: Health

The health episodes at the end of last year were a bit of a nightmare. I’m happy to report that 2025 was its exact opposite. It might have been Deanna’s healthiest year since I’ve known her. She made a thorough comeback. That isn’t something you can take for granted when chronic illness is a factor. She went almost the entire year without getting sick. When a cold came our way in early December, she managed to fend it off fast. In some ways that’s even more encouraging than a perfect illness-free year.

Unfortunately for me, I got sick more in the early part of the year than I can remember. At least three different rounds. I do have a tendency to throw myself between her and the kids when I sense some sort of infection brewing. I'm thankful my baseline health is pretty solid. 

I’ve tried maintaining my marathon shape as much as possible over the year. While I was happy to cut back on total time spent running, I managed to make long runs a part of the routine. I am starting to exit the low-maintainance years of my health. While I’m thankful to have no major concerns, I’m aware that being a little proactive can pay off big not far down the road.

L: A financial tough one

There’s no way around it, 2025 was a pretty rough financial year. Most of that came in the form of unexpected expenses. Unexpected house repairs. Unexpected teeth repairs. Unexpected plumber calls… it seemed to be nonstop for much of the year. It doesn’t help that our daycare tuition costs are at an all time high.

Of course, I know I’m still pretty privileged to have the cushion for this. Not to mention, to still have a rather stable job in a sector that saw a lot of positions cut. It wasn’t exactly the best time to be taking so many financial hits. So much macro-level uncertainty, but I’m thankful to be able to take it one day at a time.

The upside is that we have a lot of prospects for 2026 to be a better year in this area. In August, we’ll be off the hook from daycare. That will be a massive relief. And at the end of the year, we’ll have a car paid off. We’ll see where things go from there.

W: Clarity

I’m a planner when it comes to finances, but the unexpected mishaps have helped give me a nudge to think. I've reconsidered what I would actually want my relationship with money to be like. I don’t have the drive towards wealth-building that many do. I’m not trying to say that to talk myself up. I’ve seen enough people do great things with their resources that they built. But I know myself well enough to know my way of serving the world will look different. For the most part, I want enough to live free and generous. I don't want to be so mentally occupied with financial matters.

L: The reality of aging family members

A couple of months ago, we had to say goodbye to my mom’s oldest sister. There was sadness, mixed with relief. Her time with stomach cancer was an uncomfortable one.

That side of my family's blessed with some longevity, and at the age of 86, she was no exception. This side is also where I’ve inherited my Peter Pan complex, so nobody acts their age. This makes it a big wake up call during those moments when we realize that everybody’s gotten older.

My mom turned 70 this year, and she’s the second youngest of her siblings. Up until her sister passed, they all survived into this stage of life. It’s nothing short of amazing when you have that many siblings and can go that long without having to say goodbye. Of course, it’ll be sad when it happens, no matter how long you can put it off. It’s made me treasure my time with my mom and with all my relatives in their golden years. 

I have aunts in their 80s and 90s in particular. This year, I’ve made it a monthly habit to drive up to LA with one of my kids for another visit. It’s not the easiest thing to manage in my schedule, but I know I’ll never regret this effort.

W: Great trips with my kids

We do a lot of 1-on-1 trips in our family. We love to travel, but as a family of five, it’s a decent way to save money. It also allows for quality time with each other outside of our routine chaos. I have my kids on a rotation for these trips so that each year, a different kid gets a special adventure with dad. On the fourth year Deanna and I figure out how to slip away for a bit. 2025 was a bit different, as I managed a trip with each of them.

How this happened during a year I was aiming for lighter travel, I’m not sure. The destinations were fairly easy ones. Kai was my first companion. In March, we went to Arizona together to watch some Spring Training games. In April, Rhys was on Spring Break, so he and I headed to Philadelphia for the week. Juniper had the furthest destination. We went together to Quebec and had a great time in Montréal and the gorgeous Quebec City.

And I even got my trip with Deanna! A grown-up exclusive trip, thanks to our moms taking care of the kids for a week. We did so to celebrate our 10th anniversary and went big. We headed all the way over to New Zealand… about as far as we could think to go! That was a good week. Both 10 years of marriage and getting our kids to this point where we can leave them with grandmothers. Those are reasons to celebrate!

L: The state of things 

At least to many, this will feel like stating the obvious. This was a pretty harsh year for so many of the issues I care about.

Refugees fleeing conflict. Climate. Racial justice. People around the world struggling with poverty. Man, this year will get remembered for its cruelty. I keep my stubborn belief and insistence that good comes out on top. Hope is even more meaningful during the times that it is being challenged.

I’m also convinced that when you aren’t completely sure how to make things better, the important thing to show up. Find your people and keep showing up. It won’t always be like this and we actually do have a hand in what comes next.

W: Knowing how good we have it right now

While I'm aware of the world's challenges, I'm also aware of how good we have it right now. What an awkward paradox.

This especially felt true to me during the holidays when I did the math. Based on when Christmas tends to be the most magical, we’re currently in our golden era. Peak Christmases. And while I’ll always enjoy the season, we only have a handful of years while the kids are this young. It’s so freaking good at this stage.

That moved me to slow things down in some ways, and in other ways to go all out. I participated in a Christmas musical. I made sure we did all our usual activities- from the neighborhood lights walk to the tree farm. I like to be the one crafting an experience and I love doing that for my kids.

Beyond that, I’m also realizing that the years of my life where I’m striving for the next thing are about over. I’ve spend so much time in school, at work, trying to become something. To have the job, the family life, the capacity I do now. Now that I’m there, I want to live out of that . Living from it rather than living for it. That often looks like remembering how good it is.

2025 Gratitude

​​2025 was a weird one. It had some very low lows, and some very loud lows. But man, there were highs too. Parts too good to look away from. Parts that remind you that it's worth it to face the hard parts and to help others through theirs. Some of the things you end up encountering are just so good. Anyways, here's my year in review and my stubborn insistence on cramming in a clip from every day of this year, minus the last week.

Christmas 2025

With the kids clocking in at 4, 4, & 6, I’m fully aware that my Christmases are in their Golden Era. If Lazaro Christmases are the Chicago Bulls, it’s 1991-1998… though hopefully without so long or a come down.

I’ve always been pretty Christmascore, but that little bit of awareness is a bonus nudge to really soak it in. This year, that meant playing in a Severance themed Christmas Musical, taking the Holiday Express Train, the family unintentionally booking a whole restaurant for Christmas Eve, and a proper Jolabokflod.

Going Christmaximalist isn’t for everybody, but I deeply enjoyed it this year.

What to See, Eat, and Do in Montréal

I've always seen Montréal as an undeniably cool city. As the populated core of Quebec, it somehow manages to be simultaneously gritty and fancy. There’s no shortage of good eats, connections to personalities like Jackie Robinson and Leonard Cohen, and lots of different neighborhoods to explore. Montréal somehow manages to have it both ways, with plenty of green spaces interwoven throughout the big city.

Why Montréal?

Here are a few other reasons why it’s hard to do wrong with a Montréal visit.

A portal to a taste of Europe. If you want the feel of Europe but don’t have the time, energy, or desire to book it across an ocean, Quebec will probably be one of your better options. While this is probably truer of Quebec City and its resemblance to Hogsmeade, you’ll catch that feel around Montréal.

Despite how *different* Montréal might feel at times, it’s actually also very accessible. Many major airlines around North America or Western Europe can get you right to the Pierre Trudeau Airport. I’m all the way in San Diego–a city with very few ties to Quebec–and yet there’s a twice-weekly Air Canada jaunt that takes under five hours. For anyone in the Northeast… especially New England, it’s not a bad road trip at all.

Montréal’s got a very strong creative scene, so it’s not unusual for people to visit with something artsy in mind. Whether that’s indie music, street art, theatre, or any other creative outlet, it’s probably got a scene around town.

You’ll find plenty of good stuff to eat around town. Of course poutine is the crowd pleaser, and Montréal’s most iconic restaurant remains Schwartz’s Deli, but there are plenty of independent restaurants around town to keep exploring. It’s a great spot to discover some French baked goods and Asian fusion dishes.

This might not apply to people with an especially strong distaste for the cold, but I find Montréal to be a great winter destination. It at least has a lot of charm and some of its best spots have a cozy atmosphere. If you want a milder taste of that, consider the fall at least. Plus there will be good leaf peeping.

Where to Stay

Accommodations can be a bit on the tricky side in Montréal, as the closer to city centre you get, the more expensive the nights, the smaller the space, and the more limitations there are on how you can get in. You can always stay somewhere on the southern or western end of Parc Mont Royal or near the airport to save money and use a rideshare to get into town. But there won’t be quite as much personality there.

That said, here are a few options for you to consider, especially if location is a consideration:

Hôtel Château de l’Argoat (Quartier Latin)

People seem to love their stays at Château de l’Argoat. Rooms are fairly spacious, and wile the accommodations are older, they’re well maintained and have a bit of a vintage feel. The location is great, keeping you a walking distance from all the iconic stuff on Boulevard Saint-Laurent and just outside the Sherbrooke Metro Station. Lots of bang for the buck.

Château Versailles Hotel (Downtown Montréal)

Located in South Downtown just outside Concordia University. It gives you pretty decent rates for the size and comfort level, and it’s in a good location near some of Montréal’s most interesting restaurants. It is an older hotel, so anticipate some inconveniences around the lack of elevators or ramps.

Hotel Le Saint-André (Downtown Montréal)

The pros-and-cons of this place are very pronounced. The pros are mostly around value and location. It’s hard to find a better price for a spot anywhere in this part of the city. And the rooms and accommodations aren’t bad. The cons however include the fact that the immediate location can be a bit dodgy, combined with the lack of parking. We wound up parking far enough away that we had to rideshare to the hotel. mk

My Top Three

1) Do a DIY walking tour of Montréal’s Graffiti Alley

“Graffiti Alley” is more of a concept in Montréal than an actual designated area like you’d find in Toronto. That said, Montréal is still home to an incredible collection of street art. A walk up Rue Saint Laurent is the perfect spot to catch some newer graffiti piece closer to street level and some iconic works of street art too. A bonus is that this walk takes you right by Schwartz’s Deli. Next door is Coco Rico, a solid Portuguese Restaurant in its own right. Coco Rico’s side wall features my favorite mural– one of Jackie Robinson in a Montreal Royal’s uni.

2) Explore the Montréal Biome

Its a semi-indoor zoo featuring three distinct biome zones. And it’s right by the old Olympic Stadium. Like somebody decided Zootopia should be set up right by the home of the old Montréal Expos. It’s a great spot to wander around for a bit, and if you’re doing a visit with kids, it’s one spot you should have on your list.

3) Walk up and down Rue Saint Denis

This pedestrian street has such a high concentration of my favorite restaurants and little shops around town. It’ll have everything from a pair of my favorite bakeries (more on Kouing Amann in a moment!) to some vintage shops stocked with a few impressive throwbacks.

Essential Eating Experiences

Smoked meat, of course!

It’s probably Montréal’s most iconic food item, other than the bagel. Let’s be real, though, as good as those bagels can be, the proper smoked meat sandwich on rye with mustard is just so much more interesting. The search for a proper viande fumee will take you to Montréal’s most iconic eatery…

Schwartz’s Deli

One visit to Schwartz’s Deli and you’ll immediately get it… this place is a local staple. It has a line that usually wraps around the block, but the staff is impressively good at getting everyone through in timely fashion. It’ll be packed, so prepare to share dining space with some strangers. The wall decor will reinforce how popular the place is, having welcomed famous visitors ranging from Hallie Berry to Hank Aaron.

TIP: The classic way to enjoy the smoked meat on rye is with a cherry coke. You should take that suggestion. For some reason the cherry coke flavor hits harder this way.

Schwartz’s Alternatives

Schwartz’s is popular, and deserves its acclaim in my opinion. But the smoked meat sandwich transcends a single eatery. If you were local, there’s no way you’re pulling up to Schwartz’s every day. If you’re looking for some less crowded, less frenzied spots to enjoy the Montréal classic. Lester’s is a local legend with generous portions. Main Deli also gets a lot of love. Dunn’s Deli on Metcalfe offers a hand-carved touch.

Schwartz’s Neighbor

Right next to Schwartz’s you’ll find Coco Rico, a Portuguese rotisserie with some fantastic peri peri that you can get with a side of poutine. It's a counter style service.

Discover some truly unique Asian Eats

Montréal has seen several different waves of Asian immigration, including a Chinese influx in the 1970s. Many migrant restaurateurs discovered that bold Sichuan spices were often a bit much for Quebecois customers unaccustomed to the heat. This resulted in some dish adaptations and new creations in Chinatown’s restaurant scene.

Sammi et Soupe Dumpilng

Sammi et Soupe Dumpling has several locations around Central Montréal and each are a delight. They’re also a great opportunity to taste Montréal’s peanut butter dumpling. In the scenario described above, the chefs at Le Piment Rouge (which only closed down recently) decided to tame their chilis with peanut butter. The result was good enough that it spread to different eateries around the area.

Neotokyo

Neotokyo bills itself as a ramen restaurant, but its got a lot more than that going on. The mazeboba is one of the better items, as is the salmon mazemen. The interior is pretty cool, coming across as a late night in Tokyo street scene.

Catch bakery bliss over on Rue Saint Denis
Kouing Amman

I was introduced to the Kouign Amman by someone saying “it’s basically like a croissant, but like, flakes on flakes!” I think that description could’ve been a bit better, but it is a fluffy, flaky treat with a little bit of a syrupy coating to add some crisp. The treat originated in Brittany, France but can be found at a tiny bakery that shares its name in Montréal. I ordered a petit, and still got a full cake sized treat. If you want something more doable in one sitting, make sure to order a slice.

Boulangerie Le Toledo

This is a large bakery with cozy seating and a very wide variety of baked goods. If Kouign Amman is a baker specialist, then Boulangerie Le Toledo nails being a generalist. Lots of different options, a good energy, and some great coffee and drink options to go along with them.

And a few other favorites…
Café Camas Social

This is one of my top recommendations if you’re in need of a coffee shop workstation. Café Camas Social is a inviting, warm, but not too loud. It has a laid back atmosphere and a great dirty chai.

Hoche Glace

Hoche Glacé is the most impressive dairy-free ice cream offering I’ve come across. The whole slate of flavors is hand-made and crafted right on site. I’ve never been a big sorbet or fruity ice cream fan, but they absolutely nailed it.

Portugalia

Portugalia is another great Portuguese option in Montréal, also specializing in grilled chicken. Montréal’s Portuguese options come in strong at every turn.

A few other favorites

Joie de Livres

I’m a big fan of Joie de Livres– a bookstore/café/bar in Montreal’s Mile End area. They pride themselves on bilingual offerings of guilty pleasures, including romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. If you enjoy simply bookstore lurking, this is a great opportunity.

Parc Mont Royal

When you simply look at a map of Montréal, you’ll note how Parc Mont Royal seems to be the epicenter of the city. It really is an impressive park. The elevation provides plenty of amazing viewpoints all around and the trees are inviting. Even as a visitor, clearing out an afternoon to hang out in the park isn’t a bad idea.

Parc Jean-Drapeau

Another park recommendation! The Jardins des Floralies is absolutely photogenic, especially with some recently added floral sculpts. The one caveat I’d have to give to this place is that it can be difficult to navigate around to a proper parking slot.

Crew Collective & Café

If you can navigate your way into one of the busiest spots in all of Montréal, just a couple blocks over from Notre Dame, be prepared for the most gorgeous coffee shop experience. Crew Collective & Café is built into a converted old bank with high ceilings and a cathedral like atmosphere. The setting is the main draw, but the pistachio latte and matcha are both highly recommended.


Achraf Hakimi

"I dreamt of becoming a footballer and I believed in myself, but I let it go; I just played football for the sake of joy, and if it was meant for me to become a professional footballer then it would happen."

-Achraf Hakimi

Been excited to see the Africa Cup of Nations get underway in Morocco. It’s been one of my favorite football tournaments for ages and the fan culture around Africa’s national teams is a blast. Feels like AFCON’s getting more attention this year, but maybe my algo is just more aware of how much I’m about that content.

Iceland, 1975

2025 marks the 50 year anniversary of Kvennafrídagurinn– Iceland’s largest protest. About 90% of women in Iceland took the day off of both formal work and household labor. It called out a lack of representation (only 5% of parliament) and a wage gap (60% below male counterparts, at the time).

The protest brought society to a halt. Dads started bringing their kids to work, grocery stores sold out of sausages (a quick-cook meal) and more significantly Iceland passed equal pay and representation laws the following year, and has since typically scored among the highest when it comes to gender equity.

Rage Against the Unboxing Children

Whenever parents of young kids talk about how they handle the matter of screen time, it’s a really good opportunity to practice that whole Walt Whitman X Ted Lasso thing of being curious not judgemental.

I say this as I’m about to dive into something that’s one of the few regrets I have in my parenting journey a few years in.

Letting my guard down with YouTube.

I’m pretty thankful that as far as regrets go this is a minimal one, and it’s nothing extreme like having a five year old radicalized by some be-a-real-man weirdo with a vlog. It’s simply the fact that YouTube led to the introduction of my absolute least favorite programming my kids have seen.

Let me start by saying that YouTube became a tool not because of carelessness, but because we’re pretty intentional about what the kids get introduced to. At first, the opportunity to introduce *some culture* in the form of Tagalog nursery seemed like a good option over Cocomelon.

As the years went on, YouTube became the vehicle through which I introduced the kids to Moomin, and it’s hard to think of gentler, cuddlier content than that.

Pokémon is available on Netflix… until it isn’t. Right when the story hits the point where Pokemon: The First Movie was released, the episodes stop. The Official Pokemon Channel on YouTube can pick it up from there, and so if you want to keep up with Ash & Misty, that’s where you’ve got to go.

(Not Brock. The devout Pokémon fans will remember that during this story arc, Brock hangs back in Pallet Town with Ash’s mom for some reason.)

Anyways, so far so good. YouTube’s been a good tool to make deliberate introductions to some of the best things 90s animation had to offer.

Here’s where it starts to go sideways.

In preschool, we had a pretty big monster truck phase. The future ambition was to be a monster truck driver and all that. And so we loved Hot Wheels. And we got requests for Hot Wheels music videos and the animated series they made.

Not the highest value educational stuff, but also not terrible.

Until the algorithm starts to algorithm.

First you watch a few short episodes that the folks at Mattel actually produced out of one of their top franchises. They’re silly and fun enough. But the shows straddle the line between content and commercial. The thumbnails of the episodes don’t look terribly different from the thumbnails of video reviews. Unboxing. That sort of thing.

And that led to my least favorite bit of programming my kids have taken a liking to.

I don’t want to do an actual name drop, because I have no interest in either promoting the thing or making life worse for the kid behind it. I’m just gonna use the alias KidPlayz to refer to this channel.

KidPlayz is this child somewhere in the midwest. He’s apparently been online for some time because in some videos he appears about 5 or 6 and in others he may be 10 or 11. Anyways, this kid has an absurd amount of toys.

His channel is pretty much an unboxing channel. Most of his videos feature him testing out a new toy and assimilating it into his collection. His very massive collection. Of course, since his channel is a thinly veiled commercial for all these products, he and his family receive these shipments for free, creating this expectation from his young audience that it’s normal to have access to every toy in the world all at once.

A fairly large portion of his videos are product testing Hot Wheels cars and trucks by building racetracks for them. I didn’t mind this too much. Building racetracks has an element of creativity and science to it. I wish he was building them for a normal amount of vehicles and not the entire Marvel X Hot Wheels limited edition set, but hey.

I tried to be generous in finding the positives of this channel.

The kid does engage in some creative, imagined play… then again, if your kid ends up playing the exact same way he does rather than coming up with their own way, we might have to deduct some creativity points.

He does seem to have a present father who does this with him… but it’s also creepy that you mostly see the dad as an off-screen voice and never on camera. Is the guy unwilling to do what he’s making his kid do?

Ultimately, my issue was with the coached consumerism. The normalization of having a gluttony of playthings. And the constant hyping up of one product to then move on to the next one.

As much as I hated it… one of my kids loved it.

At first I thought his interest would die down and then move on to other things, as it goes with kids. And that happened. But then KidPlayz cycled back.

Still, I decided to take a cautious approach. We classified certain shows as “loud shows,” the things that I thought teetered on brainrot, and other shows as “calm shows,” things with an actual plot. That allowed us to whittle down time with KidPlayz. There were a couple more times I thought the interest was done, but then, it roared back up like a plumbing issue you were hoping would just “go away.”

As a parent, I’d rather not outright ban something my kid loves unless I clearly have to. A lot of times, you clearly have to. But the cost for using your parent power to strictly outlaw something is that it creates a mystique around that thing. I know. As a kid growing up in conservative church circles… I saw a lot of things with some pretty good mystique.

Maybe I could use tech against itself? Believe it or not, YouTube doesn’t let you block a single channel. Well… maybe that’s easy to believe. It allows that on YouTube Kids, but I’ll be honest, I don’t like YouTube kids. It quickly puts them on track to be served brainrot for kids, and I’d rather their recommendations be cut with all my workout vids and random travel vlogs.

I tried to retrain the algorithm. But unboxing channels and brainrot channels are like a hydra. You block one and another like it quickly takes its spot in the algorithm.

There are some absolutely terrible channels for kids that are mostly slapstick videos starring kids who seem forced into it by their parents. One of the downsides to technology enabling anyone to have a show is that… some people really shouldn’t have a show. And those people definitely shouldn’t be turning their children into entertainers for other children.

(As a side note, if you’re not already aware of all the drama that’s surrounded Ryan’s World- a popular kid unboxing toys channel from the mid 2010s… oh boy. The kid is now entering his teenage years and some of the late stage videos he seemed pretty painful.)

Anyways. Seasons changed. My kid went from one interest to another. Mario became the Ninja Turtles became Minecraft.

And then I was caught off guard when out of the blue I got another request to watch KidPlayz.

I was amazed. And not in a good way. KidPlayz had been a scourge of screentime to me for a couple years now… a kid being interested in a show for more than two years is like the Simpsons being on the air for nearly 40.

Anyways, when it became clear KidPlayz might be in our lives forever and ever if we didn’t allow it, I had to resort to some drastic measures: talking it out like a proper grown up.

It wasn’t exactly easy to package concepts like consumerism and materialism in a way that a five year old could grasp, but eventually we got to things like: things are good, but too many things can make it hard to enjoy or take care of our things the way they deserve. And they might make us so focused on things that we forget stuff that’s more important, like people.

Thankfully, I have a kid who has some pretty solid emotional intelligence. He said plainly, “yeah, I like watching KidPlayz cause I get so jealous.”

“Well then there’s that too!”

I explained how sometimes when kids make shows out of themselves playing, sometimes it becomes more like work than play. I noted that I was actually a bit worried about the Kid in KidPlayz.

I don’t know if I nailed this, to be honest. Screentime itself is a complicated topic. Sometimes I admire the parents who don’t let their kids watch anything not narrated by David Attenborough, then I remember, I watched Season One of The Pitt in less than a week. What kind of hypocrite would I be to be a purist against screen time?

I will say… I haven’t been asked to put on KidPlayz in a long, long time. Not since our conversation. Way better than a block button.

Kyle Schwarber

“Mr. Kyle Schwarber. I’ve been waiting all day to say this to you: Hello.”
–Barbara Howard, Abbott Elementary

Kyle Schwarber coming back to the Phillies is a clear win-win. People are worried about how old this core of Harper-Turner-Schwarber is gonna be at the end of the contracts in 2030, but you can’t hamstring 2025 out of that worry. No Schwarber averages out to missing out on almost a run a game. And you can’t do that more efficiently than you can with a 40+ homer threat.

14 Must-Try Items in Portugal

...and where to find them in Porto

Portuguese cuisine often flies under the radar. Its coastal position places more of an emphasis on seafood, while spices and oils punch up the flavor of hearty meats. On top of that, iconic sweets and wines add treats to every meal.

About a year ago, I got to spend a good chunk of time in Porto, enjoying every item on this list. This includes a three-a-day routine when it came to pastel de nata. 

I decided to curate a little list of the things you’ve got to try while in Portugal. Naturally my suggestions for where to find these goodies will be anchored in the Porto area. While Portuguese cuisine does have some strong regional tendencies, I can’t think of any reason why this same selection wouldn’t apply to other hubs where you might find yourself.

1 Francesinha

The Francesinha is an iconic Porto item… and it is heavy! It’s a sandwich stuffed with meats (steak, ham, sausage), then drenched in a rich tomato-beer sauce. It might be further topped with melted cheese and maybe a fried egg. Jokingly, I’ve made plans with a friend to open up a Philly-Portuguese fusion restaurant and to try and francesinha a cheesesteak. It’s true comfort food, Portuguese style.

I had one almost upon landing–at a nondescript café just outside the airport. The best one I wound up trying was at the Mercado Bom Sucesso food court. Café Santiago is widely seen as the iconic spot for the sandwich, but if you want something that feels a bit more like a well kept secret, head to O Golfinho.

2 Bacalhau à Brás

Salted cod is a national obsession in Portugal. Salty fish, sharp onions, hearty potatoes, and scrambled eggs. I’ll be honest, this isn’t always my favorite dish, but it’s a Portuguese essential. When it’s done right, I find it really satisfying.

This version mixes it with onions, matchstick-potatoes, and scrambled eggs for a creamy, comforting, savory-rich dish. It’s Portuguese soul food. Culto ao Bacalhau provides a cod-focused experience near Bolhão Market.

3 Bolinhos de Bacalhau

I wasn’t kidding when I said Portugal sure loves their salted cod. This iteration takes a fritter approach to it. These fried cod cakes are crispy outside, soft inside, salty and herby. It probably works best as a side or appetizer.

The Casa Portuguesa near the Mercado Bacalhau has them widely available and they’re probably some of the best you’ll find around town.

4 Polvo à Lagareiro

If you’re in Iberia, you’re gonna encounter quite a bit of octopus. Every market, every grocer. Polvo. I appreciate a well prepared octopus. This version has it roasted till almost smoky, drenched in olive oil and garlic. Rustic, simple, and so Atlantic.

This is a good dish to anchor a proper seafood tasca experience. It’s also a good option for getting a nicer dinner out along the Douro. Terreiro offers the roast octopus with a side of stunning Douro River views and serves a signature seared octopus dish.

5 Sardinhas Assadas

I’m surprised I made it as far as item number five before getting to sardines. Portugal sure loves canning its fish! Salt, char, maybe a squeeze of lemon - grilled sardines in season are fresh Atlantic bliss, summery, salty and smoky. Loved by locals since forever.

I don’t think I’d actually recommend going out for sardines. They’re tinned and meant to be portable! You can find some great artisan sardines at one of Porto’s many marketplaces.

6 Caldo Verde

Does every culture have its own cozy, feel-good soup? Portugal sure does! Comforting, simple, hearty. It’s a green soup with kale, potatoes, chouriço. You’ll find it on many casual menus throughout Porto.

Caldo Verde is a very hearty homestyle offering, so I recommend a spot like Cana Verde which manages to capture that vibe despite being a short walk from the Sao Bento station.

7 Bifana

Bifana is a sandwich that reminds me a little bit of milanesa. Garlicky, spiced pork slices stuffed in a bun. Imagine the pounded steak of a milanesa swapped out for a thin spiced pork cutlet, then put on a much fluffier bread roll. It’s a good sandwich alternative when you want something a little less wet than the francesinha.

The most frequently recommended Bifana spot is Conga… and they’re right! The location is convenient, walkable from the Trindade station.

8 Pastel de Nata

I’ve done a deep dive into pastel de nata… the sweet, flaky, creamy treat invented by monks ages ago and still going strong. Had dozens over the course of my three week visit.

Get them at a pastelaria or bakery anywhere in Porto’s historic center… often best first thing in the morning with a bica (espresso). Or if you’re in Lisbon wanting to indulge the history of this dish, check out Pasteis de Belém, a direct descendant from the monastic birthplace of this treat.

9 Queijo Serra da Estrela

Do you like sheep cheese? Portugal seems to do this especially well. Creamy, rustic, a bit tangy. Similar to my note about the sardines–find a market you love and a vendor who specializes at it. I’d suggest wandering the aisles of Mercado Bolhau for a bit, where you’re likely to run into a good option.

10 Arroz de Pato

Rice and duck is such a familiar Asian offering that it’s fun to have a Portuguese take on the comfort dish. Duck cooked until tender, shredded, then baked with rice infused with duck broth. I especially appreciate when it’s topped with chouriço, for an extra Portuguese feel. Smoky and satisfying.

A restaurant I heard highly recommended for this dish, but that I never got to try unfortunately was Zé Bota. It’s a staple!

11 Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato

Clams in garlic-olive oil-herb sauce. This is a good example of why Portugal is a dream for any fans of olive oil, garlic, and seafood working in combo. Light, briny, and utterly satisfying. It’s best found at seafood-heavy tascas and marisqueiras around Porto or nearby coastal towns.

You can find delicious Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato in Porto at seafood-focused spots like Ostras & Coisas, known for fresh seafood, and excellent traditional restaurants in nearby Matosinhos.

12 Polvo em Salmorejo

Another entry for octopus lovers. "Polvo em Salmorejo" is a dish pairing octopus with salmorejo, a traditional thick, cold tomato-based soup or cream from Southern Spain. Iberia’s love for octopus and seafood runs deep. Rustic, ocean-fresh, and deeply local.

I don’t have any Porto recommendations that are super specific to this dish but Treze Restaurante is praised for their octopus preparations in the Ribeira/Foz areas. 

13 Port Wine

Portugal’s wine pride: sweet, rich, often fortified is perfect after a heavy meal like francesinha or cod dishes. It’s part of the culture and heritage.

Decent port is widely available, even in your most basic grocery stores. We were pretty happy with what Pingo Doce had to offer. But I might also suggest booking a wine tour around the Douro Valley for a deeper cut.

14 Bica

A Bica in Portugal is Portugal's beloved version of an espresso, known for being strong, short, smooth, and slightly less bitter than Italian espresso due to lighter roasts, often served in small demitasse cups and enjoyed quickly at the counter with a pastry like a pastel de nata. The name is actually an acronym for "Beba Isto Com Açúcar" (Drink This With Sugar), a nod to its rich flavor that can be enjoyed plain or sweetened. 

There’s absolutely no shortage of spots around Porto for good Bica, but my personal favorite is Floresta Cafe right on Rue das Flores.