Valentine’s in Baguio
Happy Valentine’s Day!
How are you celebrating love? With whom?
In my experience as a restaurateur, Filipinos celebrate this special day in large groups and whole families if Valentine’s falls on a weekend. On a weekday, couples mostly. Valentine’s this year is on a Wednesday, so we prepare a lot of tables for 2.
I’ve had only one real romantic date in all my adult years. And this was 23 years ago. I have worked on each and every Valentine’s Day since I was 14 at our family restaurants, Alfredo’s Steaks on Tomas Morato in Quezon City, Halfway House (1991-1997) in Baguio City, Alfredo’s Steaks Baguio (1997-2005), among others. Last year, we were so busy at Atenara House with a large group checked-in for the most organized and fun team building execrcises I have ever seen.
This year, Valentine’s Day will be a nice, quiet and relaxed one for me in Baguio. I will not go down and help out in Quezon City because of the many bookings we have received here for the weekend and the next for the Panagbenga.
So, hurray for Lisa this year! I will spend Valentine’s Day strolling around my beautiful town, avoiding SM City Baguio and Session Road (sure to be literally swarming with thousands of college students and Baguio folk), enjoying the fine weather, and falling in love with Baguio City all over again.
We just...
Hey, I miss Halfway House soooo much. So, is the menu at Atenara similar to the old menu at the Halfway House? When hubby and i were still bf/gf we shared lots of lunches there so we kinda miss it everytime we go to John Hay now.
Atenara offers an all-you-can-eat U. S. roast beef, salad bar & pasta buffet. When we were in the planning stages, I actually wanted to call it Halfway House and offer all the Camp John Hay goodies we miss like creamed beef, chicken for 2, mongolian barbecue, beef n burgundy — but the name would have sounded like a haven for unwed mothers so the idea was scratched.
The reason the buffet is by reservation only is because we try to give our room guests as much privacy as possible, so walk-in dinner guests are out of the question, except on weekends. Plus it is very popular for live-in seminars, team building sessions and family reunions that my small staff has its hands full serving 5 meals a day. Hahaha.
I hope your high school reunion went well last December. Yours was the first event ever to be submitted to http://www.gobaguio.com after its redesign so you were the buena mano!
Yes, the reunion went well. Thanks again very much for posting it!
“…but the name would have sounded like a haven for unwed mothers so the idea was scratched”
-LOL! I agree, outside of the CJH context, the name doesn’t sound so nice haha! Beef and burgundy with a huge scoop of mashed potato on the side was my fave.
Next time we’re up there, we are going to try out Atenara then. I will make sure to call as we are a big family.
Hi,
Enjoyed your blog and its articles. Great source of info. I’, a regular (i.e., monthly) visitor to Baguio. Look forward to visiting Atenara.
I think Baguio is the most gracious and graceful city of the country.
Willy
Hi Willy and thanks for dropping by. I do love Baguio sooo much. And I’m glad you like it, too. See you soon!