Welcome to Dish Our Town. We are the Tolentinos. A family traveling the world, one dish at a time. Here is a little about us:
I am Andrew Tolentino, a husband and a father. I am the son of Filipino immigrants and grew up in Lower East Side of Manhattan (New York City). I am currently traveling the world full-time with my family, and as a unit, chose our ancestral homeland as our base during our Southeast Asia Travels for the first half of our travels. Now, we are exploring Europe using London as our home base.
Growing up, my folks didn’t have the means to take us on vacations; but they made up for our lack of travel by exposing me to as many worldly cuisines as possible. New York, being the melting pot capital of the world, afforded me the opportunity to get lost in food and dream of the many places I wanted to visit around the world.
The time finally came when I was doing my undergraduate studies in Boston. I had a few friends spending a semester abroad in England and they had invited me to visit during my Spring Break. I took them up on the invite, and as I walked through the streets of London Town, I caught a fever that never left me.
I have spent the last twenty years in the luxury retail sector of fashion. My tenure in the industry, abled me to travel to some of the fashion capitals of the world. As if all this travel for work weren’t enough; along with my wife and later my daughter, whenever there was an open date, I tried to get us on a plane and get immersed in a culture. And when we couldn’t, we indulged in food and used it as a vehicle to get away. Now that we are traveling the world full-time, I hope to create a vehicle for you and help you get away through my stories.
If you’d like to reach me here’s my e-mail: andrew[at]DishOurTown.com
I am Brenda Tolentino. A little over a year ago, I decided to become a travel and food blogger. I talked my husband and daughter to join me in this new endeavor, which has brought us to where we are currently, Manila. We are traveling the world full-time and have chosen to start our journey in the Philippines for good reason. You see, I was born and raised in the Philippines to parents of Chinese heritage, and my family immigrated to the States in 1980, so it only felt right to start here and reconnect with my culture.
When I became an American citizen, the first thing I did was apply for a passport in hopes to travel the world. As a child, I watched foreign movies and made mental notes on places I wanted to discover and jotted down foods I wanted to eat and wines I wanted to drink. This became a reality in 1998. It was Rome on business.
When I landed in Rome, I took the best taxi ride of my life. On one particular street corner, my taxi driver asked me to pay close attention to what was coming up on the right. As the cab turned, it was the Roman Colosseum! I was completely captivated by that travel experience, and remain captivated over travel since. Next day, I had my first authentic cappuccino and biscotto at a place named, Cafe Greco. I knew at an instant, that travel and the food experiences that come along with it, would play an integral part in my life.
Since that first time, I have been to many cities all over, discovering new and exciting cuisines along the way with my husband and daughter in tow.
The food and drink culture of every town, all over the world, has always been the most fascinating facet of travel for me. It is what connects me to my global neighbors. When I used to be in New York, I used my taste memory to help bring me back to my favorite places and experiences. I now plan to add to those places and experiences, and hope to take you along with me, even if for just a second…
If you’d like to reach me, here’s my e-mail: brenda[at]DishOurTown.com
Hi there! I’m Bailey Tolentino. I am the child of Brenda and Andrew. I am 11-years-old. I love traveling and eating the food I have the fortune of being able to when we are in other countries. I am like my mom this way.
I love to talk. I socialize a lot, and I love nighttime… Especially in Spain. I have always loved Spain the moment I first went there at age 4. I get this from my dad.
I used to live in New York City on the exact intersection of Little Italy and Chinatown. I loved having a variety of food choices in my old neighborhood. Now that I am traveling the world with my parents, I have been able to try new dishes and flavors.
I love school and always have. I love to write, and am excited for our journeys led by this blog. I have a hobby of collecting mini objects, and I call it a “mini-verse,” as in a “mini universe.” I play the violin and have a passion for music. I love to sing all the time, and love to join as many programs and clubs possible at school. I also love to dance to pop music, especially at dance parties. I’m going to miss going to a real school and of course my friends, but I am also looking forward to getting homeschooled and learning things differently and experiencing the world.
We have a cat name Wilhelmina and I used to always mess around with her. I took pictures of her almost everyday before leaving and look at the slideshows I made when I miss her.
I also love to cook PASTA… YUM! I make up my own sauces all the time, and have fun with it. I like to feed myself and sometimes serve my parents! I also love cold cuts. My favorite is speck. It’s kind of like prosciutto, but saltier, I miss this most during our travels here in Southeast Asia, because it’s hard to find. I also love Jamon, a spanish cold cut. It is so expensive in the States, so I enjoy it as often as possible when I go to Spain when we can get it for SO much less. It’s even better quality! So, I can’t wait to get back to Spain during this around-the-world trip we are doing.
That’s a bit about me, Bailey. I hope you can join me in my new experiences. I will do my best to write about them as often as I can.
As you can see, we are a family of three that echo each other. We hope that you join us in our journeys through towns all over the world, one dish at a time. We have just started our indefinite plans for full-time travel. We’re currently exploring S.E. Asia. We will be sharing our tips, recommendations and deals so we can help you with your travels. Come and ask us anything or just say hello! andrew [at] DishOurTown.com or brenda [at] DishOurTown.com
cant wait.. you and caz so inspire to do what we to do travel and food allergies and gluten free.. starting with coaching and going from there..
Connie, Thank you so much! I really look forward to sharing dishes with you and inspiration with you! Welcome to our life!
LOVE this idea! And I agree, the most memorable parts of travel center around food. I was born in the tiny Faroe Islands and moved to the U.S. when I was seven. Just the thought of some of the ethnic dishes make my mouth water and bring back memories of the salty Atlantic air and beautiful green mountains.
Anna, Thank you so much for visiting and coming along for our food adventures. The Faroe Islands, wow what an interesting place to be born in. I’ve never heard of it before reading it in your comments and immediately had to do some research. It looks so beautiful and wild…untouched and full of fresh air. We need to visit some time soon. I bet the food in Faroe Islands would also me amazing. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
So exciting! with our baby due any day now, we dream of one day following your lead and traveling the world! for now we are so excited to follow your adventures! bon voyage!
love
Anastasia, Camilo and Baby Ceballos!
Camilo: With the way you travel, I’m sure the baby is going to be a wanderer before he/she learns to speak. I wish you and Anastasia the best, as rising a child is a world to be traveled in itself. Please follow and if there is ever a place you’d like to visit and we happen to be there, give us a heads up and we will set things up for you and the family. Your Friend, Andrew