Tasty Travels: San Diego

When John and I first started dating he was living in San Diego, and although we dreaded battling the LA traffic every couple of weeks during those early days of our then long-distance relationship, I have such fond memories of those visits to San Diego when we were falling in love. It's such fun to go back and take a stroll down memory lane, so we try to do that at least once a year.

On our most recent trip we visited Urban Solace in North Park on the recommendation of a friend, and were instantly sold on the ambiance thanks to the scotch shrine to Ron Burgundy in the center of the bar! Classic!

 The food certainly didn't disappoint either- the "Skillet Duckaroni" was the most memorable dish we sampled of the evening- the duck, rich gorgonzola and a subtle but unmistakable hint of cardamom were an unexpectedly pleasant combination. The desserts were deliciously inventive as well; the Banana S'more with organic graham crust, chocolate ganache, caramelized banana and homemade malted marshmallow is a can't miss!

Another highlight of the trip was our visit to John's old 'hood: Ocean Beach. Ocean Beach has a  wonderful collection of antique stores scattered along Newport Street, which I used to frequent regularly when John would have to work and I was left to my own devices.

Too cute, right?? 

So naturally, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop by for some decor inspiration,

a shabby chic kitchen sign,

and some vintage Chanel buttons (hello DIY earrings!).

After we had worked up a proper appetite we made our way over to OB Noodle House. It's safe to say this was "our place" when John lived in San Diego.

 And these Spicy Garlic Wings were a big reason why. They are to die for.

 This Asian fusion joint has a mouthwatering selection of Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean dishes. The pho is delightful and definitely try the short ribs. And it's a noodle house, so don't skimp on the noodles!

 And a ninja Guy Fieri mural on the wall? Come on! Seriously, I can't say enough good things about this place.

We ended our trip with a relaxing stop at Kate Sessions park, which has an incredible view of the bay. A quick nap and we were on our way back to our beloved Santa Barbara...until next time San Diego, stay classy!

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Tasty Travels: San Francisco Ferry Building + A Santa Cruz Secret Spot

As much as I love my idyllic, small beach town lifestyle and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, I must admit- I left my heart in San Francisco. Born and raised just a stone's throw away, I love that my family still resides there so that I can pop over for a weekend visit anytime. 

By far a must on my SF to-do list is the Ferry Building. A virtual mecca for food lovers, I always discover a new treasure each time I go, whether it's a basket of locally foraged wild mushrooms, a jar of blood orange-infused olive oil, the best cappuccino you'll ever have or a vegan gourmet doughnut. So clearly, no Bay Area trip is complete for me without a visit to the Ferry Building!

On our way to brunch al fresco (more on that in a bit), we made the requisite pit stop at Miette, a charming little bakery with a retro vibe and simply adorable confections. 

 

Every time, without fail, we hone in on the macarons- they're just too tempting to resist, and it's practically tradition for us at this point.

Rose Geranium and Chocolate Lavender macarons from Miette.

 Gorgeous, aren't they? We promptly ordered one of each flavor, plus a few more just to be safe. And then we happily devoured them on the way to our brunch destination, Boulettes Larder. In fact, we were still snacking on these cookies when our first course arrived (that's how good they are).

Boulette Larder's signature beignets (and macaron remnants)

Piping hot, light, airy, bite-sized and generously coated in a layer of cinnamon sugar that begs to be licked off your fingers...what could be better?

 But it did get better. Much better. Our waiter happened to be a very good friend and fellow food enthusiast, and let's just say that he did not steer us wrong with his menu recommendations. Not that he had to grasp at straws or anything. The daily changing menu at Boulettes Larder is a shining beacon of farm-fresh ingredients and complex, layered flavors. After the beignets arrived we were spoiled with a delicate fruit compote with orange blossom water as well as toasted Acme bread with organic apricot jam and sweet butter. And then came the entrees: 

A Spring salad if there ever was one.

Spiced beer-braised pork belly, so impressive I adapted this to one of my own menus shortly afterwards.

Squab. The season's first cherries. Dandelion greens. And that incredibly rich looking sauce is a squab emulsion. Mind: Blown.

Tim, my go-to foodie in the city :)

As if that wasn't enough, Tim kindly surprised us with a heavenly lemon meringue tart to celebrate my sister's upcoming birthday. And thank goodness it was small enough to allow only two bites each, because we were stuffed!

Time to walk it off and explore the rest of the market, naturally. My new favorite stand is Biscuit Bender, specializing in handmade biscuits and inventive jams and butters. With jam flavors like watermelon-sweet tea and bacon-bourbon, I was instantly enamored. And how cute is the decor?!?

My dad was stopped in his tracks by these cookies called Alfajores, South American butter cookies sandwiched with a layer of dulce de leche in the middle and usually coated in confectioner's sugar. He grew up eating them as a child, and so did my sister and I, but never dipped in chocolate, never with raspberry filling! Way to take a good thing and make it better. He bought two boxed assortments, and I am slightly ashamed to say that one of those boxes went the way of the dinosaur later that day, even after that ginormous brunch! 

And then we all swore off sugar for a week.

To balance out all the consumption of our Ferry Building trip, something active was in order, so we skipped on over to Santa Cruz in search of a certain river bank that my sister's fiancé had frequented in his youth.  

A nice little hike along the train tracks opened to reveal this serene spot, and although the weather was overcast, we braved the chilly water to wade in the river...

...except for my mom, who, upon finding a melting chocolate in her purse, quickly salvaged it by spreading it on a strawberry. 

I don't think I could have loved her any more in that moment. 

What are your favorite stands/shops/restaurants in the Ferry Building? Do you have any favorite little known nature spots? Let me know in the comments!

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Tasty travels: Washington D.C.

 I think it's high time I introduce a new series on my blog, something to offer besides just recipes. So without further ado, I give you Tasty Travels! Every now and then I like to poke my head out of the kitchen to see what else is going on out there in this big world of ours. A huge source of my inspiration as a chef comes from the things I see (and taste!) on my trips. So now whenever I travel somewhere new I'll be remembering to put on my blogger cap. That way I'll be able to share my inspirations with you- the activities, the adventures and of course, always my favorite part of the trip- the food! 

First up, our nation's capital. I went for a long (but too short) weekend to visit a good friend of mine from Santa Barbara who now lives there. It was wonderful having a built in tour guide to show me around. And what an amazing time to travel to the East Coast. Even though I just missed the cherry blossoms, I loved seeing the intense green colors and floral abundance as we strolled along the National Mall taking in the monuments. Hello Springtime!

And the tulips. Tulips as far as the eye can see...I just adore tulips.

After a full day of sightseeing, our tired feet dragged us over to a patio table at Circa at Dupont for a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc, some killer people watching and a calamari frito misto that really hit the spot. The fried lemon slices were the best part, I ate them whole! Wouldn't you?

 That night we dined at Cava Mezze in Capitol Hill, a Greek tapas venue that was unfortunately much too dimly lit to snap even one proper photo. Nonetheless there were many standouts on the menu, including a whipped barrel aged feta with jalapeño dubbed "Crazy Feta," and an insanely good shrimp mezze with an Ouzo-dill cream sauce and fresh tomatoes that I am just DYING to recreate. 

Definitely deserving of the Le Petit Chef Stamp of Approval.

Another memorable dining experience was the Sunday Brunch at  Ardeo Bardeo, featuring a Spring-centric menu...

Chilled Asparagus Soup with Goat Cheese Mousse and Pinenut Praline, poured table side 

Asparagus Fettuccine with a Poached Egg

 ...and all you can drink Champagne for only $27. Our kind of place.

Afterwards, we may or may not have taken a tipsy little jaunt to the Smithsonian National Zoo (it's free!).

A good time was had by all.

Let me know what you think of my first Tasty Travels post in the comments! I'll have more posts like this from my recent trips to San Francisco and San Diego coming up soon, and some new recipes too!

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