The decor got me from the start. At Queenstown Public House, a historic house-turned-restaurant in Little Italy, antiquing, upcycling, and bringing the indoors out is what the aesthetic is all about. Watering cans become planters, wire cages house pendant lights, and living room lamps are positioned on the patio. Conceived by Pearl Hotel and Vin de Syrah designer Michael Soriano with co-designers Alina Leyton and Dustin Towery, there are amazing details, including sheeps hanging upside down from the ceiling (scroll ahead for that). And as you’d expect, the space makes for a pretty stellar brunch spot.
After basking in some morning sunshine in Pacific Beach this past weekend, starved and adequately toasty, we stumbled upon the charming Cafe 976, located a few blocks from the beach. Set in what used to be a 1920’s home then a school then an antique store (!), this restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, smoothies, coffee, and plentiful workspace. Seriously, nearly half the patrons were pounding away on their MacBooks.
This place is definitely a hidden gem, but I can’t decide what I love more: the rose-filled garden outdoor seating or the fact that their vegetarian sandwich actually contains so many veggies. Hey, other restaurants, lettuce and tomatoes does not a veg sandwich make.
Say what you will about social media, but sometimes it can lead to really wonderful things, like discovering Young Hickory, a part-cafe, part-beer bar spot in North Park. I had seen an Instagram of their acai bowl, which first piqued my interest, but once I found out they brew Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, I was sold. It didn’t hurt that their logo and decor scheme are totally amazing, too.
My favorite foods veer into the adolescent arena: pizza, sandwiches and ice cream. Since moving to San Diego, I’ve secured two favorite pizzerias (Buona Forchetta in South Park for Neapolitan, Luigi’s in Golden Hill and North Park for New York-style) and a mom-and-pop ice cream parlor (Mariposa in Normal Heights), but oh, the elusive sandwich.
Much like the duality of pizza, I believe in two camps of sandwiches: gourmet and casual (subs are a whole other category; don’t get me started). The casual spot is TBD, but I have a new favorite spot for gourmet sandwiches: Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe.
My parents arrived Saturday night for a week-long visit, which got me thinking about my San Diego Musts. We’ve lived here for only a year and there’s tons more to see, but I already have a list of favorite restaurants, parks and activities that I share with all my visitors. And not to toot my own horn, but I’ve been told that I have some really excellent picks in here. Hope this gives you some pointers the next time you’re in San Diego!
Caffe Calabria (North Park): This Italian cafe/pizzeria is top-notch quality; their exquisite lattes are the sirens that beckon me at least once a week, and not just because it’s a great place to work. Food-wise, their Neapolitan pizzas are delicious and vibe at dinnertime is lovely. (But my favorite pizzeria is Buona Forchetta; see below.)
San Diego Restaurant Week kicks off this Sunday, and to scope out the scene for my very first RW, I checked out what the menu looked like at participating restaurant JRDN, Pacific Beach’s seaside restaurant at the Tower23 Hotel. The restaurant is all about fresh, local California cuisine. Even their menu lists which local farms their meat came from, which was great news for me because I love knowing where my food comes from. (Shouldn’t we all?)
We started with a potato gnocchi topped with super creamy burrata, made our way through a chicken confit and side of fregola (a larger, more chewy Israeli couscous), and ended with my favorite of the night, the coconut pain perdu, which was essentially ladyfinger-size pieces of coconut dough surrounding lime sherbert, goat cheese and chocolate- and coconut-coated macadamia nuts. I could’ve had a three-course meal of just that and been happy. Also, I would love some notes from the chef on how to cook chicken that turns out that juicy.
And while we’re on the subject of beachfront dining, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that in the year we’ve lived here, this was the first by-the-beach meal we’ve had. But what a good one to start with! In terms of restaurants/bars, JRDN is one of the best places in San Diego to watch a sunset. (I love Sunset Cliffs for a nature-themed spot to watch.) Beyond their formal dining area, they have a stylish garden lounge where you can sit at the bar or at tables and enjoy the sun, sand and many characters of Pacific Beach. If you live in San Diego, you know what I’m talking about.
To find out which 180+ restaurants are participating, check out San Diego Restaurant Week. And scroll ahead for some hunger-inducing food pictures, gorgeous sunset views and a peek at JRDN’s beach-cool interiors.
I don’t like the idea of straight-up juice cleanses. Though juice cleanses swear they’re not meant to deprive, that’s what they sound like to me. And anytime I’ve attempted one, I almost always end up stuffing my face with cookies by the end of the day.
But then I got to know Beaming, a new juice bar in Del Mar (that ships nationally, too), and they had a novel idea: What if a juice cleanse combined cold-pressed juices with actual food and the freedom to snack? You’d get the same detoxifying properties without feelings of deprivation or guilt. The company’s founder, Lisa Odenweller, has a laid-back, relatable approach. “If you’re hungry, eat half an avocado or some almonds.” There’s no reason to starve yourself, she had told me.
Inspired to take better care of the mind-body-soul connection after I came back from India, I decided to try Beaming’s 4-day Total Rejuvenation Cleanse. I had always, always, always wanted to try a cleanse but had never found a company that structured their cleanses in a way that made sense to me. Beaming’s would be the jump start I needed. Was it hard? Some days. Was it worth it? Yes.
Straight from the mouth of a real girl who likes her food, here’s my honest account of the four days:
I’ll be honest: I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by San Diego restaurants. Yes, I’m a total New York snob when it comes to food and yes, I’ve been lucky enough to travel internationally and eat my heart out for a whole year, but I did expect more out of the restaurants here. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve found gems like Mama’s Bakery for Lebanese and Buona Forchetta for pizza, and of course the produce and Mexican eats here are way better than anything New York could dream up, but it’s taken work and a lot of trial and error to find my favorites.
That said, when I find something I like, you know that I really dig it. And that’s how I feel about Sab-e-lee a homestyle Thai restaurant low on frills and high on spice. (They offer a spice range of 1 to 10 and, to give you some perspective, when we ordered a 4, I woke up in the middle of the night with heartburn and a stomach ache — and I can handle my spice!)
The setting isn’t anything fancy and the location is completely random (tucked away in Linda Vista), but it feels like a Thai momma’s working in the kitchen. There are a lot of items we love — fried rice, green curry and Thai iced tea to name a few — but last night we shared a trio of tofu pad thai, chicken larb (our favorite dish from our time in Thailand) and beef salad. If you want the best mix of flavors, go for the beef salad, made with lemongrass, Thai eggplant, fresh chili, green onion and spicy lime juice.
