It’s a spinach soup kind of day.

Chatting at The Grove.

My roommate has been very good at documenting her/our foodie adventures since living in San Fran. I, however, have not. So I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been noshing on these days. (And thanks roomie for snapping some of the pics!) Check ‘em out, when you keep reading.

The Grove on Fillmore St.

One of the first places I went to when I came up here was The Grove on Fillmore St., where I had some delicious baked mac and cheese. Definitely want to go back!

San Tung Restaurant

Mmm . . . I haven’t had much Chinese food here in the city yet, but I’m obsessed with San Tung Restaurant in Inner Sunset. The original dry fry chicken is to DIE for.

Tacolicious

If you are lucky enough to get a seat in Tacolicious on Chestnut, you should go! The tacos are just the way I like them — small corn tortillas, with a focus on the yummy meats and salsas, not a bunch of “stuff” on them. Next time I need to try the margaritas, they looked amazing!

Chilayo

When you can’t get a seat at Tacolicious, another fave of mine down the street is Chilayo. I get a chicken quesadilla on a corn tortilla and a Corona, of course. It’s small, but packed with delish grilled chicken. And they have an impressive salsa bar. I can’t stay away from the hottest one, even though it’s killer spicy!

Blue Barn Gourmet

Ok, so Blue Barn Gourmet on Chestnut is known mainly for its salads (make your own or from the menu), and they are really good. Next time I’m for sure getting one with grilled shrimp on top, the guy next to me had one that looked and smelled amazing. BUT it also has the best fries I’ve had in SF. I’d say getting a salad with a side of fries is a good way to balance it out . . . don’t you think?

Kyoto Sushi

On Van Ness Ave. is a magical sushi place called Kyoto Sushi, where the Sapporo flows like water at 99 cents a glass. All day, every day. And the sushi is good! Try the spicy tuna tempura roll, it’s a must.

Delarosa

At Delarosa, we had a super yummy pizza with hot salami, coppa, tomato, and diavolicchio (not the one pictured). But next time I’m trying the margherita with burrata — I’m a big fan of burrata!

Jovino

If there’s one thing I crave, again and again, it’s the Firecracker Shrimp Salad at Jovino. Between that and the sangria, I’m good to go! But pretty much everything I’ve had there has been fab.

Pizzeria Delfina

At Pizzeria Delfina, we had a super good pizza, Salciccia, with housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions, and mozzarella. But the icing on the cake was the homemade gelato dessert.

Sudachi Sushi & Korean BBQ Restaurant

The cool thing about Sudachi Sushi is that it delivers! And it’s pretty delicious. I was blown away by the “special” edamame which was stir-fried in garlic and soy sauce.

So good, and so close to my office!

I’m a loooong way from discovering all my new fave chow-down spots in San Francisco, but I have found a few good ones! They are mostly places I’ve found during my lunch breaks, like Bread and Cocoa, which happens to serve tasty hot sandwiches right down the street from my new office. Check ‘em out, after the jump!

Bread and Cocoa – The sandwiches here are hot, crunchy and melty, just the way I like them! Elements like pesto and focaccia bread are done just right, and my lunch buddies have never complained (raving about the chili as well).

Specialty’s Café & Bakery – I’ve partaken in both the sandwich and salad offerings here, and loved them both! Big bonus, you can order online and then pick up your lunch, as soon as 15 minutes after you place your order. I’m also very tempted by the pastries, which look mouth-watering. The spicy Thai salad is soooo good and the peanut dressing actually has a kick to it!

Tartine Backery & Café – We stumbled upon this adorable Mission eatery by accident – the pizza joint we wanted to try was only open for dinner – but discovered quite the hoppin’ spot! The paninis were well worth the wait, but HUGE. Easily could’ve shared one between the two of us. And any place that puts Gruyère on sandwiches holds a special place in my heart. Must make the trek there again one of these weekends…

Sellers Markets – All I had here was a humble grilled cheese with cheddar and jack cheese, but it was enough to whet my appetite for more of this downtown restaurant’s menu offerings. So many good things! The oven-toasted sandwiches, the gourmet salads, the “Phuket in a Bucket,” the outdoor seating to soak up the “sun,” I could go on.

I’ve only been here a couple weeks, so I can’t wait to find more gems in this foodie-friendly city! How ’bout you? What are some of your faves?

From left, coffee/cinnamon roll combo, turkey sandwich and almost grilled cheese.

I can’t believe that I haven’t put a post up yet about Con Pane! I used to be a five-minute walk away from this amazing Point Loma bakery, which was both awesome and dangerous. Now I’m more like a 20-minute drive away, but it doesn’t stop me.

I love everything about this place, which usually puts me in a predicament as I never know what I should get. Should I go the breakfast route with a steaming cup of coffee and a melty, gooey cinnamon roll? Should I get the sweet bread plate, which comes with several fresh slices of my choice, raspberry jam, butter and cream cheese? What about the chocolate bread?? Or the Gruyère and chive bread?? Or the SANDWICHES?? Yea, it can be stressful. Most of the time, I can’t deny the turkey sandwich. I get mine without the lettuce on the olive oil rosemary bread, with turkey, sun-dried Roma tomatoes and pesto-infused olive oil instead of mayo. And I always pair it with a cold coke. Since they don’t have ice, the soda cans are uber cold, and just taste better here than anywhere else.

Couple tips: Be prepared to wait in line on the weekends, and they take cash only, but don’t freak out, there are at least 4 banks right down the street. Currently, there is only one location, waaaaay down Rosecrans St., but keep an eye out for the new Con Pane in Liberty Station!

Café Chloe's amazing pommes frites are only $4 during happy hour!

I’d thought I’d take this Monday, while I’m sitting at work reading all of my friends’ Tweets and Facebook statuses about how AMAZING this weather is and how AWESOME it is to have the day off, to share my favorite happy hour spots in San Diego. And hopefully I’ll be at one of them tonight.

After the jump, the deets on the deals.

Café Chloe (Mon.-Thurs. 4-6) – East Village: My picks would be the $4 pommes frites with trio of dips (best fries in town), the $5 tarte flambée (I’m a big fan of anything that includes bacon and caramelized onions), and the $5 macaroni and pancetta gratin (I believe I’ve mentioned it before, like here and here).

Wine Steals (Mon.-Fri. 4-7) – Point Loma: So the regular happy hour includes $4 glasses of wine Mon.-Fri. and $2 slices of pizza Mon.-Thurs. BUT my favorite deals are actually Sun./Mon. Sundays they do $10 wine flights of the wines they are trying to get rid of, and man is it a lot of wine! Just make sure you get there before they run out. Mondays they do no corkage fee on bottles bought in their store (normally $5), and $2 pizza slices all night. And I have to say, the pizza at wine steals is the best I’ve had in San Diego, especially the pepperoni, white and vegetable. **Update: Apparently they have taken off the $2 slices all night deal, but the slices are only around $2.50 or $3.00 regularly.**

Point Loma Sports Grill & Pub (Mon.-Fri. 4-7) – Liberty Station, Point Loma: Two words. Wing Wednesday. Three wings for $1, minimum of six wings ($2) per order, all night long. The wings are quite tasty, but the best part is getting there while happy hour is still going and scoring the 1/2 off apps special. There are no words for the deep fried cheese curds. Order them, or you’ll forever regret it.

The Turquoise (Sun.-Thurs. 5-7) – North Pacific Beach: Delicious $3 tapas and $3 glasses of sangria? Yes, please. And I believe on Thursdays you can get pitchers of sangria or beer for $10. I’ve had good and so-so experiences with the food, but the sangria has never let me down. The place also has great live music.

French Onion Soup - citysifting.com

I’m a little late on this post, but guess what? January is National Soup Month!

In general, I’m not a huge soup fan. But there are exceptions. These include French onion soup (like the real deal – messy Gruyère cheese melted over the sides of the bowl – preferably in a restaurant in Paris); tomato soup, such as the bisque – soup of the day on Thursdays – at Urbane Café or the tomato-fennel paired with grilled cheese at Urban Solace; and the most amazing, flavorful, runny-nose inducing tortilla soup at Rancho La Lena in Old Town.

After the jump, all the slurpy details.

Rancho La Lena = Best Tortilla Soup Ever

I don’t even like tortilla soup, but this is so incredible, words can’t do it justice. But I’ll try. It’s brothy, clear-your-sinuses spicy, with balls of ooey, gooey cheese on the bottom. Then you add the accoutrements, and it’s heaven: crunchy homemade tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, limes, flamin’ hot sauce, I’m probably forgetting some…and warm homemade tortillas to dip into the deliciousness. This is one of those rare occasions where I think it’s better to call ahead and order it to go. Here’s why: they can be a bit slow on service at the restaurant; they wrap up all the extras in foil and I swear you get more when you order takeout than when you’re seated; and you can sit alone and enjoy it without people staring at your sweaty, red, runny-nosed, smelly face in disgust. 

Trader Joe's Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches (aprox. $4 for a 4-pack) - feastingontjs.blogspot.com

(In this case, the title refers to Trader Joe’s, not TJ, my mom, who – fun fact! – had an ice cream parlor in her younger years called TJ’s Ice Cream Parlor.)

OK, let’s get down to business. Because I have been fighting a losing battle with a cold virus this past week, my brain has been too fuzzy to come up with a witty and informative blog post. Luckily, it doesn’t take much brain power to share with you my favorite ice cream sandwich in the entire world. 

We discovered this delightful treat years ago at Trader Joe’s, and it has the power to make the day, or night, go from a 5 to a 10 (or, when TJ’s is out of this dessert from the gods, from a 10 to a 2). The size is just right, not too big, where it gets all melty and you feel like you’re going to die of a sugar overload; not too small, where you feel gypped and eat six more to compensate (although I have been known to eat two in a row – they’re just so good). The chewy chocolate chip cookies and the ratio of cookie to ice cream are perfect, but the real appeal is that the ice cream is rolled in mini chocolate chips. And in my opinion, no dessert is complete without mini chocolate chips. Try them; you won’t be disappointed.

Cucina Urbana - sandiegorestaurantweek.com

San Diego Restaurant Week is almost upon us (Jan. 17-22), and I can’t wait! Having ate my way through the twice-annual event for the past few years, I know from experience that it can very overwhelming to choose the best restaurants out of the expansive list. So if you’re wondering what MY picks would be, I’ve narrowed it down to my top eateries (and even top courses out of the 9 options) in three different categories: Oldies But Goodies, Newbies and Second Chances.

Check ‘em out, after the jump!

Oldies But Goodies

• Café Chloe ($30): I mean, this goes without saying. Favorite restaurant in San Diego. Hands down. Please, for the love, go there during restaurant week and have a three course meal for $30 – they are practically GIVING away the food. And split a bottle of reserve wine on Half Off Wine Wednesday while you’re at it. Recommended courses: salad – farm lettuces with aged goat cheese vinaigrette, cara cara oranges, grapefruit, tangerine and fennel carpaccio with meyer lemon oil; steak frites – with rosemary-garlic butter pommes frites and ragout of winter squash, haricots verts and caramelized onions; and pot de creme - bitterweet chocolate with whipped cream and brandied cherries.
• Cucina Urbana ($30): It’s very important that you visit this restaurant ASAP. Formally Laurel, it’s changed for the better. Much better. And try getting a table any day of the week without a reservation and you’ll know what I’m talking about! (P.S. The chopped house salad? Best. Salad. Ever.) My courses: chopped house salad with fresh express seasonal greens – soppresata, pepperoni, olive, asiago, pepperoncini; braised black cod – pistachio caper crust, smashed potato, peperonata, limoncello butter; and tiramisu parfait – espresso, kahlua, espresso shortbread cookie, mascarpone mousse.
• Nobu San Diego ($40): Am I disappointed that they didn’t put black cod with miso (arguably one of the best dishes ever) on their Restaurant Week menu? Yes. But is the lightly battered rock shrimp tempera tossed in a creamy spicy sauce a delicious consolation prize? Absolutely. I first experienced Nobu in all its glory in New York City several years ago, and was happy to see a new location land in the Hard Rock Hotel downtown. It’s pretty pricey, so the $40 prix fixe price is a great deal. Courses I’d choose: rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy sauce – with shiitake mushrooms, served on a bed of mixed greens; Chilean sea bass with jalapeño miso – broiled Chilean sea bass filet marinated in sweet jalapeño sauce, served with pickled jalapeño and steamed rice; and mochi ice cream – strawberry, dark chocolate and pistachio.

• Bleu Bohème ($30): This is one of the many local restaurants we always say we need to try, but still haven’t. Maybe this will be the year we actually take the plunge! (Especially after our favorite French restaurant in Hillcrest closed. R.I.P. La Vache.) My courses: “amuses gueules” de charcuterie et fromage (a board of “mouth pleasers”) – dried sausage marinated in olive oil, small Parisian ham and cheese toast or a toast of dried cured ham, roquette lettuce and parmesan cheese; petit carré d’agneau au poivre vert - a half roasted rack of lamb brushed in dijon mustard with thyme and rosemary and finished with a cognac and green peppercorn sauce and served with fresh herbs mash potatoes and green beans; and “bombe” au chocolat - dark chocolate mousse and marinated cherries, crème brulée, crispy hazelnut bottom.
• Nine-Ten ($40): This La Jolla restaurant always has a good-looking Restaurant Week menu, and it’s another one of those “We really need to try that place out” eateries. The tasty-looking courses include: Maine lobster and corn tortellini - chino farms corn, lobster mushrooms, chives; port wine braised beef short ribs – roasted shallots, brussel sprout leaves, roasted salsify, horseradish emulsion; and almond tart – figs, mascarpone, honey.
• Suite & Tender ($30): The buzz about this restaurant has been good, and the Restaurant Week menu is enticing…ummm, bacon as an appetizer? Yes, please! The juicy courses: maple syrup glazed bacon – frisee, chives; sea scallop and venison – brussel sprout puree, sour cherry, barley grains, spice chocolate venison jus; and warm chocolate truffle cake – Mexican chocolate truffle, powdered chocolate, cocoa caramel.
• Voyeur ($20): We’ve been intrigued by Voyeur ever since hearing that some former Jack’s La Jolla (also dearly departed) people are involved. Not quite sure how I feel about dining in a dance club, but they had me at grilled cheese. The courses I’d go with: antipasti salad – grilled and chilled vegetables, balsamic dressing, baby spinach; smoked gouda grilled cheese – house-pickled jalapenos, apricot spread; and mini gelato cone – chocolate dipped, vanilla gelato.

Second Chances

• Acqua Al 2 ($40): Here’s the deal. This was my FAVORITE restaurant in Florence when I studied abroad there many moons ago, but the one time I went to its downtown San Diego location, I was sorely disappointed. I’m willing to give it another chance though. While my top choice second course isn’t on the Restaurant Week menu (fileno al mirtilio: fillet mignon with blueberry sauce), the filleto al aceto balsamico is a close runner-up. Here’s my course recommendations: assaggio di primi - a sampler of five from the first course list, chef’s choice; filleto al aceto balsamico - fillet mignon topped with a balsamic vinegar glaze; and tiramisu - lady fingers soaked in espresso topped with mascarpone cream.
• Quarter Kitchen ($30): With raving reviews, we had high expectations for this downtown restaurant, located in the Ivy Hotel. But it just didn’t “wow” us. A couple years later, I’m ready to give this place a shot again. The courses I would vote for: aged goat cheese – crust of brioche, oven-dried tomatoes, black olive tapenade; red wine braised short ribs – seasonal baby vegetables, button mushrooms, mashed potatoes; and strawberry semi-fredo - light semi-frozen cream topped with a strawberry gelee, strawberry balsamic gastrique, pistachio cookie, garnished with fresh strawberries.

Red Velvet Cupcake at Burger Lounge...amazing! - image from armidacooks.blogspot.com

Have a cupcake today! It’s National Cupcake Day! Before I even knew it was this sweet holiday, I had a DELISH moist, red velvet cupcake with light, fluffy cream cheese frosting on it from Burger Lounge…yum… The joint also sells a gingerbread cupcake right now! (I’ve also heard rave reviews from friends on the cupcakes at Azúcar in O.B.)

Clockwise, from top left: Bigfoot Lounge, Father's Office, Urth Caffé, Mandrake Bar, SusieCakes

I’m sooooo behind on my blog, and I hate that! Life has been, and continues to be, CRAZY, but I promise to get some posts up before I blink and it’s 2010. I have loads of food/drink-related posts in mind, but I’m also itching to put up Christmas gift guides – my fav!

But first, a few weekends ago we did a girls trip to LA, and we had a blast! Our amazing hostess, Hayley, lives in Culver City and showed us the best local spots to eat and drink in style. We tried the toasted marshmallow cocktail at Bigfoot Lounge, enjoyed gourmet burgers (and beers galore) at Father’s Office, danced it up at the Mandrake bar, and had a hearty and healthy brunch at the trendy Urth Caffé. Oh, and we had a super sweet tasting of cupcakes and cakes from SusieCakes! Delicious!

Burger Lounge "Hostess"-style cupcake with creamy espresso/vanilla bean center.

Anyone who knows me can tell you I don’t like burgers. Yes, there are exceptions, but there is a long, LONG list of very specific reasons why I generally wouldn’t touch them with a ten-foot-long stick. So I was very surprised to find that I’m obsessed with Burger Lounge.

More about my rendezvous with this tasty eatery, after the jump!

I’ve been to the Kensington location for lunch twice now, and yes, I realize I’m little late to jump on the joint’s bandwagon, but come on, it’s called BURGER Lounge, how was I supposed to know I would love it?

Both times I ordered the kid’s meal with chicken tenders and fries, which is deceiving, if you’re envisioning nasty McNuggets, because they are actually super tender, perfectly seasoned, fresh chicken strips on a stick. And the herb fries aren’t bad either. (Although I rarely meet a fry I don’t like.) The combo – two strips, side of fries and free-refill drink – is just the right amount of food for me.

Also amazing? The (extra large) cupcakes. Oh wow. The red velvet is uber moist, isn’t too rich, and has a really light and fluffy cream cheese frosting. And the Hostess-style cupcake, with its major chocolately cake and frosting and creamy espresso(?)/vanilla bean center = so good, it’s crazy.

City Neighborhood Poster by Ork Posters $22 - orkposters.com

Since I have a fabulous girls trip in Palm Springs this upcoming weekend (yay!), we decided to celebrate our two-year a week early by spending Labor Day weekend in LA. We had so much fun just walking around, shopping, seeing new areas of LA while driving around (not lost ) and eating way, way too much food.

In two days, we explored West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Culver City; ate at six restaurants (technically two were for dessert only); shopped at three malls (including Third Street Promenade); and went to possibly the only IHOP with valet.

“You want to practice parking?”
“What’s the point? Everywhere you go has valet.”

(If you don’t know that movie, we can’t be friends.)

More trip details, after the jump!

Palihouse Holloway (the flowers were from Ryker)

Since our trip was very last minute, we found our hotel through the “Last Minute Deals” section at TabletHotels.com, a site I just discovered for finding unique, cool hotels on a budget. We got an amazing deal on a room at Palihouse Holloway in West Hollywood, the kind of deal where you read, and then re-read the fine print because you can’t believe it. The guest suites in this boutique hotel, which is technically meant for long-term stays, include a full kitchen, washer/dryer and living room. I loved all the creative touches, including a huge framed collage of Polaroid photos in the room and a wall in the lobby covered in cork with a metallic stenciled design on it. I am by no means a design expert, but I would say the hotel’s aesthetic was modern British with whimsical details.

Basix Cafe - basixcafe.com

We ate lunch the first day at Basix Cafe down the street from the hotel. We both got paninis, and I kind of wish I’d gone the brunch route… I’m pretty sure mine had mayo on it, and anyone who knows me knows I’m not a happy person when I find condiments on my food. I tried to suck it up and eat it, but it was taking a lot of willpower. The side was homemade potato chips, and they were quite average. There were several cafes along the same street (the lines were outta control), so next time I would definitely try one of the other ones.

The Hall Courtyard Brasserie - thehallbrasserie.com

After spending the rest of the day shopping at The Grove and the Beverly Center, we came back to the hotel for dinner at The Hall. The ambiance was great – located in the hotel’s inner courtyard, it has a street cafe feel with its hanging lights and cobblestone ground. While the entrees were delicious (steak frites and braised lamb shank), the real standout dishes were the appetizers. We had the yellow tail crudo with avocado, red grapefruit and herb salad; and scallops in a very spicy, very distinctly flavorful curry. I resisted the macaroni gratin this time, but I doubt I will be able to next time.

The IHOP

The next morning we couldn’t resist having breakfast at the IHOP across the street. What kind of IHOP has valet? Apparently the West Hollywood kind. Nice cars out front, hipsters inside and cheap, greasy breakfast food inside. Not that I’m complaining, I was quite impressed with my harvest grain ‘n nut pancake topped with blueberry compote. (OK, and my hash browns with scrambled eggs and bacon… Yes, we did eat a lot this weekend.)

Lemon, left, and coconut.

We went to Sprinkles later that day and I was stoked to finally use a “whisper” word from the shop’s Twitter. Every day I see all the free cupcakes I could be getting if only there was a Sprinkles in San Diego – it’s torture! Anyways, Ryker saved the day by remembering to mention “vacation” when we got up to the counter, scoring us two free cupcakes. I went with the lemon (so moist and lemony) and the coconut; he got the chocolate marshmallow and milk chocolate.

chloe.com

While not in the food department, at least in the shopping department we had some self control – zero purchases between the two of us. Until I saw THEM. The Chloe Sunglasses. The ones I drooled over in this post. 

We were just strolling along Rodeo Drive when I glanced over and saw an Ilori boutique. The West Coast flagship store, to be exact. I had given up hope in finding the star-studded beauts, but I hadn’t forgotten them. And lo and behold, they had the pair I wanted, but not in the right color (black). Long story long, they called me later to say they found the black ones, I ordered them on the phone the next day, and I just got them in!! So. Excited.

The real deal!

Oh, and I still have no idea what they are technically called. The style number (2181) doesn’t match up with the names on Chloe’s Web site – Callune and Tilia – and the names don’t even match up with the numerous pictures of them on Leighton Meester and Rachel Bilson. Yes, they did steal my thunder by wearing a similar pair (slightly larger, different color) in recent weeks, but I swear I’m not a copycat. My blog post is proof.

From the front, black jack quesadilla, Korean spiced fries, sliders and three tacos. On the right, acai margarita.

And now, the best part of the trip…drumroll please…dinner at the Alibi Room. So amazing, words can’t express. After our awesome lunch from the Kogi BBQ truck a few weeks ago, we just had to try the restaurant. And the food was just as good second time around (plus with the addition of Korean spiced fries! Yum). It is a bar, so keep in mind that most of the seating is at the bar and it’s 21 and up only. The food is really reasonably priced, it’s just the $10 cocktails that get ya. But I have to say, Ryker got an amazing drink with grapefruit juice and St. Germain that was totally worth the extra cash. It opens at 5:30 p.m., but food isn’t served until 6 p.m., and it fills up fast! we got there right when it opened and I can only imagine how packed it must get later on.

Last Friday, my mom and I participated in a Thai cooking class at Great News! Discount Cookware and Cooking School in Pacific Beach. Whether you are a microwave/restaurant-inclined gal like me or a chef extraordinaire like my mom, this is a fun, informative and tasty experience you really need to try! 

If you are signing up for a class, be sure to look for “hands-on” in the description, otherwise you will just be in the audience. We did a “Friday Night Dinner Party” ($49) with Phillis Carey, and it included four dishes (good sized portions), two glasses of wine, a Thai iced coffee and snacks. Plus, you get 10% off anything you buy in the store before or after the class (or during the break). Phillis was great – she is extremely knowledgeable and really explained in detail how to prepare the food and execute the recipes at home, including where in San Diego to get all the exotic ingredients. The staff was super helpful and always available to answer questions. And the food was amazing!

The next Friday Night Dinner Party is themed “Spanish Flair,” and takes place Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. – it’s almost full, so sign up soon!

Book swap at Book Soup, featuring Kogi BBQ

Wow. Just, wow. I’m literally drooling right now…it’s times like these that smog and traffic fly right out of my head and I think I could actually live in L.A.

Because I am a crazy blog-following, site-visiting, Twitter-tweeting Internet fanatic, I heard through “sources” that a Goodreads-sponsored, Kogi BBQ-catered book swap would occur last Saturday at Book Soup in L.A., and I had an undeniable urge to make the trek up to this glorious event. Korean BBQ? Free books? Yesssssss please! 

It far surpassed my expectations. Not only were there tables of free books that were continually being replenished, there was yummy free wine inside from Bear Flag Wines, sweet tunes from a DJ and Kogi, was, well, to-die-for. The hour-long line wasn’t even an issue. I’m ashamed to admit how much food we consumed, especially since it was gone in about 10 min., but the glorious, delicious details, after the jump.

Yes, we were eating on the side of the street by a dumpster...

First, we had two quesadillas ($5 each) - I think one was “the black jack,” which had caramelized onions and spicy pork with cheddar and jack cheese, covered in salsa verde and sesame seeds; and the second one was similar, but with blackened chicken and a red sauce. We literally ate the food so fast we didn’t even know what we were eating.

Next up, the tacos. Oh, the tacos. My personal favorite. We had two different kinds, but couldn’t really tell the difference (probably because they were gone in 30 seconds). They were small (there are 4 on the plate in the photo I took above), and were on two mini corn tortillas each. The Korean Short Ribs and the Spicy Pork tacos ($2 each) were both filled with sesame-chili salsa roja, julienne romaine lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, cilantro-green onion-lime relish, crushed sesame seeds and sea salt. The meat wasn’t chewy or fatty at all, it was tender and packed with ridiculously good sweet/spicy flavor.

And lastly, Ryker got the sliders ($5 for two), which I think were also filled with spicy pork, cheese and sauce (I didn’t try them). He said they were good, but his favorite was the quesadilla (can’t remember which one). We also enjoyed the plate of oranges, radishes and limes to finish off the meal. Next up, we want to try Kogi’s Culver City restaurant, The Alibi Room!

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend spending the majority of a sunny San Diego weekend indoors, but quite frankly, there are a lot of sunny San Diego weekends, and sometimes you just need to be lazy. Below is a list of the food and entertainment I embarked on this past weekend – and if you want, you can save it for a rainy day (not that we have much of those).

• Watched: Happy-Go-Lucky (didn’t really meet my super high expectations, but still a good movie.)
• Ate: China Inn takeout (oh man, the kung pao chicken is DELICIOUS.)
• Exercised: on my beach cruiser (love biking around PB.)
• Played: Bananagrams (best. game. ever. period. the end.)
• Sat: on my couch and watched way too many Bones episodes (but it’s just so good!)
• Ordered: a My Way pizza from Hoboken (so very good.)
• Read: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (slowly making my way through the series.)

Bijou, Cafe and Voodoo Doughnut

Even though our Portland trip was quick, we managed to find two delicious gastronomic hotspots with lots of local flair and equally long waits!

On Saturday, we had an amazing brunch at the French American breakfast spot – Bijou, Cafe – and the following day had a few too many doughnuts at the Sprinkles of Portland, Voodoo Doughnut. Read all the greasy details, after the jump.

Bijou, Cafe

At Bijou, the main attractions were the DiCarlo spicy (spicy!) Italian sausage and white cheddar omelette with to-die-for potatoes, and the local berry compote and (homemade) whipped cream over pancakes. Seriously? My mouth is watering just thinking about these two delectable dishes. The compote – with blackberries, currents and blueberries – was incredible.

Voodoo Doughnut

We went to the original Voodoo Doughnut location, in Old Town Portland, and waited in a long line outside the tiny shop while what looked like a high school AV class project was being taped. Turned out it was a teen travel show, and they took the last of the bacon topped maple bars…not cool.

But we persevered, tasting the shop’s namesake – a raspberry jelly-filled voodoo doll-shaped chocolate glazed (note the pretzel sticking out of it) - a blueberry glazed cake, a Mexican hot chocolate cake, a Miami Vice glazed (hot pink and blue bubblegum flavored icing?) and a Portland cream pie (cream filled with a chocolate glaze). We did NOT try the cock-n-balls (self-explanatory) or any of the cereal topped creations.

Anyways, the shop lived up to its hype – the doughnuts were fresh and delicious. I especially loved the voodoo doll, even if the red jam oozing out was a bit graphic.

I’m making the trek to Pismo again this weekend, and if there’s one thing that helps a long drive not seem too dismal it’s having fun stops along the way (and a book on cd…this trip will be Frankenstein). Below are my favorite pit stops when driving up the California coast.

• I have to start the trip off with an iced Best Drink Ever from Better Buzz – should help me stay awake for the first leg of the trip.
• If traffic isn’t too bad I will pick up a dozen cupcakes from the Newport Sprinkles for the fam. I’m thinking key lime, lemon coconut, chocolate marshmellow, red velvet…mmm…
• And my top priority will be stopping in to Pacific Health Food in Goleta (right by Santa Barbara) for a chocolate milkshake. It might be healthy, but it sure doesn’t taste like it! Best. Milkshake. Ever. Plus it goes great with a bag of Pirate’s Booty.