San Diego, CA - What to Eat

As you know, our vacations consist of a lot of eating, and San Diego was no different. In fact, it was one of my favorite dining cities, where we had one of our all time favorite meals! I recently was looking through photos to create our Christmas card, and asked Jesse if he thought anyone would appreciate a card of food pictures... ;)
I had a few places picked out ahead of time from Pinterest and other blogs. We met up at the end of the week with Jesse's brother and sister-in-law, who had a few food requests as well. Otherwise, we would search as on the go, depending on which side of town we were on. Here are a few of our favorites:

Chocolat Cafe and Gelato - gelato and ice cream shops are all over, but I think we hit the jackpot at this random stop. The gelato was so beautiful and vibrant. We picked four flavors to split and they were all equally delicious.

Extraordinary Desserts - This place definitely lives up to it's name. I've never seen such intricate and beautiful cakes and pastries! You can dine in for dinner and dessert, or order something sweet directly from the case.

Donut Bar - originated in San Diego, and now has multiple locations. Their donuts are huge! They claim to be the "best," but honestly they were kind of a dud. Until the guy behind the counter started passing out made to order Donut French Toast. This, my friends, is their best kept secret.

Considering you can see Mexico as you fly into San Diego, there is plenty of Mexican food and inspiration! We chose Los Panchos de Charly, in walking distance of our hotel, for taquitos and tostadas. I wouldn't say this is the place to go, but it was fresh and yummy, and really hit the spot.

Okay, now I must tell you about one of our very favorite places we've ever eaten. While on a city tour I overheard a local tell another couple the best place in their Little Italy district is Davanti Enoteca. I honestly had no idea what he said, but I repeated the syllables long enough to pull out my phone and save it. We walked over the next day for lunch and had an amazing Italian beef sandwich with dipping au jus. Such a simple sandwich, but out of this world flavor! We also chose a selection of Salumi e Formaggi (meat and cheese): taleggio cheese, cured Berkshire salami in truffle oil, and duck salami. Freaking amazing. One of the best things I've ever eaten. We returned the next day with Matt and Heidi for brunch and another round of cheese and meats.

After lunch in Little Italy, we returned for dinner that night, and decided on a whim for Buon Appetito. We both really wanted a good bowl of pasta. We lucked out and were seated almost immediately although there was a very long line. We were given a bread loaf and cup of marina. An incredible, fresh tomato marina, that has changed all future marina eating experiences. Few marinas will ever measure up, I'm certain. Jesse opted for the Linguine Boscomare (shrimp, scallops, clams in wine sauce), while I went for the Borsettini di Vitello e Funghi (pocket pasta filled with veal and mushrooms) in their creamy marina sauce. Y'all, if I had only one meal left in this life I would fly to San Diego for this pasta. No regrets. Oh, and let's not forget about the cannoli! We took Matt and Heidi here the very next night.

While exploring La Jolla with Matt and Heidi we made sure to eat an appropriate amount of dessert. One stop was the Baked Bear, a build-your-own cookie/brownie ice cream sandwich. Not a new idea, but we all approved of their flavors!

Another top contender on this trip was Hammond's Ice Cream. You can order in a cup or cone. Or if you're like us and can't decide want to try them all, you can have a flight of mini cones! Very unique and prominent flavors. We would definitely seek this place out again! Check out their website and drool over a few flavors like Vanilla Rose and Lychee Cream.

Lastly, Wow Wow Waffle, which had to be the most unique atmosphere. It was an outdoor restaurant, sort of in a large alley way between two other buildings. It had fun seating with large wooden tables and succulents all around. They gave the food truck vibe without actually being a food truck. But somehow they produced these delicious waffles from behind a curtain. Maybe it was magic. I dunno. They make Belgium yeast waffles (not your typical waffle batter) - is their thing. Since we were there for brunch we both started with something pretty ordinary as far as toppings go. Next we split a bacon/avocado/goat cheese waffle.

There was more food had, but these were the outstanding dishes. San Diego was a perfect trip. So many activities to do. It was a very clean city, and I always felt safe walking around even on my own. The weather was perfect, and the food top notch. We'll be back for you, SD!