come on into my kitchen.: califoodnia

hello, everyone!

i am FINALLY posting after over a month. and happy 2nd anniversary, little blog!

2010 was a busy busy year for me, with lots of decisions, changes, and stresses that kept me from keeping up with my favorite little project. it's fitting that i celebrate two years of blogging, and a new year of adventures, with a summary of some of the most delicious food i have ever tasted on my trip to california!

j and i hit the road with our dear friend, chris, and his trusty dog, blue, to explore the treasures amidst the golden state's beautiful landscapes. while we were spendthrifts for most of the vacay (we paid for lodging for one night only, thanks to the kindness of friends, new and old), we weren't afraid to spend a little extra to fill our bellies. what fun is traveling if you aren't down to sample the local fare?

and what wonderful sampling we did.

SAN DIEGO

azucar
4820 newport avenue

cafe au lait and a coco y piña scone.

want awesome coffee, beautiful baristas, and scrumptious scones? hit up azucar, a local cuban bakery, and all your sugar and caffeine filled fantasies will come true. in the morning, the small space that houses the bakery is filled with this beautiful light that reflects off the key-lime-mousse colored walls and white tables and chairs...a light that draws you directly to the glass case housing the most carefully crafted, glistening scones, quiches and cookies you've ever seen, tasted or smelled. i had a latté with a coco y piña scone; the boys wet their whistles with azucar's signature quiche and black coffee. and the mojito-lime cookie? criminally delicious.

third corner
2265 bacon st, ocean beach

chris was excited to take us to the restaurant where he works. third corner completely changed my expectations about wine bars. i used to work in one in my hometown, and, as i found out, it was a very "east coast" kind of place. third corner was different. the rooms were laid out like you were in someone's home...the home of someone who has a hell of a lot of wine. there were shelves of wine amidst the tables, and the diners are invited to peruse the thousands of wines available and select the perfect bottle to bring back to the table to enjoy with the meal. chris suggested we try pétalos, a spanish wine, and a white bordeaux. bottles in hand, we took a seat in a cozy room, where the walls were splashed with teal accents, in oversized couches surrounding a rustic, low-to-the-ground wood table.

i liked it already.

we started with the humboldt fog baked goat cheese, served with wild mushrooms and toasted brioche. the cheese literally melted in your mouth, and its texture was almost like a brie, which was pleasantly unexpected. we ordered the house salad and the goat cheese salad. i preferred the former and ended up eating most of it myself, as i loved the basil vinaigrette over the too-sweet strawberry dressing accompanying the goat cheese salad. sharing is great among friends, especially when it comes to entrees. i ordered the pan-seared scallops, which were prepared with tomatoes, nicoise olives, green beans and roasted potatoes in a white wine and lemon sauce...however, jordan's salmon entree made me wish i had ordered what he was enjoying. luckily, he was willing to swap, and we both ended up enjoying the other's dinner more than the dinner we picked for ourselves. the salmon was perfectly tender, surrounded by a killer tomato fennel confit and a heavenly little puff of mashed potatoes. and for dessert? wine, of course. we stayed until midnight.

the blue parrot bar and grill
4993 niagra ave

$2 fish tacos? yes please. go for happy hour, get some beers, chips and guac, and tacos and you've had a great time (and it'll still be early when you're done!) careful...if you're a spice-phobe, the blackened fish tacos are KILLER spicy. but oh-so-rico.

SANTA BARBARA

sojourner cafe
132 e. canon perdido

the mediterranean nut burger

after a long day driving, trying to avoid classic california traffic, what sojourners we were. we stumbled upon this cozy, veg-friendly spot after reading a good review in the lonely planet. the staff was totally friendly; the charismatic host seated the three of us right away, and our super cute, so-cal waitress was patient with our many questions and ready with the right answer every time. jordan tried the restaurant's specialty, the mediterranean nut burger, a totally earthy, all veggie patty that was crafted to taste like veggies, not like a burger. each night sojourner features a special ravioli, which i tried. the night we went it was spinach, artichoke and feta. drizzled with a simple red sauce, it was hard to beat. dessert was coffee ice cream, and it was just perfect.

BIG SUR

big sur river inn and general store

our second night in big sur, after a day of hard hiking, we made it to the inn just in time to replenish our bodies with a delicious made to order burrito. get there before 7 pm...although the general store stays open until 9, the burrito bar housed in the back closes 2 hours before. in big sur, untamed wilderness outnumbers the amount of five star places to eat, but for a group of hungry hikers, a seven buck burrito really hit the spot.

SAN FRANCISCO

the plant
3 locations around sf

the classic plant burger...hold the aioli

we headed to the "café organic" for lunch on our first day in sf. i was blown away by the clean food featured on their menu. all local, all organic, suitable for carnivores with consciences and vegans alike, and they even serve kombucha on tap! if you go, you must get the plant burger, their signature patty made from lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews and bulgur wheat. although it was too early for us to drink, they do serve organic beer and wine to quench the thirsty hippie. leave it to us to find the least healthy thing on the menu for dessert...house made coconut macaroons!!

there was definitely some butter in those bad boys. mmmmmmmm.

osha
5 locations around sf

with a lack of comestible asian food in the small wonder, we were instantly delighted when our san franciscan hosts, lisa and nick, suggested we have dinner at osha, a local restaurant with five branches throughout the city. we arrived while their happy hour was still happening and enjoyed delicious $5 small plates (think scallops with lime, garlic, fresh chili, cilantro and ginger sauce; fresh spring rolls; mango prawns)...nothing terribly fancy, but for five bucks and hungry tourists, perfect appetizers. little did we know we also happened to be there on a "merry monday", where the restaurant offers half price bottles of wine until close! we were very merry indeed....especially when our entrees arrived.

i ordered pad see ew (pron. "you"); a stir-fried noodle dish with garlic, broccoli, and egg in a black bean sauce, there was nothing "ew" about it. in fact, the whole thing was devoured and i was seriously considering licking my plate clean long after the last noodle was eaten. jordan ordered a magnificent sea bass, cooked in an individual clay pot, simmering in a lemongrass sauce. the flavors were light and harmonious, and the fish was cooked to perfection.

la boulange

displaying my membership in the clean plate club

we enjoyed breakfast here two days in a row because it was just THAT good. the cafe au lait makes you want to hug someone, and the "la combo" gets you a delicious meal for only seven dollars (despite its fast-foody name on the menu). choose half a tartine (there are 5 or 6 to choose from, and they all sounded unreal) and greens or soup. on day 1 i enjoyed a portobello mushroom, goat cheese and red pepper tartine, fresh greens with a hint of olive oil and pepper, and fruit. day 2 i tried their house made granola over a bowl of yogurt and fruit drizzled with honey. they say sf is the most european city in the united states, and with places like la boulange, i believe it.

luna park
694 valencia st. (@ 18th)

sparkling rosé at the bar

during our last day in SF, we were hoofing it all over town, trying to see as much as possible before the trip home the next day. our feet were hurting and our mouths were thirsty, so we popped into this real hidden gem in the very eclectic mission neighborhood. the place was filled with beautiful san franciscans enjoying an afternoon cocktail sitting at cozy tables surrounded by lush curtains hanging from the high ceilings. we took a seat at the long bar and the super-hip bar tender came to us right away. since the place almost begged for me to, i ordered a glass of sparkling rosé. it was perfect. chris ordered the goat cheese fondue for us to share, which came in a little ramekin suspended over a tea light to keep the fondue warm. smoky charred baguette and tart green apple slices were the perfect accompaniments to the warm, smooth cheese. a great find for sure.

unwind on union

875 union st (between octavia and laguna)

after an exhausting day, and gearing up for an exhausting night, we popped into unwind in search of a drink and a quick bite to eat. i was sad we didn't have time to linger over our meal in the totally cool layout of this new restaurant, because i absolutely loved it. the owner was friendly, not because he was required to be, but because he wanted to be (and believe me, i can tell the difference). he knew the menu like the back of his hand, and commended our selections. i ordered the fish tacos; the dish came with three, and i devoured every last bit. the fresh tomatillo salsa was outstanding. chris, the recently-converted carnivore, was delighted with his mac-and-cheese sprinkled with smoked bacon and the ingenious lobster corn dog. and the kicker? a neato pyrex cube of filled with gummi bears at the host station on the way out.

california certainly knows how to cook and to eat. here's a few more snaps from some memorable meals throughout the trip...