My sister recently moved to San Diego's North Park and has been raving about her new neighborhood. I had been planning to visit so when the San Diego Tourism reached out to me to share some of my favorite spots, I couldn't be more excited. 

Just a little over 2 hours away, San Diego welcomed me with Wow Wow Waffle to satiate my hunger. I ordered an assortment of sweet & savory and fell in love with the Number 7, bacon baked in brown sugar, avocado, & goat cheese. 

I spent the latter of Friday night strolling North Park and catching up with my sister. Willy and I decided to take a nice stroll through the residential neighborhood Saturday morning. The houses are all super unique with different shapes, sizes, and decor. 

The rest of our Saturday and Sunday on a self led food tour with zero regrets. We ate everything from lobster mac n cheese to giant bavarian pretzels and artisanal donuts. Here is my round up of my try eateries/restaurants and everything in between.

1. Nomad Donuts

3102 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104

Known from their world inspired flavor donuts, Nomad also features a full service cafe bar, bagels, and breakfast eats. We tried four different donuts and loved every single one. The Mango Cake Mango Chili Tamarind is definitely a wild card but was a unique try. 

Mango Cake Mango Chili Tamarind, Meyer Lemon Crueller, Apple Jam Almond Cardamom, Passionfruit Orange Guava

2. California Tap Room

3812 Ray St, San Diego, CA 92104

If you are as much of a soft pretzel fiend as I am, you cannot miss this one. They have a variety of pretzels from the Giant Bavarian (pictured below) to the Philly Sourdough. They warm up the pretzel and serve it with a side of beer cheese and an assortment of delicious mustards. Not only did we order two pretzels, we also went home with a side of beer cheese and mustards to use at home. That good. 

3. Liberty Public Market

2820 Historic Decatur Rd, San Diego, CA 92106

Nothing speaks to me more than a food collective with a little something for everyone. I love going to tons of stalls and getting an item or two from each and eating everything family style. Liberty Public Market definitely delivered. We got sausages and fries from Mastiff Sausage Company, lobster mac n cheese from Wicked Maine Lobster, arancini balls from Roma Express, and jambalaya from Cane Patch Kitchen.

4. Barbusa

1917 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

My sister took me to Little Italy for dinner and we dined on fresh handmade pasta and delicious wood fired pizzas. Pro tip, take a Lyft as parking can be a bit tricky. I instagram polled and everyone told me to order the Bone Marrow Cavatelli. So glad I listened. Also, I'm definitely into ordering pizzas as appetizers. Am I the only one? We got the Dolci E Piccante which is a sweet and spicy and features a lavender honey.

5. Coral Tree Tea House

2490 Heritage Park Row, San Diego, CA 92110

Two words. High tea. Pretty much my favorite bougie thing to do. Coral Tree Tea House sits in historical Heritage Park. It is family owned and everything is made in house. Not to mention, the teas were so good! My favorite was Carmen and it smelled INCREDIBLE. 

6. Carnitas Snack Shack

2632 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104

If you're a Fried Chicken Sandwich connoisseur, you must try theirs. The tri pepper marmalade and chive aioli makes for the perfect combination. We also got the Steak Sandwich which was also incredible but for sure the Fried Chicken stole the show. 

Looking back it's hard to imagine that I managed to eat all that in 2 days but somehow, my body made room. Walking around San Diego, I already have a list of my next spots I must try. Can't wait to be back soon! Until then, xo.

I want to thank San Diego Tourism for sponsoring this post. Funded in part with City of San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment Funds.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a great start to their year. I know my posts for 2017 were a bit sporadic towards the end of the year. The reason for this is I noticed myself sharing restaurant reviews that I wasn't particularly passionate about.

For 2018, I want to focus more on story telling, particularly travel and city guides. Currently, I have trips planned for San Diego, Salt Lake City, Cancun, Vegas, Phoenix, & Portland. That's just through March! I'm hoping to add an international trip as well as a few more weekend trips throughout the year. Stay tuned for the best of all of these cities!

I kicked off my new year with a day in Little Tokyo. I had a blast covering Delicious Little Tokyo last summer and this time, I wanted to focus on new discoveries, both food and shopping, that make Little Tokyo so fun. I've partnered with Go Little Tokyo (yay!) to share some of my faves. 

1. Tea Master Matcha Cafe & Green Tea Shop

450 E 2nd St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

The store name speaks for itself but just in case, this little shop nestled in the Honda Plaza across from Sushi Gen features ceremonial grade matcha as well as unique green tea gifts. We opted to start our day with a Matcha Latte, the famous Soft Serve, and some Baked Tofu Donuts. Also a huge plus, all the lattes are served with oat milk. It's like they know I'm currently oat milk obsessed. It's a perfect start to your day or post meal treat. Either way, definitely check it out if you can't get enough of Matcha!

2. Poketo Pop Up

374 E. 2nd Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

I'm a huge fan of lifestyle stores that have a little bit of everything. My bank account, not so much a fan. Poketo has two other stores at The Line Hotel in Ktown and The Platform in Culver City. They've opened up this Little Tokyo pop up to showcase the best of their offerings. I had a hard time not taking home all the delicious candles and cute accessories. Not to mention, the chic stationary was screaming my name. 

3. Far Bar

347 E 1ST STLOS ANGELES, CA 90012

Ok so I'm cheating a little because this is totally not a new discovery. I've been time and time again but it deserves a mention because of how much I love it. The vibe is super chill and they have ample local beers on tap. Their food menu is good and includes my favorite Wasabi Fries, extra wasabi please. At 3pm, they open up the back patio and entrance. There's strung up lights, outdoor seating, and chill music. Obsessed. 

For this round, we got Wasabi Fries, Duck Fried Rice, and Sliders Bento Box. Oh and a beer. All so good. 

4. bae 

369 E 2nd St Los Angeles, CA 90012

This coffee, doughnut, soft serve spot is neighbors to the former American Apparel store. They feature artisanal coffee and donuts as well as unique soft serve flavors. You can even upgrade to get the charcoal cone. The interior is hip with gray tones and make for the perfect instagram backdrop. I mean, they have a neon sign that says "With Love, From Bae." Can you say #bestoftheday. 

I opted for the Fruit Pebbles & Toasted Cinnamon swirl topped with mochi and corn flakes. Next time, I'm going to try the Charcoal Pineapple to give my black and white dreams come true. 

What are your favorite spots in Little Tokyo? I'm always looking for an excuse to spend time there.

xo, Jenny

One of my favorite areas to visit in LA is Little Tokyo. There's always something exciting going on whether it's a fun festival or spotting people dressed as their favorite anime character. But let's talk about the real reason I love Little Tokyo, the food. The area is filled with everything from Traditional Japanese Cuisine to new age Fusion Food. Essentially, there's always something for everyone. 

This week from Friday, July 21 -  Sunday, July 23rd, Go Little Tokyo celebrates their 2nd Annual Delicious Little Tokyo which highlights all the delicious food and drink Little Tokyo has to offer. There are tons of workshops, tastings, and culinary celebrations going on all weekend. Baldoria is offering a pizza workshop - yes please. There's even a spam masubi making class!

Check their website for more details! Hope to see you there! In the meantime, here are some of my favorite moments from my most recent trip to Little Tokyo. 

Romper c/o Gear Relapse

Have you had the Takoyaki or Mitarashi Dango? One is fried octopus balls and the other is sweet sticky mochi on a stick. Both are my favorites! Get them at Mitsuru Cafe in the Japanese Village Plaza Mall. They also make these delicious red bean cakes called Imagawayaki. 

Afterwards, we went to the popular Cafe Dulce. They made incredible donuts and have refreshing coffees and teas. My favorite donut is the Strawberry Cream and Cinnamon Toast Crunch but you HAVE to get a half dozen in you plan on taking a cute photo. Obviously! They'll be hosting a latte art competition during Delicious Little Tokyo. 

I always finish off my Little Tokyo experience with a Pinkberry. Maybe because it's right by where I park and manages to lure me every time. Either way, I enjoy my original tart with strawberries, mochi, toasted almonds, and yogurt chips. 

xo Jenny

Taking over the former Capital Grille (RIP) in the heart of Brentwood, Bottlefish offers it's patrons delicious food with a gorgeous atmosphere. With everything from a full bar to an oyster bar, Bottlefish has got all the makings for a fun brunch with the gals or a dinner date with boo.

I'm down for dinner as long as they have the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes available. Probably the best thing I ate the entire meal. Super fluffy and flavorful.  

Can you believe that this is called, petite? I never used to be a fan of raw seafood, yes that include sashimi. This is shocking for anyone who's eaten with me in the last several years since I without fair always order some form of raw seafood for every meal. I'm glad my tastes have changed just in time to devour this tray. The ceviche and oysters were my favorite and my friend Jenn couldn't get enough of the shrimps!

Battle of the toasts! RICOTTA TOAST house-made thick cut brioche, fresh ricotta, orange-turmeric-ginger jam vs. LOBSTER TOAST avocado mousse, lemon chili dressing, radishes, toasted country bread. I really truly with all my heart wanted to love the Ricotta Toast but unfortunately, it was just too bready for me and the jam ricotta combo was too light in flavor to make it a tasty dish. That being said, the Lobster Toast won hands down. Deliciously large chunks of lobster over a light avocado mousse. Yes please.  

HOUSE CURED SALMON GRAVLAX house-cured, cucumbers, dill cream, capers, red onions, potato galette. I loved the creativity of the potato galette. Typically, you eat this with a thick bagel. The crispy potato really added a crunch element which was absolutely delicious!

CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS Thai vinaigrette. If ever there are Crispy Brussels on a menu, count me in. Literally. 100% of the time. Because of this, I feel like I know how I like my brussels. Crispy with a lot of sauce. And this was that. The Thai vinaigrette is absolutely delicious but if you're not a fan of salty, this  might not be for you as it is very strong in savory goodness. 

Which dish are you most interested in trying?

xo, Jenny