Return to Sidecar Doughnuts

This past weekend, I thought it would be fun to combine a mini food/road trip with a birthday party we were going to attend...

Bright and early it was as we drove out from San Diego, passing by the now de-commissioned "tits"  San Onofre Nuclear facility and up to the OC...

Sammoon Bakery & Restaurant

Sometime last week, I ventured out to the east county to have lunch with Cathy...

at an Iraqi place she highly recommended...

Back to the Gelato Bus Stop

It was nice driving here during early afternoon. No traffic and it wasn't really beach season yet...

What am I talking about? Every day is beach season here in San Diego!   As I methodically eke out my older posts, I

Frock You! Vintage Boutique

Right after we enjoyed our relatively tame burgers from Crazy Burger, I wanted to do a quick looksee here...

before we headed out to dessert...

Return to the new Zion Market + Boba Bar

After a relatively short drive from La Jolla to Clairemont, the girls and I arrived at the still peaceful and not yet crowded Zion Market...

I'm sure that was a different story today, since it was the big "Grand Opening"..

The girls wanted to try something at a newly opened establishment within Zion while I was keen on getting a few grocery items...

Quince Street Bridge

Fresh from our quick jaunt across the Vermont Street Bridge...

and armed with a printout of the many bridges in San Diego, we found our next bridge to cross...

Return to the Torrey Pines Glider Port

It was like deja vu...

Taking the same few snaps again for my return visit...

but this time, with TC and her friend Sherlock in tow...

We had our banh mi from K Sandwiches and our pastries from Pangea waiting to be enjoyed...

Effin' What?

I didn't believe it until I saw it and heard it for myself.

Gifts, snacks, and other random stuff...

This is just another compendium of photos that don't quite warrant a full post...

like this awesome GREMLIN that we saw in a friend's neighborhood!

Now, I need to spot a Pacer, a Vega, and a Pinto!

But wait, there's more...not found in any store!

Dessert with Astroboi @ H&H

Pleased with my purchase of my spiky brass knuckle clutch from the Spare Room,

Astroboi and I went to share some dessert at Bonita's favorite bakery just down the street...

"Game On!" - The SD Fair, Part 2 - The Food

We saw the sights!

Now it's time for the food!

K Sandwiches & Pangea

Last week, one of TC's friends spent the day with us. I thought it would be fun to take to them to Torrey Pines Glider Port but before doing so...

We made a quick stop at the corner of Linda Vista Road and Mesa College Drive....

Pancit time!

A few days ago, I felt like making pancit bihon...

When we were in Seafood City, we bumped into a friend who saw my basket full of pancit ingredients. She asked, "What's the occasion?" to which I replied, "None! I just feel like making it!", which was true...

Kyoto Gift & Food

Our last stop that day was at South Bay's only Japanese market.

I forgot to get some masago the other day at Zion and after our dessert at Up2You Cafe, we wanted to beat the afternoon traffic...

Return to Up2You Cafe

Our lunch at Nijiya and quick pit stop at Cafe Hue still left me craving dessert. Aaaaaand, since we were in the area...

Why not go back to Up2You?

My mind was doing somersaults with glee because we had five people in our group that day...

In search of dessert....ending at K-Pasta

Although TORC and I had that splendid chocolate mousse dessert at Cafe di Roma...

I still wanted to make a quick stop at a local South Bay institution...

It's usually a hit or miss thing and in this case...

"Game On!" - The SD Fair, Part 1 - The Sights

Earlier last week, we three plus TC's friend KDD headed out to the San Diego Fair (which I still refer to as the "Del Mar" Fair)...

We bypassed the traffic on the 5 on a side street...seeing the fair from afar before heading into free parking...

Mignon once again

Also in the same vicinity of Old Pasadena was a cute little chocolate shop that I'd been to several times before.

It was just up the street and around the corner from 'Lette Macarons...

Cafe di Roma

If you haven't noticed, summer has been a fun but busy time for me. I can finally go out and enjoy lunch with friends and not be stuck in an office eating leftovers! Gawd, I felt so repressed! Until now!

TORC was finally on vacation as well. That's the good thing about being an educator, we know will get a summer vacation, although hers is longer than mine. No more grading papers! We had a lot of catching up to do...

Return to Babycakes

Our last stop for the night would be what we thought would be dessert at d bar.

Unfortunately, it was closed on Mondays!

Aaargh, so plan B and C was set in motion...

'Lette Macarons

Man, were we ever going to make it to Marvin's booksigning? Not to worry...we still had a few hours before heading over to Vroman's.

There were just too many stops along the way, but boy, were they worth it. We just had to enjoy the beautiful day in Pasadena...

Huapango's

Well now...fortified with a few drinks, we strolled over to Huapango's across the street.

Mr. TJ really likes the Happy Hour there and also a particular hot waiter...

Osteria Origano

This weekend, I met up with a few of my co-workers to celebrate the retirement of our former co-worker, MFH...

We all met at the beautiful home of Mr. TJ who lives in the historic neighborhood of Talmadge, where he whipped up a few drinks before we headed out to our first stop...

Return to Nijiya for lunch plus Cafe Hue

Sometime last week TC's friend KDD spent the day with us. We thought it would be fun to have lunch at Nijiya.

To make it even more fun, we had more adults - myself, Bert as well as D! The more the merrier. I'd given the girls a choice of Japanese or hotpot (TC already had it earlier that week at E & Drink) and Japanese won out...

Euro Pane Bakery

After our last stop at Cream Pan, we relaxed while we enjoyed the drive up to Pasadena, passing through crappy construction on the I-5. Once we arrived in Pasadena, Cathy showed me the barn where the floats are kept for the Rose Parade as well as a portio of the parade route, and several notable restaurants and landmarks in the area.

We still had plenty of time to kill before the book signing, so lunch was in order!

I remembered one of Cathy's older posts on this European bakery (linked at the end) so that was where we had our mid-day sustenance...

An edgy find at The Spare Room

After our lunch at Ono's, Astroboi and I popped over next door at this consignment shop...

I'd been there a few months ago and ended up getting a orchid cordury pair of jeans here. It looks better than it sounds. But I told him, I just wanted to "look"...

Return to Ono's Cafe

Sometime last week, I had the pleasure of having lunch with one of my very dear friends, Astroboi, who I haven't seen since the last Twilight movie and ate at Pink Noodle.

Earlier that morning, I had a few errands to run and snapped this shot (while at a stoplight) at the intersection across the street from Southwestern College.

I love when the jacarandas are in bloom...

My car smelled like something died in it, so I had gone to JNC Pinoy Food Mart to buy one of those "My Shaldan" air fresheners.

Vermont Street Bridge

Have you ever gone to the Trader Joe's in Hillcrest?

Perhaps, you've parked in the back...

and you might have noticed a bridge...

Return to the Barbecue Pit plus Father's Day dinner

As mentioned previously, Father's Day lunch was spent at the good ole Barbecue Pit in National City...

located across a place I detested in my youth, Yardage Town. As children, my mom would drag me and my siblings here to wander the fabric bolt filled aisles while she shopped for patterns to make our clothes. I haven't  been there in years but the stale "fabric-y" smell of that place still reminds me of childhood...

But back to across the street....

Deconstructed Krab wraps

I know the title of the post sounda rather boring, unimaginative, and maybe even unappetizing,

but this wanna be chirashi sushi (made with that fake Krab stuff) still came out pretty damn good...

It's so easy, you don't really need a recipe but...

Father's Day recap

This will be just a quick post.

This is how we spent Father's Day...

Lunch was Bert's choice...

Deli SA

As you head east on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, past Ranch 99, you might see this sign on your left. If you pass it, you will be near the freeway exit which means you've gone too far.

(this was taken on the way out, actually)

I was curious to pick up some of their savory pies to enjoy later...

Eclipse Brunch revisited

Another one of my almost forgotten Spring Break posts...

We finally decided to make use of Bert's "winning ticket" from Eclipse...

Crazy Burger - North Park

I'm determined to finally finish off my "hanging chad" posts from Spring Break...one of which includes this burger place in North Park...

Gifted with a groupon from KD, we headed out to give this place a try...

Return to E & Drink

Now that Zion is open, the crowds seemed to have abated at Ranch 99. It also helped that we went before the lunch hour and on a weekday...

Otherwise, I wouldn't have even attempted going here!  Right now, Zion is the "shiny new toy" and it's not even busy there yet.

Lunch was on our minds...

Return to Cream Pan

Since Tustin was on our way up, I thought it would be good to squeeze in this visit...

I wanted Cathy to try one of their specialities here and she was quite amenable to make a stop here on our way up to Pasadena...

Pie-Not - The Aussie Style Bakery

Well now...we just had savory pastries at 85C, then hopped over to Bon Epi for a mac fix. Then we had a hipster "doughnut" next door at Sidecar.  We could NOT pass this place up especially since San Diego doesn't have a place like this...

and more importantly, because there was NO LINE!

This place seemed to be pretty new...

Return to SEL in RPQ & Yogurt Swirl

What's nice about being on break is that I can finally go out to lunch with my friends and with TC. It really beats being cooped up in the office and eating at my desk or having leftovers.

Best of all, I am not subjected to the narrow whims of several of my co-workers who seem to be afraid to venture out of their culinary comfort zone.

Paris Baguette @ the new Zion

Did I mention how spacious it was in here?

This is the view facing the exit. It's near a jewelry store and some K-Pop gift shop.

The new Zion Market

A few days ago, TC and I finally got to check out the new Zion Market...

which was formerly a Sears store on Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

This turned out to be a day where we hit up three different ethnic markets, but this would be the first stop...

Hipster "Doughnuts" @ Sidecar

With the skies still gray and our curiosity piqued about this new donut place in Costa Mesa,

southward we went on our little food adventure with Cathy at the wheel...

Bon Epi revisit

Within the same shoping center (in which EVERY business is Asian,) is yet another bakery across the parking lot...

While Bon Epi may not be as crowded as 85C, it was still a place we had to visit...

Purple and rust

Every springtime in San Diego, the jacaranda blossoms start to bloom...

heralding the end of Spring and the beginning of summer...

The long way to "The Adobo Road" book signing- Stop 1: 85C with Cathy

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going on a mini road trip (which of course, turned into a Food Crawl) with my good friend, the ever knowledgeable Cathy of Mmm-Yoso.

The occasion? We were on our way up to Pasadena for foodblogger turned author, Marvin Gapulto's publication of "The Adobo Road", a Filipino cookbook.

Our first stop was a place I'd been to many times before, but Cathy hadn't. As you can see, NO LINE!

The "usual" at Pho Convoy

To celebrate my last day of work and TC's last day of school, we went out for dinner at our local Vietnamese place, Pho Convoy.

Our baby tween is now officially an 8th grader ((sniff))!

We noticed the specials board featuring eggplant...

Mabuhay Festival

This past weekend we attended this event at Kimball Park in National City...

Of course, I was interested in the food...

Sugary Toroids

TC and I went to get our free donuts today at the local Krispy Kreme located in Eastlake at the shopping center with Kohl's, Marisco's Hector's, Wings and Things, and Jack in the Crack.

We haven't been there since I signed up on their website and got a freebie coupon for one donut. Today's occasion was National Donut Day. I normally don't pay attention to these "Day of (insert food item here), but hey, you say, "free donut" of your choice, and I'm there!