Getting desserts plus our real anniversary lunch...

Since I just did a dessert post, here is another one which yielded  a pleasant surprise.

Last week, I was in the area and decided to stop by anothe rfavorite bakery, this time in downtown Chula Vista...

Love Cupcake Cafe

[Update - Closed as of March 2016]

Have you ever received local papers (not the SD U-T) like El Latino or the Star News (for those of us in Chula Vista) on your porch, only to just toss it in recycling without reading it? That's what I usually do. But this time, I saved the July 5 issue of the Chula Vista Star News. The front page had the sad news that the Strawberry Fields on 4th and Main  was looking at its last (gasp!) season, after 27 years of being a fixture in the South Bay. The land was sold and was in escrow and would be put to another use. That was so disappointing to read. I suppose I should do one last visit to the fields for old time's sake.

However, it was page 2 that caught my eye. It was article about a new cupcake place in east Chula Vista.

Well now...I just had to see (and taste) for myself, so with TC as my trusty companion, we drove out near the mall in Otay Ranch and into this strip mall...

Sweets in small packages - dessert at Sugar & Scribe

Fresh from our "pre-anniversary" lunch at The Fishery, our next stop was one of my favorite bakeries in San Diego...

It was just up the street and what sold Bert on going here instead of The Baked Bear was the promise of
a hassle free parking space...

The Baked Bear

Right around the corner from Kafe Yen was this new'ish dessert joint...

TORC and I would be getting our ice cream sandwices on here...

Valley Foods

After our satisfying lunch at Sammoon, Cathy took me on a mini tour...

El Cajon has quite a diverse community and their eateries and markets reflect the population and their needs...

Mel's Donuts

Our next stop during our mini OC road trip was a small donut place in Anaheim...

I actually had the wrong address in the Garmin (I completely missed one digit from the address) and Bert actually spotted it as we were driving up Euclid...

Pre-Anniversary Lunch - The Fishery

Far from the many tattoo parlors, head shops, cheap clothing stores, and crowded sushi joints on Garnet is this gem of a restaurant...

Every anniversary, Bert usually requests seafood. After checking online and consulting a few friends for recommendations, we decided on The Fishery for our pre-anniversary lunch...

Return to Kafe Yen

Thank goodness it was not a damn weekend! I really hate driving around in PB, but with TORC as good company and her good tunes blasting from the radio, the drive was quite enjoyable...

TORC's iPod choices are always eclectic and it's fun trying to figure out some of the songs I'm not familiar with....

We were going to do double duty today...

Pie-Not Strikes Back!

I didn't think it would be right to eat our donuts first then have something savory...

Bert and TC were of the mindset that it was okay to eat dessert first, but put off their donut eating until after our breakfast...

E & Drink 3x plus a Tale of Two Tarts

A few weeks ago, I went out with my neighbor (hereafter referred to as MN). The girls were supposed to go, but her oldest was sick, so TC stayed back with the younger one and the husband.

I wanted MN to try the Hot Pot n Ranch 99. She's pretty game to try anything, which makes her the ideal lunch companion (ha ha)...

18 Years

Celebrating our 18th year of marriage...

(image from Laura Mesguer)


What happened in 1995?