Kari Kari Chili Crisps, Fuji Ramen San Diego, and Homemade Filipino BBQ Plate Submitted by dennis on 08/15/2020 - 9:12am. My friend Nguyen is starting up a new business producing chili oil sauce and gave me a few prototype samples to try. This sauce is similar to the kind that you find in a lot of Chinese cuisines. The main difference and draw are the crispy bits of garlic and shallots. Hence the name, Chili Crisps ..read more

The French Oven Bakery & Cafe - San Diego, CA Submitted by lynn on 08/10/2020 - 6:10pm. My foodie friends had mentioned The French Oven Bakery & Cafe a few times and I finally had a chance to try it this summer! This small shop is located in the Scripps Ranch area of San Diego and provides social distancing through limiting customers in store and 6 feet markers on the ground. Our first takeout was in early July. Dennis participated in the virtual version of the annual Scripps Ranch Old Pros bike / fun run event and claimed a free pastry offer from here plus brought home a few tre ..read more

CAKED 1 Year Anniversary - San Diego, CA Submitted by dennis on 06/19/2020 - 7:23pm. Congrats on the 1 year anniversary of CAKED, a blossoming business that sells delicious homemade cookies and brownies! We first discovered this tasty treat while visiting the Miralani Makers' District, which is off Camino Ruiz in between Mira Mesa and Miramar. Besides this brick and mortar location, CAKED owner Kathy Phan also sells to customers at various public and private events ..read more

Supporting Local: Boss Bird Kitchen - San Diego, CA Submitted by lynn on 05/13/2020 - 9:38pm. While we may be enjoying the homebody life more than we'd like to admit, we still support local by ordering from neighborhood businesses. Another new eatery in our area is Boss Bird Kitchen on Miramar Rd. They took over the spot where Gaya Gaya once was, and Sarap Kitchen before that! Foodie friend Mary had expressed interest also so I met her for lunch during their soft opening lunch service back in February, when dining in was still the norm. There is also a revisit, takeout style, in the ..read more

Peohe's in Coronado - San Diego Restaurant Week preview Submitted by lynn on 01/20/2020 - 8:37pm. San Diego Restaurant Week is back between January 19 - 26, 2020! Participating restaurants throughout San Diego County offer prix fixe meals with lunches ranging from $10-25 and dinners at $20-60. Through a media pairing with Peohe's, we were able to visit majestic Coronado Island and dine within meters of the ocean! Seriously, what could be grander than food with a view? From one side of the restaurant patio, you can see the San Diego downtown skyline and from the other side, you can see the Co ..read more

Happy holidays and Toast of Gaslamp Submitted by lynn on 12/30/2019 - 11:52am. Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! I'm sharing a few highlights from this festive season below ..read more

Toast Gastrobrunch - Carlsbad, CA Submitted by lynn on 12/17/2019 - 2:00pm. If you like tasty breads with toppings, Toast Gastrobrunch offers several as well as other breakfast choices! I've noticed them on social media recently and had a mini-preview during this year's Reader Brunch and Booze. We were recently invited for a full restaurant experience which led us to Carlsbad in north county San Diego. It's one street away from I-5 highway exit Palomar Airport Road. Luckily they have a larger parking lot outside so we were able to park close. By 10am, the place was packed with at le ..read more

A Walk to Remember: National Mall, Memorials and Arlington National Cemetery - Washington, DC Submitted by lynn on 11/23/2019 - 12:59pm. It's been years since I went site-seeing in Washington D.C. Does a seventh grade field trip really count if I don't remember where I went? Since it was only 1 hour away from Columbia, MD, the weekend was reserved for the famed District of Columbia, i.e. Washington D.C. My plan was to explore the National Mall area and take photos of monuments and memorials I found through google maps. A little after 7am, I paid for 3 hours of parking on Ohio Dr SW near ..read more

Omakase at TOO Sushi Project - Carlsbad, CA Submitted by lynn on 11/19/2019 - 7:11pm. Omakase has been on my to-do list for a while and I finally had the opportunity earlier this month! TOO Sushi Project strives for the best quality seafood and other ingredients, which includes sourcing from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo or local fisheries. That morning, fresh fish was flown in from Japan so we were in for a real treat ..read more

San Diego Reader Brunch and Booze - recap Submitted by lynn on 10/28/2019 - 1:16pm. The newest food festival to hit town was the first annual San Diego Reader Brunch and Booze! There was no way we would miss out on this tasting, considering how much we've enjoyed their other events Tacotopia and Burgers & Beer! The festival was held at NTC Park in Liberty Station on Saturday October 19, 2019 between 12-3pm (or 11-3pm for VIP). Parking was much easier than Golden Hill from prior activities ..read more