A few weeks ago, I got to take a fun, extended-weekend vacay to San Diego for my cousin’s wedding.
I love when great things like family weddings are combined with great cities to explore, eat and drink through. We found so many great place in SD and enjoyed the California vibe (California casual, as some would say).
Pacific Beach Fish Shop
This was our first stop after flying in to San Diego. And boy, was that a flight! Now that I live on the East Coast, it takes a heck of a lot longer to get to the West Coat. But we made it, and by the time we did (after leaving at 4 am), we were sooo hungry! This fish taco shop absolutely filled our hungry tummies with fresh seafood cooked to order in the form of awesome fish tacos. I had one taco with halibut and one with mahi mahi (if I remember correctly) and mango salsa. The fish was marinated and cooked to perfection with tons of flavor. Pair that with a local hard cider, and I was one jet-lagged but happy girl.
The Beach
I love that the beach is like everywhere in San Diego. We could easy drive to the beach, where we walked on the pier and admired all of the amazing succulents. There were succulents bigger than my head…everywhere!
La Jolla
The trip would not have been complete if we didn’t trek over to La Jolla to visit the seals. Even though they were just sitting on the sand smelling weird and occasionally moving like worms, they were so cute and entertaining.
Tartine
After taking a morning walk on the beach in Coronado (one of the cutest parts of SD that we saw), we stopped for a family breakfast at Tartine. We got to sit outside (which I love), and all eight of us enjoyed an hour or so of good pastries, coffee, tea and light breakfast foods. The company was amazing and so was the Bacon Gruyere Scone!
The day before that, we enjoyed a cocktail on the patio at Hotel del Coronado overlooking the beach.
Buona Forchetta
This was one of our best meals, and some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had. From the sardine salad (ya’ll, good sardines are actually delicious) to the lentil soup to the zucchini flower pizza, everything was incredibly well-prepared with amazing flavor and freshness.
In-N-Out
Of course, we couldn’t go to Cali and not stop for a burger and fries at In-N-Out. Their animal style burger (with caramelized onions) is one of my favorites!
Breweries
We really hit the jackpot with this trip because my brother-in-law Jared, a home brewer and beer enthusiast, had already picked out a few breweries to hit up! Again, thankfully I like beer now. The whole fam had a blast doing lots of touring and tasting.
Ballast Point Brewing Co.
We got a tour of this brewery that’s growing like crazy, and we tried their famous Sculpin IPA and many other delicious brews. They had one called Ginger Beerd that was my favorite.
White Labs
It was a treat to visit White Labs, a huge name in the yeast business (so I am told). Their beer offering are quite unique because they’re based on one type of beer brewed with a variation of yeast. I had a Saison flight, and each one had such a unique flavor. Who knew yeast could make such an interesting difference. Also, this brewery was extra fun because you can literally see into their scientific lab where they experiment with the yeast, and their light fixtures where beakers. Yeah for science!
Stone Brewing Co.
Another big name in the brewing business, Stone Brewing Co. is located in San Diego. We visited their huge bar/restaurant that can seat hundreds and has a massive outdoor area with fire pits and a desert-like feel. They had tons of beers on tap and are making some really creative drinks.
Overall, San Diego had a lot to explore, and I’m sure I could have done a lot more with more time. Thanks, SD!