Romping Around

Target // Mossimo

We had a wild night on Friday bar hopping in Ocean Beach to celebrate a friend's birthday, which was really refreshing because I thought I'd aged out of Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach.  It was an 80's theme.  We did not dress up although in a way I felt like I did because I was wearing a romper.  I think it's important to note that it's my very first romper ever.  Well, not ever, but the last time I wore one it actually was the 80's and I was about 10 years old.  It's one of those things I kept saying, "Oh yeah, I need to get one of those," but never did.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked them.  Then I wasn't sure if I wanted to take down my top to go to the bathroom.  Then I wasn't sure if the trend was going to die and I'd be stuck with something I didn't want to wear.  Then it seemed like they just wouldn't go away so when my mom spotted a cute one while we were at Target, I tried it on and was sold on the comfort and versatility.  It's not to tight or too short. 

Me Too Abbie Ballet Flat // DSW

 Someone had an extra gold chain for MJ so we fit right in.  Bar hopping and dancing wearing a romper with ballet flats was positively liberating.  These flats are amazing.  The goal was to find a pair of ballet flats that felt like house slippers and these are it.  I'm already looking for a pair in nude or taupe.  I felt comfortable.  I felt like me.  We had a great time.  I'll have to reconsider Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach for fun nights out without the downtown pressure to dress a certain way.  Oh, and the prices.  At the first bar we hadn't eaten so I was going to wait and not order anything but when the waitress put two beers in front of him and asked for $7.50 I was all over it because you can't get a single drink for less then $10.00 downtown and that's what Uber is for.  We left the driving to them.  Sometimes the downtown scene is just too much with all the heels and the tight dresses.  I have nothing against either.  Not true.  I'm pretty much over heels that hurt.  I refuse to suffer anymore.  Anyway, I love downtown and I'll go back, but the change in scenery was nice. 

I think the same could be said about Dolci Cafe Italiano Rancho San Diego.  It's one of those unassuming little places in a strip mall that you see on your way to the grocery store and say, "That place looks cute, we need to try it," and then promptly forget about it until you see it again and say, "That place looks cute, we need to try it." Well, we finally tried it on Sunday.  This is our last weekend at home together for the next month and we wanted to go out for breakfast.  Coast?  or local?  It was hot.   It would have been nice to head out towards the beach, but then I thought about it.  Local, because all the hot spots would probably have long wait times without a reservation.  And then there is the parking.

We love the vibrant restaurant scene in San Diego but sometimes we just want to drive to a restaurant, get out of the car and eat so it's always nice to find cute non-chain restaurants without all the hoopla.  We were seating in the covered patio area which was nice.  The Italian sausage was juicy and the french toast was perfectly moist in the middle and full of flavor.  And the prices! My french toast was $9.00.  Our bill was only $35 and that includes three mimosas.  Two for me.  I can't wait to go back to try lunch and dinner.

I should probably wear my romper.

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BO-Beau Kitchen + Garden

We usually end up in The Gaslamp, Hillcrest or North Park when we go out to eat.  I love those areas but I also like finding places a little closer to home where we don't have to deal with the whole parking situation or lack thereof.  La Mesa has some really cute restaurants and I'm so glad it's the home of  BO-Beau Kitchen + Garden.  It's usually pretty packed and we couldn't even get a reservation for last Saturday eve but they said we could call ahead to check on the wait so we decided to give it a shot.  There was no wait at the time we were ready to go so we got seated right away in the outdoor patio.  It's a really pretty area under a canopy of trees surrounded by lots of greenery.  It's one of those places where you walk in and feel right at home.  The ambiance is just right.  The tables are dark and rustic and I almost jumped out of my seat with excitement over those blue mason jars.  

Their Brussel Sprouts with bacon are some of the best I've ever had.  This is our second time and I will have to get it whenever I go there because they are just so good.  Vegetables can be really bland but these brussel sprouts were full of flavor.  I ordered the Boeuf Bourguignon which is basically like a beef stew with potatoes, baby carrots and onions.  It came with a side of hot bread in a cute little brown baguette bag.  I wanted to eat the whole thing in one bite.  I almost did, but I'm off bread for the time being so I restrained myself.  The meat was so tender it fell apart as soon as I stuck my fork in it and the sauce was delicious.  It didn't look like that much food but it was.  I ate as much as I could, but had to take some of it home and it was even better the next day.  MJ ordered the Burger Royale and added a fried egg on top.  Not my cup of tea but he really liked it.  It was huge.  He was only able to eat half of it.  

I ate out a lot that week.  Let's see,  Bertrand at Mr. A's on Saturday, Rei do Gado Brazilian Steakhouse on Wednesday, The Yard House on Thursday and Bo-Beau Kitchen on Saturday.  All of which are in the Gaslamp except for Bo Beau Kitchen and it also was one of my favorites.  Two were Birthday related, but also I had to get it in while the getting was good before I started Whole30 which basically cuts out everything.  Well, not everything, but practically.  I did a modified version of Whole30 (so not really-I'd say closer to Paleo) during that week by cutting out all grains, dairy, added sugar and processed foods.  I called it my "transition week" because I made all Whole30 compliant food choices but allowed wine and didn't worry about the exact way my foods were prepared.  When you are eating Whole30 supposedly you don't have to give up dining out.  You can eat out, but you have to be willing to be "that person" that wants every minute detail regarding the preparation of food and every substitution in the book.  I really don't want to be that person so I won't be eating out for a while.  Bo + Beau's did not disappoint for my 'last meal' or my last sip of wine. Sniffle.

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Restaurant Snob?

Biggest Naan I've ever seen and the best

On Saturday night we went to Ali Baba Restaurant.  It's on this random street next to a liquor store.  There is a bar across the street and no other restaurant in sight.  It doesn't offer much in the way of ambiance but I love it that it's in our neighborhood.  We don't have to drive downtown and hunt or pay for parking and they serve Naan bigger then the size of my head fresh out of the oven.  The food is delicious and the portions are generous.  We had an authentic Mediterranean Halal food experience right in our  backyard.  I honestly had no clue what type of food it was but that's what it says on their website.  We've been there twice now and plan to take my mother in law when she comes to visit.

There was a time when going to TGI Friday's or Applebee's would be my top pick for dining out on the weekends but over the last year or so I've fallen out of love with chain restaurants.  There is something about their mass produced energy that doesn't appeal to me so much anymore.  I think it's a combination of getting older and the plethora of great restaurants in our city to explore.  There are so many new ones popping up that I'll probably never get a chance to try them all.  I'm also not 100% driven by price when it comes to dining out like I was in my early 20's.  It's a factor for sure; but I'm not compelled to go somewhere just because I see a commercial advertising a 3 course combo for $10.99.

Top:  Chicken Tikka  Bottom:  Chicken Shawarma

Or maybe my husband is starting to rub off on me.  I call him a food snob.  He say's he just likes good food.  Or maybe he's not a food snob and I just wore him down with wanting to go the same places all the time.  When we were still dating On the Border was our spot.  He was still living about 1 1/2 hours away in Orange County.  He'd drive down to my house on Friday's and I'd rush home from work so we could make happy hour.  I got the chicken casadilla and he'd get the tacos.  We'd both get a beer or sometimes he'd get a Margarita.  It was cheap and tasted good to me.  After he got sick of that place we went through a TGI Friday's run until he refused to go there ever again and started saying how much he hated it.  Then it was Outback which is also on his hate list and in between we frequented Chili's and Applebee's quite a bit too.  In his opinion the food at non chain restaurants is better and he burns out with repetition while I'm pretty easy to please and could eat the same things at the same place every day.  I'm a creature of habit and not too adventurous when it comes to food but we started branching out for date nights and really haven't looked back.  

When I go out I want unique decor details and menu items that you can't get anywhere else.  I enjoy ambiance and an interesting vibe.  I love the friendly service and homey atmosphere that I get in little mom and pop places.  They seem to pay more attention to the quality of the food they serve and I like supporting small businesses.  It doesn't have to be fancy or hip.  We like discovering hole in the wall spots and places outside the trendy happening areas.  We are always open to trying new places and if the food and service is good we'll be back.  One of our new favorite spots is a place right down the street from us in a strip mall.  There is nothing fancy about it but the food is good, the people are friendly and we feel at home there.  MJ is such a regular they know him by name. 

I haven't sworn off chain restaurants indefinitely but it's not going to be my first choice and I'm not necessarily planning to go to one anytime soon.  I can't go the rest of my life without ever tasting Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits again and I have only found one restaurant that has lasagna I like as much Olive Garden's.  They say it's frozen but I don't care.  Even Italy couldn't outdo Lasagna Classico. And those bread sticks.  Denny's is a sentimental favorite of mine too.  I grew up going there and it was always my Birthday dinner pick.  My how times have changed.

Maybe I'm turning into a restaurant/food snob but I like to feel like I'm having some type of culinary experience.   I don't need a mouthwash dispenser in the bathroom but if I'm spending my time and money I want it to feel worth it and special in some way.  Chains just don't do it for me like they used to.

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