Cupcake Love

After a week of indulging in typical San Diego Mexican food (soon to come on the blog), Mom and I decided to visit the new Sprinkles Cupcakes in La Jolla. To make things a little more fun, we decided to have a cupcake taste test with another local favorite, Cupcake Love.

First up: Cupcake Love
This cute little cupcake shop is easy to miss but hard to forget. It is a sweet bakery with a large display case showing off their twelve flavors of the day. They make both regular and mini sizes (my favorite!), as well as cupcake "pops" and special decorations (shown off in a rotating display).

To make our taste test easier, we focused on our two favorite flavors -- red velvet and peanut butter. With both available in mini sizes, I was very pleased and excited to try each of them. Their frosting was very light and fluffy and not too overpowering or overly sweet. The cake was the perfect denseness for a mini cupcake, very velvety in texture. Overall, I was a huge fan of their cupcakes. They balanced the flavors very well (it is easy to over do the peanut butter flavoring in a frosting) and I loved the texture of the cake. I was a little disappointed in the lack of cream cheesiness in the red velvet's frosting, but it was still very good. I have heard reviews that point out dryness of the cake and weird flavors -- but I'm glad to say we didn't have any of those problems and we definitely loved our Cupcake Love cupcakes!

Next stop: Sprinkles...

Cupcake Love Website

Board & Brew

Home for a week and had to visit my favorite places! First stop: Board & Brew in Del Mar. With a number of delicious sandwiches and salads, all made from the freshest ingredients, on their menu board, Board & Brew is a local hot spot for people of all ages.  The outdoor patio and decor reflects the Del Mar atmosphere and they offer their menu items to-go, so you can bring your food to the beach and enjoy.

The menu is stock full of healthful choices -- popular selections are the Spicy Beef Dip, Baja Chicken, and Chicken Club sandwiches and the Tuna (Albacore) salad.  No matter what you order, the portion will be larger than you expect for the price. Board and Brew gives each sandwich and salad enough filling that even half would be enough to satisfy a normal visiter's hunger. In addition to the serving sizes, the secret condiment that keeps many locals coming back for more is their special sweet and sour sauce (great addition to pour on both sandwiches and salads). 

I ordered my "usual" -- the Turkado -- a turkey, avocado, lettuce, cheese and toppings... oh and a bit more avocado. I chose to have it on a baguette instead of the given choice of sourdough, but that's just a personal preference for more bread. The turkey is always fresh and stacked high. The avocado and lettuce topping blend together to form a great texture and taste all at once. The baguettes are freshly baked and soft (great toasted as well). Overall, even though the turkado sandwich looks like a regular sub sandwich, it is so much more and a well known favorite from Board & Brew. 

Sampling from a part of the menu that I haven't tried before, Mom ordered a traditional Cobb Salad (with the usual toppings - green leaf lettuce, cucumber, hard boiled egg, chicken breast, bacon, cheddar cheese, and baked croutons.) The flavors combined amazingly with the dressing and everything seemed freshly selected for the day. The lettuce and vegetables were crisp, the bacon perfectly cooked, and the chicken well seasoned. If you're on a health kick or just in the mood for a salad, the Cobb salad is an excellent selection.

Next time I'm home, of course Board & Brew is going to be one of my first foodie stops. It reminds me that simple food can taste phenomenal if they are made well and have fresh ingredients.  Plus, it's close to the beach :)

Board and Brew Website

Grub

As you will soon learn, I am huge fan of cheese - specifically macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese. So when I hear that a restaurant has a "mac n cheese bar", it's the next place on my go-to list. 

GRUB is a small restaurant in San Francisco's Mission district that uses sustainable, local, organic ingredients and has a great way to please cheese-lovers. On their diverse dinner menu, they include both a "mac n cheese bar" and a "burger bar", where you start with a basic plate and add to it from the ingredients listed below. Of course I was drawn to a number of other items on their menu, like their housemade chicken pot pie (yum!), but I couldn't leave without trying their famous dish. 

As ordering time was drawing near, I considered how large the plate would have to be in order to select all twenty ingredients - it wouldn't be all too expensive (around $30), but would I be able to taste the main draw to the dish, the cheese? After discussing popular combinations with the waiter, I chose two out of the twenty "throw-in" options: Maine lobster and manchego cheese.  It was hard to turn down the truffle oil and applewood smoked bacon, but I can always return for more. 

I was very pleased with my choice of throw-ins. The Maine lobster was cooked to perfection and tasted fresh. The Spanish manchego cheese added the nice salty, slightly nutty flavor that it is well known for and stood out from the creamy white and sharp cheddar base. The texture of the top layer was crunchy without seeming over-cooked. All in all, the macaroni and cheese was delicious and filling - I had enough leftover to take some home. It was thick, creamy, flavorful... everything I could have asked for.

Not quite as obsessed with mac n cheese, Jared selected a burger from their "burger bar." With a 6 oz. Niman Ranch all-natural beef patty, a toasted pan de mie bun, and a number of condiments, the burger didn't even seem like it needed toppings. However, given the add-on choices, it was hard to say no. He chose Tillamook cheddar, smoked bacon, and creamy avocado. I can't describe how it tasted, but I can tell you that it was stacked almost five inches high and was gone in minutes. I think he liked it. :)

Overall, considering the quality of ingredients and the Mission district location, I was surprised GRUB wasn't more expensive. They deliver excellent food and service, and, while the restaurant is small, they make up for that with their unique spirit. If you are considering dining at GRUB, call ahead and make a reservation - it would not have been too long of a wait, but it is always better to be safer rather than sorry. 

Next on my list, I am trying either their savory chicken pot pie or another macaroni and cheese concotion. 

grubSF Website

Bi Rite Creamery

As a Food Network lover, I always take their recommendations on what new places to try. This artisanal ice cream shop, associated with the small market across the street, seemed like a wonderful next foodie adventure. 

Walking down 18th, make sure you stop by both the main entrance to the creamery and the smaller window that serves one flavor of soft-serve per day. Sunday was Salted Caramel and Chocolate -- a fantastic flavor with just the right hint of salt and creamy texture. Next time I go, I am getting the two flavors swirled. 

Inside the main store, there is a large menu board and a number of ice cream choices in a display case below. Each flavor with its own uniqueness and displayed in a fashion similar to gelato, I wanted to try them all. 

However, I went with my Food Network recommendation and selected the "Sam's Sundae" -- a bowl of chocolate ice cream with bergamot olive oil and maldon sea salt. When I first heard about it, I figured something like this must be the kind of sundae some hipster restaurant chef thought up, but it has received raving reviews. And, from the description, the flavors seemed to all complement each other - similar to black pepper and balsamic vinegar with strawberries.

All in all, I was certainly not impressed. Separately these flavors would have shined or even just the chocolate ice cream with sea salt would have been an excellent combination. Yet, I was left with an awkward taste in my mouth that lingered until the next morning (still to be decided if it was the lack of whipped cream or the excessive amounts of olive oil that pushed it over the edge.) And for the price ($5.50), I would have hoped to receive more than two scoops of ice cream.

Next time I visit (yes there will be a next time), I would love to try one of their other innovative flavors -- ranging from balsamic strawberry and honey lavender to mexican chocolate with peanuts and brown sugar with a caramel swirl.


Bi Rite Website

On the Food Network Show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Sugar Rush, Aida Mollenkamp described Sam's Sundae as her favorite sugar rush