Gentle Readers, last week’s journey was sponsored by, wait for it, bacon. And avocado. And dessert. It is so very difficult to eat properly while traveling, particularly when the days last for 22 of 24 hours. However, there was much deliciousness to be found in San Diego. This was my first trip, and I very much liked what I saw. I kicked things off with this:
Peppery Lacquered Bacon from the San Diego Marriott: Winner!
And it just kept going from there. Because what could be better than mixing my professional (social media) life with my personal (food) life? Answer: nothing. So we threw a Bacon and Waffles Tweetup at Brians24. Ironically, I had eaten so much bacon by this point I went for the lo-cal option, fried chicken.
Not bad for SoCal: fried chicken and waffles!
But that wasn’t enough! We also held a team meeting at Extraordinary Desserts in Little Italy. The taxi driver kept trying to drop my teammate and I off at the bail bondsman, no matter how many times we repeated the address. A hint perhaps? The desserts should have been illegal. They were delicious, and so artfully presented. Carrot cake is a vegetable, right?
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Mango-Caramel Glaze
I spent some quality time with my favorite California ingredient, the avocado. I had it in omelets and as presented here, in this fantastic blackened tuna wrap. I attacked this like a wild dog. It was at a cafe in the Gaslamp District, where there are endless little bistros ready to serve you.
Blackened Tuna Wrap with Avocado and a Tasty Side Salad
Of course, there was also plenty of my road food staple: oatmeal. Hats off to my friend, SirMinceALot, for pairing a parfait with bacon for the morning meal.
Bacon. Parfait. Bacon. Parfait.
In my meager health defense, I did run a 5K in the middle of the event. I ran most, I walked some, I worked a 12+ hour day after doing so. Not my best planning ever. However, we raised over $1700 for the Wounded Warrior Project, so well worth it.
My first 5K ever!
Overall, I loved the parts of San Diego I got to see, and plan to return when I have time to explore further. Very relaxed vibe, and some truly fantastic food. Have you been to San Diego? Would love to hear your recommendations for the next trip. Post a comment below!
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Coming up on Friday, a guest blog: Bacon Pecan Ice Cream Recipe!
I’ll be in San Diego next week. Anything I absolutely must try? The Blackened Tuna looks fantastic!
The Blackened Tuna came from Toscana Cafe & Wine Bar. Very cute place near the convention center. Absolutely visit Extraordinary Desserts if you have the time. The visual impact alone is worth it–it’s an oasis!
I’m not sure where it came from, but this spring/summer I will pretty much order anything that involves an avocado. Seems to be some kind of learned response that I don’t remember learning. Will post on most unusual use of avocado by summer’s end.
Also – congrats on your 5K!
I am also an extreme avocado fan, Pavlovian even! Can’t wait for the most unusual–ice cream?
Now to train for the next 5K! (Potentially in San Francisco.)
You laugh, CommsNinja, but I have in fact made an avocado sorbet for serving in a golden-tomato gazpacho….
I laugh not at all, I have enjoyed the unctuousness of avocado ice cream before! Love the sorbet suggestion!!