San Diego

My hiatus from blogging has been due in part to the 13,251 or so miles I have traveled thus far in 2011. It's a lot. Of course, the upside to the travel is always 1) going to better weather; and 2) finding new and awesome restaurants. Although I generally set expectations to "low" on my business trips, this time, I was fortunate to land mid-winter in San Diego, home to palm trees, boardwalks, the Gaslamp district, and good cuisine. Mind you, I consider In-N-Out Burger good cuisine.

Highlight No. 1: The Fish Market. Showing up with no reservations on Valentine's Day, we opted for a seat at the bar facing the kitchen, a birds eye view into all of the cooking and prep. Amazing and fun, we enjoyed Kumamoto and Fanny Bay oysters, both having a cool cucumber taste to them that went down easy. The scallops (served with pork cheeks, in a strange twist) were amazing. I can't say enough about the service though, even though we were at the bar area. Everyone in San Diego seems extraordinarily.. well, nice. Just really nice.

Highlight No. 2: Searsucker.Top Chef Brian Malarkey's restaurant in the Gaslamp District is a-mazing. We went there for lunch and I was fortunate enough to be directed to the french onion soup sandwich. Gruyere, caramelized onion, and bacon jam on whole wheat sourdough. It's one of those items that when you see it on the menu, you know it's going to be good. And it was. As were the "brown butter" fries. Again, the service was on the money with friendly, approachable, knowledgeable staff. Maybe it's in the water.

Highlight No. 3: In-N-Out Burger. Yup, I'll take a #2 with fried onions. I will wait 10 minutes for you to make this, to perfectly grill the bun, freshly prepare and salt the fries and put it all together by hand. I will continue to wish you were on the east coast.

San Diego is a city located in Southern California.  First photo credited to www.virtualtourist.com.