Waaay Over the Top

Ok, so when I gave you the recipe for my very favorite frittata, I mentioned that I like to serve it with berries. BUT I DIDN'T MEAN WITH BERRIES ON TOP!!! Look closely at the picture above. Why, yes, that is a berry and bacon garnish you see!

What better month than this to say that I think Better Homes and Gardens has taken brunch a little too far? Allow me to give you their Bread Pudding Quiche with Berries and Bacon. Oh, and did the title forget to mention that it's made with a cinnamon swirly buttery crumb crust? Or that the filling is more cinnamon swirl bread with gruyere, onions, and HAM? Yup...

And let me tell you, I love all the things listed above. But dear, dear BHG, I also love smoked salmon and chocolate, and you don't see me making smoked salmon truffles! My point here is that I am all for innovation and mixing flavors, but this is entirely too much. Basically, I think this dish is what happens when you are too lazy to use more than one serving platter.

Better Homes and Gardens, please, for the love of all that is tasty, stick to your dried flower boquets and teddy bear decor and skip the food experiments. Thanks.

Brunch at Bilbo Baggins

We used to go out for Brunch all the time in San Diego but it hasn't been so much of a habit here. One reason is probably the weather- brunch seems like a thing for a nice sunny Sunday morning- which of course was all the time back in California, and well, hardly ever here. Mainly though it's because Kym nearly always has her study groups on Sundays and so there's not usually time for brunch.

Anyhow with a friend from San Diego in town and Kym on a break from School we decided to walk down to King Street for a morning meal. we checked out the range of options (Majestic looks like somewhere we should definitely try in the future). In the interests of economy coupled with good reviews plus the sheer quirkiness of the place we decided on Bilbo Baggins.

We have never eaten at Baggins before- just popping in for their delicious beer instead. the place was bustling when we arrived, but nonetheless we were seated straight away by a slightly brusk waiter. Reviews had talked a lot about the raisin bred that is served whilst you wait. Ours was cold, but was still very good- doughy and soft.


I as recommended by several reviewers ordered the Frodo French toast whilst the two women got vegetarian omelettes with the house potatoes. (Sadly the names of the food were really the only hobbit like touches to this restaurant.) Kym got some freshly squeezed grapefruit juice -(which she said was amazing), and we all got coffee. The waitress who took our order was not
exactly friendly (certainly nothing on the great Bilbo himself). The food came almost too quickly- this was not the second breakfast type relaxing Sunday morning meal i had hoped for, but instead a rather rushed affair. The French toast was pretty good- although certianly nothing on that i used enjoy at the Mission. The vegetarian omelettes had no cheese in them- which rather disappointed the girls and made for slightly bland food.


All in all nothing to get excited bout-next time we'll be looking for something little more interesting- even if it means paying few extra bucks.

The Mission- North Park

Of all the wonderful breakfast places to eat in San Diego, for some reason we had never yet gotten round to trying one right in our own backyard- the Mission cafe in North Park. Often put off by the very long lines out front on the week days, and then often preferring a seaside view or such like, we had never yet given this legendary spot a try.
Having a rare weekday morning to ourselves today we decided to give it a sh. Happily there was no line at all outside the cafe and we were seated almost immediately in the slightly understated dining area. We enjoyed the art covering the walls and the hustle and bustle of the incredibly fast waiters. in fact this this is really the one overriding impression given to me t the Mission. The speed of these guys was phenomenal. no sooner were we seated and our order was taken, the order being taken our food arrived in 5 minutes tops (well I suppose it was possibly a little more, but seriously, these guys were very fast).
The food was also wonderful, something that arrives so quickly would usually be disappointing on the pallet, but not so. I had taken advice from San Diegos various food blogs and reviews and gone with the French Toast. It was perfection. The chefs had taken a loaf of cinnamon bread to fry up, and served it with a wonderful syrup, sweet and luscious and slightly moist, this really was the most perfect French Toast I have eaten. My wife went for the papas locas which were also fantastic, the potatoes were chunky and perfectly cooked (soft inside crispy outside). far better that these tiny little squares of potatoes that seem common at breakfast places around town. The chillies added a wonderful spice, and the beans and sour cream countered with some coolness. the two breakfasts were at once among the more interesting fare we have encountered, the most nicely presented, and the most delicious tasting. Now we can properly see why people stand for an hour or so outside this great cafe. - Oh and the prices were great too!

Brunch at Cafe One Three

Trying to be a little more adventurous we journeyed out to a new brunch place this Sunday- Cafe One Three, which describes itself as an eclectic eatery and is located in University Heights on Normal Street, just by Henry's.

The menu, although a little lacking in vegetarian options, was certainly intriguing. everything from herb potato pancakes topped with American caviar, to coconut oatmeal- it took us a little while to pick what we most wanted. In the end I chose some wholewheat pancakes with blackberry syrup and sage sausage. My wife chose an omelet with Kalamata olives, feta cheese and mushrooms, which came with cottage cheese, fruit and breakfast potatoes. To drink we had some freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and a couple of cups of coffee. Everything was excellent!

Cafe One Three has yet to gain a great audience, (we certainly weren't complaining that there was no wait for a table, and indeed at 10.15 am we were the second lot of guests in the restaurant.) However the atmosphere, being so quiet was a little lacking, and the window seat table looked out at nothing more exciting than a Chevron station. Still, the service was very nice, and the presentation of everything very nice. Most impressive was, as I mentioned , the wonderful menu options, which certainly lived up to the eclectic claim- we will be excited to come back here for dinner.

Fave Breakfast Places

Having been in San Diego for I guess a year and a half now I find myself not exploring as much as I used to, and often going back to the same old places. This is certainly the case with breakfast- particularly after our unfavorable experience at Green Tomato last time we strayed outside our well worn spots.

So- my top five breakfast places:


1, The Beach House- just the heaven of drinking champagne on the beach in the morning sun is enough to make this place top my list. The food is perhaps not as good as at some other places but the whole experience together really is.


2, The Boat House- somehow over the past few months I have fallen in love with the Boathouse Mess breakfast option. The spicy chillies, with the delicious potatoes, creamy cheese and slightly crunchy peppers. The perfect dish after a slightly rough night- great service, never any wait to speak of, and a lovely view.

3, Big Kitchen- probably wins the best for ambiance (provided you don't get a view, and also for the wealth of vegetarian and healthy options. Big Kitchen really can often you whatever you looking for, plus hanging out waiting in South Park with a coffee in hand is always fun.

4, Terra- Prehaps a surprise inclusion- but has some of the best quality food I have had for breakfast in San Diego. Not much on the setting, but sometimes good food is just worth it.

5, Hash House- I'm not in love with this place as a lot of people are, but it still should make the top ten for its novelty value. The huge pancakes are I think unmatched in town- surprising in their thorough fluffiness. Large portions come at a heavy cost here, but well if you are hungry there is no better place to go.

Breakfast at Green Tomato

Wanting to try somewhere new for breakfast I was recommended to check out Green tomato- a lover of their happy hour I figured I would give it a shot- particularly after seeing the lines at Big Kitchen (it's good but not hour and a half wait good).
Green Tomato always give me a nice feeling of cleanliness, perhaps the white linens at the tables, it feels a very elegant place to be with the antique style furniture, and of course the British waiter. the restaurant was pretty empty, which was great so far as hunger levels are concerned, but too good an advertisement for the food. A poor advertisement which unfortunately turned out to be right as soon as we got our menus. The menu really was just horribly uninspired, which such insipid choices that it took us a long long while to figure out which dull entree to choose. On the plus side there were some delicious chocolate muffin type things to much on at this time.
The food was not bad at Green Tomato, just decidedly unspectacular, and the ambiance felt like the downstairs restaurant of some chain hotel, all clean and proper with no character at all. When I have been for happy hour before things have been quite different, the lights turned down low, the ornate bar with the amusing bar tender, the elegant martinis served for incredibly reasonable prices. Breakfast just isn't the time to visit this restaurant.