A-Tooch Travels: San Diego and Burbank, California

Last week, A-Tooch was in California for the BlogHer ’11 conference. Aside from eating everything in sight on the expo floor (ahem, thanks Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean and Dove Ice Cream), there were also some top-notch dining spots you need to know about. San Diego is basically utopia and the fact that there is yummy food nearby doesn’t help the I-won’t-leave-NY-because-I’d-miss-the-food cause.

First, nachos by the pool. Nachos everywhere, really. And good ones.

In San Diego, we stopped dropped in early at the Blue Water Grill. This place was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, so we knew it would be packed. Right we were, but it was so worth it. I started out with Clam Chowder that could rival some of New England’s best.

My friend, D, got the fish tacos which came recommended. I’m not a fish taco fan but if I were, I’d be all over these.

The best part about the menu at Blue Water Grill is its simplicity — pick your fish (from about 15 options) pick your marinade or sautee (from about 5) and pick if you’d like it in sandwich, salad or platter form. Voila. A hard choice, but I stuck with the swordwish, lemon garlic butter marinade on a salad with homemade blue cheese dressing (the best).

In Burbank, a local friend took me for brunch (?) at Portos Bakery. I told him I wanted to try one of everything, which would have been impossible since the pastry case alone had about 100 items. Instead, we came pretty close with about 10 different sweet and savory items. It was 10 a.m., what did I care that I was eating potato balls and chicken empanadas? When in Rome, right?

The guava cheese empanadas were amazeballs. We also consumed (in no particular order): macaroons, a larger-than-life cinnamon bun, croquettes and cheese pastries.

I can’t believe I am admitting to this, because it is so totally not my style, but I did not eat ANYTHING the rest of the day after our Portos feast. In a good way.