Dennis and I were invited to check out Empanada Kitchen in downtown San Diego. This business advertises "hand-made" and "happily baked" since these empanadas are made fresh throughout the day (ie not leftovers from a previous day). It was perfect timing as we had been craving empanadas since our last bite at Havana Kitchen, a bit of a drive.
Farmer's Table focuses on providing a friendly farm-to-fork dining experience and recently expanded into the Bay Park area. I've always been curious about this restaurant but never made it to their original La Mesa location (long drive). This newest location was within easy reach for us so we were delighted to accept a media invitation to get our brunch on!
Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar was recently rated the #2 casino restaurant in the U.S. We're already fans of everything Pechanga so accepting an invitation to dine at this highly ranked establishment was a no brainer! While playing the latest slots, we felt a growing hunger within and soon headed to dinner, ready to relax after gameplay.
The restaurant is located to the right of the hotel check-in area and across the hall from Pechanga's casual coffee shop Blends. We've always passed by on the way to the slots, filled with curiosity, especially because it has this intriquing "jewel" strands along the outer walls.
Mr. Moto Pizza House is a popular New York style pizza parlour that has its roots in Pacific Beach. The business expansion has brought about a third restaurant into San Diego which recently opened in Point Loma. I've previously tried their original location so knew this media visit would be tasty!
The restaurant had just opened at 11am on a Sunday so there was a full display of pizzas to choose from. Pick a PIE! Any PIE! I think there were twelve total to choose from (a few were in progress). Other options include pasta and salad, exhibited to the right in a refrigerated display.
San Diego Restaurant Week (SDRW) starts this Sunday, September 23, 2018 and continues until September 30, 2018. This bi-annual event features over 180 restaurants offering a prix fixe meal (several courses served at a fixed price) which range between $10 to $50. We were thrilled to be paired with Farmer's Bottega, a farm-to-table inspired restaurant. For SDRW, an ample 4-course meal was offered for $40 with an optional $15 wine pairing. If you ever wanted to explore farm-inspired fare, this prix fixe meal can get you started! The SDRW menu is attached at the end of the review.
It's already been a year since Wokou Ramen & Yakitori opened its doors in The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch. Having a ramen spot in the northern area of San Diego meant residents didn't have to drive to Convoy or further south for a bowl of noodles! Our first visit was with friends during their busy grand opening and we returned recently for a Tuesday evening media visit.
With school starting this week, the summer is beginning to wine down. Luckily San Diego continues to have beautiful weather for longer than that! We were invited to check out the summer-only dinner menu at The Cottage La Jolla. Most people are familiar with this restaurant's popular brunch so we were curious how an evening meal would be! Plus, it's always wonderful to enjoy a quiet dinner on a patio with a loved one.
Did you know it's National Caviar Day?! Sterling Caviar is the leading producer of domestic caviar and they provided us with a caviar sampler pack. I also attended an informative facebook live with Sterling Caviar that taught me about the sustainably-farmed sturgeon that produces the caviar. You can see the replay on facebook here. True caviar comes from sturgeon eggs and anything else must be prefixed with the source, such as salmon caviar, rather than just saying caviar!
Dennis and I recently checked out Biggie's Burgers (as media) in the heart of Pacific Beach. They have one other location in San Clemente and most recently opened this San Diego location. Biggie's Burgers is your family friendly, alcohol free spot with a classic american food menu while near the beach. There's even a large television where you could watch the local sports such as the recent soccer games. Across the Mission Boulevard street are popular boozy brunch spots like Duck Dive brunch (bottomless mimosas), etc.
Terra American Bistro recently celebrated their 20 year milestone with a fun 1998 themed prix-fixe menu created by owner and chef Jeff Rossman. As a verified restaurant in San Diego's Farm to Fork community, this place is committed to sourcing locally from farmers, ranchers and fishermen. In the past, our first taste of Terra was a slider during Taste of College Avenue 2014 and most recently, a short rib burger that claimed people's hearts at Burgers and Beer 2017. We were thrilled to finally sit down for a media dinner at this establishment!
