Bite San Diego - La Jolla Tour

San Diego is a wonderful city to live in and it's nice to discover things about where you live. We were invited to check out a Bite San Diego tour and after browsing the options, Dennis and I settled on their La Jolla tour.

We met up at the starting location of Ohana, a family owned restaurant serving homestyle Hawaiian food. Our tour guide David was easy to spot, the guy keeping an eye out for all the other "lost" folks who would be joining us that afternoon.

Everyone waited at the tables until the whole group had arrived. David started the tour with a quick intro, then started passing out the food. This is the point where you mingle with the other folks. Or keep to yourself, your choice! 

Our first bite was this kahlua pork and coconut rice. I have to say that coconut rice was damn delicious with its shreds of coconut, partially toasted, and a little bit of coconut creaminess. The shredded pork was tender and juicy too so we were fans of this sample.

Afterwards, we began our walk and heard little bits of history, such as where the name La Jolla came from, who Ellen was, and her role in the city's development, etc. You get to walk around the beautiful La Jolla downtown area so it's a nice walk. The walking portions were a little longer than the ones I did at Carlsbad Food Tour though!

We next hit Richard Walker, which we've reviewed in the past. Everyone was seated at one HUGE table so mingle you must! Here, we finally got to taste the apple pancake we had missed prior! It was very different than I expected, almost like a quiche rather than a pancake. It had a bottom crust and top plus a softer middle. Flavorwise, I was pleased that it was not too sweet with a slight crunch! Dennis usually likes butter, cream or whatever to dress it up but this didn't really need it. The bacon was great with a little bit of crisp and seasoning. Better than your average skinny bacon but I wouldn't go out of my way for it either!

Our next stop was a healthy one, Beaming La Jolla. There was so much stuff to check out inside on their displays! We also got a coupon for $10 off our next visit, which would cover one drink plus a little more. Their beamer cookie was gluten free and super soft, like most gluten free products I've tried. I prefer a little more chew in my cookie but it was still good despite that. We also tried acai sample, and what really stuck out the most was the housemade granola inside! In another corner they were sampling that granola standalone. I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Near the entrance, we were able to sample their juices. Dennis tried an orange and ginger flavor which reminded him of the Suja brand from Costco but with more bite. The other sample was a green veggie mix (I told them to surprise me with the flavor). It was definitely a "heathy vegetable" flavor and I have yet to meet "the one" that will convince me to drink more in that department...

Our next stop was We Olive and Wine Bar La Jolla. Cheers for the fresh pressed oil, which usually happens in november, ONCE a year, and it had arrived just two hours prior to our tour! We admit to feeling a bit special. The guide told us to cover up the top of the container and rub the bottom to warm up the oil which would change the taste a little in a good way.

A woman representing the outside company Rittrovo was doing a tasting inside the shop. She sampled two basalmic vinegars, one a bright citrus flavor and an apple balsamic that was nice but a tad sweet. We also got to try this incredible sea salt mix as well as these tasty marcona nuts!

Besides that, there were so many things to try! Dennis had fun exploring other olive oil flavors here. The truffle oil was very different and almost had a beefy taste to it. They brought out bread a little later but would have been nice to have it earlier. Did you know you could get a REFILL price if you bring back the bottle? That's cool! You can also sample mustards, salsas, etc, which is extra cool. Even wasabi sake? For real? Prices seemed a little more expensive but it's La Jolla...

In the back we also had a wine sampling as part of the tour. Everyone was served a glass of sauvignon blanc. I overheard some of the other guests saying that they liked this citric dry wine.

Unfortunately, our tour was cut short that day because the last food tasting locations was completely booked for a private event. To make up for it, we were all offered a future tour for free... now that's good customer service. Another helpful thing they did was email parking suggestions prior to the tour since La Jolla isn't exactly the easiest place to park on the weekend...

Overall, the samples aren't too big for this "bite" tour so we ended back up at Ohana Cafe for more food. Apparently a few other members of our tour group had the same idea and ended up joining us... Ohana had captured our hearts/tastebuds with their sample. 

This small snapshot tour of La Jolla spanned about three hours and included a bit of healthy walking in a beautiful neighborhood. We met some fun people and learned a little history here and there. Our tour guide David did a wonderful job leading the tour and keeping us entertained. The price is a little high if you go just for the food but that Beaming coupon was a nice surprise (not part of tour though)! Also, there's always the potential GROUPONS to keep an eye out for. The La Jolla tour still sounds like quite the nice afternoon right? Which of these La Jolla places have you sampled?

Disclaimer: We were provided tickets for the tour but the opinions are strictly our own.