Dining in San Diego, Part 1

I really like food. 

Good Food. (And it’s a good thing that I really really really like to work out… or this would be a serious problem.)

Luckily, I live in the perfect foodie town… San Diego, CA. There is seriously a new restaurant opening every week and some kind of food event every weekend. It's kinda crazy how much San Diego to offer. You can find basically any food or cuisine in this town. The downside? It slims down your wallet and widens your waist.

Since I am a firm believer that moderation is key, I apply this concept to my food and dining out choices. For me, dining (and especially fine dining) is a form of entertainment. It's not just about being hungry, getting full and calling it a night. It starts with admiring and observing a restaurant's interior and ambiance. Discussing food prep and pairing with the servers is a must. I love seeing how chefs combine flavors, taste and texture and I love hearing waiters give their own opinion of the food. Waiters who know the food they serve is not only impressive but demonstrates that the owners and chefs truly care about what they are plating. Knowing about what you are eating and how it was prepared helps you enjoy a meal all the more. When the food arrives, you obviously have to instagram and spam your facebook feed with photos and finally dig in and enjoy the meal. But its not just about the eating part, its the whole experience and for me, it sure is entertaining. Some people pay for overpriced Disneyland tickets, I'd rather pay for an excellent dining experience.

That being said, I am on a personal mission to savor the San Diego food scene. I have a huge mental list of places to go and plates to eat. Thanks to social media, I have already been dying to try many awesome restaurants and some of the food they offer. I have also started covering events for DiningOut SD and I am thrilled for this opportunity! (I may also have to start exercising more....)

Food I have tasted (either at an event or at the actual restaurants): 

Da Capo

The beginning of the end has begun. An exciting “end” that is. Last week I started my final year of undergraduate studies and while very cliché, I can’t help but say that time flies. I remember the very day I made the drive to San Diego. Car packed, heart pounding and student debt pending, all I wanted to do was get there. All that stood between me and PLNU was the traffic jammed 5 freeway.

I remember unloading the car, I remember staring at blank white walls and staring at the ocean out the window. I remember wanting to get the unpacking and paperwork over. I remember the hot weather, the maxi dress I wore and the first time I met my roommate. I remember buying a ridiculous amount of food and top ramen at Target. I remember the painful goodbye to my parents and being shocked by my own reaction. All I had wanted to do was get to San Diego and suddenly all I wanted was for my parents to take me back home with them.

Moving wasn’t anything new to me. There’s nothing much left to shock a girl who has lived in 2 different countries, 3 states and 6 cities. I get the process and adjustment thing. What was different this time around was that I was staying put, in a foreign place with strange people, with lots of expensive books and time consuming assignments and my family couldn’t be there and I have to pay a whole bunch of money for a 8.5 by 11 piece of paper. While I have always been an independent, full time school, full time employee, there was something different about this independence. It wasn’t about location or distance; it was the beginning of a transition.

Skipping forward a few years, its surreal to think that in just 8 months, I go from current student to former student and I am really excited. Like everyone says, it’s a bittersweet feeling. Bitter to leave the people and memories, but sweet to enter a new phase or perhaps da capo?