Beer cheese bratwurst

For Super Bowl Sunday, I made some Beer Cheese Brats. It was very simple with just a few ingredients. I used a pale ale, and made them on a stove top instead of a grill, and I toasted the buns with butter on a skillet. Make sure to keep the cheese sauce smooth and runny, and add as much as you want.

Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill

We went for dinner on a Saturday night to Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill on International Restaurant Row in San Diego. The line was out the door, and the wait was long. Once seated, the wait for food was long, too, but the food was good!

We ordered the Crab & Artichoke Dip appetizer, which is huge and comes in a bread bowl. Definitely get this to share. It's huge and delicious.



I ordered the Maryland Soft Shell Crab Sandwich, added Pepper Jack to it, and had it toasted. It was a big sandwich, and also delicious.



My mother ordered Sauteed Mussels and Clams that come prepared in a white wine, caper, onion, and tomato reduction served with toasted sourdough bread. She shared some mussels with me, and they were very good!



On the side, her order came with rice, veggies, and avocado. It was definitely a complete meal, and we had leftovers.

Hodad's

While in San Diego, I grabbed dinner at Hodad's in Ocean Beach, which a friend strongly recommended. The line was out the door, and I got the feeling that it's always like that. Everyone was friendly. The decor on the walls is vanity license plates from all over, and the vibe is fun, busy, laid back, surfer-ish.

I ordered a Double Bacon Cheeseburger with fries, which are more like crispy potato wedges, and I couldn't finish it all, so I had leftovers later. It was a classic burger, and the fries were great. I liked this place a lot, and when I'm back in California, I'll come back.

Eggslut

Eggslut at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles is where I grabbed breakfast before a visit to The Broad. There are many other restaurants in the market, and the line here was pretty long, but moved quickly and the service was really friendly.

I ordered the Fairfax, which is soft scrambled eggs cooked to perfection, and chives, cheddar, caramelized onions, and sriracha mayo in a warm brioche bun. I added turkey sausage and bacon to it. It was a very good breakfast sandwich.

The Crack Shack

The Crack Shack in San Diego opened last fall. The atmosphere and location are laid back with a fun chicken theme throughout almost all of the decor. I really liked the vibe of this place.

I ordered the Senor Croque, which is crispy, thick, juicy chicken, with bacon, fried egg, cheddar, and miso-maple butter on a brioche bun. It's a fabulous blend of flavors, and very filling.

In-N-Out Burger

While in California, I couldn't resist a trip (or two) to In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out is a regional fast food chain with quality food and famously good business practices.

I got a Double-Double, which is 2 patties with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles, and I ordered animal-style fries. Animal-style isn't on the menu, but In-N-Out's secret menu isn't really a secret at all. Animal-style is melted cheese, bacon, and Thousand Island dressing on top. In-N-Out never disappoints.

They will customize your food however you want it. My vegan friend got a "burger" with only veggies and 4 different kinds of onions and loved it. Pretty impressive.

Tru Nature Juice Bar

After a long hiatus, I'm back!

A few weeks ago, I was in Long Beach, CA, and my friend that I was staying with took me to her favorite breakfast place, Tru Nature Juice Bar. They have juices, smoothies, and acai bowls. An acai bowl is like a really thick smoothie. I ordered the Berry Bowl, which was topped with banana, strawberry, hemp granola, and agave. It was amazing! Weeks later, I'm still craving this place. It's also reasonably priced with great service.