The ultimate San Diego food tour for 2022 - Cali Burritos, Little Italy, Gaslamp, Ocean Beach + more!
We’re part-time residents of Coronado Island, but to be perfectly honest, we rarely make it across the bridge to San Diego proper. So when we decided to do an ultimate food tour of the city, we met up with local expert and native Bianca Beale, who’s the founder and owner of So Diego Tours, a local team that produces amazing food, drink, and cultural experiences for tourists, families, and larger groups.
(You can learn more about So Diego Tours and book your own experience at https://SoDiegoTours.com and follow them on Instagram at https://instagram.com/sodiegotours)
Over the next 6 hours, Bianca took us around the city to try some of her favorite San Diego restaurants and foods. We tried Little Italy San Diego restaurants, Gaslamp Quarter Restaurants, and the world-famous Cali Burrito in Ocean Beach. We tried fantastic lattes, tacos, seafood, cocktails, Greek foods, vegan cookies, and more.
Contents:
0:00 Intro
6:59 Gaslamp Quarter
13:59 Conclusion
Full Transcript:
Intro
We're part-time residents of Coronado, but to be honest, we rarely make it over the bridge and head into San Diego.
So when we decided to do an ultimate food tour of the city, we hooked up with local expert and native Bianca Beale, who's the founder and owner of So Diego Tours, a local team that produces amazing food, drink, and cultural experiences for tourists, families, and larger groups.
Let's start devouring.
Parakeet Cafe in San Diego
Since it's still mid-morning, our first stop is an all-day place that's a local favorite for super food bowls, smoothies, and wellness lattes, which sound heavenly.
Magic mushroom latte, which is kind of funny. Turmeric lattes, some charcoal lattes.
Parakeet is such a popular place that it's common to have a line going out the door around the corner.
We've actually walked past the newer location in Coronado.
Hundreds of times.
But we've never stopped in. We'll definitely be making our way in there a lot moving forward.
Naturally, our kids pass on the healthier options and go straight for a cookie and a chocolate croissant.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not a coffee drinker, but I feel like Americans often shorten the term cafe latte to just latte. So a lot of people like me automatically think this is going to be a coffee drink, which clearly is not. It's essentially hot, frothy, flavor-infused milk of some sort, and they do offer multiple kinds. So it's really a lot like a chai tea, except that these flavors are so much more exotic. I would take one of these over a chai tea any day, especially with the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nature of the drinks.
Super healthy.
I didn't know that about turmeric. It has anti-inflammatory properties. It tastes more like a tea, I think.
Not a fan of turmeric, I guess.
Piazza della Famiglia, Little Italy in San Diego
With a lot more venues on today's list, we needed to get this show on the road. With that road being the pedestrian only Date Street, the defacto epicenter of Little Italy.
Little Italy is downtown San Diego's chic bay side pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. It's filled with cafes, patio restaurants, bars, pubs, shops, boutique hotels, and the famous Piazza della Famiglia.
Piazza della Famiglia.
Piazza della Famiglia. Good?
No.
The weekly Mercato Farmers' Market is another huge draw. Not to mention a cool way to pretend we're back in the world-famous markets of Florence from our recent travels.
Sliders and Sangria at Queenstown in Little Italy, San Diego
And if you want to see that trip, you can just add it to your queue right here. So this is Queenstown?
Yeah. This is our next stop. It's a New Zealand style restaurant. It's housed in a historic home. So it gives you the idea of what the houses looked like in this area in the late 1800's, early 1900's when downtown was just becoming a part of San Diego.
Such a cool house.
Queenstown Public House was created by owners, PJ and Matt, based on their travels to Queenstown. They call it American food with a Kiwi twist, grass-fed beef, lamb, wild boar, plus 28 taps, including 20 craft brews and eight wines.
The whole restaurant, or I should say, house has been completely restored. And even the bar has been, it was made from a restored boat.
Is that true?
Yeah, it's true. I wouldn't lie.
They're known for their weekend brunches. Their beer list is incredible. Their burgers are probably, I'd say one of the best in San Diego.
Oh, good. I'm going to have one.
Yeah. And they make their own sangria.
I have to say I'm a big fan of sangria and I make sangria a lot. I've never had sangria with bubbly in it. And the fact that they had multiple types of sangria with bubbly is fantastic. Delicious way to give a little bit extra dynamic to that drink.
Yeah. And it makes it more fresh and bubbly. So I can imagine it is perfect for a really hot day. Makes it refreshing.
Oh, that's yum. That is yummy. That is super light, refreshing, and bubbly.
That's a good way to start your day.
This is really our first bite on this long journey of food today. So I am ready for a burger and I've heard that they have the best burgers in town. Cheers.
So juicy. The mayonnaise makes this and they make all their own sauces and pickles and everything has been touched by this restaurant's chef. It's all pretty much homemade.
I love the pickles.
Pappalecco in Little Italy, San Diego
Next, Bianca's taking us down the block for a complete change of style. Something that should help put a little pep in our kid's step. And maybe in ours, too.
Pappalecco is owned by two brothers and they make their own gelatos. They make their own pastries. And before all the trendy restaurants came to this area or opened up in this area, Pappalecco was a staple for really good coffee, really good breakfast. And of course, house made gelato.
One of the owner brothers is Francesco, a man who's every bit as authentically Italian as he promises that Pappalecco itself is.
The most authentic Italian cafe experience outside of Italy.
One of the biggest decisions a child will ever make is which ice cream flavor to choose. Two affogatos and limone.
Babe, you got to try it. Phil does not like espresso. He doesn't like coffee. He makes fun of me all the time because I love it, but he's going to try this. He's going to have it because ice cream changes everything.
I am not exaggerating when I say I have never had a sip of coffee in my entire life. But if you hit that subscribe button right now, I will try this affogato.
Do it.
Phil's first coffee.
All right, with ice cream, it's about the same thing as tiramisu or an espresso martini, right guys? Yeah. I think the secret is to just get rid of the coffee flavor as much as possible with things like ice cream.
Two best things in life, espresso, ice cream. We put them together and we make affogato. And it is amazing because that cold ice cream, that hot, hot espresso, and then it makes it super creamy. It's like ice cream, creamier ice cream and espresso. And I just can't say those two things enough.
You make it sound good.
It is so good. It's amazing.
It's hard to believe this tour is just getting started, but it's time to head out for our next stop, which is within reasonable walking distance. But given our packed schedule for the day, we decide to drive over.
The Gaslamp District in San Diego
Gaslamp is the historic part of San Diego and known for the nightlife scene and diverse collection of restaurants and bars. I think there's something like 180 restaurants and bars in the area. And you know you're in the Gaslamp area when the sidewalks become brick.
Meze Greek Fusion in San Diego
You may not think of San Diego as a Greek food hub, but the way Bianca talks about Meze pretty much matches anything you're going to read on any online review site.
Meze is only a block away from Petco Park. And this is one of our partner restaurants on the Brothels, Bites and Booze tour.
It's the real deal.
Meze means small plates in Greek, and it's meant for shared plates. Awesome.
This shrimp served tableside, flambe is so amazing.
So this is their shrimp saganaki. It's really flavorful. Jumbo shrimp, feta, and tomato, and it pairs really well with their fresh pita. And then of course, the sauce. You can't eat anything here without that sauce.
I'm going to have to try that sauce. I love everything spicy and looks like it might be spicy.
This dish is a perfect combination of this really good fresh shrimp, these amazingly fresh and crisp vegetables, and that super soft pita. Oh, I wouldn't even want to try it without that sauce. That is so good.
It's sold as being a little bit spicy, but I do not think it's very spicy at all. I love this sauce. Yeah.
Hot sauce. This hot sauce is famous around San Diego. It's not too hot so pretty much anyone will love it. And it's made from chili paste, vinegar, garlic, cilantro, pomegranate juice, salt and pepper.
But don't bother trying to recreate it because you can just buy bottles and take it home with you.
We can buy one?
Yeah. Sorry. Bianca told us that the gyro quesadilla is a must have when you visit this place. Unfortunately, our waitress informed us that they were all out. But here's where working with a good local guide is always worth the money. Bianca pulled some strings and long story short, they managed to make a quesadilla for us.
It's not a typical quesadilla. There's no tortilla. It's a feta wrap. And it's so melty with the cheeses. They use a lot of traditional Mexican cheeses, like the cheddar, but then also feta inside. And it is gooey like crazy.
So much cheese. It really feels like a quesadilla. But you're right, all of the Greek flavors.
I dare say, I like it better than a Mexican quesadilla. It's that good.
Yeah, it really is good. It just goos and melts and all the things you want for comfort food.
Ocean Beach, San Diego
Now, I feel like we're really getting warmed up. So let's check out yet another iconic San Diego neighborhood. Downtown San Diego clearly has a lot to offer and it's part of the city's soul. But when somebody says San Diego, most people's minds immediately go to the sand and surf. To experience that aspect of the city, there's no better place to check out than Ocean Beach, known as OB to locals. It's backdrop of sun bathers, surfers, and the OB Pier. Plus it's laid back Bohemian vibe and endless supply of quality eateries provide all the variety and flavor you need for whatever mood you happen to be in.
Blue Water Seafood in Ocean Beach, San Diego
But anytime you're this close to the sea, there's a good chance you're going to find yourself in the mood for great seafood. And it really doesn't get any better than Blue Water, a local family-owned business of people who love the water, fish, and a whole lot of fishermen. Seafood is all they do. So they're getting the freshest fish they can and using it to whip up some amazing tacos, sandos, pokes, and sashimi.
As a general rule, they're buying the local fish directly from the fishermen who just caught them or that they just caught themselves. They even recommend that you ask the guy behind the counter what looks good that day? And he might cut you off a piece of yellowtail he caught off La Jolla himself that morning. Once you've handpicked your meal, you get to sit back and enjoy it in an atmosphere that's quintessential OB on this massive patio with nothing but beach and ocean in the background. We're starting with the freshest tuna poke in town. The quality of this fish is incredible so much so that they keep the chunks this big and you still enjoy eating it.
That is good ceviche.
Poke.
Poke?
Yeah. Ceviche is when it's cooked in lime. There are no creepy parts in this fish. He's right, right on the money. Really fresh. Really good.
Next up is the fish taco. And while that popular food was technically invented about a half hour south of here in Ensenada, Mexico, Blue Water does it just as well.
Cali Burrito at Mike's Taco Club
It is a good thing we've been pacing ourselves because our next stop is something really special. You can get seafood and tacos and most of these other foods pretty much anywhere across the country. And while San Diego does them all better, there is one thing that San Diego is truly known for.
And I really want you guys to try a California burrito.
Yes. This is what I wanted to try for this whole experience, the California burrito.
The Cali burrito, which is a carne asada burrito with fries, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, and guacamole is a surfer's dream after a long surf session.
Here comes. Yes. Let's see. It's all it's lived up to be.
Because it's loaded with carbs and protein, they need it to replenish themselves after-
And fat.
And fat.
It's the whole thing. It's a very well-balanced meal.
Whoa. That is delicious.
You'd think Colt hadn't eaten all day.
That's so good.
OB Brewery in Ocean Beach, San Diego
For a final visit, we're hitting OB Brewery, an expansive pub with house brewed and local beers and a soaring three-story space with OB's highest rooftop patio. And while they have a great pub food menu, we're absolutely stuffed by now. So this stop is just to try some of the brews that have made this place a favorite with locals. And what better way to do that than by ordering a flight and letting your expert guide pick the lineup.
It's one of the highest rooftop bars in OB.
We should note that neither of us is really that into beer, but Bianca assures us that these are worth a try. And since we're always open to trying new things, I'm actually excited.
All right. So we're going to start with the sour.
Phil's first beer, everybody.
Definitely sour and also not bad.
These might not be my first beer, it's probably going to be my second beer. I'll do a lightning version of tasting.
[inaudible 00:13:46]. Take your time.
I'm sorry. I don't like the IPA. That one's better. Okay.
And with that, it's time to wrap up what turned into roughly six hours of face stuffing around one of the best cities in the US.
I think we'll be spending a lot more time on this side of the bridge now that we're familiar with what it has to offer.
So much variety. And honestly, every bite was outstanding. I'd even be willing to try the coffee and the beer again.
Oh, awesome. Thank you for subscribing. That's what did it, I think.
So Diego Tours in San Diego
A huge thank you to Bianca at So Diego Tours. If you want an expert guide while you are here, be sure to check them out for weekly food and drink tours in Gaslamp, Little Italy, and Old Town and custom experiences for groups throughout San Diego. You can learn more and book an experience at sodiegotours.com and you can follow them on Instagram at So Diego Tours.
Okay. What are we going to devour next?
Affogato. How's it pronounced? Affogato.
