On one of our recent trips, to a city well known for their cuisine, one of the Missus's favorite things She consumed, was, well….avocado toast? In fact, She had it three times during our visit! To be perfectly honest, the shop baked their own sourdough and the avo-toast was really good.
That sourdough bread was just perfect; sliced thin, great flavor, super texture….well, of course when got back home, the Missus wanted…avocado toast. Though finding the right bread was going to be an issue. After trying a couple of places, I ended up going back to Con Pane, which I've mentioned several times in comments and posts, but had never done a post on the place. It used to be a favorite for a passable baguette, but after the bakery reopened under the ownership of the Cohn Group, well the baguettes weren't up to what we were used to. I dropped by and picked up a sourdough loaf and had it sliced thin…and guess what, while it's still a bit on the "San Diego chewy bread" side, Con Pane has now returned as a regular stop for us. As in weekly for the last month.
Con Pane has two distinct lines; one for ordering food and café items. The other for bread and pastry only. As you can tell, I go first thing in the morning when they open. I'll often park all the way down by Trader Joe's and get a couple of extra steps in, while shopping at both places.
The bread line usually goes fast.
Like I said; I get the sourdough boule, sliced thin.
And I'm usually in and out in a few minutes.
While still a bit on the chewy side, when toasted it achieves a nice crispness, with good sour-tangy tones which doesn't overwhelm the yeastiness of the bread.
The Missus enjoys a good amount of avocado, with a squeeze of lemon, topped with cilantro micro-greens. I like making panini's and pressed sandwiches with salumi, cheese, and tomato.
So, who knows, maybe I'll try the baguette again one of these days.
Con Pane Rustic Breads & Café
2750 Dewey Rd.
San Diego, CA 92106
Hours:
Mon – Wed 8am – 3pm
Thurs – Sun 8am – 5pm
At the beginning of the month, I ran into "Bruddah Noel", who told me that he was now working at Garden Coffee in Old Town. I had never heard of the place and Noel gave me instructions on how to find it. It's was supposedly close to Tuetano Taqueria and the Congress Cafe. I looked at the address on Congress street, but don't recall seeing a coffee shop. After parking my car, I saw the sign.
So, I followed the signs…..
And came to a closed gate…..
So I made my way to Congress Street to the gate I thought was closed….it wasn't……duh….
And walked down into a cute little area…..
And the little shop was doing some good business….
There were a couple of folks working on their laptops….when things slowed down a bit I got a chance to chat with Noel. I got my cold brew….Noel knows exactly how I take it.
It's a cute little place and it seems there's quite a few regular customers. I guess the rather discreet location means you have to want to find it….
They also have plants for sale as well.
I've been back a couple of time and all the folks working are friendly. One of Noel's coworkers went to Sacred Hearts Academy "back home"…in my old neighborhood. Nice peaceful vibe in Old Town, I can see why folks like having a cup of coffee, maybe a pastry, and working at their laptops for a while here.
Currently, Garden Coffee is only open from 9am to 3pm Tuesdays to Saturdays. So, for me, with four coffee shops in the area that I frequent Garden Coffee will be a destination for a "late" cup.
I hope Noel does well!
Garden Coffee
2611 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Tues – Sat 9am – 3pm
It was somewhat divey, the bartender was super friendly, the decor was quirky and eclectic. The music was what I often call the Unites States' greatest export…rock 'n roll.
La Clave Azul
The Missus enjoyed the wine selection and the service was professional and accommodating.
The eggs were perfectly cooked, nice tanginess, a bit of heat, a nice, hearty breakfast.
Most of this museum is dedicated to it's former resident; 
So, how did this 
We had requested to sit on the patio again. Same relaxed and friendly service. A lot of the Servers were wearing "Franch" t-shorts…..Bell's say they serve Fr(ench R)anch cuisine. 
Just the perfect cut, the beef was super tender, like the night before, all items were perfectly seasoned. Perfect amount of capers, and that egg yolk, oh my! This was just so clean tasting and refreshing.
This was quite lovely and came with bread and butter. The egg was nice and perfectly done; still oozing with goodness, the rustic bacon was also quite good. The roasted tomatoes adding acidity and tangy touches. The red chili based "sauce" was rich but not overly spicy and we enjoyed the earthy mushrooms in the dish.
This sprawling market is quite large with everything from jewelry to shawls to produce.
A wonderful green space, which is fairly peaceful in the morning, but gets more lively as the days passes and is really buzzing at night.
Which was quite striking in its own right.
While some of the pieces of zucchini were under cooked and too hard for my taste, there were a couple that were nice and creamy. These were nicely seasoned and not overly salty.
As we strolled on over to our car, the Missus and I remarked about how much we enjoyed the vibe of Los Olivos. We just wished there were better accommodations (like under $400/night) and perhaps a nice destination restaurant.
I'm sure you know if foie gras is on the menu, we'd be ordering it, even with a $20 supplement. The fois gras was nicely seared, the interior nice and smooth, rich, earthy, though the roasted and compressed apple was perhaps a bit on the sweeter end of the spectrum for us.
