Bite San Diego - Coronado Walking Tour Review

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Looking to spend a little time on some of the most pristine beaches in the country?  Or how about dining in a restaurant in the heart of a quaint community with the feel of yesteryear?  Or perhaps you're looking to catch a glimpse of some of our country's elite military in training (SEAL BUD/S)?  What you are looking for is Coronado Island.

Situated just across the bay from downtown San Diego, Coronado Island can be reached by the award-winning and beautifully curved Coronado Bridge or by a 15 minute ride across the bay on the Coronado Ferry.  Known most notably for the iconic Hotel Del Coronado, this little island, peninsula actually, transports visitors to a charming town filled with numerous dining and shopping opportunities.  But to feel the quaintness of the town and to really appreciate the beauty of the many elegant gardens lining the streets one really need to get out and walk.

And that's exactly what we did last Saturday afternoon with a Bite San Diego Coronado Walking tour.  Started in 2010 by a San Diego native, Bite San Diego aims to show local and out of town visitors alike that San Diego restaurants bring more to the table than fish tacos and cheap sushi.  Fun and carefree tours guide guests through one of seven different itineraries bringing each little town to life through food combined with a little history and lore.

The Coronado tour takes you to both sides of the island, beginning on the more touristy side near the Coronado Ferry Landing.  Greeted with spectacular views of down ton San Diego, one can't help but marvel at the expansive bay and usually gorgeous weather that we here in San Diego many times take for granted.

  Our guide, Brittany, began with a brief overview of the tour then encouraged us all to introduce ourselves, which I admit I first scoffed at.  However after hearing everyone's home town and favorite travel destination, conversation between groups easily ensued as we made our way to the first destination, the aptly named waterfront Peohe's.

Meaning "A Gathering of Friends" in Hawaiian, Peohe's offers sweeping views of downtown San Diego and the Coronado Bridge while specializing in fresh tropical seafood dishes influenced by Pacific Rim flavors.  Eagerly accepting plates of Crispy Coconut Shrimp, my husband and a few others perused the crafty cocktail menu (note cocktails are not included in the Bite San Diego tour, but are available for purchase at a few of the stops).

Making the perfect call, we both very much enjoyed a Monarch Margarita - 1800 Reposado Tequila, Solerno Blood Orange Liquor, Finest Call Blood Orange Sour, and freshly squeezed lime juice - which now ranks up there as one of the best I've had (and a side note here... I'm probably one of the pickiest margarita girls around).

Moving on to our next stop our group meandered back past the ferry landing and on to the delightful Tartine.  With a menu specializing in "what's selling now at the farmer's market", one knows whatever is being served will be fresh and probably local.  And that's exactly how I'd describe the light veggie filled gnocchi dish served the smiling staff.

A few guests tried the featured rosé, but even more of us succumbed to the cases and glass domes filled with freshly made pastries.  From giant snickerdoodles (which I brought home to Liv and she has proclaimed better than my recipe... sigh...) to pretty pavlovas to slices of nutty banana tortes, Tartine treats are beyond sublime.

Heading out to Orange Avenue, our group strolled and chatted while enjoying the lovely gardens in front of many residences and hotels as we made our way to our next destination - Coronado Taste of Oils.

Family owned and operated since 2010, our bubbly host taught us that oil and vinegar aren't just for salad dressing.  Serving a sorbet topped with a lovely aged balsamic combined with some sort of wine (I unfortunately didn't get the recipe...) we learned health benefits as well as tips for oil and vinegar use.

Then the fun began as our group tasted incredibly fresh oils and vinegars from as far away as Tunisia, Australia and Italy in addition to specialties made right here in California.  Fig, blueberry, lemongrass and espresso balsamics made it into my tasting cup, but it was the Cilantro Roasted Onion Oil that made it into my bag and back to my kitchen (recipe for roasted olive oil chick peas coming soon!).  Note - a discount is given to Bite San Diego guests.

Back out on the road our group headed to another local favorite, Clayton's Mexican Takeout along with their new smoothie takeout window.  Brittany settled us in the outdoor seating and we enjoyed watching the endless line of locals grab and go with their favorite tacos or burritos in hand.

Tasting street tacos and a cup of their new acai smoothie we all felt like locals.

Satiated and enjoying the sun, Brittany moved us along with a promise of a sweet treat.  Just around the corner from Clayton's we found yet another local favorite, Nado Gelato.  With roots back to Italy, Nado's takes their gelato seriously and fills their recipes with fresh, quality ingredients. Be it deep, rich chocolate, bright lemon or creamy caramel, Nado's brought the perfect finale to our Coronado Walking Tour.

- A quick note here to let you know the tour does not end where it began, but a 20 minute or so walk will have you back at the ferry landing -

Taking Brittany's advice my husband and I bid our fellow guests farewell and headed off for a quick walk through the famed Hotel Del Coronado.  I've always loved the iconic red turrets, but hadn't known they were inspiration to L. Frank Baum for his Emerald City as he wrote the Wizerd of Oz.  And this time we even spied the crown chandeliers said to have been designed by the author.

All in all a wonderful, leisurely day that introduced us to a little bit of vacation in our own backyard.  Our thanks to Bite San Diego for the inspiration to explore Coronado even more now that we've seen and learned a bit about the area.

But the biggest question remains... which tour should we do next??

Bite San Diego Walking Food Tours

Pacific Beach

Encinitas

La Jolla

Coronado

North Park

Liberty Station

Downtown/Little Italy

Liv Life Note:  Bite San Diego provided Liv Life with two Coronado Walking Tour Tickets.  Writing this post was not a required part of the deal, but we had so much fun I want to share!    

Coronado Walking Tour - April 2016

 

Passion Fruit (Lilikoi) Melting Moments

We can all use a moment to simply sit and allow the stresses of life to melt away, can't we?  A bit of pure bliss to re-balance our minds and bring a moment of zen... Passion Fruit Melting Moments can do just that.

While Liv Life recipes usually consist of plant based ingredients, this is one where I bring out the good, real butter.  Had I never tasted rich, real butter in my prior baking days, my cube of Earth Balance would have worked just fine (and to keep these dairy free I use Earth Balance when my lactose intolerant son in home).  But for those who crave a rich, buttery taste, this is the recipe to bring out the good stuff.

With a light texture that does indeed melt in your mouth, these little moments become irresistible.  Add the juice of a passion fruit (Lilikoi in the Hawaiian Islands) and they take on an ethereal quality, simply melting all all your troubles away as they in turn melt your mouth.

Introduced to Melting Moments from a friend who bought me a copy of the gorgeous Australian magazine "Delicious", these cookies have been a regular in our kitchen for years.  And when passion fruit is in season, the passion fruit version is a must.

Found at your local farmer's market (or grown in your own back yard!), passion fruits are somewhat funny looking, purplish orbs that seem so light it's hard to believe they have anything inside.  Perfectly ripe when a bit wrinkled on the outside, cutting open a passion fruit reveals juice and seeds - the seeds seeming to be in little "pouches" almost like pomegranates, only bigger.

Called natures first "Sweet Tart", I find passion fruit a bit too tart to eat out of hand (though some people do - and different types are sweeter or tarter than others), but I love the intense tropical flavors when mixed into something like a smoothie, or buttercream as in in these Melting Moments.

Easy to put together with just a few ingredients (note it's the cornstarch not the butter that actually brings the magical melting textures), Melting Moments are an ideal kitchen project with kids, or something that can come together fairly quickly when planning a picnic, potluck or tea.

So join me for a quick trip to a moment of balance, won't you?  Sweet, rich and brightly flavored Melting Moments await.  Namaste my friends.

Anti Inflammatory Tropical Turmeric Smoothie and Bowl

Oh what I wouldn't give for a day or two on a tropical island right about now.  A few swaying palms, a hammock strung between them, and someone serving me frosty drinks with a touch of coconut...

Well, I may not be able to swing the hammock, but the drink?  I've got us covered!

Frosty and sweet with island pineapple and luscious mango, this smoothie brings not only a bit of an escape, but a few health benefits along with it.

Last month Mom's doc prescribed turmeric for joint pain and inflammation, and we've been working all angles to get more turmeric into her diet. Her knees and hips have been giving her trouble lately with chronic pain and we're up for trying anything to bring a bit of relief.

Recommended by the Arthritis Foundation to fight inflammation and chronic pain, turmeric dates back some 4,000 years to Southern India and Indonesia where history shows its use medicinally as well as as a beauty aid, spice and in the worship of the Sun Gods.

Years later Buddhist monks traveled great distances in search of the roots to dye their robs those familiar brilliant yellow/golden hues.  Evidence also shows medicinal use of turmeric as part of ancient Chinese medicine as an aid in digestion and for both the prevention and therapy of numerous diseases.

So what's the big deal with this golden hued root?  Research shows that curcumin, an antioxidant found in turmeric, works to promote a natural inflammatory response by molecularly inhibiting the expression of the COX-2 "pain" enzyme (1).  While curcumin extracts provide the most concentrated doses of the helpful antioxidant, we can supplement throughout the day with turmeric root in recipes for additional benefits and, as an added bonus, exotic flavors.

I'm by no means an expert on turmeric, but I can tell you mom has experienced slight relief since beginning her use of the root.  Power of suggestion?  Maybe.  But whatever the reason she's feeling a little better and we've all begun incorporating more turmeric into our diets (Note that curcumin is far better absorbed by the body when accompanied by a small dose of ground pepper) and enjoying so many new recipes in the process.

So, tropical and healthful?  This smoothie, or smoothie bowl, has it all.  Pineapple and ginger are wonderful for digestion and sweetness, mango brings even more of the lovely orange/golden hues, and a dash of coconut lends an essence of my beloved swaying palms.

Whether sipped with a straw or poured into a bowl and topped with your favorite smoothie bowl goodies (banana, chia, granola and goji top my list of favorites!), this Tropical Turmeric Smoothie is a welcome post workout refresher or as a bowl filled with goodies, a lovely way to start your day.

Smoothie turned smoothie bowl with the addition of toppings!  This one includes mandrin orange, banana, chia seeds, goji berries, granola and a sprinkle of coconut!

Minty Strawbery Lime Fruit Salad

The calendar may not officially say it, but the strawberries at my farmer's market definitely scream spring.

Here in San Diego we've had local berries for over a month, and right now they are simply sweet as can be.  Plump and juicy, they'll make anyone feel spring in their hearts.

And how better to celebrate than with a bright fruit salad featuring more local and in season ingredients?  A recent find at the same farmer's market piqued my interest - Lime Mint.  Mint with essence of lime?  Oh, heavens yes!  The fragrance is divine.

Tossing together the fresh berries with complementary kiwi and our beloved banana, lime mint worked beautifully with limes picked fresh from my tree for a honey lime dressing. 

Bright and fresh, I proclaim spring has arrived.

Minty Strawberry Lime Fruit Salad
Sweet with fresh berries and a little zesty with lime and mint, this salad works perfectly at any gathering.  Want to perk it up even more?  A splash of tequila brought shades of margaritas to the bowl!  Potluck perfection.
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2 cups sliced strawberries, preferably organic
4 kiwis, peeled and chopped

1-2 bananas, peeled and chopped
3 Tbs sliced Lime Mint - cut into ribbons (may substitute regular mint)
2 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp raw honey
1 tsp tequila (optional - but really good!)
more mint to garnish as desired 

Place berries, kiwis and banana into a medium bowl.  Sprinkle with the sliced lime mint.

In a small bowl whisk together the lime and honey, whisking until smooth.

Pour the honey/lime juice over the fruit and stir gently to combine.  Garnish with additional mint ribbons if desired.

Liv Life Note:  I've only seen the Lime Mint on occasion at my market, however I found it online at Easy to Grow Bulbs!