When I was getting my hair done a couple of months ago, I told my braider about all the brunch spots I had been to and how I was running out of new places to try.
She recommended Fig Tree Cafe, and I vaguely remembered passing by their Mission Valley location a few times in the past. It didn’t look super exciting from the outside so I never had the desire to go in. She assured me the food was bomb, so I made it a point to go as soon as I could!
My friend and I decided to go there for brunch this week, and I was delighted to find out they had a much prettier location in Pacific Beach.
Walking onto the patio of the cafe feels like walking into a peaceful garden. There are plants growing freely on the walls and hanging across the ceiling. There’s a surfboard suspended up above. The sign for the cafe is even hanging from a large tree that covers the front part of the restaurant. It’s like a little forest in the middle of a beach town. They also have gorgeous indoor seating if you’re looking to avoid the cold air.
Fig Tree Cafe has 4 locations: Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Liberty Station, and East Village. They are open daily from 7AM – 3PM, with the exception of the East Village location which closes at 2PM. Their menu is available online.
The food? Phenomenal.
Mimosa Flight
First things first — drinks! My friend and I both ordered a mimosa flight, which consisted of 4 different flavors (from left to right): cranberry, pineapple, grapefruit, and classic OJ. This is a pretty basic flight considering there aren’t any other special juices or flavors you can order. However, what they lack in variety they make up for in quality.
The mimosas tasted SO good and the champagne-to-juice proportion was perfect. Not to mention it only costs $15, which is one of the best deals I’ve seen for a flight of 4 drinks in reasonably-sized glasses.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
These were like heaven in my mouth. The tangy lemon curd and sweet honey ricotta were a match made in heaven. Truly some of the best pancakes I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve had a LOT of sweet and fruity pancakes in my years of brunching.
The pancakes hit all the right notes: sweet, sour, creamy, fluffy, buttery, even crunchy. The pistachio brittle topping gave each bite a different texture and complemented the dish so well. I didn’t even need the syrup; the toppings did what they needed to do.
My friend ordered one of their signature items, the Fig Jam & Ricotta French Toast. I didn’t get a picture of it, but she said it was really good and she seemed to enjoy it!
I ordered my dish with a side of maple-sage breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs, and my friend ordered a side of arugula potatoes. Everything was super tasty and we left very, very satisfied.
I will be back ASAP to get another taste of those delicious lemon pancakes, and then I’ll be back again to try some of the other mouth-watering items on the menu. I’ll update this post once I try more food, but based on my initial visit this cafe has solidified itself as one of my new favorite brunch spots in San Diego. From the yummy food to the affordable drinks to the calming atmosphere, it’s a place you’ll want to return to again and again!
When my friend told me her aunt recommended this place for brunch, I was surprised. Judging by the name it seemed like a dessert bar that might have a few sandwiches. I was wrong!
Walking into Eclipse Chocolate in South Park feels like walking into a room in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. With its shimmery glass panels and whimsical candy displays, the aesthetic alone is enough to cure any sweet tooth.
Biscuits & Gravy (with Panko Crusted Chicken)
It may look like a regular brunch dish, but don’t let appearances fool you. Eclipse puts their chocolate-y twist on every dish, and this was no exception! The star of this dish was the sausage gravy, which was infused with toasted white chocolate. This gave it a hint of sweetness that paired perfectly with the hickory salted sausage and spicy chicken.
It was really cool experiencing white chocolate in a savory way like this. The garlic parmesan biscuits were fluffy and lightly flavored, setting the perfect stage for the sausage gravy to dance on the tastebuds.
I would definitely recommend ordering the Panko chicken on the side like I did to balance out the richness of the dish. It didn’t bother me at all, but I thought the chicken was a nice complement. The menu mentions towards the bottom that the side of Panko crusted chicken comes tossed in a vanilla honey sriracha sauce, which I think is important to note!
Salted Dulce de Leche Cacao
I asked the server which drink from their extensive sipping chocolate list he would recommend, and he first asked me what my favorite chocolate was. Upon hearing I prefer white chocolate, he recommended this. It was love at first sip.
It was so smooth, creamy, and just the right amount of sweet! I loved the hints of caramel and vanilla in every sip. I finished one and immediately wanted more. Lucky for me, they sell sipping chocolate to-go as well!
This bistro is an essential stop for chocolate enthusiasts in San Diego. The staff are super friendly and enthusiastic about discussing their menu and ingredients, and there are so many opportunities to learn more about cacao and all its uses. One wall in the restaurant is dedicated to showing the step-by-step process of creating chocolate, and they even sell real cacao beans! If you are in the South Park area and hoping to satisfy your sweet tooth, this is the place to go!
I lost a bet to my boyfriend a couple of months ago — I can’t remember what it was about, but the loser was supposed to take the winner to dinner. Weekends came and went and we forgot about it for a while, but last weekend I randomly remembered.
We were trying to figure out what to do for date night, so I asked him what dish he had been craving lately. It didn’t take him long to name drop the elk flank he had had at Lion’s Share, so we decided to go there. He talks about this place super often and I had only been there once for appetizers, so I was excited to try a main dish!
Established in downtown San Diego in 2011, the restaurant prides itself on “offer[ing] food and cocktails with only the best ingredients, prepared meticulously for your enjoyment,” per the website. It’s a vision they absolutely live up to; dining here is a thrill for the senses from start to finish. They specialize in exotic meats, so you’re guaranteed to see something on the menu that will stir your curiosity.
The Lion’s Share is open Tuesday through Sunday from 4PM to 2AM, with Happy Hour from 4PM to 6PM. The full menu is only available until 11PM. After hours, you can still order their “late night food” until 1AM. It’s the perfect place to sober up on gourmet finger food after a night of clubbing downtown.
Plan ahead and make reservations on The Lion’s Share website to save a little wait time!
When I started reading the menu I realized there were a lot of ingredients I had never seen before. I had no way of predicting what anything was going to taste like, but everyone’s plates looked delicious. I was torn until the very last second between the lamb chops and the duck breast. Luckily, choosing the appetizer was easier. Read on to see what we ordered!
Salt & Pepper Frog Legs
There were a lot of tasty looking items on the appetizer list. I was trying to take risks with every dish this night, so my boyfriend suggested I try frog legs. Considering how the animal looks I couldn’t imagine how those would taste good, but I decided to trust the process.
When the appetizer came, I was shocked by how great it tasted. The meat melted in the mouth and the breading was paper thin, light and well-seasoned. Salty, but not so much as to take away from the meat’s natural juices. The frog legs were prepared tempura style, tossed with fried garlic and scallions, and accompanied with a mild chili sauce.
With or without the sauce, the appetizer provided a wave of flavor that served as the perfect introduction for what the restaurant had to offer.
Sumac Rubbed Elk Flank
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the dish we came for: elk flank served with eggplant & chile puree, crispy potatoes, and shishito relish. I almost ordered this but I figured my boyfriend would let me have a bite of his, which he did.
I hate to be dramatic but my immediate thoughts were that I could taste the woods in this dish. Like, I tasted the elk’s entire experience in one bite. Does that even make sense? Well that’s how it felt. I had never tasted anything like it before.
The meat was smoky and so so tender, and the garnishing added the extra pop of flavor it needed to take it over the edge. Not to mention the plating was gorgeous. I was in love, will definitely be ordering this one next time!
Seared Duck Breast
Finally, the dish I decided on: seared duck breast served atop Sichuan eggplant, haricot vert, beech mushrooms, duck jus and scallions. It smelled phenomenal. It looked like it was about to fill me up and take my senses for a ride.
In my first bite, I made sure to get a forkful of everything the plate had to offer — the duck, the mushrooms, the eggplant and that rich glaze pooling at the bottom of the dish. The texture and flavors were different from anything I had ever had before and totally different from the elk. The duck was more of a fatty meat, not as tender. Almost uncomfortably so, until I figured out the correct way to eat the dish.
After the first few bites, I started eating the things on my plate separately. I was confused because the duck was suddenly a little hard to chew, something I hadn’t dealt with in the first few minutes. I almost started to regret my choice, then it clicked. The glaze (I’m assuming this is the duck jus?) was pretty acidic. When I ate the duck dipped in glaze and paired with the other ingredients on the plate, it suddenly melted in the mouth.
This is why I say that the plate was a ride. It was a carefully curated experience and honestly one of the best dishes I’ve ever had.
I don’t know if I would have ever randomly decided to try duck or elk; I like to stick to the classics and play it safe. Dining here ignited a fire to step out of my comfort zone and try new foods. Although on the pricier side, The Lion’s Share is worth every penny. From the fascinating art to the one-of-a-kind food and drinks, you’re guaranteed a unique experience from the moment you walk through the door.
Another restaurant I ended up trying completely by chance!
A friend was staying in Little Italy for the weekend and wanted to meet up with a few of us for brunch. We had spent a few days looking into restaurants near the plaza and settled on one right in the middle.
When the day came, the restaurant we originally chose told us there would be a 3 hour wait, and they didn’t take reservations. (What is it with breakfast/brunch places not taking reservations on the weekends??) Luckily, our friend had a second choice in mind — a New Zealand-inspired restaurant called Queenstown Public House that she had walked by during her stay in the district.
Queenstown Public House serves brunch until 2pm, but they also have lunch and dinner items on their menu in case you’d rather pop in later. If you’re like me and prefer to check the menu online before you get there, keep in mind that they have two brunch menus: one for weekdays and one for weekends. They will also provide a physical menu for you once seated.
They were able to seat us immediately and the customer service was top notch from start to finish. The restaurant aesthetic was super homey and calming. It had an old-time cottage feel, like we were sitting in someone’s living room waiting on their grandma to bring us a home-cooked New Zealand breakfast.
After doing a little research on the history of Queenstown Public House, I found out that the building is a Craftsman house built in 1905 and previously used to house apartments and offices!
We had to wait a little while for our food, but compared to the three hour wait we were facing at the other restaurant, we didn’t mind. In the meantime, the staff was really chill about us putting our tripod in the aisle to snap a few quick flicks, and our server even took a few photos for us.
We ordered a couple rounds of mimosas to sip on before getting to the good stuff: the food!
Fresh Juice Mimosa
Queenstown’s house mimosa comes with three juice options: blood orange, orange pineapple, or classic OJ. I was in the mood for something simple and traditional, so I went with the classic. The regular price is $13.50, however if you catch the brunch special they are half off. Still a little pricey for a mimosa, but it tasted good and they give you a generous amount of drink (not to mention, a generous OJ to champagne ratio).
Churro Waffle
Every time I go to brunch I’m faced with a difficult decision: sweet or savory?
Although there were hearty, delicious-looking items on the menu, my heart was yearning for sugar this morning. I was torn between the Churro Waffle and the French Toast for a while, but decided on the waffle because it looked a lot more exciting.
It’s described as a churro waffle drizzled in caramel and topped with fresh fruit and dulce de leche whipped cream. They had me at caramel.
As you can see, the presentation of the dish was absolutely gorgeous. It was carefully sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar, the berries were evenly spaced, there was a perfect dollop of whip smack dab in the middle — overall it was just very aesthetically pleasing, and I live for a good aesthetic.
It tasted just as good as it looked; it was sweet but not in an overbearing way. The slight bitterness from the blueberries and raspberries cancelled out the whip and drizzle, so you get nice balanced mouthful of flavors. The waffle was fluffy and melted in my mouth. Needless to say I was very sad when I finished it, but I’ll definitely be back for more!
My friends also enjoyed their food; one of them said you know it’s a good meal when no one is talking. We were dead silent and focused on the grub down!
I would give the restaurant a 9/10. It’s not the most cost-friendly place to do brunch if you’re looking for drink specials, but the food and vibe were on point. I didn’t get individual pictures of everyone’s food this time, but I did scan all of our plates in the TikTok below!
Brunch at @Queenstown Public House was delish 😋 Click the link in my Insta bio to read my full review of the restaurant and food! #brunchtok#foodtok#foodblogger#foodie#food
I had come across this restaurant in Hillcrest two times prior to my first time actually dining there. The first time was earlier this year when my boyfriend attempted to take me there for breakfast, but the wait was too long. The second time, a friend was in town and I recommended we try it out. However, when we called we found that the wait was too long once again.
That being said, you can imagine my delight when the hostess told me about the 15 minute wait time this past Sunday. I was meeting with a couple of content creators; one of them had heard about the restaurant and wanted to have brunch there. We were sat pretty quickly, and I was excited to finally get to try their food!
Breakfast and Bubbles only takes reservations Monday-Friday. Weekend seating is first come, first served. Breakfast & Bubbles does offer their menu online, however we were given physical menus upon seating.
The illustrated items on the first page caught our eye, and we ultimately ended up with two of them on our table: the Tower of Sweetness and the All That Glitter Is Gold burger.
One of the ladies ordered the Chicken Wings Waffles, and I ended up ordering the Open Faced Sandwich. I originally wanted to play it safe and order their Salmon Lox Bagel, but they were out of salmon. Our waitress recommended the Open Faced Sandwich as a replacement, and I took her advice.
You can’t go to a place called Breakfast & Bubbles without the bubbles, so we ordered mimosas while we waited for our food. Two of us ordered their popular Taste The Rainbow mimosa, while the other ordered the Pineapple-Blood Orange mimosa.
So, how did everything taste, you ask?
Taste The Rainbow | Pineapple-Blood Orange
Our waitress recommended their most popular drink, the Taste The Rainbow mimosa — a fruity drink that glitters from all angles. I was a little surprised when it came; I was expecting to see a drink with layers of varying colors. However, the glitter effect was cool and I quickly learned that the name was more in line with the taste rather than the aesthetic.
This mimosa was tropical and sweet like liquid candy. To top it off it was garnished with two little gummy bears and dried fruit. It was so good I ended up ordering a second one, which came in a different color surprisingly!
As for our friend who ordered the Pineapple-Blood Orange, she seemed to enjoy it. I imagine it tastes how it’s named, it definitely looks the part.
Tower of Sweetness
We ordered a Tower of Sweetness for the table after seeing it pictured on the menu and looking at pictures of it on the restaurant’s Instagram page. The menu depicts a three-tiered display with what appears to be cupcakes, churros, doughnuts, whoopie pies, and more.
Our actual tower did not have these things, but it did have the items pictured on the Instagram page and the items our waitress listed: pancakes, waffles, French toast, a couple doughnuts, and fruit with whipped cream and sweet dips.
The presentation on the Instagram page is much prettier than the tower you get when you order — the food and toppings are arranged more carefully and there are decorations. Earlier photos show the three-tiered set up from the menu, but we did not get any of this. When asked about the misrepresentation, the waitress told us the pictures had been taken a year ago and don’t exactly match what you will get.
Aside from the false advertising, the food on the tower was pretty tasty and very sweet indeed. The items are on the softer, soggier side due to absorbing the whipped cream, but I didn’t have a problem with it. My favorite part of it was the French toast; I ended up taking a few home. Most of the items are bready, so if you order this remember to save room for your main dish!
Open-Faced Sandwich
My main dish was the restaurant’s redeeming grace for me: Two toasted bagel halves topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, green onion and chipotle aioli. It also came with a small side of chopped house potatoes. I wasn’t super impressed with them until I had this, but this dish alone made me consider coming back and giving them a second try.
This was my first time trying an open-faced sandwich, let alone breakfast style. Pairing spicy chipotle with a bagel had never really crossed my mind, but pairs so well with all the other breakfast items. I would have preferred the bacon be chopped into smaller pieces so it doesn’t fall off every time you try to take a bite, but that’s a super small grievance.
All That Glitter Is Gold
This beautiful burger includes two Angus beef patties with bacon, caramelized onions, and bleu cheese crumbles with a side of mustard aioli and truffle fries. As you can see, it’s unique due to the thin sheet of gold included on the top bun.
I hate to disappoint, but I don’t have a personal opinion on what this tasted like since I didn’t try the burger. However, I did try the truffle fries and those were delicious. I imagine it tasted exquisite, you can’t really go wrong with a burger! Also, you’re getting two pictures of this because the presentation was absolutely gorgeous.
Side note: If you decide to order Breakfast & Bubbles’ golden item, prepare to get a LOT of food.
The brunch buddy who ordered this was not impressed, so I didn’t try to get a picture of her plate. However, it consisted of 3 chicken wings, waffles, and a dipping sauce.
The menu specifies “crispy chicken wings” come with this plate, so we were all a little surprised when the wings were wet and saucy. Typically a chicken and waffles plate comes with regular fried chicken, and we think they were trying to be different by switching it up. She wasn’t in the mood for dinner-style wings at 11 in the morning, so it didn’t really live up to expectations. The waffles were pretty good though.
Overall, I would give the restaurant a 7/10.
The way they advertise their food on the menu and on Instagram is a little misleading; the information should at least be up to date on the menus so customers are getting what they think they are ordering. If you are going to promote an aesthetic online to get people to come, then the experience dining in should match what people are seeing advertised.
The food itself was pretty good, a lot of it just wasn’t what was expected. I think having mimosas available all day and being centered around pink and sweetness is a total vibe, and it’s a small personable space to meet with people and snap a few pictures.
Although I’m on the fence, I would probably go back there for more mimosas and another Open-Faced Sandwich!
Have you been to Breakfast & Bubbles? Let me know your favorite menu items in the comments so I can try them next time!
As the third round of stimulus checks make their way into our bank accounts, people everywhere are taking the opportunity to treat themselves. There are memes all over the internet about what people will do when they get their long-awaited stimmies, and my anticipation was no different than anyone else’s.
I didn’t have any extravagant purchases planned but I did want to use a small cut to indulge. I wracked my brain for something I had been wanting for a while but couldn’t get, something that would make me happy instantly. I didn’t actually make my decision until the money hit my account, and when it did, the choice became obvious.
When the day finally came, I decided to buy cheesecake. Lots of it.
I originally intended to have a slice or two delivered from Cheesecake Factory, but they weren’t offering delivery to my area at that moment. I was devastated — I hadn’t had cheesecake since my birthday in December and I had been craving it for weeks. There were fast food restaurants nearby that had it on the menu, but I wanted something top quality. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert, and my standards for it are pretty high.
So, in desperation, I took a risk and tried a new restaurant. The first option that popped up on Postmates was a place I had never heard of called The Incredible Cheesecake Company. I didn’t even look at the other options because I figured with a name like that, the slices had to be nothing short of extraordinary. Besides, I’d rather give my money to a local business.
The Incredible Cheesecake Company offers their cheesecake in slices, quarters, halves, and whole cakes. The whole cheesecakes are available in 3 sizes: Junior (6″), Hostess (8″), and Full Size (10″). The price of cheesecake at The Incredible Cheesecake Co. varies depending on what you get, but a brief breakdown is below. (Prices may fluctuate over time)
There were 27 mouth-watering flavors on the menu and I couldn’t narrow my choice down to one. So, I ended up ordering three different slices of cheesecake: Reese’s Peanut Butter, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Fudge Brownie.
Delivery took about 30 minutes, and thanks to the cold weather my slices were still firm when they arrived. Although they appeared to be small, the slices were surprisingly filling and well worth the $6. Each cheesecake was delicious; they melted in my mouth and left me eager for more.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake
I’m a huge fan of peanut butter, so I had to dig into this one first.
Right off the bat, I tasted the flavor coming through in two places. The cheesecake mixture tasted like it was infused with peanut butter, and there were gooey chunks of peanut butter throughout the slice. However, they both had two distinctly different peanut butter tastes. The cheesecake mixture had a sharp and tangy peanut butter taste while the chunks were smooth and sweet.
The chunks were the best part of eating this slice. The mixture was a little too tangy for me but the combination of chewy peanut butter and creamy cheesecake was absolutely perfect. It wasn’t too rich and left a sweet, nutty aftertaste that wasn’t overpowering.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake
My friend Hannah introduced me to Bailey’s Irish Cream circa 2016 when we were roommates in college. My experience started with Irish Car Bombs, but I eventually learned you could mix Bailey’s into hot cocoa, coffee, and more. Ever since then, it has been a staple in my refrigerator.
Even though I already knew of its versatility, I had never thought of putting Bailey’s into cheesecake mix. When I saw this on the menu I knew I had to try it.
At first bite, I was surprised that the Bailey’s flavor was not coming through as strongly as I had expected it to. I would have liked the taste to be a little stronger, but I also understand that the staff probably didn’t want the alcohol infusion to take attention away from the taste of the cheesecake. While more Bailey’s would be a little more fun, a milder taste probably appeals to a larger audience, as everyone is not into alcohol.
Regardless, this flavor was delicious the way it was. Since the Bailey’s flavor was not particularly strong, the flavor of the original cheesecake mix really stood out. The chocolate shavings were also a wonderful addition.
This cheesecake flavor is a wonderful choice for someone looking for a very mild spike. If you only like a splash of Bailey’s in your drink, then this slice would be appropriate for you.
Fudge Brownie Cheesecake
I was super excited to try this slice after trying the others. I love all things chocolate, and I was interested to see if the cheesecake mixture itself would be chocolate or not. What I found was two layers of regular cheesecake with a layer of fudge brownie in the middle.
Although this slice was rich and flavorful, it ended up being my least favorite out of the bunch. The texture of the brownie layer was a little too slimy for me. I would have liked for it to be firmer. Also, I’m not a huge fan of nuts, but that’s a personal bias.
If you enjoy walnuts then you will love this flavor — chopped walnuts garnish the top of the slice and fill the brownie mixture in the middle. It’s chock full of chocolate with one thin layer up top, and brownie layer in the middle, and a chocolate graham crust at the base. Overall, it was delish!
Each flavor had its unique strengths and potential improvements, but overall the cheesecake was delicious. I’ll definitely be ordering again to try another handful of flavors. I hope to visit in person soon, but ordering online is easy enough in the meantime.
Ordering through the company website directly comes with the added bonus of the Combo option. This allows you to order a 10” cheesecake composed of 4 different flavors for $51.99.
I’ve got my eye on the Blueberry Cream Cheesecake, the Dutch Apple Cheesecake, the Merv Griffin Cheesecake, and the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.
Which flavors are you dying to try? Let me know in the comments!
If you’re considering using Postmates for the first time to order yourself a slice, use my invite code VLPLH to get free delivery credit on your first order! (First time users only)
Jade's Food Journey 