In Love With..

A beautiful farmer's market salad from Florent

I think it's officially fall in San Diego now. 

It happened overnight..

literally, it was 85 degrees two days ago, and now it's raining.

But I'm not complaining. 

I've been counting down the days till I could wear some of my favorite cozy knits and boots,

and the time is finally here!

Besides the appropriate wardrobe updates,

I've also been loving the seasonal happenings all around San Diego lately. 

Pumpkin spice lattes aren’t the only thing popping up all over town. 

So are brand new fall menus, and Chef Brad Hightow from Florent 

has launched a lineup of fall-inspired eats with savory proteins, 

sweet seasonal fruits and unique carbohydrates to get downtown ready for the colder weather. 

The restaurant invited me in to try a few of their seasonal favorites a couple of weeks ago,

and I jumped at the opportunity to start building up my "winter coat". 

The Nashville Hot Quail and the Pork Chop with Maple Brine were my personal favorites.

Filled with flavor from seasonal ingredients, 

each entree perfectly fit into the category of comfort food. 

Ahhh does anyone else feel like they're already behind on their holiday shopping? 

Luckily, the kind folks at Fashion Valley helped me out by inviting me to an exclusive holiday preview event. 

I got a chance to mingle with other influencers over happy hour, 

then see top trending gift ideas from the mall’s luxury retailers including 

Bloomingdales, Louis Vuitton and Kendra Scott.

I had a few revelations that night,

and wanted to share some best kept secrets about the beloved shopping center with you all!

1. Did you know that there is a restaurant inside of Bloomingdales Fashion Valley?!

Yes. 

It's called 59th & Lex.

It's on the 3rd floor, it's chic and fuck*n legit. 

2. Another hidden gem inside of Bloomingdales Fashion Valley!

Did you know they housed a Clarins Spa?!

Yes, boys and girls. 

Mind blown!

Okay, so when I first heard about it, I'm not going to lie, I had my doubts. 

How good can a "spa" be inside a department store?

But I was in dire need, and with a nice referral discount I decided to try it out anyway. 

Best decision I made all month!

After a 50 minute facial that was customized specifically for me, 

I walked out GLOWING. 

Seriously, I've been getting compliments on my skin all week. 

Love.

3. Santa Baby.. I found what I want for Christmas. 

4. Okay so this last one is not really a secret or a hidden gem,

but it was a revelation for me. 

It was my first time inside a Kendra Scott store,

and I. Fell. In. Love. 

Definitely know what I'm getting all my girlfriends for the holidays. 

With the options to completely customize what you want at the Color Bar,

the options are limitless,

which is perfect when shopping for ladies who seem to have it all!

Karubi Short Rib from the last Cosecha dinner

Remember when I went to Kaboo a few months ago?

Well what I really loved about that festival is that it was a diverse mix of not only music,

but also culinary offerings, libations, art exhibitions, comedy and much more. 

Not to veer off topic too much, 

one of my personal discoveries was the talent of Chef Steve Brown,

who showed off his culinary skills and won the 2016 Kaaboo Rock’n Chef Competition.

He's been a busy man since then,

doing things like launching Harvest, his very own catering company, 

as well as a series of pop-up restaurants, called Cosecha. 

“Cosecha”, meaning harvest in Spanish, has quickly become a popular event among the southern California crowd.

The "crowd" including myself and some of my dearest friends since we attended the latest event. 

The five-course dinner, which showcased produce grown at local Wild Willow Farms, 

included pumpkin ravioli, beets and bone marrow, and a 72-hr Karubi short rib 

paired with beers from Temecula’s Ironfire Brewing Company. 

Save the date!

The next event will take place on December 17th,

and will feature Satsuma Wagyu beef straight from Japan

with your choice of whiskey pairings or Baja wine pairings.

Tickets will be on sale soon, so keep your eyes out!

Sampling some Harvest Wine at Seasons 52 San Diego Seaport

The last happening I wanted to share with you is taking place at Seasons 52 San Diego Seaport location.

The restaurant invited me in to sample Harvest Wine,

 available for a limited time (until it runs out!).

Extremely popular in Europe, half-fermented Harvest Wine lies between a fully fermented wine and grape juice. 

During the process, in this case with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Mauritson vineyards in California,

the wine loses some of the acidity it’s known for. 

The acidity maintained makes this wine great for pairing with dishes such as seafood and spicy or salty dishes. 

Due to its sweet flavor and low alcohol content (about 5%), 

this wine is refreshing and makes for a great daytime beverage as an accompaniment to shrimp scampi and the scallops.