April 30, 2013

The Baked Bear

I'll start this post off by saying that I'm not a sweets person. 
Say wha?
That's right.. given a choice between salty and sweet,
I'll choose something savory 98% of the time. 
That's just how I roll. 

But there is that 2%..
And once that rare craving comes over me, 
I now know where I'll be heading. 

an artisan cookie and ice cream sandwich parlor, 
is hitting San Diego on Saturday, May 4, 2013 with a grand opening celebration, 
bringing customizable desserts to beach-goers and locals all year long.
The brainchild of a lifelong ambition between San Diego natives and best friends Shane Stanger and Rob Robbins, 
 The Baked Bear offers a modern take on an old-fashioned ice cream sandwich with made-to-order combinations of baked in-house gourmet cookies and California-crafted ice cream flavors. 
 Waffle and brownie ice cream sandwiches, creamy milkshakes and chocolate dipped bananas are also on the menu. 

 I had an opportunity to try out a yummy combo for myself, 
when I dropped by the ice cream shop last week to chat with Rob and Shane. 
 I can tell you first hand that these sandwiches are delish! 
 I had the boys concoct me a combo from a tutti-frutti and snicker doodle cookies, 
held together with strawberry cheesecake ice-cream. 
 It was a perfect treat to take along for a walk on the boardwalk on a sunny San Diego day.
The grand opening celebration is Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 
the store will remain open for normal business hours, until 2 a.m. 
The event will allow guests to sample scrumptious confections as they benefit the Drew Kurtzman Foundation, 
 a nonprofit organization formed to help those suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. 
 This foundation was started in honor of Robbins and Stanger's close friend who suffered from this disease before passing away in 2010 at the age of 20. 
 A portion of the proceeds from the opening weekend will be donated to this organization that was founded in San Diego. 

 So mark your calendars boys and girls! 
 Hit the beach this Saturday and be sure to treat yourself for a good cause.

natasha

April 26, 2013

ArtWalk


Do you know the forecast for San Diego this weekend?
Well, in case you're not aware, it's bound to be perfect - seventies and sunny. 
So why not take advantage and head down to Little Italy for the 29th annual ArtWalk,
Southern California's largest fine arts festival. 

This is a free event that fills 17 blocks of San Diego's most charming neighborhood with more than 350 visual artists.
I had a chance to get a little preview of the festivities at the VIP reception this past Wednesday.
The event took place at the gorgeous Westgate Hotel in downtown,
and showcased pieces from just a few of the participating artists.
Attendees had a chance to hear from some key ArtWalk sponsors,
all whilst sipping on free wine and munching on tray-passed hors d'oeuvres.
I couldn't think of a better way to spend my hump day.
San Diego City Council President, Todd Gloria.
Gorgeous decor inside of the Westgate Hotel lobby.
Perhaps a few glasses of vino too many? Never!
ArtWalk will be going on April 27 & 28, 2013, from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m..
Admission is FREE.
Hope to see you there!

natasha

April 22, 2013

I Dream of Kitchen

All photos via, via, and via.
My life has been consumed lately,
with all things kitchen-related.
We officially started our remodel last week,
and it. is. exhausting!
To say the least.

These are a few images that have been sitting pretty in my pinspiration board for the past year...
We're going with neutral tones to achieve a clean and spacious effect.
I cook A LOT, so practicality and efficiency was a big part of our design.
And although this project is seriously testing my patience,
I'm also enjoying being actively involved in every step of the process.
The hubby and I personally picked out every single detail of this kitchen,
and I cannot WAIT to see the finished product!

I'll be sure to post some before and after photos as soon as it's all done,
but in the meantime,
I have to get back to the construction zone.

natasha

April 11, 2013

L.A. Quickie

Jumping on our suite bed at Hotel Roosevelt. Girls just want to have fun.
Gorgeous interior of our hotel.
Sneaking off during dinner at The Bazaar to take shameless bathroom pics.
Incredible dinner by Jose Andres.
Food captions, clockwise, starting from top left:
Jamon Iberico, fried farm egg with truffle butter//"Philly Cheesesteak" air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef// Seared Mary's Farm Chicken, honey dates, mustard caviar// Braised Wagyu beef cheeks, California citrus.
Dirty dancing at Teddy's.
Tourist time at LACMA.
Too much fun with my bestie.
I was wearing: Velvet jumper, H&M leather pants, Karen Millen booties, Alexander McQueen scarf as a turban, Chanel bag.
Amazing desserts at Bottega Louie.
Poolside drinks at The Standard Hollywood.
I'm clearly wearing too much clothing. 
Decadent dinner at The Aventine.
Must try: Margherita Pizza and Lasagna. So good!

A few weeks ago I spent 24 whirlwind hours in L.A.
Based on the photos above, I would say that we were very efficient with our time.
Just another reason I love living in Southern Cali - when you need a change of pace, just hop into a car, 
and two hours later you'll find yourself in a whole new world.

natasha

April 9, 2013

Weekend Diary


I don't have too many photos to share today,
because 85% of this weekend was spent inside the house.
It may sound lame, but the hubby and I seriously needed some down time.
We're on the go so much, that sometimes, it's the little things in life that make me happiest.
Cooking elaborate meals, catching up on my favorite shows (btw, who watched the Mad Men season premiere?! so good!)..

Speaking of cooking - we are making progress on our kitchen remodel, which makes me one happy girl!
It's the last part of the house that we need to upgrade, and obviously the most important.
On Saturday we ordered all our new appliances, so now we can focus on building all the cabinets, picking out backsplash and tile for the floor, and all the other fun stuff.
I've been pinning photos onto my pinspiration board for a while now, and can't wait to see how it all turns out.
I'll be sure to post some before and after pictures as soon as the whole thing is complete.

There were other developments this weekend too...
The huzband and I officially booked our next trip!
In less than two months we are going... to... ASIA!
I could not be more excited.
Neither of us have really been to this part of the world before,
and my imagination is running wild as I plan out all the details.
We'll be gone for a little over two weeks,
during which time we plan to cover the following countries:
Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore.
All I can think about are elephants and tigers, delicious cuisine and gorgeous beaches.. oh my!

Does anyone have any recommendations or travel tips for any of the places listed above?
I'd love to hear from you!

natasha

April 5, 2013

Hawaii Withdrawals

I know I may live in one of the most beautiful cities in the nation,
and I know that the beach is easily accessible any time I want it,
but there's just nothing like the carefree feeling of being on vacation.
And today I miss that feeling. A lot.

The video above is a compilation of random clips that we collected during our time in Honolulu last month.
I love vacation videos, and have to constantly remind myself to film rather than just snap away during our time off.
Either way.. I truly enjoy looking back on these moments of pure bliss,
and I hope you find it as a welcome distraction.

Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

natasha

April 3, 2013

Winning

Did you guys watch The Taste this season?
If your answer is no, then I'm sorry to tell you that you missed out on some good tv. 
Don't worry.. there's always next season {fingers crossed}. 
The show is based on the same concept as The Voice,
except instead of singing, the contestants must prepare dishes that are judged in a blind taste. 
The judges?
Check this out - the show featured no-holds barred chef Anthony Bourdain, British food star Nigella Lawson, expert chef and author Ludo Lefebvre and last, but not least, my foodie crush and restaurateur Brian Malarkey.
Eight episodes later, guess who ended up winning the whole shebang? 
Chef Khriristianne Uy, who was mentored by San Diego's favorite chef - Mr. Malarkey himself!

To celebrate, the dynamic duo paired up to bring a sample of The Taste to three of Malarkey's restaurants:
Of course I had to make it to at least one of the events,
and after much deliberation, 
I decided to pay a visit to Burlap, a place where I've had a fabulous time in the past, as described here and here
The meal was comprised of an amazing five-course menu that we decided to pair with corresponding drink tastings. 
Amuse Bouche - the sexiest oyster shooter I've ever consumed. 
Lamb Poutine, petite basque, with triple cooked fries.
Adobo Chicken Liver Arancini with onion confit. 
Mussels with chorizo, coconut broth, chilies, and garlic mops.
Braised Oxtail with pea risotto, pea tendrils, charred onions. 
Not pictured are the crispy brussels sprouts and "ears",
that were simply inhaled within mere seconds. 

I can't wait to see what the future holds for Khristianne -
she's such a talented chef, and I'm so happy she won!
12995 El Camino Real
Del Mar, CA 92130

natasha