Sometimes I feel bad with how much David and I harp on our love of food on this blog. Sometimes I wonder if all of you are sitting at home, secretly judging our gluttonous ways, and thinking of all the gluten-free pamphlets you want to send us. But, none-the-less, we both exercise regularly (shoutout to Title Boxing, and my love for hitting things) and meet the FDA’s suggestion for daily fruits and vegetables, so I think it’s okay that we eat like Gilmores when on vacation, am-I-right? Some of our favorite places to eat are in Southern California, so we thought we would lend you the knowledge of our tastebuds expertise, and fill you in on our findings.
1. Bear Flag Fish Co.
THIS PLACE IS SO GOOD. I think I’ve shared with you, many a time, my deep love for poke. And this place has the best poke that we have ever had. Combine this with amazing fish tacos, great clam chowder, fantastic cocktails, and reasonable prices, and they’ve built a loyal fan in me. I want to sing my love for this fresh fish place from the rooftops – but maybe not too loudly. I don’t want the lines to get any longer.
2. The Crab Cooker
Want to feel like you’re part of history and tradition? The Crab Cooker is for you. It’s been around forever (hyperbolically, that is), and is a Newport Beach institution. Fun fact, it’s also where Ryan worked on the first season of The OC-if pop culture matters as much to you as it does to me. The seafood is fresh, the atmosphere is impeccable, and the pier is a short walk away for an after dinner stroll.
3. Dad’s Original Frozen Banana
There’s always money in this banana stand – probably because they don’t really specialize in bananas. This is THE place to get legendary Balboa bars. These ice cream bars dunked in quick drying chocolate, then dipped in your choice of toppings, are basic, but delicious, cheap and fresh.
4. Neptune’s Net
We’ve already talked about how much we like this oceanside, roadside, biker’s-haven, seafood-lover’s paradise. The lines are always long, and there’s separate parts of the restaurant for boiled, fresh seafood, and for fried goodness.
5. The Original Farmers Market
We loved eating our way through the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles. Whether it was amazing cake donuts from Bob’s, or lavender honey goat cheese with baguettes, or hand crafted lattes – there’s something at the farmers market for everyone.
We hope our list makes your adventures in eating in Southern California a little easier, and takes some of the guess work out for you. Enjoy your time in California, and let us know what makes your top eating list for the state!