02. just chit chattin'
about San Diego mostly
About 5 almost 6 years ago I moved from San Diego to San Francisco…
I was born and raised in San Diego, let me tell you that the croissant/laminated dough scene in San Diego was not great up until the time I left in 2018. I was fully convinced that I did not like croissants turns out… I don’t like shitty croissants. Every croissant I had was comparable to a Costco croissant but not in a good way ya know. Bready as fuck, no defined layers, SOFT?? NO FLAKY CRISPINESS? Just absolutely not for me.
BUT, since then San Diego has stepped it the fuck up with viennoiserie. Last visit home I stopped by Wayfayer Bread in “La Jolla” (which I guess on the map it’s Birdrock/La jolla but is too close to PB for comfort lol) with a couple of friends. We ended up ordering almost one of everything on the menu. We walked down to the ocean view point and ate pastries while watching the surfers down below. All the croissants were perfect, beautiful layering, a nice crisp crunch when you first bite in that leads into the tender centers. My first bite was of their pistachio croissant which was filled with the right amount frangipane and sparingly dusted with powdered sugar. Not. Too. Sweet. My favorite. Additionally, I’m not a crisp cookie girl but the sesame corn cookie was delightful, the flavor reminiscent of the almond cookies I would get at Super China Buffet growing up.
We’ve also got Hommage Bakery in Sorrento Valley. It’s in a very unassuming spot in a tiny shopping center in this industrial-ish area(?) under an overpass. Once again stunning croissants. I went alone so I didn’t get to try the entire array of pastries but, maybe that’s a good thing. The guava coconut kouign amann was delish, I will say though the dough to filling ratio was not my favorite, I just personally prefer a little less dough in a filled KA, just sheeted out a tad thinner. But that’s just me and I do not expect them to change what they do for me!!
Which brings me to my next point..
Some of y’all need to hear this... Not everyone has to like what you like or do things the way you do them, and that’s OKAY!!! Last week I alluded to the fact that I do not like red velvet cake and people were NOT HAPPY!! How dare YOU not like EVERYTHING I like!!
It is so okay for someone to have different preferences than you, you absolutely do not have to shove what you like down other people’s throat, literally. It’s also okay for people to have different methods of doing things. I posted a tik tok that was like “this is how I do (insert mundane task here)” and the comments were full of people saying “that’s not how I do it, that is wrong). Is it wrong? or is it different? Because I scroll through the feed seeing people decorate cakes differently than how I do and I don’t become irate? If they’re getting the same exact results using a different method, why does that bother people? Now if I saw someone say this is how I make cake go through the process and end up with a bowl of potato soup- then yeah I might step in and say you might’ve gone wrong somewhere. If you open your heart up to other people’s differences you might learn something. Just sayin’.
It is also okay to like things that your favorite creators don’t? I know the internet is all about being relatable and blah blah but what’s more relatable than feeling a little bit different? If I don’t like your personal favorite childhood treat, I promise it is not a personal attack on you. <333
Why I do San Diego deliveries!!
As I mentioned 2 paragraphs ago- I’m from San Diego. So I like to go home and visit friends, my dogs… mostly my dogs. Might as well, drop off cake and pastries on the way down. In early quarantine I would just bring cakes to friends then I got outside interest for pastries so now it’s just a fucking free for all. I’ve included OC delivery. It’s all in an attempt to break up the MISERABLE south bound traffic these days. 2020 I could get down in 1.5 hours. NOW? If i just head straight home with no deliveries it takes 3-4 hours depending on San Onofre traffic. So the OC stops help keep me sane…
OC/San Diego I’ll be seeing you this SUNDAY 3/26 with pastry boxes <33 All the deets on that can be found right here baby!!! This is your early access before I open up ordering to everyone else tomorrow on IG! The box includes:
Slice of Strawberry Banana cake: Layers of banana cake filled with vanilla whipped cream and fresh strawberries finished with vanilla swiss buttercream
Spiced carrot brioche donut with raisins, salty maple cream cheese glaze and shortbread crumbles
Brown butter oatmeal cookies with cherry & chocolate chips
Saffron glazed cruller
This is turning out to be very SD center so lets keep these good vibes going!!
My favorite spots in San Diego!! (very incomplete and not in order)
Sarita’s Taco Shop - Spring Valley, One of the Cali burritos I’ve ever had. In the debate over who has the best burritos between SF,LA and SD. San Diego comes in first!!!
Polite Provisions - North Park, I actually don’t drink anymore so I haven’t been back in a while but this place is chock full of GOOD VIBES
The Friendly- North Park, Get the Flat top burger- especially after one too many at Polite.
Pop-Pie/Stella Jean’s- University Heights, What is pie without ice cream? I stock up on their frozen take and bake chicken pot pies anytime I’m in the area.
Windmill Farms Deli Counter- Del Cerro, I crave the italian sub on dutch crunch at least twice a week. And the closest thing to Erewhon San Diego offers.
Chino Farms/Aisu Creamery- Del Mar, cult favorite fresh local produce stand + a ice cream concept utilizing produce from the fields!
Morning Glory- Little Italy, go (EARLY) for the vibes stay for the breakfast carbonara and maybe the heated toilet seats too.
Epic Wings (FKA Wings & Things ♡)- EVERYWHERE (also like 2 spots in LA i guess….) Get extra bread sticks and a gallon of ranch ok!!
Village Pizzeria- Coronado, HOT TIP… go to the bayside location at sunset suuuch romance. and never skip the mozz sticks!!
Louisiana Purchase- North Park, What ever sauce they’re putting on the lemon pepper wets… I want it bottle up so I can drink it as a smoothie its so good!!
Hot tip/fuuuuun fact!
Fresh out of high school I got a summer job at Seaworld (I DONT WANT TO FUCKING HEAR IT OKAY) which somehow turned into me working there for 4 long years. It’s okay, it’s fine, we are HERE now. But, if you want to work in a bakery and have it be an easy-ish-er time, spend one summer as an assistant manager in a theme park restaurant. It will absolutely make you the most time efficient person, I think ever? You’ll learn how to juggle 100 tasks at once while also literally putting out multiple kitchen fires. Then you go to your first production bakery job and it’s a walk in the park (until you’re working dough shifts from 10am-6pm and coming back for bake shifts at 2am consistently for a year ahaha LOL being a baker is so fun!! I LOVE IT).
Reasons I moved away…
One day in 2018 my friend looked at me and asked “Would you move with me to San Francisco, we’ll be roommates. We would have to move before the semester starts next month.” Without thinking, without any money in my bank account, without knowing another person in the city- I said yes. The following week we drove up overnight, slept in the car in a Target parking lot, found an apartment to live in, got hired at Mr.Holmes (me) and Dandelion (her) in the span of 2 days. Drove home, quit our jobs and moved to SF(actually Daly City but that’s less romanticizable) the following week.
In that moment when she first asked, my answer was quick and seemingly without thought. In reality leaving was something I longed to do. I thought about it non-stop for years. But I was always too scared to leave on my own. Now I had a friend with me ready to hold my hand and jump.
My family lives in the bay but my first trip to the city was in ‘08 for the 4th of July. I knew In those 4 short days it’s where I was meant to be. If you want to talk about fate!!! The hotel my family stayed in was literally around the corner from the bakery I ended up working 10 years later.
It wasn’t that I want to go that made me say yes, it’s that I couldn’t stay in San Diego anymore. In 2015 my grandma passed away, which was my first big and close loss. For the 2 and a half years following everywhere I went reminded me of her. The fruiteria, the stores i’d take her to, parks, 7/11’s, everywhere.. 20 years of memories with her- staring me in my face. I couldn’t take it anymore, being that sad. So instead of facing it. I left.
I also had this idea that I HATED San Diego- I think everyone feels this way about their hometown when they’re younger. I also think of myself as a small town girl- which San Diego is NOT. But, I did in fact grow up in a small part of East County that most people who ALSO grew up in San Diego have no idea about.
I will say though, it is the scariest things in life that are worth doing. good scary stuff not bad scary!! You’ll know the difference- you’ll literally feel it. I am such a different human from the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met leaving San Diego. San Diego is the beginning and such a huge part of my story, but I couldn’t let it be my whole story. Change is good <333
OKay after that lowkey depressing bit let’s round this out with my good vibes for the drive down the 5 playlist !!!
xoxo, kassie ♡