Another hot off the press post!
Earlier this morning, I met up with an old high school friend that I hadn't seen since our reunion last month. He was one of my GBF's in high school. Our brunch destination was in Hillcrest...
Originally to be at Hash House a Go Go (waaay too crowded) but I suggested either Urban Eats or Snooze.
Well, Snooze doesn't take reservations on weekends and the wait at 10 am was downright shiteous - more than an HOUR! This scenario of waiting line while other nearby eateries have no lines reminded me of this Portlandia episode called "Brunch Village". I don't care how popular this place is, we weren't going to stand in line that long in 90+ degree heat!
Oh hell to the effing no...
Snooze...you lose!
and instead we walked around the corner to University (after deciding not to eat at the Lotus Cafe, formerly the old Pizza Nova, right across from Snooze)....
Under the shadow of the Jimmy Wong's Golden Dragon sign was Fig Tree Cafe (KD really likes the PB location)...I'd heard this place was good and my friend hadn't been here either so in we went.
Nice and cool with A/C!!!! Nice seated bar area. We sat in the main dining area; it was too hot to sit out on the patio.
Our waiter was super super nice - a very cute gay guy who was charmed by my friend...
Our drinks - Cranberry mimosa for me; Bloody Mary for him...
It was quite dim where we sat and I forgot to take photos of the menu but you may view their offerings here.
I had the California omelet (a sour cream topped three egg omelet with mozzarella cheese, avocado and bacon) with my choice of bread (sourdough), home fries (there were so delicious with the best seasoned crispy coating!), and fruit. I ended up eating the filling of the omelet and only a bit of the egg. It was really good but I didn't want to get weighed down.
My friend had the Spicy Sausage Omelet which was filed with Andouille sausage, marinated mushrooms, caramelized onions, and spinach. I actually wanted to order this but since he did, well, you know the food blogger rule...
The Fig Tree Cafe is also known for their Stuffed French Toast. Since this was our first visit, our waiter Brent gave us a complimentary Stuffed French Toast! This was quite unexpected but very appreciated! The sweetened brioche was filled with mascarpone cheese, mangos, and strawberries and served with orange segment syrup. The toast isn't really "stuffed" but just folded over the softened fruit. I didn't care for the mangos; they didn't seem fresh but previously frozen. We liked it, but I could only manage a few bites.
The view of Fig Tree Cafe from across the street where my friend had to buy a few birthday cards...
at Babette Schwartz's (a wacky gift shop owned and run by a drag queen who also performs at Lips), we walked towards the corner to get back to our cars.
While waiting for the crosswalk, these three people approached us and asked if one of us could take a photo of them in front of the Hillcrest sign because they were in a scavenger hunt/contest. They had to do it in pyramid formation too! So funny!
Below are a couple of unusual snacks my friend bought for me (at my request) when he went to China for a work-related trip last month. I asked him to "surprise" me...
The verdict? Those bean things were really gross. Sorry to my friend, if he's reading this! I thought they would be nice and crunchy. No, they were soft and gritty. They tasted like dirty five spice powder and was salty and sugary at the same time. I wish I knew what the ingredients were because they were written in Chinese. Who knows what else was in there? The dried kiwi slices were a little bit better. TC liked those. They tasted like I expected them to taste - a bit sweet and chewy.
Fig Tree Cafe
416 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92106
FigTreeCafeHillcrest.com
I had such a fab time with my friend. I hadn't seen him in 25+ years until our high school reunion last month. We couldn't catch up at the reunion; he could only stay an hour because he flew out to China that same evening, so we made plans to meet up later, which ended up being today. We used to hang out in our early years of high school. He is super funny and as bitchy as a gay guy could be! It was really good to connect with him again and I was happy to know that all is well in life for him.
Up next, a revisit to a new spot...
2 comments:
Hi CC!
Fig Tree Cafe looks great, especially the French toast! I'll have to try it out sometime.
As for the beans, I've had them before. The name literally means "Weird-taste beans" haha. I think they're broadbeans stuffed with salt, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce.. a bit of every basic taste, I guess? haha. I'm glad you liked the kiwi one, though. I haven't seen those before!
Let me know if you like it if you ever go there! :)
thanks for letting me know about those beans. omg, the name is so fitting, "weird-taste"! i guess those must be an acquired taste. i've had a similar bean snack like that but those were more crispy. these had a wierd mouthfeel that i didn't like.
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