San Diego Family Vacation : Where To Eat

One of the best parts about going on vacation is trying out new restaurants and not having to cook, can I get an AMEN?! But, when you are a visitor in a new city, it can be challenging to find the best restaurants. Thankfully we were in great hands at The Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa, because of their incredible Concierge, Gordon. I seriously can’t say enough wonderful things about Gordon, he ensured a tasty success for every meal we ate on our San Diego family vacation. Thanks to his recommendations we were able to not just enjoy, but absolutely LOVE our dining experiences in San Diego! Gordon listened to our palatal aspirations and was able to provide us with family-friendly locations to eat and explore. He embraced the fact that we were foodies traveling with kids and provided us with unique and memorable dining experiences that were also family-friendly environments. Here is a recap of some of our favorite restaurants that we discovered on our San Diego family vacation.

:: San Diego Family Vacation – Where To Eat ::

DINNER – NIGHT 1: Once we arrived in San Diego and checked in, we decided it was time to ditch the car snacks and eat an actual meal. After meeting with Gordon, the hotel’s Concierge, we were recommended to visit Miguel’s Cocina in Historic Old Town San Diego. Old Town is one location in San Diego I had never visited, so it was a real treat to see the area. It was a 10 minute drive from The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, and such a cute area! The weather was stunning so we walked around and looked at all of the little shops before stopping for dinner at Miguel’s Cocina. At Miguel’s we were surprised with a free Calamri Nacho appetizer because our sweet Gordon called ahead and made us a reservation. We also enjoyed their must-have jalapeño white sauce, occasionally referred to as “white gold” by regulars, and their mouth watering Beef Chimichangas. All of the flavors were incredible and trust me, there was enough food for all four of us to eat like kings! We soaked up the Califnoria weather and enjoyed a great table on the patio. It was a lovely meal and a perfect festive cantina location to bring a family with young kids.

DINNER – NIGHT 2: After being on our feet all day at SeaWorld we figured it was the perfect night for pizza. With concierge Gordon’s advice we found ourselves about 8 minutes from the hotel at a fabulous pizza restaurant called Isa.Bella Artisan Pizzeria & Beer Garden. It was a family-friendly environment with an adorable patio, live entertainment and it was exactly what we needed. We dined on some of the most delicious Italian food we had ever had. By recommendation, we tried their Brussel Sprouts Appetizer and feasted on their Sausage and Peppers Pizza. Once we thought we couldn’t fit anything else into our tummies we were surprised by the owner as he delivered his fabulous pizza dough churro dessert (another pre-arranged surprise of Gordon’s)… INCREDIBLE. We had so much fun reminiscing on our day at SeaWorld and loading up on amazing Italaian food. If you are looking for an easy going atmosphere and exquisite and affordable food, this is the place to visit.

DINNER – NIGHT 3: After a day at the pool we took Concierge Gordon’s advice and went down to Seaport Village and the USS Midway to explore with the girls. It was so nostalgic for me, because some of my fondest memories as a little girl were running around that quaint little village with my siblings. It was so much fun sharing it with my girls. We were also able to catch the firework show over the water! We then found our way to The Headquarters at Seaport for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. We LOVE The Cheesecake Factory so we thought it was the perfect place for our last dinner on vacation. And it was! My girls loved the oh-so-adorable banana butterfly and we were thankful for good wine and pasta! The Headquarters at Seaport is an upscale outdoor dining and shopping hotspot outside of The GasLamp and Seaport Village and we loved walking around in it’s beauty. There are two other restaurants that looked fabulous and kid-friendly that we will visit next time we come; Flour & Barley and Puesto. The Headquarters at Seaport also offers valet parking and discounted parking for Seaport Village, so it is the perfect place to eat if you plan on spending time in that area.

COFFEE & LUNCH @ THE BEACH – DAY 4: When Sunday finally rolled around we decided to pack up the car and head out for a half day at Misson Beach before we drove home. We stopped at my favorite local coffee shop, Better Buzz, for lattes and breakfast sandwiches before we walked out to the pier and the beach. It was the perfect stormy morning (my preferred weather conditions!) for playing in the sand and walking the pier with the girls, something we always do when we visit California. Before we jumped in the car for the 5.5 hour drive home, we stopped at the most fabulous sandwich shop at Mission Beach; Rubicon Deli! Rubicon Deli offers flavorful gourmet sandwiches and the bread is to die for!! I recommend the Carnie Sandwich on Jalapeño Cheddar Bread, and of course don’t forget to grab a cookie! If you are in the Mission Beach area, give heavy consideration to starting your day off at Better Buzz Coffee and hit up Rubicon Deli before you leave! Your tastebuds will LOVE you!