Jessica & Anthony
Things To Do
Do - San Diego Zoo
Might be our favorite activity in SD. Grab a beer and enjoy.
Do - Aqua Adventures Kayaks & Stand Up Paddleboards
Jessie really recommends this place if you want to go stand up paddleboarding or kayaking. It's in the bay so you're not up against any waves and it's pretty peaceful/easy to get around in the water.
Do - Mission Beach
This is a great beach with a boardwalk that goes all the way up to Pacific Beach. Lots of restaurants and bars along the way. Also right next to Belmont Park, an amusement park with rollercoasters.
Do - Seaport Village
Fun place to walk around downtown, home to lots of restaurants. Close to the venue!
Do - Little Italy
The Little Italy in San Diego is a very vibrant area that extends several blocks with lots of great restaurants and bars and is a fun time during the day as well as night. There is a plaza that you can sit in and enjoy your Salt & Straw ice cream if you're just walking through. There's also a Saturday AM Farmer's Market!
Do - Balboa Park
Balboa Park is in the center of SD and a really nice area to walk around. There is an art museum, a great restaurant called The Prado, at lots of picturesque areas to hang out in. Could be fun for a picnic!
Drink - Holsem Coffee
This is our favorite coffee shop in SD and we have sampled A LOT of coffee in San Diego. This place is good at both purist black coffee/espresso and fun/sweet coffee drinks.
Eat - Breakfast Republic
A great breakfast spot with multiple locations - something for everyone!
Eat - Parakeet Cafe
For delicious baked goods, for an oat milk lavendar matcha latte, for a grain bowl and the like... Parakeet Cafe is your spot.
Eat - Liberty Public Market
Kind of like a mini Pike's place in San Diego. A fun place to browse or go to eat if you have a bunch of people who don't know what they want to eat and want to get something casual. Liberty Station, where it's located is an old naval base and pretty fun to walk around. Stone Brewing is next door.
Eat — Pomegranate
Our favorite restaurant in SD! Order the cheesy egg bread but we would stay away from the Georgian wine :)
Eat - Animae
For a fancy night out, we recommend Animae, which is an upscale pan Asian restaurant. Requires reservations in advance, but is absolutely delicious.
Eat/Drink — Kettner Exchange
A great place to grab happy hour, food, and/or just drinks. Site of previous happy hours with Jessie and her mom AND part of our second date. :)
EAT - Extraordinary Desserts
For the absolute hands down best dessert in San Diego, you must go to Extraordinary Desserts.
Eat/Drink - Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens
A fun indoor/outdoor place to drink Stone beer from the tap. The food is great, too.
Eat - Cesarina
This is the Taranto pick for Italian food in SD. The Tarantos are Italians who have traveled Italy so this is a very high commendation.
Eat - Buona Forchetta
Another Taranto Approved (TM) Italian restaurant. Delicious handmade pasta. Home of a famous tiramisu. and great atmosphere.
Eat/Shop - Mona Lisa Italian Foods
Italian deli in the Little Italy district of San Diego, which is a fun area to walk around.
Eat - Working Class
A beer bar in Jessie's old neighborhood, North Park, which also has awesome food.
Nightlife - Trailer Park After Dark
A bar in the Gaslamp district. Like all things trailer trash, Jessie loves and identifies with a bar that is an indoor trailer park. Come enjoy for a drink and some loud sing a long music.
Drink - Seven Grand San Diego
Site of our first date!! Awesome bar with dark interior and a speakeasy in the back that specializes in whiskey.
Drink - Polite Provisions
An amazing place for cocktails in North Park.