Thursday thanks

This week I'm thankful for the fresh culinary adventures I had during my week in San Diego.

Don't get me wrong, I love the sweet Gulf shrimp, creamy grits, and collard greens here in Pensacola. But a change of pace is good for my palate and my sense of adventure. Dining out inspires me to experiment with new flavors in my own kitchen.

Plus, meals in Southern California tend to be just a bit healthier than traditional Southern fare. A Pensacola menu might feature grilled grouper, but the sides would be cheese grits and fried okra. A similar plate in San Diego is likely to be rounded out with brown rice and sauteed spinach. Both are delicious. Only one leaves me in a food coma.

Grilled halibut with soy chili glaze at The Local

My first order of business on any trip to San Diego (after work, of course!) is to make up for lost time in the Mexican food department. (The Florida Panhandle sorely lacks traditional Mexican dishes.)

Spicy carrots, guacamole, carnitas, tamales, beans and rice... So many favorites, so little time!

Spicy carrots... Best snack ever?

Fresh guacamole... enough said.

In addition to stuffing myself with Mexican food favorites, I took full advantage of the explosion of farm-to-table restaurants in San Diego. Two shining stars on this trip were La Villa and Prepkitchen, both in the Little Italy neighborhood.

Kabocha squash soup and Chino Farms sweet corn salad at La Villa

If all vegetables tasted this fresh - this good - we'd never again need to convince a child to eat broccoli by smothering it in cheese sauce.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Do you experiment with new foods or have go-to favorites?
What are you thankful for this week?