I am never one to turn down dessert, even when it comes, as this one did, right before dinner.

You can’t miss The Baked Bear. Its prime location in Pacific Beach, San Diego—plus its 20-something founders Rob Robbins and Shane Stanger who grew up in North County and did a lot of promo for this place prior to even opening its doors May 4—make it a family favorite, before you even consider that we are talking about TWO cookies and ice cream tucked nicely in between them.

The Baked Bear also lets you decide which cookies and which ice cream you’d like to use to assemble the sandwich of your choosing. The selection spans oatmeal raisin, chocolate, white chocolate macadamia, red velvet and more, all made in-house by the BB’s pastry chef.

Top it with a selection of ice cream flavors, and hello DIY dessert.

I don’t think these guys will have an instant of a problem selling these hand crafted delights, but the inner foodie in me says they could be a little more—dare I say it—diverse, in their flavor offerings. I can see this getting really interesting with cinnamon, or cardamom, or coconut ice cream, and more fruit and herb flecked cookies (dried cherries? Pineapple? Rosemary?).

…and then the inner (sometimes absent) health consciousness in me just wishes there was a “mini” version.

The Baked Bear

Click here for menu

4516 Mission Blvd Ste C / Pacific Beach // San Diego

It definitely doesn’t happen every day, but this weekend it was “cold” in San Diego with a cool drizzle and overcast skies. Sunday night called for comfort food.

This “stoup” as Rachael Ray would call it is hearty but not overbearing and it’s totally vegetarian. Served with cilantro, lime juice and peanuts for crunch, it maintains a light and tangy flavor, anchored with butternut squash. It’s pretty in the bowl with its bright orange color, contrasted with a handful of cilantro with each serving.

It’s a recipe I found and adapted. It can be made in the slow cooker over the course of a day, or in about an hour’s time once the lentils have a chance to break down.

Butternut Squash, Chickpea, Lentil Soup

1 can chickpeas

2 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped finely

1 small onion

1.5 cups red lentils

4 cups vegetable broth

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp ground cumin

Salt

Pepper

Lime wedges

Peanuts

Fresh cilantro

Sautee the onion. Add carrots, ginger, spices, broth, chickpeas, tomato paste and squash. (If slow cooking, add all ingredients at once.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes or until lentils are broken down.

Serve with a handful of cilantro, a sprinkling of peanuts (I used spiced roasted peanuts, found at Sprouts in the bulk bins) and a hefty squeeze of lime.

Words to the wise: 

• Since I always have Greek yogurt on hand, I added a dollop to the toppings this time around—a great addition.
• Bouillon works as well as broth if you don’t have broth on hand.
• Trader Joe’s chili lime cashews might also give this a crunchy kick, although I’d definitely chop them since they’re bulky.
• Add extra chickpeas or lentils to make this soup go further—it’s great for lunch the next day and can be frozen too.

This weekend marked the March installment of 30th on 30th in North Park. For those who haven’t had the experience, it’s a single day when the North Park “corridor” of 30th Street at and around University Ave. agrees to offer food and drink specials all on the same day (the 30th, hence the name.)

It’s like speed dating with restaurants—a quick take at each spot that keeps moving until you are full or exhausted (or both): stop for a half drink at one spot, pick up a slider at the next one, a few oysters around the corner, some vegetarian Chinese food down University… and the list goes on.

Highlights:

Seven Grand, which is a bar fashioned after an early 20th Century watering hole in full with lots and lots of hand crafted classic cocktails (and an abundance of whiskey). It’s an offshoot of an LA spot under the same name and I look forward to revisiting on a non-3oth occasion. (Also, the plaid carpet was not lost on me; this place has character.)

The Linkery, largely a sausage spot, also has much more in terms of craft beer—including a delicious framboise sour. Beer and wine only; and lots of interesting mustards.

West Coast Tavern, kind of a standard bar menu, has buffalo mac and cheese as its 30th on 30th contribution. Paired with one of WCT’s many ginger-inspired Mules, it makes for a good kickoff, or game-watching spot.

A word to the wise: many of the specials are cash only. Come prepared!

30th on 30th for schedule and a list of participating venues.

The much anticipated Soda& Swine along with its counterpart Polite Provisions is now open. Doors opened to the public last night, Monday, for the restaurant and bar’s soft launch including family and friends were welcomed earlier in the evening. I passed by around 9 and the place was packed for the pre-launch.

The menus include dozens of draft options including beer, wine and spirits, as well as the signature sodas—think sarsaparilla, chai cola and orange cream, to name a few. Oh, and virgin options too.

Soda and Swine boasts simple small plates along with a meatball concept (you choose the meatball type, sauce, cheese and style for a total DIY dining approach), salads, sides and pies.

The place is beautiful with dark wood, comfy seating and lots of candlelight. If I were in Chicago, I’d say it resembles Gilt Bar and Maude’s Liquor Bar, brainchildren of the Windy City’s Brian Sodikoff and not too shabby (incidentally the force behind the food here comes from former Chicago Ria chef Jason McLeod, as reported by SD’s edition of Eater back in November). Surely once it gets in gear it will be a North Park/University Heights destination for San Diego’s finest foodies. Review coming as soon as I can get in the door!

Soda and Swine menu: click here.

Polite Provisions menu: click here.

Polite Provisions/Soda and Swine

30th and Adams / University Heights / San Diego

I can say it with confidence: This weekend I went to the most amazing grocery store in America.

Pasadena’s Whole Foods was apparently behind Chicago’s Lincoln Park outpost (and my former home-away-from-home) and I am surprised to hear myself say it but… the LP version is kind of dinky compared to California’s finest!

The place has couches scattered about in case you want to sit down and r-e-l-a-x while you shop. It’s a two-story establishment, which allows for a very roomy experience. For those lucky dogs who have traversed the produce section in Chicago, it looks great, but it’s not so easy to make those tight turns around the tomatoes with your big green cart in tow, is it?

Pasadena’s store is roomy to the max, has a meat counter prettier than a rack of J.Crew cashmere (weird, but true) and the prepared foods MARKET (it’s like its own restaurant and it.is.unreal) will set you free with made to order chinese food, sushi, tacos, panini, gelato, etc. etc. etc.

Yes, this is a giant endorsement for Whole Foods, but well deserved. Stop by.

465 South Arroyo Parkway

Pasadena / California

In the Italian style of making food from what’s fresh, I decided today to make use of the fact that in San Diego, most things are usually in season, and whip up a batch of pesto this week on a rainy (yes, rainy) December day.

With a huge bunch of local basil in tow, I collected the other ingredients: Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, salt+pepper and walnuts.

Straying from the tried-and-true pine nut version of pesto, I have been trying different variations. Considering the price of pine nuts lately, walnuts have served as a very suitable substitution (you would never know the difference!). I have also heard of Californians substituting avocado for the Parmesan as a way to keep the pesto creamy while still keeping lactose-free diets in mind.

Another tip: I always use the coarsest salt I have on hand. It ends up getting ground up, anyway, but makes the flavor more interesting when there are still tiny bits of salt flecked throughout.

Pesto

-one bunch of basil leaves (2-3 cups packed loosely)

-one hunk of Parmesan (about 2 T)

-a handful of walnuts (1/2 cup)

-coarse salt (Trader Joe’s sea salt, unground, works)

-black pepper

-garlic, 2 cloves

-olive oil to desired consistency (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Toss all ingredients into a mini Cuisinart prep blender and chop to desired consistency. Serve with whole wheat pasta in a shape that lends itself to lots of pesto sticking to the surface area.

How do you make your pesto? 

Looks like Chicago’s finest G.E. was up late on the sidelines of Obama’s election night speech, captured by the New York Times today. See below or look ahead to 3:11 in the Times’ video below for the Where’s Waldo view of one of Chicago’s favorite food personalities.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/11/06/us/politics/06-obama-election-night-speech.html

And thanks to Riley for pointing him out!

Trenchermen is a strange and wonderful hybrid kind of restaurant. The location is completely misleading as it is tucked into the six corners of Damen/Milwaukee/North Ave. in Bucktown/Wicker Park. But don’t hold that against this place. Once you step down into the cozy, wood-beamed bar and enter the fatigued-oriental-rug-clad dining room, you will forget all about neighbors Flash Taco and Starbucks.

Not to go totally overboard on the scene, but I did melt nicely into one of the big, leather booths with a “Baby Mama” cocktail in hand, and I could have spent hours and hours if not days sampling from the hot, cold, spicy and crunchy menu.

What you will find is a lot of texture and a playful take on old staples, as well as new ones.

Take, for example, an heirloom tomato salad: warm, sweet, cooked tomatoes (skin off) anchored this dish, followed by a layer of sweet and colorful heirlooms, topped with a balsamic vinegar savory ice cream scoop that melted nicely over the few minutes it lasted into a delicious dressing at room temp.

The warm and cold mixed with sweet, salty vinegar umami really was genius.

But it didn’t end there.

The menu is spotted with small plates as well as larger, entree-style dishes, making it an OK choice for a shared plates experience or an every-man-for-himself one.

Expect to find crunch everywhere: Garlic crisps, tater tots flecked with dill pickle pieces, toasted pistachios and encrusted fresh fish were a few applications. And everything came out as art on the plate.

But if you don’t eat a single bite at Trenchermen (yes, it’s good for girls too, although the decor does say more to old boys than a ladies’ night on the town), go for the cocktails. They were good enough to eat, and don’t require a reservation.

Trenchermen

2039 W. North Ave. / Bucktown / Chicago

Where can you throw a giant white party with 1,600 of your closest friends? Right next to the Chicago River by the Merchandise Mart, of course. This was the “top secret” destination of Chicago’s second-annual Dining in White party, which took place Saturday night. It was very big, and it was very white.

Here’s how it works: Each set of two people buys an online ticket through Eventbrite ($30—Great find by Trevor). Then, all attendees are assigned “harmonization points” around the city. Ours was the Chicago Brown Line stop. The day of the event, everyone shows up at the harmonization points in advance of the 7 pm departure time. The location is revealed and everyone travels together to the destination (last year it was Daly Plaza). This year: Right on the River just south of the Merchandise Mart. It was spectacular.

The big catch to this event is that it is completely BYO and everything has to be white. Tables, chairs, tablesettings—all white. All attire—white. Table toppers—white. It makes for quite the white event.

Words to the wise: bring finger foods. Our menu (made by me and Sam!): skewered chicken marinated in chimichurri sauce that could be served at room temp. Then we did a big charcuterie plate with meats, cheeses and breads. Add a mixed grain side salad and homemade strawberry shortcake for dessert… voila. White party meal. If you are not up for DIY, Publican Quality Meats provided picnic dinners for two for the event.

It was fun to see the different tablescapes. People get very creative with the white toppers from light up branches to candelabras (LED only allowed). Live music and dancing made this the ultimate summer event. It was a great way to wrap up the wearable white season.

Also comes in handy if you happen across an enormous bolt of white fabric at an event supplier garage sale… but there was plenty of creative thinking on how to make black, brown and blue chairs white. We covered ours over with an ample helping of said white fabric and safety pins. Perfection.

Technically, the event is booze free, however, we brought white sangria (thanks, Linds and John!) in tupperware jugs and we did spot a few “Pelligrino” bottles pouring something that looked suspiciously like pinot grigio…shhhhhh.

Photos by Jon Freeberg.

City Provisions is not new to me, but its North Center location makes it a bit of a hike for anyone who works downtown. That means: It might be new to YOU! Plus, it has received a lot of praise and general street cred for people who know about it (ahem, TimeOut Chicago’s Top 100 list).

If you do have the occasion to be on the North Side around lunch time, this is your place. It doesn’t even matter who you are. If you like food that tastes good and is good for you, go here. (And the wait is pretty much non-existent when compared with, say, my other other downtown favorite, Publican Quality Meats.) The caterer-turned-retail lunch shop is a relatively no-nonsense deli counter with some of the most inventive staples in the city.

Also, its big, wooden shared tables, self-serve water station and cute jars of fresh flowers are pretty darn pleasant.

Have a taste for sriracha egg salad? (Happens to be JUST how I like mine.) Or a curried veggie wrap on whole wheat tortilla (shown)? There are usually soups and specials, too, and there are always cookies and other treats, a coffee bar, and Chicago-based foodie finds like honey, dressings and other accoutrements. City Provisions prides itself on the best ingredients that are local, organic and in season.

You will not find a $5 Foot Long here but you WILL find the best $12 sandwich you will have this summer.

City Provisions

1818 W. Wilson / North Center / Chicago