Bites from *not* the big apple

Took a vacation last week and spent some time in California! Had an awesome time in San Diego and San Francisco, chilling with some of my closest friends from my childhood. The west coast is such a different place from its eastern counterpart. It was great kicking back and taking a breather from the fast-paced lifestyle of New York City. The people are more laid back, beaches are plentiful and filled with surfers, and of course, food was absolutely fantastic. Here are some of the highlights!

When So-Cal peeps boast about their amazing Mexican food, they are not exaggerating. I had the best Mexican I've ever tasted at Casa de Bandini in Carlsbad...

My friend and I finished every bite from the huge plates pictured above. Yes, it was that good. So if you want to try real, authentic Mexican food, get yourself to southern California because nowhere else compares. Seriously.

And then there's obviously the famous In-N-Out Burger.

Animal-style fries = genius.

In San Francisco, we found a sushi place called Flying Ninja Sushi right by Fisherman's Wharf.

Ninja dragon roll, tuna sashimi, and fried flour balls filled with octopus! All were delicious, but unfortunately by the time we were done and heading out to Fisherman's Wharf, we were too full to get some of San Fran's famous clam chowder. Ah well, next time.

In Japantown, we stumbled upon some really adorable shops, including Cako. I know NYC has its fair share of cupcake craze, but when I heard about this bakery's banana nutella flavor, I just couldn't resist! What an awesome combination for a cupcake flavor...and it's so pretty too!

Pretty, but the icing was far too sweet for my taste. Too sugary and not very chocolatey. I enjoyed it nonetheless :D

My friend got this ADORABLE crepe creation. It had like, ice cream, strawberries, nutella, and I don't remember what else, but isn't it the cutest thing ever??

If I could live in Japantown, I think I would. The cute-ness of everything just makes me so happy.

So basically, the food in Cali was pretty bomb. It was definitely nice to take a short vacay from the big apple and try out some new things on the other side of the country! But now that I am back, the NYC food adventures will continue :)