Magazine Spread

A project I did for my fashion Photoshop design class. The idea behind the project was to create a two-page spread based upon one article of clothing in different color ways. The clothing items were laid out and photographed by myself and the 3 colorways of the top were edited in Photoshop. Text was created in Illustrator and then ported over to Photoshop as Smart Objects.

Los Angeles Trip: Part 2

It's been a month since my last post. I didn't mean to go so long in between but classes, work and Etsy projects got the better of me.

For our final day in Los Angeles we tend to take things easy. Saturday is for running around checking out new places and Sunday is for the Getty and more good eats.

Entrance to Smorgasburg LA

After checking out of our hotel we headed over to the Row DTLA to checkout Smorgasburg LA. Smorgasburg is a food and shopping even that happens every Sunday. It was a bit tricky to find at first but we eventually ended up in the right spot by following the flow of people. Parking is free for Smorgasburg visitors. And just a tip for animal lovers: while Smorgasburg LA is free to go to they do not allow animals into the event area.

I will admit that my expectations were high and that I was a bit let down by how many vendors were there. Lots of restaurant choices but not as many shopping ones were available. Hopefully that changes by the next time we're up there because I love supporting local makers and businesses. I did end up taking home some all natural deodorant (which I'm in love with, by the way) but nothing else caught my eye shopping-wise.

Lunch

For our lunch feast we decided on trying 3 places: Burritos La Palma, Mama Musubi and Stoked. The burritos were delicious; probably my favorite bean and cheese that I've had which is saying something. The musubi was standard yet delicious and the tri-tip from Stoked was perfectly cooked. Overall, the meal was satisfying and a great way to start off our Sunday.

Smorgasburg LA
785 Bay St, Los Angeles CA 90021

Next up was our standard visit to the Getty. My boyfriend's only stipulation for our Los Angeles trips is a visit to the Getty. Always a gorgeous time with rotating exhibits and the famous gardens. This time around instead of taking the tram back down we decided to walk down the hill to the parking garage. The weather was perfect for the walk and it was nice and peaceful.

Getty Garden

Getty Entrance

The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles CA 90049

After spending a couple of hours at the Getty it was time to start our trek back home. But first, Little Tokyo and a must stop each visit: Marugame Monzo.

Marugame Monzo is a small restaurant that just does one thing, udon. They make their udon in house and when they're running low you'll see them roll out and cut more fresh noodles. They make the best udon noodles that I've ever tried. The noodles are cooked perfectly and have the right amount of chew to them. I haven't been disappointed by anything that I've tried and I feel like the food served is worth the almost constant wait.

Tempura appetizer

Mad Tiger Udon

Cold udon with soft boiled egg

To start we had the tempura appetizer. Pretty standard with the exception of the shiso leaf. Nothing to write home about but it was perfectly fried and not at all oily like some tempura can be.

The boyfriend decided to try out one of their specials, the Mad Tiger udon. The Mad Tiger was served cold with spicy ground pork, soft boiled egg, green onions, chives and bonito flakes. I decided on the simple cold udon with soft boiled egg because I wanted double noodles. Both versions come with cold sauce that you pour into your bowl and mix in with the udon and toppings.

Marugame Monzo
329 E 1st St, Los Angeles CA 90012

Overall our weekend trip up to Los Angeles was a success. Good eats, great sights and, surprisingly, super relaxing. I wouldn't want to live in LA but I do like visiting. I think our next trip up will end up being a day longer so we can make a trek out to Malibu.

Los Angeles trip: Part 1

This past weekend contained both a happy and sad anniversary. It has become tradition for both my boyfriend and I to get away for the weekend and since we weren't able to go desert camping we decided on our usual trip up to Los Angeles. I really do love Los Angeles in small spurts so a two or three day trip is perfect. Lots of driving and walking was involved but it still ended up being a relaxing two day getaway.

Our first stop on our trip was lunch in the Fashion District. Down a tiny nondescript alley is Bronzed Aussie. Blink and you'll miss the sign for it. Bronzed Aussie is a must eat for me because of my love for meat pies. The owner was working there on our last trip up and you could tell how much pride she takes in her food; her face lit up when we said that the pie we had was delicious. This trip we each got a pie. I went with the standard mince pie while my boyfriend got the chicken, bacon and mushroom. The crust was light and flaky on both even after being in a warmer for awhile. The mince pie needed no added sauce. It was filled with tomato flavor and the gravy was top notch. The chicken pie was also delicious but needed a tiny bit of hot sauce. The flavor of the chicken pie was on point but on the milder side.

Alleyway with Bronzed Aussie to the left

Mince pie (left) and the chicken bacon mushroom pie (right)

Bronzed Aussie 
714 S Los Angeles St a, Los Angeles, CA 90014

I wanted to explore more of the Fashion District this time around. We spent quite some time walking around and looking into the various textile, trim and leather shops that surround the area. I managed to find some remnant pieces for half off at Michael Levine's and we stumbled upon a leather shop with $20 hides. I picked up a gorgeous deep purple and rose gold hide. It has some shine and almost looks like the purple was hand painted on. The hide is large enough that I will be able to make more than a few card cases and simple clutches out of it. Santee Alley was also an interesting place. I can see why people flock to it; cheap prices and rows upon rows of shops. I will admit that some of the clothing was pricier than I thought it should be but then again, I've done a lot of looking on AliExpress.

The leather shop

Grand Central Market

After our walk around the Fashion District we rested a couple hours before heading out downtown. Some happy hour drinks at Seven Grand and food from Grand Central Market were in order! We have our own version of Grand Central Market down here in San Diego (Liberty Public Market) but for some reason I prefer L.A.'s version and I can't pin point why. Maybe because it's a bit more gritty and market-like than ours. Like the last time we were there my boyfriend and I split up our meals. I opted for the curried shrimp from Bombo and the boyfriend chose the maccheroni and cheese with added prosciutto from Knead & Co.

Curried shrimp from Bombo

The curried shrimp has generous portions of large shrimp in it and was served in a creamy curry broth along with crushed peanuts, chili paste, roasted onion, kabocha squash, potatoes and rice. It was surprisingly spicy, the good kind. The heat built up the more you ate but the flavors of everything all blended well together. The jumbo shrimp were just a tad overcooked but that may be because I let my dish sit for an extra 5 minutes while my boyfriend waited for his pasta.

Maccheroni and cheese from Knead & Co.

My boyfriend ended up loving his maccheroni and cheese but then again, he's a cheese fiend. Made up of three cheeses (fontina fonduta, goat cheese and mozzerella) it was on the milder side of mac and cheese but all the flavors shown through. He added prosciutto to it and the saltiness of the meat played well with the mild cheese.

McConnell's Fine Ice Cream

After our filling meals we wandered around a bit and ended up sharing an iced coffee from Valerie's (G&B Coffee was closed) and two scoops of ice cream from McConnell's Fine Ice Cream. The ice cream was fantastic. Dense but still light and didn't start melting right after being scooped (which is great because we spent more than a few minutes watching a small protest march by). The churros con leche flavor was packed full of cinnamon and had bits of chewy batter pieces in it. The other flavor we tried, eureka lemon and marionberries, was my favorite. It was tart and tangy with the sweetness from the marionberries. Very refreshing and it paired well with the cinnamon from the churros con leche.

Grand Central Market

317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Overall, our first day was a success. I may have mixed up our museums (don't ask) but the sights, food and drinks made the day a fantastic one.

October Favorites

I can't believe it's already November! October went by far too quickly

My favorites list this month is fairly small. I've tried quite a few new things but only a handful have made it into my daily routine. 

1. Pure & Aqua Purequa moisture water cleansing sheets ($4.98 for 50 sheets): I'm usually not a big fan of makeup remover wipes but some days you either get lazy or just need a quick cleaning when you get home from work and it's too early to start your night routine. I picked up a pack of these sheets at Marukai and I really, really enjoy them. The sheets are fairly large and moist and feel gentle when removing makeup. Instead of feeling dry afterward my skin feels slightly moisturized due to the hyaluronic acid in the sheets. 

2. Korres bergamot pear hand cream ($14.50 for 2.54 oz): Thanks to the weather and all the fabric dyeing I've been doing my hands have been extremely dry. None of my standard hand creams have felt moisturizing enough. Korres' is great; it's thick and super moisturizing but sinks in fast and doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy (which is a hell no in my book). The scent is also light and fresh. I feel like this tube is going to last me months since a little goes a long way. 

3. Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot powder ($16.00 for 0.31 oz): I'll admit that I only owned this powder for a few days in October but I already know that it's one of my new favorites. It goes on smooth and doesn't irritate any of my dry spots while, at the same time, helping out the oil slick that is my t-zone. I tend to use quite a bit of powder and unlike some that I've used in the past I don't look overly powdery with it. I still need to blot during lunchtime but that's a given. The price point of this powder is also stellar, especially when you use one of Ulta's ever present coupons on it 

4. Too Faced Hangover replenishing face primer ($32.00 for 1.35 oz): I used to think primers were kind of gimmicky but then again, maybe I just hadn't found the right one for me. I had a deluxe sample size of this primer and really enjoyed it; so much so that I'll be purchasing a full size during the Sephora sale. It played well with both my oily t-zone and dry cheeks. My foundation (ABH stick foundation) blended in beautifully and my dry spots stayed moisturized. It even seemed to help my t-zone from becoming too much like an oil slick. 

5. Urban Decay Vice lipstick in sheer Shame ($17.00 for 0.11 oz): After trying out Glossier's Generation G line I've kind of fallen in love with sheer lipsticks. The unfortunate thing is that the Glossier line seemed to dry out my lips something fierce after daily use. To replace my favorite shade, Jam, I turned to Urban Decay's sheer Shame. It's a gorgeous berry, not as deep as Jam, and slightly glossy. Shame is fairly moisturizing and has decent staying power for a sheer. It's a great everyday work appropriate lipstick. One swipe will give you a barely there flush and two or three will give you a deeper berry. 

Lately

I'll admit that it's been more than a few weeks since my last post. I sort of let things run away from me and this blog fell by the wayside.

Lately my time has been taken up by work, school and practicing textile design. Currently I'm focusing on shibori which, in layman's terms, is basically the Japanese version of tie dye but elevated. Right now I've been practicing my itajime shibori which is a technique where you fold pieces of fabrics and clamp them prior to dyeing. Clamping the pieces using wooden or acrylic blocks allows parts of the fabric to resist the dye and remain white. I've done shibori work before with an indigo vat but it was a challenge, at first, trying it out with procion dyes. Patience is key and patience isn't exactly something I'm well known for.

It's a fun experiment and I finally managed to figure out the best way to achieve a good deep black in a cold dye bath. Typically any kind of black dye needs a hot bath but after a couple (well, more than a couple) small projects I've managed to achieve a blue tinged black that I'm totally in love with. I've also managed to figure out how to get crisp white resists against my dyes. The semi faded look is great with natural indigo but I really disliked how it looked against my black and amethyst shades.

Now that project after itajime project is coming out how I want them to it's time to try out the arashi (pole wrapping) method!

(the projects above are all available in my shop right now)

Recent Eats

Some photos from recent eats I've had. Two meals at an old standby and one meal at a freshly opened restaurant I've been following with bated breathe for months.

I ended up at Rakiraki twice in one week. Once for lunch with my aunt, the second with my boyfriend so a late night meal after a Saturday closing shift. I ended up with the sesame tofu don both times because it's just that good. We ordered the chinois custom gyoza Saturday night and, while small, the gyoza were delicious. Nice and moist inside and the gyoza casing had a slight chew to them. I really do need to try more things off their vast menu. Next up I plan to try their fried rice. I've been craving a good Japanese-style fried rice (chahan) ever since one of my childhood favorites closed down many years ago.

Rakiraki Ramen and Tsukemen
4646 Convoy St #102-A, San Diego CA 92111

www.rakirakiramen.com

Pop Pie Co. soft opened the other week and I couldn't wait until their official grand opening. I'll admit, savory pies are one of my favorite foods and I've been waiting for what seems like years to my food addicted mind for Pop Pie Co. to open. 

The soft opening menu was limited but we snagged a steak and ale pie, chicken pot pie, gravy with mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Everything was delicious and you know that a pie crust is good when it's still light and flaky after sitting in a pie warmer! $8 for a pie may seem like much but the pies are quality and will fill you up. With a side a meal ends up being $11. I hope they end up doing a mince pie. I'd love to see how it stacks up to The Bronzed Aussie up in Los Angeles.

Pop pie Co. officially opens tomorrow October 8th.

Pop Pie Co.

4404 Park Blvd, San Diego CA 92116

www.poppieco.com

September Favorites

I can't believe that tomorrow is the official start of October already. I guess the months really do go by quicker when you're older.

This month my favorites are pretty much all skincare related. The mash up of heat, cold, humidity and dryness we've been experiencing lately in Southern California has really done a number on my skin so my focus has been on combating everything the weather has thrown at it.

1. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum ($5.90 for 30ml): First off, I'll admit that I haven't been using this long enough to see a drastic change in my skin but I have seen some good results in the few weeks that I've incorporated it into my routine. I have less redness and the closed comedones and pimples that do occasionally pop up are smaller and not as apparent. I really like what The Ordinary is doing: bare bones formulas at fantastic prices. The niacinamide serum I purchased is slightly viscous and dries fairly matte so don't expect a super hydrating serum. I also enjoy the minimalist packaging and the dropper gives out the perfect amount of product for my whole face. I plan on trying their retinol and vitamin c serums soon. 

2. Humphrey's lilac witch hazel skin softening toner (around $5.90 for 8oz): I was first attracted to this toner because of the label, it's gorgeous (thanks, aunt Jenny!). I recently ran out of my toner and when I saw the lilac version at Marshall's I snapped it up. The formula is great; it's alcohol free and has some great ingredients. Besides the witch hazel it also contains some of my favorite things: hyaluronic acid, all the teas and aloe. It's soothing but also takes off all the extra grime that my micellar water and foam cleanser leave behind. 

3. Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk (about $11.50 for 1.85oz): I love Asian sunscreens. They're cosmetically elegant and wear great under makeup and they don't have that typical sunscreen smell to them. Out of the multitude that I've tried I think this Etude House one is my favorite so far. It's mattifying but doesn't dry out my skin like Biore's offerings do. It also sinks in quickly so I can be ready for makeup after only 10 minutes. The quicker my routine is in the AM, the better! This may be the first one since Shiseido's hada senka that I will actually repurchase. 

4. Anastasia Beverly Hills stick foundation ($25 for .32oz): I love the ease of use of stick foundations. A few swipes, blend and you're done. I've tried a few different offerings (Bobbi Brown, Hourglass and Revlon's though Revlon's is more for touch ups) and unfortunately they've been more geared towards normal to dry skin. They good great at first but after a few hours my oily skin shines through and it's not pretty. When ABH announced a stick foundation for us oily skinned guys and gals I knew that I had to try it, especially at that price point. So far it's been excellent. The formula is on the drier side so normal/dry skinned people will want to prep for that but the finish and wear time on me is fantastic. It's a natural matte finish and even though I still have to blot halfway through a work shift my skin looks natural and not like an oil slick. I can't attest to the full coverage claim but I really love how it looks applied with a Beauty Blender; I end up with a "my skin but better" look. 

More pillow designs

Here are two throw pillow cases I made this past week. The fronts are hand dyed cotton and the blacks are black cotton with an envelope closure. Both are currently in my shop with the ability to purchase an optional pillow insert.

I've been really enjoying this method of dyeing fabric but I will admit that I toss more than I keep. The method is very much centered around trial and error for me and if I'm not happy with the way a piece comes out there's no point in keeping it. Unfortunate since purchasing practice yardage eats quite a chunk out of my bi-weekly budget.

I really wish I was able to take better photos, colors in real life always look so much brighter. Unfortunately my almost but not quite a DSLR camera bit the dust recently so I'm relegated to using my phone for photos until I can save up for another camera.

Watercolor hand dyed throw pillow

 This hand dyed throw pillow was an experiment in color mixing. Using a handful of dyes I was able to achieve the colors you see above. I couldn't bear to cut this piece apart so I turned it into a square accent pillow. It's the perfect piece to add a pop of color to a bedroom or living room.

This piece measures approximately 15" by 15". The front is 100% hand dyed cotton and the back is a black 100% cotton. Hand finished with a polyester pillow insert. Now available in my shop.

Watercolor zippered clutch

This zippered clutch features two pieces of fabric hand dyed by myself. I mixed together two different dyes to achieve the dark purples and indigo blues you see above. The exterior fabric is 100% cotton twill and the interior is an easy to clean polyester lining.

Now available in my Etsy shop. The partner to this piece (cut from the same piece of dyed fabric) will be available, by the latest, at the start of next week.

Adventures in textile design

After taking a course in textile design last semester I've been enamored with creating my own wearable art pieces. I've done quite a bit of eco dyeing, started up my own indigo vat and dabbled in fabric painting with procion dyes mixed with a sodium alginate solution. I also did some screen printing and while I do love me some prints (especially novelty ones) I was more drawn to organic looking pieces and the fact that I can make each piece one of a kind. I was dyeing something almost every day and then I just...stopped. I can't tell you why I stopped (well, I could but it's a fairly long story that starts off with me being unhappy) I just did.

The past couple of weeks I've been slowly easing myself back into textile design. No boiling pots of vinegar water or letting indigo oxidize right now. The technique that I've been playing around with is fairly easy and non-labor intensive. I can get my projects started and then go and do some classwork. The hardest part about this dye process is letting the pieces cure for 24 hours. I'm an impatient person and I want to see my results now, damn it!

The pieces above were an experiment using some new procion (fiber reactive) dyes I ordered from Dharma. I wanted to see how they would react to both each other and the fabric. I'm pretty pleased with the results! I'm not exactly where I would like to be but that comes with more practice and learning to be more selective about dye placement. Less is more.

My favorite piece is the top one. For some reason I just adore the splotches of red mixed with black. I know for certain that that piece will end up as a throw pillow on my Etsy shop. The amethyst piece is also gorgeous. Blacks turned grey and they mingled with the amethyst I got a gorgeous deep purple. The amethyst piece will end up as two pillows, two zippered clutches and maybe a few organic lavender sachets. Stay tuned.

Here's to hoping that the project I started this morning turns out half as well. I have some pieces of various types of cotton going along with a white button down and a large cotton gauze scarf curing. Once I get this technique down I plan to dye at least 5 yards of fabric for my department's "Fashion Redux" competition. The San Diego History Center decided on the 1950s this year which, if you've seen my racks of vintage clothing, is my favorite era of fashion.

Rakiraki Ramen & Pokirrito Little Italy (soft opening)

 Rakiraki is probably one of my favorite restaurants. When they first opened I refused to go because it was just a little bit too "hipster" for me and I thought the ramen would be mediocre at best. Boy, was I wrong. I don't think I've ever had a bad meal here though sometimes the wait can border on insanity, especially on Saturday nights. One word of advice: if you want to get your food fast during a dinner rush I'd recommend sticking to non-ramen dishes. Their ramen is their most popular item so the wait for a bowl ends up being fairly long. 

I eat at Rakiraki almost every week or every other week, either for a late night Saturday meal or lunch with my aunt. I recently ate there this past Saturday and was given an invitation to their Little Italy location's soft opening. 

The new Little Italy location is in a great spot: up the block from Crack Shack, next door to Bottle Craft and down the street from James Coffee Co. The actual space is split up into two restaurants; Pokirrito on the left side and Rakiraki on the right. Tables are in the middle of the two and they have some outdoor seating. Both restaurants have their own ordering counter so if you want something from both you will need to order twice. Once you place an order you're given a number and then you find a spot to sit at. A food runner will bring your food to you. 

For a soft opening it seemed like everything was running fairly smooth. Soft openings can be hit or miss since restaurants are still figuring out the kinks but Rakiraki/Pokirrito had at least one veteran server helping out. The head chef from the Rakiraki side was also walking around checking up on customers which was nice since it showed that they cared about the food. And even though they were packed food came out fairly quickly. 

The Pokirrito side is exactly like their Convoy location. Same menu and concept. The Rakiraki side has changed the most. The Little Italy location has a paired down menu which works better for counter ordering. The menu features their most popular ramens, curry rice, yakitori/kushikatsu, appetizers and drinks. If you want to grab a ramen burger or a rice bowl it's best to stick to the Convoy location. 

We decided to stick to our favorites to see how different they were to the Convoy location. We chose the tsukune katsu curry and the black fermentation ramen (and a beer for me because I love a beer with ramen). The ramen was basically the same as Convoy: noodles had a great chew and the broth was just as savory although with a tad less garlic oil. The curry was the most different though still delicious. The included katsu sauce tasted more tomatoey and had sesame seeds in it and the boyfriend said that the curry seemed a bit spicier which isn't a bad thing for us. The tsukune tasted exactly the same as the Convoy location: crunchy on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside. 

Overall it was a great meal and a good addition to Little Italy since the only other ramen place there is Underbelly which I'm not too fond of. I don't know if I would personally make the trip down to Little Italy to eat here (I live 5 minutes from the Convoy locations) but it's a must visit for Downtown/Little Italy natives. 

Rakiraki Ramen/Pokirrito (Little Italy)

2254 India Street, San Diego CA 92101

www.rakirakiramen.com

www.pokirritosd.com

August Favorites

 

August has come and gone so quickly. I really hate how the months seem to go by faster and faster. 

Today I'll be featuring my favorite products from August. Some I've had for awhile, some are brand new from this past month. They've all been products I've been reaching for almost daily. 

1. Rosette Ceramide Gel Cream (starting at $12 for 80g): This is an import from Japan and I love using it as a night moisturizer. My skin has been acting up thanks to the Southern Californian weather and this helps to keep my skin in check. You only need a pea sized amount to cover your face and in the morning my skin has calmed down and my dry patches have disappeared. The only downside to this product is the size. I have the feeling that it will go bad before I can use it all up. I had a friend pick this up for me in Japan but it is readily available via eBay. 

2. Glossier Generation G in Jam ($18 for .04 oz): Now, I don't normally like sheer anything on my lips. They tend to fade too quickly and leave a horrible ring on my lips. But I'm in love with Glossier's Generation G line. They're sheer matte colors that can be as sheer or bold as you want them to be. The staying power is great (for a sheer) and when they fade they fade evenly. I normally need a lip liner with darker colors but with these I just have to swipe and go. The shade Jam has been by go to almost everyday this month. It's a gorgeous deep berry shade that gives a little something extra to a minimal makeup routine. 
 
3. Glossier Boy Brow in black ($16 for 3.12g): I've tried more than a few brow products. I have some pencils and pomade stashed away but I'll admit that I'm lazy and prefer a simpler everyday routine. Boy Brow gives my brows the perfect amount of volume and color without looking over done. Compared to Benefit's Gimme Brow I much prefer the color and consistency of Boy Brow. It's hard to find the perfect cool black in brow products and this is it. Plus I feel that the pomade like consistency sticks better to my brows than Gimme Brow.
 
4. Urban Decay Perversion mascara ($10 for travel size, $20 for full size): Not that much of an innovation in mascara but I've been enjoying it. The formula is on the drier side which I enjoy and I've been loving the brush. It makes my lashes "pop" even more than they normally do.  

5. Formula X nail polish in State of the Art (from $10.50 to $12.50 for .4 oz): This is such a fun summer color (or year round if you're in San Diego). I also like the formula. It's on the thicker side which I prefer to thinner polishes. I work a lot with my hands so nail polish doesn't last long on my nails but this Formula X shade lasts a surprising amount of time when combined with my Seche Vite quick dry top coat.  

6. Makeup Forever artist shadow in Milk Tea ($21 for .07g): I will admit that I've never been an eyeshadow person. I don't think I've ever purchased a palette nor do I really do anything fancy with my eyeshadows. I love Milk Tea because it's the perfect wash of color on my lids. Swipe some on, put on some mascara and I'm good to go. The pan size is also huge which means I'll probably be in my 50s by the time I actually hit pan.  

Breakfast Republic (Liberty Station)

We recently tried out the Liberty Station location of Breakfast Republic. I've heard a lot of great things about them so I was excited to stop by for their after 3 PM menu.

Their after 3 menu consists of a limited menu of their most popular dishes. The portion sizes are also smaller and price reflects that. It's the perfect way to try a couple dishes with someone. Plus their drink menu is half off. $3 for a grapefruit Bellini? Sold.

We tried out three dishes: the pancake flight (apples 2 ways, churro and buttermilk), trio of French toast (marscapone and strawberry, gluten free cinnamon raisin and brioche) and their breakfast mac and cheese. We chose two "plain" options for both the pancakes and the French toast because it's easier to judge the standards versus others we've tried.

Out of all the pancakes my favorite was the churro and my boyfriend's was the regular buttermilk. All the pancakes were light and fluffy and cooked perfectly. I loved both the brioche and marscapone french toasts. The brioche is probably one of the best simple French toasts I've had. I'm typically not a sweets person but the smaller portion of the marscapone was the perfect amount for me and didn't need any extra syrup. My least favorite was the gf cinnamon raisin. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious but I felt like it needed a bit more cinnamon and raisin.

The breakfast mac and cheese was also delightful. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the mild cheese was perfect for a breakfast meal. The scrambled eggs on top were a tad dry but the dryness suited the dish because the eggs soaked up a lot of the cheese sauce. I thought this was going to be a fairly heavy dish but it was shockingly light for mac and cheese. Don't know if I could eat the full sized portion for breakfast but it hit all the right spots for lunch and dinner.

Overall it was a great meal on a nice and breezy day. I don't know if I'd stop here for breakfast (I've heard the wait can get insane) but we will definitely be back for the after 3 menu and more grapefruit bellinis.

Breakfast Republic (Liberty Station location)
2865 Sims Road, Ste 106
San Diego, CA 92106

www.breakfastrepublic.com