Foodie Friday: Station Tavern

After talking about Station Tavern for months it felt appropriate to grab a burger after seeing a matinee (Drive) the other day. Specializing in comfort food and providing a full bar with local and craft beers, it's genuinely the perfect place for friends to grab a bite.

Most of the seating is outside on a super adorable patio with lights strewn above your head and wood tables with benches. We opted to sit indoors as there are large windows completely open-air for a nice panoramic street view. I love the atmosphere and all the train memorabilia.


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Most burger joints have one vegetarian option, the Station had three: House Veggie Burger, Spicy Black Bean Burger, and Tofu Pup (all made 100% Vegan and Fresh, never frozen). I got the black bean burger topped with cheddar, tomatoes, caramelized onions, a fried egg and chipotle mayo... and the bun, buttered and toasted perfectly.










By the end of my meal, this idiot dove right into my side cup of chipotle mayo, covering his wings. We sat and watched him clean himself and even though they are disgusting creatures, it was interesting to watch.



Location: 2204 Fern St. San Diego, California 92104
Neighborhood: Southpark (between Ivy St. & Juniper St.)

link love v.15

First and foremost, my dream wedding location.

I love love these pear shaped wooden coasters.

If I had a dog, I would buy it every single one of these costumes.

Lasagna cups!? How insanely delicious these look.

Combining two of my favorite fall foods into one amazing soup.

Wow, what an amazing transformation that is this office makeover.

Some of this street art is utterly amazing. Love seeing this stuff in person.

These Dara Scully photos are uhhh-mazing!

Craigslist is good for a lot of things, especially for laughs.

Really really love this dress, in Mocha.

Wut? A cuddle mattress?!

Swoon.

Adams Ave Street Fair

I love fairs, markets, carnivals and all sorts of community gatherings including food, pets, music and people. The Adams Avenue Street Fair was very impressive and FREE! Had some of the best lemonade I've ever tasted, walked around for hours, checked out 300ish craft and food vendors and with six stages of music (70+ artists) heard some awesome live/new music.




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Some of the best chinese food! Vegetarian combination plate.



Blueberry Italian ice.



Stopped into the raddest bookstore I've ever stepped foot in. Adams Ave Book Store is an old converted two story apartment building with original hardwood floors and completely stocked with books. Not to mention two adorable kitties (Felexia & Bartleby) that hang out around the shop every day.


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This was my favorite room, the kitchen area. Those are all cookbooks!



oh, and guys... look at this huge orchid hanging from my neighbors fence!

Take me out to the ball game!

Went to my first major league baseball game (Padres vs Dodgers) at Petco Park on Friday. Don't get me wrong, seeing my minor league Bees in my hometown is a lot of fun, but Petco Park was ridiculous and BIG. With that said, I would really like to visit Fenway Park one day...





Gimme all da veggie hot dogs!


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A-Z of Ainsley

Happy Saturday! I've been seeing these floating around the blogosphere and it took me back to the Myspace days when there were surveys inside of every bulletin you opened, so I thought it would be fun to hop on the bandwagon and do one here years later.



A. Age: 23
B. Bed size: Full
C. Chore that you hate: Is drying my hair a chore? Because it is honestly the worst part of getting ready every day.
D. Dogs: I wish, I have a place in my heart for three in the future.
E. Essential start to your day: A good teeth brushin' and phone checkin'.
F. Favorite color: Any shade of black.
G. Gold or Silver: I've always been a silver gal, but gold has recently been growing on me.
H. Height: 5’6".
I. Instruments you play: Wish I kept up with the piano, I'm alright with the basics.
J. Job title: Barista.
K. Kids: Goose egg.
L. Live: San Diego, California.
M. Mother’s name: Trina.
N. Nicknames: Itty.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Once for a terrible spider bite and twice when taking other people to the ER.
P. Pet peeves: Whistling. Stop it.
Q. Quote from a movie: "I no longer know who I am and I feel like the ghost of a total stranger." - Rules of Attraction
R. Right or left handed: Right tighty.
S. Siblings: Kyle, 7 years old and the most adorable human being on Earth.
U. Underwear: Black anything.
V. Vegetable you hate: Cabbage and brussels sprouts, yuck!
W. What makes you run late: Forgetting to get gas.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Foot (after a tubing incident), chest (after a car accident) and dental.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Here.
Z. Zoo animal: Slow Loris, Sloths and a whole mess of Meerkats.

Foodie Friday: Viva Pops

After reading about Beca's visit to Viva Pops, I had to give this place a go. Located right in the heart of Normal Heights on Adams Avenue, you can't miss this bright neon popsicle shop!



Viva Pops offers so many radical all-natural flavors made with fresh organic fruits and herbs, many of which are purchased from local suppliers here in San Diego! They also have vegan/dairy-free options available and any/all pops are only $2.50! It's a great place for a fun little desert after dinner or if you're wandering the area.

I got the Margarita with Salt pop and it was delicious! Some other unique flavors include: Lavender Lemonade, Orange Rosemary, Peach Ginger, Pineapple Chili, Avocado Lime and Nectarine Basil.



You can also find these babies at the Little Italy Farmers Market (Saturdays between 9am-1:30pm), Whole Foods - Hillcrest, Whole Foods - La Jolla and Alchemy Restaurant.

Location: 3330 Adams Avenue San Diego, California 92116
Neighborhood: Normal Heights

Holy Hiatus!

I am terribly sorry for my leave of absence. Foodie Fridays will be back on schedule tomorrow, but in the meantime my best friend was in town and I want to share some of our adventures and my haps as of late!



For the first 10 days this lil lady was kind enough to only allow me to sleep 1-4 hours per night. Rough times for stressed kitties, but luckily is almost back on track and spooning with her mama throughout the night.



Jen is my favorite sushi date so once she landed it was our first stop.



Why are deep fried rolls so good?



Strolling Sherman Heights on the way to a book signing/art gallery.



Guys! This was my first time trying Pho!



Sad panda. Any suggestions? Shoe glue?!



Eating pretzels the size of your face!



For all the Halloween + kitty lovers like myself! Crate and Barrel.



Newfound favorite fish tacos from South Beach Bar and Grille.



My good friend Susan's baby shower was too adorable. So. Many. Babies. I left with baby fever.







Cutest wrapping papers, ever.



Instagramming.



Old Town.



My kind of mug.



Virgin margarita.



+ fish and potato tacos.



Cake batter + graham cracker pie crust.



This dip from the Hillcrest Farmers Market.



So happy Bridesmaids is out on DVD! Go pick up a copy!



Hash House quesadilla as a final au revoir!

Where did the weekend go?

This past week has been busy, busy, busy and seemingly come and gone in the blink of an eye! My aunt was in town to help me move and I'm on the cusp of being completely unpacked and ready to get back on track with this thing called life!

As some of you may have heard (or experienced), there was a HUGE blackout on Thursday in San Diego (down to Mexico, up to Orange County and even into Arizona!) all because of one guy tripping a wire. Over 2 million people were left without power for 8 hours. I was at work when it started at 3pm and was instructed to stay for three hours in case the power came back on. By 6pm we were still powerless and panic set in when I jumped in my car only to be regreeted by that pesky orange gas light that had been on since the night before. It was a very stressful two hour drive home (a commute that usually takes ten minutes) on an empty tank... Thank you my very trusty VW!



On Friday Tiffany flew in and we grabbed breakfast at Cafe 21. I had a fancy pesto sandwich with poached eggs, pepper, tomatoes, mozzarella, greens and a side of homemade potato chips!



After breakfast we headed to our tattoo appointment with Jasmine. We had decided a bit ago to get matryoshka dolls for each other and they turned out adorable if I do say so myself! ps: This is my fastest tattoo healing to date! Three days in and it's already peeled, wow!



Buju! The tattoo shop is named after this pretty little lady.



By far the cutest tattoo shop I've ever stepped foot in.



Saturday was a busy day; acai bowls for breakfast, Belle's wedding, Beca's shop grand opening, the obligatory visit to Balboa Park and a quick trip to Sunset Cliffs.





Vegetarian entree at Belle's wedding.









Sunday morning we got up early and rented a Uhaul to move my furniture. Acai bowls for everyone!



This is what under your couch cushions looks like when you own a cat:



And a little sneak peek: I've always wanted a walk in closet!



Monday was dedicated to Hash House for breakfast so Tif would be nice and full before heading home to Salt Lake.