If I were to describe the type of traveler I am, it would be someone who travels through bakeries, cafes, and independent boutiques. It is here, in these places, that I believe one gets a chance to see the true fabric of a place. Who is making the local herbal tinctures? Who is baking the bread? What coffee roaster is popular here? Most times, when I explore this way, I am led to more and more local delights as I familiarize myself with the makers and brands that fill the shelves and cases.
I love exploring this way—through the independent shops and makers. Through those who have decided to invest in brick-and-mortar property, showcase local artists, recipes, or stories. Like at Secret Sister in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego, where everything is made from a 120-year-old, passed down sourdough starter, or Casa Palma Dulce, where the Mexican heritage of owner Elexia can be felt through every single product she has selected to sell in the store, including the incredible handful of Milagros I scooped up there to make jewelry with.
A few weeks ago, on my way to the vet with Oli (poor girl got a double ear infection from the dust and dry air out here), I stopped at Izola Bakery. I let my heart go wild and ordered a chocolate croissant, a butter croissant (always my gold standard), a loaf of wild sourdough, and something called the Ugly Bit, a signature pastry made from the bits and ends of the leftover croissant dough. “It’s $13…because of the glass bowl,” the baker let me know. I accepted my fate of spending $49 on pastries.
Every single bite was worth that bill. I ate the butter croissant while waiting for Oli to be seen by the vet, taking bite after delightfully crunchy bite and wishing that it would last forever. I shared the chocolate croissant with Dan as an afternoon treat and I sliced up the sourdough, which served us well for the remainder of our stay.
I also visited Maya Moon Collective in Normal Heights, thanks to a suggestion from my friend Natasha who grew up in San Diego. I settled into their expansive patio with a mug of cacao and a deck of oracle cards. I sipped leisurely while journaling, taking in the wisps of conversations around me, and the soft sunlight of the afternoon.
Before I left the city, I was sure to circle back to the neighboring shop of Secret Sister—The Rose Wine Bar to buy two bottles of wine. The shopkeeper was very kind to point me in the direction of a hyper-local red made only a few miles away, along with two other natural wines that promised to be funky and fun to drink. We left one bottle behind for our friends who generously offered their apartment to us for our stay, and the other two bottles traveled with us as we began our journey back east, serving as a memento of our time in California.
How do you like to explore a new place?
Share this post