Places to Eat in Long Beach – Weekend Recap

I’m still recovering from my eventful weekend in the LBC cuz it was too much fun! It was definitely a short but memorable trip with one of my besties, Celleny. This trip really gave me an opportunity to check out some really cool places so I thought I’d share because I’d definitely visit these establishments again!

We left on Saturday afternoon, it was a super hectic day for me. I always didn’t want to go, but there was obviously no turning back. I was complaining in my head about how exhausted I was. But when Celleny got to my place, I was reenergized and ready to roll!

We stayed at the most adorable Airbnb in Long Beach, right in the middle of everything. The thing I really like about Long Beach is that everything is a short walk, bike ride, or Lyft ride away. Parking may be tough, but once you park you don’t really need to move your car again! Well, as long as the parking signs let you 😉

Check out this cute little breakfast nook out our Airbnb

Once we put our stuff down we immediately hit the streets to wander the city. Our first stop was one of Celleny’s bucket list coffee shops which was just a couple blocks from where we were staying – Lord Windsor Coffee. We both got their cold brew and it was unlike any cold brew I’ve had before. Really fruity, almost like a tea with coffee notes. Really really interesting!

Lord Windsor’s Cold Brew Coffee

From Lord Windsor we stopped at an awesome boutique called Make Collectives. Celleny found the most adorable earrings and I found this awesome briefcase that looked exactly like one my mom had. I knew I had to get it! The owner, Kat, was there and it was such a pleasure to meet her. We exchanged information and might be doing business together in the future! Word of advice kids, you never know where opportunities may arise so always be your most authentic and best self!

After that impromptu pit stop we landed at our destination, BO-Beau Kitchen + Roof Tap. We just made the last leg of happy hour so we split a pulled pork flat bread and a sangria, yum! It was the perfect snack to get us through until dinner. We were so tempted to get the brussel sprouts cuz they looked sooooo good, but we knew we’d be too full. Definitely want to try that next time I’m in town!

On our way back to our Airbnb we stopped to get a cheap bottle of wine and some snacks, watched a little Grace and Frankie on Netflix, and got ready for dinner.

We took a Lyft ride to the Attic on Broadway for dinner. We had a great experience! The thing I really liked about traveling with Celleny was we were so in sync with our food choices. We shared almost everything and the Attic was no exception! The star of our meal (it was unanimous) was the deviled eggs lol. It was on the sampler but we both really wished we ordered a full order. Really tasty!

The Attic
The turkey meatloaf. I don’t usually order meat loaf but it was sooo good!
The Short Rib Poutine
“Bloody Mary’s any day, anytime!!!”
The Sampler. They’re known for their Cheeto Mac ‘n Cheese

We had to get up early the next morning to get ready for Patchwork so we headed back to our Airbnb and called it a night. Plus, we wanted to hit up another food stop for breakfast and grab some coffee at another one of Celleny’s bucket list spots.

We woke up, got ready, and headed out for clearly our favorite thing to do – EAT! We decided to go to Restauration for breakfast specifically because of this…

Duck Confit and Waffle

Mah wurd, it was so good! Probably the best thing I had all weekend.

Seating
Restauration Brunch Menu
Grilled Octopus Salad

After breakfast we walked a couple blocks (it started to drizzle, WTF?) to grab a couple of latte’s before we had a long day at Patchwork. Their sweetened latte was perfection! The coffee was nice and smooth, milk was creamy, and it wasn’t to sweet.

Rose Park Coffee Roasters

From there we headed straight to Marine Stadium for Patchwork Show to set up. More on Patchwork later 🙂

While we were there my best friend from elementary school, Heather, came by since we were in her hood. It’s always good to see her! She’s a fellow entrepreneur and Youtuber so make sure you check her out!

 
All in all it was a fabulous weekend! Long Beach, I think you’ll be seeing more of me!

xoxo,

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Carlsbad Family Vacation

This year, for a combined Mother’s Day/Father’s Day celebration the Ortegas went to Carlsbad for a relaxing weekend getaway!

When we all get together it’s always a great time. Lots of laughing, memories, and quality time spent. This year, we kept it low key and stayed at an Airbnb in the hills of Carlsbad just a few miles from the beach and Carlsbad Village.

Whenever we go on family vacations like this I love using Airbnb for our stay. It’s really great to house your family in 1 place, you usually have a kitchen so you can cook to save some cash, and it feels like a home away from home.

Before we made the trip down to Carlsbad on Friday night, we got word that our car came in! Charlie and I test drove the Subaru Forester a couple weeks back and special ordered the car so we can get the color and model we wanted. Low and behold, it came just in time to drive it for our family vacation!

Once traffic died down we made our way down to Carlsbad, had a bite to eat at  Mission Avenue Bar and Grill (great burgers!), and started our vacay. On day 2 we stopped by the outlets, ate lunch at Dini’s (great spot by the beach), and cooked a yummy dinner at home.

Where are some of your favorite places to take a family vacation? Would love to explore new places with our family soon!

xoxo,

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We’re Going on Vacation – Stuff we Like

I can’t believe it. This Saturday Charlie and I will be married for 5 years. US?! 5 YEARS?! It felt like the blink of an eye. It’s been a magical and beautiful marriage and one rollercoaster of a ride. We’ve also gone through some pretty heavy stuff in the 5 years we’ve been married but I’m so blessed and lucky to have him by my side through all the good and the bad.
We’re going to Oceanside/Carlsbad for a short little getaway and I’m really excited to just unplug for a couple days. So if you find yourself going to Oceanside or Carlsbad here’s what’s on my list and my travel tips for anywhere you go.
  1. Get an Airbnb or vacation rental instead of a hotel. I’m sure many of you know about Airbnb and if you have yet to book one — DO IT! I love living like the locals do whenever I travel. We’re staying at a unit a few blocks from the beach and I’m so excited so be able to use the bikes they have for us, cook a nice breakfast, and relax.
  2. Go to the beach! Oceanside and Carlsbad have some beautiful beaches. I plan on visiting Tamarack State Beach and Buccaneer Beach while we’re there.
  3. Eat at local spots. My 3 spots that are a must go for me are Urge Gastropub and Whiskey Bank in Oceanside, Campfire in Carlsbad, and Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen in Oceanside. You locals must send me your recommendations as well!
  4. Don’t drive everywhere. Walk or ride a bike to places nearby. What better way to get to know your surroundings than to explore a little bit yourself instead of looking online. Our Airbnb rental comes with 2 beach cruisers and we’ll definitely be using those to get around.
  5. Take some time to relax! I know this sounds silly because you’re going on vacation. But I know I need to remind myself of this some times. You get so caught up in sightseeing or fitting in all of the things on your list that you forget to do one of the most important reasons of a vacation — relax. So take some time for yourself and enjoy it!
xoxo,
Kissa
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