Eating Locally in San Diego

I’ll be attending the FoodBuzz blogger festival this weekend, which I’m sure will be full of tempting treats! So I’ve been determined to not eat junk on this trip. I really wasn’t sure how to find a good restaurant, so I just Googled “local food San Diego.” Lucky for me there was an award-winning farm to table restaurant nearby!

The Linkery is named for its fresh-made sausages and promised Farm to Table Dining. I had a few hours to kill during lunch before my next appointment, so I decided to take a chance.

The waiter invited me to seat myself, and since I was trying to soak up all the California warmth I could before heading back to the frozen north of Michigan, I sat next to a window wall that was open to the outside. I was promptly served water from a very cool bottle (would be great for kombucha!). I’m not sure what the leaf was on the bottom but it imparted a pleasing flavor.

They had an incredible amount of local craft beer on tap, but since I was meeting church folk after lunch I decided to stick with water.

I asked the waiter for a recommendation, and he suggested the pastured chicken sandwich and a chicken cheddar brat. I thought that sounded excellent so that’s what I ordered.

The chicken was grilled and was topped with the best bacon I’ve had in awhile, plus an avocado mayo combination. It was nothing like what you get at fast food restaurants. The tomato tasted like tomato; the pickle like homemade dills; and I was in heaven. The bun and chips were just OK, but truly the bacon and fresh veg were the star of the plate.

The chicken cheddar brat was simply divine. So juicy and cheesy, with a wonderfully flavored chicken sausage. It was served with a Dijon dipping sauce. I could have just eaten a brat and a hunk of good bread and been completely satisfied, which I noticed they do have as an option.

I asked the waiter if the local food movement was big in San Diego, and whether there were other Farm to Table restaurants. He said the movement is growing, and that many restaurants are adding local items to their menus, but they and one other restaurant were the only true Farm to Table restaurants that “don’t use Sysco,” he said with a grin. I decided to stay awhile and ordered some coffee.

I thought it was adorable that it came with a little timer that told me when to press the coffee. As I sipped my coffee, enjoying the sun and the atmosphere, I was completely relaxed. I noticed a sign on the wall:

It was correct on all counts, because my bill came to $34, including tip (which is automatically included on your bill; any extra is given to charity).  Feeling a bit guilty for spending that much on lunch, I was lucky to score some extra almond bars from my church meeting to have for a light dinner. The lunch had me feeling full all day.

If you’re ever on the road, I highly recommend seeking out a farm to table restaurant. Unfortunately I haven’t found any websites that have a lot of listings (I tried localharvest.org, but nothing showed up for San Diego).  Anyone have suggestions?

This post linked to Things I Love Thursday and Fight Back Friday

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