Just popping in to share some recent sale finds and another Instagram roundup! I stumbled upon this very good sale of Nike sneakers (including my favorite Free 5.0) that don’t often get marked down, with free 3-day shipping and returns! There’s also no sales tax for orders shipping outside of NJ or NY. Outside of sneakers, NAP also has a pretty big sale selection of designer shoes, clothes and accessories which the site is more known for. Many items are left in small sizes so try filtering by size on the left.
Next up, the outfit above from my Instagram – got so many questions in the comments about how to tuck both a shirt and cardigan in a pencil skirt without bulges! That is the beauty of a cropped-length, 3/4 sleeve cardigan. No tucking-in needed, plus allows for a cute cuffed-sleeve looks without bulk at the lower arms. This one comes in so many versatile colors and runs small – mine in size S measures 15″ from top to bottom, and my guess is this length will vary with each size. If it’s too short for you to wear as shown above, it’ll still look cute worn open over dresses to show off your waistline.
On to my favorite part of this post – the most memorable eats from our last SoCal trip! We look for new places to try each visit, and these did not disappoint. Cauldron is actually quite a bit outside SD in Santa Ana. We were passing by and it looked interesting on Yelp, with nitrogen ice cream finished science experiment-style in front of you, and their signature “puffle” cone which is a hybrid of mini Asian egg puffs and a regular waffle cone. You can tear off the slightly warm little puffs one by one and dip into your ice cream. To further entice the ladies, they can carve any ice cream into a rose shape if you so desire.
We got the S’mores puffle above, and although Nick rather liked it (probably b/c he’s a big fan of the traditional egg puffs as seen here in # 6, ha!), I’m not really been into those and would get a regular waffle cone next time. We also wished there was more of the creamy ice cream inside the cone – ended up gobbling this one up and had to get another cup to fully satisfy our cravings.
I am perpetually on the lookout for good ramen, and this had most of the components I love plus a few pleasant surprises. You also get to choose from a variety of noodles including thin, thick, or gluten-free. We both got thick and they were wonderfully springy in texture. Also I’m a huge fan of “garlic chive” (the longer ones at the top of the bowl) in dumplings, stir-fries, etc, and found them to be equally tasty in noodles. I would get the Tajima non-spicy next time in order to better appreciate the broth flavors.
No trip to San Diego would be complete without fulfilling Nick’s taco fix. These large ones are from Oscars, where I hope to try the “surf & turf” next time. The tacos were good (with sauces aplenty for this condiment junkie) but I thought the ceviche was the star.
Oh my poke goodness, I can’t get enough of these bowls. It’s the perfect light but filling lunch or post-workout treat. Boston is a few waves behind all the food trends of the west coast, so although these are old news for many, I was quite giddied up to eat it every chance I got (which was 3x during this last visit…mmm). Orange County seems to have a plethora of options, but Poke Go was the only dedicated poke bowl shop we found in San Diego, having opened just a few weeks ago. I got a combo in their lighter soy-based sauce, with a little spicy mayo on the side. The bowl was fresh and delish, but I’d request less onion next time and more of the cucumbers for added crunch.
The diced fish in sauce concept is technically very easy to make at home if you have access to fresh ingredients…but you can’t beat the convenience of picking up a bowl. Wonder if I can convince my favorite sushi take-out joint to start adding this as an option ; )
For anyone planning a SoCal visit, here are my other favorite spots from a past trip.
Next time you go to San Diego I highly recommend Yakitori Yakyudori & Ramen. It is by far my favorite place to get ramen and they make amazing yakitori (skewered meats cooked over charcoal)! Yumm!
looks great and nice photos you look lovely.
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Best ramen in San Diego is hands down Ramen Yamadaya. You should definitely try next time you visit San Diego!!
I'm going to be visiting San Diego next month and could use some ideas on what clothes to pack – could you share what you packed and the outfits? I'll mainly be sight seeing and eating for about a week 🙂
Great pics. I'm so hungry right now!
xx
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Your food suggestions are always spot on! But I truly read for the great clothing and style. As a fellow petite lady, I truly appreciate your classic, beautiful style.
I would love if you re-created the poke you had in SD for us! If you think Boston is behind on food trends, Charlotte is even worse!
Love these food posts!
I just read your blog post from 2012, when Nick ate those egg puffs! I really enjoy reading your blog, seeing how you style things, to seeing what foods you eat + your recommendations! I am Canto too and live in Boston! What is your favorite restaurant and bakery in Chinatown? I often eat at Asian Garden and Eldos
Amazing food!
I have just moved to near Cambridge in the UK where there is a large Chinese population (students, mainly), so there are many amazing-looking Asian places to eat. Your pictures have inspired me to start working my way around them!
Yes to those rag& bone boots! I tried on the Harrow in stores and found that I did need the full size up. It was very tight in the top part of the arch area for me. Very happy to get such a good price on a piece I have been eyeing for so long!
Loving all your food pics! That ramen looks amazing! I still have yet to find a truly great ramen place in Chicago.
That cropped cardi looks great on you!
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Everything in this post is drool-worthy!!
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Love the skirt! All those stunning food shots are making me hungry~
Love, V.
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Hi Jean! The ramen looks sooo delicious. Next time you're in Orange County, I recommend Shin-Sen-Gumi in Fountain Valley. It's one of my favorite ramen places. My coworkers and I would go all the time for lunch. 🙂
Also, I love your outfit. I got the ModCloth cardigan based on your recommendations and think it's great. Thanks!
Great outfit, and it shows that you have really fitted shape! As a mom, who is in 40s, really envy you. The food from SD is making me super hungry. I live in a small town in SE without even ramen in any restaurant. I appreciate to be updated of what big cities people are currently eating. 🙂
Try Yoshino Japanese Deli in Carlsbad for poke bowls next time!!! Love Tajimas too!!! You can also try Rakiraki and Ramen Yamadaya.
Thanks for the recos. I'm in the market for new sneakers so perfect timing. I just ordered the Nike Free 5.0 and hoping they work for me!
-Chicago Petite
Thanks Jean…just drooled on my keyboard because of this post. I love Tajima's and Oscars! But then again, who doesn't?
How have I not been to Poke Go?! Another way to get poke in SD–fresh from Hawaii!!!–is on Fridays and Saturdays at the Costco on Fenton Parkway (the Mission Valley Costco). They have a variety of marinades and sell until they run out.
Very useful post! Thanks to your NAP sale alert, I picked up a pair of Nikes 🙂 Also these SD suggestions are great, I'm planning a trip to SoCal in a month so this definitely gives me some ideas!
Ah, it makes me so happy you visited! I used to live in SD and Tajima was one of my go-to spots, so delishhhh!
xx Alyson
Hi Jean,
Thanks for the food pics and suggestions. I am about to travel to Boston (later this week) and was wondering if you have any restaurant suggestions in Boston. Thanks in advance!
You look fabulous in that outfit! xo
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All that food made me hungry, haha!
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Hi Jean – do you have a favorite ramen place in Boston?
Hi Lauren – I didn't do any alterations on this skirt! Was so excited to finally find a pencil skirt that fit just the way I like (higher at the natural waist) with no taking-in needed. However I did get a size down in this piece from my usual J.Crew size, which might explain it sitting higher up at my waist and subsequently, the length hitting at my knees instead of below.
OMG the skirt is amazing
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Oh man, I'm about to go on my lunch break but I can't help but gobble up all these pictures! Why can't there be poke on the East Coast?!
I also love the outfit! Did you hem the pencil skirt yourself? JCrew says the skirt falls below the knee, which I'm worried will make me look even shorter!
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Love your pencil skirt! Ramen looks delicious<3
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