I’ve been a fan of Sunny Donuts in La Mesa ever since I had them the first time back in 1998. With delightfully different flavors like French apple, blueberry, coconut cream and chocolate frosting filled, the company has always managed to stand out from other donut shops and the flavor of the donuts is always great. They’re also relatively cheap, going at around $7.50 for a dozen.
With their tiny location off of Spring Street, I always assumed they were family owned, but I was surprised to learn the company is actually a rather large California chain that was created when a number of Dunkin Donuts franchisees decided to work together on their own chain.
If you find yourself in the vicinity of a Sunny Donuts while traveling through the Golden State, stop by and try one of their delicious treats.
Sunny donuts is entirely deserving of a 5 out of 5.
Check your Penny Savers, because V House Pho & Grill constantly sends out buy two get one free coupons to everyone in East County. Of course, even at full price, this restaurant is worth every delicious penny.
Their pho is rich and flavorful and you don’t miss out on the presentation when you opt to get your soup to go. The broth is packaged in a massive Styrofoam container, the noodles, onions and beef are in a take out box and your basil, jalapenos and bean sprouts are kept in another container. They even provide you with small cups of plum sauce and packets of soy sauce so you can further customize your soup flavor at home. If you do get the order to go, be sure to microwave your broth before adding the raw beef because the meat is supposed to cook in the soup and if you wait too long, you could be exposing yourself to unnecessary risk.
Eating in the restaurant is also nice. The atmosphere is nice, clean and quiet and the service is immaculate. Aside from the pho, I highly recommend trying the crispy calamari (which isn’t always available), the beef vermicelli noodles and the Thai iced tea. In fact, I have yet to find anything that’s not great here.
Eating inside the Disneyland Park is both expensive and largely unfulfilling. While there are a few great restaurants in the park, The Blue Bayou is exquisite, the price overall is astronomical for the quality of food you are getting. Instead, it’s generally better to eat outside of the park, although many of the nearby options are still pretty pricey.
To that end, The PCH Grill inside The Paradise Pier Hotel is a great meal for the cost. The buffet restaurant allows you to eat everything you possibly can all while being fussed over by your favorite Disney characters.
When you first enter, you are greeted by Mickey (unless he’s on a break, in which case you will meet another costumed character) where you can take a photo opportunity before you chow down.
As your waiter brings your drink selections, you are invited to start grazing on the buffet and what a buffet it is. When we went for breakfast there were all the things you would expect -scrambled eggs, bagels, sausage and bacon, and many things you wouldn’t -smoked salmon and caviar with capers, chilaquiles, an omelet bar. Plus, there are your mandatory Disney themed treats, such as Mickey-shaped Belgium waffles.
While many breakfast buffets tend to taste dried out, salty and bland, even the basics were moist and flavorful. In fact, I don’t hesitate to say that they had the lightest, fluffiest scrambled eggs I’ve ever had at a buffet.
As if the delicious food weren’t enough to make this place worthwhile, the characters are constantly circling to ensure every table gets sufficient interaction. If you can go on a weekday morning a little later than the average breakfast time, there will be hardly anyone at the restaurant, which means more character attention to entertain you.
While we got pictures with Goofy’s son Max, Daisy, Mickey and Minnie, my favorite character was Stitch. He sat down in my boyfriend’s seat while he was filling up his plate and flirted with me, then when he returned, he gestured for me to leave my love and date him instead. The character was perfect for Stitch’s bratty personality and that alone made the meal worthwhile.
At $21.50 per person, the meal was hardly cheap, but the fact that there are no tips accepted and that the food and entertainment were both top notch made it completely worth the price.
Where do you go in San Diego when you want Texas-sized portions with a slice of Southern hospitality on the side? The aptly named Tyler’s Taste of Texas, of course.
If you can’t stand kitsch decor or republican campaign posters, then this restaurant is not for you, but if you don’t mind a little bit of a theme adorning your meal, then you’ll be sure to enjoy the fried melange of comfort food streaming out of this kitchen. Everything from fried catfish to chicken fried steak to Texas barbecue are served up piping hot, in massive quantities and at all hours of the day.
If you’ve ever complained about the overpriced tiny portions featured on Denny’s late night meal, then head over here for your 3 AM pancake fix and enjoy piles of food for dirt cheap prices.
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