OK, so I realize that I may not be the “discoverer” of this “unknown jewel” of culinary fantasticness (what he hell did I just say?), but The Cottage in La Jolla is just too good not to mention. And, seeing that the San Diegans in our office (and there are several) didn’t bring up this indisputable “best of” candidate, I will give it some love from Orange County.
My wife and I first found The Cottage one weekend while she participated in a “Surf Diva” class on a nearby beach. When looking for a place to grab breakfast—and La Jolla is a GREAT place to grab breakfast—we were directed to The Cottage. Just the look of the place—the great outdoor patio with white lattice, a white, thigh-high perimeter fence and a flower-capped entryway—was very “breakfasty.” (Is that a word?) The yellow slat structure (my wife is a sucker for little yellow houses) and definite cottage feel creates the impression that elves are in back slaving away at magical stoves and ovens baking and frying and roasting food with mythical flavor. We, in fact, saw no elves, but man, the food was off the charts. Warning: this is not diet food. Just the smell of the cinnamon roll with melted glazed frosting had me chewing on the Styrofoam of my “hospitality” coffee cup as we waited for a seat.
Needless to say, I am 40 with two kids and one more on the way so I have no recollection of what I ate that day – but just that the memory makes me feel good about the world…so it must have been delicious.
Fast forward to Sept. 16, 2006; it's the first time in two years that my wife and I have escaped to another city for a night without our children. We hit San Dog for a House of Blues concert and then spent the night, stopping off the next morning in La Jolla at our now-favorite breakfast spot, The Cottage. Like I said, diet is a 4-letter word when confronted with that menu and when they take the time to split two orders and put half on each plate, then how can you say “no” to country-style French toast stuffed with strawberry compote and mascarpone cheese, and an omelet of fire-grilled chicken, sautéed mushrooms and melted brie topped with fresh avocado and sun dried tomatoes? You don't. You eat it all and order the cinnamon roll to boot! Then you MUST get a huge glass of fresh squeezed OJ and settle in with your own carafe of fresh-brewed coffee (to make sure you don’t go into a food coma on the the drive back to the OC). Oops—almost forgot the fresh fruit and seasoned Cottage potatoes, as well as, the maple-chicken sausage. (Did I mention there were two of us?)
How good is The Cottage in La Jolla? I will weep openly if it ever closes. Destined to be a state delectable landmark. I think world peace is possible if folks from around the world can eat the food and agree on one thing: it’s the best there is. It’s that good. Really. Go there this weekend. |
