Elisa's #1 place to eat in San Diego:

THE MISSION

My family and I are frequently in San Diego since it's only a few hours away. Sadly I must admit to everyone out there reading this that, yes...we have made a special trip out there occasionally just to eat at some of our favorites restaurants. We literally decide Saturday morning to head out to California and then drive back home Saturday night...for food. I know what you're thinking, but we aren't ready to admit our culinary disorders just yet so we will continue to live in food addiction. Anyways, one of the places we are most guilty of doing this for would be The Mission. Before you judge my previous statements, let me explain why The Mission Restaurant is worth a 3-1/2 hour drive one way just for breakfast or lunch...

This is the J street location in downtown SD, it's our favorite one

The Mission's food is simple: Healthy, fresh food made with love and care that is plated so stunningly the only reason you don't dive in right away is so you can take a pic of it to upload to your social media page (just to make everyone else jealous). The Mission, as a restaurant, does a great honor not only to the customer but to the food they serve. Their menu items are creative (Banana blackberry pancakes? Yes, please!) and yet give you a sense of hominess that you begin to crave. My favorite menu item you ask? PAPAS LOCO - this dish consists of Rosemary potatoes, grilled jalapeños, black beans, cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, salsa and I add 2 scrambled eggs with some green onions! They make their salsas, breads and salad dressings fresh....no canned goods here and your palette will taste the difference. Their eggs are locally sourced from free range, non GMO chickens and all the chicken served at The Mission is a type known as Jidori.  Just a brief explanation of Jidori so you can understand the passion the owners have to deliver quality food to their guests: Jidori literally translates to "chicken of the Earth" it is the freshest form of chicken one can buy. All chickens considered Jidori are free range and vegetarian fed. The chicken is usually described as having a fresher taste, a more pleasant texture than store bought chicken and a more natural chicken flavor. Overall, I've never had anything here that even comes close to tasting processed or low quality. It's one of the few restaurants I can honestly say provide a healthier and better meal than I can make at home. 

Papas Loco <3

Mission French Toast

The satisfaction and feelings of just plain goodness doesn't stop at the food but continues even beyond your meal - The Mission supports many local charities and donates time, money and effort to give back to the San Deigo community. They also support local artists in a big way...one exciting thing about this restaurant is the atmosphere is constantly changing! All of the artwork displayed on the walls are made by local artists and are for sale if you're interested in buying a piece. The Mission doesn't take any commission on these pieces...that's right 100% of the purchase price goes to the artist. So as art is sold, new art is brought in and displayed creating an ambiance that is ever changing.

There's no way to ever explain how much our family loves this place and why...it must be experienced! I would strongly encourage anyone visiting the San Diego area to make it a point to eat at The Mission and relish in all the goodness that this restaurant has to offer. I've provided links below to their 3 locations and a link to the menu (they also offer a gluten free menu). When you do go, come back to this page and leave your comments below to tell of your experience!

They are open everyday for breakfast & lunch from 7 a.m.-3p.m.
Menu: http://www.themissionsd.com/menus.html
Locations: http://www.themissionsd.com/locations.html