BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

6 hour drive OUR DESTINATION VACATION, NO MORE THAN 6 HOURS FROM THE VALLEY

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

mistIN THE

of

Ocean-front La Jolla offers dewy vacation from our dusty desertOcean-front La Jolla offers dewy vacation from our dusty desertsummerof

42 VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | AUGUST 201542 VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2015

6 hour drive

Sitting on our fl uffy white bed at La Jolla Shores Hotel, the sound of the crashing waves lulled us to sleep after a fi ve-and-a-half-hour drive from the Valley. Thirty minutes later, I awoke to the strains of “Wedding March” fl oating through the cool breeze. It is accompanying a celadon-accented nuptials at the beachfront hotel. With its Hacienda-style exteriors and open layout, La Jolla Shores Hotel seems like the perfect place for a destination wedding—and we’re only a few hours into the trip. Not wanting to become too obsessed with the wedding, my husband and I only took a quick peek through the curtains before heading out to explore La Jolla. We met my mother-in-law in her room and off we went. We started with the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Perched on a picturesque bluff, the tourist attraction/research center offered gorgeous views inside and out. From seahorses and sea dragons to yellow tangs, the sea life was colorful and fascinating. The aquarium provided a virtual tour of the Pacifi c Coast, from north to south, and featured more than 60 habitats of fi sh and invertebrates. Phoenicians can get a taste of the aquarium with the “kelp cam” found online at aquarium.ucsd.edu. Stepping outside into the cool air and light drizzle, the Preuss Tide-Pool Plaza allowed us to touch and learn about animals. Overlooking the Pacifi c Ocean and La Jolla, it was a sight to see. After two hours in the aquarium, we were ready to try one of La Jolla’s fi nest restaurants, NINE-TEN, featuring Chef Jason Knibb, who was named San Diego’s 2014 “Chef of the Year” by the California Restaurant Association. My husband retreated to his English roots for the appetizer, braised oxtail and English pea tortellini. Created with whipped ricotta cheese, pickled pearl onions, snap peas and Meyer lemon, the oxtail dish was very tender and moist, whetting our appetite for the next course. For my entrée, I had the prime New York steak with a cabernet reduction, garnished with crispy pee wee potatoes, salsa verde,

VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2015 43 VALLEY LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2015 43

VLM

and a quince and mustard seed compote. The cabernet gave the steak a savory fl avor, which complemented the steak jus. Pumpkin seed-crusted lamb loin was my husband’s dish of choice, which boasted hibiscus-based salsify, maitake mushroom, baby broccoli, green garlic puree and lamb jus. NINE-TEN treated us to dessert of gluten-free and vegan plum sorbet, which melted over the top of sweet corn and coconut tapioca, macerated plum and a caramelized masa wafer. The sweet sorbet was a hit at the table. As for our choice, we opted for the half-baked chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Pastry Chef Rachel King outdid herself with this fi nale. We retreated to our room, and as pitch-black night fell over the Pacifi c Ocean we watched, from the patio, a group of scuba divers emerge from the water holding glow sticks. After breakfast at the hotel, the three of us explored La Jolla Cove, which teems with marine life above and below the water’s surface. Located along Coast Boulevard, the cove gave us an up-close-and-personal look at sea lions, which sprawled on rocks that were occasionally sprayed with salt water. Soaking wet from the unexpected high tide, we needed to return to our rooms to shower, change and prepare for a family-style meal at the new Catania Restaurant. The chef visited our table as we ordered the double-cut pork chop and the 8-ounce prime hanger steak. Our server wasn’t kidding when he said the meals were enough to fi ll a family. A large plate held the pork chop, which came with English peas, sugar snaps, pancetta and torpedo onions. The restaurant was also generous with the prime hanger steak, complete with grilled rapini. After all that food, a walk by the beach was necessary as the sun set over the Pacifi c Ocean.

DIVE IN AT: LA JOLLA SHORES HOTEL

8110 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla(858) 412-0721

ljshoreshotel.com