San Diego: An Avocado Lover's Paradise

I've been traveling the past week, touching down in Chicago and Dallas for my corporate gig. It's been a long, albeit great week that hasn't leave a lot of time for blogging. This afternoon, however, that all changed as Bryan and I touched down at a much less remote destination -- San Diego's L'Auberge Del Mar hotel -- in anticipation of a much different type of gig: an avocado lover's extravaganza.

A Hipstamatic View of L'Auberge Del Mar's Barside Terrace*

Why are we here? Just over a month ago I received an invitation by the California Avocado Commission to partake in a fabulous weekend dedicated to the leathery fruit. Guests would stay at the beachside, boutique L'Auberge Del Mar hotel and enjoy tours of local avocado groves, processing plants (satisfying the curiosity of those -- like myself -- who have ever pondered how avocados go from grove to grocery), and experience avocado-centric meals prepared by renowned chefs Paul McCabe (Kitchen 1540), Trey Foshee (George's at the Cove), and Evan Cruz (Pacifica Del Mar).

Awaiting this evening's festivities...

Considering Bryan and I are two of the world's biggest avocado fans -- heck, we're even avocado ice cream aficionados -- it was a pleasure to accept the invitation. Which brings us to, well, now. We've spent the afternoon sipping on frosty, local Stone IPA and snacking on a goat cheese and prosciutto thin-crust pizza on L'Auberge's terrace, patiently awaiting the weekend's kick-off event: a multi-course meal prepared by Kitchen 1540's Executive Chef Paul McCabe. We're very much looking forward to meeting our hosts, fellow foodies and enjoying the weekend festivities as a whole. Expect live updates and photos from the front lines... But in the meantime, here's a shot of our pizza to tide you over!

Kitchen 1540's Prosciutto Pizza

*Excuse the poor photo quality; they were taken on my iPhone.