Read Ranch & Coast Virtually Anywhere
Issue link: http://ranchandcoast.uberflip.com/i/1537919
is stylish, lively spot is the perfect place for cocktails and casual fare for brunch, lunch, and dinner. My husband and I sampled "sunset shareables" that included sesame shrimp toast and chicken nuggets with crème fraîche and a "bump" (or dab) of caviar. e Bower doesn't have a swimming pool, but the hotel will gladly book boat rentals and tee times as well as tennis, pickleball, surfing, and standup paddle (SUP) lessons. A staff member even set up an umbrella, beach chairs, and towels for us on the sand near e Del. e next day, we had brunch nearby at Little Frenchie bistro, which was included in the California Michelin Guide in 2021-2023 as a "Plate" designated restaurant, which simply means, it serves very good food. e restaurant is owned by Blue Bridge Hospitality, whose principal David Spatafore, a born-and-raised Coronado islander, opened Moo Time Creamery in 1998 and has since opened a string of restaurants. (Blue Bridge also partnered with Liberty Station on Liberty Public Market in 2016, turning a former military mess hall into a culinary destination, now with more than three dozen vendors selling food, wine and brews, specialty items, crafts and more.) My husband and I sat at a sidewalk table on bustling Orange Avenue, enjoying petit déjeuner of smoked salmon tartine with scrambled eggs, crème fraîche, red onions, and capers and an herb omelet. Also, on the menu: French toast, crepes, and baskets of house-made croissants and other pastries. e dinner menu includes such French classics as escargot, beef short rib Bourguignon, cassoulet, steak frites, and Le Burger (made with wagyu). e resto will even pack a Parisian picnic and cheeseboards-to-go for parties (with le fromage, of course). After brunch, I strolled along Orange Avenue, popping into Bungalow 56, a boutique founded by interior designers and longtime friends Karyn Molina and Jessica Nicolis, offering upscale furniture, home accessories, kitchen goods, and gifts. Paris + Me, owned by a mother-duo, stocks chic women's fashion, and nearby La Mer is a longtime clothing and accessories boutique owned by Mary Ann Berta, a businesswoman, community volunteer, and wife of a retired Navy SEAL. FL2F (Five Loaves Two Fish) offers ethically made-in-San-Diego kids' clothes, toys, and books, and Geppetto's is a delightful store for classic, unique toys designed to inspire creative play. e Bay Company sells everything from beach umbrellas to boogie boards, swimsuits to sunglasses, and for some reason, 4,200 styles >> VILLA CAPRI: PHOTO BY AUDA & AUDA PHOTOGRAPHY LITTLE FRENCHIE: PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUE BRIDGE HOSPITALITY Little Frenchie The Bower's rooftop bar, Dive