Sugar and Scribe Bakery is Everything You Want in a Brunch Spot

When you visit Sugar and Scribe, you must take a cruise through the bakery inside. The sweets, the cakes and baked goods are a Willy Wonka-style wonderland.

Neighborhood: La Jolla

Vibe: Adorable European-style sidewalk cafe with seating both inside and outside.

Price: $

I love finding a good brunch spot that not only offers a wide selection of brunch options, but also one that delivers on even the most basic of dishes, like a simple French-style cheese scramble cooked to fluffy perfection. Sugar and Scribe is everything you want in a brunch restaurant and more. Thier wide selection of baked goods is rivaled only by the kitchen, putting out delicious European-inspired cuisine. Oh, and did I mention the coffee? Yum!

This is one of our “go-to” spots on a Saturday or Sunday - but it can indeed get crowded during the summer/touristy months, so beware of the wait time. But the food is well-worth a little wait, especially considering the long lines outside of rival brunch spots like “The Cottage”, that don’t even compare, food-wise. If you do have to wait a bit, go into the bakery and order a coffee and take a little walk around the neighborhood. There are a ton of cute little shops just one street away on Girard, and don’t forget Warwick’s Book Store, which one can easily whittle away a half hour browsing around.

On to the food! I typically order the same thing when I come here — there is nothing I love more than a good simple scramble served with a salad (yes, a salad! It’s very French.) for breakfast. This time during our visit, we tried something new. Sugar and Scribe is inspired by classic bakeries around the world (they serve a full Irish breakfast for those wanting to partake in this specialty), so we decided to try the scotch egg. This is not a menu option you can find in many restaurants, so it was fun to give it a whirl.

Scotch Egg served with house gravy is a fun bite to share!

My favorite dish here that I’ve been hinting about in this blog, is the Sligo Scramble. Eggs scrambled with goat cheese and Irish cheddar with a spring salad. I always order this with the Irish multigrain bread with homemade jam. It may be the most perfect breakfast (says me)!

Sligo Scramble

My brunch mates on this fine day, ordered the Naughty Skillet and the Lobby Roll. The plates and presentation are beautiful.

Naughty Skillet — with roasted potatoes, Irish white cheddar, bbq beef, two eggs and spicy sriracha hollandaise

Lobby Roll —Maine lobster, lemon aioli, celery and parsley on a butter roll

Don’t forget to check out the bakery, it’s truly an enchanting experience and I dare you not to treat yourself to one of these delectable items!

Sugar and Scribe

7660 Fay Avenue, Suite I

La Jolla, CA 92037

Matteo is pure heart and deliciousness

Matteo is a non-profit restaurant from the Buona Forchetta family

Neighborhood: South Park

Price: $-$

Vibe: Beautiful open-concept restaurant and bakery with seating inside and out. This warm and energetic neighborhood joint just feels like home with a bit of an edge. Dine here on Sunday mornings with a DJ spinning great music.

I love the South Park neighborhood of San Diego. This charming urban neighborhood is home to some fantastic restaurants in San Diego (a couple of really great vegan restaurants which we will blog about later!), not to mention some of the coolest indie boutiques and vintage stores in the city. Situated in the heart of the ‘hood’ is Matteo, a beautiful open concept eatery with a little market inside, in case you want to take home some homemade Bolognese sauce and fresh pasta for later. The staff at Matteo just bubble with warmth and smiles, and immediately make you feel happy you stopped in. And did I mention that it’s a nonprofit restaurant from the Buona Forchetta family, with 100% of the profits benefiting community-based charities and causes? I haven’t even gotten to the food yet, and already, I love it here.

Love the indoor/outdoor vibe of this amazing spot

Patio seating outside is perfect for San Diego weather, and you can bring your furry friend

To make things even more amazing, the food is just fabulous at Matteo! The menu focuses on breakfast dishes and Italian baked goods — so try the bread! Do it, you won’t be sorry.

As I tend to do at a new restaurant, I asked our friendly waiter what dishes he likes best and I’m SO glad I did. Though, based on our first meal here, I don’t think there is a bad item on this menu, I’ll let you know, because I plan to go back as soon as possible. Here’s what we tried during our first brunch excursion at this lovely spot:

Breakfast combo

One of the recommended dishes was the Breakfast Combo which is perfect for someone that wants a little of everything for breakfast. Served with homemade sausage and fresh fluffy pancakes, even the potatoes were flavorful with fresh herbs and rosemary. This was a big hit at our table as half the group got this option!

Porchetta panini

The dish that I ordered was another recommendation by our fabulous sever - the Porchetta Panini. The focaccia bread and the porchetta were both made in-house — I cannot recommend this enough, try the baked goods here. Just, wow! The panini was served with arugula, provola cheese and fresh sliced tomatoes. I don’t think pictures can do this panini justice because there isn’t really a way to capture the deliciousness of these ingredients in an image.

Not only did we love our food and enjoy the indie vibe of the South Park neighborhood, but there is also something so special about this being a restaurant 100% dedicated to giving back the community. A huge kudos to the Buona Forchetta family for this thoughtful and truly enjoyable experience, and for doing something we don’t see often enough — showing love for your city and the people in it.

Matteo

3015 Juniper Street

San Diego, CA 92104