Well, well, well ladies and gentleman this is it...this blog is coming to a formal close. No more blog posts as of this writing...at least not here. I am not even a San Diego resident as of this writing. It's really sinking in now that I know full well there is no return trip to good old SD.
I am in strong debate about transferring my food blog passions over to WordPress and changing the name to AbetterBiteSTL.com since St Louis is where I will reside. I have a close friend who does great work it website design so the resources I need are there to make this happen, I just need to be sure it's where I want to go to with things.
So in 2 years and 4 months, I completed 92 blog posts and covered 96 San Diego restaurants. I submitted 156 pictures of some truly amazing meals. I met and interviewed nearly 100 owners and chefs whose stories were not only inspiring but educational and insightful beyond expectation. The city of San Diego has a culture all its own that is largely influenced and impacted by its dynamic, deep and ever evolving mix of cuisines and pioneering professionals. I have never lived in a city where the pace of old and new change over so quick, closures and openings take place every weekend, fusion is the norm, not the oddity, change is expected not downplayed, adaptation is survival, not optional.
If there is one thing I want to leave the people of San Diego (and beyond) with as well as all those amazing restaurant industry people I have met through my adventures as a food blogger, it is this...
To the SD people who like to dine out: Your choice to dine at select venues of any kind, fast casual, fine dining, ethnic, fusion, cheap eats etc.....where and how you spend your money is an indirect vote for what you choose to support and sustain in both venue, product, cuisine, operations, food sourcing, menu, decor, theme etc.....your patronage, your demand and your dollars drive what the city becomes to a large degree. For this reason, I as a member of the SD community felt compelled to amplify my impact as a consumer beyond just word of mouth, beyond Yelp.com and beyond Facebook reviews by creating this blog. I hope it functions even in its closure as a historical resource anyone can peruse to glean insights to the many places I have been to make better decisions to find what they seek and enjoy the outcome. The take home message I want you to take from this is that dining out is and should be about more than just filling your stomach. We all need nourishment yes, that is the primary driver/purpose of eating a meal yes. But in so doing, nourish more than just your appetite, feed your mind and your soul by looking deeper.
To the SD restaurant managers, owners chefs, and support staff: Your jobs and responsibilities are thankless and largely unseen. This I do know for sure. The grit, determination, and ambition I have seen spill out from you all make it clear how passionate and visionary you all are. The unique mission you all strive to put out for your customers is something I found truly inspiring and peculiar to each venue. Keep this bit of perspective in mind at all times. In no other domain of the hospitality industry is a person's five senses collectively stimulated to the extent that they are when dining out. Think about it...all five are engrossed in a truly good (or bad) dining experience. Taste, touch, smell, sight, sound. Each leaving an impression of the diner that will evoke a desire to return or to avoid as well as what they tell others. But of course, this goes beyond just the five senses. The social dynamic, the cultural, the historical/traditional also impact the diner just as much as the physiological reactions do. The bottom line I want to get across is that your jobs go SO much deeper than just the superficial aspects of plating delicious looking and tasting foods for people to consume. You can and do drive the way a city or community develops its culinary and gastronomic palat. You drive or stifle the economics of what they desire and demand. Do not underestimate the power you all have to give character to a cities identity through the food you serve your local customers each and every day.
And with that folks, I hope you find means to get A better Bite in SD!
Until the next chapter of my life begins to unfold in St. Louis, I bid you farewell and happy eats!
