Prep Kitchen La Jolla

Yesterday was just fabulous. Just before bedtime, my boys (all three) decided to hot tub. Jack and Ol decided to shed their bathing shirts and go topless which made them blush. I have no idea why since they love being naked when at all possible, but it was pretty cute to see three barechested guys hanging in the bubbling tub together. I'd share a pic but T would kill me. Heh. Ol and I read How to Catch a Star and then Jack and I read more from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe while T worked, and then we called in some takeout from the well-reviewed (Tom is obsessed with vetting via Yelp) Prep Kitchen La Jolla. I arrived a bit early, and seriously, one could not find a more sincerely friendly hostess. She set me up with a carafe of cucumber water to sip while I waited, and I read the news and relaxed. PK is a really cute little spot; no more than six tables inside, a covered patio with heaters just outside; chalkboards everywhere sharing wine and beer lists, specials, sourcing, etc; all around a good vibe.

And then our food emerged, lovingly packed (or at least it seemed), enticing aromas escaping every sealed box and tub. I chose the warm white bean salad with arugula, red onion and Parm, as well as a cheese board and a strawberry-rhubarb crostata with chantilly cream and pistachios; Tom opted for the house burger with bacon, Gruyere and a fried egg.

T always chooses the house burger when we try a new place. It's his "roast chicken" choice by which I mean, if the restaurant can do it really well, the rest of their menu probably won't disappoint. The tangled mess of skinny fries, residual bits of peel and some flakes of chopped parsley brightening the whole tumbleweed up, that accompanied his burger reminded me of a large group of Sirens: zero chance you could stay away. Observe.

Nice! I wish I'd snapped a pic of the crostata before we devoured it because it really hit the finale spot of din. Turbinado sugar should always be dusted on any pastry. The tiny crunch it imparts to each forkful is utterly, repeatedly pleasing. And ooh-la-la on pistachios plus straw-rhu. Lovely! Same color scheme as this happy plant we walked by yesterday, funnily enough.

The boys woke up at 3:30 this morning instead of 2:30 so we're slowly making progress on that front. Giving so many thanks for the iPad.