Avocado Lovers, Unite

In the heart of historic, boutique Grand Avenue in Escondido, there lies an avocado lover’s paradise. The California Avocado Grill is your one-stop shop for everything avo (even the desserts), and prides itself on sustainable ingredients: it was named San Diego’s best farm-to-table restaurant in 2013. Now, I don’t consider myself an avocado lover – in fact, despite growing up in San Diego, I’ve only just recently become a fan of the fruit and am still discovering its many culinary forms.

At California Avocado Grill, an intimate setting awaits you just off the Grand Ave sidewalk, where you can choose to eat inside the tiny venue or outside on the cozy patio. I opted for an inside table by the window: perfect for people-watching while keeping out the evening chill. I hardly had to ask if I could order a bottle of wine to share with my dining partner; the server graciously accommodated me with my choice of a superb Riesling, as well as a plate of their homemade guacamole and chips on the house for buying a bottle.

Literally everything on the menu features avocados in some way, shape or form, and my dining partner and I opted for a good variety so we could try as many different dishes and presentations as possible. My dinner was as follows:

Guacamole & Chips

This isn’t your average chips and guac combo. The guacamole, made from freshly ripened avos, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, and jalapeno, was served slightly chilled, which made a world of difference. It was, true to the menu’s claim, the “best guacamole in San Diego” – or at least the best I’ve ever tasted. The best part was the paprika sprinkled on the chips, which added a dash of saltiness with a burst of spice. Perfection.

House Spring Salad

My entree came with a house salad not featured on the menu, but it turned out to be an added bonus. A bed of red and green lettuces held a topping of diced tomatoes (perhaps too much), celery, and an avocado lemon oil – surprisingly tasty for something so seemingly simple.

BBQ Mango Mahi Tacos

Served with cole slaw, white cilantro sauce, cilantro, and, of course, avocado, these perfectly blackened Mahi fish tacos were an interesting blend of flavors. The mango BBQ sauce added a sweetness I’m not used to, but that blended well with the avocado and herbs.

Avocado Kahlua Fudge Sundae

You had me at “kahlua fudge,” but avocado in a sundae?! Pinterest weight watching fans, listen up: they bake their fudge brownies with avocado instead of butter, which yields a deliciously rich, still gooey, still dense, and yet far healthier dessert to chow down on. Served with vanilla bean ice cream, strawberries, and finished with the most amazing strawberry balsamic – which, to be honest, made the entire presentation – this was one of the most interesting and flavorful sundaes I’ve ever had.

All in all, a delightful meal. Between the salad, fish tacos, fudge sundae, and half a bottle of wine, I was definitely full – but comfortably and satisfyingly so. The best part was, I can’t wait to return to try some of the other items on the menu: like the Cali slaw dog, avocado and crab on the half shell, or the avocado caprese salad.

You can also take home a souvenir from the kitchen: a bag of California grown avocados, gift baskets, avocado soap, or avocado oil infused with lemon, lime, or garlic.

*As the restaurant focuses on sustainable farm-to-table ingredients, menu items may change. The California Avocado Grill is open Wednesday and Thursday 11am-8pm, and Friday and Saturday 11am-9pm.

Original article on SDCheers.com