California eating:

Coffee + breakfast decisions near Disneyland and Carlsbad plus Thai food...

I had some angst heading into our CA trip over where I’d secure a quality coffee and decent breakfast in Anaheim, our home base for 2 mornings while we explored Disneyland. Fortunately, a quick walk from our hotel, Blossom Cafe Market (inside the Westin) did not disappoint. Their avocado toast and a cortado hit the spot. Family members also enjoyed a bagel and cinnamon bun, and their outdoor courtyard was a great place to eat breakfast.

Lofty Coffee in Carlsbad was delicious. It was on my list and I was thrilled that we could get a quick breakfast there as well. The cortado may have been one of my top coffee experiences, a perfect proportion of coffee to milk, served alongside a tumbler of sparkling water: what a treat. I loved their yogurt/fruit/granola bowl: Straus yogurt really is so creamy and delicious. It was lightly sweetened , topped with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, a light, almost crumble-like granola, finished with toasted coconut flakes and at least 4 edible flowers! This breakfast made my day. I was looking for an excuse to come back, but alas, it was not in the cards again this trip…

I also need to talk about how delicious Birdseye Thai in Encinitas was. So good that we went twice! Red curry is my son’s new favorite, and everything we had was excellent. The on-tap beer selection was great, I loved that they had different pho bowls plus in-house chicken soup (my daughter enjoyed both nights), and the service was outstanding. Can’t recommend this spot enough.