Bon Appetit

Bon Appétit!

By HATTIE FOOTE

Every morning, around 9:30 a.m., you can look around a busy class in The Studio at Coronado Fitness Club and see people stealthily smelling themselves as a strong odor wafts outside. As Burger Lounge starts preparing for the day, you can see the panic of some wondering if they forgot deodorant as they furiously pedal away in spin class or a deep, longing inhale of the grilled onions being cooked to top a fresh, juicy hamburger while doing Bulgarian split squats in a FIIT class. I’m more of a raw onion girl myself, but I would never say no to their onion rings! The real star of the show at Burger Lounge is their Daily Greens salad, and I am very passionate about it. See, I feel the grab-a-quick, healthy salad market is really lacking in Coronado. It blows my mind that there are not more healthy lunch options in town. Don’t get me wrong, I love a coffee shop, but if one more opens here before I am able to grab a Caesar salad wrap, I will cause a scene. And by “cause a scene,” I mean just curse under my breath. You might be thinking, “Is this lady just going to yap about Burger Lounge?” and to that, I say, “Yeah, maybe I will.” Just kidding, I just really love them; they are constantly supporting local fundraisers, and their milkshakes have gotten us through some dark times like dental work, strep throat, and good oldfashioned child bribery.

Like everyone in town, my family has their go-to favorites. My daughter has never wavered in her love for Saiko Sushi. In fact, she recently hosted a girl’s dinner there for her 11th birthday. My husband and I were banished to sit at the bar while they held court on the opposite side of the restaurant. In Coronado fashion, the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday to her like a scene from a movie. It was very sweet, and I teared up, then I really teared up looking at the bill after unlimited Shirly temples and cucumber rolls!

Speaking of birthdays, my mom has the sometimes-tricky December 24th birthday. She is our Christmas miracle, but it can be difficult to plan around all the festivities and holiday hours. Last year (as in a couple of months ago), we decided to make a reservation for a très chic lunch at Little Frenchie. We had never taken the kids there because, in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if it would please their fickle palates, but let me tell you, what kid wouldn’t like fresh baguette and butter? The real crowdpleaser, however, was Le Parisian Hot Chocolate, with a bowl of Chantilly whipped cream. If you want to impress your child of any age, I can’t recommend this enough. 10/10, no notes.

Coronado’s food scene is evolving, with several new restaurants set to open soon. As much as I love and support our local long-time favorites, it’s exciting to get new options in town! I, like so many, miss some of our old restaurants like Rhinoceros Café and Delux Dogs, and I will never forgive the Brig for remodeling; talk about a heartbreaker! We are pretty well-fed in this town, and I am grateful for all the people who work tirelessly in a sometimes-thankless industry. We see you and appreciate you, especially my family, so they don’t have to eat my cooking! Talk about thankless!