In search of deliciousness in Julian
This past June we were in San Diego visiting friends, Seema and Bikas, for a week. It was one of the most relaxing vacations I’ve had in a while with no alarm clock to wake us up (except maybe Poquito, who would wake us up with a wagging tail and ticklish licks/kisses) and no plans that couldn’t be changed at the last moment. We usually decided on our day’s itinerary in the morning, got our act together and were out of the house by the afternoon tweaking our plans along the way depending on the time available. Julian however, a small tourist town 60 miles northeast of San Diego, with its reputation for delicious apple pies and rustic vintage charm was on my list of to-dos that I did not want to miss.
A gold mining town in the late 1800s, most of Julian’s mines were unprofitable by 1906. Over time, Julian became more famous for its apples, apple pies, apple cider and what have you. I was sceptical about out-of-season apple pie, and wondered if it would live up to its reputation. We “yelped” to find the best apple pies in town, and Julian Pie Company came up in the search with 4.5 stars. There were a couple of others with good ratings but this was the most convenient from where we were parked.
I chose an apple pie with a crumbly top and it did not disappoint. I usually eat apple pies with ice cream, but this was amazing just by itself. The crust was flaky and crisp, and the sweetness was spot on. Score! I usually don’t gush about food on my blog, and lest I sound like I got paid by Julian Pie Company (I wish!), I’ll admit that PG was not as thrilled. We got the exact same pie, so I can’t even make excuses for him.
After our lunch/pie break, we walked around the little town that has one main street (called the Main Street…bet that surprised you. Ha!) where stores sell vintage clothes, apple products (and I don’t mean Apple Inc. products if you were wondering), chocolates, pot pourri and charming little gifts like that. We also went to Julian’s independent bookstore run by a couple who are retired teachers. They travel across the country to fairs, yard sales, warehouses etc. in search of used books and then arrange them by genre, clearly labeling the shelves and doors to each room so you can find your way to what you want. Oh joy! The store housed in an old house with wooden floors has a great selection from rare vintage books to contemporary work, with the price written in pencil on the first blank page of the book. What else does the bookworm want?
A delicious mango margarita made by Bikas in the evening, because life is so hard. 😉
