The Sun Deck - Hotel del Coronado - Coronado, CA

A huge patio, plenty of umbrellas, open seating most of the time. Good if you're trying to eat in the open air, fine for kids but you still need to keep them somewhat quiet. 

No-fuss menu, all the bases covered for a casual meal, and the service is quite good considering you just sit wherever you want. 

We split a couple of mains, a single meal is plenty per person so no need to fuss with apps and sides. They even split everything down the middle for us, which makes life that much easier. 

The Del Double Cheeseburger is just a nice burger. Bland and boring patties, a bit dry, but nothing to truly complain about.There's supposed to be a "secret sauce" but I don't remember it, which says enough about it. 

I'm always weary of ordering fish, but their San Diego Fish Sandwich is fine. The rockfish breading is definitely crispy, though a little dark, like it spent just a minute too long in the fryer. Again, it was fine. 

For a similar price point, Eno Pizzeria has better food. The Sun Deck is where you go when you want a break from that one and don't want to break the bank. I don't have a favorite restaurant at this resort, but this one isn't it. 

Hotel Del Coronado - Coronado, CA

It should be easy to have a good time at a seaside resort, especially when you can livestream your conference while sitting on the beach. 

The Hotel Del seems quite conducive to that, and we did enjoy our basic room in The Cabanas. It's a fine example of practical nicety; plenty of clean white sheets and towels and robes to go around. There's a pool right outside and a beach only steps away, and location is everything here. 

Unfortunately, it seems their best feature is location because the food was horrid. Resort prices are to be expected, and nothing we ate tasted bad, but it seems that their extensive renovations have made room service utterly unavailable. Major points lost here as they did nothing to try to make up for this dire deficit. There are literally only two on-site restaurants that allow to-go orders, and one of them is a taco bar that only makes 5 items. You can ubereats or doordash but you have to physically go pick up your delivery at the front desk, which is in a different building altogether.

The other restaurants are fine dining or pubs/bars so being heavily pregnant with a toddler makes all other options impossible. If you’re anything less than fully able-bodied and extremely energetic, I suggest you stay somewhere else or be prepared to pay a premium for a kitchen so you can bring your own food. 

Still, it's overall a lovely place, and I'd consider a repeat stay for the beach access, but definitely not before the renovations are complete and room service is restored. 

Eno Market & Pizzeria 

Almost all our meals were eaten here, and they have a decent spread. 

The protein wrap is full of fluffy eggs, 

and the English muffin with turkey sausage is a standard sandwich. Plenty of bagels and pastries if you're looking for something simple, and I did enjoy their French Toast Latte every day.

The Italian Sandwich is a nice lunch or dinner,

especially with a Beet Salad, which is absolutely my favorite item here. The beets are roasted to perfection, and the accompanying goat cheese and vinaigrette are great. 

They also make a good Focaccia for dipping if you're looking for something simple and light. 

The Italian Cheese Board comes with generous slabs of varying potencies, and it's plenty for two to share. 

There's plenty of pizza as well, but both are a bit heavy on the cheese. The Funghi has plenty of fresh mushrooms, 

and the Carbonara is an alright mix of prosciutto and pear. 

Beach & Taco Shack

Your only other option if you need food to go. 

The Surf & Turf is a rich mix of brisket and shrimp, plenty of filling to fill you up. 

The Chile Relleno is a good one, though, love the mushroom and pepper combination, especially with flame-kissed corn. 

There's also a Cheese Quesadilla for pickier palates, and it's just cheese melted in a taco, but I can't even complain. 

Achiote Shrimp has tender grilled ones with a nice, perky spice. 

No thanks on the Catch of the Day Taco - the slab of fish is as bland and dry as it looks and tastes like it was the catch of several days ago. 

Not bad for a quick meal or a grab n' go. Just wish this wasn't the only other option. 

Sundaes

Gelato and paletas, sure, what's not to like?

The strawberry paleta was creamy and mild, and you have the option to have them dipped in chocolate, though I think that overpowers the fruit flavors. 

There were chunks of ice in my scoop of strawberry cheesecake gelato, but I thought the chocolate flavor was good, as was the passion fruit and mango sorbets. 

The one thing I really didn't like was that the smallest size is still a double scoop. It's too much ice cream for a toddler, especially one that refuses to share. Still, it's fun to have a place to grab something cold and sweet in summer - I just wish they had some seating.

Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs, CA

Its own little oasis, a self-contained resort in the middle of Palm Springs. Quiet, child-free, plenty of time for lounging, and a brief but sweltering 2-block walk to the main street in town. 

The entryway of the Moroccan side paves the way to a fantastic getaway. Enjoy your included breakfast every morning under the shade of a few trees and umbrellas to the rush of a blue-tiled fountain. 

Go light if the heat feels suffocating. Greek Yogurt with fruit and granola may sound too granola, but it's a way to start an active day without feeling carb-coma or greasy-gross. And if you ask nicely they’ll slip you a a side of turkey bacon anyway.

They do the classics, and I love that they incorporate so much fruit. The French Toast is soft but firm, and I love the even coat of egg to keep it moist. 

These Banana Pancakes are the best. Pillowy puffs of syrup-soakers, this one is a fun and brunchy breakfast.

Relax, they'll take care of all the details. Our Bedouin suite has all the fixin’s including a kitchen and a working antique stove that requires a few instructions. A microwave would have been nice, but the stone tub more than makes up for that. 

Not a cheap getaway, but a weekend will only set you back three figures if you budget. Avoid this area during Coachella season, but try any other time if you’re looking for a treat or a break from life.