Exploring San Diego's North Park | Dinner at Waypoint Public and Ice Cream at Hammond's

Another kid friendly place to dine in San Diego is Waypoint Public. They're located in North Park, a trendy neighborhood filled with restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques. They are a gastropub with a full bar, but they also cater to kids with a play area, kids menu, and even a TV screen playing kids shows. The main menu is focused on house-made dishes using fresh and local ingredients. The dishes are more upscale than what you'd normally find at such a family friendly place and that's probably why the locals love it. In 2017 they were even named the most kid friendly restaurant by San Diego Magazine. So if all of this didn't having me reaching for the phone and making a reservation, I don't know what would have.

I started with one of their craft cocktails, the Julian drink. I can't recall what was in it, but it had sour notes, was full of flavor, and had a green plant garnish that looked unique. I wasn't too hungry so I ordered the house half salad and the pretzels with an IPA Triple Cheese Mornay. My sons got an order of fries and shared the pretzels with me. My husband had the Impossible Burger, a Vegan burger that he ended up really liking.

My boys and I didn't eat very much at dinner because we were saving room for dessert. Just a quick walk away in North Park is Hammond's Ice Cream. What's special about them? The mini cones in a tasting flight. We could each choose a flavor and not pig out. Their ice cream is gourmet and they use 18% butterfat for a more rich and creamy ice cream.

I chose the Oreo Cheesecake flavor, our sons chose the chocolate, and my husband picked the Kona Coffee. Our cones looked super cute when the girl handed me our flight and I couldn't wait to try my cone. We all ended up loving our ice cream. Mine was rich and creamy just like they promised and the Oreo and cheesecake were perfect together. I could have easily gone for a second mini cone, but I still left feeling satisfied.