Exploring San Diego – Page 2

Quixote and the Gutter (Lafayette Hotel)

January 31, 2024 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Exploring San Diego, Memorable Meals, Mexican Restaurants, Staycation

On one of the evenings during our stay at the Lafayette I made reservations for dinner at Quixote. I had really enjoyed our meals in Oaxaca and was looking forward to this dinner. Like the rest of the hotel; the restaurant's decor is a trip. Apparently, the furnishing were originally from a Catholic Church in Oaxaca. Man, was it kinda strange…..think Dark – foreboding, David Lynch.

I think the photos speak (hopefully not in a deep scary bass) for itself.

Quixote 01

The stained glass……

Quixote 02

And statue of Lucifer.

The candles, wax hanging…..

Quixote 03

The altar behind the bar….

Quixote 04

Quixote 05

We were encouraged to check out the various rooms…..

Quixote 06

Quixote 07 Quixote 08 Before returning to our table, right below the statue of "Lucifer". We had already placed our order. Our Server, Jacob was amazing, he encouraged us to check things out. Though I kinda wonder about working with all of this around you! The place was quite quiet, and to be perfectly honest, kinda spooky, before the crowds descended on the place.

You gotta appreciate the kitsch…..very spooky kitsch.

Keeping with the theme, many of the cocktails were mezcal and tequila based. I really enjoyed the Mezcal Old Fashioned.

Quixote 09

As is our MO we stayed with all appetizers to make our meal.

First up, the Crab Corn Donut ($21).

Quixote 10

Man, I loved this. This is the way crab tasted when I was a kid. I appreciated the fact that the donut added heft without being too sweet. The crab flavor was a bit too strong for the Missus. We both enjoyed the hint of spice in the rich sauce.

The Ceviche ($17) seemed by the book.

Quixote 11

The snapper was marinated nicely; good texture no off flavors. I will say that there was not enough acidity in the dish for our taste.

Of course there were tortillas.

Quixote 12

The Squash Blossom (Flor de Calabaza – $15) was quite good.

Quixote 13

We enjoyed the crisp, tempura like batter, the horseradish aioli added a nice slightly pungent and rich touch to the dish. The slice of sweet potato wasn't my favorite but the Missus enjoyed it. There was mushroom in this dish which added an earthiness which "grounded" the dish.

The last item was going to be interesting. The Missus had issues with mole being too sweet during our visit to Oaxaca. In fact, until I found a place with mole sugueza She really didn;t care for mole at all. But, we just had to try the Memelita ($15).

Quixote 14

Outside of Oaxaca, our favorite memelitas are probably from Pasillo de Humo in CDMX. But these are in a different league. The memelitas have such a wonderful maize flavor. The duck carnitas….well, what can you say, a good touch of rich flavor without being "foul" (fowl). The mole had just the right touch of savory and mild rich sweetness. The adobado was nice and savory, the pickled veggies gave your palate a break and the refried beans added an earthiness that grounded the dish.

We really enjoyed this meal. Of course, I like my Mezcal and Jacob picked a nice, "fumar" one for my digestif.

Good food, great service.

Quixote 15

Look out Lucifer; I think we'll be back!

Quixote 16

Quixote (In the Lafayette Hotel)
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri Noon – Midnight
Sat – Sun 1pm – Midnight

On this evening, we headed on over to an area of the hotel down a hallway which said "The Gutter". This opened up into a faux courtyard.

The Gutter 01

And a doorway, with the sign "The Gutter".

The Gutter 02

This is the Lafayette's "cocktail bar/game room", which features a two lane bowling alley that you can reserve.

The Gutter 04

There's also pool, shuffleboard, and of course more cocktails!

The Gutter 03

The Gutter 06

Which you can have in your own vintage, wood framed booth, if you're not playing pop-a-shot….

The Gutter 05

As you can tell, we enjoyed our time at the Lafayette. There are certain things you need to take into consideration; like parking. If you can't find adequate street parking, overnight valet parking is $35. And yet, the folks working here were wonderful, great service. I'm sure we'll be back on another staycation in the future. We're hoping the neighborhood keeps moving with the times and that they'll be even more options for enjoying the area.

The Lafayette Hotel
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104

Quixote 17

Beginners Diner and the Lafayette Hotel

January 30, 2024 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Diner, Exploring San Diego, Sandwiches, Staycation

Recently, we needed to have some work done on our house. It was scheduled (and took) for four days. I needed to be present onsite during parts of the day. The Missus however, was working on a couple of those nights. In the end, we decided to do a staycation and stay at the recently renovated Lafayette Hotel. I would shuttle the Missus back and forth to work, spend the nights at the hotel, the Missus would sleep during the day, and on Her nights off, we'd relax and explore a bit.

CH Holdings spent 31 million renovating this historic hotel and we were interested to see how it was. Well, it was quite chic and lavish, in a retro, over-the-top manner. From the time set foot into the lobby.

Lafayette 01

The check in counter is a small kiosk, which doubles as a coffee bar.

Lafayette 01b

The Missus actually enjoyed the coffee from here; I believe She'd always get the Ethiopian. There are no phones in the room, so the hotel and concierge can be reached by text.

There are four (now five) venues to get your cocktail fix at the Lafayette. We actually took time to try all of them. Check out the simply named "Lobby Bar" with the statue of Atlas at the center.

Lafayette 05

Crazy, huh?

We checked in on a Sunday and I easily found parking around the corner, no need to feed the meter….more on the parking, or lack thereof later in the post. The Missus had to work so I enjoyed the Lobby Bar.

Lafayette 06

Classic cocktails; the bartenders work super hard here as the place was quite busy. Man, I'd hate to see the place on the weekends. The bartender still made time to greet and chat with each customer.

Lafayette 07

On one of the Missus's nights off, we stopped by for a cocktail before dinner and the Missus tried the famous Pimm's Cup. She said it was a bit too sweet for Her.

Lafayette 08 (2)

We were told that folks stood three or four deep on some weekends! Speaking of customers, they seemed to fit into four specific categories, the multi-generational adults, the "TikTok/Instagram/Influencer/Look at me" group (who were always doing selfies and filming….we saw one group walk back and forth down the front steps like six times!), the Hipsters, and the "Hip Replacements". I'll let you figure out which group I fit into.

Lafayette 03c

Our room was humongous.

Lafayette 03

Check out the wallpaper.

Lafayette 03b

The beds were comfortable and there was a huge mini-bar in the room. Because our room was overlooking El Cajon Boulevard it was a bit on the noisy side; but the Missus still managed to get some sleep at night.

There's a nice, more laid back pool bar.

Lafayette 04

The Missus and I had a nightcap here on our last evening. The drinks were described as Italian-Tiki in theme. As with all our interactions with staff at the Lafayette, the service was amazing.

Lafayette 09

Lafayette 10

Overlooking the historic pool.

Lafayette 08

That pool was designed by…..well, I'm thinking most of you wouldn't recognize the name, but it was one of my mom's favorite actors/athletes, Johnny Weissmuller, who is probably the definitive Tarzan and to claims to have invented the Tarzan yell!

In fact, there were several moments when I wished the place did tours. Most folks working really didn't have much of a grasp on the history. Except on my last day there, when I spoke to…I believe his name is Dexter. He told us the room we were staying in is his favorite; according to Dexter, room 326 is where Bing Crosby stayed, it's where Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner stayed. It's also where; clearing one's throat a certain president and a certain "Blond Bombshell" stayed under assumed names and off the books. I dunno, but it makes for a great story, huh?

On one of my evenings at the Lafayette, I decided to check out the very retro looking 24 hours diner in the lobby; Beginners Diner.

Beginners Diner 01

My goodness, I loved the classic diner look. I had a seat at the counter.

Beginners Diner 03

It was pretty early for dinner, so the place was pretty quiet.

Beginners Diner 02

I really wanted to try the Wagyu French Dip, but they were out. So, I ordered the Cali Banh Mi ($20). Soon enough it arrived at the counter.

Beginners Diner 04 Beginners Diner 05 I didn't care for the fries which quickly got limp and were over salted.

The sandwich was not bad. A bit too bready and the sambal aioli was kind of weak. But the pork pate, think (pate Campagne) was swiney and winey, if cut a bit on the thinner side for my taste.

Beginners Diner 06

The place was getting quite the "hipster infusion" as I was leaving. On an interesting note, the Missus took a walk during one of Her days there and told me the place was packed with folks form the 60+ club. My good friend Candice also noted that quite a few folks who were regulars at the old Red Fox; which has moved across the street now frequent this place.

Beginners Diner 07

Beginners Diner (In the Lafayette Hotel)
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Open 24 Hours Daily

You know, I've never been the biggest fan of CH Holdings restaurants which always seemed more style than substance. We were hoping that our upcoming dinner at Quixote would change that.

But I was really enjoying the Lafayette…….and it was time to head on to the Lobby Bar for a nightcap.

Lafayette 11

Lafayette 12

The Lafayette Hotel
2223 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104

Thanks for stopping by!

Barrio Donas Opens in Old Town and Phuong Nga Restarts Dining In

June 20, 2023 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts, Exploring San Diego, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Barrio Donas has closed their Old Town location

I recently saw the banner up for Barrio Donas in Old Town when dining at El Cata (post coming up). I had been waiting for the shop to finally open in the Old Town Urban Market. I decided to check the place out the following weekend. Of course I went early, this location of Barrio Donas opens at 9, so I could find some parking.

The shop is in a nice bright stall in the market.

Still, the young lady was still putting things out and told me if could wait another 10-15 minutes. So, I decided to take a nice stroll in Old Town. Which I think is a pretty nice when it isn’t over run with crowds.

As I walked past the Church of the Immaculate Conception, I realized that I had never taken a look in the church. It was before the daily mass times, so I took a quick peek in.

I think I’ll drop by for a longer visit one of these days.

Looking across the street, I noticed that the long standing O’Hungry’s/Hungry’s had closed!

Man, I think the place had been around for almost 50 years? Quite sad…..

When I returned to Barrio Donas, half of the stock was up.

By the size of the shop, I knew that I wouldn’t be getting tortas like A la Mexicana which I enjoy so much. So, I picked out something on lower end of the sweet scale; the Horchata Donut.

Now, I could have had a seat in the peaceful patio area, which would have been great. But, since things were so quiet on this morning, I decided to head on over to one of my favorite places in the area; Heritage Park.

I’m not sure if it’s generally known.

But if you head to the right of Christian House, you’ll find a short trail.

It’s not difficult; heck I did it with a coffee and donut in hand. Just don’t fall on any of the cactus……that might not be very enjoyable.

Soon enough you’ll see a bench. There’s even a trash can there.

It was so serene on this overcast morning.

And was a nice place to have a pastry or breakfast of your choice. In this case the Horchata Donut.

And enjoy the “best seat in the house”.

Barrio Donas – Old Town
2548 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Tues – Sun 9am – 5pm
Mon 10am – 5pm

Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga has been a takeout staple for us the last couple of years. And on last Sunday, the Missus requested Her Bun Rieu fix so I drove on over.

Since the start of the pandemic, Phuong Nga has only been doing takeout. And in the last six month or so, the days that Bun Rieu was available had shrunk. At last check it was only available on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays.

And I’ve visited on a couple of weekends when they just didn’t have any Bun Rieu. On this day I walked on in and the young lady, the owner’s daughter I presume, smiled at me and said, “we have Bun Rieu every day now!”

And then she pointed over to the former dining area which was covered with supplies. There were now four tables clear.

She told me “we now have enough staff and can open dining in and make bun rieu everyday”. Good for them!

I did still get my bun rieu to go though. When my order was ready, “Mom” brought it out to me. She then shook my hand and told me something in Vietnamese. Her daughter translated, “she said thank you very much for helping us stay in business.” Whoa, I never thought she even knew who I was. Somehow I was deeply touched by this. It made my weekend.

Phuong Nga
4016 54th St
San Diego, CA 92105

It’s those little moments that can always make my day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Riding the San Diego Trolley and a Visit to UTC

December 5, 2022 Cathy Desserts, Exploring San Diego, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, Pizza, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog written mostly by Kirk. But since He and His Missus are on a month-long vacation, Cathy is helping out. All of our posts are about food, either directly or indirectly. Today is another indirect post.

In September, I received the dreaded notice in the mail-Jury Duty. This notice was not like the others received during Covid-19 times (call a phone number after 5 p.m. starting on a specific Thursday until the following Wednesday or upon being called in to the Court). No, this notice gave me a date to show up-Downtown. Since I hadn't been on the Trolley in years, knew it had expanded to University Town Center in November 2021 and was curious after seeing the 'new' extension being built over the years, then seeing some banners advertising a "Ride the Trolley Free Day" happening in a few days, The Mister and I decided to make a day of it to get me re-acclimated to this mode of transportation. 77F405B2-B814-4127-8FEC-75627F736AA2 We started at the top right corner of this map (Green Line), changed to the Orange Line and after getting downtown, changed again to the Blue Line going North, ending up at the top left of this map. (Going home, we changed from the Blue to the Green Line)
532D1E9E-73B2-417A-9E57-5321D6FE0CA3 It was sunny leaving Santee.
Then it got a bit cloudy when we hit downtown.
Many people left the Trolley at this stop, since it was closest to the Ballpark and the Padres had a playoff game.
By the time we were headed on the 'new' line, alongside Interstate 5, there was full fog.
0A3663A4-73E7-4576-8BB9-7D54DC4CFED0 BD539D41-4454-4082-AB05-1529F5D53D23 We stayed on until the last stop, followed signage (and the other people who exited) to the Mall (through the parking lot) and eventually got to the Food Court, which overlooks the Ice Rink.
751A2029-E4A6-4A91-9254-70352BFB27D9 After checking all of the Food Court offerings, we decide on a meal and went off to order. The Mister stopped here, at Craft Pizza.
He ordered a Calzone with ham, sausage and mushrooms; an item going back to our dating days. This was excellent.
DC5F8D34-C722-436B-8922-DC850BF05F99 I went over to Kebab Grill and ordered a 'Lunch Special' advertised behind the cash register to the left in this photo.
Salad and
Lentil soup. Each was really good and made for a filling and complete meal. Then we started walking around the mall.
CA8D9BAB-D07B-4E96-8561-36B55EB4DE55 4DF66EA4-6407-4E6C-9843-2383FC6344E8 The Mall has remained about the same, with new stores taking the place of old ones. There were some interesting vending machines.
F2D65011-B91F-4DD5-BFE3-4D0BE684E067 Then we saw this. Had to stop.
A great selection of cookies, cupcakes, pastries and ice cream as well as hot and cold beverages.
D1D93E21-D657-4EBC-8DDE-B1A8B6C1ACA6 We shared a cup of coffee and a Jesuite pastry (Napoleon/flaky pastry filled with an almond custard, topped with almonds) (Triangle shaped like a Jesuit Priest hat).

Then we headed home, enjoying a different route.
53D248EA-94FD-4738-8A61-5866B401D0B5 It was still overcast changing from the Blue Line to Green Line in Old Town. 92081841-1A73-4CA5-8678-604AB7BA0B75 Passing the new Snapdragon Stadium and back to sunshine by the time we got home.

Jury Duty was at the new Courthouse, which has scaffolding and canopies all around because windows have been mysteriously shattering. It's very nice; has a good cafeteria. I wasn't called, so expect another notice in the mail next year.

Soo rode the trolley, too!

Pioneer Park and Revisiting Ibis Market 20 Years Later

September 8, 2022 mmm-yoso Exploring San Diego, Markets & Grocers, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine, yoso-silly

One of my favorite local blogs is Cool San Diego Sights, posts are put up on a regular basis and and some of the posts are quite interesting. And during the pandemic, I took to visiting places I'd long heard of like finding the grave site medallions for folks who are buried un San Diego Avenue. Along those lines, I had heard that Mission Hills Park, Pioneer Park had graves onsite and also buried in the park. And after reading this post, I decided to head on over to the park which I'd driven past many times.

Pioneer Park 00

It's a nice park, located right next to a school.

Pioneer Park 01

The pooches always seem to be having the best time!

Pioneer Park 02

The wall surrounding the park looks pretty old.

Pioneer Park 03

And as you head east just south of the playground area (?!!?!?) overlooking Washington Street you see it.

Pioneer Park 04

Pioneer Park 05

Good lord! Apparently, this was the site of Calvary Cemetery, which fell into disrepair. And in the 70's it was decided that there should converted into a park. So, you figure they'd go ahead and move the 800 graves, right? Well, they removed all the tombstones except for those that line the edge of the park. They did not however, remove the graves…..so all those folks are still buried under Pioneer Park. There a list of them in the park.

Pioneer Park 07

You can't make this stuff up?

While driving back from Pioneer Park, I passed a place that I hadn't thought about in years.

Ibis 0101

Ibis Market! Man, we used to get our hummus fix from here when we first moved to San Diego and lived in Mission Valley. Which would be over 21 years ago!

I decided to stop and check the place out.

Ibis 02

It pretty much looked the same.

I walked to the deli counter and had to rub my eyes…..

Ibis 03

Deli sandwiches are priced at $6.99…….which is crazy low for these days!

Ibis 03a

But I was interested in other items…..

Ibis 04

The Missus and I miss Harvest Market down the street which closed during the pandemic. So, I sent the Missus a text and got a couple of items….

Ibis 05

The hummus sampler. The Missus liked the jalapeno hummus, my favorite was the classic hummus, our least favorite was the artichoke hummus which had curry in it. It had a bitterness we didn't enjoy.

The Missus recalled how much She always liked the Dolmas, so I got that for Her.

Ibis 07

I got my old favorite, the pickled beets which I still enjoy.

Ibis 08_01

So much that I finished the whole container.

We enjoyed this warm weather meal with some pita that I bought as well.

A few nights later, the Missus sent me to Ibis to get some Falafel….I wasn't too keen on getting deli counter falafel, but what the heck. Of course I got my pickled beets and another item that I recalled liking.

Ibis 10

The Armenian Potato salad, which is pretty good.

Ibis 09

We still had pita bread and hummus leftover, so I just had to figure out how to heat up the falafel.

Ibis 11

So, this is what worked the best. I got the toaster oven out and put it on toast at a high temp. I then microwaved the falafel for 1 minute to heat thru. I then crisped it up in the toaster oven. Not the best falafel I've had but the outside was crisp and interior was fairly moist and still had hints of a nice creaminess.

Ibis 12

I like the couple that run the place; they are quite friendly and helpful.

It's nice to know that Ibis is still open two decades and one pandemic since we last visited.

Ibis Market
1112 Fort Stockton Drive
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Daily 10am – 7pm

Saffron 12 Years Later and Harper’s Topiary Garden

August 30, 2022 mmm-yoso Exploring San Diego, Thai Restaurants, yoso-silly

I received an interesting email after doing my post on El Zarape 10 years later from "MattT". It was a very nice email, Matt is a rather newish reader, and he said he enjoyed our posts……except he totally disagreed with how I felt about the chicken from Saffron. He mentioned moving to San Diego himself, not knowing his way around, finding Saffron, and really "connecting" with the chicken there. I took a look at my last post post on Saffron, and holy-moly, it's over 12 years old! Well, a lot can happen over 12 years. In 2016, beloved Su-Mei Yu either sold or went into a partnership with Karina's Group. If I recall, the group tried opening a location of Saffron in La Jolla, but that didn't last long. I know that the airport location is still in business.

So, I decided that it was time to try that chicken again at Saffron. So, after hitting up Lazy Acres and making another short stop (more at the end of the post), I headed on down to India avenue and instantly found free parking on the street. Maybe things were looking up.

It was just after eleven and Saffron looked to be doing some good business.

Saffron 12 01

I hadn't been here in so long……a few years back Karina took over the old chicken shop location and Saffron condensed its menu and moved all operations to the restaurant.

Saffron 12 02

I just went with what I thought would work best in terms of flavor and ordered the Two Thighs Combo with the Sweet Pepper Sauce ($12).

Before I show you what my meal looked like; here's the chicken in 2006:

Saffron12

This is 2010.

SaffronChicken03

And this is what I got on this visit.

Saffron 12 03 Saffron 12 04 Yikes. Well, the chicken was nice and moist, but the skin lacked color, was really rubbery, and worst of all the whole thing lacked flavor. I mean it really lacked flavor. Like I've said before, I really can't call this Kai Yaang. Strange thing is, I've made recipes from Su-Mei Yu's cookbook and things have turned out well. In fact, there's a "Gai Yang" recipe in Cracking the Coconut and it utilizes her "Big Four Paste" (coriander seeds/peppercorns/garlic/cilantro), more garlic, fresh ginger, cumin, caraway, and tumeric. None of which was present here.

The rice was nicely cooked, the Cambodian Salad, like on my previous visits was the best item of the meal.

Saffron 12 05

Overall, it's just not my thing. I do understand that Su-Mei Yu is much beloved here in San Diego. In fact, while waiting for my food, I was treated to a video of Su-Mei Yu cooking with a very familiar figure.

So Matt, I'm sorry that I didn't quite enjoy the chicken from Saffron. And that's ok. I'm sure there are folks who read posts of my sentimental favorites and wonder, "what the heck is wrong with Kirk's tastebuds here". We all have our favorites and sometimes it may not that gastronomically great meal…….but it may take us back to a certain time or place or event and that is great as well.

Saffron 12 06

Thanks for the revisit reminder Matt!

Saffron Thai
3737 India St.
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Daily 11am – 9pm

Before heading to Saffron, I decided to finally check out a sight in the area that had been on my list for ages; Harper's Topiary Garden. So, I made the drive to Union and Vine Street and finally laid eyes upon this wonderful, whimsical creation.

I loved all the different characters….you can't help but smile when looking at this wonderful labor of love.

If you're wondering what the story is check out the story here. You'll love it!

And also check out CC's post on Harper's Topiary Garden! Hope to see a new post one of these days CC!

El Zarape 10 (!!!) Years Later and a Walk Around University Heights

August 1, 2022 mmm-yoso Exploring San Diego, Taco Shops, yoso-silly

Recently I was thinking about areas that I hadn't been to in a while and University Heights came to mind. I couldn't recall the last time I was in the area…..at least not since Covid. So, on a recent weekend morning I decided to drop by and take a nice stroll.

I parked across from Trolley Barn Park and crossed the street.

U Heights 01

In case you're wondering why this is called Trolley Barn Park.

U Heights 02

This was the actual site of the Trolley Car Barn from 1913 – 1949.

While crossing the street, I realized that over the years I've driven by the park many times; but had never walked through the park. Well, this morning was as good a time as ever to do so!

I actually entered the park from Panorama Drive.

U Heights 03

It was mid-morning and all the "activities" were just getting started……yoga…

U Heights 06

Soccer for little "kiddies"….

U Heights 07

The sidewalk has markings of the streets along the old trolley route.

U Heights 05

There's an interesting marker that details the route of the trolley.

U Heights 08

And there's also a very nice view of Mission Valley at the south end of the park.

U Heights 09

U Heights 10 U Heights 11 I'm sure you've noticed all the signage and artwork with ostriches in the University Heights area.

Do you know why?

Well, the area at the southern end of Park Boulevard was W. H. “Harvey” Bentley's Ostrich Farm; yes, for real! According to the University Heights Historical Society:

"In 1904, John D. Spreckels invited Harvey Bentley to relocate his ostrich farm from Coronado."

There's this gate which was the entrance to the ostrich farm.

U Heights 12

And there's this sign, which I didn't recall seeing before. According to this post, the sign just went up in May of this year.

U Heights 13

I also noticed the mention of "William Hilton's Silk Mill". It turns out that the structure that now houses Meraki Café was once the location of a silk mill!

U Heights 14

Around this time, I decided to grab a bite. Over the last couple of months, I'd been wondering how some of the "old time" (to me) places that I hadn't visited in years were doing. So I decided to head on over to El Zarape. Now I knew that I hadn't been to El Zarape in a while; but man, it had been a decade since I last visited. And before that visit was a seven year gap! I knew that El Zarape currently opens at 10 in the morning on weekends, so I was fairly certain that I wouldn't have a problem placing a takeout order.

El Z 01

The layout and design looks basically the same as it did a decade ago……

El Z 02

As did the menu….with the hipster additions of "Beyond Meat"…and the other stuffs that I would never try like the "Aloha/Wasabi/Soy" burritos.

El Z 03

For old time's sake I ordered two of my "standards" from the old days; a Fish Taco and a Shrimp Taco. The gentleman working was very friendly and it was a short wait….I sat outside for my order. I then made the short walk back to Trolley Park to eat.

El Z 04

Opening things up….well, the tacos didn't look too promising.

Though I will say that the avocado sauce and salsa rojo taste exactly the same. Though I'm guessing that due to Covid precautions the old salsa bar is gone and now the sauces are served in containers.

El Z 05

The shrimp taco ($4.25) was less than pleasing.

El Z 06 El Z 07 The shrimp was rubbery, the tortilla didn't hold up and fell to pieces after my second bite, even with a protective layer of cheese. This was just so very bland, I didn't expect the sweet-richness of wild caught shrimp, but this just had so little "shrimpiness"….take a look at what the shrimp taco looked like before.

El Zarape rev 06

It doesn't even look like it's from the same restaurant….though I guess a lot can change in a decade.

It used to be that the Fish Taco at EZ was sort of a loss leader….it was still 99 cents in 2012! Now it's $2.50 which I think is a good price in this day and age. But the main question that came to mind when I looked at my taco was where's the fish????

El Z 08

It was just covered with a ton of cabbage, which was much more thickly sliced than before. As you can tell by the color, the fish had been fried too long; the batter had really darkened and the fish El Z 09 was dry…..though the crema and the avocado sauce helped things out a bit; the sliver of fish made this more a cabbage taco with a garnish of fish.

I really didn't expect too much from EZ, but it seems that time hasn't been too kind to the tacos at El Zarape. It's kind of sad really, since there was a time when I thought the fish tacos here were delici-yoso, of course that was a very long time ago.

Still, I was quite sad…..

El Zarape
4642 Park Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 10pm
Fri – Sun 10am – 11pm

On the bright side of things, I did learn a bit about the history of University Heights.

U Heights 15

Wednesday Walk – A Revisit to the Congress Cafe (Encuentro Cafe) and Visiting Heritage Park

July 13, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Exploring San Diego, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants, yoso-silly

**** Not much food in this post, just a revisit and a quick visit to Heritage Park

Over the pandemic it seems that I've been spending much more time in the Old Town area, exploring various sights, and sometimes grabbing something for breakfast before checking things out. In my opinion, things are kind of getting better for locals in Old Town, be it ever so humble.

On occasion I will grab a coffee from one of my three neighborhood coffee spots, then head on over to Old Town; there's always parking early in the morning, where I'll pick up an arepa from the Congress Cafe. Then walk on over to what has become one of my favorite spots; Heritage Park where I'll head up the drive and sit near the Coral Tree…..

Across the wonderful green open space, amongst the beautiful Victorian structures that were moved here. That's the Christian House below.

I'll have my arepa; usually the Pabellon on the bench along with my caffeine fix for the day.

I must say that that the Congress Cafe has been getting the fillings into a more harmonic balance for my taste. The nicely seasoned beef, the earthy black beans, the slightly milky cheese, and the sweet and starchy plantains. Yes, it's a calorie bomb; but heck, it's nice every once in a while. Plus, the staff at the Congress Cafe are so nice and welcoming.

**** Congress Cafe in now Encuentro Cafe – Same Owners/Menu. You can read an updated post here.

The Congress Cafe
3941 Mason St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 3pm

For some reason, maybe word hasn't gotten out, Heritage Park is almost always empty when I visit. Once in a while I'll see dogs frolicking in the grass area, or perhaps a wedding rehearsal going on in the Temple Beth Israel.

Which was San Diego’s first synagogue. This is one of the two structures on site whose interior has been restored. The other being the Senlis Cottage.

I found something interesting stated on the sign in front of the building.

Stating that the temple also "became temporary quarters for many religious groups before establishing churches of their own." I went and took a look at the wonderful Heritage Park Tour Guide on the SOHO site and found this excerpt:

"Over time, the temple was used by other faiths, including the Biblical Institute of Spiritualism, the Volunteers of America Mission, and the Fraternal Spiritualist Church."

Which I found inspiring in light the divisive times we live in. If they could do it……..

You can read about the other structures and the history in SOHO's Heritage Park Cultural Tour Guide.

Some of the other structures.

Senlis Cottage.

The very distinctive Sherman-Gilbert House.

The Bushyhead House.

The McConaughy House.

The Burton House.

All mine for the price of an arepa.

Though on occasion I've brought a banh mi and/or cha gio here. And after Barrio Donas opens in Old Town….well, I'll have a bit more variety for my Old Town breakfasts.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sunday Stuffs – Flour Atelier, YikoYiko, and K-Food & Meat Coming to Kearny Mesa. The Bum Statue and Does Okeanos “Move You”?

June 19, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Exploring San Diego, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Here are a couple of "coming soon" places I've seen while doing errands in Kearny Mesa:

Flour Atelier Coming to Hawthorne Crossings:

Aka, the Mitsuwa Marketplace Mall. Saw this when I went to pick some stuffs up recently.

SunS 01

Not sure why this caught my eye….probably the "Atelier" in the name.

Looks like this will be a specialty bakery.

4240 Kearny Mesa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

YikoYiko Coming to Mercury Village Shopping Center:

On a recent takeout visit to Sizzling Pot King, I noticed a sign for something called "YikoYiko" in Mercury Village Shopping Center (aka mall with the "Sign of Doom"), next to Chaba Thai.

SunS 02

Not quite sure what this is going to be….but it sure looks like a slice of cake or perhaps cheese?

Stay tuned!

8008 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

K-Food & Meat Replacing Dduriba:

I saw this earlier today when driving to Nijiya to do some shopping.

SunS 03

Dduriba lasted for quite a while….I'm guessing this is a small market/deli kind of thing?

4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

And from the "not about food files…."

Statue of Bum the Dog:

You know me and random "stuffs", right? I think things have escalated during these Covid times, though folks have called me a "Cesspool of Useless Information" for a good many years. A couple of months back, before our last trip, the Missus wanted takeout from Sovereign Thai. I had forgotten that there was a Padres game on that evening and the only parking I could find was way over on Island, near Fourth Avenue.

Well, at least it gave me a chance to check out a statue I'd been wanting to see. In the courtyard of Davis-Horton House, is the statue of Bum the Dog, who was a stow-away on a ship that arrived in San Diego in 1886. Bum became the unofficial mascot of San Diego with his exploits documented by James Edward Friend who documented many of Bum's exploits.

Bum 01

You'll notice that part of Bum's right leg is missing. During one of his explorations he was hit by a train which severed part of his leg.

This link has Bum's story. I'm posting this right now, because there's a "Edinburgh link" to it. Look for it in an upcoming post!

Getting to the Bottom of Okeanos:

**** Warning, you may not want to read this if you are eating…or even thinking about eating right now.

An acquaintance asked me where my office was located and I mentioned the area. His response was; "oh, are you located by the turd?" The turd?

And then I remembered this post by CC (hoping we get some new posts soon CC!). I decided to perform my "doo" diligence and find out where this was. And lo' and behold, it was a couple of miles from our offices, so I decided to "drop" by on my way home. And yes, there on the corner of John Jay Hopkins Drive and General Atomic Court was the sculpture that was supposed to resemble:

"a rippling curve that seems to spew out of the earth and curl up like a wave"

You be the judge.

Okeanos 01

It was commissioned in 1987 by Scripps Green Hospital for $200k from artist William Tucker. It was then completed and put into place in front of Scripps Green. Apparently, after years of ridicule and earning the nickname the "Scripps Turd", Scripps paid another $40k to have it, ahem…"moved" to location "number two". Where it was dumped stands in "relief" today. And if you want to "grab a stool" and check it out; its on the corner of John Jay Hopkins Drive and General Atomic Court.

Where you can also find this sign….

Okeanos 02

A Takeout Revisit to The Congress Cafe and a Visit to the Memorial to Lucy, the White Deer of Mission Hills

April 24, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Exploring San Diego, Venezuelan Food and Restaurants, yoso-silly

**** Congress Cafe in now Encuentro Cafe – Same Owners/Menu. You can read an updated post here.

Every so often, I'll go ahead and do a takeout revisit to Congress Cafe. The food is not quite on the same level as Mi Pana in my opinion, but who knows, I haven't been back there since before Covid. I really like the friendly folks at Congress Cafe and as that earlier post mentions, I enjoy walking around Old Town early in the morning before the crowds descend on the place.

It's always the same drill, I order at the Hostess Stand, go back to the bar area to pay; let the staff know that I'm going for a short walk to "earn" my Arepa. I usually get the Arepa Pabellon – still $13.95.

I'll return after about 15 minutes and take my Arepa somewhere………it's usually nearby Heritage Park, which never seems busy even on weekend mornings. I'll sit among the Victorian Homes …..

Or watch the dogs frolicking in the large open field….sometimes I see folks prepping for a wedding in the city's first Synagogue. It's peaceful and relaxing.

And the Arepa Pabellon from Congress Cafe has improved over time.

And while it's not quite as "super stuffed" it's a more balanced these days; at least to me. Sweet plantains, slightly milky cheese, earthy black beans, and moist shredded beef. I do wish the arepa was a bit more crisp, but this'll do.

Plus, like I mentioned earlier; everyone here is so warm and friendly.

Breakfast of champions, right?

The Congress Cafe
3941 Mason St.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 2pm
Sa – Sun 8am – 3pm

On this morning, I was a bit later than usual, so I decided to check out one of my favorite spots in the area. Last summer, in the midst of going crazy with all the "Covid happenings" and missing all of our travels, I started doing some of what I'd call Urban Walks, like the Seven Bridges Walk I posted on. While doing a bit of research, I came across this post from back in 2016. The part that really caught my attention was the mention of "Lucy the White Deer if Mission Hills". Not sure if this was really true, I checked and found this Parks and Recreation report from 2006:

"This female white fallow deer roamed the hills of Mission Valley, Mission Hills,and Presidio Park. This doe escaped from the San Diego Zoo around 1965 and wandered free in Presidio Park for the next ten years."

Which sent me down into a rather shallow rabbit hole and a couple of interesting posts, some mentioned the albino deer escaping from the San Diego Zoo (of course this was denied), another saying that due to over-crowding issues, the San Diego Zoo sold the deer to someone in Mission Hills and the deer escaped. Whatever the story, I was hooked, heck even the San Diego History Center has a "memorial collection" on the deer, named Lucy.

According to the Ranger Report:

"The deer was spotted attempting to cross the I-8 freeway, and some locals reported seeing the deer get hit by a vehicle. Tragically, in the effort to catch the deer, Animal Control used a tranquilizer dart, which ultimately led to the deer’s death in December, 1975."

From what I read in various posts, Lucy was treasured and became sort of a mascot for the community. In fact, some of the "old timers" in the area said that Lucy's ghost haunts the area and they still see her on occasion.

Atlas Obscura mentions that over 125 people attended the service and burial of Lucy.

A fund was created and in 1976 a monument was completed dedicated to Lucy on the spot where she is buried.

So, where is this monument/memorial? You might be surprised. Have you ever driven west on Taylor Street parallel to the I-8? Right before the street to get to the Presidio you might have seen this. I was happy that the gate was open on this day.

I've heard the area on top of the hill is called "Inspiration Point", but I believe it's also called Presidio Park. I've often seen folks taking wedding photos on the platform with a view that sits on one side of the parking lot.

On the other side is this hilly green area.