Sicilian Festival in Little Italy

This Sunday, May 23rd is San Diego’s Sicilian Festival in Little Italy! It is a FREE one-day showcase of Sicilian cuisine, music, dance, history, and culture. Dance in the street and watch musicians on four different stages, sip vino or beer in the Peroni beer gardens, try out Sicilian food specialties, play in the free kids’ area, and check out the World’s Cup Puma Soccer Fan Zone. Located on four blocks of India Street between Date and Ash Streets.

Also, this year The Sicilian Festival has partnered with the San Diego Italian Film Festival for the screening of the movie, The Sicilian Girl. It's the true story of a courageous 17-year old Sicilian girl who turns on the Mafia. The movie will screen at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park on Thursday, August 19th at 7:00 pm. Entrance is free but contributions are encouraged.

Adams Ave. Farmers Market

This just in, the location for the Farmers Market had to change at the last minute, vendors will be located in the Rite Aid parking lot. I'm not sure if that is permanent or just this week.....

May 12 is the first day of the new Farmers Market! It will be every Wednesday from 3 to 7 PM all year-round, rain or shine.

Located on 40th Street just South of Adams Avenue, stretching from just south of the traffic signal at the I-15 on-ramp to where 40th street dead-ends at Madison. The site is bordered by Ward Canyon Park on the west and the I-15 retaining wall on the East. 

The Adams Avenue Business Association has spent a great deal of effort getting this to happen, a series of set backs delayed the project for years. But with all that worked out, they promise us fresh fruits, vegetables and farm-fresh eggs; fresh baked bread and pastries, fish, meat, cheese, fresh flowers, sea salts and spices, olives and sauces. They will have a stage area with live music, local artists and craftspeople, and it will be social environment so people can mingle with their neighbors. See you there!

Adams Ave. Root Festival 2010

I probably should have posted this BEFORE the event so that if you didn't know about it you might have gone too, but I didn't. Sorry. 

This years annual two day event included over 40 live bands, food, arts and crafts, farmers market, beer garden and fun for the whole family. The live music features folk, traditional roots, bluegrass, rockabilly, and much more. It's a great way to keep the "real" music alive and introduce younger generations to where it all comes from.

Some of this years highlights include John Doe (from X, I love him), The Watson Twins, Sara Watkins, Gregory Page, Candy Kane, Steve Poltz, and many others.

Here is a video I shot (amateur) of Sara Watkins, LOVE that fiddle!

Hillcrest Farmers Market

We love our local farmers market!

 

Every Sunday between 9AM and 2PM you too can enjoy the Hillcrest Farmers Market on Lincoln and Normal St. in the DMV parking lot. Since it is within walking distance from our house, we visit pretty much every weekend.

Organic food galore! Pretty much 80% of the market is organic and locally grown produce. The rest is filled with local artisans promoting their crafts. You will find everything from food and flower vendors, glass, canvas, paper and metal artisans, original wire art, hand-made clothing and accessories, unique jewelry and much, much more.

This is a little treasure I just HAD to have! It's a ring with an elastic band, so cute and what better way to welcome Spring?

Of course we never go home without a bag full of organic produce, this trip scored us this beautiful red chard and some giant green onions! Here is one of my favorite Chard recipes.

Red Chard, isn't it beautiful?

 

Giant Green Onions

We will see you there next Sunday!

30th On 30th

Here's another great monthly event going on in our neighborhood. 30th on 30th takes place on the 30th of every month and includes participation from many of the fantastic bars and restaurants on 30th Street. They are all offering some killer specials on drinks, appetizers and meals!!

Participants include some of my favorite places such as Cantina Mayahuel, Alchemy, True North, Ritual Tavern, Sea Rocket Bistro, The Linkery, Urban Solace.....the list goes on and on and on.

So if you have always wanted to try one of these places, now is the time. Get down there this Tuesday and take a stroll (or ride your bike) down 30th and take advantage of this great opportunity!!

Need A Ride?

I'm all about supporting alternative methods of getting around town, especially when drinking is involved.

Omar Passons, a long time North Park resident, is getting ready to launch the Park-2-Park shuttle. The 36 passenger shuttle buses will take passengers through North Park, South Park, University Heights and Normal Heights every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Passengers can utilize the shuttle throughout its operating hours of 6 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays, and 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The cost will be a mere $5.

The shuttle, according to Passons, will not only generate more business for commercial enterprises, but help reduce traffic on local streets. Not just a ride, volunteers will be on hand to greet patrons and talk about the historical aspects of the neighborhoods, “to give them a feel for the communities.” “My service,” says Passons, “will show significant respect and deference to our local history and quirkiness and it will cater to a broad audience.”

They are going to try the program out starting April 22, so lets all get on the bus and support this local business!

You can read the whole North Park News article here.

Time To Go To The Zoo!

I just renewed my San Diego Zoo annual membership. It's a perfect time of year to do so, we have daylight savings time starting in a couple weeks, and if you join right now, they extend the membership till the end of March, it's almost a whole month free!

I haven't been to the Zoo in a while, click here to see my last post and some great pics of some amazing animals.


With the wedding day rapidly approaching, what better way to get some exercise then walking at the Zoo? Beats the gym in my book any day, and you can support the animals at the same time!

Time To Move Again!

As if getting married and planning a wedding wasn't enough, we just signed a lease on a new house the other day, we are moving in a little over a week. What am I doing?

Even though we are just moving a little over a mile away, our current neighborhood and the new one, are like night and day.  In the new house we will have a garage, indoor washer and dryer, a cute yard (with grape and jasmine plants!), better street parking, and there are great restaurants and shops within walking distance, all for the same rent we pay now.

University Heights is known for some great eats. We found Soltan Banoo a long time ago and it is still one of our favorite Mediterranean restaurants in San Diego. There is also the Ethiopian restaurant that we want to try but the wait is always too long, Muzita Bistro. El Zarape is always good for inexpensive Mexican food, and Small Bar is our new favorite bar within walking distance. I'm sure once we get moved and settled in I will get out and find more great places, so stay tuned!

Now, what did I do with that packing tape........

San Diego Tide Pools

Where are the best tide pools in San Diego?

• Cabrillo National Monument at the rocky shore at the tip of Point Loma
  
• Ocean Beach at the foot of Newport Avenue under and South of the Ocean Beach Pier
• Tourmaline Surfing Park west of La Jolla Boulevard at the north end of Pacific Beach
• Shell Beach at low tide at the south end of Ellen Browning Scripps Park in La Jolla
• Flat Rock at the base of Torrey Pine State Reserve
• Cardiff State Beach by the bluffs at the south end of the parking lot
• Swami's by the gold domes at the Self Realization Center in Encinitas
• San Onofre State Beach near Basilone Road off I-5 just north of the border checkpoint

Ocean Beach Hotel

The view from our room

If you are planning a trip to San Diego, or even if you live here and just want to get away for a night or two, check out the Ocean Beach Hotel. We stayed there last weekend and found it to be a pretty decent stay. They offer reasonable winter rates and lets face it, any time of year is a nice time in San Diego!

OB is known as a small beach community. Newport Street is the main drag where you will find a funky assortment of antique shops, thrift stores, bars and restaurants. Don't be alarmed if you see Deadheads with dreadlocks, street musicians, artists and activists, and girls in bikinis roaming the streets, they are harmless, for the most part.

While you are in OB, you must stop in for a glass of wine and a bite to eat at The Vine. We had dinner there again a couple weeks ago and it is still my favorite place for good food, beer and of course wine. Take advantage of the happy hour ALL NIGHT on Tuesdays!

BIG Announcement!

It's official, Mark and I are officially engaged to be married!!!

Mark and I first  met on a street corner in Little Italy, San Diego in August 2008. It's a long story, but if it weren't for my cousin Krista, her friend Shannon, Slow Travel and Radiohead, we probably never would have met.

He was so nervous, not because he worried I wouldn't accept his proposal, but he wanted it to be special.

The final destination, after several "tease locations", (yes, I was anticipating his proposal), was the Zoro Garden in Balboa Park.

If you are not familiar with the Zoro Garden, it is a secluded area that was originally designed as a nudist retreat back in the 1930's. These days, it is a beautiful grotto garden lined with plants and trees that create a habitat essential for the life cycle of butterflies.

I couldn't have imagined anything more sweet or more beautiful. Mark on his knee, the garden, the butterflies, the insanely gorgeous December day in San Diego. There were a lot of emotions and a lot of tears, and of course I said yes!

Marks gravel encrusted knee!

Check back later to find out all about my non-traditional but incredibly awesome engagement ring!

Beer Week In San Diego

What a tragedy, surf, sunshine (in November) and some of the BEST beer in the world.

The official San Diego Beer Week is in full swing November 6 to the 15th, but there is always a good craft beer within a mile most anywhere in San Diego theses days. To advocate this point, San Diego was recently named in Men's Journal as the number one beer city in America.

There is too much going on to list it all, but click here for the whole schedule of events. Get out there and enjoy a pint or two!

The Linkery

I have wanted to go to The Linkery in North Park for a long time, I finally got the chance.

It was one of those Friday nights that we were too tired to cook, but too hungry to just drink our dinner....(I've been reading Kerouac). We finally decided to go to Apertivo on 30th. We had been there before for wine and tapas, which was OK. We wanted to give it another chance, but arriving tonight, it was closed up, gone. Another apparent victim of the economic downfall.

Since we already scored a pretty sweet parking spot, we wanted to find an alternate eating place within walking distance. The Linkery was right there.

We chose a couple of select craft beers from their impressive list. I just had to try the delicious homemade semolina bread with local olive oils. We especially enjoyed the mild yet distinct taste of the "Escondido avocado oil", because we like that stuff.

Since we kind of indulged with the bread and oil, we decided to share a BLT sandwich. The sandwich they served was WAY more than just a sandwich. I will never order another BLT without comparing it to this masterpiece. It's obvious that the key to this sandwich is the bacon. Not your ordinary bacon. This is house cured, premium thick sliced savory bacon. And then there was the potato salad. Served on the side, it could easily pass as the main course. This stuff is the bomb.

Another thing I liked about the Linkery is that they include the tip in the bill. I can see how some people might not like that, but I tend to over tip anyway, it's probably better for me. If I could have, I would have tipped our waitress a lot more, she was great.

***1/2
I give them 3 1/2 stars. I liked the vibe, feel, space and decor. Prices were reasonable. We had good service, but I would like to see more variety on the menu.

Street Scene 09

I've lost count of how many Street Scenes I have been to, at least 9, but I always have fun! Here's this years lineup....



Although it is impossible to see all of the bands that I want to see, I feel I get my moneys worth at Street Scene, this year was no exception.



I'm so glad they are sticking with the downtown location. It showcases many of San Diego's finest historic charms and classic landscapes.



We saw Davandra Banhart, Holy Fuck, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band with special surprise guest Jenny Lewis, a big treat for Mark.









And then there was a blur of stages and masses of people and I remember seeing Band of Horses, dancing to Cake and finally saw Modest Mouse, I wanted to see them forever. Apparently so did a lot of other people, that was the most people I have ever seen at any Street Scene stage, ever.





And then, before I turned into a pumpkin, it was time to head home. I didn't make it to Cage the Elephant, but there is always next year....

OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off

Saturday was the 30th annual OB Street fair and chili cook off. As you can see from the slide show, there was a good turnout this year.



This year's Ocean Beach Street Fair featured five stages of non-stop music, an artists alley, a community mural project, a bunch of kid's stuff, a beach-side beer garden & liquorland, tons of crafts booths, a skateboard exhibition, a climbing wall, and a raffle (I hope we win!), something for everyone. I look forward to this event every year, and this year did not disappoint!

One highlight of the day was the chili cook-off, a community tradition, this is what it is all about. Shannon, Mark and I shared a tasting, which basically means we got 25 samples of each prized recipe, and we collectively voted which one was best. We each got just enough of a taste to form an opinion, and we made notes as we tried each one. Well, we tried most of them. Some of the lines were crazy long, and Shannon is right, you can only taste so much chili before it all starts tasting the same. We certainly tried a variety, some really boring, some undercooked, overcooked, and some kick ass good stuff. And loved it all!

We ran into and hung out with lots of good friends and heard some great music. We saw a friends band that covers Ramones songs at Winston's, we just missed the Chi Club, but we caught part of Superunloader from a private party on top of South Beach, that was pretty sweet. We also had cocktails and jello shooters on the Sunshine rooftop, more cocktails at Tony's, lunch and more cocktails at the Blue Parrot, and maybe a few other stops.....

Somehow, at the end of a glorious and near perfect day, we dismally discovered that 2 pairs of sunglasses, the keys to my car, the car alarm and the house keys had mysteriously disappeared.

I've never lost any thing in my life, why not start by losing something major? Let's hope this is not a trend.

The obvious thing to do is to re-trace your steps, so that's what we did all day Sunday. We did find 1 pair of sunglasses, but keys, to no avail. So, it looks like calls to a locksmith, the screen replacement co., AAA, a tow company and the dealership are all in my forecast....um, when can I start blaming this stuff on old age???

Stonewall Peak

Last weekend's adventure included a hike up to Stonewall Peak, which is about an hour east from San Diego. We got lucky and had one of the most beautiful days of the year.

We met up with the rest of our crew at the Paso Picacho Campground, the trail begins just across the street. The trail surrounds you with fragrant wild lavender and white California lilac this time of year. The scars from the 2003 Cedar Fire are eerily beautiful the way the burnt limbs contrasts with the white bark of the trees.

The panoramic view from the Stonewall Peak summit is amazing. On clear days you can see all the way to the Salton Sea, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park can be seen to the east, and the mountains of Baja California to the south.

A fairly easy 4 mile hike, the switchbacks took us (with 3 kids) about 2 hours to reach the peak, and about 1 hour back down. We were all on the lookout for snakes and sure enough found a baby rattler in-between some rocks on the summit. I later learned that it is a rare speckled rattlesnake, crotalus mitcheli.

There were the customary cuts and scrapes but we avoided any major injuries all the way down the trail, until the end. About 50 yards from the bottom of the hill Paul, Marks brother, twisted and sprained his ankle, and had to be carried back to the car. It swelled up pretty good, sure hope he is better in time to go to Zion next month!

Cantina Mayahuel

November 1 & 2nd was the Day of the Dead or Dia De Dos Muetos, celebrated mostly in Mexico. It's a great tradition that focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died.

Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Cantina Mayahuel on Adams Ave is a fabulous cantina and tequila bar where appropriately, the Day of the Dead festivities were underway last weekend.

I became a huge fan of this place for their insanely good tacos and muy bein Margaritas. Though the food menu is not extensive, what they do serve is as authentic as you can get this side of the border. Everything I have tried so far has been incredible, but a must try is their shrimp tacos. Unbelievably good.

As for their tequila menu, well, that is more extensive. You will find over 125 varieties of tequila and a separate mezcal menu that is also impressive. You can even learn a thing or two about the interesting history of tequila if you should so desire.

But you don't have to wait for next years Day of the Dead to stop by, any day of the week all year long is a good time to visit if you ask me!

My New Blog!

I love a tasty micro-brew at a good dive bar. But I also enjoy sipping a fine wine in a refined establishment from time to time. So, to find out more about my experiences and adventures at San Diego's best seedy dive bars, to the "Top of the Hyatt's", and everything in-between, please visit my new blog

illhaveanotherone.com.

I'm having a lot of fun designing the new site and thinking of ideas. I am also learning about how it is possible to make $$$ with my blog, why not??

Please let me know if you have suggestions, ideas or comments, I am all ears. Don't forget to check back often the site will be constantly growing and changing!

Cool Globes in Balboa Park

Giant sculpted globes are now lining the path to the Natural History Museum at Balboa Park. I had had the pleasure of seeing and learning from them last weekend.

Local, national and international artists have created solutions to various issues affecting global warming in the form of 40 giant globes.

In 2008, Cool Globes was also on display in Washington, D.C., Chicago and in San Francisco. The exhibit will be moving to London in 2009.

The Cool Globes exhibit is the brainchild of environmentalist Wendy Abrams. Abrams's goal was to raise awareness of simple solutions to global warming.

You can see the Cool Globes at Balboa Park through November 30th, 2008. Go to http://www.coolglobes.com for more information.

OB Oktoberfest

Who doesn't love hearing those great soft rock songs from the 70's? And when you can see them performed live in the sun in Ocean Beach with good friends and lots of beer, life is great.

We made it down to the Ocean Beach Oktoberfest to check out The Knights of Monte Carlo, America's #1 hard core soft rock yacht band, and if you have seen them, you know exactly what that means.

We heard favorites like “Ride Like the Wind”, “Africa”, “I Can't Tell You Why”, “Escape” (The Pina Colada Song), “Somebody's Baby”, “Baker Street”. It was awesome, everyone over 30 knew the words and sang along, how could you not?

From the Knights of Monte Carlo web site;

“Let us be clear– Knights of Monte Carlo are not a cover band, but are the embodiment of an era when pina coladas, ocean breezes, key parties, beards, and afternoon delights ruled the day; a time when out of every AM radio came the smooth, sultry, sexy, sounds of soft rock.”