Welcome to the freakin neighborhood

For anyone who doesn't know, I have lived in Kensington for 7 years. Living right on the main street, there has barely been a time when I didn't have some sort of construction going on around me. The lofts on Adams between Kensington Ave and Marlborough took a while, bringing in office space and homes in their multipurpose units. Then there was the condo conversion next door, where two bedrooms that once rented for $700 were "upgraded" and sold for $476,000. Soon, the gas station across from me and the two houses next to it will be knocked out and more multi-use office and loft space will be built. My landlord has been offered a lot of money to sell, too, and she's held out thus far, but one day I'll be displaced to be sure.

One of the additions to Kensington in this development has been a Starbucks. I'm not a fan of coffee in general though I spent plenty of my high school years hanging out at Just Java or Café de Café or at my first job at Pronto Café. Starbucks has a knack for building stores adjacent, across the street, or diagonal across the street from established coffee shops. In my neighborhood, they moved in diagonal from San Diego Coffee Company at Kensington, the new name of the shop since Kensington Coffee couldn't compete. I've almost gotten over the Starbuck's...I know a lot of people like their standards and consistency, it's always busy, and non-customers enjoy the patio they've built. I won't, however, get over the traffic it's created on the corner, especially the assholes in SUVs who park in the red zone (because they are excluded from laws), then cut me off as I'm making my left turn onto Adams from Marlborough.

Regretfully, my problems may be minimized at someone else's expense. The people of Normal Heights will soon have their own Starbucks, conveniently (and I say that with the most sarcasm possible) diagonal from Lestat's. They booted out the Mexican produce market and have redisgned the corner. Now Jerry Sanders can get his coffee in Kensington without being harassed by the people from the other side of the 15 bridge; they can have their own hideous Starbucks to go to.

How they allowed this design to pass, I will never know. But just another step in the wrong direction.

Chef Vito's Is Closed

In going through my daily blogs, I came across and entry that Chef Vito's closed. This is sad news to me. My family has been going there for several years...it's where we went for birthdays, for my brother's deployment, for my brother's return, it's where my sister and her husband announced their engagement to us, and just for occasional family dinners. It was one of my favorite, if not my singlemost favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego. This is sad news and I hope the best for their family. Mine will be very disappointed.

North Embarcadero Visionary Plan

This has nothing to do with food, but it's something I wrote and thought there might be interest from my readers, so I decided to post it here without cluttering my music page.

North Embarcadero Visionary Plan
http://www.portofsandiego.org/projects/nevp/
by Rosemary Bystrak

Meeting March 8, 2007, 3-4:30 pm

The Port of San Diego held a public open house this week to discuss the current status of what is called the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan. The plan, which has been talked about for at least a couple decades, has officially been in the planning stages for 7-10 years and is finally expected to break ground in 2008.

The overall project is broken into 10 phases with a total estimated cost of $221 million dollars with total completion not expected for several years. This particular meeting was held as a public briefing on the status of the project.

A PowerPoint presentation walked through a history of the project and each of the phases as well as the intended results from each phase. It was stated that the embarcadero area in most places is at least 80 years old and the overall intent is to make San Diego’s port “world class”. As development has increased downtown, the pressure has increased to not just serve tourists, but residents as well, with services and the most important aspect of the project, open park space and public art.

The first phase of the project is probably the most important and was the most talked about. The Broadway Hall and Formal Gardens is expected to break ground next year. A major component of this phase would be the realignment of Harbor Drive approximately 65’-70’ east in order to create space for an Esplanade. The roadway would be narrowed to 74’. To offset the narrowing of Harbor, Pacific Highway will be built out to 130’, with a 16’ landscaped median, 3 lanes in both directions, parallel parking, and striped bike lanes in both directions.

As a natural result of the street realignment and construction, not only in the Embarcadero but the Navy Complex and residential construction, parking is a major priority and public concern. As a result, the very first project will be a parking structure on the Navy Pier. Once completed, construction will start at B Street and move south to Broadway. The B Street Pier will be reinforced and made to accommodate the large cruise ships coming through San Diego and become the main cruise ship terminal. Some work has already been done on the piers with a separate $10 million loan from Carnival Cruises. $2 million has already been spent on dock improvements and passenger receiving areas. The low interest loan is being paid back by a $4 surcharge to cruise passengers and in no way comes from the Port, the City, CCDC or taxpayers.

The funding for Phase 1 of the Project will come from two sources. $10 million dollars will come from CCDC money out of $45 million dollars in bond proceeds allocated for the total project. The Port’s $10 million dollars will come from their share of money for the Lane Field (Broadway Navy Complex) lease agreements which will be under construction as early as this year.

Another major component of Phase 1 will be the creation of B Street as a thoroughfare all the way to the waterfront. Currently the street ends at the Complex.

To help control what could easily turn to chaos with the Embarcadero project and Lane Field and a host of other construction in the area, the Joint Powers Authority has been created. The JPA is made up of representatives from the City, the Port, and the CCDC. A meeting in May or June is expected to clarify how the projects will work together and be constructed concurrently with as little disruption as possible.

The other phases include The Cove, Market Square, South Lawn, North Lawn, Tavern on The Bay, The Wharf, Grape Street Pier and Piazza, The Crescent. Some of them are predominanty landscape projects, with the installation of decorative concrete pavers, pedestrian passes, etc. Some are more elaborate, like Market Square, which would have sail like structures that would serve as info booths on cruise days, and a public market on non cruise days. Some other interesting spots are the Wharf which would provide temporary/hourly slips for regional sailboats to sail in, park, and enjoy the embarcadero, the Grape Street Pier and Piazza which would actually allow water access in some manner, like a wide tiered area of steps to the water from the street level, or the Tavern By The Bay, which would allow for more dining in the area in front of Anthony’s.

There were clearly many issues that still needed to be worked out. Competing representatives from the Cruise Ship Council and Hornblower Cruises were present and tension was high because Hornblower had to relocate in order to accommodate larger cruise ship needs. An accessibility advocate was present and requested that the project surpass minimum code requirements, citing the walkways at Seaport as horrible for anybody in a wheelchair, and raised concerns about slope, terrain, and auditory directories for the blind.

I am looking forward to seeing this project break ground because park space and open land has not been enough of a priority in this city for too many years as it is hard to generate revenue from such areas. My feeling is that we live in San Diego, we pay the “sunshine tax” to be here, and we deserve these open spaces and park areas, and not only that, but they have been promised to us for so long that it is about time to make it happen.

Hiatus

I just thought I would write here and say that the food blog will be on hiatus until I get my new computer. There's just too much going on with Dialed In right now for this to get any attention.

Go eat...

Bargains!

*1/17-1/19 OCEANAIRE EXTENDS RESTAURANT WEEK MENU The Oceanaire extended its Restaurant Week menu for a week longer (until January 19) so patrons can still enjoy the $30 three-course dinner steal.400 J Street, Downtown San Diego 619.858.2277

*Cohn Restaurants is celebrating their anniversary by offering $20.07 dinner specials at select restaurants including Dakota, Thee Bungalow, Corvette Diner, Kemo Sabe, and Dakota. Check out the site here and check it out before it ends on January 24.

I will try to get to some reviews this weekend: my favorite sandwich spot downtown, California Grinders; Panda Inn @ Horton Plaza; La Strada and a couple others...

Multicultural Fair

This is more for Dialed In but it's long so I thought better to link you to this page:

NINTH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP ANNOUNCED

SAN DIEGO, CA — The Ninth Annual San Diego Multicultural Festival will feature
an exciting lineup of entertainment that reflects San Diego's diverse
population. The free event on Saturday, January 13, will feature a variety of
food, entertainment and fun for the entire family. The festival takes place from
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. along the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade on the north
side of Harbor Drive between Market Street and Fourth Avenue, across from the
San Diego Convention Center. The festival coincides with the Martin Luther King
Jr. Day Parade at 10 a.m. near PETCO Park. The popular festival regularly draws
thousands of people, and this year, 25,000 to 30,000 people are expected to
attend. For all festival details, visit www.ccdc.com.


Entertainment Lineup:

EAST STAGE: MACY'S STAGE

11:30 a.m. Native American Dancers, Northern Traditional

12:15 p.m. Bayou Brothers, Louisiana Bayou Music/Culture

1:15 p.m. CIA (Callahan Institute of Arts); Hip Hop Dance

2:00 p.m. Harvey Mendiola, Polynesian Dance

2:45 p.m. Riders of the Purple Sage, Classic Western Band

3:30 p.m. The West Coast Boogiemen, Blues, Rock, Swing

4:15 p.m. Bolgazohdoomah, Music of Ghana


WEST STAGE: CCDC STAGE

11:15 a.m. Skelpin', Irish, Spanish and Turkish Music Fusion

12:00 p.m. Lucky Lion Dancers, Traditional Dances of China1

2:30 p.m. Corazon y Candela, Cuban Music (Salsa)

1:30 p.m. Joel Penner, Jazz

2:15 p.m. MLK Parade Awards

3:00 p.m. Balinese Dance

3:30 p.m. SoulVoice, Women's A Capella Quartet

4:10 p.m. East West Band, Jazz Fusion


INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLERS STAGE

12:00 p.m. Native Talk, Native American Storytelling

1:10 p.m. Asako Aizawa, Japanese Storytelling and Origami

1:45 p.m. Alyce Smith Cooper, African American Tales

3:00 p.m. Tales from the Story Bag, Irish, Scottish and English Tales

3:35 p.m. Tales Alive, Musical Folktales from Asia & Africa

4:15 p.m. Abel Silvas, Californian Native American Storytelling

Albertson's

I live in Kensington. That means the nearest Albertson's is in City Heights. I love my Albertson's because it is probably an experience of the greatest diversity that one can have in San Diego. There are white people, African-Americans, Latinos, Eritreans, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more, who all converge in the same place to get groceries. The store is huge and accomodates the mixed demographics with cultural and ethnic foods. There are aisles with Asian and Mexican foods, Soul food, etc. This diversity in San Diego is always fascinating to me, even when I'm getting annoyed by the person in front of me redeeming 20 WIC certificates. (There really has to be a better way)

What a contrast my Albertson's is from the new Albertson's downtown. Located in the "East Village" on 14th, between G and Market streets, the new Albertson's is an experience unto itself. It is huge, probably the same size as my City Heights Albertsons, but it couldn't be more different. There is a huge "customer service" center which I've never even seen in a store before. There is a wide area with various to go food items such as the soup bar that lead you to the butcher counter in the back and the deli on the side. The aisles throughout the store are wide and the store definitely carries more specialty items. The liquor aisle isn't all locked up and there is a huge selection of wines.

I originally entered the store with the intention of just getting a fresh steak from the counter, but I realized there were some sale items I needed, too. I got my stuff and then just kinda browsed around. This was definitely not my Albertsons. I guess if you bought into the whole "East Village" thing and bought, you are paying in more ways than one. The markup on regular items is huge. You know Easy Cheese, right? The aerosol stuff in a can? $5.09!!! Holy shit.

Anyway, the store is nice. As it is on my way home, when I need stuff, I will stop there in the future (they actually observe the "3s a Crowd" rule), but my coupon cutting dad would seriously kick my ass if I were to ever buy a regular priced item in that store.

The Local

I'm really not very good at keeping this blog up to date, but I'll work on it.

This week Dave, Sara and I ventured to The Local. We have been there many times before but it has always been a question for us because in our experiences, the lunch hour there is so busy. The food is good but the service has always been slow. One of the first times, we sat down at noon, finally got our order taken at 12:25, and got our food at 12:55, which we basically had to take to go. That particular day, about 2 hours after my lunch, there was an ad on Craig's List from the Local looking to hire someone during the day shift.

Well, I'm happy to report that on Wednesday, the usual waitress was there, but now at least 2 other food runners/bussers who help keep drinks full and whatnot. Our orders were taken promptly, our food came out in a reasonable amount of time, and our check was delivered without any wait. All of this lets me get on to the food.

As I mentioned, I've been there many times before. I'm a huge fan of the "steak stuffer" sandwich. This is a hollowed out baguette filled with large chunks of steak (or chicken if you prefer), melted cheese, with sauteed mushrooms and onions. They offer this sandwich "local style" too, with lettuce and tomatoes and other stuff, but I was told that they only suggest that with the chicken.

This time, however, I was lucky that the tortellini was a special of the day. Whenever its on special, I get this plate. The tortellini are made of tri-colored pasta stuffed with cheese in a garlicky alfredo sauce. There are chunks of grilled chicken on top and served with garlic toast, which is pretty much white bread rubbed with garlic and toasted. Sounds plain but it's good. There is a lot of food, and as I type this, I'm eating the leftovers cold, and it tastes just as good as it did when it was served hot.

Dave prefers the "black bean plate". It is a bowl with about a third of it full of white rice, a third of black beans, and his preference is the steak, though chicken and shrimp are also available. It comes with your choice of tortillas.

Sara usually opts for the turkey club, but this time went with a cheeseburger. Neither marvelous nor disappointing, if you're in the mood for a burger, this place is as good as any. The thing I love about the Local is the proximity to Yard House, which to me, has mediocre food at prices way too high to fork out for lunch. Each of us splitting the bill, including our drinks, tax and tip, paid about $14-$15. Still a little steep for lunch, but for the occasional splurge, it's closer than Karl Strauss.

Also note, they have great daily happy hour specials and they usually have a few good lunch specials. If you're there on the right day, I also highly recommend checking out their seafood bisque. It is delicious.

The Local is located at 1065 Fourth Avenue, close to the trolley line at C Street. It is also a great place to pre-drink before shows at the House of Blues.

Hangover Options: 7-Eleven

Oh, Thank Heaven. Recently a 7-Eleven opened in my building- the epitome of convenience. I sometimes feel like a little kid when I'm in there. Remember when you're a kid and you want everything but your mom tells you that you're just there for the Sunday paper and some milk? And then there's that time she's getting gas and surprises you by kicking down a slurpee and you know that things are all good. There was the time in 4th grade that I got grounded for riding my bike to the 7-11 and not coming back until after dark because I couldn't ride and hold my slurpee. That was the worst birthday ever. There was also the time that after losing my virginity, my boyfriend and I walked to the other 7-Eleven near my house but just a little further away, to bask in our post coital slurpee heaven.

But back to the point. I was hungover at work and needing some fixin. When I'm in the store, there's a voice telling me that a half pound of beef jerky, nachos, and a gatorade is NOT gonna solve my problems. But then there's this other voice going "Get it all." I compromised. And I decided to try something new. Resting next to those Big Bite Hot Dogs... Something I've laughed at, gawked at, been grossed out by, and now that I've tried, completely appreciate in all of their awesomeness: The Go-Go Taquito.

The Go-Go Taquito comes in several varieties. There're the promo 2 for $2 ones: taco and cheese, pizza, jalapeño and cream cheese were the ones I remember. Then there're the other ones, promo price 3 for $2.79. They come in Monterey Jack and Chicken or Monterey Jack and Beef. I opted for these, though I only made it through two of the three. They're bigger than they seem. The beef is kinda similar to the meat in Jack in the Box tacos. Being that I was eating these at an embarassing hour of the morning, I did have to pop them in the microwave for a couple seconds to get the cheese properly oozy and melty since they probably hadn't been on the little rotisserie grill for long.

I've seen people buy these and then dump nacho cheese and jalapeños in the bag they're served in, and now I know that they are a little dry and not very spicy, but still, washed down with some Vitamin Water, and the hangover issue was solved. Maybe they'd taste better with some salsa or guac to dip them in, but they definitely fit my needs for the day: cheap, alcohol absorbent, and convenient. Sometimes it doesn't get any better than that.

And FYI, when lunchtime rolled around, there was no hunger. In fact, I was good to go until dinner time. And look, you can buy them frozen and take them home... though you probably wanna avoid looking at the nutritional value...

Restaurant Week

I have been eating at home (you know, gotta save my money for all the shows coming up), but I thought I would point out that next week kicks off San Diego Restaurant Week. Basically the best* of San Diego restaurants offer 3 or 4 course dinners for $30 or $40 per person, depending on the restaurant. The chefs have created special menus. To be honest, I haven't seen a restaurant that I want to try. Looking at the menus, I realize I'm a simple girl. You can throw together a bunch of things on a plate that I've never heard of, but how does it taste? And is it worth $40 plus tax and tip? Anyway, judge for yourself here. You can browse the restaurants and the menus they've concocted for the week.