San Diego hidden treasures

[34f3f3f]

Hmm, no one mentioned it. So easy to “Go Abroad”; The Joys of TJ/Baja/Mexico!

Seems the obvious choice to me too. But, there is a little security issue with Mexico isn’t there? Are you really safe just driving across the border in your Lexus, and exploring. I’ve often wondered if there are small organized groups (safety in numbers) that go across. Love to hear about them, if they exist.

[NotCranky]

Mexico is fine, Just don’t go out in the middle of nowhwere after dark. Driving is tough if you want to linger around TJ but if you study a map and go straight through to Esenada or Rosarito it’s O.K. Just get insurance or check to see if your own covers you. If you want to hang for a day in TJ park on this side or take the trolley down and walk across the border.You could just take off walking or if you wanted a TJ “lite” experience catch a taxi to Plaza Rio which is a mall with safe, pretty good, chain style restaurants.Sanborns is one good choice. Yes, you should probably leave the rolex(if that is your style) at home and dress casual. Not because Mexico is bad but because you don’t know it well.You can go alone if you want to, No trouble unless you look for it.
Warning if you are judgemental and finicky don’t bother.You will see poverty and trash everywhere.

[gold_dredger_phd]

Is there a place in San Diego where I can hunt from my back
porch? Will the neighbors complain about the .223 noise or the boom of my .300 Weatherby magnum?

I’d need a place with at least 2 acres.

Very true about the sub-six-figure salary. I made the mistake of moving here and earning too little.

[barnaby33]

You’ve gotta be kidding me? Other than the weather good dog man, weather is the enabler for EVERYTHING. If you are even asking that question, you need to leave and make room for someone who doesn’t watch as much tv and wonder why SD is so expensive.

Lets start with my girlfriend. She’s a horse trainer. You can ride horses here 300+ days a year.

Athletics? Most of the US olympians and tri-athletes live and train in San Diego. Paragliding my personal love can be done here more days a year than anywhere else that I am aware of, bar none.

Want to ride a motorcycle? More days a year here than anywhere else.

Beaches, yep you guessed it, year round, though the water is a tad cold in the winter.

Rock climbing? Lots of that locally too.

Alex you’ve made some dumb comments before and I’ve refrained from ripping you a new one, but fuck it that was just too much. You sound like a bored, lazy, fat, stuck indoors person. What your wife won’t let you go outside? Anyone who would even ask a question like that would be just as happy in Minot ND. Since you can get a good latte these days and play just as much World of Warcraft as you like.

Best pizza, in my opinion is Lefty’s in Northpark. Best Mexican is Quatro Milpas in Barrio Logan, or Los Panchos in Hillcrest.

Josh

[NotCranky]

Josh, you might try Super Cocina on the south side of University about 37th street. I am not saying it is going to knock the other two off you favorites but it is very good. It’s like you went home for a good meal and your mom turned mexican while you were out.

[PorkmanDelardo]

Here are your hidden gems, only the locals know about.
Best Pizza – Venice Pizza, 50+ years in business on El Cajon Blvd. And they don’t deliver, so don’t ask. Guess why they have been is business for 50 years?
Best Chinese – Peking Cafe in North Park. Same chinese cook for 37 years running. I wonder why the locals keep coming back again and again. And they don’t advertise, like Venice.
Best Mexican – Cuatro Milpas in Barrio Logan. Limited menu, authentic taste. Not for everyone with El Torito expectations. Timeless, just like the line down the street.
Best Seafood – Tie, The Brigantine, various locations and Point Loma Seafood, only in PL. Never a bad meal at either locale.
Best Steak? The one you grill yourself at the Turf Club in Golden Hills.A unique dining experience not to be missed. A childhood memory for me, still going strong today.
Best Burger – Rocky’s Crown Pub. Excellent fries too. Down it with a draft beer and you’d think you died and gone to heaven. A hole in the wall – cash only, limited seating
Best local home-made ice cream – Tie, Neiderfranks in National City or Mariposa on Adams in Abnormal Heights. How many of you knew about Neiderfranks?
Secret parking spots, always available in Balboa Park at the height of the tourist season? Sorry, lets just keep it amongst the locals.
San Diego Museum of Art – world class.
Try the prickly pear Margarita at the Prado Restaurant. Pricey and wicked.
Nice tea selection at the Japanese Garden House next to the organ pavillion. Can you say Yerba Mate?
Best bike ride? Start at UCSD and bike up the coast to Oceanside, then, back. Make it back up the mile long hill at Torrey Pines State Park and you are ready for an Ironman.
Best Mexican Mocha coffee. Chicana Perk off Imperial and 25th. Woman-owned, artsy coffee house.
Best place to see a movie. The Ken.
Best neighborhood. Where I will purchasing my next house.
So much more to see and do in San Diego. If you are new to the area, ask a local, they know all these places and then some. To qoute another famous San Diego-un? (ite?), Ron Burgundy” When in Rome”,………….Porkman

[murf2222]

Josh, glad to see a fellow paragliding pilot here on Piggingtons.

In addition to my recent Paragliding addiction, San Diego has provided me with more “E-ticket” thrills than any other town could even HOPE to match!

Where else can you wave-jump on a jetski, paraglide at Torrey AND streetbike ride the *twisties* of Palomar all in the same day, then top it off with a free concert at Humphrey’s via your dinghy?

Of course, living on a boat while waiting for this real estate implosion helps make these adrenaline filled days commonplace. No wonder I’ve been stalling to buy for over 3 years……..oops, wifey just reminded me it’s closing in on 4 now

Hmmm, time flies when……..

Mike

[luxuryglow]

this thread made me realize why i like SD!!!!
and besides…it’s all about the weather!!!!

[drunkle]

my favorites:

albi’s beef inn (pork chops) in hotel circle
phil’s bbq (bbq rib & chick, potato salad) now in loma portal
bbq house (bbq burrito, try beef and pork, and the roast + sausage sandwich) in ob
southwest bar & grill (fried oyster tacos) in ob
dao son (vietnamese curry chicken) in north park
ono sushi (ask for james) in hillcrest
taste of sezjohn (twice cooked pork, mango chick/shrimp) in hillcrest
godfathers 2 (not the pizza chain) in kearny mesa
pachenga casino in temecula
the gathering in mission hills
tazablanca (mojito’s) in north park
tractor room (elk sausage, mint julep’s) in hillcrest
lancers, the bar
tamarack beach
mission hills, los penasquitos nature trails
balboa park
the boat house on shelter (or harbor?) island (across from the airport)
indigo grill (grilled something or other salad, pork chops) in little italy
da kine’s/whatever it’s called now (kalua pig) in pb
island spices (ox tails, get there by noon) in ? logan heights? golden hill?
antique row cafe (french toast, standard, chicken fried) in north park… dont eat outside, the flies…
di mille’s (sausage pizza, chicken marsala) in north park
the casbah
the ponies at del mar
crab hut (fried catfish) in kearny
coronado island on a bike
convoy tofu house (korean spicy stew) in kearny
los pancho’s in bostonia, used to have the best carnitas… dunno anymore, sombrero’s is pretty good too

i need a good place for jambalaya. gulf coast’s sucks.

there’s a ton of good eats just around the corner. there’s lots of places to go hang out, ride bikes, kick back and read a book or people watch… just gotta go out and try stuff. and not worry, not get pissed if it’s not great.

and best steak… is there an lg’s in sd? the aged new york… oh yeah, had a good new york at seau’s once, sans the bearknees or whatever gunk they wanted to put on it.

oh yeah, the sunday brunch at the hanelai hotel…

oh yeah, the mandarin house in hillcrest… get a zombie or 2.

[tucker…]

you want real food go to brooklyn.

fake food is in san diego .where can i find whole milk Mozzarella. lo fat .my ass  teddy Lugers steak house queens ny IS the bestfor steak.

[Anonymous]

Tuck, I think you might mean Peter Luger Steakhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (not Queens). And yes, it’s phenomenal. The best is the bacon appetizer. It’s just bacon, and it’s simply the best damn thing you ever put in your mouth. Can you tell I grew up in Iowa? Lol.

Bronx Pizza in Hillcrest is the closest thing to the pizza I had when I lived in Manhattan. Decent street quality pies. It’s no John’s or Grimaldi’s but it’s way better than the crap at Fillipi’s. Blech.

Nothing will ever beat NYC for food (in the US anyway), but I’m really loving living in San Diego so far. Thanks for all the tips everyone.

P.S. San Diego does kick NYC’s ass for Mexican food. And it’s not even close.

[El Jefe]

i need a good place for jambalaya. gulf coast’s sucks.

Try Magnolias in Lincoln Park, Euclid south of 94. Same lady that used to own Bessies Garret in La Jolla. Best cajun/creole I’ve had outside of the gulf.

Also…

Jamaican takeout from Fargo’s BBQ in Encanto. Best Jerk chicken and curry goat I’ve had east of puerto rico. One of the few palces where “make it hot” really is HOT!

[sdduuuude]

drunkle –

There’s some decent jambalaya at a little place on Midway, across from one of the half-naked girl places.

Good call on Mandarin House, too.

[sdduuuude]

I personally like the lack of “culture” as defined by those who perceive themselves to be intellectuals. I don’t miss the intellectual snobbery that can be found in cities like San Francisco and New York.

If you ignore the albeit fairly large cosmetic surgery / wanna-drive-a-hummer crowd, people in San Diego are fairly down-to-earth. Fabulously wealthy people hang out at the beach and play volleyball with everyone else. Screw the art museum. It’s inside and not all that interesting to me.

I think San Diego is great for people under 25 and over 35, but see how it may not be that interesting for those in-between.

TWO GREAT PLACES:
With that said – anyone who has any kind of inner child should check out the model train museum in Balboa Park. It’s amazing what old guys can do when they add bit-by-bit to a model railroad for 25 years or so.

Nobody mentioned one of the best restaurants in the country – Kemosabe in Hillcrest.

I’ll take Adobada tacos at Tacos Al Gordo – a TJ taco shop that moved north to H street in Chula Vista – over Foie Gras any day.

Weekend camping at the county parks is nice, too.

I’ll echo earlier comments about the boating opportunities here, too. Sailing, kayaking, etc.

San Diego is a $100 southwest flight away from Vegas, San Francisco, Phoenix.

[Anonymous]

This is a good place to start. The Reader might have some ideas as well.

But dude, seriously if you want SD to “entertain” you. Leave. People that live here want to live here and will eventually make SD in a thriving healthy city. I am from the northeast, where the culture you are looking for in a restaurant or actiivties are aplenty. Do I miss them personally, sure I do, but for the lack fo what it has in comparison to SD.

To answer your question. El Indio has the best taquitos, The Shakespeare has all the Brit Expats and Kearny Mesa has the best Asian food. Just get in your car and get lost, you will find something.

[Author]

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