Mission Valley Library

Mission Valley hosts a huge number of shops and restaurants. It can be a good palce to go shopping because of the variety of options, although it lack’s the personality of other shopping areas, like the Gaslamp, Little Italy, Hillcrest, La Jolla, or Pacific Beach. Still, Mission Valley draws lots of visitors, both tourists and locals alike.

One gem in this shopper’s paradise that is often overlooked is the new Mission Valley Library. Locals have the added benefit of being able to check out library books, which is nice because everyone loves free knowledge. But tourists will also enjoy sneaking a peek at the modern design and simple décor. The modern industrial outside boasts engine-turned polished stainless walls, and an illuminated clock tower that changes color at night.

Inside the library the décor is impressive, with high ceilings and water-jet cut decorative steel plating. The organic patterns are detailed, with outlines of leave and cut-outs of leaves, both. The complex design is accentuated by the front lighting that casts shadows on the ceiling.

The landscaping is minimalist, with clusters of reeds and ricer stones lining the path to the entrance. The parking lot is small, but ample for library visitors. However, the library is located in the Fenton Parkway Shopping Mall, and some visitors to the mall will occasionally park in the library lot. (By the way, if you see this happening, report it to the parking lot security agent, who will ask them to leave.) When this happens tha lot can become too full, though I’ve never had to wait more than just a couple minutes, and that was on a weekend.

Another added perk to the library is that it is located at the Fenton Plaza trolley stop. The library is a beautiful site to behold as you exit the trolley into this Mission Valley stop, and the library offers a memorial site to trolley riders who pass by. The other side of the trolley line there is the San Diego River, making the green line a fun to ride just for the view!

Libraries across the country, San Diego included, are experiencing a revival. Beyond the modern architecture making this library a place of substance, the library also hosts numerous community events on a weekly and even daily basis, whether it’s hearing a guest speaker, looking the art and collections on display, or joining in on a local club meeting, libraries offer much to their local communities and visitors alike. Check out the schedule of events to make an interesting stop into a special afternoon.

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=SANDIEGO

I definitely recommend stopping by the Mission Valley Library when passing by on the trolley or if you are at nearby IKEA, Cold Stone Creamery, Starbucks, International House of Pancakes (IHOP), Lowe’s Harwarde, or even Qualcomm Stadium down the street. Even if you can’t check out any books, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the impressive design of this San Diego Landmark!

Veg-N-Out – San Diego’s Meat Free Eatery


Veg-N-Out is a newish restaurant in between South Park and North Park in the hip area that spreads out on the east side of Balboa Park as it meanders from North to South. The whole area surrounding balboa Park is lined with great options for dining, including Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Downtown, and Golden Hill spread from North to South along the West side of Balboa Park. Even though you may be overwhelmed with options in the urban center of San Diego, don’t dismiss this eatery just because it is meatless.

Of course Veg-N-Out is great for vegetarians. But meat eaters love this healthy, fast dining options as well. The menu is loaded with all varieties of burgers, from the Western Burger, that includes freshly made onion rings INSIDE the burger, to the Hawaiian Girl, which includes hot off the grill pineapple rings!

The burgers are made with two different patties: a Veg-N-Out home made grain patty, and a meaty patty that is made of soy protein. I suggest the meaty patty for anyone who might be skeptical of the meat-free burger. The meaty patty has a great smoky flavor and a chewier texture. I personally prefer the grain patty because it is lighter and nuttier in flavor.

The burgers arrive heaping with toppings, and everything they set on a plate is incredibly fresh. These burgers seriously look like the kind of burger you would see in a photo advertisement – crisp and fresh with little dew drops on the lettuce leaves, ripe red tomatoes, and steaming hot potato wedges. Did I mention that every burger comes with home made potato wedges or a side salad?



The menu has also expanded and improved since they first opened. Be sure to try their amazing starters as well. The delights include tempura avocado (divine!), freshly fried sweet potato wedges, and many others, including a soup of the day and side of the day. They even have home made dressings – the creamy tarragon goes great on a salad OR the potato wedges! Or pretty much anything else.

Yoga , Pilates, and More at the YMCA

Now you might not expect the YMCA to be listed as a destination on a traveler’s website, but it’s just the place to look if you want to squeeze in a yoga or Pilates class while out and about in San Diego. There are many studios around San Diego, and many of them offer great classes. But the YMCA offers classes all day long, very extensive when compared to the limited evening classes of most studios. And the YMCA charges only $10 to visitors, compared to the $12-15 that most studios charge.

The place to look for yoga or Pilates classes through the YMCA is at their Mission Valley Hazard Center location, 7610 Hazard Center Drive. This location is in the heart of Mission Valley, a central San Diego location. They offer a huge variety of classes including: eclectic blend yoga, fitness yoga, gentle yoga, hatha yoga, iyengar yoga, kundalini yoga, mat-based Pilates, NIA, power yoga, stretch, tai chi, and other specialized classes for back health, athletes, cancer-survivors, arthritis, Parkinson’s, and more.

The teachers are as diverse as the classes, with some of them taking you through rigorous workouts, while others are more relaxing. When you pay to take a class you are welcome to use the facilities as well. Every location has all the basic workout equipment, including cardio machines like treadmills, bikes, and cross trainers, as well as weightlifting circuits, as well as locker rooms with showers. In this sense the Hazard Center location is the most limited, as the other locations also have pools, saunas, basketball courts, childcare, snack bars, and other amenities.

The classes run pretty much from 6 or 7 AM until 8 PM Monday through Friday, and about 8 AM to noon or 1 PM on the weekends. The YMCA also has locations in Mission Valley on Friars Road, in La Jolla, in Kearny Mesa, and Downtown, though the yoga and Pilates classes at these locations are more limited. Check with each location for details on what they offer.

The San Diego County YMCA website is: www.ymca.org

Mission Valley YMCA at Hazard Center
7610 Hazard Center Drive
619-298-3576 X2202

Mission Valley YMCA
5505 Friars Road
619-298-3576

Toby Wells YMCA in Kearny Mesa
5105 Overland Avenue
858-496-9622

Jyoti Bihanga

Ahhhh… Perhaps my favorite restaurant in San Diego. Though I’ve been to fancier, ritzier (and more expensive) restaurants, none can replace the role of Jyoti Bihanga in my dining life.

I’m not sure what exactly it is about Jyoti Bihanga that I love so much. It is located in Normal Heights, one of the best neighborhoods in San Diego for wandering around and exploring the shops. Everywhere you go is filled with personality. There are bookstores with huge selections of used poetry, coffee shops filled with teen angst, and magic shops selling oils and potions.


Jyoti Bihanga, or JB as I affectionately call it, is housed in a beautiful corner building, built nearly a century ago, directly underneath the neon “Normal Heights” sign. The ceilings are high, painted light blue with clouds, and the windows are two-story arches that fill the space with natural light.

This vegetarian restaurant serves a variety of American and Indian dishes, including a curry of the day, a special of the day that usually features mock meat, soups and dessert of the day, and their regular menu.

The infinite blue salad is a good option for a filling salad with steamed vegetables in addition to fresh leafy greens. The sandwich menu includes the Buddha Burger, a homemade grain patty of above average quality on a wheat bun with fresh lettuces and tomato. They have a variety of wraps, my favorite being the Shiva wrap which is a wrap with the curry of the day rolled into one with a full on salad, served with their homemade chutney. But my all time favorite is their best-selling Neatloaf. Available in vegetarian and vegan versions (vegetarian is more full in flavor), it is a grain and cheese (if you have it) loaf topped with a homemade barbeque sauce and served with the most delicious mashed potatoes this side of the Mississippi.

Now I must warn the un-expecting: this restaurant is staffed entirely with followers of a guru of a somewhat obscure Hindi-based religion. The servers are friendly, but odd. Many speak English as a second language, and most seem a little spacey. Be sure to check out the picture of the guru hanging on the wall by the bathroom; he is lifting 300,000 pounds with one arm while he levitates. No, I’m kidding. But he is supposedly lifting some absurd amount of weight. If you’re lucky, they are sometimes showing videos of the same unbelievable feat.

There are sister restaurants across the country and even in Paris. I have been to a few and in the United States they seem to offer a similar fare, somewhere in between American and Indian, all with the infamous Neatloaf. However in Paris the food was as Parisian vegetarian is: bland. That aside, though, the San Diego branch offers a delicious, home-cooked, affordable meal with a beautiful atmosphere, in a funky neighborhood. Bon appetite!

Daily’s – A Healthy Dining Option Near UTC (University Town Center)

Across the I5 Freeway from La Jolla, hidden on the other side of Towne Center Drive, is a little café called Daily’s. Daily’s was started by a prominent San Diego cardiologist. And this restaurant is all about heart health: delicious food that’s good for your heart.

The menu offers a huge variety of sandwiches and wraps, everything from turkey to chicken to fresh veggies, many of which are vegetarian. There is also a lasagna of the day, a soup of the day, and daily specials that include a side salad or soup and a drink. All options are low in fat and high in fiber.

I tried the grilled panini sandwich with mozzarella, basil, and tomato. This came with a soup, and I chose minestrone. I had fresh brewed berry herbal tea and a blueberry smoothie to round it out. I also got to sample off my friend’s plate, and tried the grilled eggplant and zucchini sandwich. Both were delicious, although I thought the grilled veggie sandwich could have used a more flavorful sauce.

So next time you’re out shopping in La Jolla or at the mall, and want to find a healthy, quick option for lunch or dinner, cruise just a little bit east of the beach for this hidden gem.

UPDATE: Daily's is in the process of moving! New location posted soon...

Café 9-7-6

Café 9-7-6 in Pacific Beach offers much more than just a bite to eat. The menu is extensive, and offers options for vegetarian dining as well as heart healthy choices. Breakfast is served from early morning into the afternoon, as it should be for surfers hitting the daybreak breakers or for the rest of us on our lazy beach days. The breakfast menu is pretty normal: eggs, bagels, burritos, waffles, French toast, bowls. There are some local influences here giving props to the Mexican border just a few miles away, with items like Huevos Rancheros – eggs cooked in a Mexican salsa.

Lunch is served until 3pm, and after that the menu is limited. Bu the selections before 3pm are extensive, with salads, soups, sandwiches, pizza, and more Mexican options like quesadillas, tacos, and burritos. The lunch menu I have found to be hit or miss. The Spinach Burger is dish not to miss – fresh, unique, and totally delish. But the Spicy Eggplant Sandwich always seems to fall short of my expectations by skimping on the toppings.

There is always a barista (or two or three) on duty to make the extensive coffee and hot drink menu. The basics are covered, as well as a few regional specialties like Mexican Hot Chocolate, and of course the 9-7-6 specialties like the 9-7-6 (espresso, white chocolate, hazelnut, and milk), the Almond Joy (espresso, chocolate, coconut, almond, and milk), and many more. They serve locally mixed teas that are loose-leaf teas placed into a large bleach-free tea bag just before serving. The tea selection is extensive and unlike many coffee shops the baristas know how to make a good cup of tea. My favorite is the Cherry Sakura – a Japanese green tea with cheery flavor. Just don’t over brew it after you get to your table or it will become bitter.

Also of note is the newly refurbished décor, both inside and out. The café is inside an old house, with a huge patios dining area surrounded by flowers and many native plants. The wooden chairs outside have recently been repainted with a rainbow of bright colors. The inside has also been redone with new paint in bright pastels, and new counter that retains the same homey feeling, but more easily services the customers.

The walls have always been home to rotating art by local artists, and that is the same after the re-painting. In the hallways and restroom there is a permanent collection of old photographs of Pacific Beach, including one of the hosue that is no 9-7-6!

On a sunny day be sure to grab a table outside. If it’s chilly I recommend the sunny nook with booths inside, although it’s usually taken!


Cafe 976
976 Felspar Street (at Cass St)
San Diego, CA 92109
858-272-0976

Athenaeum

Next time you are wiling away a day in La Jolla, be sure to stop into the Athenaeum. This music and arts library has been around for over 100 years. It is one of the few remaining private libraries in the nation. If you did not know, all libraries used to be private; you had to pay a fee to join in order to check out books. In some parts of the world libraries still work this way, for example in Paris. In the United States the vast majority of libraries have been publicized, except for 17 of them, and most of these are specialty libraries.

The Athenaeum’s specialties are art and music. There is a huge selection of music CD, sheet music, and books on art and music to check out to members. But the library itself is open to the public, and anyone is welcome to browse the selections for a minutes or an afternoon. I highly recommend spending some time in the space. There is a gallery that hosts several art exhibits each year, specializing in artists from Southern California and Baja Mexico.

The library includes three heritage buildings that have recently been renovated to connect the space inside, without altering the appearance of the protected buildings on the outside. The gallery was expanded, the art school was made handicapped accessible, and behind the scenes the offices were improved and they built a climate-controlled vault for their art collection.

Their collection of art also has a specialty: Artist Books. This relatively new art form really only came into critics sight in the 1970s. But San Diego is a hub of activity for book artists, and the Athenaeum is one reason. They have a permanent collection of artist books, and they have an exhibit of artist books that is simultaneously on display with the larger art gallery.

Throughout the library there are little nooks and each corner seems to hold a surprise discovery. Whether you wander into the art gallery, happen upon the artist books, or discover the children’s art books collection, the athenaeum is a delightful place to explore. In the heart of La Jolla, on the corner of Wall St and Girard St, it is a historical delight that is not to be missed.

Athenaeum
1008 Wall Street (@ Girard)
La Jolla, CA 92037-4418
858 454 5872

A-List at the Athenaeum

The Athenaeum is a historical music and arts library located in the heart of La Jolla on the corner of Wall Street and Girard. They host concerts during the lunch hour and in the evenings. These concerts focus on the traditional and academic forms of music, like classical, jazz, and even opera.

However, the Athenaeum has started a new program for young adults, the A-List. This new take on art and music offers evening parties every three months, with up and coming artists on exhibit and up and coming musicians to set the mood. The most recent event hosted electronica with a DJ mixing in the sounds of saxaphone and flute into the house beats. A pair of “His and Hers” neon nooses was on display along with photography from Tijuana and installation art that questions “Who is it good for?” on the back of bus stop bench.

This fresh take on art costs $10 for non-members, though members get in free with a guest. Once inside you never know what to expect. In addition to the art and music the Athenaeum chooses a theme for each A-List event, and mixes up cocktails to match, like the “Yellow Cab” – a mix of vodka, lemonade, and lime juice.

If you think the party stops there, you are wrong. There is free beer from local breweries like Karl Strauss, Stone, or Rock Bottom; there are door prizes from local restaurants, boutiques, and artists. Not to mention the crowd is full of artistic folks who can have interesting conversations about the art on the wall just as easily as they can debate which IPA is best or what mixed drink they recommend.

So next time someone asks you, “Are you on the list?” you can answer, “I’m about to be.”

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
1008 Wall Street (@ Girard)
La Jolla, CA 92037
858 454 5872
http://www.ljathenaeum.org/A%20List.htm

Jack’s La Jolla

Jack’s has, of late, become the hottest place for singles in La Jolla on Thursday nights. And I made the mistake of venturing in unknowingly on one of those Thursday nights.

I have been to Jack’s before, and I enjoy the mixed crowd that can’t be easily characterized. The range of ages, styles, and even ethnicity is unexpected in La Jolla, but refreshing.

I used to go to Jack’s fairly regularly, and I have always enjoyed their food and drinks. They have an extensive menu, for a bar, and during dining hours they have three separate restaurants: The top floor "beach bar" serves steak and sushi, the mid level fine fining foom serves, well, fine dining, and the lower level bar serves California fusion. The presentation is artistic, the ingredients fresh, and the food is interesting in the way you would expect it to be. (Yes, that’s an ironic comment. Think organic salad greens with candied walnuts, blue cheese, and sliced pear. It’s a trendy dish that thinks it’s being original, but good none the less.)

However, since my days as a regular, Jack’s has changed. The crowds are upon the three leveled location, and it’s really too bad. Jack’s isn’t handling the stress very well. For example, during dining hours they have live music, a classy touch. Except here is the exchange that happened while we waited for our table:

One of the musicians: Excuse, why are you standing here? Are you waiting for a table?
One of us: Yes. We are.
One of the musicians: Oh, well, where’s the host?
One of us: I’m not sure. Around somewhere.
One of the musicians: Well, could you scoot back?

Now, even though the decor is attractive, with glass stairs, plush upholstery, just dim enough hanging lights, and expensive flooring, there isn’t a waiting area on the top level. So there was nowhere to “scoot” too. We backed up about an inch and a half, and the musician just had to live with it. This was all particularly striking because the musicians had a tip jar out.

After we were seated, which took less time than anticipated, about ten minutes, the fifth member of our party arrived. And the bouncers wouldn’t let him in. Apparently, in the ten minutes we had been waiting the entrance we used had been transformed into the VIP entrance, and our fifth diner was to wait in the ever growing line. I went down to fetch him, but the bouncers were busy letting in their friends (a very large group), a girl wearing a shirt that read “F*** ME IT’S MY BIRTHDAY,” and all of her friends. They finally said they would “take care of him,” but continued to check IDs of other people standing in line. Said friend was finally bored of waiting and annoyed at the power tripping bouncers and decided not to stay.



I returned to the table, amid the elegantly draped dining room. We cleared away the fifth plate. The food came: butternut squash, carmelized onions, apple bisque; salmon nigiri, a tropical sushi with beautiful presentation, and it was all quite good. That was the one thing that hadn’t changed. But by that point, it wasn’t really all that enjoyable.

Hillcrest Farmer’s Market

The Sunday Morning Hillcrest Farmer’s Market is on of the best Farmer’s Markets in San Diego County. It used to be held in the parking lot of the Department of Motor Vehicles near the corner of Park and University, on the east edge of Hillcrest. However, the market continued to grow and the surrounding parking wasn’t ample, so now the market is held on a long block of Park Boulevard, and the parking lot has returned to it’s usual purpose.

At the market there is a huge array of natural, organic, and always-local produce stands, selling everything form tropical fruits to Mediterranean delights, to heirloom varietals, to the basics. There is a mushroom booth, a nuts and grains booth, and a tea booth, as well. There are also a great number of prepared foods, to eat at the market or to take home. There is granola, olives, specialty olive oils, artisan cheeses, samosas, agua fresca, and many more.

My personal favorite prepared food booths are Gourmet Tamales from Carlsbad, and Guanni Chocolates from Fallbrook. The tamales are $2.50 each, which at first seems expensive, until you see how huge they are. One tamale is a full meal, and then the price seems fair. But when you bite into them you realize they are actually a bargain because the ingredients are incredibly fresh and high quality, with flavors like spinach feta, potato cilantro, and poblano in sweet corn. Guanni chocolates provide a similar experience, except sweet instead of savory. Again they seem expensive when you see only the price, but they are delightfully enormous, and when you bite into the decadent flavors you feel like you should be on a credit card commercial oohing and aahing over how priceless this chocolate experience is.

The market also hosts a number of craft booths, which range in products and quality. I would prefer that these booths be limited to hand-made goods by local artists and craftsmen, but the yare not. This means that some booths offer locally made products, but others offer goods imported. Some of these imported goods are nice products, but I think that these products are not appropriately sold at a farmer’s market. Still, the range of products by local artisans includes handmade books, beautifully crafted scarves, clothes such as skirts, shirts, and dresses, and jewelry.

The must-tries include the heirloom tomatoes and watermelon, the fresh herbs, the exotic fruits, the chocolate, and tamales. Bring your grocery list, because the farmer’s market is one of the best places to stock up on all your basics. You can’t beat the freshness, and the prices are great, too.

Two San Diego Chocolatiers: Guanni and Chuao

San Diego chocolate lovers can boast about being the home of two top-notch gourmet chocolatiers: Guanni (Goo wan ee) and Chuao (Choo wow). Both these artisan chocolatiers use the highest quality South American cocoa, fresh fruit and other all-natural ingredients. Neither includes artificial flavors nor preservatives. The results are delicious, decadent, delightful chocolates.

Guanni is truly a one-woman show. Mariella Balbi creates the flavor combinations, makes the chocolates, and sells them herself at three farmers’ markets locations in San Diego. The chocolate making lineage goes back three generations to her great-grandmother, but all of her recipes are her own. She began Guanni chocolates in July 2003 and it is named after her three sons, Gianni, Guanalvaro and Ian. Balbi, originally from Lima, Peru, specializes in South American and Peruvian flavors. Her “Criollo” chocolate takes its headlining flavors from Peru’s traditional milk desert with cinnamon and vanilla, Manjar Blanco. Another Peruvian inspiration is Balbi’s “Pisco,” named after and created with the national drink of Peru, a grape brandy. Balbi’s top seller is “Cassis,” dark chocolate enrobed raspberries and cream of cassis ganache.

Balbi’s chocolates are made fresh every week, and she exclusively uses organic ingredients. They are low in sugar and high in antioxidants but still divine, making them an indulgence you can feel good about.

Chuao chocolatiers Michael Antonorsi and Brian Vandenbroucke use Venezuelan cocoa beans, but mix styles and flavors of the actual chocolates to include a number of traditionally French flavored chocolates with those of South America, as well as other parts of the world. Chuao is named after the region in Venezuela famous for producing high-quality cocoa beans.
An Asian influenced Chuao chocolate is their “Zen,” a ginger ganache infused with green tea in a dark chocolate shell. The “Tiramisu” is inspired from the famous Italian desert, with mascarpone cheese and coffee liquor butter cream. “Le Citron” blends lemon pulp with caramel and hint of mint, all covered in milk chocolate.

Artisan chocolatiers now outnumber independent drugstores in the United States, and the number is growing as consumers learn to appreciate the difference between grocery store chocolates and the higher-quality artisan chocolates. Just as vintners choose only prize grapes for their wines, chocolatiers search the world over to obtain the highest quality cocoa for their chocolates. And much like fine wine, which has gained popularity in the past few years, so are fine chocolates gaining respect and notoriety for their distinct flavors and qualities. These two chocolatiers are highly recommended to chocophiles, and to those who claim not to be chocolate lovers: watch out, you just might be converted.


Guanni Chocolates
www.guannichocolates.com
guannichocolates@san.rr.com
858.337.6805
Sold at San Diego Farmers’ Markets and select boutiques.
They also deliver; place orders by phone or email.

Hillcrest Farmers’ Market
Corner of Normal St and Lincoln (DMV's parking lot)
Sunday from 9:00 till 1:00 pm
www.hillquest.com

Chuao Chocolatier
www.chuaochocolatier.com
Info@chuaochocolatier.com

Chuao Chocolatier
The Lumberyard, Suite C-109
937 S. Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92025
1-888-635-1444

Store Hours:
Monday - Saturday 11 am. - 6 pm.
Sunday 10 am. - 4 pm.