Café 1134 in Coronado

Café 1134 is located in the heart of Coronado, just a couple blocks away from the famous Hotel del Coronado. When you are taking a day or afternoon to explore this delightful San Diego community, I recommend a pause at this delightful café. Don’t fall into the tourist traps: The Hotel is lovely, and you might like to have a drink at a beach bar and enjoy the view, but only one! Because everything at the hotel is outrageously overpriced. Nurse along one tea or beer, but when you actually want to eat something, head down Orange avenue.

The menu is fairly extensive for a café, but definitely not moving into the restaurant category. They have sandwiches, pastas, breakfasts, pastries, and desserts. They also have a full coffee bar selection, with all matters of lattes, espressos, and the like, as well as hot chocolates, teas, and iced drinks as well. Don’t be fooled by the boxes of tea bags on the shelf; they café has an extensive selection of loose-leafed teas behind the counter, just out of sight.

The staff is fast and efficient; they are friendly, but more focused on the job at hand, which is great! When I was there, there were several people in line in front of me, and the line could have easily taken ten or more minutes to move, but the two baristas moved us along in just a few minutes, and I was very pleased.

Formerly a sister restaurant to Café 976 in Pacific Beach, the Café 1134 in Coronado still has a similar vibe to the beach café. However, some differences also exist. While the appearances are similar, Café 1134 offers only a few tables outside, with no garden surrounds. Still, it pulls off the more urban vibe as you watch the people (mostly tourists) wander around on Orange Ave., the main drag of Coronado. It affords some interesting people-watching, provided the weather is nice.

Coronado Historical Association

The Coronado Historical Association is located on Orange Avenue on Coronado Island, just a few blocks away from the famous Hotel del Coronado. The Coronado Historical Association can really bring a visitor a great deal of information regarding the interesting history of Coronado. They offer historical walking tours on a daily basis that point out many of the historical buildings in the center of Coronado. These cost about $10, depening on the tour, and cover a variety of themes from the history of Coronado to the Hotel del Coronado to the trees on the island. You can also purchase tickets to all teh major attractions in San Diego: the Zoo, Sea World, you name it!

The association is housed in an historical building (naturally!). There is a gift shop with some a unexpected surprises, including darling cards by artists. The artists are not local, which I think is a shame, but the gifts cards are adorable and some are very funny. They also offer charming collection of memorabelia as well as some typical trinkets and souveniers.

The Coronado Historical Association also offers a free art and history exhibit in the building. There is a permanent exhibit about Coronado’s history, but there is also a rotating exhibit that offers a broader context, though also relating back to Coronado, at least tangentially. The rotating exhibit has shown a photo exhibit of Marilyn Monroe, who filmed “Some Like it Hot” at the Hotel del Coronado.

Other exhibits include a history of the island itself, from the days as a grass patch where people hunted jackrabbits, to the purchase of the entire island in the late 1880’s for $110,000 by the developers of the Hotel del Coronado. There is also information about the military base there, and the history of women’s roles in the military. It is all very interesting.

The exhibit space is very small, but it allows visitors to spend quality time at each stop inside. Instead of whirling through, you could spend just a few minutes at each stop and really read and enjoy every portion, and still be done in an hour or so.

Coronado Historical Association
Coronado Visitor Center
1100 Orange Avenue
Coronado, CA 92118
619-437-8788

Spices Thai Café

Spices Thai Café has three locations in San Diego: Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo, and Mira Mesa. All offer a delicious meal at an affordable price. Entrees are very large and cost around $10. Appetizers and dessert are usually $5-7. They also have lunch specials that serve a soup, entrée, and drink for a very affordable price.

The décor in the Mira Mesa location is a little more polished: The walls are painted in pleasing natural tones, there are display cases with some beautiful artworks and crafts from Thailand, and there are several large statues of deities. In Carmel Valley, the inside has no special qualities. There are flowers on the tables and table clothes, and some painting, but the overall appearance is pretty blasé. They do have outdoor dining, particularly nice for a lunch when the sun is shining.

However, I don’t recommend Spices for the ambiance, I recommend it for the food. For the past three years I have considered Spices to be the best Thai restaurant in San Diego, and this was in large part because of their fresh spring rolls and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce comes warmed, and the spring rolls are made fresh with carrots, lettuce, sprouts, tofu or shrimp, basil, and mint.

Occasionally there must be someone different in the kitchen because once in a blue moon the carrots will be large cuts instead of shredded, and this is the completely wrong texture. Instead of a light, puff of deliciousness coated in peanut sauce, you have to crunch into a giant chunk of dense carrot. On top of that the large slice of carrot will cut the rice paper wrapping, causing the whole thing to fall apart in your hands. It is disappointing when this happens, but I can only remember one time when I had this experience.

The spring rolls are a must order, regardless of the slight risk of poorly cut carrots. Other favorites include their soups and noodle bowls. In particular I recommend the Yen Ta Fo noodles, a steaming bowl of spicy, thick tomato broth with a heaping pile of rice noodles, loads of fresh spinach, and large diced vegetables like zucchini, carrot, celery, and baby corn. But be careful when you order. They ask you how spicy you want it, on a scale of one to ten. I personally love spicy food, but I almost always order a “five,” and more often than not it makes my nose run and eyes water. And I enjoy every last drop of the dish.

Spices Thai Café
Mon -Fri 11:00am- 3:00pm
Mon -Fri 5:00pm-10:00pm
Sat -Sun 11:00am-10:00pm

6785 Mira Mesa Blvd. Ste. 143
San Diego, CA 92121
Tel: (858) 552-8845

3810 Valley Centre Dr Suite 903
San Diego, CA 92130
Tel: (858) 259-0889

16441 Bernardo Center Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
Tel: (858) 674-4665

Pet-Friendly Hotels in San Diego

Are you traveling with your beloved companion? The one that means more to you than anything else in the world? And I’m not talking about your spouse… I’m talking about your furry friend! Whether it be dog, cat, or some other beloved pet, the hotels listed below are pet-friendly hotels, and can be found in all neighborhoods of San Diego. So whether you and you’re pet are looking for a beach-side resort or hip urban hotel, check this list to find the hotel for your perfect vacation. Be sure to check the pet policy with each hotel individually before booking.

Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa
4.0 stars in Coronado from $209.00

Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina
3.5 stars in San Diego from $199.00

Lafayette Hotel San Diego
2.0 stars in Mission Valley from $89.00

Travelodge Mission Valley
2.0 stars in Mission Valley

Sheraton Suites San Diego at Symphony Hall
3.5 stars in Downtown from $229.00

THE US GRANT - A Luxury Collection Hotel
4.0 stars in Downtown from $299.00

The Kona Kai Resort formerly Shelter Pointe
3.5 stars in San Diego from $159.00

The Sofia Hotel
3.5 stars in Downtown from $149.00

Hotel La Jolla At The Shores
3.0 stars in La Jolla from $139.00

Hotel Solamar- A Kimpton Hotel
4.0 stars in Downtown

Ocean Beach Hotel
2.0 stars in Ocean Beach from $100.00

La Valencia Hotel
4.0 stars in La Jolla from $275.00

W San Diego
4.0 stars in Downtown

Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa
5.0 stars in Rancho Santa Fe from $425.00

Westgate Hotel
4.0 stars in Downtown from $199.00

Vagabond Inn Hotel Circle
2.0 stars in Mission Valley from $70.00

Sheraton San Diego Hotel
3.0 stars in Mission Valley from $159.00

Seacoast Inn
2.0 stars in Imperial Beach

Tower23 Hotel
4.0 stars in Pacific Beach from $229.00

Marriott San Diego
3.5 stars in La Jolla from $229.00

Marriott Coronado Island Resort
3.5 stars in Coronado from $275.00

Radisson Suite Hotel Rancho Bernardo
3.0 stars in Rancho Bernardo $139.00

Lake San Marcos Resort
3.0 stars in San Marcos from $89.00

Hilton San Diego Del Mar
3.5 stars in Del Mar

Mariposa Ice Cream in Normal Heights

Mariposa Ice Cream is a teeny little shop in the heart of Normal Heights, a block east of the giant “Normal Heights” neon sign (and therefore about a block east of Jyoti Bihanga Restaurant). The owners of Mariposa ice cream make some of the best ice cream this side of the Sierras.

The definition of gourmet ice cream, according to the American Ice Cream Association, is that the ice cream must contain at least 40% butterfat. That is what ice cream makers mean when they say gourmet. The gourmet ice creams have no regulations regarding quality or freshness, only a minimum fat content. Mariposa Ice Cream does not make gourmet ice cream by this definition. However, their ice cream is fresh, home made in small batches right there in the store, with a huge variety of creative flavors, made with all natural and high quality ingredients.

They offer all the usual flavors like chocolate, vanilla, chocolate chip cookie dough, and mint chip, as well their more imaginative flavors. Some of the more unique flavors that are not to miss are the white chocolate blackberry ripple, the Mexican chocolate, the maple walnut, and the peanut butter.

Their ice cream is egg free (except cookie dough). The ice cream is lower in sugar than most commercial ice cream, and it has less air! This means it has more real flavors and is not too sweet! The sherbet contains a small amount of low-fat milk, but the sorbet is all dairy-free!

The owners are a married couple. They create the flavors, make the ice cream, and serve it up. They do it all! They are super-friendly, and great supporters of the community. They support San Diego and the Normal Heights community in many ways, by donating ice cream, time, and money to local organizations, and especially local schools! They also give students of all ages a discount (with Students ID).

In addition to offering delicious ice cream they have really reasonable prices. It’s only $2 for a scoop unlike the gourmet places that are closer to $5. And Mariposa has a weekly special, making a special treat for a special price. They make ice cream pies for birth days and special occasion, sell their ice cream by the pint to take home, and even sell three-gallon tubs for really big parties! Mariposa also offers a full range of classic soda fountain ice cream dishes, like root beer floats, sundaes, banana splits, and so on. So if you’re looking for a fresh, quality, all natural ice cream, head over to little Mariposa and experience an ice cream lover’s dream come true!

Mariposa Ice Cream
3450 Adams Avenue
Normal Heights, San Diego
619-284-5197

Open most days 12pm-8pm
Saturdays and Sundays 2pm-8pm
Closed Tuesdays, major holidays, and occasionally for local events