Fairouz Mediterannean Restaurant



Fairouz is located on Midway Drive, in the Sports Arena area of San Diego. From the outside, it is an unassuming little shop. I spied it the other day in the non-descript strip mall where it is located. It is random happenstance that I was over in that area and hungry, and thought an independently owned Mediterranean mini-restaurant might have a few vegetarian options.

When I walked in I was delighted by what I discovered. The sights and smalls were sensory pleasure. They had a large buffet prepared for dinner, with items clearly marked if they were vegan or vegetarian.

The walls were covered with art work using bright colors and sharp lines to depict scenes that captured happiness and intrigue: archway covered streets, styled geometric flowers, lovely faces, wild landscapes of fields and trees. Display cases presented in various cases around the restaurant also showcase a variety of jewelry, both imported and made locally. Other decor is somewhat random and not or particular interest, but the artwork is the real gem of the environs.

The house white wine came in a large and very full carafe, and it complimented the meal perfectly. The buffet had probably forty items, including Lebanese lentil soup, saffron rice that soaks up the vegetable and meat dishes delightfully, hummus, Greek salad, eggplant, green vegetables - both cooked and salad, a plethora of meat dishes including chicken, lamb, and beef.

After two very large plates, a bowl of soup, and a small plate of dessert, I ended the meal feeling stuffed fat and happy. My favorite dish was Mousaka - a delicious combination of baked tender eggplant, fresh mixed vegetables and tomato sauce, baked in casserole with topping of a special béchamel sauce.

Desserts included tapioca pudding, a rose water flavored dairy pudding, baked sweet puddings and cakes, small cookies, and halwa.

The restaurant is owned by a family who came here from Jordan by way of Kuwait. The two brothers run the restaurant, one of them is the painter whose artwork is displayed. The father used to make the jewelry, but had turned to importing it in his later years. The family was warm and gracious, with prompt service and kind words. They have been in business 25 years.

Price is mid-range and good value. The buffet was $12.99 per person. I highly recommend this delightful discovery.

3166 Midway Dr # 102-103
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 225-0308‎
alnashashibi.com

Ocean Beach Pier


The Ocean Beach Pier is an important landmark for San Diego's Ocean Beach neighborhood. It juts far into the ocean from the end of Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach's main drag for restaurants, shopping, and strolling.

On the pier itself is open year round for strolling, fishing, and sight seeing. The shops, open only in the summer, include a small restaurant shack serving concession stand type delights, such as nachos, soda, even funnel cake.

Surfers abound beneath the pier, riding the waves of Ocean Beach. The waves crash on the Ocean Beach shores, where surfers and hippies enjoy a day at the beach or an evening bonfire.

The Ocean Beach Pier is a great addition to an afternoon in Ocean Beach, to be combined with the other surrounding sights and sounds.

Rancho's Cocina



Rancho's is a fantastic, authentic in flavor, but healthier than the usual, Mexican food restaurant. They have an extensive menu with lots of vegetarian options, but also plenty of meat. You can get heart attack on plate, with lots of cheese and beef, or you can get a vege-licious vegan meal. Rancho's has it all!

One of the more disappointing menu items is, amazingly, the avocado enchilada. Any dish featuring avocado should be divine, but somehow this dish manages mediocrity. Know, however, that is the only dish I have ever felt disappointed by. Typically dishes range from expected to extraordinary.

The vegetarian tortilla soup is hands down my favorite menu item, a delicious steaming bowl of soup at a moderate price. Don't forget to try their home made horchata - so delicious and not too sweet like the pre-made kind. Also try their tostadas for a sample of the simple, fresh flavors of Mexico.

You can eat a great meal there for ten bucks or less, including a non-alcoholic beverage. They also have a decent selection of imported beers, fairly priced.

The decor is charming, with burlap sacks from coffee beans lining the ceiling, and various plants and natural materials abounding around the restaurant. The service varies, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, but the staff is always friendly and helpful.

Overall, a highly recommended stop for affordable, healthy, and tasty eats.

Also note that the North Park location has a Rancho's Market next to the restaurant.

Ocean Beach
1830 Sunset Cliffs Blvd
San Diego, CA 92107
(619) 226-7619

North Park
3910 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104
619.574.1288

Jennifer Roe-Duffy Massage

A freelance massage therapist, Jennifer Roe-Duffy was trained at San Diego's Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. She specializes in deep tissue and Asian-style healing. With experience in Qi Gong, she applies these principles to her massage technique.

Scheduling can be a bit difficult, as she does her own bookings. It took us a while to get in touch with other after phone tag, and between both of our busy schedules, the appointment had to be booked a full week in advance.

The massage found all the crunchy spots in my muscles. She worked out a lot of tight areas, and I felt a lot of good muscular releases and loosened tendons. Her work style is deep, which is not as relaxing, but serves better to work through knots. She talked a lot more than I prefer. I tend to zone out and prefer silence.

The basic rate is $100 for an hour massage including travel to your location. If you want to book multiple or extended massages, she negotiates on the price. Overall, I would recommend her for deep tissue and injury work, but not for your typical relaxing Swedish massage.

She primarily does house calls, upon referral only. If you'd like a referral, please let me know.

Jennifer Roe-Duffy
619-517-9982

Stephanie's Bakery


Stephanie's Bakery is a delicious bakery that emphasizes "real food" baked goods. You will not find junky trans-fats or anything artificial in their products, instead you will find delicious, indulgent treats. Their specialty is strudel, and to be honest it is the only thing I've had there! That said, the strudel is so good I haven't had any reason to try anything else.

They have sweet strudel, like classic apple or strawberry, a San Diego favorite made with local fruit when in season. They also have savory strudels; my favorite is the spinach.

The cafe is pretty average; I don't recommend it for the atmosphere. Their strudels are sold at several locations, and I highly recommend this local product whenever you're in the mood for a snack or light meal. It is also a good deal, since it is made in bulk, costing only a few bucks for a large slice. Yum!

Stephanies Bakery
4879 Voltaire Street
Ocean Beach, San Diego

Game Towne


Game Towne is located in Old Town San Diego. (Or should it be Olde Towne?) Either way, Game Towne is a delightful game store, which packs a huge selection into a tiny square footage. On top of that, about half the store is dedicated to D&D type stuff, which is important to have, but doesn't particularly interest me. That said, in the other half of the already smallish shop (shoppe?), you can find the most engaging and interesting game collection in all of San Diego.

First of all, there are puzzles. And I'm not talking jigsaw puzzles, I'm talking all kinds of puzzles. From wooden puzzles to metal ring and string puzzles to puzzles that combine wood, metal, and string to plastic puzzles with moving parts to just about any kind of puzzle you can imagine. Some of my favorites include the classic Rubik's Cube (these come with stands for when you finish them), the wooden puzzle that locks down a bottle of wine until you can figure out how to open it (great gift to a puzzle-loving wine connoisseur!), and Tantrix, a metal pieces puzzle with infinite number of incarnations (too complex to explain, though simple to play - see picture above).

Second of all, there are wooden games galore. Wooden board games! These are my favorite kind of board game, and they abound at Game Towne. You can get Mancala, the Egyptian game where you move stones around, in any size, from travel size to jumbo full coffee table size! The stones in the biggie are beautiful! Then there are games like Quatro (kind of 3-D tic-tac-toe). Also the classics like Backgammon and beautiful checker boards.

Third, there are really just a delightful number of games that you would never find at your typical toy store. For example, a Sudoku where you make your own combination so you can play on the same board forever. Brilliant! They have games for childre and adults (either of any age).

Most of the games have samples so you can try them out, and the owners and employees are incredibly knowledgable and friendly. They know pretty much all the games and can explain them and make recommendations. Game Towne is a fantastic treat and an inspired choice for shopping when in Olde Towne.

www.gametowne.com
3954 Harney St
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 291-1666