Return to Galco's Soda Pop Stop

Cathy and I were on our way to the outer edges of Chinatown, but before doing so...would be passing by Highland Park on Arroyo Parkway...

This is where you will find this most awesome soda shop on York Blvd...

Dessert Part 1 & 2 - Hammond's 3x and Return to Wow Wow Waffle

TORC and I were really doing the rounds that day! Between us, we tried four different tacos at two different places. Dessert would be the same, ha ha.

Just a few steps away from street artist Joachim Ixcalli's newest mural was Hammond's, our next stop...

Cafe Cantata

A few days ago, I met up with Kirbie of Kirbie's Cravings in Del Mar...

She suggested the newly opened Cafe Cantata (which replaced the Pannikin) in the Flower Hill Mall. Both of us got caught up in heavy traffic to the San Diego Fair...

Return to Euro Pane for a mini breakfast

Fresh off our caffeine run at Jones Coffee Roasters, we headed over to one of Pasadena's main drags, Colorado Street...

for our "second breakfast", with our first being Cream Pan earlier that morning...

Skyline Beauty Supply

After our lunch at Philippe the Original. we headed back near the way of the Velveteria at a shop just across the street from them...

Caren had recommended this awesome store for their amazing nail polish selection...

Lunch with TORC Part 2 - City Tacos + a cool new mural at the old Woolworth's

Although we could have walked here from Tacos Perla, I reparked the car near Grim St. and we walked it over to University...

I wanted us to try this other new taco place for research purposes, of course...

Lunch with TORC Part 1 - Tacos Perla

Looks like many of the eateries in this complex are up and running...

TC and I noticed the colorful donkey when walking by here the other day.

This time TORC and I would actually be eating here if my nefarious plan went well...

Influx Cafe, North Park

I love being on vacation because I have so much free time to explore places with TC and as well as my friends. After yesterday's excursion to North Park with TC, I returned but this time with my good friend TORC. Below, the complex called The North Parker on the corner of 30th St and Upas is pretty much completed with several restaurants still waiting to open, like Underbelly (hence the "Ramen Saves" wall)...

When TC and I passed by yesterday, I spied a couple of places that I thought TORC and I could check out...

Wow Wow Waffle

I heard through the grapevine that a new waffle place had opened on 30th Street...

Where is it you wonder?  Well, look for the laundry place first then...

Asia Cafe + Santos Coffee House

Yesterday TC and I had a lunch adventure, starting off with a tried and true fave in tha' 'hood:

Does the crisped rice and pork sausage with skin strings ring a bell?  It should because we get this dish almost every damn time we go here...

Tourtiere + bacon soda & a beer float - THE Last Canada 2012 post

It's been nearly two years since our Canada trip...

and after much procrastination, the very LAST post is now finished...

A few more food gifts...

Over the past few months, I received a few food gifts,

which of course, are the best kind of all...

Jones Coffee Roasters

So Cathy said we were right on cue. As we walked across the street, we saw a gaggle of cyclists leave the coffee shop before we viewed the Rose Parade Float Road Testing down the ways...

We would end up going to that very same coffee place after the road testing...

ROCQ macs from the Whole Foods in Hillcrest

I convinced my sis rather easily to make another short trip in the neighborhood...

Both of us are lazy pedestrians, but we trudged ourselves over to the always busy Whole Foods as the day started to heat up...

Finally...Bronx Pizza

Now that my sis had her Jack 'n Coke and I my apple fritter, we walked the few short blocks over to this place...

where I've been wanting to go forever, but was always deterred by the craptastic Hillcrest parking and the long lines. Not so for this day...

Philippe the Original

After our visit to the newly reopened Velveteria, we walked just a mere two blocks away to this Los Angeles institution on the corner of where Ord St, N. Alameda and N. Main intersect...

We saw it on our way in to Chinatown and knew we had to come here for lunch...

It's open!!! Star Dust Donuts...

Earlier today...

A lone customer at the window was all the confirmation we needed to make that hard left...

Katy's Cafe

TC had a super early dentist appointment today. I thought it would be nice to travel across town for breakfast...

So off we went to IB...

Return to the San Diego Soup Shoppe

We debated over lunch earlier that morning. Soup was agreed upon but where. We'd already tried Da Nang but changed my mind after passing by the Soup Shoppe's store front while on our way to Mystic Mocha,

I remembered how much I liked it during my previous visit and today was as good a day as any to give it another go...

Mystic Mocha

A few days ago, Bert and I went out to watch "The Rover" and had a lot of time to kill before the actual movie started. We did a quick stop in University Heights...

for some coffee at a place curiously called Mystic Mocha...

The Velveteria is Back!

Last month Bert, TC and I made the very necessary trip up to LA to revisit the newest incarnation of the Velveteria, a musuem of black velvet paintings.

We first met Caren Anderson and her husband Carl Baldwin in 2009 during our Portland trip and were thrilled that they relocated in Los Angeles...

Summer Road Trip Day 6 Highlights and heading back home...

After six days, our vacation had to come to an end...

We left yet another beach community for home, but of course, made a few stops along the way...

Summer Road Trip Day 5 Highlights

Driving through miles of countryside was certainly different...

It was neat finding random homes up in the hillsides as we made our way to our next stop...

Summer Road Trip Day 4 Highlights

Once again we were on the road...

heading over to yet another beach...

Summer Road Trip Day 3 Highlights

Well, as the late Chef from South Park would say, "Well hello there childrens..."

In this case, it was goodbye to this cute little seaside town with quirky homes...

Summer Road Trip Day 2 Highlights

Our morning was spent wandering this seaside town...

while experiencing a bit of a chill from the marine layer...

Summer Road Trip Day 1 Highlights

We are currently enjoying a road trip in the Central Coast...

Sometimes you just gotta get out of town...

R.I.P. Tony Gwynn

Farewell to one of the most beloved San Diego sports figures of all time...



















Tony Gwynn, aka Mr. Padre...a sad loss for sports fans and San Diegans...

My first Rose Parade float road test viewing....

A few weekends ago I got up before the crack of dawn to go on a food road trip with Cathy of mmm-yoso...

The road trip would also include my first crack at looking at the service float road test for the Rose Parade...

Cathy parked in her "regular" spot (where parking is free until 9 am but we were gone long before that...) and we literally crossed the tracks...

Father's Day 2014 - Lil' Piggy's, Return to Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream & Dinner at the Parents'

In keeping with tradition...Bert chose BBQ for his Father's Day meal...

This time in Coronado instead of National City...

"The Fab Fair"- SD Fair 2014 Part 2 - The Food

As promised, the SD Fair Food Post but be warned that it's not as exciting since we didn't really indulge in the more outlandish items...

Aaaah...the calm before the storm...

Bert and I perused the different booths before deciding on our first "snack" of the day...

"The Fab Fair " - SD Fair 2014 Part 1 - The Sights

Yesterday Bert, TC and I along with one of her friends had a blast at the SD Fair (which will always be the Del Mar Fair in my mind)...

If you want free parking, I suggest parking at the Del Mar Horsepark where you can ride a shuttle to the fair, or even a double decker bus if you're lucky...

I was excited because the theme was 'The Fab Fair' and celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles first coming to America as well as 60's culture in general...

This post will be just the sights with a separate one for the food...

Donut Haven and Urban Mo's

After checking on up dad who was recovering from the procedure where he had two stents put in, our mom wanted to keep him company so my sis and I walked around Hillcrest to get an early lunch...

But before that, I wanted to try my luck at a nearby donut shop...

Snooze + Kona Coffee Company

Earlier this week, my sister and I took our dad took my dad to a medical appointment in Hillcrest.

 Our mom was with us and after we checked him in, we three went here for breakfast...

Moosie's Ice Cream

I recently saw an article on Eater SD about this ice cream place replacing a florist shop...

The article was dated May 28 and imagine my delight and surprise when I saw that it was now open!

I knew that we had to go here after our lunch at the Haven...

Mr. TJ's birthday lunch @ The Haven Pizzeria

La Ley, MFH and I met up with Mr. TJ this afternoon for some drinks and appetizers at his place in Talmadge before heading out to nearby Kensington for a late lunch...

It was convenient to come here since it's just a few minutes away from his house...

Tuktan Thai

Earlier today TC and I  went to this tiny strip mall in Chula Vista.

It's on Broadway right before the side street with Aqui es Texcoco and Asi es Jalisco.  From the looks of this sign, it seems like there are a lot of businesses here, but...

Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream

Our scenic route included a quick glance at the corner of University and Illinois...

Aaaaaaand, I quickly parked  a block away so the girls and I could check out the new ice cream shop...

Return to Luigi's, Golden Hill

The planets must be in alignment, or it must be the caffeine from my blended mocha from J.E.T.S., but I am just cranking out the posts, ha ha.

This afternoon, I took out TC and her friend Sherlock for lunch...

We hadn't been here in a while so it was high time for a revisit...

J.E.T.S.

Miraclously, I was out and about quite early this morning for an appointment.

This sign near the corner of Otay Lakes Road and Bonita Road has been on the curb for the past few months and it was time to finally give it a shot...

Road Trip with Cathy - First stop...where else?

This past weekend, I celebrated the end of the school/work year by going on a food road trip with Cathy of Mmm-Yoso...

We left at the ungodly hour of 5 am in order to catch the first Rose Parade Float Road Test in Pasadena (that post is forthcoming)...

Fort Point

Afrer our little snack at La Boulange, we took the scenic route to our next destination...

Passing by LIttle Tokyo and the outer neighborhoods of SF...

I love how the buildings here have such distinct architectural details, especially bay windows...

Once we saw the bridge in the distance, we knew we were close by...

St. Charles Bazaar 2014

Another church bazaar, but this time, St. Charles. We go every year and there are the same but popular food booths like this one...

selling corn on the cob for $1.50 (can't beat that price), along with many tried and true faves...

Dolphin's (The former South Bay Fish & Grille)

This past Friday was Graduation, which to me signals the end of the the school and work year!

The co-workers and I met up for lunch immediately after the ceremony and decided on the newly renamed Dolphins on the J St./Marina Parkway in Chula Vista...

St. Rita's Church Bazaar

This was the first church festival we attended this summer. One of our good friends is very involved with St. Rita's Catholic Church, located off Euclid and Imperial.

We wanted to show our support for the dance troup and also check out this church festival compared to ours, especially foodwise...

Centro Cultural de la Raza

A few weekends ago, Bert and I attended the FilGrad event at a building I'd always wondered about...

Several of my friends' kids were graduating high school and we wanted to show our support...

TC is now a freshman!

This morning, TC promoted from her middle school...

Time surely does fly...

It's hard to believe that our TC, along with her cousin (Nephew #4, this is the one who is one day older than her) are now officially high school freshmen!

We had quite the long day...