Breakfast, coffee and donuts on a rainy day - The Old Mill Cafe, Holsem Coffee & Nomad revisit

Earlier today...

(H Street offramp to the 805)
Bert had the day off and we set off with our good friend Tatonka...

(805 off ramp to University Ave)

This time we had company on this cold and rainy morning...

Return to Manna BBQ, Chula Vista

Thane and his family were in town for the holidays,

which meant a get together with our "coterie" once again...

Out with Cathy - Return to Cafe Moto, the future Roscoe's + my favorite panaderias (Glorias, Gonzalez & Moreliana)

The morning was still young...

and coffee was in order here...

Plazas Mexican Food

I was enjoying my winter break so far...

Almost two weeks down...

This particular sunny morning was spent with my very good friend Cathy of mmm-yoso...

Copa Vida, Sorrento Valley

Our second coffee stop was nearby...

under the bridge and down Roselle St.

When you see this sign, you are in the right place...

Global Coffee Trading

Bert was off yesterday and we had yet another free morning to ourselves...

The day before, the barista at Steady State recommended this coffee place in Sorrento Valley...

Return to Ironsmith Coffee Roasters

A few steps away from the Encinitas arch is a row of shops...

We hadn't been to Ironsmith in about a year so it was time for a revisit...

Prince and David Bowie mural @ the Moonlight Beach 7-11, Encinitas

After our first coffee  of the day from Steady State in Carlsbad,

we headed down to Carlsbad for our second hit of caffeine, but also for  another main reason...

Steady State Roasting, Carlsbad

The day after Christmas, instead of rushing to a mall to score "deals"...

we wanted to take advantage of the very empty freeways. We had a free morning since TC had sports practice...

Mural at Castle Park Middle School featuring Larry Itliong and Philip Veracruz

Before Spring Break earlier this year, I visited Castle Park Middle School...

a local school in the South Bay...

Christmas 2016

It's Christmas time once again...

(Tokidoki calendar in my  office)

for those of you that celebrate it, Merry Christmas to you!

The new Tajima Ramen, North Park

A few weeks ago I met up with childhood friend at a craft fair where she was a vendor...

I killed some time doing morning errands and happened to see this new ramen outpost near one of my favorite coffee shops...

Sheldon's Service Station + revisit to Public Square Coffee

I was supposed to meet up with a childhood friend today but had to postpone the plans for tomorrow.

Since Bert had the day off, we did my original plan...making the trek to La Mesa on this cold winter morning...

Cool Down Coffee

Earlier this month I had a training in Mission Bay which got out early...

On my way back home, I traveled down the 5 and remembered a place I'd read about...

and figured I would make a quick stop here before going to another appointment on the same street...

El Cilantro, Imperial Beach + revisit to Deb's Cookie Jar

One of our friends ("One") recommended El Cilantro to us...

It actually used to be located on Palm Avenue near the car wash...

"Agbayani Village" reference on the Cesar E. Chavez Campus parking structure, Barrio Logan

"Hasta la Bahia"...

"All the way to the Bay" (1978, artist Victor Ochoa)

Bert and I were here to check out a photo wall on the outside of the Cesar Chavez Continuing Education Center parking structure...

Happy Hour @ Uptown Tavern

Yesterday I met up with Mr. TJ and a former student...

afterhaving a few appetizers and a Kir Royale at his place...

we headed out to Happy Hour at a place of Mr. TJ's choice...

Prince mural in Barrio Logan, Santa pinata + more caffeine @ Por Vida

A mere few minutes away in yet another neighborhood...

was a mural that a friend of mine told me about...

"Dearly Beloved" Prince mural, Normal Heights

Over on Adams Avenue...

a few steps away from the Normal Heights sign was...

Brunch @ Hanna's Gourmet + lemonade coffee @ Hawthorn

Yesterday Bert and I had some free time....

TC was once again, doing her volunteering gig so off to breakfast we went...

Penny's Burgers

All good things come to an end. Our mini Veterans weekend road trip was spent in Highland Park...

Given the choice for several hipster breakfast spots or one that has withstood the test of time?

You already what I chose...

"Holiday" drinks roundup - Starbucks, Dark Horse, Imperial Grounds + bathroom decor

It's that time of the year when coffee places offer drinks that evoke that "holiday" feeling...

I was kind of glad because I strongly disliked all of the pumpkin flavored items that were out there for public consumption. Out with the fall drinks and in with the winter...

"Freedom" mural at Einstein Academy + Beth Emmerich utility boxes

From Golden Hill, we made our way to neighboring South Park...

we were in search of a particular mural by Gloria Muriel on Beech Street but could't find it...

Golden Hill Cafe + "Signifire"

Earlier today, D and I went out for an a morning adventure...

First up was coffee (part of which will be detailed in my coffee round up post)...

VoG 2016

Over the year I snapped numerous images of the Virgin of Guadalupe...specifically for this once a year post...

on her feast day which is today...

City Heights Square Mini Park

The same day that we had breakfast at George's Cafe...

we also hung out here to kill time...

Mural at Golden Hill Liquor & other works of art by Mario "Torero" Acevedo

This weekend while I was out and about, I took the long way from Golden Hill to North Park...

I was already on 25th, so I hung a right on 28th and as I approached B St, I made an illegal u-turn when I saw THIS...

Return to Quenelle + salad from Trader Joe's

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post was that my left sandal broke right after we finished our burgers at Shake Shack.

As seen earlier that same day at the Micheltorena Stairs...

Of course  it would be my dumb luck that the thong part between my toes would break...

Shake Shack, Glendale

After our visit to Velveteria, we headed out for our late lunch...

TC wanted to check out the new Shake Shack in Glendale...

I didn't realize it was smack dab in the middle of a massive retail area...

Lezzet with the neighbors

Last night we enjoyed dinner with our neighbors at Lezzet Cafe,

a Turkish/Russian restaurant next to the "Nude Girls" sign on Main Street...

Zorba's revisit

Mr. TJ, another co-worker and I had a training nearby...

it wasn't for another hour or so and I suggested this place...

Pizzeria Luigi, Imperial Beach

Two weeks ago, I found out that Pizzeria Luigi's third location had opened up in IB!

The pizza place in fact, took over the space which used to house a yoga studio...

Velveteria for our holiday photo

No trip to LA is complete without a visit here...

one of our favorite musuems, Velveteria.

It's been a year and a half for me...

Lao Tao, Endorffeine + return to Ten Ren's Tea Time

The parking lot was the same one we've always parked at...it's just a few steps away from our eventual destination Velveteria, the Museum of Black Velvet Paintings...

But first, a lite lunch (or snack if you will) at Far East Plaza...

Chinatown by way of Hi-Fi

Leaving Silver Lake...

we headed over to Chinatown...

and passed through Hi-Fi..

"Que Viva Barrio Logan" mural at Diego & Son Printing

A few weekends ago, we were too early for Cafe Virtuoso...

so to kill time, I asked Bert if we could drive around Barrio Logan to check out a particular set of murals...

Maxx Moses mural @ the Yoga Center, Chula Vista

Every week I drive by this mural on E Street...

It actually used to be a totally different mural (story linked at the end) from 2006 up to 2012...

Alfred Cone fail @ Alfred Coffee, Silver Lake

I'm a big proponent of maximizing time spent whenever we travel.  The Micheltorena Stairs was across the street from this particular coffee shop. Kill two birds with one stone.

I kind of cringed when I saw that one of their walls was decorated with a passe design...

Micheltorena Stairs, Silver Lake

On the north side of W. Sunset Blvd. near the Micheltorena intersection is flight of stairs...

This would be one of the photos for our  holiday card...

Revamped Pentych in North Park

A few weekends ago, Bert and I had some free time while TC was at sports practice...

We noticed that what I call the "Pentych" (not the official name of this grouping of murals) had changed...

Silver Lake Farmer's Market, Micheltorena Elementary School mural + the defunct Micheltorena Tunnel

These are some of the pix from our LA road trip from Veterans Day.

This is the view from Lucile St. (a hill) looking down to W. Sunset Blvd...