Return to Cafe Stems

Last weekend we headed over to the Convoy area...

We were just at The Forum not too far away in Clairemont...

Bert's Birthday + Post Bday crawl

Another revolution around the sun...

Above, our meal, including Bert's birthday dinner, from Hawaiian Style (CV)...

The Merchant, Long Beach

In searching for coffee shops in Long Beach...

one that popped up that was relatively new was this...

The Merchant, which is just a few steps away from the Long Beach Creamery (a bougie ice cream place recommended by a friend)...

Spring Break 2017 Road Trip Day 5: Andytown (location #3)

It's back to the Spring Break 2017 posts...

going waaaay back to March 29th for our 5th day of our vacation...

Balboa Bakery + Olivier salad from the market next door

D wanted to pick up her favorite salad at Balboa International Market...

At the deli counter, we were told the salad would be ready in half an hour..

Mimmo's Italian Village

This past weekend we celebrated my neighbor's birthday...

It was planned by her daughters and husband...

and led us to the heart of Little Italy...

The Forum Coffee House

This past weekend Bert, TC and I checked out a new coffee house in Clairemont...

It was near the strip mall with the now defunct Nazca Grill.

The Forum Coffee House has a makeshift banner for now but it's  under the auto insurance place...

The new Nomad Donuts Bakery & Cafe

In early January, the former Lady of the Lake New Age book store and gift shp was already gone...

The windows were papered over but...

this poster hinted at what was to come...

Star Dust, the new Breakwater Town Center, and Deb's Cookie Jar in Imperial Beach

The old rusted out Star Dust Donuts sign with missing letters was never replaced; the diagonal metal post once held it up...

This Labor Day weekend, I was out and about and thought I would give luck a try...

Cold ramen + Happy hour revisits @ Gunco Ramen

It's been so hot lately...

and I wasn't feeling it for eating anything hot at Gunco...

Quick stop at Ports O' Call Village, drive by of the Battleship USS Iowa + heading to Long Beach

Ports O' Call, unbeknowst to us at the time of our visit...

was undergoing a renovation, set to become a food hall with revitalized shops and restaurants...