More Openings In San Diego

Every few months I try to update you on what's new in on the restaurant scene in San Diego and North County. Recently Vigilucci's in Encinitas became Mauriccio's Trattoria. Mauricio is an old friend of mine. I've known him since we started coming to San Diego in the late 1990's. We met him at the old Vigilucci's in Cardiff, which is now Cicciotti's. He's a charming Italian, who has been working on and off with the Vigilucci group since he came to San Diego. His dream was always to own his own restaurant, and he finally made it happen. In November, 2013, Vigilucci's in Encinitas was sold to Mauricio. If you liked Vigulicci's, you're going to love Mauricio's, because he hasn't changed a thing. All that's been added is a charming host, Mauricio, to greet you and make you feel appreciated. Try it, I think you'll like it.

Here are some of the other new restaurant openings I have heard about. Seafire Restaurant and Bar is opening soon in Carlsbad. It has a wood burning pizza oven and will serve pizzas and a heavy seafood menu, plus 14 local beers on tap. Carnitas Snack Shack, a well known "joint" in San Diego, plans to expand with several large locations around town. French Concession, a restaurant featuring Asian small plates in Hillcrest and craft beers, will be opening soon. The Pearl will be opening in The North Parker, a new mixed use development. Look for Stone Brewery at Petco Park next year. They will be up and running for the new baseball season. Finally, Seasons 52 has just opened their second San Diego location in The Headquarters, right next to Seaport Village. I've been down to see it (not eaten there) and it is beautiful.

When I spoke to Mauricio recently about his new restaurant, he told me Carlsbad was the up and coming foodie center of North County. Rents are high here, so expect some more upscale eateries in the near future. I can't wait to try all these new spots. I'm looking forward to French Concession. It sounds interesting. If you know of other new spots, please let me know.

Finally, one of my favorite restaurants in Encinitas closed it doors for good on December 22. Jamroc, on Highway 101, is gone. Great fish and chips, and all things Jamaican, and some really good music on the weekend. Good luck to David and Tina in whatever they do. They will be missed.

Spade Toothed Beaked Whale

About two years ago several whales washed up on a New Zealand beach, which at the time were tho

ught to be a Gray beaked whales, which commonly end up stranded on the shoreline. Researchers took photos of the dead animals, tissue samples, then buried them. Two years later, after DNA analysis, biologists have determined that the whales were in fact the long sought-after spade-toothed beaked variety. This is the first time that the elusive animal has been seen as a whole animal. First discovered in 1872 when a jaw was found on a Pacific Island, the whale has never been seen, but from two partial skulls, one found in New Zealand in 1950 and the other on a Chilean island in 1986. Why is the spade-toothed whale so rare? No one really knows. They don't know if the two that washed up on a New Zealand beach in 2010 were the last of their kind, or if the whales live in very deep waters and rarely ever wash up on shore when they die. The latter is more likely. Just a little science info that I recently learned and wanted to share with you. Hopefully, we haven't seen another species die out.

Enjoying Trolley Dances

Every October Jean Isaacs brings her creative dance troupe, Trolley Dances, to San Diego. It's starting to catch on in other cities, and in her opening remarks she said that she now has three different troupes performing in different cities. I went several years ago, and enjoyed it enough to ask a few friends to join me in the experience this year. Barbara, Fran, Melanie, Christie and Linda all joined in the fun. We met on a hot Saturday morning at the Nortgate Market trolley stop in Barrio Logan. This area is the heart of Chicano life and culture in San Diego, and one that the city is working hard to revitalize. Progress is evident everywhere you look. The Northgate Market is a new SUPER market. The freshest fruits and vegetables you can imagine, great prices, and lots of ethnic food items for neighborhood shoppers. There are a few small restaurants in the plaza across the street, with more to come. Also, a just completed low housing project across the street, filled already, and architecturally beautiful. Lots of bulldozers and cranes were seen wherever we walked, so more new building is happening. But back to the Trolley Dances, the purpose of our trip to Barrio Logan. The two hour+ event included six dances, one choral group, several trolley stops, and visits to Chicano Park, the new Central Library, Petco Park, and Monarch School. The dances took place at each venue. For example, the dancers performed in front of the new Central Library, using the walls and steps as props for the dance. At the Monarch School (which I will blog about at another time) we walked upstairs and watched the dancers dance below. At this site they were also accompanied by a wonderful choral group. In Chicano Park, in the midst of wonderful Chicano murals, we watched another dance group that included a young man on bicycle, flags and scarves, in addition to using a sculpture in the park as a prop in the performance. The dance is all contemporary, and the dancers come from all over. They are not a troupe that is together all year, but just for a brief practice period before the two weekend performances. Dancers from all over try out for the troupe, and they collect a wonderful group of dancers representing all ages and all ethnicities. We ended the day at Las Quatro Milpas, an iconic Mexican restaurant in Barrio Logan, where we waited outside for half an hour before placing our order. It was worth it, though, and although I wouldn't make a special trip to Barrio Logan for lunch or dinner at Las Quatro Milpas, I would definitely eat there next time I'm in Barrio Logan, and I will be there again. Next year the Trolley Dances will take place somewhere else, and that's another great thing about them, the dances and venues are always different. Put Trolley Dances on your "To do" list for next year.

Cheese Balls

Think cheese balls are just for the holidays? Think again. They are great anytime of year, especially when served with something other than crackers, like pita chips, veggies or fruit wedges. Below I will give you a basic cheese ball recipe, to which you can add to create a variety of different cheese balls. In addition to enjoying all year round, they're great to make for gifts.

Cheese Balls

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

3 block cream cheese, room temperature

2T. lemon juice

several dashes of hot sauce, depending on taste, or none at all

1/4tsp kosher salt

Beat all ingredients until well blended and completely smooth. Set aside and add one of the following combinations to make flavored cheese balls

Cheddar cheese and cranberry

Add 8 ounces shredded cheddar (I like sharp cheddar)and 2-3 T. whole berry cranberry to 1/3 of the above basic cheese ball recipe. Mix with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Form into a ball, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until hard. (at least one hour). Serve with a variety of dippers. I like plain pita chips, crackers and jicama.

Brie and Apple

There are many other possibilities, like adding goat cheese and either chopped pears or chopped dates. Yum. Use your imagination and create a savory ball with cheddar cheese, 2 kinds of olives and pimentos. You're only limited by your imagination. Remember, these are great for entertaining all year round.

A Few Tips

A few months ago I went to Carpenteria with some friends for a weekend of relaxation. The weather was warm, yet we had fog everyday, most of the day. That didn't stop us from lunch on the pier at Brophy's (great clam chowder), a visit to the Seaside Nursery, and several hours at the Sunday Art Walk. When we were tired of walking and shopping, we went back to Christie's condo and talked and laughed. Debbie was monitoring her blood pressure according to doctors orders, and had a handy BP machine with her. We spent lots of time taking our blood pressure. Yes, we actually each took our blood pressure at least 5 times during the few days we were there. Why? I have no idea, we just did. The other thing that we spent a lot of time doing was playing with our I Phones. This is something I always comment on when I see kids doing it when they're out with friends, and here we were, doing the same thing. Actually, several of us were getting an I Phone lesson from Jan. I learned so much this weekend, like how to work my calendar, how to make conference calls and so much more. We sat around for hours and played with our phones. We also talked about everything in the world, but our motto was, "What's talked about in Carpenteria stays in Carpenteria," so I can't share our conversations. I did, however, pick everyone's brains for some blog topics. Together, we came up with a number of good ones. We also came up with some tips, for food, cleaning, and health care. Here they are: 1. How to peel a whole garlic bulb: Take two bowls of the same size, put the bulb in one, put the other bowl on top, and shake for about 20 seconds. Take bowl off and garlic bulb is peeled. 2. Use Mr. Clean to clean the cover of your I Pad. 3. Mix brown sugar and honey to make a facial scrub. 4. Use baking soda to remove tea stains from cups. 5. Use toothpaste to clean berry stains off porcelain. 6. If you are claustrophobic, keep an apple with you to sniff when you feel anxious. (I'm not so sure about this, but it's worth a try). That's all I've got for now. If you've got a really good tip, please send it to me and I'll include it next time I do a tip blog, and of course, give you credit.

Health and Beauty in San Diego

Lynda called me one day and asked if I'd like to go to a free brunch at Hyatt Aviara. Actually, she asked if I had received an invitation from a health company to go to the brunch, and when I told her I hadn't been invited, she asked me to join her. "What is it for?" I asked her, and she didn't really know. "We'll go anyway," I said to myself, and so we did. The brunch was hosted by Health and Beauty Medical Network, which even after listening to the presentation, I'm not sure what they do. This really was a free brunch with no strings attached. There were only eight attendees, and six of them were employees of Health and Beauty Medical Network or in some other way related to the business. Lynda and I were the only real customers. We had a wonderful brunch, met the principals in the company, had our pictures taken, then listened to a short presentation. What I think this company does is visit cities, like San Diego, visit as many plastic surgeons and day spa centers as possible, and sign up doctors to be part of their network. Then people come to Health and Beauty Medical Network for an evaluation of what kind of skin treatment they need or want, and are referred to one of the many doctors in their network. My guess is that Health and Beauty gets paid by the doctors for the referral. It wasn't anything I'd be interested in, but Chris, one of the owners of the company, did talk about a new medical treatment for body contouring, fat loss and skin tightening that sounded interesting. It's called Exilis, and it's a gel that is spread on the part of the body you want to contour, no pain at all. It melts the fat by thermal energy from ultrasonic waves. The fat is heated, then the body rids itself of this fat through the lymphatic system. (It simulates a tummy tuck). 4-6 treatments every two weeks are recommended, and the cost is $2,00-$3,000 per body part. Health and Beauty Medical Network is a liason between patient and doctor, and for some patients that have difficulty deciding on the right doctor, and the right treatment, this might be very helpful. My concern is that since I think they must be paid by the doctors for referrals, they are not objective. Anyway, it was an interesting morning, a delicious brunch, and Lynda and I had a great time. Lynda and I were just the wrong audience.

Savoy Cafe and Deli: A Santa Barbara Favorite

On my summer trip to Carpenteria with several friends, we were always looking for good, healthy places to eat. By browsing the internet, we discovered a great restaurant. It's called Savoy Café and Deli www.thesavoycafe.com. It's right off State street, but unless you know about it, you'd never find it. We stopped in for lunch one day, and were treated to an unexpected surprise: good, healthy food, nice surroundings, and reasonable prices. Here are just a few of the wonderful menu items: great salad bar, sandwiches of all types, on wheat bread or ciabatta (fresh turkey, ham, roast beef, salami), house made soups, including tomato basil, carrot chipotle, turkey posole, beef chili, and black bean. The deli case is where I went for lunch. Roasted beet salad, curry chicken, forbidden rice salad, quinoa and butternut squash salad, tuna cranberry, and so much more. They also have a hot case, with roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, tofu stir fry, wild salmon with pineapple salsa and brown rice with vegetables. They have gluten free desserts. I tried the ginger molasses, which was surprisingly delicious. All in all, a great find for breakfast or lunch (they also serve dinner) at a very moderate price. It's on Figueroa street, just a few steps from State Street. Try it for lunch next time you're in Santa Barbara.

One morning we took the car out and decided to drive through Montecito, you know, the exclusive area where stars such as Oprah reside. We planned to go to San Ysidro Ranch, an exclusive hotel in the area, never knowing whether we could get onto the grounds or not. Many exclusive hotels with guests that want a lot of privacy do not let strangers come in off the street, but this hotel is not like that. In fact, they greeted us warmly, offered us a tour of the grounds (we declined)and told us to just walk around and enjoy ourselves. We did. What a beautiful hotel and magnificent setting. It's old California, with bungalows, small buildings, and beautiful grounds, including a pond with water lilies. Fran was tired of walking around so she went into the main building to wait. She asked for a cup of coffee, and even though they were not serving at that time, someone went and, free of charge, got her a cup of coffee. I can't tell you how helpful everyone was, even though they knew we weren't staying there. Go take a look if you're in the area. Finally, we discovered that the Avon 2 Day Breast Cancer walk was taking place the weekend we were in Carpenteria. We saw the men and women dressed in pink shirts, pants, tutus, etc. walking around on Saturday, and knew the finale would take place on Sunday afternoon, in the park right across from Christie's condo. We all went to watch the walkers come in from their 36 mile walk, tired yet exhilarated, and to watch the closing ceremonies. It was fun to watch even though we weren't part of the walk, and to see the commitment these men and women have to working towards a cure for breast cancer. It was a great weekend away from the heat of San Diego. If you find yourself touring the Santa Barbara area, try breakfast or lunch at Savoy, and be sure to drive into Montecito and see San Ysidro Ranch.

Monarch School: A Unique School In San Diego

I recently visited Barrio Logan, the Chicano center of San Diego, and learned about a most unique school that recently opened. Actually, the Monarch School began 25 years ago as a small drop-off center for homeless children. The new Monarch School campus in Barrio Logan, named after lead donors Nat and Flora Bosa, was recently completed, with both private and public funds. The project provides healthcare, clothing and food along with enrichment and support programs including an after school program, tutoring counseling, expressive arts therapy and family assistance. This is all in addition to a complete curriculum for children grades K-12, showers for kids that need to clean up at school. Monarch School is the only program of its kind in the country serving K-12 homeless youth, and is a model for how a community can successfully educate homeless children to become productive citizens. Many of the graduates of Monarch School are pursuing higher degrees. For many children, they are the first in their family to graduate from high school, let alone college. In their honor's program (out of 65 students) 36 students made the honor roll, with at 3.0 GPA, while 22 students made the principals honor roll with a 3.5 or above GPA. It shows what can be done if children are given the opportunity, and the help they need to achieve. Hopefully other cities will see the value of Monarch School and create places of learning for children who face very difficult challenges.

Rules For A Happy Marriage

I was surfing the internet a while ago, when an article about how to have a successful marriage popped up. I read through their list of rules, and realized they are similar to my rules, although I do have some additions. Here's the list from the article, and after that, I'll add a few of my own.

1. Only criticize your own mother.2. Do not constantly correct your spouse. Offering a suggestion is one thing, but don't constantly correct.

3. Mention seeing old boyfriends. This doesn't apply at my age, but I can see where this is a good idea when you're younger. Chances are, someone will see you talking to an ex that you just ran into and tell your spouse about it. Beat them to the punch.

4. Don't fight old battles. If you have issues and have resolved them, let them be. If they're not resolved, revisit them and clear the air.

5. Don't threaten. Don't talk about divorce unless you really mean it.

6. Pick your battles. Don't make everything into an issue. Make sure it is something important before you get into it with your spouse.

7. Make sure your spouse is always number one.

8. Don't do your spouses chores for him/her, even if you can do them faster and better. Everyone needs some responsibilities.

Here are a few more that I think make for a happy marriage

1. Allow your spouse the space to be his/her own person, and encourage him/her to grow.

2. Never go to bed angry.

3. Tell your spouse you love him/her everyday.

We've been happily married for almost 44 years, and we follow most of these rules. There are ups and downs in all marriages, but communicating, listening, understanding, and compromising will lead to many happy years together.

Do You Know What A Tambura Is?

It was Thanksgiving Day, and the Y was officially closed. Unofficially it was open for three hours, at a fee of $5 per person (to cover teachers and day care). They have an abbreviated schedule of classes, and I always find these "closed" days a chance to try new classes and new teachers. This Thanksgiving I took a 45 minute strength class with a new instructor, Suzanne, and a one hour yoga and meditation class with Hillary. Both classes exceeded my expectations.

Suzanne's class was so much fun that the 45 minutes flew by. She's got so much energy and a great personality, that even though she was working us without any break, nobody cared. I can't wait to find other classes that she teaches and try them, and if it hadn't been for this special day, I may not have discovered a great new teacher.>

I sat and had coffee with Audrey and Jan for 15 minutes, then headed into the yoga and meditation class, given by Hillary. Hillary guides the practice while her husband plays the tambura. The tambura is a drone instrument, similar to a sitar, but with no frets. It has four strings, tuned to the tonic. It is known for its very rich sound. It is made from a gourd. It was the perfect accompaninment to yoga and meditation. Hillary led us through a meditation that included three minutes of quiet and stillness. I didn't know three minutes could last so long. We then did a number of yoga poses, before moving into a final meditation that included three more minutes of quiet and stillness. I came away from the class thinking, "This is something I need to do more often." I will try to work this into my already busy Y schedule, but I think a class like this may be just as important as cardio or strength training, so some class will have to go. Thank goodness we have days at the Y like Thanksgiving, where we get a chance to try new teachers and sample new classes. I learned about an instrument I'd never heard of today, found a wonderful new strength training teacher, and was reminded of how good yoga and meditation are for me.

Biking Around Coronado

It's early December, and most of the country is knee deep in snow. We are lucky to live in paradise. It was a sunny 70 degree day, and 12 of us went to Coronado for a day of biking, lunch and good fun. The holiday decorations are up, and the Hotel Del Coronado looked splendid. Coronado has many bike paths, nice and flat and well maintained. We rode a total of about 10 miles. It doesn't sound like much, but with stops to check out the holiday sand castles on the beach, the Christmas decorations in the Hotel Del, and a few rest stops along the way, 10 miles was about all we could do.

After riding for an hour and a half, we ate lunch at LeRoys bar and grill on Orange Avenue. It has a very upscale menu, with lots of local artisan beers, and seasonal specialties from local farms. I had a delicious burger, cooked just the way I wanted, with bacon jam, lettuce and homemade pickles. It was served with truffle fries. I also tried the butternut squash soup. Other menu items that my table ordered were Croque Madame (with a fried egg on top), kale and spinach salad, with lots of other veggies and chicken, poke tacos (made from tuna sashimi), and a grilled cheese sandwich with a cup of soup. Our server couldn't have been more accommodating, offering to split the checks anyway we wanted. It was a great way to start off the month of December, with great friends in one of the most beautiful places on earth. It was a much better day than staying home on Cyber Monday and buying lots of things I don't even need.

My Personal Journal

I'm writing this blog on Thanksgiving Day, and feeling I have so much to be thankful for. Yesterday, the day before Thanksgiving, we went to Los Angeles to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, and Thanksgiving. David and Tracy were there with freshly baked pecan and chocolate pumpkin pies for dessert, Beth, Brian, Spencer and Ryan were there with all their energy, Ken, Dey and Brooke (Tracy's brother and family) were there, Matt (Tracy's other brother)was there, and Barbara (Tracy's mom) was there, laryngitis and all. We had a wonderful time. The three kids ran and jumped and played like three year olds, and we all ate. Oh, did we eat. Mom, along with assistance from Chayo, had made a delicious Thanksgiving dinner which we enjoyed, just after lighting the Hanukkah candles. Our family has never done things in the traditional way, but it works for us. I thought yesterday afternoon about all the craziness in the world, all the heartbreak that some families experience, and despite all we've been through, felt we're pretty lucky. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Ron has a lifelong friend Phil, who lives in Phoenix. Ron has an opportunity to potentially do some work for Phil, but it requires a trip to Phoenix to look at the business and discuss things face to face. We planned to drive there in December to check it out, so Ron put in his a request to his PO. She has been very reasonable and more than fair throughout this whole experience, always allowing us to travel to LA to see family. An out of state request was something new, and we were a little nervous about her response. Although the goal is to do whatever it takes to help Ron get work, we weren't sure what her reaction to a road trip to Phoenix would be. We were pleasantly surprised. She was extremely thorough, as she called Phil and grilled him on the purpose of the trip. In the end she approved Ron's travel, and we'll be off to Phoenix for a few days in December. It doesn't sound like much to all you travelers out there, but this will be Ron's first trip to anywhere but Los Angeles in over 6 years!

We talked about why Ron was so anxious about getting or not getting approval for our trip to Phoenix. I think it all has to do with control. Ron kept saying that if the PO said "NO," it would be no big deal, but I don't think he really felt that way. If she said no, that would be the end of it. There is no trying to convince her otherwise. It would just be another example of the control the government holds over you long after incarceration is complete. It reminds me again of something a therapist said to Ron many years ago when he first faced his problems with the government. She said that most of the things you worry about never come to pass. She was right then, and she was right again. I remember that all the time when a bad situation comes along. Your worst thoughts rarely materialize.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and took a few minutes to think about all you have to be grateful for. Sometimes we get so caught up in life that we forget this. It's a good time of year to remember.>p>