I spent a wonderful day today in, of all places, El Cajon and La Mesa. Just about 35 minutes from Solana Beach are some interesting towns most of us have never seen. There were four of us who went to Cuyamaca College to vist their beautiful gardens. In particular, we focused on the water conservation garden, and we weren't disappointed. Not only do they have a beautiful garden, but they have many ideas for the home gardener, including information on how to compost, how to build a drip irrigation system, and what plants to plant if you live in a fire area. This is a free activity, and on the weekends they often have guest speakers and plant sales.
After two hours of walking the gardens, we were ready for lunch. We're always up for an adventure, so rather than try some chain restaurant nearby, we decided to drive to La Mesa, just a few miles away. Thank you GPS for getting us there without one wrong turn.
What did we find when we got there? We found the old historic area of La Mesa, just a few blocks long, but a treasure trove of antique and collectible shops and some old restaurants mixed with some new trendy restaurants. Yes, trendy restaurants in La Mesa! We opted for Gio, recommended by one of the shop owners on the main street, and were delighted. Its a winebar/restaurant, with lots of outdoor seating on their heated patio. The decor is great. Red, black and white, beautiful plush booths inside, tables made from old barrels in the bar, and comfortable seating outside.
Our waitperson was Brooke, who gave us great service and good suggestions for other places to visit in the area. The food was fresh, abundant, and well presented. I had the Asian chicken salad with a delicious plum-ginger dressing, mandarin oranges, and crispy noodles. Jan had the fish and chips, perfectly fried, with cole slaw and great french fries. Christie had a tuna melt with fries. It was the biggest sandwich I have ever seen. Jean had a salad with shrimp and avocado in a mildly spicy dressing. Most entrees were from $10-$14 and well worth it.
Gio is owned by a local Italian family, who were there for lunch, and they make every effort to make their guests feel at home. On the weekends they have music at night. Check their website at http://www.blogger.com/www.giorestaurant.net for details. I highly recommend this restaurant, and this little town for a real change of pace. We were home before 3pm and we'd had a great little adventure, just 30 miles from home.
After two hours of walking the gardens, we were ready for lunch. We're always up for an adventure, so rather than try some chain restaurant nearby, we decided to drive to La Mesa, just a few miles away. Thank you GPS for getting us there without one wrong turn.
What did we find when we got there? We found the old historic area of La Mesa, just a few blocks long, but a treasure trove of antique and collectible shops and some old restaurants mixed with some new trendy restaurants. Yes, trendy restaurants in La Mesa! We opted for Gio, recommended by one of the shop owners on the main street, and were delighted. Its a winebar/restaurant, with lots of outdoor seating on their heated patio. The decor is great. Red, black and white, beautiful plush booths inside, tables made from old barrels in the bar, and comfortable seating outside.
Our waitperson was Brooke, who gave us great service and good suggestions for other places to visit in the area. The food was fresh, abundant, and well presented. I had the Asian chicken salad with a delicious plum-ginger dressing, mandarin oranges, and crispy noodles. Jan had the fish and chips, perfectly fried, with cole slaw and great french fries. Christie had a tuna melt with fries. It was the biggest sandwich I have ever seen. Jean had a salad with shrimp and avocado in a mildly spicy dressing. Most entrees were from $10-$14 and well worth it.
Gio is owned by a local Italian family, who were there for lunch, and they make every effort to make their guests feel at home. On the weekends they have music at night. Check their website at http://www.blogger.com/www.giorestaurant.net for details. I highly recommend this restaurant, and this little town for a real change of pace. We were home before 3pm and we'd had a great little adventure, just 30 miles from home.
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