I recently got a part time job which requires me to do a lot of driving, from Oceanside in the north, to Fallbrook, all the way down to El Cajon, Chula Vista, and San Ysidro. There are dozens of other communities that I have driven through that until now, I only heard about on the news. You wouldn't believe what's out there!
I'm always looking for new and exciting places to eat, but my dilemma now is that I'm really trying to watch what I eat. But that doesn't mean I don't notice what's out there. Most of you will never go to any of these places, so the names (some of them don't even have names) of the restaurants or stands is not important, but I'll try to give you the flavor of some of these communities.
I was in Santee today, and stopped at a gas station to read my Thomas Guide, when I noticed the most wonderful smell. It was Mary's donut shop. The smell I was inhaling was freshly baked donuts, probably glazed. I couldn't eat one, but talked to the gal coming out of Mary's and she said they're the best she ever tasted. Someday I will try Mary's donuts.
Later today I was in San Ysidro. That's the farthest south you can go in San Diego without crossing the border. It's like a little Tijuana. All the signs are in Spanish, the buildings are mostly stucco, with murals painted on many. The homes are a mix of old and in need of repair, alongside brand new homes and condos. There are vendors on the street selling all sorts of wares, from sombreros to CD's to food. Yes, lots of stalls selling street tacos. The smell was fantastic. I could hardly keep myself from indulging, but I did. Beef and chicken cooking over charcoal, fresh grilled tortillas, onions and delicious salsa. I didn't have to eat it to know how delicious it was.
One final place that caught my attention was Smokey Joe's Barbeque (no, not the one we have in north county). I went in to look around, and again the smell was overwhelming. This little restaurant was in National City, and the servers there told me that this was real southern barbeque. Pulled pork, baby back ribs, beef ribs, barbequed chicken and sausages were just a few of the many items on the menu. It looked amazing, and the prices were great too. I'd say prices were about 20% lower than what we normally pay. Other areas of National City have a large Philippino population. If you pull into a strip center the smell of Philippino food is immediately apparent. It's a strong aroma, similar to Chinese, yet different. (I think they use different spices). I just love all the cultures we have, it makes life so interesting.
Each community has it's own style, it's own character. Chula Vista has a beautiful new downtown area, with lots of shopping, restaurants, and bustling parks. Big parks everywhere, and families were everywhere on a Sunday afternoon. There are so many little Mexican restaurants in this area you wonder how they all stay in business.Most of these communities don't look like your neighboorhood, but they all have character and something special we can appreciate. Next time I hope to go when I'm hungry and try the barbeque or the street taco. My mouth is watering just thinking about that.
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