Abbie on: Lists, Lists, Lists, Lists

Abbie On: liking restaurants that don't have websites (or it's just a lucky trend we stumbled upon with this entry).

Abbie Berry

I love to eat. Who doesn’t?

My favorite places for grub in San Diego:

1. Turf Supper Club - 1116 25th Street, San Diego, CA 92102

I love the Turf Club. The place is usually pretty busy and you may have to wait for a table but it is so worth it. The drinks are tall and strong. The service can be questionable but I go in with low expectations. The menu is limited. Steak, Chicken, Burger, Mushroom or Salmon and you grill it yourself on the community grill. The only other edible menu items available are garlic bread, a small salad and cheesecake for dessert.

The place is decorated with artifacts from the race track. The booths are tiny and cozy. The food is tasty (and I make a mean steak). The jukebox is always going strong and the last three times I was there, I heard Prince’s Purple Rain. Grab a few friends who like to grill and head over tonight.

2. Mamma Mia - 1932 Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA 92109

This place is run by an authentic Italian family. They must be a family of seven or more. They run around the place speaking Italian and barking orders. If you call to make a reservation, you may find that you still have to wait for your table.

The restaurant looks like a little house. They also have a small patio on the side of the building. Plan ahead: You need to bring your own bottles of wine. The service is terrific. The owner treats you as if you are a guest in his home. All of the women are “Bella” to him and don’t forget the kisses on the cheeks! The food is scrumptious. Enough said. Don’t forget to try the Tiramisu.

3. Ono Sushi -1236 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92103

Ono Sushi is trendy and right in the heart of Hillcrest. They recently remodeled their bar to make it more spacious. You can sit at the sushi bar, at the cocktail bar (which has a small adjoining patio) or in the restaurant. If you’re sat in the back room, there are two special tables where you can cuddle up with your date. They even have pillows for you. If cuddling up at dinner sounds good to you, this is the place to try it. The service is great. Some of the staff has been there for years. This is the best sushi in San Diego. Make sure to order the Ono Sushi Roll. I also love the seaweed salad. In fact, I want some right now.

4. Lotus Thai – There are two locations: 906 Market Street, San Diego 92101 and 3761 6th Avenue, San Diego 92103

I can go to this place one a week and never get sick of it. Both locations have a beautiful interior. I personally feel that the service is better at the downtown location and the food is better and more consistent at the Hillcrest location. I prefer to mix it up. The appetizer platter is the way to go. The soups are yummy as well. My boyfriend loves the Lemongrass chicken and you can always go with the classic Pad Thai. The atmosphere is peaceful and you can’t go wrong dining with a big group or on a date. Try the chai iced tea.

5. Pepe’s Italian – 1830 Sunset Cliff’s Blvd., San Diego, CA 92107

Another family run restaurant. My first visit was probably nine years ago. At that time, they served the entrées on paper plates and the beverages in paper cups. The plates are now plastic but the food is the same. When you walk in, you seat yourself. The place is small but quaint. Pepe’s in owned by a family and the mother is an artist. The walls are decorated with her paintings of beach scenery. The menu varies from pizza to pasta to specialty items. I suggest the beef ravioli. They aren’t open every day, so make sure you call ahead before you head over. (619) 221-1926.

Yummy.

For me.

*Photo Courtesy of Pepe's Italian Webpage*

Brenda Xu gets around.

Remember Brenda Xu? She caused a bit of a to do over at Street when her CD received less than stellar reviews. As I recall it was mostly "well, she's kind of acoustic-y with a side of girly and we don't love her, snarky comment, snarky comment." (NOT THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH snarky comments).

There was this diddy: Our advice: Well if you check her MySpace blog, she's already un-quit her day job ...

or this one: Overall: Since he left her all alone (mean boys), she has been writing songs with her guitar.

But it was the responses to said review that made for an interesting entry. We now give a shout out to "Jim" who wrote:

Kyle this is you huh? http://www.mediabistro.com/content/original/SD060727_allmediainsandiego_8-thumb.jpg
Man dude, no wonder why you are out to bash others, look at you, no body, no manly bit about you... You do have small man syndrome to talk down on Ms. Xu as you have...

People were up in arms, music reviewers make no friends.

And Brenda Xu presses on, right to The San Diego Reader who has a nice, fluffy feature on her. Asking her such pressing questions as Mac or PC?

"I use a PC, but I'm getting a Mac for my next computer because they are so damn cute, which is the most important factor to consider when purchasing any kind of technological equipment."

Actually, I think I kind of like her. Press on Brenda, press on. (I am going to listen to your music now, so press works, good, bad, in between.)

Reviews you can use: The San Diego Zoo is NOT San Quentin

Reviews you can use: San Diego Zoo

I have this thing about zoos. Ever since I was a little girl and I'd go to our small town zoo to stare at the big bears in their concrete (literally a concrete) jungle. They had a small patch of grass but that was it (The otters were always fun too, round and round they swam and slid, but again, so small, so concrete). It was just so, sad.

Needless to say I moved to San Diego and the zoo wasn't actually on the top of my list. "Go to the zoo" people told me. "It's the freaking San Diego Zoo, it's different."

The San Diego Zoo has a reputation for it's research facility and its love of animals. They tout their care and loving approach to the animals they house. They list their facilities, their breeding programs and their preservation of wildlife.

I was still skeptical.

But I finally dragged myself there (with Lori) and set out for the day, giving it the benefit of the doubt.

First off, there are many things about the SD Zoo that make it different. The animal areas are larger, the pathways are cleaner and the vegetation throughout the park is well taken care of. And the zookeepers are happier to be there. We watched one visiting with the animal he was feeding, petting him, laughing and enjoying his company. Obviously they believe in what they are doing there and that every animal is a special addition to a "family."

And the rest. It was kind of zoo like. There may not be cages but the animals sit behind their glass and turn their backs to the curious audience. The food is expensive, the lines are long and it seems like there are some forgotten animals on some back roads with less traffic. I kept thinking "nice try."

My own zoo issues aside (I'll get over it someday) the San Diego Zoo has everything a zoo can have to make it more of an experience and less of a "visit." And it will ruin you for other zoos. Plus there are rides and lots of fun gift shops. Life would be swell if we could all afford the 20.00 stuffed pandas.

Take: the bus tour first. It will let you see the WHOLE zoo, via bus, give you a ton of information and put less pressure to run around at the last minute to see what you missed.

Buy: The endangered species candy bars, chocolate and white chocolate mixed together (the panda mix), yum.

Go: IN OCTOBER when kids 3-11 are FREE.

Review: ABC has Cavemen in San Diego...

My notes for my review of Caveman (ABC's new sitcom all about the Geico Cavemen, who live in SAN DIEGO).

So there you go, it's in San Diego because they mention it's in San Diego and because there is a San Diego caveman weatherman on TV talking about the weather in San Diego (this would have been a VERY opportune time to make fun of the fact that it's just always sunny in San Diego, so does the weather man have a purpose? Maybe a crisis of weatherman faith? But no, he's just a zany weatherman in front of a typical looking weather background that predicts RAIN for two days by the way).

They work at Ikea, but it's not Ikea and they get to say funny words in Swedish.

Swedish words are hilarious.

Hey that guy is kind of funny... he's not one of the caveman.

They are smart Cavemen, because they write dissertations and play Nintendo Wii.

Hey so they are supposed to be in San Diego but they don't go to the beach, nor do they show the beach or talk about the beach. They don't even mention those quirky things about San Diego, like everyone wearing sandals all the time or traffic for no reason on The 8, or lots of tans. You know what made Sex and the City interesting? (besides the sex... yep you got it, THE CITY. I know I'm biased, but COME ON, it's SAN DIEGO, fairly cool place to live).

Phone's ringing. It's my Mom. She wants to know how our cat is doing. We had to take him to the hospital because he was having bladder problems. My mom begins the phone call, and I quote "so I was trying to watch this Caveman sitcom and it sucks." Mom's review is not good. I'm still giving it a chance to get better.

And now they are playing squash and talking about deformed cats (oh poor kitty). And now they are going to some very generic fancy restaurant to confront hot blonde girl who... is a Caveman collector apparently. She knows what she likes and she likes it Cro Magnon (I had to, I'm sorry).

And it's over. Something about how blonde girl might have fetish or something, nice (not really).

If I was the Gecko I'd be SO PISSED that THIS is the sitcom Geico went with (do I smell cameo anyone?). Maybe Carpoolers will be better.

...it's not...

*In truth, the show might actually play better if they just put it in LA. LA with it's incredible self conscious way of judging and presenting itself. Could you imagine Cavegirls with bleach blonde hair? Buying a million pairs of huge bug looking sunglasses? Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears jokes (which you can never go wrong with?). I don't know why they chose to move the sitcom from the midwest to San Diego, when really you'd get so much more story out of the LA landscape. At this point it doesn't seem to matter to them where it takes place... or if it's funny. It did make me want to watch the show Pushing Daisy's though. Compared to what I was watching, those commercials made the show look like the most interesting and amazing thing on ABC. So Pushing Daisy's it is, if only it was set in San Diego. *

Get away from your getaway...

Paradise Point Resort and Spa

As I am currently relegated to “visitor” status I find myself day dreaming about planning a quick get away to San Diego. Of course, it would probably mean I would never return, default on my rent and leave behind a house full of stuff I bought at Target and a couch that I expertly negotiated for at a going out of business furniture sale (I’m not leaving with a couch unless I’m leaving with a better deal!”). So I try to avoid actually setting foot on San Diego soil until said triumphant return. However, five years of San Diego living did give me one great San Diego hotel get away experience which I now pass on to you.

I give you… Paradise Point Resort and Spa.

Truth is I got a great deal on the room because (at the time) I was a San Diego resident. One thing about living in a city with some great get aways is last minute deals are readily found in various places. Periodically (if you are as addicted to the Internet as I am) you can check out hotels.com and find last minute “we still have these rooms and we’re hoping to get rid of them” deals, or you can call the hotel it self (especially on weeknights during off seasons) and get some pretty good deals.

Sure living in San Diego is a get away of itself but there are many, many upsides to this quick get away from your get away. The rooms are very nice. Going to the resort feels like entering another world, where you “get away” from the surrounding San Diego noise, traffic, hustle and bustle. It’s a tropical island with one goal in mind “hang out, relax, pretend like you’ve just gotten on your private jet and somehow ended up here.” The pool is amazing by the way, warm and beach like. The bay is close and the food… screw the food… hang out in your room and order the (slightly overpriced) room service. Experience the worlds greatest (and probably most expensive) hamburger, put your feet up and just… exhale. (There’s a few random hidden charges, parking, resort fee, don’t let them surprise you.)

It was just one night. At the time it was all I could spare/ afford, but I still dream about returning for another quick getaway. And just as quickly you can return back to San Diego… paradise not lost… just off to the side over there.

Ooo the website is pretty…