Locals Rate the Best Food at the San Diego Fab Fair 2014

Eat This, San Diego!

Forget the foodies.  Forget the critics.  In fact, forget everything you know about fair food and listen to San Diego locals who ate it all and picked the best things to eat at the San Diego Fair, 2014.

NAME: Kodi (with a little heart over the "i")

LIVES IN:  4S Ranch

SOUND BITE:  "It's everything I love in the world"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:  If you have never tried these, Australian Battered Potatoes are slices of potato dipped into a tempura batter and deep fried.  Top them with your favorite sauce.  As heart stopping bad as this sounds they are surprisingly delicious - so good that they got my vote for best thing to eat at the far a couple of years back.  But fair warning, a little bit goes a long ways so share an order.  As for the "Best Value" giant bucket, are you insane?
  
Before we get too deep into this a quick plug:  Don't miss Local Wally's San Diego microbrewery night with the Padres!  Tickets and info here.  Padre's versus the Mets and lots of beer tastings from San Diego north county breweries.  And now back to the fair....

NAME:  Michael

LIVES IN:  Chula Vista

SOUND BITE:  "I'm going to really hate myself tomorrow"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:  You can count on Chicken Charlies to come up with the oddest of odd fair food.  They seem to have this obsession with legitimizing the use of a Krispy Kreme donut as a bun.  I give them credit for trying but this really is a WTF sort of idea.  I mean, really, imagine moms' across America serving this for dinner and the reaction at the table.

Mom:  "Look kids, I made burgers with donuts for the buns!" 
Kids:  "Dad, Mom's smoking weed again." 

This one is shock value only, but if you must try a burger with a glazed donut for a bun then this is the place.  Their better idea is the fried chicken skins. Wait, that was my idea a few years ago.  And it was a joke!!  Don't believe me?  Read my blog from 2010 where I said, and I quote, "chicken skins would be BIG, BIG, BIG!"

NAME:  Elizabeth and Toni

LIVES IN:  East Lake and Vista

SOUND BITE:  "Super delicious...Amazing!"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:  Funnel cake is life changing.  Yeah, it can kill you if you eat too much so I mean it when I say it can change your life.  But who can resist donut batter poured through a funnel into hot oil?  And you thought the Dutch were all about wooden clogs?  Little did you know that they are pioneers in deep fried fair food.  Don't mess it up with ice cream or bad sauces.  Go clean, go pure, just dust some powdered sugar on it and you will be in heaven (one way or another).

NAME:  Charles and Alejandra

LIVES IN:  Escondido

SOUND BITE:  "This is the first time we have had these and we're fans!"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:  First off, is that the weirdest photo or what?  Is that guy the Geico caveman?  I mean that in the nicest way, of course.  I told these two (possible winner of cutest couple at the fair) to get together so I can take their photo and they did this strange wedding sort of pose eating Tasti Chips.  This was their first time trying Tasti Chips so perhaps they were just in fried potato bliss.  Tasti Chips are totally legit, freshly fried potato chips that would be perfect on the menu at Fleming's steakhouse if only they were smart enough to add them.  Guilty enough to be fair food worthy but so good you won't care about the calories.

NAME:  Kristi

LIVES IN: Laguna Beach

SOUND BITE:  "Thumbs Up"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS: Gourmet grilled cheese is all the rage in foodie circles.  And these aren't the cheese sandwiches you grew up with.  Grilled Cheese A-Fair takes a basic grilled cheese and adds Mac N Cheese to the gooey cheddar and tosses in a helping of pulled pork for good measure.  The result is a carb heavy delight, a perfect bite of deliciousness that takes the absurd to new levels.  I knocked a point off because a grilled cheese needs that greasy, buttery outside to finish it - but that wouldn't be healthy, would it?

NAME:  Ray

LIVES IN:  Chula Vista

SOUND BITE:  "Very good, it IS good!"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS: Juicy's is the place that grills up the giant turkey legs and this year was pushing the giant sausages.  These were quite good but how hard is it to heat up a sausage on a grill?  On the other hand the deep fried zucchini and onion rings were so greasy that you should lean over when you take a bite unless you want to look like you were playing paintball with Crisco.  "Grease-Bomb" was the quote from Mallory above and that says it all.  So go for the sausage, avoid the fried foods.

NAME:  Susan

LIVES IN:  Rancho Santa Fe

SOUND BITE:  "They're the best.  I eat these 5 times a season!"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:  Not everything at the fair has to be a greasy deep fried bacon wrapped glob.  In fact, one of the very best things to eat is what looks like a fairly normal cinnamon roll.  But make no mistake, these cinnamon rolls might be some of the best you might ever have.  Go ahead, cut that roll into dainty, civilized bite sized pieces and let that guy with BBQ sauce running down his chin keep his giant turkey leg and deep fried cookie dough.  You know better.  Simply none better and one of the best things to eat at the fair year after year.

NAME:  Jaqueline

LIVES IN: North Park

SOUND BITE:  "You can have Hot Dog On a Stick anywhere but these are special."

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:  Every fair visit deserves a corn dog.  But don't waste your annual corn dog allocation on an inferior dog.  Yes, I'm talking about Hot Dog on a Stick.  Come on, you can get those at any mall so when you are at the fair go to the place that makes the best corn dog in town.  They're scorching hot and plump and worth every heart artery clogging bite. 

NAME:  Paul

LIVES IN:  San Diego

SOUND BITE:  "It is as advertised.  It's a deep fried hunk of cheese!"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:  It's brilliant.  Take a block of string cheese and deep fry it in corn batter and you have an amazingly elastic bite that's sure to have people pointing at you and asking where you got it.  Like a gooey pizza that won't let go of the box the string cheese cheese dog hangs on to the stick for dear life as your mouth tries to take it all in.  It's fun, it's tasty, don't get a regular cheese dog when you can get one of these.

NAME:  Jim

LIVES IN:  La Mesa

SOUND BITE:  "It's awesome!"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:   I know, you can make this at home on any gas grill.  But do you?  No, you don't so when you're at the fair treat yourself to an honest to goodness healthy piece of Americana.  Every year the food at the fair gets weirder and weirder but the Original Char-Broiled Corn just keeps doing what they do and that's make the mundane ear of corn into something to look forward to.  If you haven't tried it because you've thought that it was just an ear of corn then get one this year and be prepared to be very pleasantly surprised just how delicious fresh corn cooked on a BBQ can be.

NAME:  Kerry and Andrew

LIVES IN:  Del Mar

SOUND BITE:  "It's decent"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:   San Diego has a lot of great fish tacos.  In fact, right down the street is The Brigantine, home to arguably the best fish taco in town and there's a Rubio's now in every mall making excellent fried and grilled fish tacos.  So we San Diegan's know a good fish taco when we taste it and have gotten pretty darn picky and opinionated on who makes the best.  As for Palapa, it's good but not good enough to compete with the best.  If you really must have a fish taco at the fair then this is the place but locals agree with me that there are better bites elsewhere.

NAME:  Dave

LIVES IN:  San Elijo Hills

SOUND BITE:  "Yummy!"

LOCAL WALLY SAYS:   So hard to decide - should I get the deep fried cheeseburger or the deep fried hot dog??  Wait, pulled pork?  Tri-tip and chicken sandwiches?  That's the way to go.  Avoid the novelty foods and stick with the basics at The Ranch and you will not be disappointed.

SAN DIEGO FAB FAIR INFO
General Info (hours, tickets, etc)

SPECIAL DISCOUNTS

• Best Pass Ever:  $24 gets you unlimited admission into the fair for all 24 days.  Only a certified lunatic would go every day but considering the price of one ticket the Best Pass Ever is perfect if you just want to pop in and see a show or, yes, get more chicken skin.
• Albertson's $4 tickets for June 11th.
• June 24th and July 1:  Taste of the Fair days mean $2 bite size samples of some of your favorites.

Bon Appetite,
Local Wally
The original San Diego local guy.... since 1996
www.LocalWally.com
www.DrinkUpSanDiego.com
Don't miss Local Wally's microbrewery night with the Padres, July 19th.  Tickets here.

Rubio's Fish Tacos CoastFest May 10, 2014

THE  LOWDOWN:  Complimentary food and drinks, music festival, VIP beer garden, free surf lessons, educational stuff for the kids , activities for attendees of all ages and more in Oceanside, Calif. 
IF YOU ARE NOT TOO LAZY:  Come help clean up the beach.  Fun for the whole family!
WHERE AND WHEN:  May 10th, Oceanside Pier, starts at 10AM

Let's face it - we eat a lot of fish tacos in San Diego.  That's thanks to our bud, Ralph Rubio, the guy who put the fish taco on the map and still makes some of the best around.  But the oceans are being fished out.  Next time you're at that expensive sushi restaurant and your friend bites into that spicy tuna roll it's a good time to remind him that thanks to him tuna's are headed towards extinction.  That's why when I get a seafood craving I head over to Rubio's.  Their seafood is nearly all sustainable, even the basic fish taco, so you can eat guilt free.  

So this Saturday is one of the essential San Diego experiences, the CoastFest 2014 in Oceanside.  Stop taking from the ocean without giving back.  Come join the fun, do a bit of clean up (it's good for the kids) and have a ton of fun in the meantime.  Clean the beach and you not only get good ocean karma, which comes in handy when that shark is looking at your belly, but the following cool CoastFest activities:

• Prizes, free surf lessons from my friends at Surfin's Fire (actual firemen who teach surfing), face painting (excellent if you are in the witness protection program or under 12), a jumpy horse and a photo booth to capture all of your inappropriate gestures or faces (or just be nice, your choice)
• FREE food and drinks from Rubio's.  Please, do not toss wrappers on the beach.
• Live music - FM94/9 will have Jet West, a reggae/rock band and Bad Neighborz - hey, I have a bad neighbor, I should introduce them.
• BEER - I love beer (remember, Local Wally is sponsoring a Padre's microbrew night July 19th so mark your calendars!)
• Kids Zone Educational Elements:  I know you won't care if you eat all the seafood but think of your poor kids who will be left with scratch N sniff's to remember the wonderful seafood you ate.  Didn't Whitney Houston sing about how she believes the children are our future?  Has she ever been wrong?  I think not!

So get out there and get back to the beach.  It's a good thing to do and it's a ton of fun if last year is any indication. 


Wally

Beer and Tacos and More at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival, 2013

There's more to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival than the big November 23rd event down by Seaport Village.  Sure, that's the big grand tasting event where you get to sample lots of bites from the top restaurants while drinking some of the best wines and spirits from all around, and YES, Local Wally has discount tickets just by using the promo code WALLY - but the week before has plenty of other events around town that you should check out.  Here are a few that got my attention because they focus on one of my favorite beverages, BEER!

 THE FISH TACO TKO COMPETITION

Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens
Attire: Casual

 Get Tickets Here

Beer lovers, taco lovers, get yourself to Stone Brewery on Nov. 19th for an all out battle for the best fish tacos.  If you're like me you love fish tacos and you're probably pretty opinionated on who makes the best.  This battle will pit 9 local restaurants against each other in what surely is the fish taco battle of the year!  Who will win?  Which fish taco will rein supreme?  You won't know unless you get yourself a ticket and go to the event where you'll not only see the battle take place but get to sample the food and various craft beers as well.  

 

MASTER PAIRING:  BEER AND CHEESE

Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Time: 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Location: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens
Attire: Casual

 Get Tickets Here

You've heard of wine and cheese pairing but did you know that BEER actually pairs better with cheese?  Don't believe me?  Then see for yourself at the Beer and Cheese pairing event held at Stone on Nov. 19th.   "Dr.” Bill Sysak (tip:  He's not a real doctor but just humor him) hosts an afternoon of unexpected and delicious flavour combinations as he pairs some of the finest artisanal cheeses with beers from around the world. It's reasonably priced - you'd spend this much at a happy hour - but is destined to be a great event with plenty of cheese to sample and even more beer to taste.  And imagine how impressed your friends will be at the next tailgate party when you can say with authority "Brillat-Savarin pairs best with Westmalle Triple Trappist Ale, don't you agree?"

BELGIUM BEER LUNCHEON PRESENTED BY STELLA ARTOIS

 Date: Friday, November 22, 2013
Time: 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Location: Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant
Attire: Casual

  Get Tickets Here

Here's the plan - tell the boss you need to take a very important client out to lunch on Friday, Nov 22nd, and then head over to Banker's Hill Bar + Restaurant for a beer and food event that features Stella beer paired with gourmet food.

Chef Carl Schroeder isn't one of those fake FoodTV "chefs", he's a two-time James Beard Foundation Semi-Finalist for Best Chef.  He's know for creating simple recipes that not only please sophisticated diners but also include sustainable and local ingredients.  He might not have his own TV show or catchphrase but this guy can cook and you'll be there to taste it all.  

Belgian Master Beer Sommelier (I didn't even know there was a person like that)  Marc Stoobandt, who is a member of the British Guild of Beer Writers (what??!), will provide the beer commentary.  

You don't need to be a serious foodie or beer lover to love this event.  Get your tickets early as this one sells out!

REMEMBER:  Get your tickets in advance and buy them early as these events sell out!  The San Diego Wine and Food Festival is the tasting event of the year and a holiday tradition in San Diego.  If you've read this far you need to stop thinking about it and surprise your spouse or significant other with some tickets to at least one of these evens and the Grand Tasting on the weekend.  Happy Holidays and see you all there!  

Local Wally

San Diego's Original Local Guy....since 1996

www.localwally.com

www.DrinkUpSanDiego.com

San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2013 Discount Tickets from Local Wally

San Diego Wine and Food Festival Discount Tickets from your pal,  Local Wally.  

10% OFF 

Grand Tasting Event and Early Admission!

PROMO CODE:  WALLY

 http://www.sandiegowineclassic.com/events.html

I've been raving about this event for years as the BEST foodie event of the year in San Diego and this year you have no excuse since I have discount tickets.  Stop thinking and start drooling!

San Diego Wine and Food Festival

Date: Saturday, November 23, 2013
Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm; 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Location: Embarcadero Marina Park North
Attire: Casual

For those of you who still don't know, the San Diego Wine and Food Fest is an outdoor event held on that park area behind Seaport Village.  Nearly every great restaurant in town has a booth and will be handing out samples of their best stuff.  And look, there are free glasses of wine and OMG yes I do want a sip of vodka or bourbon or tequila and OK let me have another one of those scallops.

Did someone say scallops?  See what I mean about the food?  This isn't your normal food tasting event where every sample is some crummy pasta with marina sauce on it.  Nope, at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival you get the good stuff.  Expect bites of perfectly cooked steak, sushi grade ahi, gourmet everything!  You basically run around like a chicken with your head cut off sampling enough food to fill you up until Thanksgiving.

DON'T FORGET!  Get your discount tickets by using WALLY as your promo code!

 http://www.sandiegowineclassic.com/events.html

There's live music and a great crowd and it makes you feel so good about living in San Diego and not in some snow-bound or rainy city.  It's my new holiday tradition and you need to follow my lead.  Come on, has Local Wally ever let you down?   So grab those tickets before they're all sold out and book yourself an afternoon at the Grand Tasting Event on Nov. 23rd.  Get there early to rush the gates and come hungry!

TIPS:  

1.  Bring a bag or backpack - you'll see.

2.  Don't miss the Stella beer booth where every year they pour a full beer in a cool Stella glass that you get to keep.  Repeat 4 times.  Now do you see why you need the backpack?

3.  If you see Sadie Rose bread, grab it!  Best bread in San Diego.  

4.  When you enter resist the urge to stop at the very first booth.  That's always the longest line.  Instead, head deeper in and than start sampling.  Do a selective loop first and stop at all the places you really want to try, then do it again and hit all the ones you missed.  

5.  Give yourself time to just sit on the lawn in the sunshine and people watch.  This gets very interesting as the day goes on.  Hey, stop looking at me!

6.  Buy your tickets early - this event sells out!  

You want one more food shot for the road?  Do I need to twist your arm?  Get yourself to this event!

Local Wally

www.LocalWally.com

The original San Diego local guy.... since 1996

www.DrinkUpSanDiego.com

The complete guide to San Diego Microbreweries

How To Roast Oysters the Easy Way

I love oysters.  No, not as pets but as edible creatures.  I was just reading something about how we are killing our oceans by overfishing.  Mark my words, soon sushi will be a crime, available only to the elite and politicians.  But I also read that eating shellfish is still OK.  Clams, mussels, and oysters are all smack in the middle of my hit list. With that in mind I went to my local fish market and picked up a dozen.

Raw oysters are a buck apiece - not bad when you figure a restaurant will charge you anywhere from $2 to $3 per oyster.  Cook them and they charge $3 to $4.   I used to eat a lot of raw oysters but always felt like I was playing a little ocean roulette with food poisoning.  I'm an expert in food poisoning and oysters cause the worst!  So let's cook them and take out all the worry. When you buy them it's a good idea to tell the fish guy you're going to cook them so he will give you the larger ones.  Little ones are good raw, bigger ones better for cooking.

I got this handy oyster shucker thing that takes about 50% of the risk out of slicing open your hand.  Seriously, be careful!  If you don't know how to shuck an oyster it's not that hard but it helps to be patient and to not be drinking.  Put that beer down. No, don't drink it first.  I know from experience.

You pry into the hinge area and once you have it sunk in you move the knife around the edges of the oyster.  See how I have a towel just in case?

Scrape the top of the shell to loosen the creature and then do the same on the bottom.  Try not to spill the juice inside.  And for all of you raw only oyster people, seriously, that does not look all the good to eat.  But I will fix that.

This might take a while so I stop and put on some vinyl - how about a little Wings at the Speed of Sound?  I remember buying this album in 1976 and thinking this was the worst McCartney album of all time, but history has shown that he could actually make worse albums.  By today's standards it's damn near a classic.  OK, Linda is singing Cook of the House so let's get back to the oysters.

Since I'm going to roast them I put them all into a cupcake tin to balance them.  Pretty goddamn clever!  And I thought of it!  Now that you have them all shucked you need to add some stuff.

Thankfully the ingredient list is short.  Mince some shallots, get some butter, grate some parmesan cheese, and chop finely some parsley.  Wait a second, that butter looks like something.

What is it?  A bunny?  A doggy? 

OK, enough goofing around.  Take some butter, just a little, and some shallots and put it in each oyster.  Top it with some cheese.

That's probably too much cheese but this isn't rocket science.  Use more, use less, it really doesn't matter.  Now pop it into your oven on broil (500 degrees) on one of the upper racks.  I don't use the very top one because it will burn too fast, but that depends on your oven.

Set the chicken timer to 5 minutes.  Flip the record.  OMG, Paul is singing some horrible song right now! But there's no skip button on a record so just go with it, it won't kill you.

Check in 5 and if the cheese isn't all brown and melted then put the oysters on the very top rack and cook for a couple more minutes - but watch it!

Pulled straight from the oven, here they are with that fresh parsley on top.  But be careful, shells are hot.  No, I'm serious.  The shells are scorching hot so unless you want your guests spitting these across the room as they melt their lips, wait a few minutes.  Wait.  Wait.  Wait.  OK, want a closer look? 

Oh my, these are delicious!  A little lemon and you're good to go - don't ruin them with hot sauce.  Mmmm, I swear, even if you think you won't like them you will. The buttery shallots and the rich cheese mix so well with the oyster, which has transformed from a weird slimy thingy into a plump, tasty sea bite.  Think you only like your oysters raw?  Try these and I bet you will change your mind.  And the nice thing is that there is no way you can get food poisoning and you are eating a creature that isn't in danger of becoming extinct.  Nice!  Tasty!  Easy!

He's been so patient.

See, even Andy likes it!  No, not the shell!  Drop it, Andy!!!!

What's that noise?  Ahhh, time to take off that lousy McCartney album.  I love that album.  And I really love these roasted oysters.  You have to trust me - try making these and you'll be thanking me. 

Happy Cooking (and Eating),

Local Wally
www.localwally.com
www.drinkUpSanDiego.com

Solterra Winery & Kitchen Opens in Leucadia

I'm all for keeping Leucadia funky.  I like the eucalyptus trees, the train blowing its horn as it speeds through town and the flip flop traffic up and down Highway 101.  But Leucadia is growing and when I heard that a winery was opening in Leucadia I was skeptical.  And when I heard that the winery would be serving food, my thoughts went to Temecula where the wine and food scene are both mediocre at best.

Well,  I'm happy to say that Solterra Winery & Kitchen is not only a great addition to Leucadia but is also making some of the best wines south of Paso Robles.  Open from noon to 10pm Sun-Thurs and until midnight on Fri and Sat, it's already becoming one of North County's brightest hotspots.

The winery is the brainchild of Christopher Van Alea, a friendly guy who got his wine chops from his time in Sonoma.  He's been making wines for over 11 years and sources his grapes from San Diego and Mexico to Paso Robles and Sonoma.  The wines have a depth and flavor that has more in common with Napa than Temecula, and that's a very good thing.  And I like that Chris uses some local grapes for some of his wine, proof that not every local wine has to taste like sweet almond champagne.  Come on Temecula, seriously?!!

The viognier is an often overlooked white that has a nice, clean finish and the reds are deep and flavorful.  Chardonnays, zins, cabs and blends, there are plenty to choose from.  You can do a wine tasting for $10, highly recommended for your first visit. Whether you're a newbie to wine or an experience oenophile, you're going to love the wines.  Come in on an afternoon when it's slower and sit back and enjoy each sip as the staff explains and describes each one as if they have been doing this for years. 

 

In fact, that's why I love this place so much.  The vibe is ultra friendly and neighborhood-y, it feels like home.  I love the way the front of the winery opens to the street so you can say hello to passerby's and when the train blows past you know the people on it are wishing they could trade places with you.  Chris did a good job with the building, keeping the original funky room on one side and building a more modern barrel facility on the other.  It fits into Leucadia as if its been here for years.

And since this is a beach town it's nice to know you can also sit on the open patio.  Super casual, come straight from surfing or shopping and you'll fit in just fine.  You'll be surrounded by barrels and if you're lucky some live jazz.  What's also nice about this place is the diversity of age group of the crowd.  The Third Corner's crowd can get a little old, and Union Tap and Kitchen a little young, but Solterra Winery is a good balance of all age groups.

So the wines are good - I mean, the wines are great! - but what about the food?

The cheese and charcuterie plate ($24) is huge, a wonderful sampler to keep 4 people sipping wines happy.  I hate it when a wine bar serves up "happy sized" cheese plates where you have to share little mouse sized nibbles.  There are cheeses, meats, sausages, nuts, figs, marcona almonds, olives, grapes and bread and all of it is top quality - happy happy happy!  The perfect choice for that late afternoon stop-by with a glass of wine.

If you want something hot there are plenty of tapa sized plates.  The fried calimari with safrito aioli was outstanding ($10) and the scallops ($13), well, just look at them!  You can also get entrees that are big enough to share - the lamb shank is fantastic and there's even a vegetarian paella option.  Hey, vegetarians are people too and this is Leucadia, afterall.

The menu is surprisingly robust with the usual suspects (flatbreads) as well as some great surprises (skewers, empanadas).  Lunch is served noon to 3 and dinner starts at 5:30 and even if you just stop in for a glass of wine I defy you not to order something when you see some of the great food coming out of the kitchen. 

So get yourself into Solterra Winery. Stop by for a tasting.  Stop by for a glass or a bottle to go.  Sample some food, or stay for dinner.  Just get in here and find out for yourself why Solterra Winery and Kitchen is the best thing to happen to Leucadia since tie-dyed t-shirts. The times are a-changing and Solterra Winery & kitchen is a welcome addition to funky Leucadia.

SOLTERRA WINERY & KITCHEN
934 North Coast Hwy 101
Leucadia, CA 92024
Phone: 760.230.2970

DIRECTIONS:  On Old Highway 101 just north of where it intersects with Leucadia Blvd.

Local Wally's Guide to San Diego:  www.localwally.com
Local Wally's Guide to Napa:  www.napatouristguide.com
Local Wally's Guide to San Diego Beer:  www.drinkupsandiego.com 
Local Wally's Napa Store:  www.NapaValleyHomeAndGarden.com

VW Bus Night in Encinitas (and damn good tacos later!)

There are a lot of locals who don't know about the special charms of Encinitas, a beach town north of San Diego.  It's like an old photo from the '60's, a flashback that somehow has been updated just a bit to straddle the lines between nostalgia and current.  Woodies driving along old Highway 101, bands playing surf music at the beach, nothing too unusual about that in this town.  During the summer the hot rods come out on the monthly classic car nights and there are the usual suspects - 50's Chevy's, classic muscle cars, deuce coup roadsters, it's a shot right out of American Graffiti.  But last week featured VW buses, some refurbished beyond their original glory.  Let's take a look.

Pretty dang simple inside.  How did we move from this to the dashboards of today which look like they came from the space shuttle? 

Wow, not sure any VW bus had an engine this clean back in the 60's! 

Perfect!  Love the pop out front windows.  Lexus, you need to do this!

It's hard to tell if this is a hobby or a lifestyle.

All we need now is some Grateful Dead music. 

And when it's time to go camping, how about doing it in style with this teardrop trailer?  Yes, that's a TV in the back.  There's one inside, too!

But now I'm hungry and while there are plenty of cool places to eat in downtown Encinitas I decided to go to my favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant called Don Chuys in Solana Beach.

Let me first warn you.  This is not Casa de Bandini, the blandest of the gringo-ized Mex restaurants favored by those who miss El Torito.  No watered down margaritas, either.  In fact, when they say this is a perfect margarita it really is perfect.  No sweety flavor, this sucker punches back with the tequila and Grand Marnier.

As for the food, they have plenty of Mexican dishes you won't find in a corporate Mex restaurant but I love the basic beef taco plate.  It's a lot harder than it seems to make the perfect beef taco but Don Chuys kills it.  The shell is crunchy but not Corn Nut hard, and the beef is simmered to a spicy tenderness and packed so full that it's hard to bite into without losing half the filling.  And the rice and beans are totally unlike a lot of Mexican restaurants where they're more filler or decoration than edible (Casa de Bandini, I'm talking to you!)  These sides are so delicious that I guarantee you will eat every last bite, even if it means instant regret as you roll yourself to your car.

So if you find yourself landlocked in San Diego, do yourself a favor and take a trip to Encinitas to check out the coolest North County beach town.  And then stop in at Don Chuys for some tacos.  And let me know what you think!

Adios Amigos,

Local Wally
www.localwally.com
www.DrinkUpSanDiego.com
www.SanDiegoHomegrown.com