YES!

This San Diego kid is taking a road trip up the coast to Los Angeles. Going up to see The Bird & The Bee at Descanso Gardens. What a trip!

Gonna eat, take photos, watch a great concert, and just relax!

More on this later...just wanted to brag a bit!

Things that I Did This Weekend

Friday:

• Went to Happy Hour at Bare Back Grill - LoBro
• Went to Ba Ren for Chinese, Clairemont Mesa
• Shopped at Daiso Market, Kearney Mesa
• A Drink at Hamiltons Tavern - South Park
• Josh & Mace's Going Away Party - Ocean Beach
• Sleep...

Saturday:

• ...Sleep In
• Las Americas Outlets - San Ysidro
• Don Felix for Caldo de Res - San Ysidro
• Test Drove Il Bello Scooter - Loma Portal
• Con Pane - Loma Portal
• Got Beer at Trader Joe's - Liberty Station
• Last Trivia Contest with Kipper at The Whistle Stop - South Park
• Made Mixed Tapes and Blogged - Home

Sunday:

• Little Italy for breakfast and coffee
• Buy matching adidas high tops for Felix and I - adidas store, downtown
• Watch the Italy-Brazil drubbing (by Brazil) at Pizzeria Luigi, Golden Hill
• Fathers Day Lunch - National City
• Lefty's Pizza - Mission Hills (new store!)
• Watched Team Luigi play soccer at the Water Tower - North Park
• Pints at Livewire - North Park
• Sleep...

Over all, a great weekend! Thanks to all the people who wished me a happy fathers day. Thanks to all the people who made this weekend exceptional. Thanks to Felix for recording a cool card for me. Here is what he said, "Happy day, daddy. I wub you. #1 daddy!"

Awesome!

This is On the Real

One of My Faves - Blind Lady Ale House

Blind Lady Ale House (BLAH) - Normal Heights

Recently, a great establishment opened up in my area. Actually, it may be the perfect business to open up in Normal Heights!

Blind Lady Ale House is situated just east of the Normal Heights sign on Adams. It inhabits what was recently a French bakery and restaurant called A La Francaise.

This ale house is a godsend for beer aficionados. Beer consultant, brewer, hat model and all around good guy Lee Chase is one of the principals of this hot spot. And it shows!

The attention to detail in pouring the perfect glass of beer is evident from the pre-rinsing of every glass to touch beer to the pouring system to the appropriate pour level in the perfect glasses for that particular draft. But most of, the Ace selection of beer that Lee hand-picks for the bar.

The pub is warm in tones, child & family friendly, and offers the crowd a comfortable and clean environment. The crowd is diverse and db-factor (douchebag) is low. Unlike most brew-pubs in San Diego, BLAH is not a sausage party! The mix of men and women is more even than most.

They have listened to their customers and put in custom made made overhead, recycled acoustic panels that dampen the noise.

Out of the kitchen, BLAH offers up pizza, salads, cheese plates and other dishes. They are organic and local as much as possible. Prices are affordable and portions are reasonable.

Blind Lady Ale House - It's about the beer here!

3416 Adams Avenue, San Diego CA 92116

This is On the Real

"It Came From the Sky"

Saturday Night Dustbuster



Creedence Clearwater Revival - It Came From the Sky
Neko Case - Guided By Wires
Mercury Rev - Hudson Line
Jonathan Richman - Rock n Roll Drummer Straight from the Hospy-Tel
Los Lobos - Instrumental from "Once Upon a Time In Mexico"
David Bowie - Modern Love
The La's - Feelin'
The Magnetic Fields - The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing
Miles Davis - Generique (from 'Ascenseur')
The Police - So Lonely
Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me
Otros Aires - Barrio de Tango
Phil Moore Jr. - Funky Canyon
New Order - Thieves Like Us
Hot Chip - Ready For the Floor
The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers

Total: 53:36

Scheduled Outage at 12:00AM PDT

Mixed Tape Because Felix Fell Asleep

My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday
Neko Case - Stinging Velvet
Nick Drake - Hazey Jane II
Belle & Sebastian - Judy and the Dream of Horses
Camera Obscura - Keep it Clean
The Bird & The Bee - My Love
The Fiery Furnaces - Bow Wow
Muscial Bit: Sunshine and Clouds by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
The Boy Least Likely To - I See Spiders When I Close My Eyes
The Magnetic Fields - A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood
Lily Allen - Smile
Common - Driving Me Wild
Waok (Ay) Rollcall by The Roots
M.I.A. - Amazon
Lesson 6: The Lecture by Cut Chemist

Don't ask me how it took that turn towards the end, or why it started off with MMJ...nor should you inquire about what inspired this mixed cd.

Neighborhood - Allagash Night

One of the best brewers in the world will have seven love handles at Neighborhood tomorrow. I collaborated with Edgar Nunez and Amy Granite on the flyer for this event. Hope to see you all there!

DOA - Boombox Thursday

How do you know that a place is dead?

I went to Boombox Thursday at Air Conditioned on Adams Avenue. It was around 12:30 am, they were giving away free booze from Sailor Jerry's and there was no cover. Yet inside, in this prime period when drunk and fun find a common ground, there were less 20 people inside.

Let me reiterate. There was free booze and no cover. And nobody showed up.

It pains me to say these things, but it isn't like I haven't uttered them to friends before. I have even met with Edgartronic with a colleague to try to determine how to get his event more traffic. But unless DJ Edgartronic and DJ Groundfloor do something pronto, this night at AC is going to die, fast. This is kind of sad, since my crew and I have been hitting this spot up since last summer. I know the DJs personally and have actually had fun here in the past. So I hope that they heed these words and take it for what it is...mean girl tough love.

Like I said, this has been said before to the players in the game. But because of lack of visual proof of forward progress, it seems as though our thoughts and suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. But here are some of the thoughts that we have bandied about in the recent past.

• Better Promotion: these two DJs can't just spin records. They need to be marketing their event as well. Instead, what I've been observing is an utter laziness with these two. At one point, I saw a weekly presence on their Myspace and Facebook profiles and event posts on Yelp. Now, I see last minute posts that smack of being an afterthought.
• Better Performances: the feeling I get are both these guys are either stagnant or unmotivated. Groundfloor has been doing a better job than Edgartronic recently. 'tronic seems to be calling it in half the time. Groundfloor has it in him to be a respectable DJ, and I kind of feel that the constraints of Boombox is doing him a disservice.
• More interactivity with the audience: Part of the allure of an event are the DJs. Both these guys show little to no stage presence when they are on the decks. There is the occasional "Hey Boombox!" but it seems forced and insincere. Is there anything sadder in a club than a DJ with little or no emotion and the personality of an iPod
• Newer/Fresher sets: How many times can you play the same songs and sets before the audience gets bored with it? I have been hearing the same jams from these two for months. Playing nearly the same set week in and week out is basically slapping your loyal following in the face. If we want to hear those songs over and over, we'll listen to your mixed cds, thank you very much.
• Follow up on success: In the past year, DJ Edgartronic has been nominated as one of the top club DJs in the city by SDMA, he has had a Night & Day article written about him, and has gotten a gig at X1FM.com. He has done very little to nothing to capitalize on these opportunities and exposure. I would be very surprised if Edgartronic will be getting another nomination this year as there have been some insanely great DJs that have come into their own in the past 12 months. But more than anything, Edgartronic has not shown growth musically nor promotionally as he should have.

I don't know if any of these suggestions are going to help this late in the game. I have a feeling that, without their friends, this night out would have zero people coming. They have taken a potentially hot start to the weekend, and killed it with their lack of motivation and inspiration.

Give us a reason for coming out, boys. There is no good reason for me, or anyone else for that matter, to start our weekend off on the slow tip. Because if you are too lazy to do something dramatic and drastic, I have no reason to even bother showing up at your lame ass attempt at fun.

This is ON THE REAL!

Lazy Sunday

What a great Sunday! I spent the day not really giving a toot about anything and ended up having a really great day - well rounded and balanced.

Things I did today

Parked in East Village and got a coffee and muffin at It's a Grind.

Went to the Park at the Park (at Petco Park.) - this is one of the great treasures in the city. For the dad of a toddler, this is one of the cleanest, newest and well maintained parks in San Diego. For a baseball fan, it is a rare opportunity to sit in front of an empty major league ballpark. Great place to take photos. People watching galore. There are great places to eat around Petco, so an impromptu picnic is not out of the question. As a local tourist, it is a great launching point to explore the Gaslamp Quarter & East Village.

Took a stroll into the Gaslamp District and paid Borders a visit. I saw a book for my kid that he adored. I found myself a John Feinstein book on the NCAA Final Four for a buck - so happiness was had for under $6.00. Killed an hour with my kid reading the board books and checking out the bargain book section.

After walking back to our car, we drove to El Sol Mexican Food on University (just east of Florida St.) for the fabulous Cheeseburger and Fries ($5.50!) that Nacho serves up from that magic kitchen. This burger is as good as any in the city. The patty is well seasoned and not at all greasy. The two cheeses give it that extra delicious moisture. And the price is awesome! The one drawback are the fries, which often tastes like rolled tacos. Oh well, my little kid likes them. I mask the flavor with some of the different condiments provided in our sack.

We decided not to eat there, but to drive someplace and mack out al fresca. I had the idea of going over to Morley Field and watching some tennis. Morley Field Tennis Complex is a surprisingly good place to eat with a rambunctious kid. The concrete steps that serve as the seats are tall and imposing for a two year old.

Quietly watching a coach and his charge, we macked our delicious burgers and enjoyed the sun and cool breeze.

Making our way back home, blissfully stuffed, we decided to close out our lazy Sunday with an afternoon nap.


Mix CD for a Lazy Sunday

"Something Often"

1. My Love - The Bird and Bee
2. Fidelity - Regina Spektor
3. There You Are - The Sea and Cake
4. Fighting In a Sack - The Shins
5. Rusholme Ruffians - The Smiths
6. Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
7. Keep the Car Running - Arcade Fire
8. Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
9. Samba Tranquille - Thievery Corporation
10. Pauvre Lola - Serge Gainsbourg
11. Let Me Go Home - Camera Obscura
12. Another Sunny Day - Belle & Sebastian
13. LDN - Lily Allen

This is ON THE REAL!

On a Japanese Kick

Right now, I am on a Japanese food kick. The proper portions, dedication to flavor, fresh ingredients, and attention to preparation and presentation - these are just a few reasons that when I get in my car late at night, I stop heading to the taco shops around town and search for a taste of the east!
These are three of my favorite restaurants in the city:

Hane - best new sushi restaurant in the city...maybe be the best new restaurant in the city. Chef Roger is doing something really special here in Bankers Hill. Warning, Hane may raise your expectations and raise the bar of your sushi palate. Not cheap, but why would you want cheap raw fish? Order off the menu and try the Chef's Choice Menu for $65 or $85 per person. Worth every single penny for edible art.

Hane:
2760 5th Ave #105, San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 260-1411

Check out more Hane info here:
http://tinyurl.com/n7ylfh
Photos of my first Hane experience: http://tinyurl.com/m7xe63

Yakitori Yakyuduri - great spot for skewers, porridge and other delectable small plates. Open late, which is great. Prices and portions encourage you to try things outside of the norm, like beef tongue and grilled chicken gizzards. The small teriyaki bowl is surprisingly filling. The chicken wings are divine! Great ambiance. Serves beer and sake.

Yakitori Yakyuduri
3739 6th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 692-4189

Check out more YY info here:
http://tinyurl.com/kub8tz

Tajima - another favorite late night haunt. Tajima is in the epicurean epicenter of awesomeness that is Convoy & Balboa. For people who complain about San Diego not being a soup city, I offer these haters great ramen from this hot spot. They offer a variety of soups- from fat to thin noodles, to soy sauce broth to the house flavored broth. Tajima offers great curries, and teriyaki. All the prices are reasonable, service is fast and efficient. Food is good to great. This place is open late, is usually jammed packed, and one of the true great midnight snack spots. Open until 3am on some nights.

Tajima
4681 Convoy St # 1
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 576-7244
Check out more Tajima info here:
http://tinyurl.com/l85xjv

Eating all these Japanese dishes at these Japanese restaurants makes me want to save up some Yen and head to the land of the rising sun. In the meantime, I have to make do with what my fine city has to offer. Until then, Konichiwa bitches!

This is ON THE REAL!

Have any tips of Japanese restaurants in SD? email me at edwinreal@gmail.com

My short list of great(ish) coffee houses in San Diego

January 7, 2009

Here are my three favorite coffeehouses in San Diego, as of today.

Cafe Bassam, Banker Hill
Old World feeling with some of the best coffee and ambiance in town.

Mystic Mocha, University Heights
Awesome neighborhood hidden gem. Great coffee drinks and breakfasts.

Krakatoa, Golden Hill
Totally hip, totally laid-back with kick your ass coffee drinks and grub.