Archives for category: San Diego
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Tacos and a view: Top 3 San Diego tacos and ambiance

September 1, 2014 //
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Every weekend is a ripe opportunity to play tourist in my own town, with no shortage of new and mainstay cafes, coffee shops and of course, breweries to discover and return to. This post however, is inspired by the last several weeks of dining out. I noticed a trend; every restaurant I’ve been to recently served some version of Mexican food, and everything I’ve ordered have been tacos!

These San Diego taco picks include the following common denominators: a homemade tortilla, satisfying filling (for the carnivorous set) and a fun environment to enjoy your meal in. Enjoy!

Carne Asada Taco, Tacos Perla, North Park – This spot is great for admiring the tiled communal tables while deciding on which homemade salsa to top over their perfectly seasoned tacos. There are about five different salsas to chose from, and at the moment I prefer #4, made with cashews and hazelnuts. We heard that this one is everyone’s favorite. Unfortunately, they aren’t selling them yet.

If you’re around the corner at the new Modern Times tasting room, you can even order your goods online and they’ll deliver directly to your seat!

Carnitas Street Taco, Carnitas Snack Shack, North Park – Smoky, salty and juicy carnitas piled high, street taco style pairs well with the shack’s open-air setting. All of the seats are around back after ordering your food at the front window. I prefer to sit at the stools at the bar-like tables beneath the trees. While the carnitas grounds me in Southern California, the outdoor setting reminds me of a slower evening on Rainey Street in Austin. My friend mentioned that the backyard feel reminded her of a few places in Brooklyn. Either way, if you’re looking for cheap eats and neighborhood casual vibe, this place is it.

Also, I just learned that they recently opened a location in Del Mar so us North County folk won’t have to drive too far for pork heaven.

Filet Mignon Taco, Puesto, Downtown and La Jolla – Tender chunks of filet mignon drizzled in a spicy pistachio sauce (really wasn’t that spicy) and melted cheese topped with avocado is best enjoyed beneath one of Puesto’s large orange umbrellas on the wraparound patio area, or looking out and into The Headquarters plaza from a seat upstairs. The last time we went, our party had an upstairs table and a sweet view of the tortilla wheel downstairs, adjacent from the bar.

Puesto seems to be the hot spot at the moment so reservations are recommended, and so is the frozen horchata for dessert. Next time, I’m asking our waitress if they’ll make me a cocktail out of it.

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North County, have any additional recommendations? I’ve had my eye on the Bull Taco chainlet for a while but just haven’t made it in yet.

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Categories San Diego, Travel Tips

Weekend Reads: August 29, 2014

August 29, 2014 //
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Weekend Reads is a weekly* series on The Curious Passport and features a round-up of travel news, features and other related links (probably related to food, fitness or the outdoors) I’ve either found around the internet or has been sent my way by friends and family.

 

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Photo credit: Aubrey Daquinag, Conde Nast Traveler

 

  • “Ten Tips to Hiking THE Potato Chip Rock, San Diego (Photos),” TravelBreak – Every other weekend at a girlfriend’s house spurs the same conversation. “We should go on a hike next weekend!” “Yeah! I really want to do that potato chip hike.” “It’s kind of hard, we need to train for it.” And so it goes. Several months later we’re still having the same conversation. However, now that we’re approaching Fall which will theoretically bring a bit of cooler weather and armed with this post as tutorial I am hoping we’ll make it out there soon.
  •  “The 2014 Traveler 50: World’s Smartest Cities,” National Geographic Traveler – Scrolling through this list, I noticed a trend. All of the features for each city highlighted contributes in some way to the quality of life for its locals and visitors. Whether it’s through leveraging technology or good old fashioned IRL (that’s in-real-life) relationships, it’s interesting to read about the many ways these cities are making themselves a safer, more efficient, fun, delicious and authentic place to stay and play.
  • “Why You Should Travel with a Polaroid Camera,” Conde Nast Traveler – When my littlest sister returned home after nearly two weeks traipsing around Copenhagen and St. Petersburg during a Baltic Sea cruise, she came back with the cutest, retro-looking mini snapshots from her Polaroid. There is something so special about a tangible memento you can bring home after a trip, and the additional ways in which you can use these photos outlined in this post is additional affirmation why I need one a camera of my own. I’m headed to Australia and New Zealand next and am looking forward to capturing the scenery and culture in a variety of ways (eating all of the foods will be one of them).

 

 

*It’s been a transitional last few weeks and haven’t been able to post Weekend Reads for August 15 and 22, but I am back on track!

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Categories San Diego, Travel Tips, Weekend Reads

Passing Through: San Diego to Los Angeles by Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

July 13, 2014 //
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By car, you are one of the herd, confined by the unpredictable flow of traffic. On the train, expectations are predetermined by a schedule. Theoretically, I would board Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner at 11:30 a.m. and arrive in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles and my final destination a few hours later.

The train rolled in a few minutes past the half hour. I climbed aboard slightly annoyed. It was the July 4th weekend, and I had a social schedule to keep. The top deck was sparse; I committed to one of the many open window seats and plugged my iPhone into an empty outlet. I scrolled through the #Amtrak Twitter search results to see what my fellow Amtrak passengers thought about their experiences. Unfortunately, it looked like there were major delay issues on the East Coast. A power outage, apparently. Fortunately, I was in California.

With that perspective, all was forgiven as we glided North from the Oceanside stop; past the surfers at San Onofre, the sparkling view of the sand and shore, colorful beach umbrellas ruffling in the breeze – the folks on the sand enjoying the bright, sunny day just like me. Because I’m on a train. And those folks crawling the opposite way on the I-5? They probably wished they took the train. I could almost feel the strain in my right foot toggling from the gas and brake pedals, a sporadic routine that is guaranteed on that wretched drive. Been there, done that way too many times. No thanks, not this weekend.

I felt in complete opposition to what it usually feels like to make the drive; on the day I took the train, I felt calm and quiet. Even the steady clang of the bell as we arrived at each stop and the intermittent blasts of the train’s warning horn (or whatever it’s called) felt welcome. After a while, it blended into the periphery.

Inside, the seats were wider and boasted more legroom than a domestic flight. The shushing of the air-conditioning and the pleasant rumble underfoot as it carried on put me at ease. Why haven’t I thought of train travel before?

This was the way America traveled the country before cars and planes; this was their way, it wasn’t novelty, the way I treated it. Train travel was their ticket to the future, a coal-fired exchange for more time, opportunity, exploration. I considered this as the conductor stopped at my seat as I unlocked my battered iPhone, flashed the QR code and was recorded as another passenger on its daily route.

View of Oceanside, CA from Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.

View of Oceanside, CA from Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.

 

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Categories California, Passing Through, San Diego, Travel
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