around san diego

the weekend at a glance

March 10, 2014

Naked Cafe, San Diego // My SoCal'd Life

You know that feeling when the winter frost has melted, flowers begin to bloom and you can smell spring in the air? There’s an intangible excitement about being able to frolic outdoors and ditch the heavy coats. There’s an extra skip in your step.

Well, even though we SoCal folks are spoiled with phenomenal weather year-round, after last week’s “storm”—4 days of a little pouring, a lot of drizzling—some San Diegans seemed to have that same out-of-the-woodworks excitement—like we had just endured a horrid polar vortex. Even I was a little extra excited about being outdoors. I guess California does make you a bit soft.

Minus less-jazzy tasks like laundry and work, we spent much of the weekend out and about. It was just so good. I actually got a little nostalgic for it last night. Here’s a little glimpse at the action:

Above: I felt like I hadn’t had a proper brunch out in some time, so Eaman and I tried Naked Cafe in Point Loma. It’s located in a strip mall littered with Core Power Yoga devotees, so expect to see lots of fit bodies here, as the menu leans extremely healthy. We got the multi-grain blueberry pancakes, which were more healthy than delicious (not necessarily a bad thing), and the green & red pagoda, an egg entree with rosemary toast, soy sausage, avocado, artichoke and sun-dried tomatoes. That was amazing. Bonus points for a dog-friendly patio.

// My SoCal'd Life

I love drive-through car washes. We spotted one across the street from Naked Cafe and went for a little joy-ride.

Coronado Dog Beach, San Diego // My SoCal'd Life

Whenever I say, “I want to have a fun day off,” I always end up at the Coronado dog beach. Taking Teddy there is truly my favorite outdoor activity in this city.

El Indio in San Diego // My SoCal'd Life

A dog beach trip is traditionally followed by Mexican food at El Indio in Mission Hills. No, it’s not the best Mexican food, but it does hold a special place in our hearts. It was the first place we went to when visiting San Diego in 2010 and it was the first place we went to after moving here. They also have an adorable patio that so few people know about. And look at that Irish spirit!

Golden retriever

Teddy was out with us all of Saturday, which always makes for a fun, if not eventful, experience.

imperial-beach

On Sunday I explored Imperial Beach with two girlfriends. Just a few miles from the Mexican border, this San Diego beach community is the most southwestern city in the U.S. and from what I understand, has undergone some revamps in the last few years. I’m already a fan of quiet, slightly off-the-radar towns, so the fact that this one is paired with a beautiful beach backdrop made it a fast favorite.

imperial-beach-san-diego

The best part is walking along the water. It was an impeccable day, so the ocean looked stunning. Around town, there aren’t a ton of options, but there’s a lot of heart in the mom-and-pop shops. I’ll definitely be doing a neighborhood guide on this place soon.

West Coast Cafe, Imperial Beach // My SoCal'd Life

We ate lunch at West Coast Cafe, a no-frills diner-style eatery, the kind where two eggs, a sausage, biscuit, pancakes and hash browns are all part of one meal. They also have sandwiches, soups and salads, but I went for a simple but tasty egg-veggie wrap that was just $4. The lady who worked there—perhaps the “mama” referred to on the misspelled menu?—sat down with us to take our orders and then chatted with me about the merits of Lisa and Carlton on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Cowabunga ice cream // My SoCal'd Life

We ended the afternoon at Cow-A-Bunga, a homemade ice cream parlor at the end of the pier. Nothing to write home about, but I did enjoy the not overly sweet coconut flavor. I also enjoy the $2/scoop rate.

We also made meatballs from scratch, watched a great old movie on Netflix and made enchiladas from scratch (I’m on a kick!).

Hope you had a great weekend!

 

4 thoughts on “the weekend at a glance

  1. Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health

    i am ready for some shorts..ps. I will be visiting San Francisco soon,I cant wait!!

    Reply
  2. Amanda

    Haha, it’s funny living in Southern California how you have to defend a Mexican place if it isn’t authentic enough :) People take their tacos very seriously here!

    Reply
    1. Archana Post author

      You’re so right. I’m still new to SoCal, but I already feel like I need to be on the defense!

      Reply

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