c note this sat. @ balboa park

it's c note night again this saturday at the san diego art institute at balboa park (located on the south side of the prado before you hit the parking lot that needs to be axed). you can pick up some great art for $100, $200 or $300 by artists who are members of the institute. we've scored some good stuff over the years there, but you need to get there early - the line seems to get longer every year. and it helps to go to a preview prior to the event, so you know exactly where to run to once you get inside... only to find that someone else got their grubby hands on the piece you've already mentally hung in your house somewhere.

everyone has their own taste when it comes to art, but i've found that the most interesting pieces tend to be on the leftmost and rear walls as you enter the gallery via the staircase. the other walls tend to have a lot of timid watercolors. of course, the layout might change this year.

one complaint - what's with the $5 fee for non-members? that's new. while i understand their reasons for starting this fee, i'm not too thrilled about it.

unfortunately with our impending trip to thailand, and mom in town this weekend, we'll probably miss this one. but with a c note event every six months, there's plenty of future opportunities to support local artists and give your walls some much-needed originality.

children's museum opening in may

the children's museum in the gaslamp is opening 5/4/2008, according to their website, which means there will be somewhere to take the niece and nephews downtown on those rare san diego rainy days (2 and counting since may). jay got some good pictures of the completed exterior, and it's a neat addition to the architecture in that spot.

maryjane's at hard rock hotel

the day after thanksgiving offered plenty of parking downtown - the perfect time to check out the newly-opened hard rock hotel. first we had to deal with our post-thanksgiving rebound appetites, so we ducked into mary jane's coffee shop and were immediately impressed by the modernist look. lots of future-retro white high chairs, purple booths, and an overall clean, slick feel to the place. apparently they're open until 3 in the morning and the word is out - our server said it's been a mob scene there after the bars close. it was fairly empty while we were there, but that meant our meals came out all the faster. i had the open face meatloaf sandwich, which melted in your mouth and surprisingly did not cause my usual egg-induced stomach disaster. jay had a burger (surprise), which was also very tasty, and the fries were on par with others we're had recently. the menu offers mostly diner standards at reasonable prices for downtown, including a few omelettes which have got to taste good at 2 in the morning. and there's a big bar with lots of top shelf liquors from the looks of it. so don't stop drinking just because you're done with the club - come on down to mary jane's and keep that buzz going.

the restaurant opens into the main part of the hotel, which goes easy on the rock star memorabilia (although jay was all over gwen stefani's pants from the "don't speak" video). the lobby is nice but nothing spectacular. nobu has the prime corner facing the convention center, and how could that place be anything but a huge hit. sweetwater saloon is the snooty nightclub. from reading the disappointed tales of folks who weren't gorgeous enough to get in, it's funny to think back to a recent union tribune fluff piece on the hotel's gm, robert todak, in which he said the hotel would be open to anyone. he described standing in the rain at the velvet rope of a manhattan club that wouldn't let him in when he was young, and how he wouldn't let that happen at hard rock. psst, rob - sounds like you need to speak to the sweetwater doorman!

the back roads to vegas

cheap rates on the vegas strip came calling last week. the weekend before thanksgiving is always relatively inexpensive there; i'm guessing there's no conventions going on and folks are gearing up for family travel that week. but the comedy festival, which i've been wanting to hit the past few years (and which is being disowned by hbo this year) was happening, and with wanda sykes performing, my friend mike and i had to go.

since mike lives in palm springs we took the back roads to vegas, watching the towns get smaller and smaller as we headed out of civilization. by the time you get to amboy, you know you're in the middle of nowhere - and there's a lot more of that until you hit the vegas state line. we stopped at the route 66 landmark of roy's in amboy, where we were told that the current owners plan to restore the restaurant, lodges and gasoline service. there's even a nearby mini-volcano that went dormant about six hundred years ago, standing black against the tan desert.

interestingly, amboy is one of california's oldest cities, dating back to 1858. apparently the only person living there now is roy's on-site caretaker. imagine being the only resident of your town!

ortega's mexican bistro

wow we had a great dinner last night at ortega's in hillcrest. it's been open for a while in the former rainbow road location, and has been expanded during that time, but we've never gotten over there. however, after we found bite to be closed on a tuesday, i suggested ortega's for dinner.

upon entering you're welcomed by a friendly host and warm lighting. your eye is drawn to the cozy bar area in the back, and a nook area with a long couch. looks like a fun place to spend happy hour, especially when that includes $2 house margaritas (big ones!) all tuesday night. the owners have done a great job converting from the former business - where one used to browse the rows of gay porn videos upstairs, now are cozy tables.

the chips and salsa were a tasty start, and the shrimp cocktail, while small, had a delicious sauce. my kobe steak burrito was cooked just right, and jay's shrimp tacos melted in your mouth. so good! throw in the hot 20 year-old korean waiter and it's just about a perfect dinner. just wish we'd gotten there sooner. hopefully the small crowd isn't the norm for this special place.

ciro's pizza coming to hillcrest

ciro's new york style pizza, currently located downtown next to sidebar nightclub, is opening another location in the universal hillcrest. this makes sense, since universal and sidebar are owned by the same folks. but how great is it going to be to have walk-up pizza for all the gays when they get out of the bars on university? while bronx pizza is a walkable option if you're getting out of urban mo's, more late night walk-up food in hillcrest is always a good thing.

a learning experience

there was another meeting tonight regarding the kensington terrace project. before i forget, it was announced that you can send your opinions about the project to the city planning board by e-mailing jsfisher@sandiego.gov - but do it by 8 am tomorrow since they're voting on it tomorrow morning.

not much has changed - the opponents of the project seem to be unable to comprehend that they live next to a commercially-zoned area and what that means. i've learned that we have some very selfish people in this neighborhood. because they don't want a large commercial project (and the increased vehicle trips and parking it creates) on the main thoroughfare of kensington, in an area that's always been zoned commercial, the project should not be allowed to be built. it's too big, too tall, too much office space, etc. forget about the rest of the community and whether they would appreciate this resource - the opponents don't want it, and that's that!

why do people like this live in kensington, where part of its appeal is its walkability to a well-defined commercial area? if you don't want sizable commercial projects nearby, don't purchase property next to commercially-zoned areas. in fact, there's plenty of homes available in bland generic suburbs throughout san diego where one can live in a gated community that prohibits commercial development and parking on the street, where folks can avoid making friendships with their neighbors because they never interact with them in community areas. please, move out and make way for people who actually think about the best interests of their community instead of just their own.

sharing the 'wealth

finally got over to commonwealth cafe in north park this weekend. they've done a nice job making the interior friendly and diner-like. it really feels like the place has been there much longer than a few months. our waitress was incredibly friendly, and we ordered a couple of burgers and split some fries.

the fries were perfect after we added some salt - thin and crispy. the burgers were on the greasy side however, and at this price point - $6 and up - burger lounge offers a better burger (due to the tallgrass beef patties they use). still, we really enjoyed commonwealth on a slow sunday, and look forward to any menu expansion they might have in the works.

kensington terrace plan available

you can see the proposed floor plan/overview for kensington terrace at forkensington.com. and you can give your feedback on the project there, including what kind of retail you'd (not) like to see.

looks good to me - the penthouse units on the third floor of the project will probably have some nice views. and the patio area facing starbucks will really add to the community feel of that intersection. i would like to see a more daring design to the project, but the developer probably has enough to deal with without trying to challenge folks' architectural sensibilities.

delays are a bitch too

"isn't anticipation a bitch?" smirks the tagline on the front of the still-unfinished universal lounge in hillcrest. what was advertised as a fall 2007 opening has been pushed back to spring 2008, according to their website. i'm sure these kinds of delays are typical on big projects like this, but as the picture above shows, it sure seems like they've hit a snag over there recently. didn't it look like that a few months ago?

i've been pretty excited about this project and what it will do for that stretch of university. imagine, a gaslamp-style club where the breeders and the gays can come together and sip $14 cocktails. sounds intriguing, but then i came across this promotional material:

Imagine. Believe. Indulge.

Everything you're thinking--is only the beinning. Get ready San Diego, Fall 2007 introduces the next epic superclub, with a new risqué twist.

"We believe laughter equals longevity. We believe in happy endings. We believe a dress code breeds creativity. We believe in a more perfect union. We believe in Hillcrest." - Universal

(cue loud wet fart sound)

yikes! jeez, i definitely do not feel L.A.-enough for this place. i read elsewhere that they're going for a san diego version of the abbey in west hollywood, which isn't exactly the most welcoming place for those who aren't young and beautiful. but that's alright, maybe i can sneak in there on a monday or something when the lights and attitude are down a notch to check it out.

another worrisome development are the preview parties they've been having. jay went to one of these at top of the park a few weeks back and there were no renderings or anything. how is that a preview? i see they're having another one at the new clothing/furniture place house boi in north park, and it says they'll be previewing the drinks they'll be serving. okay...

well, universal will still be a vast improvement over the old porn shop that was there, even with the attitude. i suppose confidence is a necessary ingredient when you're waiting for your neighborhood to rise.

mission hills happenings

lots of new stuff happening on washington in mission hills - two new condo projects and the big makeover at paseo de mission hills. the first condo project pictured above, mission florence, invites you to "live beautifully" (isn't that required for southern california already?) in a rather generic-looking way. i do like the stone touches at the bottom of the building, and the big balconies, but does every new project have to be colored brown?

apparently the builders at the new project behind donut star, palomo nuevo, just down the street agree - they've coated their grim narrow townhomes with more brown. it is a nice example of infill however. and the picture doesn't do the project justice, the sun prevented a west-facing shot of the entry to the project.

there is some interesting architecture going on at paseo mission hills (bordering goldfinch) in the third and fourth pictures above, where they've taken the facade off the westernmost building on the block and exposed the appealing original trim work. i like the contrast that the modern facade to its right provides. and the spanish-style building on the east end of the block, with bright green and yellow tile at its base, is a big improvement over the drab exterior that the old mission hills cafe presented. lots of ground floor commercial space to fill here and at florence, and all along goldfinch where the paseo's developer bought several properties. but given that the nearby mission hills commons managed to fill theirs, it hopefully won't be a problem.

urban solace: hash house on the cheap

that might be a stretch, but i kept getting that feeling as we dined at the new urban solace in north park. and i mean that in a good way - it's comfort food, a-la hash house, but without the $28 entree prices. i think the folks running this fun, friendly place with exemplary service might be on to something.

one of the newest additions to the burgeoning dining scene in north park, urban solace is located between the new pink elephant bar (not to be confused with yellow elephant bar, home of chickenhawk republicans) and that old queen, shooters. the ample-sized patio can be seen from the sidewalk, and adjoins the french quarter-style builing housing the restaurant. but don't be fooled by the building's new facade, you won't be eating jambalaya here. instead, upon entry you're greeted by a dimly-lit, tastefully decorated bar/lounge area with a relatively small dining area.

not surprisingly, we were told there was a half-hour wait for dinner (it was 8 on a saturday and the place was packed) but we were called on our cell phone shortly thereafter and dashed back in. lots of intriguing appetizers on the menu, but we settled on the goat cheese/butternut squash dip, and the albacore chop with avocado and nuts. both came with thin, salty baguettes perfect for dipping/piling. while the chop was quite similar to an appetizer we had at island prime, there was plenty of raw albacore to satiate the sushi fiend in me. the dip was creamy and a nice accompaniment to the cheese and baguettes.

the entrees were no letdown from the apps - jay had the mac and cheese with bacon and i had a salmon blt with aioli. the mac and cheese was addictive and the definition of comfort food, and my blt was tasty along with the sweet potato fries that accompanied it. and with entree prices under $15 and sandwiches under $10, there's real value for your food buck. i can't think of another restaurant in town that offers this level of atmosphere and food at this price point.

in addition to the above, the service was impeccable - the best we've had in a while. our waitress was friendly and attentive, and we had several staff members assist us throughout the meal. food delivery was timely too. throw in a young, vibrant crowd and it was about as good as it gets. we'll be back soon.

kensington scare-ace

halloween wasn't the only scary thing last week - the proposed kensington terrace mixed-use project got a frightful reception from a vocal minority in attendance at the kensington community church on thursday. located on adams avenue from marlborough to edgeware, it will replace an overpriced gas station and two boarded-up homes fronting adams, along with some property behind it. it's a fairly large (three story) project for the neighborhood, with lots of retail space planned and the underground parking it requires. needless to say, a lot of folks are up in arms about it and they vented their opinions at the forum with the developer, allard jansen.

prior to the meeting, a letter in opposition to aspects of the current project proposal was circulated around the neighborhood. it was signed by several residents who live on edgeware near the project. i understand their concerns, and if i lived adjacent to the project my name might have been on that letter too. in my opinion however, when you purchase property adjacent to a commercial area, the homeowner should recognize that this type of project is a possibility. while one of their main concerns is that the project seeks a height variance of 7 feet above the 30 foot standard, they did not address the fact that part of this property is zoned for 50 feet. the variance is a result of the developer's consideration of not including a towering structure on part of the property, evening out the vertical distribution of the project.

of course, the opposition letter did not mention that aspect, just how the variance resulted in a project that did not belong in kensington. but then the letter was hardly truthful. it claimed that all parking along adams avenue would be eliminated, and that the project would bring an additional 2400+ car trips to kensington daily. yet there is no plan to remove parking, just a re-striping of adams to include a turning lane, and the actual number of additional car trips is around 1400, according to my partner jay who was at the meeting.

again, i can understand local residents' opposition to aspects of the proposal, but when you distribute a letter that includes outright lies to scare residents into opposition, it doesn't help your cause. in fact, it makes me wonder if they oppose any development at all at this location, and would prefer for this stretch to stay as dumpy as it is now. but i'll give them the benefit of the doubt - maybe they were just using halloween week to try and put a good scare into all of us.

anyway, the meeting had good value for amusing quotes from the large neighborhood turnout. they include (i'm paraphrasing from jay's memory):

- "i'm worried that the project will bring in outsiders. you see them at starbucks and you know they don't live here. can you enforce the (no loitering rule) on these people? they are ruining the neighborhood by being there."

- "what kind of retail are you going to bring in, chuck e. cheese?"

- "i'm afraid of something like wal-mart coming in".

and basically, too tall, too dense, too big for the neighborhood.

i love the first quote - let's just cut right to what she's saying - keep those dirty eritrean cab drivers out of my neighborhood! um, last time i checked, there are no gates on this neighborhood. anyone can come here that wants to, and if they like to hang out in a cafe for hours because that's what they do in their country of origin, so be it.

the wal-mart and chuck e. cheese lines are just ridiculous. how are you going to fit a freaking wal-mart into that space?! and i think the any sensible developer would try to attract retail that appeals to the neighborhood, like a small market, not a god-awful chain restaurant (unless you have small children, when it's a lifesaver).

it was encouraging that several people who supported the project turned out, including an older fellow who said he'd lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, saw how people were fixing up the homes in what had been a deteriorating area, and had hoped for this kind of project. i agree and think that this can be a positive resource that will reduce local residents' number of car trips by offering more neighborhood services. more walking, less driving for us has many benefits. and we should not oppose increased density along main thoroughfares like adams that have bus lines (and maybe a streetcar someday?).

still, it's sobering to see the lily-white turnout, and veiled racist comments about outsiders coming in. i like to think kensington is a hip neighborhood, but there's still lots of folks here who fear those who are different than them coming into the area, and oppose meaningful change that will make this happen.

finally, the meeting had a weird cameo by none other than city attorney mike aguirre, who dashed in and interrupted the meeting to state his opposition to the project. he was laughed out of the room after someone told him, "there's no cameras here mike, so there's no reason for you to be here!"

let's hope the developer is willing to make reasonable accomodations to the project and we can move forward on an exciting addition to the neighborhood. i'll post some renderings once they're available, but i like the look of other projects from this developer.