Santee – where everyone wants to live Most people who drive past the old green and white Dutch-style barn on North Magnolia Avenue in Santee, on their way to one of the freeways or to …

When I decided we needed to move my growing family from La Mesa to the beach, I quickly realized I couldn’t afford coastal property and somehow ended up in Vista. My late husband Ralph commented …

Bertrand at Mister A's isn’t exactly a place for children, and their macaroni and cheese is probably too fancy schmancy for a child, but for me, it brought back fond memories of my childhood. My …

“The weather app said it was supposed to be sunny until later this afternoon,” my friend Valerie said as we watched large raindrops fall on our outdoor table at Pacifica Breeze Café in Del Mar. …

Most people who drive past the old green and white Dutch-style barn on North Magnolia Avenue in Santee, on their way to one of the freeways or to the nearby strip malls, don’t know what …

Drums, giants, and Mother Goose Stargazing in Anza-Borrego 652 Palm Canyon Drive Borrego Springs This year, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was officially designated an International Dark Sky Community, thanks to years of concerted effort to …

“Where’s the best steak in San Diego with a view?” My friend Vicki from Las Vegas asked me. “I’m in the mood for meat.” My husband and I tossed out some ideas of some of …

For so many of us, favorite holiday memories take root with family and friends, and that certainly holds true for San Diegans. Whether it’s cutting down a tree in the local mountains, dancing the night …

My husband Ralph and I were on our way to the airport and had time to kill so we headed to the Gaslamp. We found a parking spot but didn’t know where we wanted to …

At the end of my summer vacation I fell and broke my dominant wrist in 12 places, so finding food to eat gracefully with my left hand hasn’t been easy. One afternoon on the way …

Taco means tiny taste of temptation. Satisfaction by a thousand different cuts of meat and veggies. Is it just me, this wacko taco love affair? I don’t think so. Every San Diegan has a secret …

The Taco Stand One of the Taco Stand’s most eclectic tacos is the “Sonora Taco” which has its origins in the Northern Mexican state of Sonora, renowned for its beef. What makes it different from …

“Come on in!” a large group of people yelled from the front patio at the Pillbox Tavern & Grill, toasting us with beers while balancing babies on their hips as my friend Valerie and I …

Each morning I wake up to the continuous hum of the traffic on I-5, crawl out of my bed, and take one step into the bathroom. After I shower — the shower being only half …

From the beach, walk inland up Carlsbad Village Drive. Pass the beach bungalows that rent for $4000 a month and beach mansions listed for sale at $7 million. Check out the pricey condominiums with floor-to-ceiling …

The Farmer’s Table restaurant in downtown La Mesa had only been open a week when my mother invited us to try it out with her. When we arrived, the line was out the door, and …

My transmission was on the blink. After I checked in with the mechanic and sat down in the lobby, I realized I was hungry. So, I got up, walked out the door and headed down …

When I first walked into Honey’s Bistro & Bakery in downtown Encinitas, I had one of those déjà vu moments. I was so sure I had been there before, but I hadn’t. A new friend …

The Fish Market on the border of Del Mar and Solana Beach has been a go-to spot for me since it opened in 1981. It’s more laid back than the coastal restaurants on the beach, …

I felt like checking out Little Italy on a sleepy Sunday morning in January, so I drove the distance from North County to meet my cousin for brunch at Bracero Cocina de Raíz, a restaurant …

I’ve heard there is a multitude of cafes and restaurants in Point Loma's Liberty Station, but I have been able to find only a handful of them. Recently, my daughter Aja and I found a …

We were in the mood for tacos, and Alberto’s or actually any ’Berto’s wasn’t going to cut it. I had heard about The Taco Stand in Encinitas and was told it was authentic and beat …

Before the holidays my husband and I stayed for a week outside Julian at an RV park, and each morning I would drive a few miles to the library to write. One afternoon, instead of …

A couple of weeks before Anthony’s Fish Grotto closes its doors on Harbor Drive for the last time (January 31 is the scheduled date), I decided to stop in and have one final meal. Anthony’s …

My friend Mary suggested we meet at Fresco Trattoria in Carlsbad, and I agreed. My husband doesn’t like to spend money on pasta. After working in the grocery industry for 40 years, he claims that …

My husband and I experienced an extravagant dinner more than a decade ago in a tiny village in the French countryside. We are still talking about how delicious and entertaining the food was, and we …

I was invited to a going-away party at Le Papagayo recently, and the organizer was insistent that we confirm that we would be attending. “It’s not easy to get reservations on a Saturday night,” she …

“If you want to go to a real beach bar, you go to the Pennant or the Beachcomber. If you want to go to a real beach bar that serves good food, you hit up …

There are no fedora-wearing hipsters at the Brown Cup. Which is why I go there. Not because I have anything against hipsters, but because this coffee joint is still undiscovered and I can find a …

It was a Saturday afternoon when the husband pulled me into Duck Dive in Pacific Beach to catch up on some college football scores. The noise level was high, but he joined in to cheer …

The rain was blowing sideways in Oceanside when we decided to leave our hotel room at the Wyndham Oceanside Pier Resort, so it made sense that we took the elevator down to street level and …

When I moved to Vista in the 1980s, there was a barbecue place located in a run-down shack on S. Santa Fe Avenue which served great food, but the venue took some getting used to. …

On a corner lot in La Mesa, a block from busy I-94 and sharing a tight parking lot with a dry cleaner, stands a brightly colored brick house called Carnitas Uruapan Mexican food. Emphasis on …

Draft’s lunch menu is extensive, and in the past I have tried the Kobe burger and chopped salad. I wasn’t impressed. But I wanted to give the fun boardwalk place another chance. This time my …

“How sad to know that your job is in jeopardy because you didn’t pour water quickly enough for one angry customer.”

Some residents like that Vista is still sketchy in parts.

Barrio Eat Mexican isn’t exactly in the Carlsbad barrio, but the tastes are as close to authentic Mexican street food as you can get in North County coastal. For many, the street fish taco is …

Pork is highlighted at this new “pub & kitchen” in Vista’s Paseo Santa Fe district, but I decided to go with the tri-tip. A good decision. First I ordered a light fare of ham and …

Coasterra restaurant opened a few weeks ago, and my cousin decided to treat us to dinner at this much-talked about dining experience, adjacent to the Cohn Group’s existing Island Prime and C-Level restaurants. As we …

Centifonti’s Bar & Restaurant in La Mesa offers not only breakfast, lunch, and dinner but a full bar, handmade chocolates and pastries, and homemade gelato. I don’t know exactly what category this family-owned restaurant falls …

It was almost 40 years ago that my boyfriend Ralph introduced me to a Nicolosi’s Torpedo Special Sandwich. I ate it while standing in the parking lot at San Diego Stadium before an Aztec football …

Loud. That was the first thing that came to mind when I walked into Swami’s Café in Oceanside, so I grabbed a menu to peruse on the patio where I snagged a table with a …

Bali Hai Restaurant Five-dollar Progressive Mai Tais — add $1 every hour. Best of luck finding a better view of the San Diego skyline. You’ll sit next to yachters, boat builders, and tourists while slowly …

I'm not going to sleep for a week. I'll throw up and have the shakes.

Work is a real four-letter word to a lot of people. Proving this fact is Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace study, showing that “70 percent of those who participated described themselves as ‘disengaged’ …

Even if you’re too skinny or the wrong sex to make it as a linebacker in the NFL you can still have a career in football. With a background in everything from public relations to …

Everyone it seems has had a bad back at some point in their lives. Athletes limp off the field, dancers fall off the stage, and office workers sit on their butts all day. Bad backs …

Biomedical engineer is the hot job for the next five years or so, but what type of degree does it take? More importantly, what the heck is a biomedical engineer? “Biomedical engineering brings together a …

Within the first 10 minutes of my arrival at the Over-The-Line tournament, a fat, hairy, middle-aged man wearing swim trunks and a holster crammed with six Budweiser’s, carrying a camera fitted with a zoom lens …

You don’t have to be David Beckham to have a career in the world of soccer If being the soccer player your parents told you you would be didn’t quite pan out, there are plenty …