Liberty Public Market (#LibertyPublicMarket)

By Stacey Kuhns

Well Worth a Visit

 

On Sunday, June 4, my boyfriend and I decided to check out Liberty Public Market.  I had heard many good things about it and my kids gave it great reviews. My boyfriend was very curious about it as he went to Boot Camp at Liberty Station many years ago. He said it looks very different now. (I bet it does).

It is definitely a busy place so be prepared for a lot of traffic. Located at 2820 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego, 92106. The facility is open from 11am to 8pm. They also have a Farmer's Market on Thursdays.

We had a bit of difficulty locating the entrance as all we saw when we drove in were restaurants with lines in front of them. We began walking around and most of the galleries and stores were closed on Sunday, which was disappointing.

There are stores and a women's museum around the perimeter of the grounds (large grassy areas, fountain, sand area for kids to play in). The grounds are beautiful though and many families were walking around with their children and everyone seemed to be having a good time. I think we were too early and the reason we could not find the place itself was because it was not opened yet. We finally found it!

I found the hallways to get into the main area to be dark and dingy. There were kiosk vendors in the hallways and they were getting very little business from what I observed. The area with the food vendors is well lit and there is a "mess hall" where you can take your purchased items and sit and eat.

It gets very crowded so my boyfriend and I found a table in the dark hallway outside Parana (an empanada vendor). We purchased three empanadas (small). I thought it was cool that the flavor of the empanada is stamped into the dough with initials. The empanadas did not taste homemade and I would not purchase them again. It appeared they were pulling them out of a refrigerator or freezer and putting them into an oven already made.

My boyfriend bought a roast beef roll from the Roast Meat and Sandwich shop. He loved it. He bought me a lobster roll from Wicked Main Lobster, which was excellent. I got the traditional style and it was just loads of wonderful lobster meat and not much else, just the way I like it. They were so busy, they were giving people buzzers to come back and pick up their food when it was ready. (Difficult to get good pictures because it was so dark in the hallway).

We purchased some fresh ravioli, from Pasta Design, to take home and cook (chef's special, which was chipotle chicken and also a bacon/mozzarella one). I made a homemade marinara sauce and the bacon ravioli was my favorite. Delicious. They package the pasta in nice boxes. It lasts two days in the fridge or a month in the freezer. Cook in boiling salted water for approximately one minute in a large pot (so they do not stick together).

When you go to Liberty Market, be prepared. Everything is pricey. There are healthy options, such as a salad place to the not so healthy fare, such as sweet treats.

We purchased several items from Crafted Baked Goods. All wonderful. (And yes, there is a bite taken out of the "brookie"). LOL.

These three items set us back $16! There is also a fish market (very expensive). You can purchase live prawns and sea urchin.

All in all, I am not sure I would return to Liberty Public Market. The aisles are very small and with the crowds it is difficult to navigate through everything. I was underwhelmed with the selection of eateries and was expecting more of a variety of ethnic foods to try.

Some skylights in the hallways would be a welcome addition. Also, for us, the expense was a once in a blue moon splurge. I almost forgot to mention the proximity of the Liberty Public Market to the airport. If you are dining outside or just walking around outside, the constant air traffic is quite noisy. Overall, I would say "meh."

Palomar Mountain and Lake Henshaw

Including a Tasty Stop at The Round Up BBQ Grill

 

Looking for Something to Do in San Diego on the Weekend? How about Palomar Mountain and Lake Henshaw?

On Sunday morning, my boyfriend Ed and I were deciding what we could do for the day. Decisions are somewhat difficult as we have Henson, my six-month-old pup with us. Ed looked on a website that talked about 50 dog friendly places to go, and one of them was the Palomar Mountain Observatory, home of the 200-inch Hale Telescope. Decision made!

We packed what we would need for the dog and ourselves and off we went. We took the curvy scenic route up the mountain, which was about 16 miles from Escondido area. There are plenty of pullout spots on the ride up to enjoy the scenery or to get out of the way of some very crazy motorcyclist. Ed and I ride, but safely. On Sunday, there were hundreds of speed bikers screaming down those curves and it was frightening, not going to lie. First time that has happened though. We have ridden up to Palomar numerous times and it is always peaceful and pleasant. This time, we were in a car since we had the dog.

If you do pull off to the side of the road, just keep an eye out for poison ivy as it is very abundant in places. We stopped once to enjoy the view, the trees, and to watch a group of three hawks circling and calling overhead. 

The observatory is easy to find. Just keep following the signs. There is a large parking lot (but keep in mind, there are no gas stations on the mountain). The observatory area closes around 4 p.m. so be sure and check times and weather conditions prior to making the drive. There is a small museum and gift shop right near the parking lot entrance, as well as a large picnic ground. Everything is clean and the path to the observatory is paved. The fall colors were emerging on the plants and it was lovely. There was also a wonderful breeze in the area.

There are some shaded benches near the observatory with pretty views over the hills and mountains.

Once you get to the observatory (a fairly short flat walk), be prepared for steps up to the entrance and 70 steps inside up to the actual telescope mirror and the information area. There is an entrance around the back for the mobility impaired but it was not attended when we were there and there was no bell to ring or anything. So I enjoyed myself outside, sitting on a bench looking at the beautiful views around me while Ed explored inside.

We then left Palomar and instead of turning back down the twisty grade, we veered left towards Lake Henshaw. An easier ride and also very picturesque. (Signs leading the way to Lake Henshaw out of Palomar are easy to spot and follow.) Also a note, there are no dog friendly restaurants or much of anything in the way of places to eat on the mountain.

There are two main paved lookouts with parking lots on the way down to Lake Henshaw. The first one is partway down Palomar Mountain and provides a wide-sweeping view of the area. Lake Henshaw can be seen in the distance (which is easier in the winter as there is more water).

The second viewing area is practically on top of Lake Henshaw and overlooks the entire area. It is gorgeous in winter but not bad in summer either.

We then went for a lunch/dinner at one of our favorite places. Yes, it is out of the way and from the outside, does not look like much, but the chef is amazing. We have never had a bad meal or bad service there. And they have the best appetizer wings, hands down, which come in a variety of flavors. Everything is delicious and we were allowed to come in with the dog in their front enclosed patio seating area which overlooks Lake Henshaw.

Fried pickles with a spicy sauce. So good!

Mushroom Swiss burger.

Roasted tomato flatbread. So wonderful. Flavors from the roasted tomatoes and light homemade tomato sauce just burst in your mouth.

The Round Up BBQ Grill  is located at 26439 CA-76, Santa Ysabel, 92070. They are open from 11a.m. to 7p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 7a.m. to 7p.m. Friday through Sunday. There is a store attached to the restaurant where you can pay for access to Lake Henshaw, which we will plan for next time. There is always something cool and interesting to do in San Diego County.

San Diego Kayaking for Health and Fun

You can kayak virtually any place along the San Diego coastline. Kayaking involves paddling a small craft through water. It is a low-impact activity that can improve your aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. More importantly, kayaking can be done as a hobby, a competitive sport or as a fun activity.

Have fun while you:

• • Improved cardiovascular fitness
• • Increased muscle strength, particularly in the back, arms, shoulders and chest, from moving the paddle
• • Increased torso and leg strength, as the strength to power a canoe or kayak comes mainly from rotating the torso and applying pressure with your legs
• • Reduced risk of wear-and-tear on joints and tissues, since paddling is a low impact activity.

Below are photos of a friend and her family enjoying their day with the healthy activity of Kayaking at Crown Point North Park in Mission Bay.

Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill

by Stacey Kuhns

On Friday night, my boyfriend and I met some friends at the Belching Beaver, in the revitalized downtown Vista area. They also have a brewery in Vista (980 Park Center Drive).

This is more of a restaurant and bar setting with indoor and outdoor seating. Belching Beaver is located in the old First National Bank building on the corner of Broadway and Indiana. Their official address is 302 East Broadway. There is no sign to distinguish the place but their truck is normally parked in the small parking lot (come early to find parking downtown). They are open 3pm-9pm Mon-Wed, 3pm-10pm Thurs-Fri, 1pm-10pm Sat, and 1pm-9pm Sun. (They are located directly across the street from The Yellow Deli). 

There are three areas to enjoy at this establishment. A large indoor seating area, a dining patio, and to the right of the building, a backyard area that has lots of sand, benches and chairs, fire pits, game areas, and serves finger foods and more bar type foods. The front outside dining area and inside serve more interesting and pricier choices made by their onsite chef. They also have a nightly chef's special. Both outdoor areas are dog friendly. 

It was very hot outside so at first, we were the only ones on the patio. They have umbrellas, but as the sun went down, there was no escaping the sun in our eyes. One of the workers informed us they are getting sailcloth to block the sun so that will be a welcome addition. The staff are all nice and attentive, but service can get a bit slower as the place fills with people.

Our waitress, Jessica, was amazing. Very friendly and so knowledgeable about the beers, wines, and food. You could tell she enjoys her job. There is an extensive beer menu. My boyfriend tried 8 small (5 ounce) beers ($2 each). You can pick any beers you want to try, any amount, for the $2 each. I had a glass of wine as I do not like beer. (They also have an extensive wine list). Our friends also tried a variety of beers. My boyfriend's favorite (and also some of our friends' favorites) were the Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout Nitro (everyone loved this), the Mango beer, the Raspberry beer (cannot remember the name of it), and the Hofbrau Hefeweizen. They tried a number of other beers, but these were the favorites. 

The next three pictures are from the Belching Beaver website as I was unable to take pictures inside and outside in the sand area due to the crowds.

We stayed at the Belching Beaver for four hours. In that time, we had a chance to order a number of appetizers and split them. The food is delicious and unique. Many of the items were made with beer so I steered clear of those, but my boyfriend and friends tried some of them.

My boyfriend tried the Andouille Corn Dogs, which he loved. They are made with a Southern style Andouille sausage dipped in their Hop Highway 78 IPA corn meal batter and served with a honey mustard sauce made with the Me So Honey beer.

We split the Dueling "Pokes", two types of ahi poke, one with a smoked poke sauce and one with a mango/tropical sauce. So good!

My boyfriend later tried the Fire Grilled Shrimp Skewers which have a citrus soy glaze and are served over local organic greens. The Belching Beaver uses a lot of locally sourced organic ingredients. 

I later found out you can order the bar food from the other side and enjoy it on the dining patio, so I ordered a small Caesar Salad. It was one of the best I had ever had (but I forgot to take a picture of it). We also split the Tri City (three different sliders). One is a house-made poke Brat patty with a stoneground mustard made with the Me So Honey beer. I took one bite of this particular slider and gave the rest to my boyfriend. I did not like it at all (probably the beer taste), but he enjoyed it. The second was a chorizo slider which I liked quite a bit and he did not care for. The last was a Cubano slider that I loved. 

The Belching Beaver also serves flatbreads (in which the bread itself is made with brewers yeast and Damned IPA), a number of interesting salads, burgers, seafood, steak, stuffed meatloaf, pork chops, and something called the Brontosaurus Bone ( a giant braised beef rib). My friend ordered the Fried Cauliflower and Leeks. I have to say, the fried leeks were amazing!! Could have eaten a bowl of those. A couple of the guys ordered the BBQ Short Rib Sandwich. They liked the meat but felt the bread was soggy and greasy.

For two of us, between the beer, wine, and food, the bill came to almost $100. The food from the other side (sand area) is quite a bit less expensive, but you have to ask to see that menu if you are not sitting in the sand outdoor area. (More fries, burgers, wings, finger food items).

All in all, it was a pleasant experience and we would definitely go there again. A great place to meet friends, talk, try new things, and relax.