Tag: food

Meet celebrated chefs, fishermen in San Diego!

A big event is being held this coming Saturday, June 14, 2025 in San Diego!

Celebrated chefs and local fishermen will greet the public at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market as an amazing new cookbook is launched that celebrates seafood and fishing history in San Diego!

San Diego Seafood: Then & Now contains over 75 excellent recipes, and includes the contributions of over a hundred people from the San Diego community, such as historians and fishing boat captains.

The book is curated by California Sea Grant, a unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government, the State of California and universities across the state to create knowledge, products and services that benefit the economy, the environment and the citizens of California.

In addition to recipes, the cookbook contains many great photographs, stories and essays concerning the rich history of fishing in San Diego. Those who’ve contributed to our fishing history include the Kumeyaay, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Italians and Mexicans. Many immigrants settled in San Diego because of our long-time status as tuna fishing capital of the world. You’ve heard of Little Italy, right?

As the Amazon page concerning the book explains: San Diego Seafood: Then & Now blends local history and cuisine to celebrate the region’s rich maritime heritage and culinary diversity. More than a cookbook, this volume features colorful stories from past and present, stunning visuals, and helpful tips on buying, storing and preparing seafood, in addition to over 75 recipes that showcase local catch– from widely-known favorites, like tuna and halibut, to lesser-known treasures, like black cod and spiny lobster...

At Tuna Harbor Dockside Market next Saturday, there will be book signings and a meet and greet. The public can rub elbows with book project participants, working fishermen and renowned chefs. And there will be seafood tastings!

If you’ve never been to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, it’s where fishermen sell freshly caught seafood directly to the public and restaurants. It’s open Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm or sold out. Look for the many canopies on the pier just north of Seaport Village, next to Tuna Harbor.

Even if you have no interest in buying freshly caught fish, crabs or sea urchins, Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is a bustling and fascinating place to experience. (I’ve blogged about it many times over the years, including the day of its grand opening!) There are usually sea lions playing and barking nearby. You can watch fishermen at work on their boats. And you can also buy and eat fish and chips on the pier!

Some past photos…

Here are some friendly folks from California Sea Grant that I once met…

If you want to be part of the San Diego Seafood: Then & Now book launch celebration next Saturday, and perhaps purchase a signed copy, look for the first canopy on the pier!

You can also purchase San Diego Seafood: Then & Now in the gift shop of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

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La Jolla plaque honors San Diego’s underwater pioneers.

A plaque honoring San Diego’s underwater pioneers is embedded in a boulder a short distance west of La Jolla Cove. It was placed above Boomer Beach next to Ellen Browning Scripps Park last year.

People walking beside the ocean on the scenic boardwalk might see the bronze plaque near a bench.

The plaque reads:

Since 1933, offshore from this beach access, the seafloor bears memorial markers to name and honor San Diego’s most heralded underwater pioneers. The San Diego Bottom Scratchers Dive Club.

The Bottom Scratchers dedicated every dive to preventing the waste of sea life and to helping others appreciate the wonders of the sea. All who enter here fall under oath to do the same.

Plaque donated by San Diego Freedivers.

Here’s a great article about the Bottom Scratchers Dive Club, which began almost a century ago. It explains: The name “Scratchers” came from the members’ habit of scouring the ocean bottom for food… The Bottom Scratchers either invented or were the first to use the basic freediving spearfishing gear still employed today… Soon club members became local legends… Everything the explorers experienced was new…

There are some great old photographs in the article, too.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Filipino food and culture served in Balboa Park!

Hungry during your weekend visit to Balboa Park? Do you love Filipino food, such as pancit and lumpia?

Head over to the San Diego History Center, where they’re serving up authentic Filipino food and culture!

Taste San Diego: Filipino Culinary Journeys is the name of the museum’s free exhibition, where displays tell the story of Filipino-American identity through the rich flavors of cuisine. It’s also where, on Saturdays and Sundays, tasty food is available for purchase at the Bataan Café!

What’s on the menu? Pancit, Shanghai Lumpia, and for dessert, Ube Crinkle Cookies and Dubai Ensaymada. Beverages include Ube Cold Brew, Calamansi Lemonade, Ginger Beer, and alcoholic Ube Wan and Jeepney.

When I swung by for lunch on Saturday, I was met by smiles and a neighborly vibe.

A family was enjoying their meal at a very special table. The table’s surface is actually a large video screen. Its looping video shows a Filipino boodle fight: a communal Filipino meal where food is placed directly on the table and eaten with bare hands. (My own table had me eating delicious lumpia by hand, but the pancit noodles made their way into my mouth by fork.)

I recommend you visit Taste San Diego: Filipino Culinary Journeys at the San Diego History Center. In addition to the great food served on weekends, there are walls full of heartwarming displays. They tell stories of Filipino family life and culture in San Diego.

Service with a smile!

I took the next photograph on a weekday, when the café is closed. My photo shows the scale of this exhibition at the San Diego History Center.

On weekends you’ll find people at the tables enjoying Filipino food!

The museum exhibit includes many displays.

This historical photograph shows how social fiestas help Filipino immigrants and Filipino-Americans stay connected to their roots and share rich traditions…

One display shows ingredients that are often used in the making of Filipino food…

Okay! It’s now the weekend and I’m hungry!

Time to eat!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Community celebrated at Santee Street Fair!

The big 2025 Santee Street Fair was held today! Thousands of happy people came together at Santee Town Center to celebrate the start of summer! It’s Memorial Day weekend!

From entertainment on the main stage . . . to plenty of food . . . to carnival rides for the kids . . . to community organizations and vendors . . . there was plenty to see and do!

I walked around taking in the atmosphere while meeting some friendly people.

As I arrived, cheerleaders from Santana High School were performing for the gathered crowd…

As the next photograph suggests, this is one of the most popular street festivals in San Diego County!

Some of the cool rides in the fun zone…

I learned about animal sanctuary Lions Tigers and Bears in Alpine. I often see them on the TV news. It’s a place I have yet to visit.

Viola makes yummy cookies and other treats. She once was interviewed on CBS News 8!

The City of Santee was well represented at the street fair.

Santee offers many public activities for residents, including families and seniors. The Santee Summer Concerts are coming up!

Learn more about what’s going on in Santee by checking out the Parks and Recreation website.

Somebody spun a prize wheel and won!

The San Diego County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trains you to protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and neighborhood in an emergency situation.

I got an emergency kit that includes a Safety Lightstick, which I’ve placed within easy reach in case my power goes out.

These smiling folks were full of information about Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve. If you like freshwater fishing, that would be a great place!

Food galore at the Santee Street Fair!

Mr. Fun smiled for my camera, and probably wondered who the heck I was.

Grama Rose hosts a radio show, which always includes heart, wisdom and a recipe!

American Legion Riders had some wheels near their canopy.

I coaxed a smile out of this VFW gent!

An honest-to-goodness chimney sweep! Did he fly in to Santee from London?

A brilliant karate demonstration receives oohs and aahs from a large audience!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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The Santee Food Bank needs your help!

Will you join these smiling young ladies and help the Santee Food Bank?

During my visit to the Santee Street Fair today, I learned that the Santee Food Bank could use your assistance fighting hunger. They’d love to welcome new volunteers, contributions of food, and reusable plastic bags that can be filled with food for distribution in the Santee community.

If you have it in your heart, please visit the Santee Food Bank website by clicking here.

Life is tough enough. Imagine going to bed hungry.

Your contributions–even modest ones–directly help people. Those people might be your neighbors.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Paintings celebrate food at La Jolla library!

There’s a tasty, mouth-watering exhibition ready to be devoured at the La Jolla Riford Library. Step into the Community Room and bring your appetite for art!

The Culinary Arts offers a buffet of paintings by 15 local artists that celebrates food!

As the library’s exhibition website states, you’ll find captivating oil paintings of everything from Cheeseburgers to Triple Decker Ice Cream Cones to delectable Beignets!

The visual feast comes to an end on May 18, 2025.

Fortunately, if you’re still hungry, all of these delectable pieces are for sale. By purchasing a painting or two, these treats can become takeout and brought home for your future enjoyment!

Yummy samples…

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Eat at a farm next to Snapdragon Stadium!

Did you know there’s a farm immediately next to Snapdragon Stadium’s parking lot?

Did you know that on Saturdays this farm is open to the public and offers a café and fresh vegetable stand? (Not to mention tours and fun activities.)

Yes!

The MAKE Farm is a Community-Supported Agricultural (CSA) Program that empowers refugees and immigrant women. So when you eat here, you’re helping other people as well!

MAKE Farm is located immediately south of the large Snapdragon Stadium parking lot, a little east of the Stadium trolley station. According to signs I spotted today, their offerings include Garden Veggie Wraps and Yogurt Parfaits, and you get a free cookie during your visit, too!

Going to a Saturday game at the stadium? Enjoy a unique and healthy lunch in the outdoors here.

I suppose I’ll have to swing by some weekend!

Late last year, before they opened their on-site café, I toured the farm. You can see that blog post by clicking here.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Do or donut. There is no try!

A little Star Wars wisdom on this May the Fourth: Do or donut. There is no try!

I was loathe to attack Yoda with my teeth, but–ah–how sweet! Perhaps I’m on the Dark Side.

My friends at the Donut Bar in downtown San Diego made these fun edible creations for May the Fourth!

Yum. Darth Vader isn’t so bad after all!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Unusual sight: two Dole banana ships in port!

Two enormous Dole container ships are in San Diego today: Dole Caribbean and Dole Chile. I don’t recall ever seeing two of these banana transporting ships in our port at the same time.

The two yellow ships are in my above photograph, plus a bunch of stacked Dole containers at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

I suspect the Dole Chile came in on Sunday–that’s the usual ship arrival schedule. The Dole Caribbean has been docked in the same spot for many days now without any discernable activity. I’m not sure why. People I’ve spoken to surmise the ship is in disrepair. I can find nothing on the internet.

There’s an old Port of San Diego sign on the boardwalk between the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the water. It describes the typical Dole operations…

Some interesting but possibly dated facts from the weather-beaten sign:

Dole is the 5th largest importer of containerized cargo into the U.S. after WalMart, Target, Home Depot and K-Mart/Sears. (You can see how old this sign is!)

Bananas and pineapples are packed in farms in Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Guatemala... After arriving in San Diego, the fruit is distributed throughout the western U.S. and Canada.

Each vessel holds 762 refrigerated containers… Each 40′ container holds close to 1000 boxes of bananas… 2.5 billion bananas and 40 million pineapples arrive at the Port of San Diego each year.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Bringing a Survival Piece to life in La Jolla!

Why are there 12 hexagonal planters containing citrus trees in front of the La Jolla Historical Society‘s Wisteria Cottage? That’s what I wondered when I paid a visit to the society’s museum yesterday, to view their new exhibition about the history of surfing in La Jolla. (I’ll be blogging about that shortly.)

It turns out the dozen redwood planters with citrus trees is a 2024 project titled Exterior Orchard, A Conversation with Survival Piece V. The uniquely designed orchard examines the necessity of ecologically focused and sustainable food systems in a future where farming practices may become obsolete.

The installation was inspired by the La Jolla Historical Society’s recent exhibition Helen and Newton Harrison: California Work. The Harrisons, founding members of the Visual Arts Department at UC San Diego, were visionary thinkers and designers who developed fascinating Ecological Art. They created plans for a Portable Orchard such as this in 1972.

The hexagonal redwood planters were built by students from High Tech High Mesa. The trees and planters, I was told, can be adopted. Funds raised will help support the La Jolla Historical Society’s work.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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