Mysterious gold lettering on a door in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter reads: Law Office Eddie O’Hare, Esquire. It’s actually the sneaky entrance to a speakeasy, the underground, 1920’s themed Prohibition Lounge!
Here’s another batch of cool door photographs, taken during my walks around San Diego.
Some of these doors are rather odd, as you can plainly see! Others have interesting historical significance. Most are just plain fun!
To learn a bit more, read the captions!
Nautical-looking door of the American Tunaboat Association on the Embarcadero near Tuna Harbor.Interesting detail above the door of the 1906 Hearne Surgical Hospital Building in downtown San Diego.These old wooden doors to the patio of Indigo Grill in Little Italy are enormous! Â I don’t know their origin.A very odd metal door in Little Italy. Seems to me it would quite easy to step around it!Not sure I’d want to follow the arrow and step through this door in the Gaslamp Quarter. Looks dangerous!In San Diego’s small Chinatown one can see a cool sight that traces back to early San Diego history. The door to Quin Produce!The unusually tall stained glass door of the Philippine Library and Museum in the Gaslamp. I’ll probably visit one day!It’s what meets you at the front door of Mexican Fiesta in Seaport Village that’s out of the ordinary. A sculpture of a bandito sitting on a bench!Step through the front door of Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills and you’re met by Hollywood movie stars!
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Last chance to enjoy Anthony’s at the waterfront. 70 years of great memories and seafood at Anthony’s Fish Grotto, which will close on January 31, 2017.
Time is running out. Anthony’s Fish Grotto on San Diego’s waterfront will be closing at the end of next January. The restaurant has produced fond memories for millions of people over the course of its 70 year history. You have one last chance to enjoy this wonderful, unique place before it’s torn down.
Next year, the Brigantine will introduce a new restaurant at this scenic location, right next to the Star of India. I was told by a gentleman who sells art on the sidewalk nearby that the new Brigantine building is now under construction, and will be brought in across San Diego Bay on a ship or barge. That would certainly be a sight to behold!
Late yesterday morning I walked down to the Embarcadero to devour some french fries and a yummy tuna melt at Anthony’s outdoor Fishette. I sat on the wood deck dipping my fries in tartar sauce and breathing in the fresh air. I simply gazed out at the water. Â Pleasant visions floated on the sparkling blue, including a visiting cruise ship and San Diego Yacht Club sailboats. Between licking my fingers, I took a few photos.
Anthony’s has been a fixture on San Diego’s Embarcadero for 70 years. But their lease ran out and the Brigantine will soon build a new restaurant at this location.I’ve stood in this line many times. This is a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike.Eating seafood on benches inside a protected area of the informal outdoor Fishette, over the gently lapping water of San Diego Bay.Funny sign over the Fishette soda machine shows two fish in love.I’ll attest that Mama Ghio’s secret tartar sauce is a tasty concoction!Anthony’s Fish Grotto opened in 1946, right after World War II. I remember eating here many times as a child.Another photo of the small casual Fishette. I prefer dining outside, but many enjoy the more formal Fish Grotto restaurant, which occupies the interior of the building.In my opinion, some of the best seats in San Diego.A gull was patiently watching my fries.Activity on San Diego Bay included a refueling cruise ship. Those guys in the boat fishing were being watched by a circling sea lion.Here comes the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s historic Pilot boat, out on a harbor tour. Those sailboats racing in the distance belong to the San Diego Yacht Club.I love this place. It will be sad to see it go. (In this photo you can see the concrete posts where the Fish Grotto’s boat dock used to be. It was destroyed in that ferocious El Nino windstorm that I blogged about in early February.)Another beautiful day on the Embarcadero. Time marches on.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to enjoy!
Today I saw a new canopy and sign at the ever-expanding Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. It’s a food tent called Loaf and Fish! They’ve got one of my favorite things!
I’m not really a food blogger, but I have a terrible weakness for fish sandwiches, fish tacos and fish burritos. So when I saw a new food vendor was selling fresh fish sandwiches this weekend at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, of course I had to try one!
A bit down the pier you’ll find the sign that reads Loaf and Fish. Those are the nice folks you need to see. My grilled fish sandwich was really good! I was told they don’t have a website yet, but they’ll be there on the pier every Saturday morning, a tasty addition to the constantly growing Dockside Market!
(You can visit San Diego’s new outdoor fish market every Saturday morning on the pier just north of Seaport Village, next to Tuna Harbor.)
Loaf and Fish. Built, helmed and crewed by fishing families. The tasty yellowtail in my sandwich was caught by the fishing vessel Wild West!Oh, man! My fish sandwich is getting ready! Some tomatoes, avocado (yum), red onions, chipotle mayo, lettuce, all on a fresh bolillo roll. And, of course, grilled fresh fish!And here it is, with a smile! You know what? It was pretty darn good. I recommend devouring these!Everyone at Loaf and Fish was super nice to some strange blogger guy walking around with a camera. Good luck guys!
UPDATE!
Loaf and Fish has added a couple of items to their menu. You can now enjoy fish tacos and tasty fish soup!
The fish tacos are just as yummy as any you’ll find in San Diego. And keep in mind our city has the best fish tacos in the entire world.
I’ve also tried the fish soup and it’s really tasty! In addition to big chunks of freshly caught fish, there are fresh vegetables and slices of avocado floating on top! On chilly mornings this hot soup really hits the spot!
To top it all off, eating on the pier by the water–with the bustle of activity all around, including friendly fishermen and local fishing boats and the seagulls and playful sea lions barking nearby–it’s a feast for the senses that can’t be beat!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! My blog covers anything that catches my fancy!
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Brand new artwork enlivens a familiar place on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
For over a year the small food concession at the foot of the Embarcadero Marina Park South Pier has been vacant. JJ’s Sunset Deli by the Bay shut down at the end of 2014. So I was surprised during my walk today to see another business has finally moved in! And I learned the new eatery with the same cool patio has been open for only four days!
Burgers, Bait and Beer looks like a great, relaxed place to kick back. The guys I met were very friendly. And the light salad I had was really good. I’m told their hamburgers are superb. So I guess I’ll have to try one next weekend!
Burgers, Bait and Beer can be found at the foot of the Embarcadero Marina Park South Pier, behind the San Diego Convention Center!A pair of standup paddleboarders have passed under the Embarcadero Marina Park South Pier, one of my favorite places to visit on San Diego Bay.This cool artistic heron is part of the decor at the new outdoor cafe, tackle and bait shop.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk. Once in a while I happen upon an unexpected discovery!
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Here are a dozen more funny signs and sights that I’ve spotted in downtown San Diego. Since many of these photographs were taken around the Gaslamp Quarter with its many restaurants and bars, it isn’t surprising that a popular theme is Eat, Drink and Be Merry.
A crabby sign. Eat me! Bite me!Two funny, silly mannequin heads in a shop window.Some call it bitching. I call it motivational speaking.Please leave quietly. Let the neighbors sleep.A sign warns: Beware of Little Monsters.Sea NileThe National Beer Pong LeagueThis alien lifeguard in a yellow hard hat is about to be clobbered by Superman!People who say “It’s the thought that counts” give shitty gifts.I distrust camels and anyone else who can go a week without a drink.One hundred percent of scientists agree that alcohol is a solution!
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People walk along narrow outdoor deck of Anthony’s Fishette, a popular casual dining spot for half a century in downtown San Diego.
Their 50 year lease is almost up. Anthony’s Fish Grotto on San Diego’s Embarcadero will soon be no more. They are to be replaced in 2017 by the Brigantine seafood restaurant. A golden era that produced many wonderful, irreplaceable memories is coming to a close.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve lingered in ecstasy at Anthony’s outdoor Fishette, which is adjacent to the more formal indoor restaurant. Except when I was a child, I’ve never eaten in the restaurant. But outside, on the deck, inhaling the ocean breeze, listening to the cries of circling seagulls, squinting into the sun and feeling its warmth on my face–I’ve devoured acres of tasty french fries and oceans of fish.
Millions of people around the planet have golden memories of the place. This is my small photographic tribute to Anthony’s outdoor Fishette. I stopped by for a delicious grilled tuna melt sandwich late yesterday afternoon.
Over the years, many of the people who have worked at Anthony’s Fishette gave me a friendly smile or hello. To them, I say thank you.
You have until January 31, 2017 to enjoy this true San Diego tradition and treasure, and to say thank you.
Front of Anthony’s Fish Grotto as seen from Harbor Drive. In early 2017, this iconic San Diego restaurant will be demolished.Smiles are typical at Anthony’s Fishette. So is sunny outdoor pleasure and yummy seafood.A photo through glass of the small boat dock and blue San Diego Bay as a glowing sunset nears.A reflection in window of Anthony’s Fish Grotto of the setting sun. A golden era is coming to a close on San Diego’s waterfront.Possibly the best outdoor seating in all of San Diego. Just above the lapping water, with a sweeping, wonderful view.Passing by Anthony’s Fishette one fine January day. I’ve walked past perhaps a thousand times.Countless millions of fond memories have been made here.
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A variety of dried food hangs from the ceiling. The kitchen of the Commercial Restaurant museum in Old Town is a place where visitors are transported back in time.
There are dozens of cool things to see in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. I’ve barely scratched the surface so far with my blog.
For example, there’s a small free museum right next to the central Plaza de Las Armas called Commercial Restaurant. A rather dull name, but a very interesting place jam-packed with history!
I’ve provided a bit more info in the photo captions!
Photo shows the Commercial Restaurant museum, which is free and open to the public in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.La Casa de Machado y Silvas in Old Town San Diego was turned into Commercial Restaurant, then later renamed Antonia Restaurant.Bienvenidos. Come inside. See the recreated Commercial Restaurant. Established in 1854 within the Casa de Machado y Silvas, a home built in 1843. Museum open 10-5.The dining area of the Commercial Restaurant. This is was what it was like to eat in style in the mid 1800s. Many exhibits along the walls recall the history of old San Diego.Art on one wall depicts the grinding of corn. Other nearby maps and graphics show how food is related to our city’s history.
In the mid 1800’s, when New England travelers arrived by ship to Old Town, they sought out a dining establishment serving meals like they would find at home, including stews, soups, crackers, bread and cow’s milk. Over the years, exposure to native Kumeyaay cooking influenced the European diet and became integrated into the region’s cuisine.
As a captive labor force under the Mission system, the Kumeyaay performed their tasks using traditional tools and methods of preparation as a way to continue their cultural identity.Display case contains artifacts used in the daily life of San Diego residents almost two centuries ago.Shelves in the Commercial Restaurant contain old jars, goblets, bowls, bottles, plates and more.It was 1948 when a secret hiding place was discovered in one of the adobe’s window wells. Within the niche were two documents relating to life of an early Old Town San Diego resident.
Historical documents discovered by archeologists hidden in the Casa de Machado y Silvas shed light on the life of San Diego resident Allen B. Light. He was also know as the “Black Steward”. Allen arrived in California during the 1830s, aboard the sailing ship Pilgrim, the same vessel that brought Richard Henry Dana Jr. who would later write Two Years Before the Mast.
One document was “a sailor’s protection”, which proclaimed Light was a “coloured man, a free man, and a citizen of the United States of America”. The second document was his commission from the Mexican Governor of Alta California to investigate illegal sea otter hunting along the coast.
A peek into the recreated kitchen next to the dining room. Cooking was rather primitive in early San Diego.A table full of peppers and vegetables. What life was like many generations ago, in the kitchen of Old Town’s Commercial Restaurant museum.
At the Meshuggah Shack in Mission Hills, they thank you for making it weird.
Today I went on yet another long walk. This time through Mission Hills and Presidio Park. I’ve managed to collect so many photographs in the past couple weeks that there are about a dozen blog posts waiting to be written! Good grief!
Better get to it!
Check this out! I was walking through Mission Hills at the intersection of Goldfinch and Ft. Stockton when I realized I simply HAD to blog about the Meshuggah Shack.
This crazy cool shack is where folks in the neighborhood can grab espressos, lattes, teas and miscellaneous yummy noshes. Their website proclaims: Welcome to the insane asylum . . . Enter at your own risk! Their motto is No Kvetching! Some of their crazy offerings include Crackhead Chai Latte, Ian’s Make You Wanna Hula, and Teresa’s Sin and Salvation. I think maybe by now you get the idea.
Meshuggah Shack has proven to be so popular, they’ve opened a second location in East Village in the Quartyard project. But the original in Mission Hills is WAY cooler!
The Meshuggah Shack in Mission Hills is celebrating 5 years of completely unabashed zaniness.There are all sorts of odd things dangling from the ceiling, clinging to the walls, and cluttering shelves.Crazy stuff includes bizarre knickknacks, dolls, a disco ball, a dinosaur, and almost anything that seems absurd, irreverent or just funny.More odd, fun objects.Enjoy your snack or beverage outside at this cool corner of Goldfinch and Ft. Stockton.Pillars supporting the crazy shack’s roof are covered with a mosaic of tiles, mirrors, mugs, shells, you name it. As you can see from the lights, it was around Christmas when I took my photos.The Meshuggah Shack in Mission Hills is very hard to miss! Hungry?
People who love to eat are always the best people. Julia Child
I spotted these funny pictures and quotes on some windows in the Horton Plaza shopping mall food court, in downtown San Diego. I’m not sure if this particular eatery closed down or is soon to debut. I saw no sign. But I had a good laugh!
If you are what you eat, then you might as well eat something good. RatatouilleLife is grate!Bake the world a better place!Rock and Roll (some dough).
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Typical early morning deliveries in Little Italy include kegs of beer and boxes of spirits.
Another early morning stroll. Today: through Little Italy. Trucks were lined up on India Street, delivering to many popular restaurants. You like Italian? You like a friendly neighborhood with history and character? This is the place to go.
Food delivery truck advertisement promotes San Diego Restaurant Week, September 20-27.Pulling the dolly up a ramp, getting ready to retrieve potatoes and other fresh ingredients for a tasty Italian meal.Plaque in sidewalk on Date Street declares: A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat. Old New York ProverbA second plaque further down the sidewalk proclaims: Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso. Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick. Spanish ProverbLittle Italy street banner shows actor Danny DeVito enjoying a drink.An umbrella and chairs that will soon be arranged for casual alfresco dining.Lady inside Little Italy eatery is busy preparing for another delicious day. Buon Appetito.
