You have to picture this scenario – a beautiful tall tree, with huge green leaves, and at the top of the tree an aerie – (crossword answer for “nest”).

In that nest are two baby birds, and hovering over those baby birds are three of the biggest crows you have ever seen in your life. (Well…maybe not in your life, but, relatively speaking, very large.)

As life evolves, a sad thing happened to those baby birds – they both fell out of their nest as they were beginning to learn how to fly. One died on impact; the other one tried to move around but its parents could not get it up to the nest again. Enter the “Mr. X” – the man of the house closest to the tree and crows’ nest.

“Mr. X” saw the two babies; knew that the nest was too tall for him also and hoped that the parents would be able to save him. The baby moved over to the garage, and the parents watched him move.

Hugo’s Cocina
1830 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Suite H
Ocean Beach, CA 92107
619-892-7882

By Judi Curry

With the advent of the COVID-19 virus, many restaurants are having to change their menus, eliminate their buffets, and still attract diners. There are some big changes coming to “Hugo’s”.

Before I begin with the changes, I want everyone to know that take out service, using the old menu, is still available. There is no more eating inside, but takeout is still available. I also want to let you know that they do not know for certain when the “new” restaurant will open. They are waiting for the health inspection giving them the “go-ahead.”

All the refrigerators and freezers are hooked up. Right now it is just a waiting game.

So for the changes: It will now be known as “La Fruteria Y Panaderia De Hugo’s Cocina.”

The “Panaderia” will be selling assorted Mexican Bread, cakes and slices of cake, (11 varieties!)

By Judi Curry

Dear Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilmember Jen Campbell:

I have been a resident of the Sunset Cliffs area since 1966. I have never felt as concerned about living in this area as I do now. I feel that my safety is in jeopardy, along with all of my neighbors living south of Pt. Loma Avenue. Let me tell you why.

Since the pandemic the parking lots along the Cliffs are blocked off. At each lot there are many police officers and cadets asking people to “move on”.

By Judi Curry

It is hard not to feel anger during this “forced” stay-at-home period of time.

But the anger is directed in so many areas – directed at the President of the United States for ignoring all the information that he received that the pandemic was coming. Anger at China for not telling us the truth about how it began in the first place.

Anger that once it was recognized the President of the United States changed his dunce cap for a “pseudo medical degree” and proceeded to go by his “gut” level on what should be done. Anger at the President of the United States for not listening to Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the most respected physicians/scientists in the world today as to methods of combating this disease.

Angry at the President of the United States for touting the malaria drug that he has a vested interest in even though Dr. Fauci has urged caution in using it. My anger at the President of the United States in only one part of the reason my blood pressure is higher than usual.

Restaurant Review

Dirty Birds Bar & Grille
1929 Cable Street
Ocean Beach, CA 92107
619-241-2922

“Positively Negative or Negative Positivity?”

By Judi Curry

Have you ever stood over a sink where one side had hot water in it and the other side had cold water in it and you have your hands in both sides of water? If you haven’t let me tell you that the brain does not really know how to register the sensation. That is how this review will pan out – good and bad equates to what?

It was another get-together of three widows going out to lunch together on a relatively cool, windless day. There are many new restaurants in the Ocean Beach area, and I remember a long time ago eating at a Dirty Birds somewhere in San Diego. As I recalled, the food was good, but we never went back, probably because it was far from our house.
First of all there were over twenty people in the restaurant when we walked in.

By Judi Curry

Ten years ago today my Irish husband of 46 years, Bob Curry, passed away from the ravages of Lung Cancer. He was a smoker for 30 years; he stopped smoking for 30 years.

Before he passed away he said to me that “ . . . if I had known I was going to die of lung cancer I never would have quit smoking.” He missed it every single day. (Strange that he never said to me that he would never have started smoking!)

Supposedly as time passes on, so does the ache of death, and perhaps that is true because it is not with me all the time anymore.

Restaurant Review

Casa Castillo
Mexican and Guatemalan Cuisine
3334 Rosecrans St.
San Diego, CA 92110
619-432-1922

By Judi Curry

Sometimes you luck out and are in the right place at the right time. This particular night Hugh and I had excellent luck and happened into a new restaurant that has only been opened for a month. Casa Castillo is the name of the restaurant, and it is just opposite Loma Square shopping center, near the car wash.

And – what’s more, the three managers/ owners – Juan, Carlos and Jesus – were there planning their grand opening this Labor Day Weekend. They will be offering 15% off the entire tab; there will be FREE APPETIZERS! And there will be music. The “ribbon cutting ceremony” will take place at 11:00am, and it will be fun for the entire three days. They are open from 8:00am to 9:00pm Sunday-Thursday, and open until 10:00pm on Friday and Saturday evenings!

So what’s on the menu? I had never had “Guatemalan” food so I wanted to sample what was available.

By Judi Curry

Although I haven’t stayed out of the fray completely, I have been reasonably quiet about things that are really bothering me lately. I realize that there are many that will disagree with me, and, quite frankly, I have tried to see it your way but have not been able to do so. The first thing are these damn bike lanes.

Today, while driving down West Point Loma Avenue towards Ocean Beach, I saw three near misses of cars almost being hit by other cars and they came out of the parking lane into the flow of traffic. If there had been a car to the left of any of those cars there would have been a head on collision, because all of those cars swerved into oncoming traffic lanes. And the ironic thing about the episodes was that there were NO bike riders in the bike lanes!

Two days ago, while attempting to get to an appointment in Old Town, I was stuck in traffic for almost 45 minutes while lanes changed from 2 lanes to 1 lane. Again, there were no bike riders in the bike lanes.

Fiddler’s Green
2760 Shelter Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92106
619-222-2216

By Judi Curry

I have been to Fiddler’s Green many times. Their Monday night steak special brings many locals to their restaurant when other restaurants have sluggish sales.

But I had heard about their breakfast, served only on Saturday 8-12 pm and 8-1:00 pm on Sundays and decided to try it with Hugh and Hitomi. We were VERY glad that we did.

The menu was extensive, including over 20 items including Burrito’s, Biscuit and Gravy, Eggs Benedict, etc. and many different bar drinks including Bottomless Mimosas ($11); Screwdrivers, Bloody Mary’s, etc.

But what made the decision so difficult was besides having a nice menu, there were 5 additional “specials.” There was a Chorizo Omelet, a Denver Omelet, a Machaca Omelet, Pork Chops and Eggs, and Banana Pancakes. It took the three of us some time to finally decide what to order.

Restaurant Review

Cesarina Ristorante
4161 Voltaire St.
Point Loma, CA 92107
619-226-6222

By Judi Curry

I don’t usually go back to a restaurant with a two month period of time, but I had to make an exception for Cesarina. The first time that I ate there they had only been in business a month or so. That experience was delightful, from the china flown in from Italy, to the foods offered on the menu.

The second time I went back there I went with different people and our experience was the same. The service was impeccable; the food was tasty and authentic.

The pasta was made there – you can watch it being made – and the tiramisu was to die for. It was made for us right at our table.

Farewell to a Staple

Editordude: On Tuesday, July 9th, 2019 Judi Curry visited OB’s Village Kitchen, probably for her last time – under the current management – as it is up for lease.

By Judi Curry

Thirty-two years ago my husband Bob and my three daughters and I had our first meal at the Village Kitchen. Lopez was the owner cook; Esther was the cashier – she later became my beautician – and Liz and Eleana were waiting tables. It turned out that they were the children of Lopez and Esther.

We had so many delightful times there. We had our first taste of “menudo”; our first taste of “albondigas”; some of the best Machaca we have ever had. Bob loved their breakfasts – so much for so little money. The recipes were extraordinary and I even asked Lopez for several of them.