Category: The Widder Curry

Restaurant Review

Kona Kai Resort & Spa – Vessel Restaurant
1551 Shelter Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92106
Reservations – 800-566-2524

Last month when I did a restaurant review with Deb, we agreed that we would try to do one more before the year was out. One day this week was that day and we decided to try the lunch at “Vessels” at the Kona Kai Resort. I am so glad that we did.

But, of course, it didn’t start out the way we hoped it would. I had made a reservation using “Open Table” for 12:15pm. The parking is somewhat difficult, and the lot is to the right of the hotel. One must take a ticket to remember to have validated before trying to retrieve your car.

Restaurant Review

Pomodoro
2833 Avenida De Portugal
San Diego, CA 92106
619-523-1301

Strange how fate works. I have been asked five times in the last six weeks if I had ever eaten at Pomodoro. Several times I had planned on doing so but just had never been able to find the right time or right person to go with me. Then earlier this week I saw on Face Book that my daughter had lunch there and really enjoyed it. Then I knew I had to try it.

I belong to a support group where all of us have lost a loved one and it just so happened that we were going to meet on Saturday and it was my turn to select the restaurant. No question as to where we were going to go!

And let me start out by saying that I am glad we went.

Over the past few years, I have done a number of restaurant reviews that have met with, to say the least, mixed reactions. Some of those restaurants that I thought left a lot to be desired are someone else’s favorite, and, thanks to the First Amendment, people have told me how wrong I have been in no uncertain terms.

In talking to my friend Mary this morning, she offered to go with me to any restaurant and “help” me review it. I pointed out to her that she was “too nice” to do a restaurant review. She finds good in everyone; in everything; to the point that I sometimes wonder how she can be such a good friend. … So Mary and I did a “mock” review – over the phone – that I would like to share with you –

By Judi Curry

One of my least favorite places to go to at this time of the year is the United States Post Office. And, more specifically, the Ocean Beach Post Office. Those of you living in the area probably know what I mean without any explanation. Because I am getting orders for my cookbook for holiday gifts, I seem to be spending a great deal of time at the OB Post Office. And…I seem to be spending a great deal of time STANDING IN LINE at this same post office.

It doesn’t seem to matter what time of the day I go to mail my packages. On Monday I went at 4:00pm. I stood in line for 12 minutes waiting to see a postal employee. Why did I stand in line for so long? Because, dear reader, there were 16 people in line and only two windows open. And it seemed that everyone had a number of packages to be sent, or an extraordinary amount of money orders to be purchased.

Is It All Just a Coincidence?

By Judi Curry

You can’t live in Ocean Beach/Pt Loma and not notice the continual work being done on the water pipes throughout the entire neighborhood. You can’t live in Ocean Beach/Pt. Loma and expect not to find detours where just yesterday you were able to drive right through.

You can’t live in Ocean Beach/Pt. Loma without noticing sand bags in front of drainage ditches on many of the residential streets of the area. And you can’t live in Ocean Beach/Pt Loma without noticing the huge amount of water cascading down the streets.

So is it a coincidence that many of us received water bills this week that were higher than any previous month? Is it any coincidence that those of us that have taken measures to reduce our water usage are appalled at the amount of our water bills for the months of September-November?

“Restaurant” Review:

Surf Check (An Apparition)
Corner of Sunset Cliffs and Pt. Loma Avenue
Ocean Beach

Let’s follow this unlikely scenario. You are driving down Sunset Cliffs, heading South from Newport Avenue, and you pass a Thai restaurant, a couple of Italian restaurants, an Indian restaurant, a defunct Mexican restaurant, a donut shop, a coffee shop and a market. And as you continue your drive all of the places to eat, or have a cup of coffee, vanish.

You are quickly approaching one of the most scenic areas of San Diego, when, out of the blue, on a piece of cement no bigger than 40 feet wide, you are met with a blue and white trailer sporting a yellow surf-board on the top, and, in a wide array of colors, a “menu” featuring coffee, acai, smoothies and hot dogs.

The “Surf Check” is owned by someone that has been in San Diego – more importantly Sunset Cliffs – for years. His name is Richard Aguirre; he is the president of “Save Sunset Cliffs” and a dedicated, concerned person – concerned about so many things.

Restaurant Review

Plant Power
2204 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
(Note: Menu has address at 22014 – )
San Diego, CA 92107
619-450-6845

I wasn’t going to do it. I knew that if I reviewed this restaurant there would be many comments – some favorable, but mostly unfavorable towards the review. However, I have been asked by so many people what I thought about it. I decided to “bite the bullet” and go.

My friend Barbara and I have talked about “Plant Power” for months. I should immediately point out that neither of us are vegans. We like our meats; we like our breads; we like so many things that are not offered at this restaurant. But we went in with an open mind and decided to order several items so that we could sample the menu.

To begin with I want to say that once you get into the parking lot (off of Voltaire) there was ample parking.

Restaurant Review

Breakfast Republic
2865 Sims Rd
(Liberty Station)
San Diego, CA 92106

Last Saturday, Irene and I decided to have a widow’s day of exploring and wanted to include breakfast at the Breakfast Republic. We arrived there about 11:30am, and there was a wait of at least 90 minutes. Needless to say we did not stay.

But yesterday, a gentleman that I had met when I broke my leg last year called and suggested that we go out for breakfast. I jumped at the chance and this time when we arrived we were seated immediately. It was not quite 10:00 am. I should say that all of the outside seating was taken and there was a 20 minute wait for a table, but there was inside seating.

It is difficult to realize that almost four years ago I met Cowboy on line though one of the dating sites I was frequenting. I think that I was intrigued with the image of the “rough and tumble” image portrayed by Hollywood for so many years. After all, Cowboy lives in North Dakota and I am 1900 miles away in California. Never did I ever think that I would be visiting the farm several times a year and doing some of the chores that the typical farmer’s wife does on a daily basis. And I never thought I would enjoy the physical labor of doing those chores.

I marvel at Cowboy. If he could fly he would have a bigger “S” on his chest than Superman. He starts very early in the morning – 5:00am at the latest – and works like his horses until 10-11:00 at night.

By Judi Curry

Let’s begin this article by acknowledging that I am not a believer. I am agnostic at best; still looking for answers that I haven’t yet found. With that in mind, three things have happened over the past few years that I can’t explain, and the latest still gives me goose bumps in thinking about it. Let’s start at the beginning.

Seven years ago my husband Bob died. I joined a widow support group and one of the things we decided to do was to see if a “Medium” could bring our husbands messages back to us. There were nine of us going to Harmony Grove to find out.

As we were all coming from different parts of San Diego, we met at a central location, and I drove with Rosey to meet the others. On the way there, she mentioned that she was always puzzled why she had such a bad relationship with her mother.

Why Didn’t I Know About This?

For the past three weeks, beginning at about 9:00pm, I have received the following calls:

“Hello. My name is Lisa. You have been awarded a full paid, all-expense trip to the Bahamas by just answering a few questions. Are you ready to begin?”

That is call number one.

Call number two comes in an hour later – or so – and it is a foreign voice telling me that he is calling from Windows 7.

“There seems to be a problem with your computer; go turn it on.”

I say that “I don’t have a windows computer” and the voice answers back, “go turn on the windows computer that you don’t have. . . .”

Then my cell phone begins to ring. The first call is from Lisa; the second call is from the Windows 7 Computer guy.

Restaurant (?) Review

“Jack in the Box”
Voltaire/Sunset Cliffs
San Diego, CA 92107
619-223-7714

Never, ever, in a million years did I ever think that I would do a review on a “Jack in the Box”. Not that I don’t sometimes eat at Jack in the Box, but a review? Never. Until the other night.

It wasn’t because the food was good, because, at best, it was fair. I could tell you about the Egg Rolls, the French Fries, the Hamburger and hamburger patty I bought. I could tell you about the Strawberry shake that I ordered, but -I won’t. Because this is not about the quality of the food. No, this is about something else.

And to preface this by saying that more establishments should take a lesson from the people running this restaurant would just blow everyone away. But it’s true.

Here’s what happened: