Monique "I don't go joy-poppin' with bubblegummers" R.'s Profile

Delizioso!

Provided you can make your way through the mess of trolley madness (located at the America Plaza Trolley Station), this little establishment definitely deserves a visit.

Pizza can be purchased by the slice and all menu items are very reasonable in price. They offer a combo of a small salad, slice and drink for $6...cheaper than a $5 footlong (considering Subway neglects to mention tax is not included).

I am plain Jane when it comes to pizza...for me, just cheese please. My slice was scrumptious: thin crust, tasty sauce and perfectly melted cheese...yummy! They also serve a buffalo chicken ranch pizza masterpiece; while I would never order such a slice (see above) the presentation was quite pleasing to the eye. While perusing the menu I noticed they offer a variety of calzone-like creations with a choose your toppings option and an array of Italian style sandwiches.

Perfect spot for quick lunchtime grub or an evening dine and dash (you pay in advance at the counter so skipping out on the check is not what I mean). The staff is incredibly courteous and friendly even though they're moving at the speed of light to get all of their hungry customers fed.

Giovanni's Trattoria è molto buona!

Energetic, fun and friendly staff, which creates a comfortable and amazing atmosphere. Fantastic food: everything  I've ordered has been perfectly prepared and very flavorful! My favorite is the caprese panini..mmm mmm good! While I was recovering from oral surgery, High Dive was my savior with their oatmeal and pop tarts plate. A wide variety on the menu to please even the pickiest of people.

Food aside, the atmosphere at the High Dive cannot be beat! They have pinball machines and a wall decorated with crazy cool vintage lunchboxes. Televisions are visible from any seat in the house (even the outdoor patio). Come football season, a LT shrine and ritual just before game time is especially entertaining! Bonus: the beautiful bartenders and gorgeous waitstaff do a dance whenever the Chargers score! San Diego Super Chargers...Go Bolts!

Honestly and regrettably, I made a snap judgment about this place; one which kept me speeding past this market on my way to work. Embarrassingly enough, judging solely by the location, I assumed this establishment offered overpriced, low quality products. Somebody should slap my knuckles with a ruler especially considering my lecture per se regarding "assume" in my last review... I guess I need to try harder in practicing what I preach.

In a drowsy daze and requiring immediate coffee, I broke down, decided to take my chances and walked inside. Boy do I want to kick myself in the butt for not taking advantage of this conveniently located market! The store is clean and neatly organized; offering the standard convenience store amenities plus many items you expect to encounter only in grocery stores.

The clerk was very friendly and helpful while I was wearily navigating my way around the coffee island. While the coffee is pretty much what one would expect from a convenience store; the island offers a variety of flavor enhancing condiments. The prices are comparable to any convenience store and some of the products offered are slightly cheaper than in a grocery store...no skimping on quality here.

Pardon the cliche but you truly can't judge a book by its cover. I hope to conquer such a mind set in the near future, preferably before I unnecessarily deny myself for fear of the unknown.

The red door of this establishment entices and the interior doesn't disappoint. Personally, I am a sucker for places that feel like home, or rather places with such a warm cozy vibe I want to move my stuff in rather than just dine (thoughts of breakfast in bed are coming to mind).  The Red Door is exactly that with soft lighting and comfy pillows on padded benches (perfect for large groups). The decor is classic.."with an edge" so said my dining companion upon admiring the modern, vintage chandeliers.

Now for the fare...oh my yummy!  This is no burger and fries joint..although there is one burger on the menu. The website labels it best: "contemporary comfort cuisine". I must say I was certainly comfortable and totally content throughout my entire meal. Plate presentation was perfection and the taste to die for.

I took our servers' suggestion and ordered turkey meatloaf which came with a side of mac n cheese and scrumptious sauteed veggies. She was right on...absolutely delicious!  My friend ordered the pork chop with a black fig glaze served on a mountain of mashed potatoes, also accompanied by the sauteed veggie assortment. We each sampled each others' plates and both were on par...actually, if you know golf, both selections are eagles in my book!

The prices are quite reasonable in comparison to restaurants of the same caliber. Extensive wine selection with option to purchase a bottle, a glass and even a 1/2 glass should you so desire. We were impressed that every wine is offered in this manner.

Less one star because our server didn't bring back the change apparently assuming she deserved a 35% tip..don't get me wrong she was wonderful, incredibly attentive while not at all bothersome, however we all know the age old saying about assuming...

It was an amazing dining experience, I will be back and I recommend to all.

This post shall serve as both a rave review and also a warning to any and all creepers out there...mess with me and, thanks to Al Lowrimore's Women's Self Defense Seminar, you will end up bleeding from your eyes (at the very least), possibly infertile and definitely feeling severe pain!

As this review concentrates on only one of Al Lowrimore's programs, I will start by advising that Al also offers classes in Russian Kettlebells, Functional Fitness and Jeet Kune Do in addition to the program which inspired my review: Women's Self Defense. Al Lowrimore is a professional, black belt, martial arts instructor. I know of nobody more qualified to teach women to fight in the event flight is impossible. He encourages you to push yourself more than you think capable and will constantly challenge so as to build a better, stronger, more confident you. My favorite quote of his, "our purpose is to make you successful".

I participated in Al Lowrimore's 2-day women's self defense seminar and with the knowledge gained I feel confident I could fend off an attacker in an instant! Al's program is definitely intense but he has the ability to teach even the most delicate ladies how to protect themselves if ever, God forbid, one finds themselves in a precarious situation.

At the start of the seminar I felt a tad timid about throwing punches and kicking groins of the teaching assistants; however by the end there was no hesitation in doing what needed to be done to get free of "my attacker's" grasp...or as Al so eloquently put it, "protecting my center line".

Throughout the course Al taught us concepts such as violence vs. threat of violence, naturally occurring physical and mental attributes which serve as warnings of danger. We learned basics regarding fighting distance and range, and he showed us how to create a base so as to maintain balance, proper posture, stance and footwork (all of which are components required to maintain control over your body).  

This course is not meant to teach you to fight your attacker (that is reserved as last resort) but rather you will learn strategies for escape, which may require physical confrontation to allow for time to get away. We were taught so many techniques; most of which are meant to leave the perpetrator stunned while you flee. A few of the highlights: punching and blocking, eye pokes and gauging, groin kicks, shin kicks, biting, escaping a hold, avoiding a choke, small joint manipulation, ground movements (mainly to get someone off of you), fighting once on the ground and fundamentals to getting back on your feet and away from the assailant as quickly as possible.

What I found most valuable was learning how to react should such a horrible event occur. For example, I would imagine most (including myself pre-Lowrimore education) would be stunned if grabbed by another and may freeze-up not knowing what to do. Now I know I have the ability to break free, fight if need be and most importantly get the hell away from the danger.

By the end we were beat up and bruised but confident in knowing we too can beat and bruise another if circumstances require.

Thanks to Al and all his teaching assistants for the vast knowledge, techniques and confidence gained during your course. I truly feel as though I can now protect myself should someone try to get to my center line or anywhere else I don't want them to be.

No longer :(

sudden closure = 120+ peeps scrambling to find a job...very sad. Plus the sudden displacement of many, many gold-diggers ...poor things may have to get jobs too.

http://www3.signonsand...

A serendipitous turn of events landed me in the midst of the OB Farmers' Market on Wednesday evening.  Generally speaking, most of the farmers' markets in San Diego and surrounding areas are somewhat similar. In fact, one can find the many of the same booths with same people working on Wednesday in OB, Thursday at Horton Plaza, Saturday in Little Italy and Sunday in Hillcrest...I'm certain there are there are others around town however I only mention those I've personally experienced.

Fresh, locally grown, organic produce aside, one can always find nifty gifts/trinkets and OBFM certainly didn't disappoint with hand-blown glass creations and all sorts of unique, artsy inventions and innovations. I was also very impressed by the play area set up in the middle of the street to entertain the kiddos with hula-hoops and toys of all kinds.

The only criticism I have is the booths face the sidewalk rather than the street, thus causing pedestrian pileups galore. Not only do you have to dodge the famers' market attendees but also those patrons going into the shops and restaurants lining Newport Avenue.

My suggested remedy: set up those booths to face the street so OBFM attendees can be free to stroll and peruse while those wanting to bypass the farmers market may do so via sidewalk.

I must admit, In the past I haven't often required visits to a nursery of this kind (or any kind for that matter); however since stumbling across this place in attempt to find a housewarming gift, I've taken much more interest in plant-related projects. Maybe my recent magnetization to this place is due to the vibrant blooms scattered both inside and out, or possibly the unique greenery placed all around the property; but mostly I believe it's the incredibly helpful and knowledgeable staff that keeps me coming back. The offerings of fresh slices of watermelon, iced tea and even watermelon infused water provide a welcoming, lovely community feel. Customer service cannot be beat at this nursery! The employees here are truly passionate about plants and will drop whatever task they are working on to answer questions, provide recommendations and even walk you around the grounds.  The pricing is fair and the owner's name is Tiger (super friendly and 100% helpful). Does it get any better as far as nurseries go?...I certainly don't think so!

No first aid kit on site..are you effen joking?! I don't believe it!!!!  What I do believe is each team pays upwards of $700 per season and this facility is too cheap to give a girl an alcohol swab and a band-aid. F that!  If I contracted necrotizing fasciitis, I'll see you _uckers in court!

Wedged in the corner between Bird Rock Yogurt Co. and Starbucks you will find this quaint deli. As my last days of Bird Rock residency dwindle, I find myself inclined to visit all the ma n pa shops in the neighborhood previously  bypassed favoring Scarlett O'Hara's mantra, "I'll think about that tomorrow; after all, tomorrow is another day".  With the impending change in my geography, I had to treat this day as if it were tomorrow and thus walked into the Salami Shop.

A tiny, Italian style deli; no seating indoors and outdoor tables are technically "property of Starbucks" although I doubt it would be a problem if one decided to post up at one of the green tables for a quick nosh.

The owner is friendly and eager to please; offering samples of breads topped with truffle oil..delicious! There are a few retail shelves stocked with unusual seasonings such as fennel salt, specialty pastas and the like. I merely inquired about the fennel salt and before I could finish my thought..he handed me a piece of bread sprinkled with the special stuff.

I opted for the Capri sandwich..and respectfully declined the prosciutto (rarely do I order what's offered on a menu exactly as is). No attitude from the owner about my special ordering..in fact he suggested flavor-enhancing seasonings to take the place of the salty meat.  Fresh buffalo mozzarella, perfectly ripened tomatoes and sweet basil leaves on soft, scrumptious bread topped with the perfect proportion of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My sandwich was so big I had half for lunch and the other for dinner..but for my full tummy I would've devoured the whole thing in one sitting it was so yummy!  The prices are a fairly reasonable given the quantity and quality of ingredients. To put in perspective, prepackaged sandwiches at the neighboring Starbucks are similarly priced; I'll take the fresh, made-to-your-liking option thank you very much.

Contrary to previous reviews, the owner washed his hands quite diligently even in between his sample offerings. Money did not exchange hands until after my sandwich was wrapped and tucked into my purse (like many women these days my purse is big enough to carry a toddler if ever need be). I even noticed him washing his hands again as I thanked him and turned to the door.

I definitely recommend this sandwich place to all (meat-lovers especially as I did notice a fairly extensive collection in the meat case).