8 a.m. Rise, shine and dine on chilaquiles
Get to Cocina 35 Brunch early to beat the crush of boisterous multigenerational families celebrating milestone birthdays at the first full-service restaurant from this long-running local Mexican cafeteria chain. Cocina 35 has a following for its five varieties of chilaquiles (starting at $21), crispy fried tortillas in a red or green chile sauce with assorted toppings. Or skip brunch and head to Ocean Beach, for a California burrito, one of San Diego’s quintessential dishes (carne asada, French fries, guacamole and more, $15), to go from Mike’s Taco Club, a counter-service spot with bottle caps tiling the walls. Eat at the beach while watching the surfers and seagulls before walking south of the neighborhood’s famous pier to explore tide pools full of sea anemones, crabs and more (best at low tide).
9:30 a.m. Cruise around an island
Take the Flagship Ferry to Coronado, a beachy island city in San Diego Bay, for a quick cruise along the waterfront ($8). Rent some wheels at Holland’s Bikes & Beyond to ride the island’s six miles of bike paths through charming neighborhoods of bungalows and Craftsman homes to the powdery white sand of Coronado Beach. From there, travel along the boardwalk for a glimpse of the 1888 Victorian Hotel del Coronado, or “the Del,” which is undergoing a multiyear, $160 million renovation set to be completed next spring. A nonguest can buy a day pass to visit the hotel’s beachside, Olympic-size Cabana Pool, which is heated year-round (starting at $75 per adult, $35 per child).
2 p.m. Hit the barrio
In Barrio Logan, a historic Mexican American neighborhood, Chicano culture is celebrated at every turn, in bilingual bookstores, galleries, street-art supply stores, record shops and new-school taquerias. First, stand in line at Las Cuatro Milpas, an institution since 1933, which serves homestyle food from another era. While the counter-service restaurant is known for its rolled tacos, it’s the chorizo con huevos ($5), a soupy mix of spiced sausage, egg and beans beneath a sheen of chile oil, and the burrito-size tortillas, rich in lard and a delicate crust of flour, that you’re unlikely to have elsewhere. Then, cross Cesar Chavez Parkway to Chicano Park. Established in 1970, after a 12-day occupation of the site at the height of California’s Chicano civil rights movement, this national historic landmark features more than 100 outdoor murals — the country’s largest collection — depicting cultural figures central to the neighborhood’s story.
3:30 p.m. Hang out in the Heights
Walk uphill on Cesar Chavez to Logan Heights’ Bread & Salt (closes at 4 p.m.), a former bread factory converted into a 45,000-square-foot community art center, with galleries, studios, a cafe and sculpture garden. Unlike a meticulously curated museum, this lived-in, experimental space is somewhere to wander and be surprised. Afterward, go next door to Mujeres Brew House, a rare woman-owned brewery in a city lousy with great beer. Serving micheladas (a beer cocktail, typically with some combination of Clamato or tomato juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce and lime) and a lineup of refreshing cervezas that taste made for the brewery’s brightly hued, picnic-table-and-plant-filled patio, which often features a taco cart and live music.
5 p.m. Fill your suitcase
For Southern California-style souvenirs, head to South Park’s extraordinarily exuberant Bad Madge & Co., a vintage shop that leans heavily into a 1960s- and ’70s-era riot of color in its clothing offerings and a midcentury housewares aesthetic that includes an impressive collection of ceramic tiki glasses. Opened in 2015, North Park’s Verbatim Books is a warehouse-size used-book store that’s grown into a local institution. It’s a mural-adorned cathedral to literature, with soaring ceilings and quirky corners that feel like altars (one to Stephen King, another to vintage Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew). On the next block, Pigment is a color-themed gift and décor shop with a D.I.Y. succulent arrangement station that evokes year-round sunshine.
8 p.m. Spend time in Spain
Mabel’s Gone Fishing has the unfussiness of a neighborhood restaurant, but with a citywide following that demands reservations. With its long, perpetually packed bar, where gin and tonics ($16) and tapas (from $9) are king, this sultry Spanish-style restaurant is date night incarnate. Sit at the chef’s counter if you want to sweat while watching onions char and fish sizzle in glistening oil in the restaurant’s frenetic open kitchen. The menu changes based on the availability of local seafood and seasonal produce, but the Basque cheesecake ($16) is a reliable end-of-meal hit.
10 p.m. Bowl at the bar
Across the 30th Street, Part Time Lover is a surprise. Behind a facade that only nods at what’s inside, this beautiful, low-lit listening room and bar has a rich wood interior with Art Deco and Craftsman detailing. The in-house record store, at the back of the bar, supplies the eclectic mix of music for the hi-fi system. Then, end the evening with a game at the retro fabulous Lafayette Hotel, where the Gutter offers a two-lane bowling alley ($50 per person for one hour), along with shuffleboard, pool table and cocktails.
Source: Music - nytimes.com
