Edible San Diego Issue #49 September/October 2018

{Day Tripper}
Eat, Drink, and Walk it Off in La Mesa
Story and photos by Jackie Bryant
Though La Mesa lies just east of San Diego’s official boundary,
it’s an easily overlooked neighborhood—which is unfortunate
considering the new additions to the area’s drinking and dining scene
over the last few years. Living by the beach, I’m especially guilty of
overlooking La Mesa’s charms, so I decided to head a few miles inland
for a day to see what I’ve been missing.
9:30am—Public Square Coffee
Nestled right in the middle of La Mesa’s main drag—the eponymous
La Mesa Boulevard—is Public Square Coffee. In its description,
the shop says what the world “needs is connection...Public Square
is a place for exactly that.” Since I often find myself identifying with
this need, I knew that Public Square was where my tour of La Mesa
should begin. The cafe has an appealing and varied menu; I settled
on a freshly baked scone with a “flight” of housemade maplecayenne,
guava, and blueberry butters. To drink, I ordered my usual
morning standard, a cappuccino, and took out my laptop to get some
work done in the cheerful and creative space.
11am—Secret Stairs
I decided to take a quick hike before it got too hot—and hiking is
fairly easy to do in La Mesa with its variety of neighborhood hills
and trails. Secret Stairs are somewhat hidden near the downtown
area, but the popular climb can be found at the intersection of
Canterbury Avenue and Windsor Drive, just a few blocks from
University Avenue and La Mesa Boulevard. The hike up 245 steps
is a real heart-pumper, but well worth the huffing and puffing: The
summit boasts generous city views.
Noon—Sheldon’s Service Station
All of that exercise convinced me I deserved a beer, so I trekked
back down to La Mesa Boulevard and headed to Sheldon’s Service
Station, an appropriately named restaurant in a former gas and
service station. The tap list here features a rotating cast of local brews,
and the food menu is geared towards breakfast and lunch dishes. I
grabbed a Mikkeller hazy IPA and an order of avocado toast, took
a seat on the outdoor shaded patio, and watched the lunch crowd
materialize as foot traffic began to pick up across La Mesa Boulevard.
2pm—Vine Ripe
After lunch I headed to Vine Ripe, a market that specializes in
European and Middle Eastern grocery and deli items alongside
organic produce and other foodstuffs. Of particular interest are
their bulk and spice sections, which offer a range of products not
easily found elsewhere in San Diego. The spice aisle has just about
everything a cook could ever want: Pink peppercorns, za’atar,
sumac, anise, and five-spice powder are just a sampling from an
impressive selection. Beans, grains, lentils, and rice are also available
in bulk. Locals love Vine Ripe’s deli section—notably their variety
of feta cheeses and sandwiches, like the popular Tri-Tip Fecta,
a pepper medley tri-tip hoagie with caramelized red onions,
mushrooms, wasabi-cilantro mayonnaise, and fresh provolone
cheese on a crusty roll. I grabbed one for the road.
3pm—Helix Brewing Co.
La Mesa is the latest community to play host to San Diego’s craft
beer obsession, where new tasting rooms seem to open every few
months. Helix Brewing Co. features 12 rotating taps, ranging from
double IPA hop bombs to chocolatey stouts to Belgian-style ales.
The afternoon heat inspired me to order the Acid Drop, a tart but
refreshing Bavarian-style weizen with Goldings hops and German
yeast that clocks in at a low 3.7% ABV—perfect for the blazing
sun. While there, I dug into my sandwich from Vine Ripe; the red
onions cut the fat from the mayo, cheese, and tri-tip, and the heat
from the wasabi rounded everything out. The light beer was the
perfect accompaniment.
4pm—Amethyst Moon
After drinking and snacking some more, I decided to walk it off by
heading to Amethyst Moon and perusing the boutique’s offerings;
bright purple and opaque amethysts and other stones, metaphysical
books, incense, massage and Reiki candles, essential oils, and
jewelry are all on display in the well-appointed gift shop.
5:30pm—La Mesa Wineworks
I found that when it comes to happy hour, La Mesa Wineworks
can’t be beat. It’s a cooperative tasting room operated by two separate
San Diego County wineries, San Pasqual Winery and Wyatt Oaks
Winery. Though some of the wines offered were made with grapes
sourced from elsewhere in California, I decided to stick to San Diego
County fruit. I opted for a peppery 2013 Zinfandel from Wyatt
Oaks because I appreciate opportunities to taste wines that omit
sulfites (preservatives) from the winemaking process.
7pm—City Tacos
For dinner, I decided to check out one of my favorite North Park
mainstays: City Tacos. Their La Mesa outpost has the same Californiameets-Mexico
menu but is more friendly to dining in. With ample
seating inside and a sprawling, comfortable patio out back, it’s the ideal
spot to while away an evening while eating original tacos and sipping
on Mexican brews or agua frescas. My
favorite is the chorizo asado taco with melted
Oaxaca cheese, so I ordered up one of those
as well as the Especial with shrimp, octopus,
squid, Oaxaca cheese, panko-fried snow crab,
cilantro, and serrano chiles on a flour tortilla.
With its bustling residential community
and hearty dose of local pride, La Mesa is
an example of San Diego County at its best.
La Mesans are embracing the way their
enclave is growing and changing and are
dedicated to supporting local businesses
and restaurants (like the highly anticipated
fourth location for Surfrider Pizza). This
is no small feat in a world where big-box
stores and chain restaurants are proliferating
at a fast clip. Another bonus is that the
downtown village area is exceptionally
walkable and has multiple transit stops for
both the MTS bus and trolley. There are
plenty of excuses to explore the Village on
foot during the farmers’ market (3–7pm) on
a Friday afternoon, during the summer car
shows on a Thursday evening, or during the
La Mesa Oktoberfest—one of the best in the
county—which will be celebrating its 45th
anniversary this year from September 28–30.
Looking for a delicious day steeped in all
things local? Turns out one needn’t look
much further than just east down the 8. D
Jackie Bryant is a freelance writer who lives in
Ocean Beach. More of her work can be found at
jackiebryantwriting.com.
Top, left to right: Public Square Coffee and
Secret Stairs. Middle, left to right: Sheldon’s
Service Station, Helix Brewing Co., and
Amethyst Moon. Bottom: City Tacos.
30 edible San Diego September-October 2018
September-October 2018 edible San Diego 31