You can't get your TV repaired at An’s Electronics Repair--but you can get an amazing gelato!

An’s Electronics Repair
Gelato

An’s Electronics Repair is not actually an electronics store. But you wouldn’t know that just walking by. The storefront is filled with old televisions, cassette players, computers, radios and miscellaneous parts. The menu is displayed on old tv screens above the counter. In fact, it’s so well decorated that people walking by were confused. While we were waiting in line I overheard them saying “What is this place?” Even the flavors are named after electronics: No Signal, Bluetooth, Power Supply, Walkman and Motherboard.

You might think this is a poor marketing decision, but the long line said otherwise. And being a bona fide computer geek myself, I love it. It had only been open for about a week when I visited, but word has gotten out that it’s not only unique, but good. 

When we finally reached the counter, the salesperson asked us if we’d been there before. We had not, so we were offered the tasting flight. This was a sample of 4 of their signature flavors and one that isn’t even on the menu. I was with friends and we all sampled the same 5 flavors, but each chose a different one. I chose the Motherboard, a rich dark chocolate gelato with chunks of peanut butter. One of my friends chose the lemon sorbet, and the other chose the No Signal. We all agreed they were delicious. The Motherboard was perhaps the most chocolately chocolate I’ve ever had in a gelato. It was rich and dark and even though I ordered a small, it was so rich I was wishing that d gotten a mini.

Though I got mine in a cup, it’s worth mentioning that they have gluten free waffle cones made in house! This is extremely rare, but then An’s had an emphasis on natural, organic and healthy ingredients, so it makes sense. 

We sat on the back patio and there was already another group there. They were OB residents and very friendly. In fact they were the ones that told us it had just opened a week earlier.  They also told us there are three locations all by the same owner but with different names. Each one is named after the store that was there before it, so there is an An’s Electronics in OB, an An’s Dry Cleaning in North Parth, and an An’s Hatmakers in Del Mar.

So if you’re looking for a unique, fun and friendly gelato shop, you can find it on Bacon Street in Ocean Beach. Just look for the An’s Electronics Repair sign and the long line. I’ll probably be waiting in it.

An’s Electronics Repair

1861 Bacon Street San Diego, CA 92107

https://aergelato.com/

Gelato Vero Caffe and Italian Ice Cream - a San Diego landmark

Gelato Vero Caffe

Italian ice cream and espresso 

On the corner of India Street and Washington sits a little cafe called Gelato Vero. This is the end cap to International Restaurant row on India Street, home to such famous San Diego restaurants as Saffron Thai, El Indio and Shakespeare’s Pub. The building is the former home of the Marquis Public theater. Gelato Vera has been in business since 1984 which in restaurant years is an eternity. There was a plaque on the wall for an award that they won in 1995.

I sampled the chocolate hazelnut, spumoni, and then ultimately ordered the coconut sorbet and the dark chocolate gelato. It was smooth, rich and amazing. The coconut, though non-dairy, was surprisingly creamy and sweet and together with the dark chocolate, it tasted like an Almond Joy, only better. Because I don’t really like Almond Joy. But this was good. Very good. The dark chocolate was rich and just sweet enough. It had so much cocoa in it that will probably keep me up all night. But it was worth it.

So if you’re in Mission Hills, downtown, Little Italy or anywhere near the airport, I highly recommend stopping by and sampling some of their many tasty gelato flavors. Especially if you’re a tourist or new in town, you should really try it because it’s one of San Diego‘s oldest and most well-known gelato shops—a true San Diego classic.

Gelato Vero Caffe
3753 India St, San Diego, CA 92103

(619) 295-9269

Turf Supper Club - Stay Classy San Diego

Turf Supper Club

Grill your own steaks

Last Saturday I had dinner with some friends at the Turf Supper Club in Golden Hill. This restaurant has been a mainstay in San Diego for as long as I can remember. Before the idea of grill-your-own steaks became trendy, the Turf Club was there, unassumingly and quietly creating a legacy. I'm pretty sure the decor hasn't changed since then either. From the wallpaper with horses wearing suits to the Pepto-Bismol pink walls in the ladies room, this place screams campy. The red leather booths up the ante when it comes to old-school lounge decor. But that's what makes it cool. A lot of new restaurants spend good money to achieve this aesthetic - the retro-chic look. But this place isn't "decorated" retro, it is retro. If Ron Burgundy were a real person, he would definitely be a regular at the Turf Supper Club.

The menu is limited, but the food is good and surprisingly cheap for what you get. We had a group of 8 people and we all had entrees, salads and at least one drink and the bill was under $200. The filet mignon was flavorful and tender, and since I grilled it myself, it was cooked just like I like it. The bloody Mary was just spicy enough and was served with two big green olives in it. Our waitress was even kind enough to bring us a few extra blue cheese stuffed olives to snack on. The salad was average, but then you don't really come to a steak place to eat salad. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal and we all agreed that if you live in San Diego, you have to visit this San Diego classic.

Turf Supper Club
1116 25th St
San Diego, CA 92102
(619) 234-6363
http://www.turfsupperclub.com

Vagabond: Food to Satisfy Your Wanderlust

If someone asked me how to describe the cuisine at Vagabond, I would explain it like this: If you were backpacking across Europe and stopped off at a small country inn for a bite to eat in the Alps in Switzerland, and then did the same thing in France, Spain, Italy and Germany, the combination of dishes you would have tasted could be placed on the menu and served at Vagabond.

Cheeburger Cheeburger may be missing an "S", but satisfies nonetheless

Cheeburger Cheeburger

Burgers

During Lunch Week (the week between Christmas and New Year's), my coworkers and I went to a burger joint in Rancho Bernardo called Chee Burger Chee Burger. Apparently it's a chain, but there is only one in California. It's located in a strip mall on Carmel Mountain Road. The place is small and was really crowded so we had to wait a long time to get seated. It's decorated 50's style complete with a giant Betty Boop outside holding a serving tray.

There were a bunch of high school kids there that day, so perhaps they had a soccer game and were celebrating a win or something. By the time we were seated we were starving. We all ordered burgers and a big basket of French fries and another one of onion rings. There were 6 of us and it was plenty to split 6 ways. I ordered the bacon burger with grilled onions. It was big, meaty and delicious. Their burgers come in 3 different sizes, and I got the smallest one (1/3 lb.) It was plenty of food. Some of my male coworkers got the larger size and some got the smaller one with a shake. The burger was extremely messy which usually means it's greasy, but in this case I didn't mind. It really hit the spot. The fries and onion rings were good too, although I could only eat one onion ring due the amount of oil dripping off of it. Cheeburger Cheeburger is definitely not for the health conscious diner, but if you are really hungry and want a big, satisfying meal, then you won't be disappointed. Just be prepared to wait a while if you have a larger party.

Is it the best cheeseburger in San Diego? Perhaps not, but maybe the best in North County. Stay tuned for reviews of other burger joints that claim to have the best burger in San Diego.

Cheeburger Cheeburger

12002 Carmel Mountain Road

San Diego, CA 92184 

(PERMANENTLY CLOSED)

The Kebab Shop takes the "o" out of kabob but puts flavor in your mouth

My coworkers have an annual tradition called "Lunch Week". The week between Christmas and New Years is known as Lunch Week because the office is mostly empty, the managers are all on vacation, and the poor souls who stay behind to work like to take extended lunch breaks in order to visit new and interesting restaurants that might normally be out of range for a one-hour break. Even though lunch week doesn't technically start until next week, this year we started early. The first spot we hit up was The Kebab Shop downtown on the corner of 9th and Market. This is one of our favorite places for lunch and we'll drive a long way to get it.

Jersey Mike's sub sandwiches will blow your socks off

Jersey Mike's

Sub Sandwiches

A few months ago a coworker introduced me to Jersey Mikes. He said that they had the best sub sandwiches in town. Not being much of a sandwich person, I was not all that excited about it. However, he dragged us all there even though it was 20 minutes from our office. They had only been open for a few weeks at that location but already there was a line out the door. This is always a good sign, so I went in with an open mind.

He was not kidding. This place has amazing sandwiches. I ordered a #7 (turkey and provolone) sub "Mike's Way" which means lettuce, tomato, mayo, onions, oil, vinegar, and oregano. The bread was crunchy on the outside but soft in the middle just like I like it. The turkey tasted like it was just carved on a Thanksgiving dinner table, and the toppings complimented the entire sandwich perfectly. This isn't a low cal sandwich with the cheese, oil and mayo, but you have to get it Mike's Way the first time and then you can start experimenting with your own combination of toppings.

They currently only have two locations in San Diego, one in Mission Valley and one in Mira Mesa. But judging by the line out the door, the quality of the food and the speedy customer service, I wouldn't be surprised if they open up more locations soon. And if not, trust me - the drive is worth it.

Jersey Mike's Subs - Mira Mesa
10764 Westview Parkway
Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92126
map
Phone: 858-578-0588

Under the Bridge Downtown... is Las Cuatro Milpas

Two words to describe the food at this hole-in-the-wall near the Coronado Bridge - great tacos. There is not a lot else on the menu, so if you don't like tacos or are vegetarian, this probably isn't your kind of joint. They only serve pork or chicken tacos, burritos and tamales. But if you are a Mexican food purist, then it doesn't get any better than this. Even the rustic setting feels like Old Mexico.