Solana Beach, CA-Sleeping Beauty Awakened

Tucked away in a shopping mall is a little gem for classical or exciting new plays-the North Coast Repertory Theatre.
For an evening of excellent food and music, dine at The Wild Note and/or enjoy an eclectic musical menu at the Belly Up Tavern next door.
One can choose to drop in at the sporty "Surf& Saddle "or satisfy a yen for fresh fish at the Solana Beach Fish House.
Browsing around the Cedros Design District yields plenty of design ideas for modernists and "antique freaks" alike.

Quick Tips:

Suddenly more popular than ever, tiny Solana Beach is really inundated in summer; the best times are the rest of the year. Its small beaches are too crowded-Oceanside or Carlsbad beaches have more room in the summer. As a plus, Solana Beach is only 21 Coaster miles north of San Diego and it does have some accommodations fairly close to the Amtrak-Coaster station at which taxis are usually parked.

Best Way To Get Around:

Nixed by Del Mar,its former location,the Amtrak relocated into a new station that was slated for the Coaster in Solana Beach;now, there's more traffic congestion within a small city,but very convenient connections both north to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and south to San Diego, the trolley gateway to Tijuana. Time to get to Burbank by rail from Solana Beach-about 2 hours;by car, sometimes only God knows how long,certainly more than 2 hours on heavily trafficked days. By rail, you can read the paper, have a snack and/or glass of wine, and forget hassle.

In town, park in the huge station lot. You can bike, but it’s not smooth -too much traffic on narrow streets: Keep in mind, only Oceanside & Solana Beach have both Amtrak and Coaster connections from North County San Diego, which makes both superb choices for basing oneself while visiting.In Solana, you enter the station to get Amtrak tickets; for the Coaster, as the photo below shows, you go to the ticket machine at Track 1 where a security guard will be on hand to help you, though the machines are very easy to use.

Locals swear by this fresh seafood place, located in a strip mall that’s one block from the Amtrak station. It’s low on ambiance, but high on fresh and not pricey. Home- made soup comes either in bowls or in sourdough rounds (go for the rounds!) and it’s Chowder New England style. On Thursdays through Saturdays, they serve paella, a marvelous Spanish dish with mussels, clams, spicy sausage, and other fish (often California rockfish), all warm with saffron rice. Currently, they have a coupon for paella for two for $29.95, a real special, to be found in their widely circulated ads (see The Clipper, a mailer sent to local, coastal residents).

So, if you yearn for fresh snapper, shark, salmon, halibut, ahi, mahi-mahi, albacore, or swordfish and like any of these fish char-grilled or Cajun-blackened, or curried, or with a garlic sauce, you can have it as you desire; for a modest extra charge, they will do it other than their usual char-grilled. They also have salads, sandwiches, pastas, and grilled Mexican lobster, shrimp, and fish dishes, as well as that old standard, fish and chips. Service is friendly and attentive, but not rushed. All fish is cooked to order and they have take-out.

They’re open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 to 9, on Fridays from 11 to 10, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 to 9.

Since 1954, the Surf & Saddle has catered to a mix of customers of all ages who enjoy a bar that features Bloody Marys, six big screen TV’s and local live music on Fridays and Saturdays with no cover charge. Their name suggests an appeal to the beach surfing crowd and to another group of athletes, the equestrian set at nearby, affluent (the most affluent in the U.S. according to a recent demographic survey) Rancho Santa Fe where polo is a very popular, actively pursued sport. Their longevity seems to indicate they have a pleasing roster of entertainment, one that appeals to retirees and tourists during the day and to younger people after work at night during the week when Happy Hour is from 6-9. Every Thursday night, from 9 till closing, they have an open mike night- with a gentleman named Jason Patrick as host- that allows would-be-singers opportunity to nab the spotlight and display their talents- a variant on the old "Ted Mack Amateur Hour," it seems to me.

In between the live entertainment of local groups with catchy names like "Shocks of Mighty," "Fula Bula," "Pivit," and the "Shopping Kart Assassins,"-the latter of which gets my vote for most attention-provoking name-the jukeboxes on the premises provide the background music. There’s a little something for everyone here. On Wednesdays from 8 to 11, you can play pool for free. It’s an old-fashioned sports bar that has updated itself by providing reasonably priced drinks, sports viewing on big screens, lots of music, and a friendly, casual atmosphere that appeals to a broad spectrum of customers. Maybe next time we visit the "Bumpin Uglies," or "South of Houston," will be featured; the names of these groups really make me chuckle, and their music’s not bad, either.

Since 1997, the intimate, only 56 seats (indoor & outdoor) Wild Note has become a successful alternative to the eats provided at the Belly Up. It’s become a restaurant with an excellent chef who provides patrons with a range of well-selected entrees from grilled salmon to roasted duck breast, all well -executed with interesting sauces and very fresh vegetables. This cozy place is a pleasant surprise; at eight P.M. daily soft music begins to accompany the food. Split plate charge is $2.50, a boon for dieters, and children’s entrees are available.

On Sundays, their terrific Jazz Brunch from 11:30 to 2 continues their emphasis on combining music & food. I’ve never attended their Wine Wednesdays, but friends have and enjoyed the samplings and appetizers (at 6-8P.M., at $30.00). Service is swift and competent, but it’s the food that’s the draw. Herb-crusted mahi-mahi, petit filet with a cream horseradish sauce, grilled salmon with a tarragon sauce, and duck breast with an outstandingly different raspberry pepper sauce, are just some of the " stars" on the menu. However, a word of caution-check the menu posted outside, as the chef rotates menu items and your favorite may not be slated for that night. This honest, up-front "European" touch of outside posting of the menu with prices is a practice I wish more local restaurants would adopt. Also I applaud that this chef will not serve food he can’t procure when the quality is good.

In sum, if you have the time before a show, the food is a much more elegant alternative to eating at the Belly Up, and many locals have patronized the Wild Note at times when they were not going to a show next door. The Wild note holds doesn’t lean on the Belly Up to draw patrons in; it’s a fine, little restaurant that would succeed without the Belly Up next door(Perish that thought!).

This small (194 seats), semi-circular seat theatre is a joy to attend; literally, all seats are comfortable and good, with excellent viewing of the action. Now in its 21st season, this well-established theatre is much awarded: the most recent accolade it has received is from SignOnSanDiego, the website of the San Diego Union Tribune, which deemed it" The Best Small Theatre in San Diego".

For the past four seasons, a new, dynamic, young artistic director, Sean Murray, who has often taken an acting turn in their plays, has selected several vibrant and box-office-successful contemporary plays,including a new adaptation of "the Diary of Anne Frank," that was acclaimed by critics and audiences. Sadly, he has just resigned to pursue other avenues, but will be leaving NCRT in excellent shape. The theatre also presents classic plays like Coward’s "Blythe Spirit," which I saw there at a preview performance when a friend was a cast member. Before the opening of a new play, two preview performances immediately precede it, and these performances are at reduced prices, though their regular prices won’t break the bank. In addition, the "Tasting Series," which has just begun, will provide patrons with food samples from local restaurants before Friday performances.

As this is a not-for-profit corporation that aims to support and develop local theatre talents, both onstage and backstage, and encourage local children to enjoy and participate in theatre productions, this organization has a Theatre School with low enrollment costs for children with theatrical ambitions who seek training and performing opportunities. Once a season, performances by the Theatre School are scheduled.

Naturally,the resident artists offer more- six presentations a season. Currently through September 8,"The Importance of Being Earnest," is rotating performances with "Travesties," a play by Tom Stoppard that centers around an old man whose confused memories of pre-World War days as a youth in Vienna, Austria, interweave with characters and situations from the Wilde play. Future productions include "The Miracle Worker," which runs from September 26 to November 10, and a one-man play, "Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol", by Tom Mula, in a San Diego premiere of a play that portrays the familiar tale from the viewpoint of Scrooge’s deceased partner. These productions will be followed by Sam Sheppard’s "Lies of the Mind," from January 9 to February 9 of next year, and by "Cabaret," from February 20th through April 6th.

Sunday matinees are at 2p.m. and 7 p.m.,and evening performances are at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. This is excellent local theatre, at reasonable prices, and featuring interesting plays and experienced local actors. Its location, in a busy mall, Lomas Santa Fe Plaza, on the fringe of affluent Ranch Santa Fe, has enabled this theatre to thrive,while many other live theatres have not. A quaint feature at this tiny theatre: the theatre’s rest rooms are up off the stairwell in front of the theatre, which is, indeed too small to accommodate them within.

This is an established music venue, and, incidentally a favorite performing spot for Hollywood actor-musicians like Dennis Quaid, Woody Harrelson, Keanu Reeves and Kevin Bacon have played here, so, incidentally, it’s been a place to see Hollywood stars who would also like to be musicians. In summer the Belly Up usually features local groups, and, in the past, this unpretentious place has launched some locals into nationally successful musical careers-notably San Diego’s own Jewel. During the rest of the year, this "tavern" presents big names as well as little ones.

Since 1974, when the owner launched this venue in an old Quonset hut, ugly but with excellent acoustics, instead of going "belly up," it has thrived and attracted Etta James, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, Joe Walsh, Cypress Hill, the Young Dubliners and one of my favorites, Lindsay Buckingham, to name just of a few of the top talents who’ve played there. A smart engineering staff assures the sound will be optimum from any seat and so the views are equally good from any seat in the house. If you feel like dancing, it’s got a big stage for it during performance down times. A patron’s parking lot in the rear efficiently provides for that necessity.

Before the show, you can purchase snacks like chicken tenders or vegetarian spring rolls or an 8 inch pizza and drinks for under $10.00, or you can visit their Wild Note Café next door for a more leisurely and fancy meal .They have an excellent web site at www:bellyup.com., at which you can sign up for e-mail notification of coming attractions. Ticket sales open at noon daily at (858) 481-8140. For free, on Wednesday, August 28, at 9 p m, local radio station 2819X presents "Loudspeaker," a local music showcase that highlights San Diego performers on our very active music scene. For any "big name" show, it’s wise to buy tickets early, as they usually sell out early.

Claiming it’s "a candy store for the woodworker," this large, highly visible, green painted store is, indeed, a place where people take wood seriously, even revere it .My husband needed to have a slab of butcher block that would fit precisely into the space left vacant for it in our newly remodeled kitchen, So, I was sent forth to this store to have the slab milled and cut to his specifications. Luckily, I secured a parking space in their lot in the back of their store as it was an off-summer season Saturday, and what really was lucky is that I was told I could wait till the job was done and take the result home with me.

An expert went to work on it and, fascinated, I browsed around. Lots of books on woodworking stood out among other books on remodeling and interior rejuvenation. No stranger to Home Depot am I, the gofer for my husband during two bouts of remodeling, but many of the titles were ones I’d never seen before and on subjects very detailed such as wood carving. Ambling over to the tools section, a magnet area for many men there that day, I saw implements I had never imagined existed from the world over, most of them devoted to wood embellishment or reshaping. Similarly, their flooring section displayed samples of woods I’d never gazed on. Signs proclaimed that if you couldn’t find what you were looking for, they would help you find it.

This is what this long-established store is about- they specialize and provide customized service. Of course, this kind of service costs more, but the entire Cedros Design District operates on providing the different, the special, even the unique, at a cost. The photos show some of the stores here, most of them housed most unpretentiously, even a little down-at-the-heels. However, all of these stores sell pricey items designed to appeal to an affluent community like Rancho Santa Fe or Fairbanks Ranch, both of which are a short distance away. Cut & Dried is open 8-5 Monday through Saturday and 10 to 4 on Sundays. While the ladies browse for antiques or fancy clothes, here is where you’ll find most of the men. Telephone 858-481-0442, with an illuminating web site (cutanddriedhardwood.com).

Yes, that photo of the rear-side window of the Solana Beach Fish House is murky-that's what it was like in Solana Beach about 8:30a.m. on a Monday morning. This year,the gloom began in February and has only disappeared for a week or two at a time, sporadically, since that month. When I first came to the San Diego area,I couldn't believe the gloom. Then,in 1983,"it" started in June and lasted through August; I would inadvertently offend relatives back in the Northeast when I'd tell them not to come to visit in the summertime, but they thought "it" was a preposterous figment of my imagination as they KNEW that San Diego's weather was always sunny, so..perhaps, I didn't want THEM to visit.

As the years have gone by, each year "it" has inched its way earlier and later: this year it seems to have reached new heights(or depths, depending on your point of view).So, it's the middle of August & it's hanging around like "The Man Who Came to Dinner." But, guess what? We San Diegans don't seem to mind its presence any more, for it keeps the mornings and the evenings cool ;when we are free from work in the eves we can play on the cool beach or go to a park for a picnic or cycle without stirring up too much sweat.And the sun shines from around 10 till 8; no,it doesn't shine all the time, but it shines at the most important times for visitors.

In fact, as locals, we've observed that in the sporadic intervals when the gloom has disappeared we have gotten unpleasant HUMIDITY!(a phenomenon we immediately trace in origin to Mexico the country south of our border).We used to allege any mist or vapor we had visited us from Los Angeles,but since that belching behemoth cleaned up its act about ten years ago,we can't blame THAT PLACE any more. We are equal opportunity blamers for all of us truly believe this peculiar dark mass can't be San Diego's fault.Therefore,when I advise visitors to our shores in the summertime that they should pack a sweater or sweat shirt (formal or informal),I'm not kidding. I'm not trying to discourage you from visiting,but,the reality is,if you attend any event outdoors at the above mentioned times,that wrap will be NECESSARY,and it will be cool because you're enjoying yourself so much that you're staying up late(and you'll sleep in late & miss most of the gloom anyway).