Mission Hills Stories
When chef Amiko Gubbins left her pioneering eclectic-fusion restaurant Parallel 33 to go cook for a rock star, local foodies gasped. She finally shut Parallel 33 down permanently after taking a gig with Specialty Produce …
Huh... A gold, studded “Champion’s Booth,” a corner throne area where, it looks like, champion wrestlers get to chow down. There’s a chandelier above, wild-pink-and-sea-green walls, a gold table cloth, and a red velvet rope …
Seven months of countywide conflicts, calamities, and curiosities, part 2.
A Mexican wrestler was pictured on the invitation to a party I went to a month ago. The card was for John’s 40th birthday “smackdown,” and I had to be “ready to rumble.” The thought …
Is it myth or truth that white men can’t “Q”? (Got your attention? Kickle kickle.) Barbecue — meaning Southern-style barbecue — is a black art indeed, requiring a magical confluence of technique, timing, and taste-buds …
Like the sidewalks and streets that surround the city’s parking meters, the relationship between Uptown Partnership — the group responsible for addressing parking issues in Hillcrest, Banker’s Hill, and Mission Hills — and the residents …
Michael Vogl, revenue collections manager for the city, blames the media for spreading false information about the mayor’s parking meter utilization plan. He says news outlets are unable to explain the detailed proposal in 30-second …
During District 2 councilmember Kevin Faulconer’s state of the district speech on April 27, he listed his accomplishments during the past three years. One of his proudest accomplishments so far has been banning alcohol from …
Author: Salvatore Scafidi Neighborhood: Mission Hills Age: 59 Occupation: Retired Engineer Ethel’s voice cuts through the hubbub of the grandkids’ wrestling over the Etch-a-Sketch and Dr. Phil’s scolding of another drug-soaked teenager. Fred blinks and …
Long before the current economic downturn, music retailers had a tough time keeping their heads above water as CD sales have dropped off while downloads, many for free, have become the typical method for fans …
This past December, the Uptown Planners agreed on the vision for the West Lewis Street Mini Park in Mission Hills. They didn’t want concrete walkways or planters or bridges; they wanted the design to be …
I’m confused. Here I am, top of India Street, breezy Friday, trying to decide between Mexican and Thai. El Indio and Saffron. Each one’s a sort of record-holder. El Indio’s one of the oldest taco …
New Year’s Day was, if you can remember, a rainy day. Most businessess were closed or had limited hours of operation. The local laundromat in Mission Hills was no exception. They were open, but without …
At approximately 8:30 pm on Tuesday, December 30, 2008, a pedestrian was struck by a red pick-up truck near the intersection of Washington Place and Randolph Street in Mission Hills. Witnesses to the accident said …
“The church was built in 1913, before there was even a street here,” said a congregant at Mission Hills United Methodist. “People love it for weddings.” Between the stained-glass dome, the Arts & Crafts woodwork, …
A small group of Mission Hills residents are so adamant about scoring parkland for their neighborhood, they are willing to spend over a million dollars to hardscape a third of an acre of environmentally sensitive …
Over 50 residents of Hillcrest, Mission Hills, and Banker's Hill attended the July 8 San Diego City Council meeting. They waved five-inch, fluorescent green signs that on one side read "IHO," the other, "YES." Their …
“Never place a period where God has put a comma.” — Gracie Allen, quoted in UCC pamphlet. "God is Still Speaking” read the caption on the name-tag the greeter gave me on my way into …
Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes. — Gloria Naylor Like a good amateur psychologist, when I encounter a hot mess of a woman I immediately look to her father. More often …
Two opposing views regarding the ban on brew at San Diego's beaches inadvertently surfaced during the June 25th meeting of the Ocean Beach town council. When Officer David Surwilo, community liaison for the police department's …
The City of San Diego purchased the site for the new Mission Hills Library, the former IBEW Building on the corner of Washington and Front Streets, back in 2003. Two years after the purchase, the …
“Colony collapse disorder is an immune system disorder. The bees’ immune system is compromised, which might be due to the stress [commercial beekeepers] are putting on the bees,” says beekeeper Diane Busch. “It’s big business. …
Title: Sanctimony Address: http://www.sanctimony.net Author: Helena Bristow From: Mission Hills Blogging since: 2002 Post Date: November 29, 2007 Post Title: Behavior Therapy for Creatures My pets are neurotic freaks of nature. My bird, Byron, is …
Artist: Calico Horse Song:"Awake in the Clouds" (from myspace.com/calicohorsemusic) Heard By: Charlie Herlevic, downtown I liked it very much; it's a very pretty song. It reminded me of a band called Quix*o*tic. It also reminded …
We are a frazzled, worried country after seven years of every important decision being decided wrong by that "deciderator" and the awful gray eminences whispering in his ears. So do I dare to interpret the …
'It galls me that all these house-and-garden shows called 'restoration something' are showing people who own an old building, and the very first thing they say is, 'Well, we had to gut it,'" says preservationist …
At close to midnight during the April 15 meeting of the San Diego City Council's consideration of the Paseo de Mission Hills project, District Seven representative Jim Madaffer observed that moments earlier he had received …
You can explore two of San Diego's most beautiful old neighborhoods -- Mission Hills and Banker's Hill -- on the seven-mile, self-propelled tour outlined here. We'll define "self propelled" as walking, jogging, or bicycle riding. …
Su-Mei called the city. That's what the fish guy said. "I'm Victor fucking Joseph, and if I wanna sell black pepper chicken, ain't nobody gonna stop me." A squat keg of a man with a …
“The Thai believe that in a time of weather, seasonal changes make a person vulnerable.”
Chesapeake Fish pickled herring at Sausage King 811 Washington Street, Mission Hills 619-297-4301 Sausage King is an amazing source for all manner of Mitteleuropean foods, from their own house-made sausages and jerky (a huge assortment) …
Sassafras 3667 India Street, Mission Hills 619-295-4745 This restaurant gains its moniker from ground sassafras, the primary seasoning in gumbo filé. Chef-owner, Andre Bellard, is a native son of Lafayette, Louisiana, and knows that flavor …
Mission Hills Nursery 1525 Fort Stockton Drive, Mission Hills www.missionhillsnursery.com 619-295-2808 Some herbs can be grown from seed, but the long-lasting perennials (such as rosemary, French tarragon, and Greek oregano) are typically best started as …
Amy Steinmetz, International Skin Care Centre 3518 Union Street, South Mission Hills 619-299-0543 Steinmetz offers her services to burn victims and those suffering facial disfigurement. She also caters to less extreme conditions, ranging from acne …
As Cute as a Button 814 Washington Street, Mission Hills www.ascuteasabutton.com 619-220-7012 The retail store offers over 6000 button styles; 500 styles are featured in the online catalog. Old buttons, new buttons, antique buttons, chartreuse …
Shirley Boyle, CCH 4024 Ibis Street, Mission Hills 619-692-4001 "Be kind and loving and truthful," Boyle advised callers to her voice mail recently. "Take a little time to slow down and just be." Some of …
Maison en Provence 820 Fort Stockton Drive, Mission Hills 619-298-5318 Some folks insist on table linens from Provence. Others can't do sans santons -- little Provençal Christmas figures or lavender honey for their petit dejeuner. …
Mission Hills Courts Corner of Washington and Randolph Streets These two city-owned and free-to-the-public courts are located across from Pioneer Park and overlook the greenery of Mission Hills Nursery. Although recently refurbished, they still have …
South Mission Hills to Hillcrest This mile-long stroll will take you from the bottom of the Laurel Street hill to Hillcrest. Along the way you'll pass under the First Avenue Bridge, an impressive sight from …
As State Street crosses Laurel heading north, its name changes suddenly to Reynard, and a little blue street sign welcomes you to Mission Hills. Don’t be fooled. This is Baja Mission Hills, like Kensington too …
First the guy was dead, and then he was not, a significant detail that changed during the telling of the story. But dead or alive, said my neighbor Matt, there was a body in the …
Hey Matt: The Mission Hills residential area south of Washington to about Chalmers or Vine is sometimes referred to as "Five Points." Is Five Points technically part of Mission Hills or just an informal name …
Pioneer Park/Calvary Cemetery West Washington and Randolph Street, Mission Hills Some picnics are spoiled by ants or drizzly weather. But festivities at this park, located about a mile from Old Town, can sour when the …
Mission Dry Cleaners 105 Washington Street, Mission Hills 619-295-4139 Dry-cleaning work is the same no matter where you go; the biggest difference is service, which is top-notch at Mission Dry Cleaners. Jan and her husband, …
Tom Jones of Mission Hills Electric and Appliance 902 Fort Stockton Drive, Mission Hills 619-291-6955 Tom Jones can repair just about anything from exhaust fans to convection ovens to washer-dryers. But if you come in …
Parallel 33 741 W. Washington Street, Mission Hills 619-260-0033 The energetic Amiko Gubbins is a master of this genre. Her own background is a fusion of America and Japan, and the cosmopolitan food her mother …
"What we've got here is a school with 450 kids. The site that they're on here, the whole thing, is five acres, but only three of it is usable. The rest is canyon.”
Read first part of the novel. In 1953 Judy Garland made a splendid appearance at the opening reception for the Kentucky Derby. She was wearing a navy-blue, full-length coat; navy-blue, calfskin opera pumps with very …
The Gathering 902 West Washington, Mission Hills (619) 260-0400 You came here for food. Instead, Dan the barman gives you a card. "Look at it. Don't show me." You look. Jack of hearts. He takes …
Midtown/Mission Hills Area 3.2 Miles Get a jogging stroller or a baby backpack and get ready to hike. Park on the west side of San Diego Avenue where it veers from India Street, across from …
“In my neighborhood, people are removing aluminum siding and stucco from the 1950s and 1960s. They’re stripping the paint from their homes’ redwood shingles. And they’re pulling up wall-to-wall carpeting to expose the hardwood floors.”
Matt: Would you do a favor for all us bike riders and make a list of the steepest streets in San Diego? -- A. Rider, San Diego Dear Matthew Alice: What are the steepest street …