Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Dee’s? Dee-licious!

Louise says Dee’s is the bee’s knees.

Louise is sitting under a square black umbrella outside.

"Go in, but you'd better be quick. They're closing soon."

We’re at the corner of First and G, not far from the back of Horton Plaza mall, and across First Avenue from Ralph’s. This black umbrella’d, kinda cool corner place has a great location, mainly because the sidewalk stretches out good and wide, so there's plenty of space for tables and umbrellas.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33409/

It’s called, whu? Dee’s Newbreak Coffee & Café (690 First Avenue, downtown, 619-269-0580).

I head inside, looking for a cawfee, basically. It’s mostly decorated in black, with changes like a red wall with a modern art splash painting, and a stone tile wall with George Harrison, I swear...

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33410/

...looking like he’s picking up a surfboard for the first time in his life. They even have a wall of corrugated iron.

I mean, this late in the afternoon, everyone’s supposed to be drooping, ready to get off shift. But Nathalia and Danielle, the baristas, are as eager as if it was the crack o’dawn.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33411/

And even though the kitchen’s officially jes’ closing, Danielle softens her heart and lets a poor wanderer still choose something to eat.

“The most delicious?” says Nathalia, when I ask her what sticks out among the raft of sandwiches. She picks out ones like “Under the Tuscan Sun (diced chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, Swiss cheese and a “zesty sauce,” $7.49), or “New-B-Ken-OB (turkey, bacon, avo, Swiss, mayo, lettuce, tomato, $7.49).

"Actually, I was thinking breakfast," I say.

She doesn't skip a beat.

"Oh. Well I like the Greek Sunrise,” she says, “because it’s got that Greek taste, spinach, feta…”

“Done,” I say. Don’t want to miss the cook.

The menu says "Two eggs, scrambled, with feta cheese, spinach, and oregano, in pita bread, $4.75."

What comes out is a thick pita tortilla wrapped around all that good stuff, cut in half...

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33412/

...and wafting out that Greek Mediterranean smell of goat cheese, pita bread. You think of that classic movie “Zorba the Greek.” “Dance, you said DANCE?” What a movie. That bouzouki plucking away. Mamma mia! (Uh okay, that’s Italian).

Whatever, this little pita sandwich is kinda juicy, specially when you swill it down with the huge paper cup of coffee they give you for $1.75.

“So what’s with this name, ‘Newbreak?’” I ask Nathalia. “Greeks breaking plates at weddings?”

“No no,” she says. “It’s about the owner. Dee Harris. She’s young, in her twenties. Into surfing. She took this location over from 'It's a Grind' coffee place.”

Seems Dee and her mom started the first Newbreak coffee place in OB. Have two up there now. Named them after a ‘secret spot’ with a right-breaking wave, great to surf when there’s a north or northwest swell.

Ah. So now all the food item names make sense. “Blacks Beach,” (two eggs any style), “Down By the Sea,” (albacore tuna wrap).

I don’t hang around too long. These guys are closing. Tomorrow, crack of dawn, they’ll have to be up, back, and at 'em.

Unless there’s a swell from the northwest up at Newbreak itself, of course.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33413/

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Syrian treat maker Hakmi Sweets makes Dubai chocolate bars

Look for the counter shop inside a Mediterranean grill in El Cajon

Louise says Dee’s is the bee’s knees.

Louise is sitting under a square black umbrella outside.

"Go in, but you'd better be quick. They're closing soon."

We’re at the corner of First and G, not far from the back of Horton Plaza mall, and across First Avenue from Ralph’s. This black umbrella’d, kinda cool corner place has a great location, mainly because the sidewalk stretches out good and wide, so there's plenty of space for tables and umbrellas.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33409/

It’s called, whu? Dee’s Newbreak Coffee & Café (690 First Avenue, downtown, 619-269-0580).

I head inside, looking for a cawfee, basically. It’s mostly decorated in black, with changes like a red wall with a modern art splash painting, and a stone tile wall with George Harrison, I swear...

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33410/

...looking like he’s picking up a surfboard for the first time in his life. They even have a wall of corrugated iron.

I mean, this late in the afternoon, everyone’s supposed to be drooping, ready to get off shift. But Nathalia and Danielle, the baristas, are as eager as if it was the crack o’dawn.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33411/

And even though the kitchen’s officially jes’ closing, Danielle softens her heart and lets a poor wanderer still choose something to eat.

“The most delicious?” says Nathalia, when I ask her what sticks out among the raft of sandwiches. She picks out ones like “Under the Tuscan Sun (diced chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, Swiss cheese and a “zesty sauce,” $7.49), or “New-B-Ken-OB (turkey, bacon, avo, Swiss, mayo, lettuce, tomato, $7.49).

"Actually, I was thinking breakfast," I say.

She doesn't skip a beat.

"Oh. Well I like the Greek Sunrise,” she says, “because it’s got that Greek taste, spinach, feta…”

“Done,” I say. Don’t want to miss the cook.

The menu says "Two eggs, scrambled, with feta cheese, spinach, and oregano, in pita bread, $4.75."

What comes out is a thick pita tortilla wrapped around all that good stuff, cut in half...

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33412/

...and wafting out that Greek Mediterranean smell of goat cheese, pita bread. You think of that classic movie “Zorba the Greek.” “Dance, you said DANCE?” What a movie. That bouzouki plucking away. Mamma mia! (Uh okay, that’s Italian).

Whatever, this little pita sandwich is kinda juicy, specially when you swill it down with the huge paper cup of coffee they give you for $1.75.

“So what’s with this name, ‘Newbreak?’” I ask Nathalia. “Greeks breaking plates at weddings?”

“No no,” she says. “It’s about the owner. Dee Harris. She’s young, in her twenties. Into surfing. She took this location over from 'It's a Grind' coffee place.”

Seems Dee and her mom started the first Newbreak coffee place in OB. Have two up there now. Named them after a ‘secret spot’ with a right-breaking wave, great to surf when there’s a north or northwest swell.

Ah. So now all the food item names make sense. “Blacks Beach,” (two eggs any style), “Down By the Sea,” (albacore tuna wrap).

I don’t hang around too long. These guys are closing. Tomorrow, crack of dawn, they’ll have to be up, back, and at 'em.

Unless there’s a swell from the northwest up at Newbreak itself, of course.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/11/33413/

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Fast Food? How About Fast Wine?

Next Article

A closer look at Brad Pitt's ad for Chanel No. 5

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader