Craving for Italian? Try Sardina's!
Plus: Francis Parker Football, Mayor's Contest and Challenge, Farmers Market Update, LV News Brief, Get a Boost of Patriotism
Do you ever get a craving for a certain type of food and feel like you must have it right then and there? Sometimes my Italian roots get the best of me and I think I cannot eat one more Taco or Pho, and instead must have something with tomato sauce and cheese. Pizza Hut-type pizza often serves the purpose, but a couple days ago I needed something really Italian. As luck would have it, our Carnivore Sidekick’s sidekick was celebrating a birthday and we decided to kill two birds with one stone – or maybe three by celebrating a birthday, picking a restaurant so we could review it, and most of all satisfying my craving for Italian food. Where better to do this than a local restaurant that has been family owned since 1970 – Sardina’s Italian Restaurant on Morena Boulevard.
We hadn’t been to Sardina’s since before the pandemic, but we used to enjoy going there frequently. We knew the restaurant to be cozy and friendly with inside and outside patio dining. Since it was an untypical rainy evening on the night we went, we of course opted for inside.
What can I say about the smell of an Italian Restaurant? Garlic, pizza, pasta, all the smells of my childhood. The staff was very friendly and seated us quickly. Lots of happy voices permeated the dining room. Although damp and chilly outside, it was very warm inside. Couldn’t wait to see the menu. It is very extensive, consisting of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, specialty sandwiches, soups, pastas, pizza, calzones, house specialties, and of course desserts.
Steve ordered a vegetarian pizza with mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, onions and fresh tomatoes. The pizza comes in various sizes from small to extra large. He got a small (8 inch) and it was plenty for one person with some left over for lunch the next day. He said the crust was delicious and all the veggies satisfying and something he would order again. The Carnivore disappointed us all by ordering a Shrimp Diavalo Calzone. Apparently, he’s trying to cut down on meat (We may have to find another Carnivore Sidekick if that keeps up). The calzone contained sautéed shrimp, peppers, garlic, onion, tomato, and basil with cheeses. At the risk of being accused of exaggeration, I can honestly say it was big enough to feed all four of us, but of course, he kept it to himself. He really enjoyed it as we didn’t hear a peep from him for 15 minutes. He couldn’t eat it all and took about half home. He said the shrimp was cooked just right, and all the cheese made it hard for him to stop eating.
Sidekick’s sidekick ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana Calzone and will probably be eating it well into next week, judging by the humongous size of the Calzone and the amount she was able to eat. It was HUGE as you can see from picture. She is a kindred spirit as we both love eggplant and the fact that it was not breaded made her happy. Both calzones came with an order of marinara sauce which was outstanding. “It was scrumptious,” she declared.
I went with the Eggplant Parmigiana Specialty Sandwich. It contained the eggplant, marinara sauce and cheeses on a wonderful large bun cut in half. It was so good! I could only eat half, so Steve had his lunch with the other half. The prices of our meals ranged from $8.95 (pizza) to $15.95 (Shrimp Diavalo Calzone).
The server was so nice and friendly, and after our meal she brought out the prettiest looking canolli with a yummy filling, whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate for the Birthday Girl. We all got to taste a bit of it and it was delicious.
We will definitely hit this restaurant again. We hope you will go and try out their delicious offerings. They also have “Take Out” and delivery available, as well as a pizza kit to make a delicious restaurant pizza at home. A parking lot adjoins the restaurant.
Sardina’s Italian Restaurant 1129 Morena Boulevard 619) 276-8393
Francis Parker Football Wins CIF Game
Last Friday night, Francis Parker School scored an exciting field goal in the final second of the fourth quarter to eke out a dramatic 24-21 win against Hilltop High in the opening round of the CIF Division IV football playoffs. The Lancers were able to take advantage of the exciting play of quarterback Chris Williams who scored three touchdown runs of 7, 82, and 26 yards, while accumulating 284 total rushing yards. The versatile Williams, who has previously played for the school’s soccer team, also kicked the winning field goal!
A Linda Vista resident, Williams is being recruited to play football by both the University of Hawaii and the United States Military Academy at West Point.
This Friday, the 5-6 Lancers will take a trip up to North County to take on the number one seeded 7-3 Fallbrook High Warriors. Game time is at 7:00 pm.
Mayor Announces Contest and Challenge
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is excited to announce the 2022-2023 Mayor for a Day contest, which aims to foster and encourage leadership in young people living in San Diego. Interested K-12 students living in the city of San Diego are invited to write an essay or submit a video about what San Diego would be like if they were Mayor for a day. The selected winner will be given the opportunity to shadow Mayor Gloria for a day to see how the City works up close -- and will play a role in the State of the City address this January. Please use this link to submit your essay or video: https://sandiego.seamlessdocs.com/f/mayorforaday2023 If you have any questions about the contest, please email Community Representative Emily Piatanesi at Epiatanesi@sandiego.gov!
Mayor Gloria is also proud to launch the Dr. Shirley N. Weber High School Voter Registration Challenge again this year to help encourage young people to register to vote. City of San Diego high schools can earn awards based on their level of participation and amount of physical registration forms completed. The competition will conclude on April 28, 2023.
To participate: (1) Sign up at inspire2vote.org/SDsignup (2) Host a voter registration drive at your school with Inspire2Vote’s help, and (3) Fill out an official voter registration form.
Please watch and share Mayor Gloria's High School Voter Registration Video encouraging students to participate! For any additional questions about the award please contact Meg Karol with Inspire2Vote, meg@inspire2vote.org, and Community Representative Emily Piatanesi, Epiatanesi@sandiego.gov
The Latest at the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market
Ben Thomas, owner of Raw Ethiopian Coffee, one of the more popular vendors at the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market, wants our readers to know that he will be conducting an Ethiopian coffee ceremony at 4:00 pm today (November 10). You can learn about this ceremony by clicking here and watching the video. Then you can come out to the Farmers Market and see the ceremony in person.
Last Thursday’s Harvest Health Fair, held in conjunction with the Farmers Market was a great success. Attendees were able to obtain free vaccines, free health screening and free educational material. The photo below shows students from Kearny High’s School of Biomedical Sciences and Technology who staffed a booth at the Health Fair.
LV News Briefs:
—Linda Vista Town Council: The LVTC will hold its November general meeting on Wednesday, November 16 at the Baha’i Center (6545 Alcala Knolls Drive). Meet and Greet time begins at 6:00 pm, and the formal part of the agenda begins at 6:30. The guest speaker for the meeting will be Lorenze Legaspi, San Diego Mesa College, Vice President of Administrative Services. The public is invited to attend.
— Carson Elementary Family STEAM Night: Carson Elementary School’s annual STEAM night will be held November 17. According to school principal Lucille Ciudad Real, “It will be a night filled with interesting interactions among students, families, and students from University of San Diego. We are proud of this event which is now in it’s 8th year and look forward to having you and your family join us!” You can click here to let the school know you will attend.
Commentary
A Place Where Patriotism Flourishes
This week in November is a special time in terms of generating a sense of old fashioned patriotism. With Tuesday’s election, we carried out our most important patriotic chore—casting our vote. Today, November 10, is the U.S. Marine Corps’ birthday, a day on which Marines posted throughout the world celebrate the organization’s 247 years of existence. And, of course, on November 11 we observe Veterans Day.
As we take note this week of both the Marine Corps’ birthday and Veterans Day, I can certainly draw a level of patriotic connection between the military and Linda Vista. We have John Baca Park--named after Linda Vista’s own recipient of the Medal of Honor, and we have the American Legion Post at the corner of Genesee and Linda Vista Road. And we have the history of Linda Vista, which as we know was built to house defense plant workers during World War II.
However, if you are in need of subjecting yourself to an environment capable of invoking a much stronger dose of military-associated patriotism—if our country’s current divisiveness has you in the mood for demanding easily observable proof that there are indeed individual Americans that value self-sacrifice and a willingness to contribute to the country, then the appropriate site for such an exercise lies just outside the boundaries of Linda Vista—at the historic Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD)—which is located right off of the Pacific Coast Highway. I suggest you go there on any Friday during which the Recruit Training Regiment conducts a recruit graduation ceremony. I guarantee the stirring ceremony will leave you feeling good about the country and the young men and women willing to do their patriotic chore for at least four years.
The Marine Corps Recruit Depot, which first began operating in 1924, is the place all Marine recruits west of the Mississippi River go for basic training. During their 13-week stay, these recruits undergo the Marine Corps’ famous brand of physical challenges and mental stress, all under the constant and intense direction of their dedicated and demanding drill instructors.
For those unfamiliar with the military, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot can seem like quite an imposing place—a fortress-like structure that prefers to remain cut-off from the rest of the world. But on Friday mornings, the public is invited to attend the weekly recruit graduation ceremony that commences at 10:00 am. This ceremony takes places on the immense parade ground that sits in the center of the base. It’s quite a dramatic setting for a military ceremony. The beautiful Spanish colonial revival style buildings, the tall palm trees, the hills above Old Town positioned in the background, along with the overall symmetry and precision of this military base provide a dramatic setting for the ceremony. The approximately one-hour ceremony consists of a sharp, colorful, and stirring parade in which the graduating company of recruits form up and march in front of the bleachers and reviewing stand and are at last recognized as Marines. The music provided by the Marine Band San Diego, along with the crisp parade commands delivered by the regimental and company staff remind everyone in attendance of the proud history and reputation of the Marine Corps. It’s always fun to see and hear all the excited friends and family members, waiting for their new Marines to be dismissed from basic training.
If you ever need that strong dose of patriotism, or if you want to see how your taxpayers money is being spent, or if you like military parades, or if you are just curious about what goes on at the graduation ceremony, you can schedule a visit to watch it by clicking here and checking out if a Recruit Battalion is scheduled for a Friday graduation ceremony. No reservations are required for the ceremony (always scheduled for 10:00 am), though visitors need to give themselves time to get through the security inspection process at the gate 5 entry. The Marine Corps provides plenty of bleacher seating to accommodate visitors.
Remember, all of this is just a mile or two away from the southwest borders of Linda Vista. Not far away at all.
***
Editor’s Note: The Marine Band San Diego was recently selected to be a 2022 inductee into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame. Click here to read about the induction ceremony, which will be held tomorrow on Veterans Day.
Subscribe to the Linda Vista Update
We invite everyone to subscribe to the Linda Vista Update. Don’t worry, it’s free! Just click on the “Subscribe now” button. Once you do so, you will be on automatic distribution for all future posts. Stay informed. Join our growing community of readers.
The Linda Vista Update is a weekly digital newsletter that publishes informative, interesting and fun news about Linda Vista and it neighboring communities.