Delicious Persian Cuisine at Sufi in Clairemont
Plus: LV News Briefs, Upcoming Community Event Announcement, Update on Tecolote Canyon Tree Removal, How to Celebrate National Chocolate Day, and Requesting Comments on "Get It Done" App
Some time ago, we did a review on an International Market on Balboa Avenue near Genesee. Right next to this market is a restaurant called Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine which features Persian/Mediterranean cuisine. Although we often talked about eating there, we never got around to it. I guess we thought it was a little too exotic for us. However, since it appears we are running out of Linda Vista restaurants to review, we decided now is the time to give it a try. Besides, it is not too far from our LV city center and we do really love Mediterranean food. Since they seemed to be meat heavy, we invited along our Carnivore Sidekick, and his sidekick to give us their take on some meat dishes.
The restaurant is very large. I read on line it holds 300 people. There is indoor dining, some outside seating, as well as a banquet hall. They have dine in, carry out, and do catering for parties of all kinds. We made reservations but they may not be necessary on a weeknight. Their hours are 11 AM to 9 PM Monday – Sunday. They are located at 5915 Balboa Avenue.
Their menu is very extensive and consists of Kebobs (lamb, beef, chicken, salmon), Specials such as Hot Bread and Hot Kabob, Stews which include both vegetarian and meat options, Salads and Soups, Burgers and Fries, and Sandwiches, and of course, desserts and beverages. Check out the entire menu on line but you will probably need a translator for some of the items.
Steve ordered the Salmon kabab with rice and salad, I ordered the veggie platter, Carnivore ordered the Hot Bread and Hot kebob, and the Carnivore Sidekick’s sidekick ordered a gyro platter.
All the meals came with warm pita bread and each platter seemed to be enough to feed two people. We also had a platter of baba ghanoush, which we shared and still had some left over.
Steve enjoyed his salmon and the salad and rice that accompanied it. There were hefty chucks of salmon grilled just right. My veggie platter included hummus, tzatziki, zucchini, falafel, grilled onions, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, stuffed grape leaves and a humongous portion of herbed rice. It was all very good and I could only eat about half. I’m not a fan of stuffed grape leaves, but others were happy to take them off my hands. Carnivore thought his kabob was lamb but wasn’t sure. He had two large skewers and could only eat one. He also had rice. Carnivore sidekick’s sidekick’s shredded beef gyro, pita, rice and salad was also quite a lot. She said it was excellent and had about half to take home. She indicated that it heated up very nicely for another meal. They both said the food was reminiscent of the food they enjoyed on their college semester abroad in Greece. The salads on the plates were very refreshing. All the veggies seemed to be fresh and cooked to order. The service was friendly. The prices of our meals ranged from $11.99 to $18.99.
Although not really crowded, there was a steady stream of people coming in to pick up food to take away. The ambience was quiet, with soft music playing in the background. We had so much food left over that we filled two boxes. A lot of rice to be sure but also some of the meat. Steve ate all his salmon. We thought the prices were very reasonable for the amount of food that was provided.
I know we will go back and try to learn what some of the other dishes are. I think next time we will order one plate to share and perhaps one of the homemade soups they advertise. I hope you will give it a try, and stop off at the wonderful International Market next door for some exotic spices and a wonderful bakery. Excellent baklava.
LV News Briefs:
—New Fashion Valley Mall Stores: There are five new store additions to the Fashion Valley Mall. You can read the Times of San Diego article about these new stores by clicking here.
—LV Community Garden: If you are curious about what is going on at the new Linda Vista Community Garden, you can take advantage of the garden’s volunteer/visiting hours that are held each Monday (4:00 pm to dusk) and Wednesday (9:30 am to 12:30 pm). Additionally, Seed Starting classes are held the third Friday of each month (12:30 pm to 1:30 pm) at Bayside Community Center.
—DEA Drug Take Back Day: DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held Saturday October 26 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Medicine from your cabinet that has expired or is no longer needed can be disposed of at SDPD Western Division located at 5215 Gaines Street.
Upcoming Community Event
Update on Tecolote Canyon Tree Removal
In the October 3 issue of this newsletter we explained how a Trunk Sewer Line construction project in Tecolote Canyon Natural Park has resulted in the planned removal of several of the park’s mature trees. Though the project had been long in the making, the controversy began with the unexpected announcement of the trenched installment of the sewer line in areas that currently host mature trees, and the news that the work was to begin immediately. The trees in one area were known to serve as a nesting area for certain birds. The news was met with a Save the Trees rally on October 17 held in the front of the Tecolote Nature Center, coordinated by the Tecolote Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee and the Friends of Tecolote Canyon. These two organizations proposed that trenchless construction should be used as an option to prevent the removal of the trees.
Though the City has not begun construction in those areas, the matter is not settled. On October, representatives from several civic and non-profit organizations, along with the arborist for the project, members of the Filanc Construction team, biologists from Busby Environmental, and many more representing Public Works on different aspects of the project, our Tecolote ranger staff members Ranger Steve and Ranger Monica, and Miles Noel from Councilmember Raul Campillo’s office all met at the park to walk along the projected route of the sewer line project and discuss possible construction options. There were no representatives from the Mayor’s office.
Darrel Madison, president of the Tecolote Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee, attended the walk-through. He subsequently commented to this newsletter about the walk-through, explaining that “There seemed to me to be a genuine spirit of cooperation, collaboration, and a sharing of ideas and information between all, which was the encouraging part, but what it will all amount to is still very much in doubt.”
According to Madison, “The walk revealed more high value sites to be harmed or destroyed. One in particular is a popular rest stop along the main trail where sits a memorial bench under the shade of a giant sycamore tree that looks to be around 200 years old. In my opinion, cutting the sycamore appears to be more about avoiding inconvenience and additional cost than it is an unavoidable casualty of the project. We hope to find an alternative. We are also learning that the fence that protects the Nature Center's Native Plant Garden is in the way, as is a large swath of the Native Plant Garden itself. Removal has also been deemed as unavoidable for the two mature oak trees just outside of the plant garden at the main entrance of the trail. The meeting revealed possible engineering solutions that may save the heritage sycamore in the very front, but there are no guarantees they will work. It is my understanding that ‘trenchless construction’ methods could potentially save all of the above locations, but it doesn't sound as if this is being considered due to the additional costs.”
In regard to the area of trees that serve as a nesting area for birds, Madison added “Cutting down the Forest Grove section of the trail is being called "unavoidable" due to the curvature of the pipe in that location which will not allow trenchless construction methods to be effective. We all discussed that portion while under the canopy of the forest. It seemed to be the first look that anyone on the project was getting of the immense size of the gallery forest that stands in the way. It was my impression that most of the city reps and the people on site seemed to show compassion for the impacts, and a sincere intention to look for more engineering solutions, but they are also very determined to proceed without delay, as this project is being regarded as an "emergency" situation.”
He concluded by saying, “We continue to ask and hope for engineering solutions to be found that will spare such areas as the 200 year-old memorial sycamore, and for money to be spent that will spare us from losing these high value features of Tecolote Canyon Natural Park.”
***
You can read here the contents of an essay Darrel Madison posted on Nextdoor that elaborates on his thoughts regarding the October 17 walk-through and the City’s plans, along with his suggestions on how local residents can support Tecolote Canyon.
How to Celebrate National Chocolate Day in LV Area?
Are you aware there are only a few more shopping days left until National Chocolate Day, which is celebrated this year on Monday October 28? Have you figured out what chocolate product you are going to buy to gorge on during that day? Or what chocolate dessert you will buy for that special someone so that they too can consume massive grams of sugar? There are so many delicious chocolate items to choose from.
Americans really enjoy their chocolate—we consider it an All-American product. However, as many of you know, chocolate comes from cacao beans, which originated in Central and South America. The Mayans were the first to use the cacao beans to create a chocolate drink. Then the Aztecs took it to another level by considering chocolate the drink of the gods. Being from the state of Pennsylvania, Betty has long believed that chocolate was invented in the town of Hershey. I recently broke the news to her about the Mayans…I still don’t think she believes me.
It is only fitting that National Chocolate Day is celebrated so close to Halloween. Every trick or treater enjoys getting chocolate candy. And adults enjoy buying bags of chocolate candy under the shaky premise of giving the candy out on Halloween night when, after all, they just want to rip open the bags in the days before Halloween and eat the candy themselves.
If you have been shopping for chocolate products you may have noticed that chocolate-related prices have risen dramatically over the past year. The reason behind such soaring prices has much to do with supply and demand, influenced by climate change. As reported by CNBC, “in April of 2024, cocoa prices peaked at a cost of $11,000 per metric ton, up from roughly $2,500 in previous years. This represents an increase of over 300%.” Though the world -wide demand for chocolate continues to grow, according to a J.P. Morgan web site, “The rise in cocoa prices is largely due to a global cocoa shortage. Climate change-induced drought has ravaged crops in West Africa, which contributes around 80% of the world’s cocoa output. According to the International Cocoa Organization, global cocoa supply will decline by almost 11% over the 2023/2024 season.”
No matter the rise in prices, there is no way of stopping our urge for chocolate, so we decided to remind our readers about some of the great chocolate products available here in the Linda Vista area. In doing so, we first paid a visit to the Fashion Valley Mall, which plays host to two chocolate candy stores—-See’s Candy and Läderach. It is hard to find a shopping mall that doesn’t have a See’s Candy, a company that got its start in Los Angeles. It’s the go-to place to buy a box of chocolates as a gift. See’s offers quite a few choices. The company advertises its stores as having over 100 varieties of candies and boxed chocolates. The place is usually packed during the holiday shopping season. And who doesn’t enjoy getting one of their free samples? Läderach, on the other hand, is a Swiss-based company that advertises itself as an artisanal chocolate store, and as we have mentioned in the past, the word “artisanal” usually means higher prices. We previously published an article in this newsletter about Läderach. Once inside the store, you will be impressed by the presentation of the chocolate candies in their classy looking boxes. If you, in turn, want to impress someone, giving them a box of these chocolates would certainly do the trick.
When it comes to chocolate served in a much cooler format, local resident can always fall back on two favorites. First, Thrifty Ice Cream, available at both Rite Aid and Ralph’s, offers its traditional chocolate flavor. There are many other more exotic ice cream flavors available from the Thrifty brand, but you can’t ever go wrong with basic chocolate. And, if you are thirsty, you can also drive east into Mission Valley and pick up a chocolate shake at In-N-Out Burger. Yes, there are 61 grams of sugar and 600 calories in one of these chocolate shakes, so buyer beware! But the $3.00 price is very reasonable.
If you like your chocolate served in a warmer manner, you can’t beat the hot chocolate made from Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate tablets. We saw the above Abueltia box at La Tiendita of Linda Vista located at 2187 Ulric Street (across the street from the Linda Vista Library). The cinnamon flavor and smell is irresistible. It’s a perfect drink for a cool fall morning. According to Wikipedia, this Mexican drink is often prepared for special occasions like the upcoming Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2. I always enjoy drinking this hot chocolate drink when I want to get in touch with my inner Mayan or Aztec.
Finally, if you are looking for a different kind of cool Chocolate drink, why not try Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout beer? Since it’s organic, I am assuming this alcoholic drink must be healthy. Regardless, this stout beer imported from the United Kingdom, makes for a great dessert beer. It can be purchased at Total Wine and More, located at 8740 Rio San Diego Drive in Mission Valley.
If the above chocolate products don’t interest you, we do hope you soon find your preferred option somewhere here in the Linda Vista area, and in time to celebrate National Chocolate Day in a safe, fun filled and delicious way.
Thoughts on the City’s “Get It Done” App
Go to any local civic meeting here in LV in which residents are allowed to ask questions about City services, and you will inevitably get the following response from City employees and elected officials…”We encourage you to use the City’s ‘Get It Done’ app.”
We would like to hear about our readers’ experiences with the “Get it Done” app. Did you get a proper response? To what extent were you satisfied? Do you think the app works as advertised? Or did you feel ignored?
If you are comfortable with us publishing your response to the above questions (you can request anonymity), then send it to srodriguez2@san.rr.com and let us know about your experiences/observations/opinions.
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The Linda Vista Update is a weekly digital newsletter that publishes informative, interesting and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities. We welcome ideas for stories. Let us know about any interesting people, places, or upcoming events.