Great Vietnamese Food in Clairemont
Plus: LV Artist Holds Reception, Carnivore Sidekick Fundraising Continues, LV Update, and Linda Vista Drivers Need a Roundabout
The Linda Vista Update—a Community Newsletter
We are so happy to know people read the LV Update. We especially like it when someone takes the time to email us a comment on an article or better yet, makes a recommendation for a future article. That happened recently when a reader told us she enjoyed our restaurant reviews and suggested we try a restaurant she liked, though it was not in Linda Vista, but Clairemont. Since we were kind of running out of Linda Vista restaurants, we decided to look up her recommendation- the PT Eatery.
In researching this restaurant, we found a Linda Vista connection. This restaurant started as a pop-up and subsequently opened a small restaurant in Linda Vista in 1988 serving Vietnamese meals to family and friends. It got so popular it moved to Convoy Street under the name Phuong Trang in 1992 (interestingly, we did a review on that restaurant about a year ago). The family behind Kearny Mesa's popular Phuong Trang Vietnamese restaurant then opened an offshoot of Phuong Trang on Clairemont Mesa Blvd called PT Eatery in 2018.
As we reported on Phoung Trang, the menu was very extensive (about 250 items). PT Eatery also has an extensive menu, but not quite as large, and they have some new items as well. We were excited to try it. It is located in Independence Square Shopping Center on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, right next to a large Dunn Edwards Paint store. The interior is very attractive—bright and airy—with lots of tables and large murals lining the one wall. Tables are well spaced and the day we went for lunch, there was a very good crowd.
As there were lots of vegetarian and seafood menu items, Steve opted for Stir Fried Vegetables with Shrimp, and I went for the Shrimp Pho, which you don’t see everyplace. We also ordered jasmine hot tea. Since our Carnivore Sidekick was working and couldn’t join us, we ordered him the Garlic Butter Baby Back ribs to go. More on that later.
Service was very good and we noticed that many of the diners were sharing their dishes. As I have said before, Steve will never share so I did not get to try the stir fry. He said it was excellent and it looked very fresh. It included carrots, broccoli, and other vegetables with large grilled shrimp on top and lots of them. Yum. It was served with rice, but their other stir fried can also be served with various types of noodles. It was a large serving, but he managed to eat it by himself.
My Shrimp Pho was outstanding. I ordered the small bowl and as you can see it was still quite a bit. Lots of shrimp, noodles, served with bean sprouts and mint. The broth was delicious and the soup was piping hot just as I like it. It was very filling, and I was only able to eat half, and Steve was lucky enough to have the rest of it for his dinner that night. He also thought it was excellent. As I said, the menu is very extensive, so you can look it up on-line to get an idea of what you want before you arrive there. Although there are many exotic sounding dishes, when we asked our server what was their most popular item, she showed us a picture of Beef Tenderloin with French bread. Go figure – though the dish did look wonderful.
PT Eatery also has a good selection of beers, wines, soft drinks and teas.
Back to the Carnivore….he later reported on his garlic butter baby back ribs being “awesome” which did not come as a surprise. They looked wonderful and were served with rice. He indicated the garlic butter sauce was very “garlicky” and he wanted more. He said he normally does not like ribs because they are too much work, but the meat feel right off the bone of these with healthy bites. There was a perfect meat to fat ratio.
I think you will enjoy this restaurant if you ever get the desire to leave the confines of our wonderful Linda Vista. We want to thank one of our most enthusiastic readers—Janet Tiger—for recommending it.
PT Eatery
7351 Clairemont Mesa Drive
858-865-6997
LV Resident Holds Artist Reception
A number of San Diegans gathered this past Saturday afternoon at the Mission Valley Library to celebrate the artwork of Linda Vista resident Nathaly Alvizures. The artist’s reception, titled “Secret Doors”, featured several works that displayed Alvizures’ digital photography compositions.
A native of Guatemala, and a resident of Linda Vista for the past year, Alvizures is currently a student at San Diego City College. A mother of five children, her “conceptual photography” artistry has been inspired by her past struggles with homelessness and domestic violence. As explained in one reception display, she has also been inspired by her favorite artists—poet Edgar Allan Poe, the filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, and actor Johnny Depp. Alvizures’ artwork, which often expresses a surrealistic vibe, is a product of her love of storytelling and photography and the skills she has developed in Adobe Photoshop- like digital compositing and color theory.
If you are interested in purchasing or learning more about her artwork, she can be contacted at alvizuresfineart@gmail.com. Her work is also on display at the Mission Valley Library.
Walk for Animals Fundraiser
Carnivore Sidekick at 46% of Fundraising Goal
As explained in last week’s issue of this newsletter, the Linda Vista Update’s very own Carnivore Sidekick, a restaurant review fixture, is participating in the SD Humane Society’s “Walk for Animals” being held at Liberty Station on May 6. He is representing the LV Update. In doing so, we are asking Update readers to contribute to his fundraising efforts by donating a $10.00 amount. All the money will go to the SD Humane Society.
Readers have so far been generous, and we are happy to report that after one week the Carnivore Sidekick has so far reached 46% of his $500.00 goal. This means all of you still have plenty of time left to contribute. Here is how you can do so:
Click on the SD Humane Society web site address right HERE.
Scroll down till you see the section that says “Search for a participant or team.” Click on “participant.” Then, type Carnivore (first name) and Sidekick (last name) in the “Search for a participant” section, and then hit “return.”
Click on the Carnivore Sidekick’s name when it shows up.
Then click on the “Donate”button on the next page.
Next, enter $10.00 under “other amount,” and then enter all of your required “billing” and “payment” information.
Click on “Process” button.
You will receive notification when your payment has been approved.
We thank you for your generosity.
LV News Briefs:
—Farmers Market: The Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market will be held today April 13 at the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Come out and get your fresh fruit and vegetables, check out the ethnic food vendors to find some dinner time fare, and socialize with your fellow Linda Vista residents.
—Amanacer Apartments Grand Opening: A grand opening celebration was held this past Friday for the Amanecer Apartments on Ulric Street in Linda Vista. You can read about the apartments and the grand opening by clicking on a SD Union Tribune article here.
—Food Distribution: Help spread the word about this great activity. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, located at 6840 Osler Street in Linda Vista, will conduct its monthly food distribution this Saturday April 15 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in the church parking lot. Both cars and walk-throughs are welcome to participate in the food distribution. You can read a previous issue of the LV Update to learn more details about this food distribution, to include household size and income qualifications.
— Carson Family STEAM Night: Carson Elementary School will hold its Family STEAM Night on Friday April 21. This is a great opportunity for the community to check out how the school is addressing student needs in regard to science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. It is a fun event in which students will create products for sale to the public. Check out the below flyer for additional details. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by going to the website indicated on the flyer.
—Councilmember Community Office Hours: Councilmember Raul Campillo (District 7) will hold his monthly Community Office Hours on Wednesday April 26 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Linda Vista Public Library. Community Office Hours provide an opportunity for District 7 residents to meet directly with the Councilmember and ask questions or share concerns. If you would like to schedule time to meet with Councilmember Campillo on April 26, please email CherylW@sandiego.gov
—LV Multi-Cultural Fair/Parade: The ever popular Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair and Parade will be held Saturday April 29. If you or your organization wish to participate in the fair and/or parade, please visit this site to apply for parade, entertainment, booth, volunteer, or sponsorship opportunities. Last day for parade participant applications is this Friday April 14. Last day for to apply for volunteer opportunities is April 20.
Commentary
Roundabouts Are the Way to Go
It is obvious our once sleepy Linda Vista community is moving up in the world. You can see it in terms of the community acquiring more advanced road/traffic features to handle our growth in traffic. After all, nothing says community progress and a growing popularity like dubious road modifications and higher commuter density. For example, a quick glance around the community reveals we now have more than our share of fancy bike lanes and those fancy accompanying pylons, we have our very own busy afternoon rush hour traffic on Linda Vista Road and Ulric Street, we have a frustrating shortage of off-street parking spaces, we have near- permanent road construction going on along Friars Road (across from the golf course), and we are proud to host very complicated lane configurations that cause all kinds of driver confusion when traversing the Friars Road/Ulric/SR-163 interchange area.
However, I contend we are still lacking one vital road feature that can go far in helping to distinguish Linda Vista as an up-and-coming San Diego community—one eager to make its own trendy, hip, or edgy traffic statement. What we lack is a single roundabout.
For those unfamiliar with the concept of a roundabout, let me quote Wikipedia which defines a roundabout as “a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.” Smaller roundabouts (on residential two lane roads) are also known as traffic circles.
We need to start thinking immediately of where the most appropriate place is in Linda Vista for a roundabout, and how we can get one installed. In my opinion, there is something about a roundabout that adds a certain level of charm and sophistication to a community. Roundabouts reek of European class and prestige. In fact, the first roundabouts were built in England and France. Come to think of it, just saying the word “roundabout” makes me feel like I should be carrying a jar of Grey Poupon in my car.
Roundabouts are still relatively rare in the United States—there are only 9000 of them spread across the country.
I may be taking too big leap in logic here, but here is one important reason a roundabout would be great for Linda Vista’s reputation—having a roundabout would put us on at least a near equal footing with La Jolla, which has a series of roundabouts in its Birdrock neighborhood. Linda Vista and la Jolla would become brethren roundabout communities. Since there aren’t too many other options available that enable our community to be on a near equal footing with the rich elitists in La Jolla, I don’t think we should pass up this rare traffic management opportunity.
Roundabouts provide a different kind of intersection experience for drivers and pedestrians. To many people, driving through multi-lane roundabouts provides a certain degree of exhilaration not felt in traditional, every day (dare we say…boring) traffic intersections. On the other hand, some critics maintain roundabouts are too confusing for the typical driver who is more used to obeying routine stop signs and traffic lights and that, if installed in Linda Vista, they will inevitably cause more traffic accidents. Yes, roundabout do have their own etiquette rules for drivers, and if you don’t know these rules it can be a bit scary to experience maneuvering in a circle.
However, as pointed out by many experts, roundabouts have a reputation for safety. According to Wikipedia, “compared to stop signs (and) traffic signals…modern roundabouts reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions greatly by reducing traffic speeds and minimizing T-bone and head-on collisions.” And according to a Washington Post article, “In general, a roundabout will drive down fatal crashes by 90 percent and cut all car-crash injuries by at least 75 percent, even while accommodating a higher volume of cars.”
Furthermore, according to an article provided by inewsource, roundabouts “also help reduce emissions by minimizing fuel usage. Plus, if a roundabout is replacing traditional traffic light signals, it can also save a city money because there wouldn’t be a need to pay for electrical maintenance of lights.”
As you can see, roundabouts provide all kinds of plusses, and most importantly, let me repeat my point that if hoity-toity La Jolla is a member of the roundabout club, we should join as well.
It’s just a matter of time before we see more roundabouts being installed throughout San Diego. The City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan calls for the construction of a total of 35 roundabouts by 2035. The question is…Will any be built in Linda Vista?
I hate to think we might be destined to remain a roundabout desert. I certainly hope we can eventually come close to matching those snooty La Jolla residents with our own single roundabout.
In closing, it would be one thing to remain subservient in community reputation to those wealthy, beautiful people in La Jolla if we didn’t get a roundabout, but it would be a real slap in the face if regular folk communities like Serra Mesa or Clairemont pulled ahead of us in the roundabout race. We need to remain on the cutting edge of traffic trends. And nothing says cutting edge like having the typical Linda Vista resident driving around in circles with reckless abandon.
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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.
Good looking doggy Patrick!!