Harland Brewing in Bay Park
Plus: LV News Briefs, Commentary on San Diego Government Official Speak, Book Reviews for Summer Reading, and Summer Reading Programs for Kids at LV Library
The Linda Vista Update
In our travels down Morena Boulevard we have often noticed the Harland Brewing Tasting Room and thought we would try it someday. After all, Steve is always on the look out for a good craft beer, and what with great craft beers being offered at other Morena District establishments as The Garten and Coronado Brewing Company, it only seemed logical that Harland Brewing would have some high quality brew selections available.
We looked up Harland Brewing on the internet and noticed they did not have a restaurant, but you could buy food and bring it to the tasting room. Also several days a week they have a Marisco’s Food Truck in back where you can buy food. Poseidon Pizza is next door and there are several other eating places close by. We thought it would be good to grab a slice of pizza and sample a beer or two. Unfortunately the day we went, the pizza place opened at 4 and it wasn’t one of the days the food truck is at Harland’s. We noted that Bay Park Coffee, a few doors down had sandwich items as well as bakery goods, so we decided we could kill two birds with one stone — not only review Harland Bay Park Tasting Room, but also Bay Park Coffee. So off we went to the coffee shop.
Bay Park Coffee is at 4130 Napier St. We wanted to get something to eat to take with us back to the tasting room. The coffee shop was really cute and doing quite a business. They had about a million kinds of coffee, teas and such and luscious looking pastries. Their kitchen had sandwiches such as turkey pesto, lox, avocado toast and acai bowls as well as breakfast sandwiches. Since Steve really likes avocado toast, he ordered that. I ordered a Veggie Bagel. Service was good and we soon had our orders in a bag and off we walked a couple doors down to Harlands.
The Harland Brewing Tasting Room is at 4112 Napier Street. It is located in a very interesting stretch of Morena Boulevard. The two blocks that make up adjoining Napier Street and Ashton Street play host to an eclectic collection of eating establishments; in addition to Poseidon Pizza and Bay Park Coffee, there is Baci Italian Cuisine, Luce Bar and Kitchen, Baypark Fish Company, and Santana’s Mexican food, along with Seisel’s Meats.
Harland Brewing Company, which got its start here in San Diego, has been brewing beer since 2018. The Bay Park tap room has been open since 2021. The establishment has a typical tap room vibe, is very spacious, and has a back outdoor area that would be great for larger get togethers. It has a bar and different seating areas including wooden tables and chairs and a lounge area with comfortable leather chairs. We were told that they are not very busy during the afternoon, but things pick up after 5:00 pm. Also, weekends are very busy. Tuesday night is Trivia Night so they have a good crowd for that. Their main brewery is in Scripps Ranch and they have tasting rooms there, in South Park, One Paseo in addition to Bay Park. They also have a merch section selling hats, t-shirts and more. They have their canned beer to go.
Harland’s has quite a beer selection and Steve tried the Hazy IPA, which along with the Japanese Lager is one of the brewery’s most popular beers. I wanted to try something, but I rarely drink and the bartender asked if I liked coffee; I told him I did so he suggested a Stout called Harland Miso Caramel Latte. Though I only had about a shot glass full it tasted just like it sounds. It is described as miso, caramel, Philippine, coffee coconut and vanilla. It was like drinking dessert.
We sat down and ate our Bay Park Coffee food. Steve’s avocado toast looked really good. It contained lots of freshly smashed and sliced avocado, greens, on top of toasted wheat bread with pink sea salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil and hemp seeds. Steve enjoyed it very much and said it was very fresh tasting and filling. Only $9.00.
I had the Veggie Bagel sandwich which contained mashed avocado, cream cheese, spring green mix, tomato, cucumber, house made pickled red onion, lemon, sea salt and pepper on a warmed bagel. It was excellent and I could only eat half. It was priced at $11.50.
All in all, it was a nice late lunch. Steve spoke at length with the bartender about Harland Brewing since it was a quiet day for him. I imagine in the evening with music and more people it would be a fun place to spend some time. Give it a try. We think you will like either or both Harland Brewing’s Bay Park Tasting Room and Bay Park Coffee. And drop us a note if you try a slice from Poseidon Pizza.
LV News Briefs
—SD Humane Society: All adoption fees at SD Humane Society are waived for California Adopt-a-Pet Day on June 7. On this day, adoption fees will be waived for all animals in the organization’s care, giving hundreds of pets the chance to find loving homes. California Adopt-a-Pet Day is a statewide initiative hosted by CalAnimals, SF SPCA and the ASPCA to reduce shelter overcrowding and raise awareness about pet adoption. The 2024 event resulted in more than 2,300 adoptions across the state, and San Diego Humane Society found homes for 164 animals in a single day. The organization hopes to surpass that number this year to find families for the nearly 800 adoptable pets currently in its care. In addition to waiving fees on June 7, San Diego Humane Society recently extended weekend adoption hours, giving the community more opportunities to adopt throughout the summer. Shelters in San Diego, El Cajon, Escondido and Oceanside are now open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The extended hours will be in effect through October 25, 2025. All adoptions include spay/neuter, current vaccinations, permanent microchip identification and a free veterinary exam at participating clinics.
—Friends of the Linda Vista Library meeting: This organization will conduct its monthly meeting this Saturday June 7 at 12:30 pm in the Linda Vista Library Conference room. Want to help the Linda Vista Library and the great community it serves? The Friends of the Linda Vista Library could always use an additional helping hand! Come to the meeting and discover how you too can make a significant difference!
—Youth Rugby Pre-game Clinic: The Mission Valley YMCA is sponsoring a Youth Rugby Clinic along with the San Diego Legion. The clinic is open for kids (6 to 18) new to rugby or for those possessing experiencer and will be led by San Diego Legion team members and coaching staff. The clinic will be held Saturday June 7 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm before the game at Manchester Field on the University of San Diego campus. The clinic is free for YMCA members. You can register HERE.
—SD Trash Collection Service Proposal: San Diego property owners who do not agree with the City of San Diego’s trash collection service/fee proposal have until June 9 to send in the form on page 6 of the mailer sent out by the City. If more than 50% of all property owners present written opposition to the proposal, the City cannot pass the measure. You can read the mailer HERE.
—Dog Park Public Workshop: A public workshop to discuss the proposed building of an off-leash dog park at Mission Heights Neighborhood Park (1716 Westinghouse Street) will be held Tuesday June 10 beginning at 5:30 pm. The workshop will be held at the Linda Vista Recreation Center (7064 Levant Street).
Commentary
Guide to City Government Official-Speak
These are certainly interesting times at San Diego City Hall. Just this Monday, the City Council approved a comprehensive update to City parking regulations. Bottom line for parking? Looks like we San Diegans will soon be paying more for parking, maybe even here in Linda Vista. Next week the City Council will review the proposed plan for trash collection service, to include the amount of the trash collection fee each property owner will soon have to pay. During the following week, the City Council will be discussing possible changes for the City’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) program, to include the controversial ADU Bonus Incentive program. Of course, they will also be discussing the difficult task of balancing the budget which must be balanced and approved in June.
Each of these programs/reviews present special challenges for the City and its residents, and the City’s current 250 million dollar budget deficit will play an important role in any deliberations. The City is in desperate need of money and needs to find ways of generating more revenue. This desperation will inevitably guide City Council member decision-making in some manner. Of course, in presenting these discussions to the public, the average San Diego resident is faced with the challenge of determining the meaning of certain words and phrases used by City officials to convince us that they know what they are talking about, and that their preferred options deserve our approval. In order to assist LV Update readers in better understanding City of San Diego government, I want to go over certain phrases or euphemisms that City officials use to soften up residents before City Council votes…a sort of guide to “Official City-Speak.” Here are the terms, and what they actually mean:
Managing valuable assets: Communication from the City addressing the subject of parking regulation updates has referred to playing a bigger role in “managing valuable assets” used by the public. This term “managing valuable assets” was used in association with the City looking for ways to charge for parking in Balboa Park and at our beaches. Accordingly, “managing valuable assets” really means the City is eager to jump in and find a way to make more money in areas they have previously ignored or been discouraged from exploiting. If a City official ever points to your wallet and says, “I’d like to better manage your valuable assets”, I suggest you run away as fast as you can.
Dynamic pricing: The term “Dynamic pricing” was recently used by the City to describe the proposal to charge more for parking meters adjacent to Petco Park during certain times, like whenever there are ballgames or other events going on (i.e., up to $10.00 an hour). In my opinion, whenever you see the words “Dynamic pricing”, just substitute the words “price gouging.” Now, I have no problem if “Dynamic pricing” would be applied selectively to L.A. Dodger fans looking for parking near Petco Park on those days when the Dodgers are in town. But I am afraid that if the City approves the concept for parking, then we will soon see “Dynamic pricing” also applied to our new trash collection service fee. Imagine the City asking to charge more for trash collection in the weeks following Amazon Prime Day or Christmas? Not fair!
Best practices: The term “Best practices” usually refers to proven strategies and techniques already implemented by other leading organizations that have exhibited proven results. The term usually connotes proven efficiency. However, I have noticed City officials using the term “Best practices” in regard to both parking and trash collection fee plans, claiming that the proposals under review have been used by other cities. But beware…in my opinion, when City officials use the term “Best practices” this really means that other cities like San Jose and San Francisco and Los Angeles have been found to be charging really high prices for these same services, and if we want to consider our fair city in the same league as these other cities than we need to charge equal amounts. Some City Council members are very good at pulling out the “But San Francisco charges really high fees” card as a way of making San Diegans feel guilty about our cheaper fee rates.
Balance competing needs. The City is justifying the proposed increase in parking fees because of the perceived need to “balance competing needs” as in… will local residents have to pay as much as tourists for parking spaces? What this actually means is that EVERYONE will have to pay more for parking, but some unfortunate people will pay more than others. Regarding other City issues, “balancing competing needs” will usually mean the average citizen’s needs are considered as “less balanced” than the needs of developers and other big time campaign contributors.
Okay, folks. Next time you read a communique from the City, make sure you remember these terms and definitions. You will still end up paying more taxes/fees, but at least you will better understand how the City convinced enough people to go along with the hikes.
Summer Reading Book Reviews
Summer time is coming up and we will soon be spending more time outdoors, perhaps at the beach, or at the pool, or maybe just lounging in the backyard. In doing so, many of us will have books in our hands. Summer affords us the perfect opportunity to relax with a good book. Accordingly, we thought it a perfect time to ask our two resident intellectuals — Martha B. and Marla M — both of them avid readers, to share some reading recommendations for the summer months. They came up with both non-fiction and fiction picks.
Here is what Martha B. had to say…Michael Lewis, the best selling nonfiction author of The Big Short and Moneyball, among many other books, has a new book called Who is Government? This book was compiled by Michael Lewis and contains chapters written by him and by other authors about unsung civil service workers who represent our government at its best. At a time when mass numbers of civil service employees are being fired in the name of government efficiency this is a remarkable and timely book to read.
One of the chapters I enjoyed was written by Geraldine Brooks about an IRS agent. This particular agent is a cybercrime specialist who is also a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. He has brought down terrorists, pedophiles, and drug dealers and helped to bring billions of ill gotten funds back to our government coffers. His story sounds more like that of the fictional Jack Reacher than the true story of an accounting major. With his skills he could earn multiple times his government salary, but chooses to stay where he feels he can do the most good.
Many people despise and fear the IRS, but they are an integral part of law enforcement as this book makes clear. It is always a jolt to get an IRS notice, just like it is to be pulled over for a traffic stop. However very few people would support actually defunding the police and I am distressed at the recent fervor about defunding the IRS. These civil servants collect the money we need to run our government. The system is much better and more fair when the IRS has the people, funds, and technology to do its job.
The other civil servants profiled in this book are fascinating and impressive. I highly recommend Who is Government?
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Here is Marla M.’s review….Count My Lies is a psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of deception and obsession. The story centers on Sloane Caraway, a young woman with a penchant for compulsive lying, who becomes entangled in the lives of the affluent Lockhart family.
Sloane’s journey begins with a seemingly innocuous lie in a Brooklyn Park, where she claims to be a nurse to assist a child, Harper, who has been stung by a bee. This incident introduces her to Harper’s parents, Jay and Violet Lockhart. Drawn to their seemingly perfect life, Sloane fabricates her way into becoming Harper’s nanny, embedding herself deeper into their world. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes evident that the Lockharts have their own secrets, and the line between truth and deception becomes blurred.
Count My Lies offers a compelling exploration of deception. It keeps the readers engaged through its twists and character dynamics. This should definitely be on your reading list. Be on the lookout for the series adaptation on Hulu
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The LV Update wishes to thank both Marla M and Martha B for their helpful reviews.
Summer LV Library Programs for Kids
The Linda Vista Library has a very active summer series of programs scheduled for kids. Take a look at the below detailed schedule for the entire summer period.
—Challenge Island Workshop: Super STEAMio: Saturday, June 7 (2:00 pm); Workshop for 3rd to 5th graders. Younger kids welcome if supervised by parent. Sign up on the online Calendar: https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/super-steamio-418336
—My Little Pony Rides and Petting Zoo: Saturday, June 14 (2:00 pm); Yes, kids get to ride a pony here and pet other animals.
—Book Rich Environment Book Giveaway!: Monday, June 16 (5:30 to 7 p.m.); (New books will be given to kids 0-18 years old. And food. Probably pizza. Registration recommended here: https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/book-giveaway-458119)
—Sparkles the Clown: Saturday, June 28 (2:00 pm)
—Noteworthy Puppets Puppet Musical: The Three Little Pigs: Saturday, July 12 (2:00 pm)
—California State Park Ranger Storytime: Saturday, July 19 (2:00 pm)
—Wild Wonders Animal Presentation: Our Big Backyard: Saturday, July 26 (2:00 pm)
—ToshWerks: Making Resin Necklaces: Saturday, August 23 (2:00 pm): Workshop for 3rd to 5th graders. Younger kids welcome if supervised by parent. Sign up on the online Calendar: https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/tentative-srp-program-408805
—Cochineal & Natural Dyes: Saturday, August 30 (1:00 pm): Workshop for 3rd to 5th graders. Younger kids welcome if supervised by parent. Sign up on the online ; Calendar: https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/cochineal-natural-dyes-451974
—Also, Mr. Luan will continue offering his live interactive video programs for kids. They're on Zoom:
Live Interactive Video Preschool/Kindergarten Storytime with Mr. Luan: Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.
Live Interactive Video Preschool/Kindergarten Drawing Class with Mr. Luan: Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.
Email Mr. Luan if you'd like to register for these programs: lpham@sandiego.gov
—Mr. Luan will be doing in-person Preschool Storytimes every other Friday and every other Saturday. Those would be Fridays 6/6, 6/20, 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, etc.; and Saturdays 6/14, 6/28, 7/12, 7/26, 8/9, 8/23, etc.. Mr. Luan will also be doing Crafts for Kids with Mr. Luan every Tuesday at 4 p.m. For kids ages 4 to 7.
—Lego Time is every other Saturday at 10 a.m., those being Saturdays 6/7, 6/21, 7/5, 7/19, 8/2, 8/16, 8/30, etc.
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The Linda Vista Update wishes to thank LV Library staff member Luan Pham for providing the above information.
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Thanks for summer events schedules. Bay Park Coffee has gluten free bread, has great coffees & is well supported by the locals.