Mr. Peabody's on a Sunny Winter Day
Plus, LV resident Noel Musicha in the Spotlight
Although we must all continue to contend with the impact of the pandemic, there is still good reason to consider ourselves relatively lucky. While the rest of the country faces freezing temperatures, and Texans especially suffer without heat or water, we have recently been reveling in sunny 70 degree weather. No dark, cruel winters for us. Our unique situation was best exemplified this week by the sight of local residents basking outdoors in the sunshine while eating and drinking at Linda Vista’s favorite pub, Mr. Peabody’s Burgers and Ale.
Mr. Peabody’s, located at 6110 Friars Road, has long been the local place to go for a drink and some quality food. It serves as the official neighborhood bar for Linda Vista. And it continues to enjoy a great reputation for a friendly staff, as well as excellent pub food (that includes daily specials) and a healthy variety of quality beers.
I took advantage of a sunny day to pay a visit to Mr. Peabody’s and see how the pandemic has affected daily business. While there, I was fortunate enough to encounter the owner of Mr. Peabody’s—Heather Jenkins—who was willing to share her insight on conducting business during these challenging times.
What I found was that, as many local businesses, have been forced to do, Mr. Peabody’s has effectively adapted to the unusual circumstances of the past 11 months. For example, the pub currently has 11 outside tables lining its establishment to make up for the inability to serve customers indoors. Considering the great weather, eating outside actually seemed to be the most logical thing to do, regardless of the state’s current COVID-19 restrictions. Ms. Jenkins assured me that if customers arrive at a busy time, there is still usually no more than a 1-2 table wait for seating.
Even when COVID-19 restaurant restrictions were severest, Mr. Peabody’s has been weathering the pandemic storm by providing take-out services. I was reminded that in addition to take-out food, customers can also order drinks to go, as long as food is ordered as well. In the spirit of accurate journalistic research, I tested these restrictions by ordering a couple Margaritas to go with one of my favorite dishes—the fish tacos.
Speaking of Margaritas…I asked Ms. Jenkins about customer drinking habits during theses unusual times. She remarked that customers continue to enjoy drinking, and that Margaritas have surged in popularity during the pandemic months, though she could not offer any explanation for this trend. (I suggest that perhaps Margaritas are the go-to drink during crises. After all, this drink first became popular during a different time of crisis—during this country’s Prohibition era)
Some things, however, never change. Jenkins mentioned that Burgers, Fish Tacos, and Wings continue to be customer food favorites. There is no mystery in these selections—after all, these foods qualify as comfort foods—and if ever there was a time for quality comfort food, then this is the time. I would personally add the Fish and Chips as well as the Peabody Potatoes to that comfort food list.
Jenkins also mentioned that in spite of the many disruptions to business, Mr. Peabody’s has been able to continue to attract its regular customer clientele, and has also been able to maintain its employee staff with little turnover.
In closing, Jenkins added that she enjoys serving the local community and maintaining the “family feel” of the business.
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The Linda Vista Update wishes to thanks Ms. Heather Jenkins for giving us the time to answer our questions.
Mr. Peabody’s daily specials offer some of the best deals in town. If you’re not familiar with the daily specials, then take a look at the list below, or click here for the entire menu.
Monday
Turkey Tacos $3.75
All Pitchers $2.00 off
Tuesday
Shrimp Tacos $3.75
Fish Tacos $3.75
Domestic Beer $3.25
Wednesday
Chicken Wings $6.50
Micro Beer $4.25
Thursday
House Salad $6.50
Well Martinis $4.75
Friday
Peabody’s Potatoes $6.50
Import Beer $4.50
Saturday
½ Carne Asada Fries $5.50
Well Drinks $4.00
Glass of Champagne Mimosa $3.25
Sunday
Turkey Burger W/Cheese $6.50
Bloody Mary $4.50
Glass of Champagne Mimosa $3.25
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT ON NOEL MUSICHA
As part of our series of interviews focusing on residents of Linda Vista who play an active role in local organizations or activities, we throw the spotlight on one of Linda Vista’s top community activists—Noel Musicha.
Noel happens to be a pastor at Ebenezer Church in Linda Vista. A native of Malawi, he has a degree in Biblical Studies and a Masters in Public Administration.
As a member of the Linda Vista Town Council, he was recently elected president of the Council’s board of directors. According to the organization’s website, the Town Council’s mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life in Linda Vista. The Council promotes the civic, commercial, educational, and cultural interests of our diverse community, while providing a forum for discussion in Town Hall meetings.
In light of his active role in Linda Vista, we thought Noel was someone all of our readers might want to know a little more about. Mr. Musicha was kind enough to answer some questions we had for him. This is what he had to say:
What do you especially enjoy about living/working in Linda Vista?
I have lived here for over a decade and I have been serving in the neighborhood for even longer. Linda Vista has a very unique "can do" spirit that is connected to the nature of the people that live here. I love that about this place. Unlike most of San Diego, this town moves. You can feel the vibe. People are always working to get themselves better. I like that.
I also obviously love the diversity of the neighborhood. I am taken by how many ethnicities we have just among the five houses that surround my house. I view that as a major strength.
And then there is the dedication of the people that work along our academic pipeline from Linda Vista Elementary to Montgomery Middle to Kearny High School, which is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves. I have seen and worked with the people in those schools for years and I am personal friends with many of them. I have so much respect for their vision and what they are trying to help us achieve as a community. That is part of the reason why I accepted to take the post of the Presidency at the Town Council. I know what the people here are capable of and I want to be part of what I know we will achieve together.
What is your favorite Linda Vista memory (i.e. a past Linda Vista moment/event you especially enjoyed)?
I may just be a strange guy but I think watching the protest to save Skateworld was my most memorable moment. It showed me that the people care and that they have a fire inside of them to do something special given the right platform. I can't wait to create alongside them to make our neighborhood better in ways that are equitable.
What changes would you like to see occur in Linda Vista during the next couple years?
I think an increase in "togetherness" that brings about equitable progress. It is not useful to say we are getting better if we are leaving the materially under-resourced behind. If we have real vision for the community it will touch all and include all that want to be part of it. For instance, I have a lot of unsheltered people of the neigborhood as personal friends. I use their lens to look at the world. Yes, even those that are mentally ill. There is no merit needed for someone to be part of the Linda Vista family. If we are one, then we are one with all people. It may just be that I am an immigrant from the poorest country in the world but I believe that success is not a zero sum game. There is room for all of us to, in our own way, flourish. To me, it is no vision if it leaves the poor behind. So either we have vision or we don't.
What would you like to see the LV Town Council accomplish in the next few years?
My team and I will start communicating our vision in March. Some of what we want to achieve you will see visually because I am a practical leader. I can hear action better than I can hear a speech. So I'd encourage people to go to our Facebook: Linda Vista Town Council which is where we will lay down the marker for our vision and top 5 practical next moves.
Do you have a favorite restaurant (or restaurants) in Linda Vista?
My favorite restaurant is Sab-E-Lee, hands down. I love so many other places in the neighborhood but Sab-E-Lee is my go to for special moments.
You have an afternoon to spend in Linda Vista. How would you like to spend it?
I spend almost everyday in Linda Vista. I almost never leave the neighborhood. Before the pandemic, I was often at the Library because I wanted to be accessible to our unsheltered friends. I was also often coaching soccer at Montgomery Middle School where we were in the ground stages of starting sports teams for the school. Either way, I try to spend as much time as possible not too far off from Linda Vista and Ulric Street.
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The Linda Vista Update wishes good luck to Noel Musicha in his new duties as president of the LV Town Council. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Linda Vista Town Council, please go to their website or Facebook page.
Foster Kitten Adopted
We are happy to report that Vader, the SD Humane Society foster kitten highlighted in last week’s post (https://lindavistaupdate.substack.com/p/deft-brewing-craft-beer-at-its-best) was adopted, along with his brother, Greedo. They turned out to be two lucky kittens in terns of finding a forever home. Another foster kitten happy ending!
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