Pho Ca Dao for Oodles of Noodles
Plus: Upcoming LV Town Hall and District 7 News, Hot Tub Republic Opens in LV, LVTC Meeting Announcement, Stretching at the Y, and Linda Vista Library and SD Library Master Plan
I am sure most of our readers have shopped a time or two at Costco on Fenton Parkway. I am also sure you have noticed the restaurant called Pho Ca Dao as you turn right at the traffic light on Friars Road at Fenton Parkway. Well, we have seen it about a million times and never tried it out until this past week. We figured it was about time. Although not in Linda Vista, it certainly is close enough, and since we mostly all go to this Costco, we thought you may want to give it a try.
This restaurant (located at 2647 Fenton Parkway), according to its website, is a traditional authentic Vietnamese restaurant serving high quality food, and founded by the Huynh family. They currently have 8 locations throughout San Diego. The word Ca Dao means folk songs, a cultural tradition passed down from one generation to the next, much like Pho itself. It was voted “Best Vietnamese restaurant in San Diego, 2023.”
After reviewing the on-line menu to assure non-meat items were available, we decided to try lunch there. It has lots of parking, is a fairly large restaurant and very beautiful inside with lovely murals. It also has outside dining with a fire pit, delivers meals, and is available for take out.
Upon entering and being seated very quickly, we noticed that small robots were delivering food. It was so cool. Robots with bowls of pho on their shelf, gliding along the floor to various tables. Imagine that!
We couldn’t wait to try the food. The menu is very extensive and you can see it here. They have many different types of pho, as well as appetizers, banh mi, udon noodle soup, broken rice dishes, vermicelli, egg rolls, salads, Vietnam regional dishes, and many vegetarian dishes, as well as desserts and beverages.
Steve decided on the seafood pho. I chose a grilled shrimp basil banh mi.
The seafood pho consisted of shrimp, crab sticks, fish balls, oodles of noodles, veggies, and delicious broth. The pho comes in two sizes, regular and extra large. Steve opted for the regular and it was plenty. It looked so good and he said it tasted as good as it looked. Very fresh looking and overflowing with various seafood items. The seafood was not overcooked and noodles were just perfect. Steve did a good job with the chopsticks and spoon, hardly even slurping. The freshness of ingredients was obvious, and the seasonings were subtle and not overpowering.
I ordered the shrimp banh mi which came with a small cup of broth with scallions, along with side veggies such as lettuce, cucumbers, cilantro and jalapenos. The sandwich was on the crunchiest baguette you will get this side of France. The shrimp was grilled to perfection with a spicy mayo type sauce. It was delicious and just enough for lunch. The broth was very tasty and comforting on a cool day.
Our only complaint was that our food was not delivered by a robot. The lunch crowd was about over and we were told the robots are used when they are busy, so we were waited on by a mere mortal, albeit a very efficient and friendly one. The robots are programmed to deliver food to each particular table. We think kids especially would love this feature.
I think you will enjoy this restaurant. Lots of variety, pretty murals and a nicely stocked bar. Prices were reasonable and portions very nice sized. Hours are 11 AM to 10 PM everyday. If you can’t dine in, order on line and pick up some dishes on your way home from Costco.
A Message from Councilmember Raul Campillo (District 7)
Dear Neighbor,
I am incredibly pleased to invite you to read my 2023 Year End Newsletter. This Newsletter highlights the work that I did to serve the community in 2023, including prioritizing infrastructure improvements, implementing policy changes, attending community events, awarding CPPS and ACCF funds to community organizations, and much more. Additionally, the newsletter looks ahead to some of the important projects that will be happening in 2024 in each community in District 7.
As we look forward to making more progress for District 7 in 2024, I encourage you to join me at one of my upcoming town halls to learn about my plans for this upcoming year and voice your thoughts, questions, and concerns. I will be hosting four town halls all over the District:
- January 29: Serra Mesa Town Hall at 6pm at the Serra Mesa Library
- January 30: Linda Vista/Mission Valley Town Hall at 6pm at the Linda Vista Library
- January 31: Tierrasanta Town Hall at 6pm at the Tierrasanta Recreation Center
- February 1: Navajo Communities Town Hall at 6pm at the Allied Gardens Recreation Center
To RSVP, please visit the link here.
Hot Tub Republic Opens in LV
If the twin goals of increasing your relaxation level and reducing your sense of stress are included in your list of New Year’s resolutions for 2024, or if you are looking for an enjoyable way to treat the inflammation or soreness of your back or ankle, then you may want to pay a visit to the newest business in Linda Vista. Hot Tub Republic, located at 5376 Napa Street, is the place to go for those in the market for a new hot tub. Once inside this establishment, you will find a wide selection of hot tubs featuring different sizes, features and prices.
Hot Tub Republic opened on November 1 and has since seen a number of customers from neighboring areas to include several from the Point Loma and Mission Beach communities. The business offers Marquis brand hot tub selections ranging from $8,000 to over $20,000, with the average costing approximately $12,000. As the Hot Tub Republic web site explains, “Whether you seek a cozy two-person spa or a spacious model for entertaining friends and family, our Marquis Spas deliver unparalleled performance and indulgence.“ Marquis hot tubs offer the following special design features, to include High Flow Therapy (delivering as much water as possible at low pressure to achieve deep muscle penetration without skin discomfort), ConstantClean (an efficient filtration system with a lower concentration of sanitizer chemicals in the water), and MicroSilk (the injection of tiny micro bubbles saturated with up to 70% more dissolved oxygen than tap water that penetrate deeply into one’s epidural layer).
Upon walking through the Hot Tub Republic’s collection of products you will be amazed by the many technological features of their hot tubs. They come with the capability to efficiently adjust the pressure and the angle/motion of the many jets so that a person can easily focus the water flow on one’s neck, back, or feet. The hot tubs also feature different audio and lighting options. They certainly present an inviting appearance.
Hot Tub Republic owner Konstantin Dubinin claims that hot tubs are an economical way to relax and enjoy the healing/therapeutic features that his products offer. “Hot tubs are much less costly than swimming pools.” he said. “A heated swimming pool will require a lot of energy, but a hot tub with a cover will only add about $20.00 to your monthly heating bill.”
According to different online sources, the hot tub industry received a boost during the pandemic as people decided to stay home, and it has continued to show increased popularity since that time. In 2024, the hot tub industry is expected to grow to an estimated $5.66 billion. Consumers purchase hot tubs for a variety of reasons to include recreation, to improve recovery from exercise, for better sleep, unwinding muscle tension, and to help recover from injury. AirBnB’s have served as a big boost to the hot tub industry as this product has proven to increase bookings. Hot tubs have also grown in popularity due to designs that reduce energy consumption.
Dubinin encourages local residents to pay a visit to Hot Tub Republic and see what the new business has to offer. He wants to pass along the following message to Linda Vista Update readers…”Come and check our place out. I love this area of Linda Vista.”
LV Town Council Monthly Meeting on Jan 17
The Linda Vista Town Council will hold its first monthly general meeting of the year Wednesday January 17. The meeting will be held at the Ba Ha‘i Center located at 6545 Alcala Knolls Drive. The program will begin at 6:30 pm, with social time starting at 6:00 pm. The public is invited to attend this meeting. You do not have to be an LVTC member to attend. Come to the meeting, meet fellow residents, and see what is going on in the community.
Stretching at the Y in Mission Valley
Improving one’s physical fitness always makes for a popular New Year’s resolution, and that is a major reason we recently found ourselves at the Mission Valley YMCA. Though we regularly work on our strength and cardiovascular training routines, the both of us had been thinking hard about the benefits of addressing our flexibility this year. Who wants to feel tight and inflexible, right? We knew one of our Linda Vista neighbors—Deborah McDevitt—taught a popular stretching class at the Y. Accordingly, we decided to exercise out of our normal comfort zones and challenge our bodies by attending one of her Wednesday morning “Stretch” sessions. These sessions emphasize connective tissue stretching. We found the 50 minute session educational in terms of learning different stretching exercises and how different muscles and joints interact or work with each other to make our bodies operate more efficiently. The class incorporated the use of chairs, tennis balls, and stretch bands to facilitate the stretching.
We highly recommend the class and Deborah’s instruction. We asked her to take the time to answer some questions we had regarding her instruction in case some of our readers might also be interested in becoming more flexible this year. Please check out her responses below.
—What are the major objectives of your class? Body awareness, increased stamina, vitality, better posture, confidence in your own body, better body mechanics, healing throughout your body, better joint tracking and flexibility.
—What can newcomers to your class expect to do in your class? Begin with a starting point, be gentle on themselves and learn more about body alignment and connective tissue.
—How would describe the intensity/rigor level of your class? Easy to challenging, that is why the chair is there for help. Paying attention is key. The movements should not be painful.
—Who should attend? Is it for people of all ages? 25 - 75. I have had an 80 yr old in my class.
—What are the benefits to be derived from regularly attending your class? Too many: Increased ROM ( Range of motion, better tracking of joints, strength of own body weight, increase flexibility, better balance, more zip in your step, less pain on your body, easier free feeling of movement. Stretching is one of the popular elements in physiotherapy and rehabilitation. When correctly guided, it can help minimize or slow down the disabling effects of chronic health conditions. Most likely the benefits are associated with reducing inflammation and can even help prevent disease.
—Why should people incorporate flexibility and/or an emphasis on connective tissue into their fitness routine? Connective tissue lays on top of and is a part of everything under your skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments. Strengthening the connective tissue improves mobility especially when the body is subjected to unusual stresses – with a fall, for example – tissue that is elastic and stable prevents injuries. Since fascia contains several movement receptors, strong fascia can improve movement sequences and reduce the risk of injury. Muscles that are inflexible are more quickly, causing opposing muscles groups to work harder. Muscle fatigue can lead to muscular injuries and the inability of the muscles to protect joints from more severe injuries. For example, the hamstrings play a role in stabilizing the knee and preventing ACL tears.
—If people attend your weekly sessions, how long before they start feeling results? That question is too subjective Steve. It depends on how individuals maintain their lifestyle, their regularity to the class, doing these exercises on their own time, their body history, hydration and eating habits, stressors in life and their body mechanics throughout their day.
—What is your physical fitness/training background? Certified with: (1) ACE American Council on Exercise; (2) Balance Body Pilates - Reformer: Mat 1 & Movement Principles; (3) Gravity, EFI Sport Medicine, Post Rehab; (4) Yoga Fit ; (5) Degrees, AA, BS from SDSU, MS in Education from National University.
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We at the Linda Vista Update thank Deborah for taking the time to answer our questions. If you are interested in taking one of her classes, or if you are interested in taking other classes at the Mission Valley Y, you can go HERE for more information.
Also, Winter Reading Challenge 2024
Linda Vista Library Part of New Master Plan
The City of San Diego recently published a Library Master Plan designed to “identify the diversity of community needs and demand for library service in San Diego and to articulate how library spaces and facilities can best support the San Diego Public Library in responding to those needs.” This Master Plan includes significant recommended improvements for the Linda Vista Library.
The Library Master Plan is the result of a digital and in-person engagement process that involved input from more than 11,000 San Diego residents. As part of this process, San Diegans were asked in community listening sessions what “residents love about their library now and what they could change or add in the future.”
Readers can view the entire Library Master Plan by clicking HERE.
Below are excerpts from the Library Master Plan that specifically address the recommendations for the Linda Vista Library.
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In regard to news about what is currently happening at the Linda Vista Library, the San Diego Public Library is sponsoring its Winter Reading Challenge 2024 . The theme of this year’s challenge is Where We Come From. This theme “encourages readers of all ages to explore the history of their own family (biological and found), culture, and identities, as well as the experiences of our incredibly diverse San Diego community.” The Challenge, which runs through January 31st, asks readers of all ages to complete any combination of 5 activities, reading hours or books read to earn prizes. You can obtain more details about the challenge by clicking HERE.
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Good to know about this robot dining. They will have rice needles, great! And next to Costco, Lowes, MV Library, IKEA