Pizza Cassette at The Gärten
Plus: Olympics Events Designed for Linda Vista, SD Humane Society Update, and Brainstorming the LV Parking Problem Commentary,
A couple of years ago, we reviewed The Gärten (located in the Morena District) after it had first opened. A couple of weeks ago we asked for suggestions for restaurants we should review and a few of you mentioned The Gärten and specifically Pizza Cassette, one of several venues at the Gärten. For those of you who have been to the Gärten, you know it is a lively open-air 150 person patio surrounded by a brewery (Deft Brewery), a Meadery (Just Cause), a wine bar (Oddish), and Pizza Cassette, which serves wood fired pizza. The Gärten is located at 5322 Banks Street and although they call it Bay Park, we think of it as being on the western outskirts of Linda Vista. Pizza cassette is closed Monday and Tuesday, open 3 to 8 Wed, Thu, 3 to 9 Fri, 12 to 9 Sat, 12 to 8 Sun.
To dine there, you walk to whichever venue you want to order from and get your beer, your wine, or your mead, and then order your pizza. The pizza is brought to your table and you pay for each item where you buy it. The pizza is wood fired and there is a selection of white or red pizzas with various toppings. They also have sandwiches and salads. You can check out the entire menu here. We ordered a pizza called Queen which had mozzarella, parmesan and basil, and we added mushrooms. It was delicious and since it is wood fired, it is delivered very quickly. It is thin crust with char around the rim, which we really like. Steve paid a visit to the Deft Brewery and ordered a couple of beers.
We went on a Wednesday which is Open Mike Night. There is a host who played a couple of songs with a ukulele, and then others who sign up and get to play two songs each. We watched a couple of singers perform and then a 9 year-old whose guitar was almost bigger than she was. She then belted out a rendition of House of the Rising Sun. I think it must take a lot of courage to go before a crowd like that and perform.
The atmosphere is very festive. There were quite a few families there, and many dogs. In fact, there were dog food and water dishes on the ground. The seating is all long tables and benches. The prices are about average I would say for the pizza and beer. Mead is pretty expensive and the wine menu had some pricey wine. Happy hour is 3 to 5 pm and there are some good bargains. Their Yelp reviews are all very good. The evening we went was quite beautiful with a bay breeze blowing which made eating outside enjoyable. There are no wait staff coming around bothering you, and you bus your own table. If you want something more, you just go and get it.
If you haven’t tried this place yet, you should. Parking can be problematic on the weekends, but you can park on Sherman Street.
The LV Olympic Events Take Shape
For the past few days we have been glued to the TV screen while continuing to watch the Paris Olympics. There have been a number of exciting races and other types of competitions. Athletes like gymnast Simone Biles and the rest of the US gymnast team, swimmer Katie Ladecky, and 100 meter sprinter Noah Lyles have all demonstrated their immense talents and proven themselves as gold medal winners. Athletes have also demonstrated their prowess in lesser known sports like team handball, artistic swimming, and breakdancing. And of course, the spectators (both live and watching on TV) have thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful setting of Paris. We especially liked, for example, the beach volleyball venue, played in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower. How dramatic!!
While watching the Olympics, we have been inspired to think of how the Olympics could be adapted to our own community of Linda Vista. What kind of events could work best here while taking advantage of our community’s own special features. Though Linda Vista may not be as beautiful as Paris, and we certainly don’t have anything comparable to the Eiffel Tower, we did start fantasizing about fitting different kinds of athletic events to suit our particular setting.
In doing so, we were able to take advantage of a resident Linda Vista dog walker who was willing (as was her dog) to model these specially designed LV athletic events.
The first event is called the Friars Road Traffic Barrel Slalom Sprint (see photo above). In this race, competitors and their dogs race by running in-between traffic barrels for 100 yards. Both the dog owner and the dog must race around each barrel at top speed. The race demands agility from both human and canine. The additional Friars Road Traffic Barrel Salmon Sprint Relay involves a team of four competitors and their dogs each running 100 yard intervals, with each leg of the relay having progressively-sized small, medium, large, and extra large breed dogs. Human competitors can be of any size or shape.
The second event is called the Empty Bike Lane Pylon Javelin Throw. In this competition, a competitor (while holding a dog on a leash) is given 2 minutes to spear as many bike lane pylons as possible with an Olympics regulation-size javelin. The competitor who spears the most pylons wins. Warning….due to the danger posed by the sharp tipped javelin, this event can only be conducted when the designated bike lane is free and clear of bicyclists. Fortunately, this shouldn’t be a problem most of the time.
Finally the third Olympic event specifically tailored to Linda Vista is called the Giant Concrete Planter Push. Similar to the Olympic shot put and hammer throw events, this test of strength involves human contestants and their dogs collaboratively pushing a giant concrete planter, similar to the ones that magically appeared years ago (and then remained) at the corner of Comstock Street and Linda Vista Road, in a 30 second time period. The contestant (and the dog) who can push the giant concrete planter the furthest distance in 30 seconds wins. This is probably the most challenging of the three LV Olympics events, but one that can be practiced any day of the week. There are plenty of giant concrete planters at this street corner (sometimes known as Linda Vista Stonehenge) and they all seem to be crying out the words, “Push me, you little weakling.” Extra points will be given to dog contestants who do not use the giant concrete planters as fire hydrants.
So, there you have it, Linda Vista residents. Perhaps in four years, the LV version of the Olympics may become a reality. This means we all have four years to practice and get ready for competition.
****
Editor’s note: No animals were harmed in the making of this article.
Urgent SD Humane Society Update
The San Diego Humane Society is reporting that an unprecedented number of dogs have entered into the organization’s care, this week reaching a new record high with 844 dogs in care. 660 are adult dogs (7 months and older) and 184 are puppies. More than 100 dogs have been with the SDHS for 90 days or more. Now more than ever, they need the community’s help to relieve the pressure on their shelters, including their staff, volunteers, and the animals themselves.
According to the SDHS, here's how the community can help:
Adopt: Adopting saves lives, and there are thousands of pets in crowded shelters waiting for a second chance. From puppies and kittens to senior companions and small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs — San Diego Humane Society is overflowing with deserving animals in need of adoption. We offer an adoption guarantee, so families can have peace of mind knowing that if the pet isn’t the right match, we’ll welcome the animal back into our care. Visit sdhumane.org/adopt to learn more.
Foster: This is a critical – and temporary – way you can make an immediate impact and help save lives. By opening your home to foster a pet, you give them relief from the stress of the shelter and create desperately needed space for other animals in need. Visit sdhumane.org/foster to sign up to become a foster.
Donate: Make a gift to help care for the 1,971 pets who are in the shelters right now and counting on a second chance. Visit sdhumane.org/donate to contribute.
Spay and neuter: Increasing the number of spayed/neutered animals is the only way to stop the crisis of pet overpopulation at its root. Reduced access to spay/neuter services during the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges facing our shelters. Visit sdhumane.org/spay for low-cost resources.
With record numbers of pets in their shelters, all San Diego Humane Society campuses (including San Diego, El Cajon, Escondido, and Oceanside) are able to take in owner-surrendered dogs by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please call 619-299-7012.
Commentary
Brainstorming the Parking Problem
Issues like homelessness, the lack of affordable housing, and the quality of our roads continue to top the list of major concerns plaguing the San Diego community. However, another issue that seems to draw our attention involves parking availability. Cars are everywhere, and parking spaces are at a premium. Just walk down a typical neighborhood block and one will notice the large volume of cars parked on the street, taking up every inch of available curbside space. Construction of new apartment units, plus the building of many Accessory Dwelling Units in once-single family housing unit neighborhoods have further complicated this controversial issue. There are so many cars in neighborhoods originally built for far fewer cars. Space is a valuable commodity, and when it comes to new apartment buildings, builders don’t want to waste such a commodity on additional parking. Of course, there are also many residents who like to use their garages as storage spaces; this results in residents parking their cars on the street, adding further to the problem. And let’s not forget to mention the neighborhood parking hogs that leave their extra (or inoperative) cars for weeks at a time in the same parking space, thus denying commuters the opportunity to find a place to park after coming home from work.
Is there a solution for this perplexing parking situation? If a solution is going to appear, it will be a result of thinking outside the box. We at the Linda Vista Update recently got together with some of our more enthusiastic readers to see if there was a chance of solving this parking problem. We asked them to think outside the box and come up with some novel ideas. When they initially failed to come up with any ideas, we then locked them in a room without food and water for an entire afternoon. Here is what they eventually came up with (admittedly while under duress) as possible options:
#1: The Carvana Option
If horizontal space is a commodity in Linda Vista, then why not go vertically? This option involves building Carvana-like vending machine towers at certain neighborhood street corners to park cars. If needed, the towers could go higher to house even more cars. Would these towers be neighborhood eyesores? Perhaps, but they could also be appropriately decorated with lights for holidays and the roof tops could be rented out for block parties, kids’ birthday parties, and occasional bungee jumping fundraising events.
#2: The Parking Shuttle Service Option:
The Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center has many parking spaces, and this large parking lot goes greatly underutilized at night when businesses close. The owners of the shopping center could rent out spaces to residents in need of a parking space for a small, reasonable fee. In order to make this a practical option, the shopping center owners could also provide a shuttle service from the parking lot to nearby neighborhood residences. To make workers happy after a hard day at the job, the shuttle service could offer alcoholic beverages (for passengers 21 and above) that would be consumed on the brief ride home—all in the name of helping to solve a community-wide problem. The shuttle might be called “The Margarita Express.” In the morning, a more sedate shuttle would offer passengers coffee and donuts from Yum Yum Donuts.
#3: The Airgnd(™) Option:
Airbnb has proven to be a popular way to rent a place during a vacation. Homeowners are eager to rent out their private residences to make an extra buck. Why not use the same concept for parking? For a certain fee, homeowners with space in their garages or in their driveways could rent out those spaces for parking (daily, weekly, or monthly basis). I know what you are thinking, readers—this a great idea—but before you start cleaning out your garage or driveway to make room for your own paid parking guests, please be advised that the name “Airgnd (™)” has been trademarked by the Linda Vista Update.
***
We hope you appreciate the three options that our reader discussion group brainstormed. If you have any other community problems that need resolution, please let us know and we will once again lock up our team in a room (with no food or water) and see what they come up with.
Subscribe to the Linda Vista Update
We invite everyone to subscribe to the Linda Vista Update. It’s free! Just click on the “Subscribe now” button located below.
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.
Great visuals, especially the last picture of Martha with her dog 😂