Try Acento Coffee Roasters in Morena District
Plus: Fall Activities at LV Rec Center, Upcoming Community Events, The LV Taco Crawl, and Friday Night Lights
We are back to talking about coffee shops today. (If you recall, just a few weeks ago we reviewed Sur Coffee). It wasn’t exactly planned, but I promise you, Acento Coffee Roasters is something you will be happy to read about and eventually experience on your own.
Once in a while we try to get out of our comfort zone (the confines of Linda Vista) and wonder down toward the Morena District or up toward Kearny Mesa and the Convoy District. While on forays across Moreno Boulevard, we have found many interesting businesses and venues to describe for our readers, including Deft Brewing, Paw Commons, the new Tecolote trolley station, and more. In thinking back on the various breweries we have visited, we recalled a coffee roaster next to Deft Brewery on Banks Street, just off of Sherman Street in the Morena District. In the mood for some caffeine, we decided to pay this business a visit and report on it for our readers.
According to its website, Acento Coffee Rosters (located at 5334 Banks Street), is a local craft coffee roaster and coffee shop. And it is much more than that.
We stopped there for coffee and received a primer on different types of coffee from many parts of the world which Acento roasts and sells. They have a variety of coffee drinks such as espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, latte, mocha chai, as well as tea. We chose a latte and a cappuccino to test out the “seasonal selection with different flavor profiles or ‘accents’ in our cups.” They have several vegan milk alternatives and we settled on almond milk in our drinks.
Luis Felipe Lizardi, the owner and head roaster, told us he learned roasting at other coffee roaster establishments and has now been doing it for over 5 years. The day we visited Acento, was one day from the 1st anniversary of its opening. He noted that business is picking up though during the pandemic it was very challenging. The coffee is actually roasted on one side of the establishment, which also has a pleasant seating area, just a few steps away from the roaster.
The coffees come from Ethiopia, Guatemala, different regions of Mexico, Africa, and Costa Rica. The various expresso and coffee drinks are prepared as they are in the regions of their origin, and while you wait for your brew, Luiz will educate you not only on where the coffee comes from but what it means to those from whom he purchases the beans. The two drinks we had were very good and had a depth of flavor different from what I’ve tasted at other coffee shops.
Since we are honey aficionados (not exactly, but we do like Greek honey), we noticed a jar of Lubembo honey sitting on the counter. Luis told us the honey is produced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by women beekeepers. According to the Lubembo website, these women have often been mistreated and underappreciated although they carry the emotional and financial load of most households. This product provides “ethically, direct sourced products in order to support workers and local economies while meeting western needs.” Luis let us sample this honey and it turned out to be delicious, having a smoky eucalyptus flavor and more liquid than most honeys. It was so good we ended up purchasing a jar. All the money goes directly to the company, so while you are at Acento purchasing and tasting their delicious coffees, purchase some honey as well, and do some good in the world.
Get out of your comfort zone. Satisfy your sense of adventure and your caffeine craving and head south across Morena to Acento Coffee Roasters and get just the right accent in your cup of coffee. You will be glad you did. Tell Luis you read about him in the LV Update.
5334 Banks Street
San Diego CA 92110
858-461-9503
Hours:
Mon - Fri | 7:00am - 2:00pm
Sat | 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sun | Closed for Surfing
Fall Activities at the Linda Vista Recreation Center
Ira Patron, the director of the Linda Vista Recreation Center recently published the below Fall schedule of programs for youngsters in the area.
Please note the following modifications to the above times for the Skateboard classes: The Beginner class begins at 4:00 pm; The Intermediate class begins at 5:00 pm; The Beginner II class begins at 4:00 pm; and the Intermediate II class begins at 5:00 pm.
We encourage readers to pass along this schedule to any local young people, schools, or LV groups/organizations comprised of young people that might enjoy attending these classes. According to the center director, there are scholarship available to pay for some classes, based on financial need.
Upcoming Community Events
Kearny High Football: The Komets’ Varsity Football team plays its first home game of the season this Friday September 17 at 7:00 pm. Coronado High School is the opponent.
Francis Parker Football: The Lancers’ Varsity football team will play Orange Glen High School this Friday September 17 at 7:00 pm.
Annual Fall Festival: The Holy Family Church Fall Festival will be held October 2 (Saturday) and 3 (Sunday). See the photo below for more details.
Commentary
Proposing the Linda Vista Taco Crawl
There’s no denying this simple fact. Everyone likes tacos. They have become an All-American food. The anticipated joy of Taco Tuesday is deeply embedded in our national consciousness.
I believe Linda Vista is in a perfect position to take advantage of this development by introducing the Taco Crawl concept to the world. What I am enthusiastically calling the Taco Crawl has the potential to be Linda Vista’s next big thing, with its dual capacity to enhance the reputation of the community as well as help local businesses generate some profit. It’s the kind of event/activity Linda Vista needs right now!
What exactly is a Taco Crawl? And why the focus on Tacos in Linda Vista? Let me explain.
Start at the intersection of Friars Road and Via Las Cumbres, then follow a certain route that flows mainly along Linda Vista Road through Linda Vista, ending at the intersection of Linda Vista Road and Genesee. What do you see along the way? TACOS!
If you take into consideration all the restaurants and taco trucks situated along this route, you will be amazed at the quantity and quality of tacos at your gastronomical disposal. Check out this route for yourself:
· At one end you’ll find great tacos served at Kiko’s Taco Truck, Mr. Peabody’s, and Los Panchos restaurant.
· Work your way up Via Las Cumbres and then hang a right on Linda Vista Road and you’ll run into the tacos served at Super Bronco, followed by Taco Time Food Truck at the intersection of Linda Vista Road and Comstock.
· Next, hang a right at Comstock and then a left on Ulric and you have the tacos at Linda Vista Market (La Tiendita).
· Then, continue north on Ulric and you have Filiberto’s.
· Get back on Linda Vista Road and you have Taco Bell.
· Finally, you have La Princesita Taco Truck parked in a corner of the American Legion parking lot on the corner of Genesee Avenue.
Plot out all these establishments on a map, and what you have is a sort of Yellow Brick Road for Taco connoisseurs. This amazing Camino de Tacos has got to be one of the major benefits of living in Linda Vista.
Of course, as a civic-minded resident I contend we should go all out in promoting this near magical concentration of Taco eating opportunities. I recommend some enterprising local business or civic organization take the lead in organizing a commercial money-making/cultural appreciation activity that allows tourists to spend time and dollars visiting ALL these Linda Vista taco serving establishments. We’ll call the activity a Taco Crawl—similar to the popular Pub Crawl concept.
For those readers unfamiliar with Pub Crawls, this fun activity involves beer drinkers going from one bar to another, enjoying a beer or two at each visit. It’s a chance for participants to try different beers and socialize with fellow beer drinkers, while taking in the local scenery along the way. Some of the more famous Pub Crawls are associated with a theme. For example, a famous Pub Crawl in San Francisco is held each December and requires everyone to dress in Santa outfits. I once participated in a NYC Literary Pub Crawl that visited pubs linked to famous authors.
Of course, any big city bar district can host a Pub Crawl, but a Taco Crawl is a more unique creation that Linda Vista can proudly offer to the world. Imagine a bus load of happy and hungry tourists going from one Linda Vista taco establishment to another along this Taco Highway, sampling at least 9 different tacos, while taking in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood. These satisfied tourists would inevitably go back home to Iowa or Paris and tell their friends, and before you know it, Linda Vista would become a big-time tourist destination.
Now, eating at least 9 tacos in a Taco Crawl may seem a bit too much. But keep in mind the world record for eating tacos is held by famous competitive eater Joey Chestnut who in 2019 ate 82 street style tacos in 8 minutes. In comparison, asking Taco Crawlers to eat 9 tacos over a much longer time is not demanding at all.
If eating lots of tacos still sounds too unhealthy for you, perhaps we can occasionally conduct a special, more physically demanding Taco Crawl in which participants jog or bike their way from one LV Taco establishment to another—a sort of Ironman Taco Crawl for the more health-conscious taco aficionados.
Should the Taco Crawl become a reality, surely every day will be Taco Tuesday in Linda Vista—and that would be a good thing!
Local Sports Scene
Kearny vs Montgomery High Football Game
This past Friday I ventured down to the South Bay area to watch the Kearny High Komets play the Montgomery High Aztecs. Unfortunately, the Komets suffered a 46-12 defeat. Regardless of the score, I found the entire game atmosphere fascinating--all the sights, sounds and smells occurring not only on the field, but also on the sidelines and bleachers. And what also interested me was how the location of the game (at a stadium sitting on Otay Mesa just a few miles from the Mexican border), along with the make-up of the neighborhood served by the high school contributed to that game’s distinct take on the All-American tradition called Friday Night Lights. I was consequently inspired to write a poem related to my observations of that game’s atmosphere. I invite you to read it below:
Poem:
Kearny vs Montgomery Football Game
Friday night lights on the Aztec mesa.
As summer fades away, mid-September,
Sitting high atop the bleachers
of a high school stadium,
that’s carrying out a rich tradition,
As All-American as…
*
Tijuana lights twinkling in the nearby south.
Close enough to extend its arms and reach across,
like a cornerback grasping for a pass.
Ultimately, TJ shrugs its shoulders at this spectacle.
After all, football is not fútbol.
As All-American as…
*
The sun setting beyond Pacific waves.
Refreshing San Diego ocean breeze rushes
from one goal post to another, and into the crowd.
High atop the bleachers, a glance north at gray Navy ships,
catching orange twilight, while downtown’s skyline shines.
As All-American as…
*
Relentless optimism on both sidelines.
Rows of dark-haired cheerleaders smile, kick,
and shout in non-stop fashion.
Oblivious to the score, they never tire,
(while Montgomery leads Kearny on the field).
As All-American as…
*
The aroma of carne asada tacos.
“Two for five dollars,” the announcement blares,
“And don’t forget the chicarrones!”
Boys and girls hang near the food booths,
aiming to look cool, mostly fumbling, unable to score.
As All American as…
*
Memories of a certain Friday night.
Thirty years from now, the final score will be forgotten.
Yet, the sensations are certain to linger
of a time when certain flavors and accents spiced the lighted air,
illuminating a South Bay spiral spin on a rich tradition,
As All-American as a game on an Aztec mesa.
Perhaps if you attend this Friday’s game at Kearny High School, you can arrive at your own conclusions regarding the LV area’s special take on Friday Night Lights.
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