Viva la Tortilla Chip on February 24
Plus: LV News Briefs, Commentary on Taller LV Buildings, LV Survey Results, and LV Parade of Flags
The Linda Vista Update
Steve and I love celebrating holidays, especially if the holiday involves food. So recently we discovered that February 24, in addition to being the Carnivore Sidekick’s birthday, is National Tortilla Chip Day. We thought in celebration of this day, and because tortilla chips have become a great American food tradition, we would not only eat and report on tortilla chips in Linda Vista, but give you a little history lesson on how tortilla chips became a popular staple in this country.
Although no one is exactly sure how they got started, the best story is that they have been around since the 1940’s — just like Linda Vista! The story goes that Rebecca Webb Carranza installed an automated tortilla making machine at her family’s LA company El Zarape Tortilla Factory. She was unhappy that so many of the tortillas got misshapen and torn in the machine. So, waste not want not, she cut them up and fried them for her family and soon tortilla chips were being sold all over the West Coast.
Here are a few fun facts I found on the internet. I think you will find them very interesting.
In 2012 the UK made the biggest tortilla chip to promote a new Tex-Mex buffet. The chip weighed 110 lbs. and was 32 feet long.
Tortilla chips are the official snack of Texas.
The masa used for tortilla chips is made from an ancient Mayan process which is too complicated for me to explain, but it really makes them good.
And there is more. There has been an evolution of tortilla chips, and they now include chips that are gluten free, made of beans or veggie powder, protein and fiber fortified, with increased use of flax and chia seeds making them a more healthy snack than they were previously. One of the most important aspects of tortilla chips is their inclusion in Nachos. As Steve read recently, what are nachos without tortilla chips? A big mess!
So, in the spirit of National Tortilla Chip Day, we set out to try some Linda Vista tortilla chips and headed to our favorite hangout, Mr. Peabody’s for their nachos. For about $10, we shared a plate of nachos which consisted of tortilla chips topped with cheese, Pico de Gallo, guac and sour cream.
You can also include protein like beef or chicken, but since we don’t eat meat, we had them without; nevertheless, they were excellent.
Then we thought we would find the best tortilla chips in Linda Vista. Two places came to mind, neither of them technically in LV, but close enough. Carnival Supermarket on Ashford Street (Kearny Mesa) makes their own in-house tortilla chips (as well as tortillas), and they are very good. We often get ours there. Another place, a little further away, is El Indio on India Street. In addition to great in-house tortilla chips, El Indio has, according to Steve, the best homemade salsa ever. We always have some in our refrigerator.
Although tortilla chips with salsa are very good, and nachos are very good, there is another use for tortilla chips we like and that is with 7-layer dip. The best dip is one you make yourself, but in a pinch, you can get it most places like Ralphs, Carnival, and Vons. This consists of layers of refried beans, taco seasoned sour cream, cheese, Pico, chili peppers, olives and guacamole. This dip is very popular for parties, sporting events and more. You must have sturdy tortilla chips to pick up all seven layers.
So, there you have it. Several ways to celebrate National Tortilla Chip Day. I’m sure there are many more. Lift your chip and enjoy the crunch.
LV News Briefs:
—Linda Vista Town Council Meeting (LVTC): Last night’s general meeting of the LVTC, held at the Baha’i Center on Alcala Knolls Road, featured an interesting and informative presentation on self-defense by guest speaker Tracie Arlington of Play It Safe Self-Defense Strategies, as well as an appearance by U.S. Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (51st District) who provided an update on congressional activities. Congresswoman Jacobs also answered question from the audience.
—Bayside Seed Class Tomorrow: Bayside Community Center will hold another of its monthly seed classes this Friday February 21. The subject of this class will be Micro Greens. The one hour class will begin at 12:30 pm at the Bayside Community Center. If planning to attend, please RSVP Amy Zink at azink@baysidecc.org
—Linda Vista Planning Group Election: The Linda Vista Planning Group (LVPG) is looking for LV residents to run for LVPG membership. The election for the LVPG will be held at the Group’s monthly meeting on Monday February 24 (at the American Legion Post 731—7245 Linda Vista Road). The Linda Vista Planning Group provides citizens with an opportunity for involvement in advising the City Council, the Planning Commission, and other decision-makers on development projects, general or community plan amendments, re-zonings and public facilities. The LVPG meets on the fourth Monday of each month. Check out the below flyer for details. You can complete an application to run for membership in the LVPG by clicking HERE.
—SD County Fair Banner Program: The Linda Vista Town Council is working with the San Diego County Fair to recruit local family members for participation in the community banner program. Want to see your face, or the face of a family member on a banner that will hang on a Linda Vista street? If so, read the flyers below.
—39th Senate District Senior Advisory Council: The office of State Senator Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson (39th Senate District) is looking for volunteers to serve on her Senior Advisory Council. The Council will provide a forum for seniors to learn more about their state government and how it relates to their communities and to other levels of government, and provide a forum where seniors can express their perspectives, and develop concrete proposals, on issues that affect them.. Applications are due by February 28. Please go HERE to apply and learn more details about the program.
Commentary
Reasons for Celebrating the Taller LV Landscape
In last week’s issue of the LV Update we wrote about the need to accept and even appreciate the on-going construction on Friars Road. We provided some interesting information that could lead local residents to better appreciate all the orange traffic control devices lining the busy thoroughfare, thus minimizing some of the heartburn they feel about the never ending construction/detours.
However, there is another area of construction in Linda Vista that has been generating some concern from local residents. The new multi-story apartment buildings currently being constructed on Ulric Street—at the Dunlap Street intersection—have people worried about what these building will do to the traditional Linda Vista landscape. There are several locals who believe the introduction of these relatively tall buildings do not fit the culture of the community, and they worry about possible street parking implications.
At the risk of sounding like a naïve optimist, I want to make the case we need to look on the bright side of these new buildings. First, there is no escaping the fact that San Diego needs more housing, and these apartment building will certainly help to alleviate some of this demand. Furthermore, there is no doubt that people see Linda Vista as a convenient and interesting place to live, so we can’t deny the reality that more and more people see our community as a favorable choice for setting up residence.
But I want to take it a step further and make the case that these new building also offer our community the possibility of several benefits. Let me offer five such possible benefits.
# 1: Tickertape parades: We currently have only one parade in Linda Vista—the LV Multi-Cultural Parade, which is held every April in conjunction with the LV Multi-Cultural Fair. This parade is held on Linda Vista Road. However, with these new tall buildings, to include the nearby already-constructed V building, Linda Vista now has the potential to hold ticker tape parades, just like they do in New York City along the so-called Canyon of Heroes. We can celebrate local heroes by conducting parades on Ulric Street and having residents dispense confetti from above as part of a festive atmosphere. If the Padres ever win the World Series, the team can hold its tickertape parade right here in Linda Vista!
#2: Moneymaking Photo Shoot Locale: We all recall those dramatic scenes in certain superhero movies in which the superhero poses atop a rooftop and gazes out at the metropolis in guardian-like fashion to determine where the bad guys might be lurking. Accordingly, I recommend the rooftops at these buildings be rented out to a business that will allow local residents and tourists the opportunity to pose on these rooftops while wearing rented-out superhero costumes. A cut of the money made from selling these photos to locals/tourists would go to a good community cause. I realize the LV photo backgrounds would not be as dramatic as those of Gotham City or Metropolis, but our background would emphasize diversity with displays of taco trucks, pho shops, Thai dessert shops, and McDonald’s.
# 3 Rooftop Bar: Rooftop bars are all the rage these days. There are several in the Gaslamp district. I think we need a bar of any sort in this area of Linda Vista—a rooftop one would provide the most fun type of bar option for our community. Imagine a rooftop bar with a view of the ocean!!! Sounds like a real moneymaker operation.
#4 Rooftop Concert Site: One of the Beatles’ most famous concerts was held on a London rooftop back in 1969. I believe at least one of the rooftops at these new LV apartment buildings could be the site of a regular concert series during the summer months (Quiet hours after 10:00 pm, of course). And with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr still on the concert circuit, there is always the possibility that a surviving Beatles reunion could be held right here on a LV rooftop to mark the anniversary of that 69’ concert.
#5: Rooftop Community Garden: The new LV Community Garden built at the LV Community Park has proved a popular place for green-thumbed local residents. Rooftop community gardens could even prove more popular. Imagine picking tomatoes and cucumbers while enjoying a view of the ocean.
Okay, folks…I am not sure how difficult it would be to implement some of these ideas. I will leave those kind of details to others, but I am confident that just contemplating the possibilities these options might provide will make us feel better about tall apartment buildings changing our Linda Vista landscape.
LV Survey Results
After attending District 7 Raul Campillo’s Town Hall on February 6 followed by last Saturday’s 2025 City of San Diego Budget Review Town Hall forum held at the Mission Valley Library, we decided to conduct a brief survey to determine how LV residents feel about a few contentious issues affecting our city. As was made very evident at both Town Halls, the City of San Diego must make some tough choices to eliminate its 250 million dollar deficit; the choices will involve fees/taxes to raise revenues, and reduction of services to eliminate costs. ADU’s was another issue that came up for discussion at one of the Town Halls.
In completing this survey, residents were asked to express how they feel about the following issues. Here is what residents had to say:
1. The implementation of a proposed City of San Diego monthly $53.00 tax/fee for trash pick-up:
Approve 14%
Disapprove 71%
Don’t know enough about issue 14%
No opinion 0%
2. The continuation of the City of San Diego’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Bonus Incentive Program:
Approve 14%
Disapprove 71%
Don’t know enough about this issue 14%
No opinion 0%
3. A reduction in weekly library hours as a cost cutting measure to close the City of San Diego’s 250 million dollar deficit:
Approve 7%
Disapprove 79%
Don’t know enough about this issue 7%
No opinion 7%
***
We at the Linda Vista Update wish to thank the LV residents who participated in the survey.
LV Flags on Presidents Day
The local volunteer organization Linda Vista Parade of Flags recently carried out its tradition of placing U.S. flags on Linda Vista Road to commemorate Presidents’ Day. Helping out the organization this past Monday were members (scouts, scout masters, and troop leaders) of Boy Scout Troop 295 from Clairemont.
We at the LV Update wish to thank the members of the Boy Scout Troop for helping out in this patriotic chore.
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