Vive le Dessert at Arely Bakery!
Plus: Looking for Books in the LV Area, Undefeated Kearny High Football Update, Princeton football coming to LV, Upcoming Community Health Fair, New Park Opens in Civita
Every weekend as we start putting together ideas for the LV Update, we think about a restaurant review. We’ve been doing this for over 3 years, so you can imagine that at one a week, we are starting to run out of Linda Vista eateries. That is one reason why from time to time, we wander over the border to Kearny Mesa, Mission Valley or Clairemont.
You also know that Steve is VP of the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market and every Thursday you will find him there, and invariably every Thursday he winds up at the vendor booth of Sweet Whisking by Mhanette, coming home with some of her delicious desserts. He tries to make them last a week by cutting them in half or thirds but by this Tuesday, he had nothing left. We thus decided to kill two birds with one stone by finding a place where we could have a tasty dessert, and at the same time write about a place that perhaps not everyone in LV has heard of.
In shopping for our LV Update t-shirts at Big Frog Custom T-shirts at the Clairemont Town Square, we have often noticed a place called Arely French Bakery and Café. Based on the number of customers eating there, we knew it was a popular place amongst the local Clairemont crowd And the beautiful desserts in the display cases always got our attention. So, we thought, why not go there for dessert and if it’s good, write about it?
This bakery is very lovely. It has outside tables as well as a nicely appointed interior complete with a mural of Paris with the Eiffel Tower very prominent. The glass cases inside are just filled with the most beautiful cakes, pastries, tarts, breads, and more. But it doesn’t stop there. Arely’s is a café as well as a bakery; it is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It serves beer and wines and hot drinks. The menu is heavy on French cuisine including quiche, omelets, croissants, crepes and more for breakfast but also includes huevos rancheros and chilaquiles. For lunch there are sandwiches including croque monsieur, brie, paninis, and salads. For dinner they have escargot, charcutier boards, salmon, filet, and burgers to mention a few. The staff are very friendly and helpful.
We went there specifically looking for dessert so I ordered carrot cake and Steve got a raspberry tart. No need for the Carnivore Sidekick since the desserts were all meatless. You can see from the pictures that the desserts were beautiful. The carrot cake was one of the best I ever had with loads of flavor and cream cheese icing. Steve’s tart looked almost too good to eat, but he did so anyways. I could only get through half of my cake because it was so filling; Steve got to try the rest later. I swear I don’t know how the French stay so slim with the foods they eat. The cream puffs, croissants, pies, cakes, etc. made you want to cry out “Vive le dessert” and go out and buy a beret. So many pastries, so little time! But we plan to be back for more. That’s for sure.
4961 Clairemont Drive (Clairemont Town Square)
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If you have any favorite places you would like us to try and report on, let us know. We will travel anywhere within a few miles of Linda Vista for a good meal.
Looking for Local Literary Book Choices
A few issues ago the Linda Vista Update reviewed the annual SD Union Tribune Book Festival, held on the University of San Diego campus. This popular Book Festival provided local residents with a great one-day opportunity for finding and buying books.
However, the question remains…where do local residents go to buy books the rest of the year? Yes, I realize many people rely these days on digitally downloading books from Amazon, completely choosing to avoid books that use up paper and take up shelf space that might dismay Marie Kondo. But there are still many traditional book aficionados that can’t resist the feel of holding actual books in their hands. And yes, there are the fine Linda Vista and Mission Valley public libraries in the area where you can check out books for free, but some people like the idea of keeping books and maintaining collections.
In order to encourage the hard copy bibliophile traditionalists that make up our digital newsletter readership, we have assembled a short list of locations to find books in the local area. Some less expensive than others. In conducting this book quest, we moved from east to west, beginning in Mission Valley.
Costco in Mission Valley: No one goes to Costco to buy a book—Costco shoppers just happen to buy books in between buying muffins, toilet paper, water, eggs, and vitamins. Browsing the book section makes you feel sophisticated after strolling through the warehouse desperately looking for free samples of food. The small Costco book section doesn’t provide an extensive selection of books—mainly just the trendiest best sellers. It’s the place to go when strictly looking for the latest book written by such authors as Stephen King, Dan Silva, Nora Roberts, Prince Harry, your favorite T.V. or radio talk show host, or your favorite celebrity chef. You usually can’t beat the prices on these books (the low book prices are subsidized by all the bulk paper towel purchases made by Costco members). The best part about buying a book at Costco is that once you get home and start to feel guilty about buying so many Kirkland cinnamon buns, you can at least point at your book and claim you spent a portion of your money on literary pursuits.
Barnes and Noble: The Barnes and Noble bookstore at Mission Valley’s Hazard Center is where you go when you want a wide variety of book to select from. It’s also the place to go if you want to spend some time perusing through all the stacks to determine the latest trends in book publishing. Unlike Costco, a Barnes and Noble store will have books that go far beyond the latest best seller list. There are books of all genres, and not just recently published books, but plenty of classics. A great place to go shopping for a book as a gift for someone. All the book stacks makes it easy for the typical shopper to conveniently check out which books might make a good read—you can actually pick up a book, open it, and read some pages to figure out whether it might be of interest. There are places to sit and do some serious leafing through pages. The store has a bright, relaxing atmosphere (albeit a bit corporate slick) for book shopping. And there is a small Barnes and Noble coffee bar inside which will allow you to eventually sit at one of the nearby outdoor tables to leisurely read your newly purchased book while sipping your favorite caffeinated drink in the San Diego sunshine.
Linda Vista Little Libraries: Let’s say you want to get your hands on a good book to read, but you’re low on cash. No problem. You can always check out the nearest Little library and get a book for free. A Little Library is “a free book sharing box where anyone may take a book or share a book. You do not need to share a book to take one.” There are a few Little Libraries scattered around the Linda Vista area. The latest Little Library I ran into at the corner of Glidden Street and Coolidge Street (see photo above) was stuffed with plenty of books, just waiting their turn to be adopted by the next enthusiastic reader. The Little Library program believes that “All people are empowered when the opportunity to discover a personally relevant book to read is not limited by time, space or privilege.” If you want to find the nearest Little Library near your residence, you can click here to find out about the Little Library mobile app. Yes, some of the books might not be in the best condition, but sometimes you can find a former best seller book in mint condition (with some still bearing the Costco price tag on the cover).
Mysterious Galaxy Book Store: This great bookstore lies just outside the borders of Linda Vista, in the Midway area on Rosecrans Boulevard. It is one of the best and most well-known bookstores in San Diego. This is an independent bookstore where you will not get the same corporate feel that you encounter at a Barnes and Noble. Mysterious Galaxy used to be located in Clairemont, but moved to its present location in January 2020. This where the true book nerd goes to shop for a book. Though it’s located in a crowded strip mall, once you enter the book store you will find a nice, soothing interior. Mysterious Galaxy has a great selection of mystery/thriller and Sci fi/fantasy books. It also has a good young adult section. There are plenty of other genres available as well. If you are a real book nerd, you will be happy to know that many authors, some rather famous ones, and many popular local ones, conduct book signings here throughout the year. And speaking about nerds, there is a Dungeons and Dragons club that meets regularly at this book store. We in Linda Vista are lucky to have such a high quality independent book store so close to where we live.
High School Sports
Kearny High Football is 4-0
The Kearny High Komets remain undefeated after four varsity football games. The Komets’ latest victory occurred last Thursday night with a 42 - 13 home field win over Maranatha Christian High School.
In their latest win, the Komets continued to display a strong aerial attack with junior QB Brodie Stump throwing 53 times for 42 completions, five touchdown passes, and a total of 342 passing yards. Stump threw to a host of receivers, including Jaylen Hill, Anthony Alexander, Hayden Gravely, Zeni Reyes, Kwali Wilson, Adam Ali, and Carson Welch.
Over four games, Kearny’s players have proven themselves tough on both sides of the ball. The offense has combined with a talented defense to outscore their opponents 116 to 58.
In speaking to Kearny assistant coach Germain Stewart, he indicated that although the team is 4-0, there is plenty of room for improvement. “This team is very green,” he emphasized. “They are still working on believing in themselves regarding the basics,” while adding that they need “to focus on executing each and every play.”
While competing in the Central League, Coach Stewart emphasized that “Each team in the league possesses its own strengths” and he therefore expects Kearny to be challenged in every game for the remainder of the season.
Though the team does not play this week, the Komets will be hosting Escondido Charter High School on Friday September 22. Since this is a Homecoming game, the stands should be full of Kearny alumni. And that coincides with what Coach Stewart identifies as a team goal, which is to “win over the community…we want to represent the communities of Linda Vista and Serra Mesa.”
Local College Sports
Princeton Tigers Coming to Linda Vista
The University of San Diego Torero football team plays host this Saturday to Princeton University. Kick off time for the game is 1:00 pm at Torero Stadium. The Toreros are 0-2 so far this season, with losses to Cal Poly and Colorado Mesa University. This will be Princeton’s first game of the season.
Princeton, which plays in the Ivy League, has a storied football history that stretches back all the way to 1869. Some of the famous Tigers that have played for Princeton football include Hobie Baker (three time All-American), Dick Kazmaeir (1951 Heisman Trophy winner), Charlie Gogolak (former NFL kicker), Dean Cain (Hollywood actor who played Superman/Clark Kent in TV series Lois and Clark and once dated Brooke Shields), and Jason Garrett (former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys).
Community New Brief
Upcoming Community Event at ACCESS
New Creekside Park Opens in Civita
Sudberry Properties has announced the opening of Creekside Park, a 1.3-acre linear park in Civita that includes elevated walkways, a children’s play area, seating, picnic areas and an off-leash dog run. The City of San Diego park extends from Friars Road to Civita Boulevard and is adjacent to the 14.3-acre Civita Park.
Creekside Park is part of the network of parks in Civita that will stretch from Friars Road in Mission Valley to Phyllis Place in Serra Mesa. More than 80 percent of the parks are complete.
“Creekside Park serves as a trailhead leading to numerous recreational open spaces in Civita. It is also an important part of our extensive biofiltration stormwater system that treats and cleans runoff before it flows into the San Diego River,” said Colton Sudberry, president of Sudberry Properties, the master developer of the 230-acre Civita urban village. “It offers another beautiful and tranquil space in the Civita community for passive recreation and social connections.”
The children’s play area features a modern geometric climbing structure, spinners, other play equipment and picnic areas bordered by river-themed mosaic tilework by La Jolla artist Jane Wheeler.
Creekside Park also features landscaped detention basins that mimic the character of a natural creek, while containing and treating runoff from the development and surrounding community.
The large dam-like stone retaining wall at the park entrance near Friars Road was inspired by the Old Mission Dam, which spans the San Diego River in Mission Trails Regional Park. Built around 1803, the Old Mission Dam was the first major colonial-era irrigation project on the West Coast and provided water to Mission San Diego de Alcalá.
The drought-tolerant landscape in the park offers a seasonal display of blooming plants designed to create pollinator pathways contributing to biodiversity. The park is also consistent with the community’s comprehensive water conservation program, which includes an on-site water reclamation plant, and high-efficiency irrigation with computerized weather-based control systems. The reclamation plant is under construction. When completed in 2025, the reclaimed water will irrigate all parks and streetscapes in the community.
Sudberry Properties developed Creekside Park in partnership with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The park was designed by Schmidt Design Group, Inc. of San Diego, with Glen Schmidt, FASLA, principal in charge, Jennifer Montgomery, associate landscape architect, and Jesus Alan Figueroa, project manager. Schmidt Design Group, which also designed the award-winning Civita Park, is a recognized leader in promoting drought-tolerant and native plant materials, sustainable design and water conservation. Rick Engineering provided civil engineering services and Hazard Construction was the general contractor.
The same development team recently completed Franklin Ridge Park, a .20-acre triangular-shaped pocket park located on Franklin Ridge Road near the Marquee neighborhood. The park features picnic facilities, a shade canopy, open turf area, artful features, and views of Mission Valley. Sculptural walls with mosaic tile inlay and an interpretive exhibit display tell the story of the site’s geologic history.
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The Linda Vista Update is a weekly digital newsletter that publishes informative, interesting and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities. Readers can go back and read all previous issues of the Linda Vista Update by going to the newsletter archive here.