San Diego shows off more than bikinis and brawn—Part 2

April 30, 9:32 AMNorthern California Getaways ExaminerMichele Bigley

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On a mission to test out sustainable San Diego, our morning began with coffee at La Jolla’s Bird Rock Coffee Roasters. In the same category as Sacramento’s Temple Coffee, San Francisco’s Ritual and San Jose’s Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Bird Rock’s latte art highlights the fair trade beans and organic milk. Even better is the community vibe. With a kids’ train table, a slew of children’s books, a newsstand, baristas that ask, and seem to care, how the patrons’ morning is going, this spare space fills with a buzz not exactly associated with the caffeine.

Hyped up on coffee our next logical destination was the queen of parks: Torrey Pines. In spring the wildflowers blanket the cliffs. For the best views, park near the beach, just before the entrance to the State Park, then walk along the sand until you reach a path. You will wind up the path along the cliffs, with the vistas getting more dramatic at every turn. The paths are jogging stroller friendly, but require a bit of your own brawn to huff up the hills.

Though La Jolla has its fair share of breakfast spots (The Cottage, Whisknladle, Brockton Villa), we opted for brunch at Tower 23’s JRDN. Known for using farm fresh ingredients, and offering an unsurpassed view of the ocean, this sleek dining room doesn’t disappoint. For people used to San Francisco prices, we didn’t blink at $12 brunch offerings, especially because the portions of chilaquiles and omelets could easily satisfy a linebacker.

Since we were traveling with our son, we couldn’t pass up a trip to the San Diego Zoo. Seeing the giant pandas made the steep $35 entry fee worth it. The zoo makes sure to brag about its conservation efforts and educates guests on everything from poaching to ladybugs. But the true highlights are the animals, whose cages are staggered down the lush canyon, offering glimpses of the natural world at nearly every turn. My favorites include the active sun bears and monkeys, the giraffes and elephants, the aviary and the copulating turtles just near the lazy hippos.

Unfortunately the Zoo's cuisine could use some Alice Waters style whipping into shape, and so we headed to San Diego’s self-proclaimed hipster neighborhood North Park for some lunch. After waving hello to a couple of San Diego’s Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, we entered The Linkery—a meat market/beer hall, serving locally farmed meat and produce. Now, as most savvy travelers know, any old restaurant can call itself Slow Food, brag about using organic ingredients and still serve cardboard-like cuisine.

Not The Linkery. These guys know how to make a mean sausage, paired with a variety of cask beers, barley brews or hoppy pints. Add to that creative flatbreads (that change daily), a slew of vegetarian items and some of the best avocado oil (served with warm house-made breads) this avocado-lover has ever tried, and you have the recipe for one more reason to hop on a plane.

After lunch we wanted to scope out the scene in North Park. The one-story strip malls housed a number of Northern California like eateries: Caffe Calabria, Toronado (yes, it’s the sister to the San Francisco temple of beer), Urban Solace, and Sea Rocket Bistro. Throw in a couple of galleries and some Mexican markets and you have a neighborhood in transition. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to wander the streets around here, but the food is the best you’ll find in San Diego.

At the end of the day, however, the draw here is (and always will be) the beach. Pacific Beach is San Diego’s busiest strand: and rightly so. Populated by surfers, sunbathers, bikers, dogs and families well past sunset, you can whittle away an entire afternoon dipping your toes in the waves, building sand castles and then hugging your sweetheart close as you relish in another day of watching the sun sizzle towards Hawaii.

For more on sustainable San Diego, see San Diego shows off more than bikinis and brawn—Part 1