San Diego Victuals

How many of you know how to pronounce victuals? I know you former English and literature instructors know the answer. It is pronounced vittles. And we plan to try many of the local victuals in the San Diego area, starting with Mexican food. Proximity to the border and to the Pacific Ocean makes San Diego an ideal place for eaters.

After watching Andrew Zimmern of “Delicious Destinations”, and having visited a similar shop in Mexico City, our first stop is Lucha Libre Tacos. This is from their website:

Our gourmet tacos are made with the freshest ingredients, and we are proud to have been voted Best Burrito in town. Only at Lucha Libre you can get the famous “TJ” dog: an all beef hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled vegetables. We do not use lard and our vegetarian items are all strong contenders, too. Some fans’ favorites are the Queso Taco with its Super Secret Chipotle Sauce, and the Surfin’ California: a burrito with steak, shrimp, avocado, fresh fries, cheese, pico de gallo, and super secret chipotle sauce. Any of the luchadors on our menu can kick the biggest hunger’s butt, both with flavor and with quantity. All of our salsas are house-made, and the cilantro salsa is something to fight for. Only our prices are wimpy.

Our taco shop isn’t the standard issue Mexican restaurant with serapes and sombreros on the wall. Everywhere you look, from the televisions running classic wrestling matches to the gold Champion’s Booth where you can sit only if you’ve made a reservation 24 hours in advance, you see the flamboyance and color of Lucha Libre. Check out the “Gold” bathroom, the “Anchorman TV” trash can, and if you come in wearing a Lucha mask, you’ll get the Luchador discount!

The classic item to order, and the one I saw on TV is the California Burrito. Your choice of Steak, Breast or Pork Adobada, Fresh Fries, Jack Cheese, Sour Cream and Pico de Gallo. Who ever heard of French Fries in a burrito? I can’t wait to try it!!! We might even find Burrito Bob, pictured above!

The other place that rings a bell with me is Poppa’s Fresh Fish Company. They specialize in serving fresh sea urchin!!! Otherwise known in Japanese as uni, it is a texture and flavor that even the most ardent sushi lovers cannot handle. It is an acquired taste, as somewhere in the 80s, I learned to like it. But it is so rich, I usually save it for “dessert” since it is so filling. The best part of this is Poppa’s cracks them open, cleans them, so I can eat the uni directly out of the shell. And the first hour of every market is “happy hour” for uni. The uni auction is one of just two remaining live auctions at Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Fish Market, the world’s largest.

And thankfully, they sell only at local Farmer’s Markets, including one right here in Little Italy on Saturdays.

After eating at these two places, the rest of San Diego cuisine will seem rather mundane. But we intend to find a few more places, as well as some good food at Petco Park. We also plan to have brunch on Sunday with dear friends. It will be interesting to have Lexi at our side when we dine al fresco.

So far, she has done really well, almost better than we hoped! She rode her first elevator, climbed her first stairs, and visited her first factory outlet mall.