Nightlife: The Gaslamp District, San Diego, Day 26

July 13, 2012 -- "All good things come to an end."  That's a quote that we've all heard, and when I hear it I make sure I make the best of the situation.  With tonight being the final night in San Diego, me, Enrique, and Rocco hit the Gaslamp District.  Of course the first place we went to was the Rockin' Baja.  Did I mention before that we love Brooke?!?  Once her eyes locked on us, she started pouring the beers!  Being Comic-Con weekend, we saw plenty of sights, including the Zombie Walk down 5th Avenue.  Keeping in the spirit of the day, Brooke made me where a crown with horns -- how could I refuse.  I told her that if I needed to wear the crown, I wanted a picture with her.  Nice shot, huh?

Believe me, I hated having to leave my favorite spot in San Diego, but you know the phrase.  I said goodbye to Brooke, Drew, and Jay and vowed to be back sooner than later.

We ended our night at the Searsucker one last time where we saw Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots.  I tried to get his attention -- I was even wearing a Patriots shirt, just look at the picture above! -- but he was too busy heading to his table of friends.  I didn't recognize any other pro athletes and I'm not one of those guys that gets all stupid when it comes to celebrities and athletes.  At least Rocco saw him as well and confirmed that we had a celebrity sighting.

With a 6:30 AM flight out in the morning, I headed to the Residence Inn in La Jolla for my last quiet night in one of the best places I've ever been.  Twenty-six days went by faster than you might think, but it was time to come back home to RI.

Food: Gaslamp District, San Diego, Day 20

July 7, 2012 -- It was nice to sleep in this morning, especially after such a fun night!  I didn't want breakfast food, but didn't feel like fajitas or hamburgers either.  Whenever I'm feeling that way, shellfish is usually the answer.  Luckily, down the boardwalk of Seaport Village rests my destiny -- Joe's Crab Shack!  You really can't go wrong with steamed crabs, now can you!

Having my fill of seafood, I took a stroll along the harbor.  Get a load this, for lack of a better word, yacht.  That's a helicopter sitting on the helo pad on the back of the vessel.  The picture doesn't do it justice; that boat was big!

Later in the day, I met up with Rocco for dinner before heading out to the Padres game.  We ate at Henry's Pub on 5th Avenue.  The food was great, I had a chicken dinner, and we were able to sit outside in the nice, warm San Diego air.  After dinner, it was game time!

Nightlife: Gaslamp Bars, San Diego, Day 19

July 6, 2012 -- We love Brooke!  Rocco and I started our Friday night at our favorite watering hole, The Rockin' Baja.  Brooke served us ice cold beers with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes!  It's nice to know that the staff at the Rockin' Baja make you feel like you have a home away from home.  Love you, guys!  The shrimp fajitas filled our bellies -- a must since you need something other than beer in your belly for a night out in the Gaslamp District!  We bid Brooke, Drew, and Jay goodbye, promising that we'll be back again soon, and decided to check out some more hot spots.

Half way up 5th Avenue is the Searsucker, and eclectic bar and restaurant that caters to the young, chic professionals, like us!  Me and Rocco quickly took a liking to the place, grabbing some pints of local brews and mingling with the crowd.  You know those times when you're just "on"?  Yeah, this was the night!  Having an outgoing personality has its upside and me and Rocco made friends with just about everybody tonight!  If you're looking to meet some pretty people, drink fresh local beers, and sample some fine cuisine, the Searsucker needs to be on your list.

After spending a few hours at the same bar, Rocco and I decided to leave and check out a new place.  I was feeling fine, but Rocco was getting a little wobbly.  Across the street was another of our new staples, the Barley Mash.  We crossed the street and found a line wrapping around the corner waiting to get into the place.  I looked at Rocco and said, "We're not waiting in this line!  Come with me."

I walked up to the front of the line, approached the bouncer, and said, "I've been here the last five of seven nights.  I really don't have to wait in this line, do I?"

The bouncer asked, "Who else is with you?"

I jerked my thumb in Rocco's direction.  "Just him," I said.

The bouncer unclipped the velvet rope, waved us forward, and said, "Come on in!"  We walked in,to the chagrin of the others in line and without paying!  Rocco was dumbfounded and kept saying, "I can't believe we just walked right in!"  Enrique and AP would have been proud!

Alas,we lasted only about a half hour; Rocco had had enough, let's leave it at that!  All in all, it was a great night.  Boy, do I love the Gaslamp District!

Food: The Yard House, San Diego, Day 18

July 5, 2012 -- Man, are we tired!  Ever since AP left we kind of ran out of steam during the week, but that doesn't mean we sit in our hotel room!  Enrique took the rest of the holiday weekend to visit friends and relatives in San Francisco, leaving me and Rocco to fend for ourselves.  Rocco was a bit tired still, so I looked for food solo.  The first night sans Enrique found me heading to one of my favorite restaurants, The Yard House.  Again, with tons of beer on tap, how can you really go wrong?  As with my other visits to the Yard House, the Jambalaya was excellent and the beer was cold.  If you're in San Diego, get here if you can at least once, it's worth it.

Being a Thursday, and without Rocco to hang with, I decided to call it an early night, for the weekend was right around the corner ...

Food: Rockin Baja, Nicky Rotten's Bar & Grill, San Diego, Day 16

July 3, 2012 -- Rocco was STILL tired from his cross country endeavor and early morning lab shift, so we decided to make it an early night the day before the Fourth of July.  We went to the Rockin Baja to start the night, as usual, and Brooke was tending bar with a smile on her face!  I'm really starting to like her!!!  After a few beers and shrimp fajitas, which are awesome if I might say, Rocco and I left our favorite place behind and trekked up 5th Avenue of the Gaslamp District.

Looking for a new sports bar to catch the Red Sox game, we found Nicky Rotten's Bar and Grill a few blocks up the street.  Even though we had just eaten, the smell of buffalo wings clinging in the air got our stomachs going again.  Yup, they were good!  I just wish the Red Sox could have played as well.  Either way it was a nice evening and we got to sleep in with the holiday tomorrow.  Ah, tomorrow ...

Food: Gaslamp Strip Club, San Diego, Day 15

July 2, 2012 -- Today, Rocco arrived.  With AP heading back to RI a few days ago, Enrique and I needed reinforcements.  After a tumultuous 22-hour travel extravaganza, Rocco landed in San Diego exhausted.  Severe storms on the East Coast had wreaked havoc with the airlines and poor Rocco spent more time in a North Carolina airport than flying to sunny California.  So, knowing that he would be tired and hungry I knew the perfect thing to cheer him up: The Gaslamp Strip Club.  Now don't get the wrong idea, this is a steak place, and an awesome one at that!

First and foremost, you need to know that you will be cooking your own steaks.  They have grills placed about the restaurant, loaded with spices and cooking utensils.  You simply choose the steak you want, side dishes, and anything else and the waitress (in fishnets, nice touch) will bring everything to you.

We both picked our steaks and headed to the grill.  That's Rocco seasoning their signature Gaslamp Strip Steak.

I also had the strip steak and helped myself to the grill, too.

Yeah, the food is as good as it looks!  I highly recommend the Gaslmap Strip Club for those who want to have fun cooking steaks without the high prices of traditional steak joints (Donovan's or Fleming's)  

After dinner, I brought Rocco to the Barley Mash for a beer and to let him check out the completed product (he was with us in April when the establishment was nearly finished.)  The beers were cold, but poor Rocco was dead tired.  Until another day ...

Bars: The Whiskey Girl, San Diego, Day 12

June 29, 2012 -- Being on the West Coast has its advantages, especially when it comes to catching my Red Sox while they're playing teams on the West Coast!  Enrique and I made the walk up 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp District until we reached the Whiskey Girl.

TVs broadcast a multitude of baseball games, including the Sox, and 80s music blared from the speakers.  Around 10 PM, the high top tables we sat at were cleared away, the music switched to today's pop, and our viewing area became a dance floor.  They even took off the baseball games and throw up videos!  The nerve.  But then again, the place filled up and was hopping.  Just another night in the Gaslamp District! 

Bars: Altitude Sky Lounge, Marriott Hotel, San Diego, Day 11

June 28, 2012 -- Up on the 22nd floor of the Marriott Hotel in the Gaslamp District is the Altitude Sky Lounge.  The lounge has a breathtaking view of San Diego Bay, Coronado, and Petco Park.  Take a look at some of the shots I took the last time I was here.

A great place to watch a game when the Padres are in town, watch a sunset from up high, or to just have a beer and enjoy the skyline.  By 9 PM, AP sounded the bell and we all left.  Goodbye AP, it was real.  But, as one co-worker leaves, another arrives ... in a few days.

Food: Barley Mash, San Diego, Day 11

June 28, 2012 -- It's AP's last day!  Being fearful that he would not wake up to make his flight, we decided to head back to the Barley Mash for dinner.

Me, AP, and Enrique had only appetizers, which we only OK.  The mussels and shrimp skillet were pretty average, nothing like the prime rib potato pie we had last time.

Enrique on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed his ribs!  Fortunately, we had great view of the street and were able to do a lot of people watching.  After dinner, AP wanted to get a better view of the sky ...

Lodging: Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, Day 10

June 27, 2012 -- After nine wonderful days at the Residence Inn in La Jolla, I switched hotels to be closer to the Gaslamp District during the 4th of July celebration.  My hotel of choice downtown is the Manchester Grand Hyatt.  The place is absolutely huge, having two, 40-story towers with a 4th floor pool deck that includes a pool, hot tubs, rows and rows of deck chairs, and attendants to get you everything from towels to food and drinks.

Their fitness center is top notch, having plenty of cardio machines, Life Fitness circuit machines, and free weights, all overlooking Seaport Village, Coronado, and San Diego Bay.  This is the view from my hotel room -- spectacular!

Definitely stay here if you can -- I'll be here for the next twelve days!!!

Nightlife: Gaslamp District, San Diego, Day 6

June 23, 2012 -- Right around the corner from Petco Park is a little place called the Corner Spot.  Even after the game it was a little dead, though we did meet a huge mountain of man who caught me yawning in the bar.  He came over and informed me, in a light-hearted way, that there's no yawning allowed in the club.  He was right.  No matter how tired I got, I didn't yawn again.  To give you a visual, he was about six-foot five, bald, wide as a house, and played rugby.  Enough said.

Having enough of our fill at the Corner, our bartender Ryan from the Barley Mash was kind enough to put us on the VIP list so that we could come in for free after the game.  We took full advantage of that, and AP led us past the long line of hopefuls, approached the bouncer, and proclaimed, "We're on the list."  After a cursory check, we were allowed through.  Though the place was hopping, we figured that we had had our fill of the Barley Mash for the day and decided to venture elsewhere.

We wandered down to F St. and found ourselves at the Double Deuce.  AP worked his magic again, distracting the bouncer and hostess out of the $10 cover charge for all of us.  Good ol'AP!  The bar is a bit tight and always packed, and has a country western feel to it with its biggest selling point being their mechanical bull.

Oh, he might look friendly, but as soon as a bachelorette party wanders in, and they do very often, the poor bride-to-be is bucked around in a most suggestive manner.  And I stress, most suggestive.  If you're female and you find yourself at the Double Deuce, be prepared to lose and article of clothing or two.  Oh, and wear some sort of underwear.  AP and Enrique will attest that one fine young lady, who failed to wear under garments, showed everyone in the bar what she was made of!  Sorry, can't post THAT picture!  However, feat your eyes on a few beauties here.  I only wish that I had a better camera!

We left with the masses at around 2 AM, and though we were tired, Enrique led us through the throngs of people in search for pizza slices.  The paper plate tasted as good as the pizza, but then again it was really late.  AP even found a second place to satisfy his late night munchies.  All in all, the long day and night was a whole lot of fun!

Sports: Petco Park, San Diego, Day 6

June 23, 2012 -- OK, I'm a Red Sox fan and love Fenway Park, always will.  But, when they build new ballparks around the country, like Petco Park, they know what they're doing.  Only outside of Boston or New York can you go to the ticket booth 15 minutes before game time, order your tickets, and see an unobstructed view from left field for only $27 a ticket!

The Padres hosted the Seattle Mariners in an interleague match-up.  Though San Diego lacked any true stars, the Mariner's Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, and we even caught their ace pitcher, Felix Hernandez.  King Felix even chipped in with a double in a 7-1 Seattle win.  Try and get these seats for $27 at Fenway.  And, the park is right downtown, only a ten minute walk from the hotel.

After the game was over, being relatively early for a Saturday night (10 PM), me, AP, and Enrique figured sampling the Gaslamp nightlife would be the right thing to do ...

Food: Barley Mash, San Diego, Day 6

June 23, 2012 -- Believe it or not, I WORKED Saturday so I don't want to hear that everything is all fun and games for me.  Well, maybe after working hours!  Me, AP, and Enrique knew that today was going to be a long day since we planned on going to a Padres game that night.  Since the game started at 7:05 PM we needed to get some good food and drink.  The last time we were in town, back in March, we strolled by a corner establishment that was in the process of being upgraded.  By the looks of the half-done work, we could tell that it had great potential.  Fast forward a couple of months and the Barley Mash didn't disappoint.

AP and Enrique figured a good start to the afternoon would be a cold beer, which they had many.  As you can see, both boys were having a good time.  

That's Stella, a meteorologist, giving us the peace sign!  She's a blog follower now -- as well as a fantasy lover.  Yup, she got one of my Overlords business cards!  AP inquired about the top shelf tequilas and Ryan, our bartender, asked him if wanted one finger or two.  We were all speechless ...

Ryan then persuaded us to get a house special -- prime rib and potato pie -- and it tasted exactly like it sounds!  

With full bellies, we strolled (or rolled) to the ballpark ...

Food: Yard House, San Diego, Day 3

June 20, 2012 -- With AP zonked and catching some Zs, Enrique and I headed into the Gaslamp District for some dinner.  On the corner of 4th and Broadway sits the Yard House, an eclectic establishment that boasts a huge selection of draft beers.  Being a little tired from long work hours and coast-to-coast travel, we skipped the brewskies (yeah, I know, a sin) and had dinner.  This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants with fresh seafood and a great jambalaya dish.  After our meals even Enrique didn't have room for dessert.

Side note: I didn't know that Enrique was such an ice cream connoisseur or any desserts for that matter.  We have scoured city streets in such of sugary treats, even after meals fit for a king.  His sweet tooth is actually killing me and AP.  Slowly.

Lodging: Residence Inn in La Jolla, San Diego, Day 1

June 18, 2012 -- I'm a Marriott Rewards member, so I have a vested interest in taking advantage of staying at Marriotts while on travel any time I can (hey, they bumped me up to Gold level after my last trip!)  When in San Diego, if I can't book a stay in the Gaslamp District I like to stay at the Residence Inn in La Jolla.  The hotel isn't one that has a ton of amenities, but it acts more like and apartment and when I'm in town for a month it more than fits the bill.  AP hates the place, but that's just him. I personally like being close to La Jolla, rubbing elbows with the rich people!  I'm settled in, went to Ralph's to stock up on some groceries (fruit and Coca-Cola!) and chilled out from my long day.  Tomorrow I'll start my work and workout routine (6AM at work, the La Jolla YMCA afterwards), so I'm off to bed now.

Food: Rockin' Baja Coastal Cantina, San Diego, Day 1

June 18, 2012 -- I landed in San Diego on June 18th with one of my work buddies, let's call him AP.  Being a travel day, after gathering our luggage we headed to our favorite local hangout, the Rockin' Baja Coastal Cantina for lunch.  This is our customary first stop every time we land in San Diego.  The staff always makes us feel at home and the food is great.  Jay, the manager, makes it a point to stop by and talk with us (we've been there so much we're on a first name basis), Chelsea, Brooke, and Drew -- the best bartenders in the city -- always make sure we have a cold beverage in front of us, and we all love out favorite waitress, Arianna!

AP took the picture so blame him for getting too much of me and not enough of Arianna!  More pictures are sure to come and if you find yourself in the Gaslamp District do yourself a favor and stop in the Rockin' Baja, just saying.