Food: The Rockin' Baja, San Diego, CA

I've been neglecting my travel blog for too long, so I'm going to begin to make up for some lost time.  As you recall, I was out in San Diego for work the better parts of 2011-2012 and I sorely missed SoCal!  That being said, I took a family vacation to San Diego in August and had to go to my old stomping grounds, The Rockin' Baja as soon as we landed.

I must say, I felt right at home even if it had been over a year since the last time I was there.  Brooke, the best bartender in San Diego, remembered my favorite beer and was able to finally meet the rest of the family.

Mike and Devin love Brooke!

Jay, the manager, also remembered me and made us feel right at home.  The food was delicious (I had the shrimp fajitas), the drinks cold, and the atmosphere awesome.  It's nice to know that you have a place where people remember you, even if you're 3,000 miles away!  I can't wait to go back again!!!

The Family at the Rockin' Baja

Lea and Sami enjoying some refreshments

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.

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!

Event: Big Bay Boom Fireworks, San Diego, Day 17

July 4, 2012 -- After a successful sail on Mission Bay, we all went to the Tilted Kilt for wings, beer, and kilt viewing!  To be honest, we just needed some solid food and the Kilt did the trick.  We then said goodbye to Raul and Natasha, and after a few hours we found ourselves back at the Rockin' Baja for beers and Brooke! Our favorite bartender kept pouring the beers, which is what we love about her!  Alas, nighttime had come and it was time to head to the Seaport Village to see the Big Bay Boom fireworks.

OK, the Big Bay Boom was supposed to be a simultaneous firework display from five barges strategically placed in San Diego Bay.  It was hyped to be an unbelievable fireworks display, costing over $400,000 to put on.  Did you hear about this?  Five minutes before the show was supposed to begin, a software glitch triggered ALL the fireworks to go off at the SAME time!  The "show" lasted 14 seconds, leaving us all to wonder what the heck just happened!  After twenty minutes of waiting for the real show to begin, we and the rest of the crowd were told that the show was over!  What a bummer.  This looked like it was going to be a really good fireworks display, but nada, zippo, zilch!  Better luck next year!

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: 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.