I will be solo this Thanksgiving due to the fact that Michigan is not a great place to be right now and my sizable family is all doing their own thing anyway. I’m cool with that actually and I’ve decided to focus on some of the positives from my Lick the Plate adventures this year.
That and the fact that the Detroit Lions are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs for their traditional Thanksgiving game, so I have that false hope that will have me tuning in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not delusional, but, hey, a Lions fan can dream.
Anyway, 25 seemed like a good number to work with, though there were a lot more options for this list than that. I’ll start with finally having a serious New York City style slice and another solid meatball sub in Encinitas at Mr. Moto Pizza. Just down the block is another new addition that has made me appreciate doughnuts again, especially when they are made to order and as creative as those at Broad Street Dough Co. in the Lumberyard in Encinitas.
Heading up Coast Highway 101 a few blocks is a place that I am very thankful is still around, Raul’s Shack. It is a slice of old school cool on a corner that is not so old school anymore … and their chicken soup is right up there with the best around. Gelato 101 right next door is a fairly recent discovery and I’ve been making the trip there for dessert on a regular basis.
Another repeat inclusion on the list is the Leucadia Farmers Market. I just love this place and had the pleasure of being there during a full-on rainy Sunday recently. Thanks to market manager Ron LaChance for staying open that day and giving us Midwesterners who actually love rain a day to walk through your fabulous market in it.
A new discovery in the Farmers Market and one I’m definitely thankful for is Brodino Bone Broth. I have to have my voice sounding good on a regular basis and have found that heating up a cup of this prior to recording gets it sounding really good, even if it is 5 a.m. All you singers and voice people out there should take note of this — and they claim all kinds of other health benefits.
One more farmers market discovery and that’s it, but there is a nonprofit called The Compost Group that creates healthy, vibrant soil from your food scraps — and they pick it up! More on this organization in a future column.
I’m thankful for Juanita’s veggie burritos, fish tacos, and calendars on a regular basis still. I think I’m a little too thankful for Valentina as they are luring me in way too often, along with their sibling restaurant Moto Deli up the street. And any thankful list made this time of year would be incomplete without the chicken soup from La Especial Norte. It has healing powers, folks.
Thankful for Pandora Pizza and their fun deck that was already in place and is a perfect place to stop by for pizza, salad and a glass of wine while people and car watching at busy intersection of Leucadia Boulevard and Highway 101. Note to Pandora: Would be fabulous if you included your lunch sandwiches on your evening menu, just saying.
I’m thankful that I revisited Regal Seagull recently and rediscovered their brats and cheese curds. Plus, it’s just a great place to drink beer and eat sausage. This next one is non-food-related but I just had the opportunity to utilize the Corner Frame Shop in Encinitas, which salvaged an old photograph and framed it beautifully. It’s just such a treat to have such an old-school frame shop that employs framing professionals who really take pride in what they do.
The French Corner in Encinitas is another rediscovery and I’ve been back weekly since for their Le Jambon Fromage Sandwich. This simple French staple that consists of a nice baguette, French ham, Gruyere cheese, French pickles cornichons and butter transports me back every time to France, where I discovered these delights. And of course, I’m so thankful for the Chop Stop on El Camino Real providing me with my favorite new chopped salads for lunch at least a couple times per week.
I’m thankful that Chin’s has a Carlsbad location now, more on that in upcoming column. Thankful that The Daily News Café has had such a long run and is still going strong.
Le Citron in Oceanside has made me thankful that Gilles Knafo and Francois Pantanchon are back together again re-creating their Leucadia hospitality in a cool new Oceanside location. And speaking of Oceanside, let’s add Switchboard to the list for their innovative twists on Hawaiian classics. Revolution Roasters coffee, also in Oceanside, will never leave my list. I think it’s the best locally roasted coffee going and when I want to splurge on beans, their Holy Goat is my pick.
I’ll wrap this up on the far northern reaches of Oceanside where my day job takes me to Pedro’s Fish Tacos a few miles east of I-5 on the 76. Their fish burrito is a beauty and it’s not oversized so it can be handled at lunch without inducing a food coma. In that same area is a joint called Pho House, which provides me with lunch and dinner with just one order of their Rare Steak Pho that words can hardly describe. And that rare steak cooks right up in the hot broth.
And there you have it. I’m sure I’m not the only one flying solo this Thanksgiving so I’m not feeling too sorry for myself. I picked up a pre-cooked turkey breast from Trader Joe’s and will whip up some stuffing and mashed potatoes along with cranberry sauce and some Beaujolais Nouveau to go with it.
All that was purchased primarily for the following couple of days’ turkey sandwiches on Wonder Bread. Let’s give thanks for what we have this year and make the most of it.
