Scott Ballum
Live: North Park. Or University Heights. Or Hillcrest. Depending on how far I want to bike for a beer.
Work: See above
How long: 1 year. I moved to San Diego in February 2010 and lived in Ocean Beach until October when we opted for a slightly larger house and shorter commute to fun places to eat.
Breakfast: While my first choice would be to make huevos rancheros at home and sit out on our deck overlooking North Park under the Tuscan sun. If I had a particularly antsy guest who wanted to get out and see the town, I'd have to take them to The Mission in the East Village. Both the architecture and the french toast are surprising in this still semi-industrial section of the city.
Lunch: My relationship to lunch in San Deigo thus far has been, perhaps, unusual. But I wouldn't trade it for anything and would certainly take any friend of mine on a little adventure. When I've been working out of The Bakery in Barrio Logan, the guys at Patty's Fruitland on National Avenue would make a mean veggie tostada heaped with jalepanos (and tease me daily for never wavering from my usual order.) Other days that I find myself planting in the fields at Suzie's Farm, you don't need much more than some bread and a jar of mustard to compliment the radicchio, broccoli, squash, butterhead lettuce, or heirloom tomatoes you hand pick from the rows. Trust me, everything tastes better with a little bit of dirt and a lot of your own manual labor.
Dinner: My primary plan for dinner would have to be The Linkery, Jay Porter's rule-breaking farm-to-table meatery in North Park. He's really elevated the conversation around sustainable food in San Diego, and I'm happy to be part of the effort by supporting his restaurants. It's also the only place in town you'll see this vegetarian with a sausage or a Reuben on his fork. I am thrilled to see they're adding more veggie entres to the menu, and highlighting my friends from Suzie's. On a warmer night when I feel like bringing along my dog, Kevin, we'd head for the picnic tables at Station Tavern & Burgers in South Park. Few burger and beer joints have as many vegetarian offerings, and the Tater Tots are one of my favorite guilty pleasures.
Bar: Simply for their massive selection of dark chocolate locally-brewed Porters, if not for the fun, family-friendly, beer garden vibe, I'd head to Blind Lady Ale House on Adams Avenue. It helps that it's bike-able and bike friendly, so I don't have to worry about driving home after my third or fifth pint. When I'm missing my hometown of Brooklyn, NY, though, I recently discovered Eleven on El Cajon Blvd. It's dark and small, with live bands of varying degrees of musicianship and a food truck parked out front. Hard to beat!