Encinitas Favorites

We don't just surf here. There are many reasons to come to Encinitas:

Okay, Surf Spot:  sorry, dude
Best Places to Hang Out (youth): Magdalena Ecke YMCA (ever heard of Tony Hawk?), Moonlight Beach (duh), Leucadia Skate Park (on Vulcan),
Best Places to Hang Out (adult):  Pannikin on 101 in the morning, the plaza in front of Seaside Market, Besta Wan Pizza House, Cardiff State Beach (next to Cardiff's Restauran Row)
Gas:  Arco Station on Birmingham at the 5. Best price in town
Radio Station:  102.1 KPRI
Edgy Salon:  Detour on 101
Upscale Grocery Store:  Seaside Market on San Elijo in Cardiff (the seafood and desserts can't be beat!)
Doctor:  Linda Falconio, MD at The Doctors Office on El Camino Real
Dentist:  Dr. James Lawson on El Camino Real next to Dr. Falconio
Psychic:  Pam Crane (on 101 behind Robbie's Roadhouse, by appointment only - www.myspace.com/pamsartfullymusing )
Vet:  Dr. Dean Crowe on El Camino Real in the Ralphs shopping center
Nursery:  Jungle Music in Leucadia (world-renowned place to buy exotic palms)
Yarn Store:  Black Sheep (on 101 on the south edge of town)
Indian Takeout Food:  K. C. Tandoori on El Camino Real, in the Target shopping center
Sushi:  Tomiko overlooking Encinitas Blvd. and the 101 next to the Holiday Inn (all the pro skaters and surfers eat there. I saw the Green Flash there.)
Italian Food:  Cicciotti's on San Elijo (frontage road for 101) in Cardiff (I've seen pro football players there)
Ice Cream:  Bubby's on 101 in the Lumber Yard
Frozen Yogurt:  Swirls on El Camino Real in the T.J. Maxx parking lot
Donuts:  VG on San Elijo
Pizza:  Today's Pizza and Salad on Santa Fe in the Vons Shopping Center across from Scripps (they have bluegrass nights and ukelele nights that are awesome!)
Burgers:  Besta Wan Pizza House in Cardiff (chronic burger) behind the tatoo place (but DO NOT think you're going to go there and play the juke box  because it's MINE!)
Late Night Fast Food: Cotixan on El Camino Real (open 24 hours)
Hangover Food:  Angelo's on 101 (Big Mouth burger). Sadly, Angelo's closes at 10:00, so it doesn't qualify as late night fast food, which is a shame.
Burritos: Karina's on 101 (The Bomb burrito); Jorge's on El Camino Real (chili verde burrito)
Sports Bar: Yogi's on 101 in Cardiff's Restaurant Row
Calzone:  Boston's on El Camino Real (buffalo chicken calzone is other-worldly)
Cheap Date: Bull Taco in the San Elijo Beach Campground (gourmet Mexican seafood overlooking the glittering coastline from Dana Point to La Jolla on most days and in the winter you'll see whale spouts in the sea); or the taco place at the Valero gas station on the east side of the Birmingham exit from the 5. Great salsa.
Fish Tacos:  Wahoo on El Camino Real in the Target shopping center; and Cotijan, Jr. on 101 in Leucadia
Best Place to See the Green Flash:  Chart House (Cardiff's Restaurant Row)

Can I say something about Restaurant Row?  The Chart House is the best restaurant there right now. I used to like Charlie's best, but it closed and someone bought it and it's a mess. I used to like the Beach House, but in the past couple of years it has started to smell in there. It smells like old oil. It's hard, I'm sure, when you have an oyster bar and you're frying things constantly, to keep your walls clean, but the oil has accumulated in that place and it smells bad to me. You would think that a restaurant would be keen to smell as good as it can. People like me who have a sharp sense of smell get really turned off by that. Somehow, the Chart House has avoided that fate, so Beach House:  scrub that place down, please!