Buskers, Bussing on the Bay and The Big Kitchen

SATURDAY: The weekend was here and the weather called for a little outdoor activity. We checked the newspaper to see what was available and found an event called BuskerFest at Seaport Village. The Sign0nSanDiego description noted “Street performers take center stage during Seaport Village's Spring Busker Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The second annual festival will culminate with the top-voted acts earning a Seaport Village contract for the busy summer months.”

We enjoy Seaport Village but parking is both expensive and can be extremely difficult to find an empty space, especially on a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning. We decided to take the Trolley and drove to the Spring Street station in La Mesa where we purchased two roundtrip senior tickets for a total of $4. What a bargain! We boarded at 10:10 and 40 minutes later, after winding through downtown San Diego, we arrived at the Seaport Village station.

We passed the Kansas City Barbeque where the bar scenes from Top Gun were filmed 22 years ago, and crossed Harbor Drive next to the old San Diego Police Station. We entered the eastern portion of Seaport Village and proceeded directly to our first stop, breakfast at Buster’s Beach House Grill and Longboarder Bar.

Our window booth provided perfect people watching as folks strolled by on the harbor-side boardwalk. A group of people lined up to board a large, two-masted ketch chartered by the Hyatt.

After breakfast we stepped outside into the bright sun and watched one of the Buskers--a Michael Jackson look-alike lip-sync and dance to “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.” Several folks were trying to determine whether “Michael” was male of female, but when the impersonator invited some audience members onstage for “Thriller,” the voice was decidedly female. In any case, the dance moves were classic Jackson and the crowd enjoyed the performance.

We continued to wander westward and came upon a group of Polynesian dancers from New Zealand. Nearby we noticed a large blue amphibious vehicle named Seal, which was offering a combined land and sea tour of San Diego Harbor.

After deliberating as to whether this would be fun and worthwhile, we decided to board the vessel for the 90-minute tour. Good things happen when you say yes, and this turned out to be a good thing.

We drove along Harbor Drive and then drove into the bay on Shelter Island. With lots of wind and sunshine, we learned much about our harbor including the Navy’s Midway and Ronald Reagan aircraft carriers, cruise ships, pleasure boats, the Coast Guard’s Jayhawk helicopters, history of Lindbergh Field and Ryan Aircraft, harbor seals, bait tanks and much more.

When we returned to Seaport Village we explored our favorite bookstore—Upstart Crowe and its quirky selection of bestsellers and unique if not oddball offerings.

We boarded the Trolley at 3pm for our return trip to the Spring Street station, and then drove to Grossmont Center for a late afternoon showing of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The movie was funny at times but inconsistent and uneven. Finally, we returned home in time to watch the Padres Adrian Gonzalez--Pennie's former student at Eastlake High--hit a three-run homer to secure Greg Maddox’s 350th victory.

SUNDAY: Mom was particularly upbeat when we called her on Sunday morning—Mother’s Day. The reason? The weather was beautiful in Hood River and she was going to Down Manor for Sunday supper. The featured item on the menu was barbecued ribs—her favorite.

We were on our way to The Mission, a popular North Park eatery, for breakfast. It seemed like a good idea until we arrived and noticed the large crowd outside who apparently had the same good idea. The wait appeared to be at least an hour so we opted for our preferred South Park breakfast venue—The Big Kitchen.

Unfortunately, the owner - operator - greeter - songstress - dancer - bon vivant - philosopher - activist-and lover of French phrases - Tres Bien - Judy “The Beauty” Forman was not on duty. She was visiting her mother on Mother’s Day so we forgave her absence.

The Big Kitchen is many things—neighborhood hangout, dog meeting place, community bulletin board for all South Park events, and beloved breakfast establishment—but it is not big, unless you count its loyal customer base. The restaurant consists of two tiny rooms that are always jam-packed with Judy’s friends and fellow travelers.

The Big Kitchen is located on Fir between 30th and Fern and has been featured on Rachel Ray’s $40 a Day program on the Food Channel as having the best and most affordable breakfast in San Diego. In 2005, the irrepressible Judy was voted “Woman of the Year” by the California State Legislature for her tireless activism and support for all things liberal.

The walls of The Big Kitchen are packed with bumper stickers and slogans (The Constitution is a shield, not a sword, The Patriot Act: turning citizens into suspects since 2001, Get involved: the world is run by those who show up, Feminism is the radical notion that women are people, Peace begins when the hungry are fed) and photos and art work of rock ‘n roll personalities with a heavy emphasis on the Beatles and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.

The ever-present background music can be anything from Cole Porter to Coldplay, from Charles Aznevor to Chuck Berry. In short, The Big Kitchen provides a nourishing feast for the appetite, eyes, ears, mind and soul.

After breakfast we traveled to the Spanish Village in Balboa Park for the Art Glass Guild Patio Show. The bright sun made the various colored glass pieces come alive, but despite this we didn't find anything we couldn't live without.

We took a side trip to Banker’s Hill near 1st and Laurel to see all the splendid Jacaranda trees in full bloom.

Then we made our way to Point Loma for a visit to Fort Rosecrans. We were forced to take a lengthy detour when we were halted by the 98th Annual Portuguese Festival of the Holy Spirit parade on Rosecrans.

The cemetery was crowded which was to be expected on Mother’s Day. Pennie stopped to get a vase—a plastic cone with a spike on the end. We drove to her parents' grave site where she placed the flowers in the vase and tucked them into the grass by the headstone. She had a few private moments and then we left.

We had planned to spend the afternoon on Harbor Island at the annual Gator by the Bay festival—Cajun food including 8000 lbs of crawfish, five stages with Zydeco bands and dancing, and lots of other booths. However, it was overcast and a chilly wind was picking up, so we opted to pass and head back home.

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