Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san diego, CA

Tasting Multiculturalism in San Diego

by Terese Farmen

July 06, 2009

Teaching children about multiculturalism in San Diego comes pretty naturally. Aside from the multitude of tourists and visitors that we tend to entice and the various languages and cultural festivities and organizations that host events and outreach every weekend, we have a lot to brag about when it comes to experiencing food from other cultures.

San Diego is host to authentic multicultural food and some of these places tend to be pretty kid friendly.

Below is a list of 5 great spots in San Diego where your child can eat wonderful food, hear other languages, see art work and decorations from other cultures and meet some of the folks who came to America, sharing their trade of culinary genius while here.

My favorite spot in town is Celadon on 5^th Avenue in Uptown. The woman who owns the restaurant is super sweet and even with the fancy white table cloths and very uptown posh, they are kind and patient and even let us know they serve grape juice on the menu when we come in. The food is authentic Thai and they have the best peanut sauce in town.  (3671 5^th Avenue).

For Mexican food, I have to split this up in to two categories. The first is the more home cooked, traditional food and the second is the best fish taco place. And although it is a chain and can be found in various neighborhoods in San Diego, sorta losing that "hole in the wall" mentality, Rubios is my favorite spot for fish tacos. The restaurants are decorated with Mexican road signs, art work and salt water fish and the food is super yummy. I haven't had a fish taco elsewhere that I have liked any better. http://www.rubios.com/.

As for authentic Mexican, I would have to go with Café Coyote because of their wide variety of food and the very traditional and border town flavors that make it taste so delicious. (2461 San Diego Ave).

For Indian Food, although there are many fantastic spots around town and this is by far the most difficult to choose just one, I am in love with the Veggie Korma dish and the Chicken Kitima, so I have to give kudos to the restaurant India Palace in Hillcrest. The décor is fairly simple but the food tastes very rich and authentic and the waiters are all very cordial. (694 University Ave).

Lastly, I have to go with Saigon for best authentic Vietnamese food in town. The place is off a busy street in a relatively poor neighborhood and is nothing fancy inside save for a few giant fish tanks with lobster, crab and gold fish, but the Pho soup is AWESOME. They are very kid friendly and the kids seem to love this food. (4455 El Cajon Blvd).

October, A Month that feeds the imagination

by Jenny Ciampa

October 01, 2008

We have officially entered October, my favorite month. I love the fall, even if we aren?t seeing too many signs of it yet, and Halloween with a child to me is well, super creativeespecially because my girl loves to make believe. What a better month to encourage imagination than the one with a holiday involving costumes, witches, ghosts and goblins. Here at Savvy Source I did a bit of  Read more...

A Fun & Heavenly Cupcake

by Jenny Ciampa

September 29, 2008

We have had the pleasure of welcoming a new deliciousness to downtown San Diego and it comes in the form of a personal sized piece of cake. Yep, that's right. We finally have a cupcake place in downtown on 6 th and J and it is appropriately named Heavenly Cupcake! I hate to admit this, but for the past two weeks after dinner, we have walked down to Heavenly Cupcake for dessert. Ok, not  Read more...

Frozen Yogurt Art

by Jenny Ciampa

July 31, 2008

[photo credit: wikimedia] In honor of this past week's ice cream posts, I thought I'd do a shout out for frozen yogurt... So there was this rumor going around downtown about some frozen yogurt place moving in to the Hard Rock Hotel called Pinkberry . Pink what? Geez, the looks of horror and surprise at not knowing what Pinkberry was felt like sitting in the naughty chair. First of  Read more...

Top 5 Ice Cream Joints in San Diego

by Jenny Ciampa

July 25, 2008

Cream, milk, sugar all mixed together icy cold sitting on top of a sugar cone on a hot summer day. I've just described heaven on earth for one little girl I know. There's nothing better than watching a little human devour ice cream for the first or one hundredth time. You just know their taste buds are dancing because you've been there before. In fact, you probably still go there. Gather  Read more...

Dinner Destinations in the Gaslamp Quarter

by Jenny Ciampa

July 22, 2008

[photo credit: chad cavanaugh] First thought that comes to mind when hearing the words Gaslamp Quarter: Partying college coeds. Second thought: Fabulous restaurants. Combine those two and kid-friendly seems unrealistic. But let me tell you, restaurants in the Gaslamp are far more than hot zones for clubbers or the rich and childless. They have world wide vibes and cuisine that you  Read more...

An Escape for the Senses in Little Italy

by Jenny Ciampa

July 18, 2008

Saturday mornings in Little Italy are easy on the senses. Store owners sweep their patios, neighbors sip coffee while walking their dogs, and the aroma of homemade pastries seep out of bakeries. Mornings in Little Italy are a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of lifeand it just got better. The Little Italy Mercato is a breath of fresh, Saturday morning air. This open air  Read more...