At last check, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse still had dinner reservations available on the Fourth of July.
The draw: Del Frisco’s is on the ground floor of InterContinental San Diego hotel and across the street from the San Diego Bay–where marquee fireworks event the Big Bay Boom fires into the night.
The restaurant offers an Independence Day special: Tomahawk for Two. It’s a 32-ounce cut of steak served with whipped mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Cross your fingers good seats are left.
Whether you’re dining on steak or not, the downtown San Diego mega-fireworks display starts promptly at 9 p.m., shooting off from four barges in the bay. The barges are all synced together; a musical accompaniment is simulcast on radio station 101.5 KGB.
Dynamic viewing areas stretch all along downtown portions of the bay–from Seaport Village to the northernmost parts of the North Embarcadero. Locations are all first-come, first served.
One hot spot: Ruocco Park near the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier floating museum. Food vendors are usually on hand. (Note: The deck of the Midway is a great viewing area, but always sells out early.)
Personal note: At the conclusion of the fireworks show, nearby Harbor Drive turns into a massive sea of humanity. Foot traffic supersedes movement of automobiles for a good half hour. Fair warning.
Downtown-dwelling pedestrians know the drill. Groups wanting to come downtown to celebrate our country’s birthday should consider public transportation.
One friend can ride for free with a fare-paying customer on all San Diego Metropolitan Transit System routes on July 4. MTS trolleys stop at six stations downtown (County Center/Little Italy, Santa Fe Depot, America Plaza, Seaport Village, Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter). SDSun
