First, doff your cap: Memorial Day is a time to honor U.S. military personnel who died in service.
Respect delivered, this weekend is the unofficial kickoff to summer. Somebody please ask Mother Nature to lose the May Gray. Son of a beach! It’s time to get back to blue-sky days on a sandy blanket next to the ocean.
Along with the beach, this time of year offers plenty of ongoing options to consider in downtown San Diego:
- In the Gaslamp Quarter, you’ll notice that Fifth Avenue has been converted into a “Slow Street.” The road has become a pedestrian promenade. From Broadway to K Street, cars are verboten most of the day. Along with fenced signage, portable bollards are now placed in the street to prevent cars from using Fifth Avenue. (Gaslamp foodie tip: Seek out the Koran BBQ pie at Prince St. Pizza on Market Street, only available through May 31.)
- The bustling Little Italy food scene had been enlivened by a long-awaited Fisher’s San Diego. Get hooked on their “avant-garde” Mexican seafood style of cuisine.
- If you’ve got your mind on the military, and the military on your mind, march over and salute the activities scheduled through May 29 for Legacy Week at the Midway Museum.
- Stay up a little later for the Nighttime Zoo. As of May 26, the world-famous San Diego Zoo is open til 9 p.m. It’s your chance to glimpse caged wildlife that only comes out after dark.
Here a few more deliciously random happenings that’ll help serve up a pre-summer-lovin’ vibe:
May 28: National Burger Day
However it happened, May is National Hamburger Month and Sunday May 28 is National Hamburger Day. You can get a burger nearly anywhere. One of the newest places to give one a try is Bun & Patti in Little Italy. Take notice of the fancy Smoke Show offering. It’s a Flannery Farm 14-day-dry-aged beef patty with white cheddar cheese, bacon and truffle aioli on a salt-and-pepper brioche bun.
June 1: Dockside Market
The inaugural Puffer Malarkey Collective Dockside Market event will fill the Tuna Harbor pier with local chefs in tented booths, slinging their best fresh seafood dishes. From 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday June 1. Get your booze on at a Suntory & Campari bar also on the pier. A live DJ will be playing from atop a nearby fishing vessel. Among the dozen or so participating restaurants are Animae, Mabel’s Gone Fishing, Herb & Wood, Juniper & Ivy and Wrench and Rodent. Tix are $100, with proceeds going to Feeding San Diego.
June 3: Yoga at Rady Shell
Fit Athletic is once again hosting a free, one-hour yoga class at the world-class bayside music venue Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Led by instructor Viktoria Talbot, the downward dogging starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 3. This is a popular event and it’s first-come, first pick at where to place your yoga mat.
June 4: National Cheese Day
It’s your daySay cheese at Mezé Greek Fusion in the Gaslamp Quarter with a signature saganaki (appetizer). Mezé serves a classic pan-seared Kasseri cheese flambéed tableside with brandy; and shrimp saganaki, jumbo shrimp pan-seared with garlic, tomato, green onion and feta cheese, flambéed in ouzo. Opa!
June 6: Fat Ass Burrito Eating Contest
The Gaslamp’s El Chingon serves up “Bad Ass” Mexican food. It’s holding a Fat Ass Burrito Eating Contest at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6. Teams of two will battle against the clock (30 minutes) to conquer El Chingon’s five-pound “Fat Ass” burrito–three flour tortillas stuffed with carne asada, refried beans, rice, pico de gallo and Chingon cheese blend. Winners get a bottle of 1942 Don Julio tequila and $100 gift cards (but will need to provide their own Pepto-Bismol). SDSun
