Sidecar Bar and Highway 101 Signs on Morena

Before the current Covid situation got out of hand the Missus found a favorite local bar to grab a cocktail at. Sidecar!

Yes....Sidecar!

The Missus has taken to the place......it's just "divey" enough for Her. The staff is professional while still being quite friendly.  To be perfectly honest; we've only gone right after Sidecar opens and it's just for one drink and we head home for dinner. So, my observations are based on that. 

The place is usually quite quiet when we visit.....

And no; I haven' played foosball in years....well,  make that decades.

We always sit at the front window area overlooking the converted parking lot....fresh air and the "view" makes it "interesting" for us......

As for what we usually get....well after sampling several cocktails over our visits; it's the Penicillin for me. It uses both Monkey Shoulder, one of my favorite non-peaty Scotch's and Montelobos Mezcal, another standard that I first had at Fernside. I'm usually not a fan of ginger in my cocktails....but hey, it's summer and it works fine in this cocktail. 

The Missus enjoys the Brown Derby......She enjoys the Bourbon and Grapefruit in this cocktail. 

The drinks have a nice balance for us....not watered down, not overly sweet, but with just enough booze where we can actually taste it.

Actually, I introduced the Missus's current new favorite......a combination of Gin, Laguinitas Hop Water (non-alocholic), and lime. At my favorite watering hole they call it "the Andy".

It's super refreshing and brings out the botanicals in the gin.

The customers....well the one's that we've seen are interesting.....and quite nice....like I said it's usually one drink and then home. There are a bunch of old-timers....regulars and just an interesting mixed crowd. Like this group who came in for a drink before heading out in a limo. They asked me to take a photo of them.

With the increase in Covid cases; we're not sure when we'll be back.......hopefully things will get straightened out soon.

Sidecar
1310 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Daily 3pm - 2am

I love the sculpture on the roof of the "Exotic" Animal Hospital next door too.

On one of our first visits; right after the June 15th "reopening" I noticed this sign on Morena.

For some reason I had never noticed them before, but they've been up since summer of 2017! Apparently, before the I-5 was built....who knew!

And then, while going down that rabbit hole, I came across these street videos from 1970 on the City of San Diego Website - approach with caution as it can keep you busy for hours. To quote from the site:

"This collection consists of film created by the Transportation and Storm Water Department from January to October 1970. Some are from a later date. Described as a Photolog by the department, each reel of 35mm color film was taken by a camera attached to a car driving down the street or highway, producing street level views. The individual reels were converted to a digital version by the City Clerk’s Archives. Users may freeze and print the images."

And there's videos of Morena headed North and also South. And since there's a version on Youtube....well guess what? For folks who live in the area, see how many places you recognize (the Clairemont Drive video is fun as well).

 

Be safe and have a great week!

Comments

[kat]

stay safe!

[Cathy]

The Mister and I passed this yesterday (taking the "long way" home from Seisels) and were wondering what this was! Next time, we will stop. Thanks for the mind reading day; next time let's work on Lotto numbers.

[Kirk]

You too Kat!

Funny how I hadn't noticed those signs before Cathy. Especially since I must pass them almost daily.

[Richard T]

Great post, felt like a nice slice of life from the bar to the limo party to the retro street view vids.

[Junichi]

Ah Sidecar. I used to stop by before shows at Brick By Brick pre-pandemic.

[Kirk]

Oh man....Brick by Brick Junichi!!!!

[alnc]

We have a desert tortoise. He needed some medical attention last year, and although I wasn't aware that the place existed, even though I have driven by it for years, I found it while googling for a place to take him. Great people, fixed him up fine. "Avian and exotic Animal Hospital" is the name. I guess bunnies are considered exotic because I saw a few of them being brought in and picked up while waiting.

[Kirk]

That's funny about the bunnies alnc.....I'm wondering what would happen if the creature mounted on the roof would be brought in.....