A cute, little restaurant on Cedros Avenue across from the Solana Beach train station, this is a weekend favorite of many!  When we arrived this morning at 10:30, they had a one hour wait to be seated for breakfast!  But if you are planning on heading over to Claire’s – call ahead.  They’ll put your name on the list – dramatically reducing your on site wait time!

Claire’s is primarily only open for breakfast and lunch – open from 6 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday and 7 am to 3 pm on the weekends.  They take pride in getting their produce from local farmer’s markets, and their meat from farmers that commit to no hormones and humane treatment of animals.  They also cook their food in the healthiest manner possible.

If you’re looking for a great place to meet up with friends, or even just to go with your significant other for a nice, leisurely, healthy meal – we strongly recommend Claires on Cedros.  Just remember – call ahead!

This year, we met up with some friends, and went down to Flemings in La Jolla at the Aventine.  It was FABULOUS!  The food was wonderful, and the ambiance was heavenly.

San Diego Restaurant Week started a few years ago as a once a year event designed to bring extra traffic in during the slowest times of the year for restaurants.  It has now expanded to a three times a year event – with many restaurants now making it Restaurant (Two) Weeks.  The next San Diego Restaurant Week continues through Friday, January 27th.

For those of you who have never tried it – I can’t recommend it enough. Select San Diego restaurants create a special three course menu – with their meal being either $20, $30, or $40 for your appetizer, entree, and dessert.  You always end up overeating – but you try so many things you might not have otherwise!

For a complete list, visit the San Diego Restaurant Week website.  Reservations are strongly encouraged, as many restaurants are full well in advance – especially some of the San Diego premier restaurants such as Mille Fleurs, Marine Room, and Bertrand at Mister A’s!

Crust doesn’t deliver yet, but it is supposedly in their plans.  Crust Pizzeria is located at 3263 Camino De Los Coches, in the Henry’s Shopping Center, near Stagecoach Park.  Their food is good, with upscale, gourmet pizza.  They are still working out some of the service kinks, but we’d still strongly recommend giving them a try.  If their worst problem is that they have been so successful and popular that they can’t always manage the busyness, that only speaks to the popularity of the restaurant!  We LOVE the Ana and the Monique (two of their red pizzas).

They host Happy/”Social” hour on Monday through Friday from 4-6 pm with food and beverage discounts.

Catch opened in Carlsbad Village in November, and is already becoming a community favorite hang out.  With a cool, sleek, aquarium like decor, it has a bit of a different feel than the dark, heavy, warm feel of Paon.  However, they brought one of their best features – great wine – with all glasses being $7 and all bottles being $24.

Catch features a sushi bar, a full dinner menu – complete with steak, fresh seafood cooked in a variety of ways, clams, mussels, and more!

If you happen to be looking for one of the hot new places – try Catch!  It’s a great addition to the Carlsbad Village restaurant scene!

Xtend Barre Carlsbad is located in Carlsbad Village Faire, upstairs across from Vinaka Cafe.  Your first class is always free to try it and see what everyone’s talking about.  For first time clients, there are two current specials running… one month unlimited for $125 or three months unlimited (to REALLY get that bikini body) for $400.

Come take a class.  See what everyone’s talking about.  It’s hard, fun, and WORKS!  I truly believe that if every girl in Carlsbad knew something could work like this, every girl in Carlsbad would be doing it!

I was super excited yesterday to get an email from Lululemon Carlsbad saying that they have partnered with Garden of Eden Community Supported Agriculture to become a drop off of organic and locally grown produce.  In order to participate, you must go to the Garden of Eden website and choose your “pledge level.”  This is the amount of produce you will receive each week.  You can order a box big enough for one to a box big enough for a family of 4-5.  Then every Wednesday from 4 – 6 pm, your box is available for pick up from Lululemon Carlsbad Forum.  A box of produce for a family of 4-5 is only$164/mo (or $41/week)!  I EASILY spend that in a grocery store – without buying that much!

The produce is organically grown, ripe, and freshly picked - not picked before ripened from a huge farm 2000+ miles away and shipped to your local grocery store.  Garden of Eden also has an option for grain fed, organic beef and chicken. 

If you have been looking for a healthy, convenient way to increase nutrition, while decreasing your grocery bill

Whether you are looking to dine in Coronado at Peohe’s, 1500 Ocean at the Hotel Del, or Coronado Boathouse 1887, George’s at the Cove or the Marine Room in La Jolla, or maybe Jake’s or Pacifica in Del Mar, the Chart House in Solana Beach, or Blue Fire Grill in La Costa, there are options for everyone!

Now, in its fifth year, San Diego Restaurant Week is an absolute hit. This was started in 2004 to bring patrons to restaurants for a week after the summer boom, when kids are back in school, and business is typically down. Popular, exclusive restaurants started offering three course prix fixe menus consisting of an appetizer, a main course, and dessert for either $20, $30, or $40.

If you look at many of the restaurants’ menus, you will find that many of them are offering the entire three course meal for less than just the main course on a typical night. For those of you who know me and Mike, you know, we love to do nice things on a budget. I guess it is that financial advisor in me! So, we look forward to San Diego Restaurant Week each year. We always use it as an opportunity to visit some old favorites – or take a new culinary adventure!

This year, due to the lagging economy, the restaurants added a second San Diego Restaurant Week. According the San Diego Restaurant Week published reports, the January 2009 week was the most successful ever – with over 180 participating restaurants and a 22% increase in diners over the 2008 event!

At the San Diego Restaurant Week’s website, you will find a comprehensive list of participating restaurants that can be sorted by price, type of cuisine, or location.  Have fun and happy dining!

If you have anything you would like to see covered in our blog, please let us know.  We are always here to answer questions and meet your San Diego real estate needs.

Then about a month ago, one of my friends shared her passion for Pure Barre La Costa.  She has been a long time workout buddy and a fitness inspiration, so when she just RAVED about Pure Barre – I figured it was time to give it a try!  Pure Barre La Costa is located  at the corner of La Costa Avenue and El Camino Real, and for almost two years has been a great place for our local Carlsbad women to spend an hour  LITERALLY working their butts off!

Where these two shall meet – is this Sunday, January 17th at 10 am.  Two of the Pure Barre teachers will be offering a free one hour class at Sweaty Sundays with Lululemon Carlsbad Forum.  If you have never done a Pure Barre workout – swing by and give it a try.  It is a great workout with amazing women who really care about helping you achieve your body and fitness goals!

One of the first local events each year happens to be the Carlsbad Marathon – typically the last weekend of January.  The 2010 Carlsbad Marathon has been sponsored by Tri-City Medical Center and has been officially  named the Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon. 

Although a mouthful, this is known to be a fabulous race in ideal temperatures that winds along the ocean and Carlsbad streets.  Also, The Carlsbad Marathon is one of the authorized qualifying races for the prestigious Boston Marathon.  This year, the Carlsbad Marathon will be held on January 24^th. 

For more information, please visit the Carlsbad Marathon home site.

On Sunday, December 20th the Christian City Church in San Diego will be hosting their 4th Annual Chrissie Bash!  This is SUCH a fun night of yummy treats, music, entertainment, gifts for the children, and pictures with Santa – all to bring the communtiy together to celebrate Christ’s birth.  This is a free event.

Christian City Church Chrissie Bash
Sunday, December 20th
6 pm to 8 pm
3800 Mykonos Lane
San Diego, CA 92130