Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego, California), which pits TCU against Boise State.Overview/Matchup: Ah. San Di-ahgo. In German, it means ... er, nevermind. The Poinsettia Bowl normally features a Mountain West team matched up against someone from the PAC-10. But with "things" happening, the Poinsettia actually ended up pulling on TCU and Boise State -- a fantastic matchup that probably leaves to underrated teams a little bitter, considering the strong seasons both had and the relative earliness of their bowl appearance.
Hotels: The Grand Del Mar is the best and newest hotel in San Diego, it has great Southern California architecture gorgeous canyon views... unfortunately it's 20 minutes North of town & the stadium. In town stay at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter (which is pricey but they should have rooms under 200) or for a cheaper rate and better proximity to the stadium try the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego.
Restaurants: Spend time in the gas lamp district downtown, good shops and restaurants. If you're willing to drive, head for Silver Strand Blvd and eat at Mistral. The restaurant has great seafood and the best views in town. Lou & Mickey's is known for steaks, but our recommendation is the iced shellfish platter. Trophy's is a historic sports bar with plenty of fans, plenty of televisions and plenty of sports memorabilia.
Nightlife: Trophy's is also a great spot to enjoy a beer before or after the game. Head to the Altitude Skybar and Garden Lounge for higher-brow (and higher-priced) nightlife. 22 stories up, this rooftop bar caters to young professionals, offers great city views and even has blankets for patrons on cold nights.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-08-2008 @ 1:15PM
Brian Grummell said...
If folks are into craft beer, the relatively new Toronado (the other legendary location is in San Francisco) is great, in North Park near Balboa Park not far from downtown, 50 great beers on tap, has a heavy counterculture vibe but everyone's friendly.
As far as lounges, I forget its name but there's a rooftop lounge atop I think the Hotel Solamar, right in the middle of the Gaslamp Quarter -- cabanas, fire pit, a nice semicircle bar, good stuff.
There's a million places to go as far as downtown dining, but for classic blending of San Diego and Baja, I love Rockin Baja in the Gaslamp, order up a bucket or two with grilled chicken, carne asada, baja seasoned shrimp which are amazing and their famous slipper/langostino baby lobster tails also seasoned. The buckets are pricey but ridiculously good.
There's a dining chain/family of restaurants by the Coen Group, find their website and their various establishments, you can't go wrong with any of them. In Balboa Park I love going to The Prado (a Coen place), sitting out back and grabbing an appetizer or two and a drink. Vintage San Diego stuff.
Finally, if people are wanting the local favorite fish tacos, everyone has their spot but I love the heavily fried versions made at The Brigantine. Traditionally they're fried but some places have taken to the healthy route and grilled them but they're nowhere near as tasty. Brigantine also adds fresh shredded cheese and a good amount of cilantro to their fish taco, ridiculously good.
Anyway, great idea with this Turkey Legs To Go feature!
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12-22-2008 @ 11:45AM
Karen said...
The Handlery Hotel in San Diego is offering fantastic packages for Poinsettia Bowl game goers. $105/night for free parking, trolley passes to and from the game, and breakfast for 2. They're also selling tickets. www.Handlery.com/SD
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12-23-2008 @ 4:06AM
Bill said...
[b]Strip Clubs[/b]: While San Diego is called America's Finest City, it is nonetheless very conservative, as evinced by the relative paucity of well-regarded strip clubs. While there is usually a great-looking roster of women wherever you go, lap dances are considered light at best. Moreover, city ordinance requires dancers to conduct a "tip walk" after they finish their stage shows; she comes around every customer who would be able to see her working the pole (even though they are required to dance six feet away from anyone on stage) and ask for a tip. Men refuse at the risk of being thrown out for not cooperating.
The most popular strip club in San Diego would probably be [b]Cheetah's[/b], sister the the legendary club of the same name in Las Vegas. After its former owner was arrested for bribing officials in both cities, there was a crackdown by police, and the mileage has not been the same since (even though there are rumblings that contact is heavier in the VIP). An underrated gem is [b]Little Darlings[/b] in Lemon Grove, which is about half an hour east. Although there this suburb follows San Diego with a tip walk and its lack of contact, there are usually several beautiful girls and the out-of-the-way location means there is a lot of privacy if you want a low-key time in a strip club. However, far and away the best places to get "dances" in a "strip club" around San Diego is to take your passport and head across the border to Tijuana. [b]Adelita's[/b] is frequently cited as the best place to go, but have no doubts that this is nothing more than a straight-up brothel where you can get pretty much anything cheap. And be extremely careful, for the city is pretty much a war zone between rival cartels vying for control of the city and its position as a drug gateway to the U.S.
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