“Want to slowly savor something deliciously wicked?”

If you are what you eat, then you deserve the best. For a relatively new kitchen, whisknladle in La Jolla has garnered itself a lot of attention.  If you haven’t heard about it from a foodie friend or in the local rag, look for it’s mention in Food and Wine this month.

Locally sourced fresh-as-it-gets food is made from start to finish on site.  Innovative cocktails feature infused liquors and reductions. Wildly creative food lures you to sample exotic sounding fare.  The service is welcoming and encouraging, and you might find yourself surprised at what you venture to try!

“Sweet and salty, earthy and tangy, fresh and succulent, rich and delicate…”

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“Psst…Wanna A Piece Of Pie?”

Buy now or wait? Consult your agent, your dog or the Wizard of Oz? Whom can we rely on as home buyers in today’s market?

“Our real estate market is like the soggy remains of the beautiful cherry pie from yesterday’s Sunday Dinner…”

Folks are looking it over, poking at the crust that used to be so perfectly flaky, and reminding themselves that the diet was supposed to start yesterday. But pie is pie. If you close your eyes and take a bite, the taste still provides that same bliss…

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“Privacy guarded with a fervor akin to a Dan Brown novel…”

Many of the Oceanside beaches are sans bluffs (at walk-out level for the beach novice), and blessedly uncrowded. Surprises in architecture abound and variety is welcomed. A “new” Craftsman here, a sleek contemporary showplace there, a cozy bungalow, and…a French seaside village?  You betcha. Perched on rugged boulders and proudly defying the endless rolling surf, if you know where to look…..

“A 76-year-old gate guarded community nestled amid a lagoon, the sea and a halo of mystery…”

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“You’re kidding, right?”

Fun stuff on the beach this weekend… Ultra-low tides (-2.1 on Saturday), unseasonably warm weather, and in Encinitas, some strange traffic amid cloudy waters.

Sand, or material, or dirt, or sand-like-dirt-material is being deposited along Leucadia’s Grandview Beach in northern Encinitas, as developer John DeWald clears the property that is being developed for Whole Foods anchored “Pacific Station”.

“Sand-like-dirt-material you say? Looks like dirt to me.”

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“And, it’s not what you think!”

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has earned the #1 spot in a 2008 comparison study of the most expensive International housing markets, while La Jolla has captured the #1 honors for the U.S. market.

La Jolla topped the list with an average $1.84 million price tag for homes that met the study criteria. Last year, Beverly Hills took the top position with a $2.21 million average price tag. (Who knew?)

“Does this mean that La Jolla homes held their value better than similar homes in 90210  since last year?”

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“Kickin’ the Repo Man to the curb…“

The San Diego real estate market has a up side? Yep! I’ll explain. Foreclosures and short sales…savvy investors and first time home buyers are cashing in on the windfall when they hit the market. Homes which were unattainable, are now within easier reach for the first time in over six years.

Large numbers of foreclosures and short sales have brought prices down a whopping 25 to 35 percent from a mere year ago. Translated into dollars,  a payment of $2,450 per month about a year ago now would be around $1,650.

“That’s a savings of $800.00 per month!”

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