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Perfect Margaritas, Secret Gardens and a 6-Mile Hike |
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The latest in our coverage of the best of North County San Diego
Norte Restaurant
Spring is in the air, and for residents of Carlsbad that means it’s Norte time. Spring is when Norte opens up its beautiful outdoor patio, with its charming old-world stone floor and sparkling fountain. The beach is just a block away, and the fresh salt air envelops diners as they chow down on an ample menu of Mexican staples like enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas. It’s one of the rites of springtime, sitting down for the first outdoor meal of the year at Norte, although I have to admit the name doesn’t exactly roll off my tongue the way “Fidel’s Norte” did. That’s what the restaurant, an offshoot of the original Fidel’s in Solana Beach’s Eden Gardens district, used to be called until, well, let’s just say a “modification” in ownership sent the Fidel’s name packing. Regardless, Norte serves respectable Mexican food with two significant standouts: the carnitas and the queso fundido. The carnitas, or roast pork, is tender, juicy and succulent. Be sure to order it with the corn tortillas, and always ask for fresh avocado instead of guacamole. Make your own carnitas tacos by wrapping a corn tortilla around a spoonful of beans, a strip of carnitas, and a sprinkling of cilantro, avocado and salsa. Similarly, the queso fundido, melted cheese mixed with chorizo, tastes best when wrapped in a corn tortilla. Top it off with a Perfect Margarita and I swear you’ll never, ever want to leave that magical patio.
3003 Carlsbad Boulevard, Carlsbad
760-729-0903
nortemexicanrestaurantmenu.info
Anderson’s La Costa Nursery
Anderson’s La Costa Nursery is one of those places you go to even if you’re not in the mood to buy anything, but you just want to feel good. It’s not your typical nursery. It’s more like a mini-Lotusland, with a wide variety of uncommon flowers, bushes and trees and special sections for succulents, tropicals, even water plants. According to its Web site, the nursery has more than 3,000 different plants. The entrance is at the end of a long driveway off La Costa Avenue; walk past a kiosk and follow the meandering gravel trail throughout the nursery. Anderson’s is known for rich, hardy plants that make the six-packs at Home Depot and Wal-Mart look scraggly and weak. Each area is filled with strong, robust specimens, and sprinkled throughout the establishment is a fine array of pottery and fountains of all shapes, sizes, colors and textures. The 2,500-square-foot greenhouse is something else: I’ve never seen so many varieties of orchids, bromeliads, ferns and other indoor plants. And way in the back is the nursery’s celebrated “Secret Garden,” with drought-tolerant plants and other flora that grow well in North San Diego County’s climate, along with a precious collection of stepping stones, garden art and even a playhouse. I go here frequently just to look around, and I’ve long made a habit of buying all my plants here, and nowhere else.
400 La Costa Avenue, Encinitas
760-753-3153
andersonslacostanursery.com
On the Agenda
Take a hike up Iron Mountain. This 6-mile roundtrip trail in Poway takes you through a variety of terrains, including a desert-like area that would make you swear you’re in Borrego. The trail is easy to follow, and while you ultimately gain 1,000 feet in elevation it’s a relatively easy hike because of all the switchbacks that lead up to the peak. The views from up on top are gorgeous; on a clear day you can see the Pacific Ocean. And along the way are a number of cool rock formations and giant boulders. The hike is very similar to the trail up Cowles Mountain in San Diego, just twice as long. The trailhead is at the intersection of Highway 67 and Poway Road; there’s a brand-new parking lot, so you no longer have to park on the side of the road and risk your life dashing across the highway to get to the trailhead.
Highway 67 and Poway Road, Poway
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