Coronado Home and Business

When it was time to decide where to go to brunch with a few friends, the choice was mine and I picked Claytons’ Bakery & Bistro.

Since it opened last year, Clayton’s Bakery & Bistro has been a favorite place to go for many locals, including myself. With its European inspired decor and old world feel, the eatery feels cozy, warm and welcoming. I have often eaten there for lunch with my family, had breakfast and this time it was for brunch. I have also tried their amazing array of pastries and never been disappointed.

I met friends Sue, Robyn and Marg on a weekday morning after a workout and sat in one of the outdoor tables facing Orange Avenue. The bistro was buzzing with activity and every table was full inside.

Whether you’re taking a short walk or bending over to tie a shoe, joint pain and stiffness canb e debilitating. If you’re living with constant hip pain and haven’t been able to get lasting relief with medication or other treatments, join us at this

The concept that time flies was re-confirmed recently when Serea Coastal Cuisine Executive Chef JoJo Ruiz and I sat down for our second interview, with the first one coming exactly a year prior when the eatery at the Hotel del Coronado held their Grand Opening. The reason for our follow-up meeting was the announcement that Ruiz is planning a weekend Seaside Brunch offering, which will begin March 14-15, 2020.

Chef Ruiz explained the genesis of brunch at Serea. “We tested the waters last year with how we thought brunch would do. We didn’t offer enough items last year. We were going 100 miles an hour with the opening of the restaurant and we really didn’t make it a brunch menu. This year we’ll have between 10 and 12 items and we will be open Saturdays and Sundays. Our brunch and the Hotel del Coronado’s brunch have a little different clientele. Their brunch is more of a buffet at a set price. At Serea you can come in, have a dozen oysters, a breakfast sandwich and a Bloody Mary. We’ll also have Pina Colada French Toast, a couple of different Benedicts, Avocado Toast, we’ll still have eggs and a mix of everything. Our Chef de Cuisine Tony Torres does really good steak and eggs. When he did that last year, it was by far my favorite thing on the brunch menu. He takes a tri-tip steak, seasons it with salt, puts it in a sous-vide machine and later hangs it over fire and wood, renders it and then carves the meat. He serves the eggs with herb potatoes, wilted kale with garlic, shallots and blistered red potatoes. It’s really good. For the menu creation, Chef Tony and Sous Chef Steven Ruiz and I all sat down and collaborated. We write some stuff down, test some recipes and we have kind of a process. We worked on the menu part-time for four months.”

Mark your calendar! Sharp Coronado Hospital Auxiliary welcomes back Premier Designs High Fashion Affordable Jewelry on Friday, Feb. 28, in the Soledad Room at Sharp Coronado Hospital, 250 Prospect Place, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a total makeover, a wardrobe refresh, gifts galore and much more. Stop by to view the latest in jewelry and see how it can bring new life to your fashion with spring just around the corner. Proceeds benefit the Auxiliary in its support of Sharp Coronado Hospital Programs and Projects.

When it comes to showing our heartfelt appreciation for the military and their families, there’s one Coronado event that really goes above and beyond - both in terms of honoring our servicemen and women, and creating a treasured memory for life. We at the Coronado Chamber of Commerce would like to invite you can be a part of this special night.

The 36th Annual Salute to the Military Ball is a lavish black-tie event to be held at the fabled Hotel del Coronado on Saturday April 18, 2020.

Of the 400 people attending, 200 will comprise military personnel and their guests and the other half is made up of members of the Coronado community who want to show their sincere support and add a rousing cheer to the celebrations. Last year we shined a spotlight on Military spouses and this year we are applauding our Military kids.

Private home, home furnishing store, shoe repair store, newspaper office and soon to be realty office. For a house that’s been around for over 120 years the home at 1116 Tenth Street is like the cat with nine lives.

With the change of ownership of the entire block, which included the former Eagle house a few years ago, the home at 1116 Tenth Street was said to be in danger of being demolished. But fortunately the house will endure with a new identity, as a new Willis Allen Real Estate office. The home is currently being remodeled giving it a better chance to continue on.

A 1886 map shows the lot being drawn out by the Coronado Beach Company. The following year, William Hammer was listed as the first owner of the lot and he and his family lived in the house until 1909. The property originally included a twin house in the approximate location of the former El Cordova Garage, soon to be a restaurant called Buona Forchetta.

Through the year’s members of the Hammer family resided in the house until the year 1913. After that time various owners owned the property until the home was transformed into Aquarius Home Furnishings, then later Elf Valley Shoe Repair and starting in 1992 it became the home of Eagle Newspapers until 2018.

Andy Nelson, Willis Allen Real Estate owner and president, was attracted by the property because of its age. Willis Allen Real Estate has been in business since 1914 and when Nelson found out the property was available he thought, “Wouldn’t this be a fun place to have a small office?”

From taking a short walk to bending over to tie a shoe, chronic joint pain and stiffness can be debilitating. If you or a loved one has arthritis of the hip or knee and you haven’t experienced adequate results with medication or other conservative treatment options, attend this free seminar at Sharp Coronado Hospital. It will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Sandermann Education Center, Sharp Coronado Hospital, 265 Soledad Place.

It was just like old times at Costa Azul for opening night last week at its new location at the ferry landing. If there were a guest list, it would have read like a who’s who of Coronado. The place was packed, with former city council members, old-time residents, and many others who had the good luck to come upon the place possibly by accident while wandering the ferry landing.

Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Hayley Beard and Cathy Sparks of Art and Frames Gallery, will be co- hosting a Valentines Day event for Coronado Widows and Widowers on Friday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. at Art and Frames Gallery, located at 936 Orange Ave. Refreshments will be served at this free community event.

As playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “There is no love sincerer than the love of food!” Here we look at three delicious and romantic options for your dining pleasure this Valentine’s weekend.

Join Sharp Coronado Hospital for their community blood drive in support of the San Diego Blood Bank on Friday, Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 265 Soledad Place. The Bloodmobile will be parked next to the auditorium.

Art & Frames, 936 Orange Avenue, will host a petite show opening on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring artist

The Coronado Training Center, 126 B Avenue, is having an Open House on Saturday, Feb 1, from noon to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come check out their new equipment and facility. There will also be some free classes available. Try KickBoxing, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, HIIT classes, Mat Pilates, New Smith machine and free weights. Fitness experts will be available to talk with and there will be Swag giveaways. For more information, visit coronadotrainingcenter.com or call 619-522-0988.

Dr. P. Yassini, a local Coronado doctor, is giving a free talk about natural ways to treat anxiety next Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. at the Coronado Library, 640 Orange Avenue, in the Winn room. Yassini, a board certified in Integrative Holistic medicine and medical director of Peak Health Group will discuss how anxiety manifests in our bodies and what we can do to slow aging and inflammation in our bodies without the use of drugs. There will be a question and answer session and real patent demonstrations will follow Yassini’s brief presentation. Every attendee will have the option of enjoying a brief Neurofeedback session or a relaxing ear seed treatment by Dr. Brittany Durkin, DACM.

On the eve of the opening of his new Boardwalk Beach Club, David Spatafore talked to me about the ups and downs of doing business in Coronado. And who would know better?

Spatafore, the owner of Blue Bridge Hospitality, started building his food empire in Coronado with MooTime Creamery (originally known as MooTown). After that came a string of restaurants that many know and love, including Village Pizzeria, Leroy’s, Stake and Little Frenchie, among others. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Spatafore. In fact, he has both opened and closed restaurants in Coronado. And, that might be his greatest strength – to look at his restaurant objectively and to consider the options when it’s not doing as well as it needs to.

The soon-to-open Boardwalk Beach Club was born out of this sort of necessity. I visited the space last week where workers were coming and going in a flurry of activity, hammers were pounding, drills were riveting, the sun was shining and music was blasting.

To be honest, I hadn’t expected to be all that excited by a new restaurant in Coronado. A new name, a new menu – but just how different could another restaurant be? I was truly taken aback.

Spatafore’s concept for the Beach Club is that it should be a place where families have fun – “You go out to dinner with your family here in Coronado. Say, Chez Loma or Little Frenchie or some other place. You eat and then, after dinner, what do you do? You just go back home,” he says.

Spice up your life with local retailer Fair Trade Décor, who is partnering with two long-time Coronado residents to host an evening of food tasting and music on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. The event features three new recipes from brother and sister, Paul and AnnMarie Volkman, who were inspired by the international spices sold at Fair Trade Décor. Their new recipes will also be available to all who attend.

Why does just the thought of ice cream bring a smile and give us a happy feeling? Is it the sugar high or just that delicious smooth and cool taste - or both?

Milk, cream and sugar and eggs are something everybody likes, and then if you add a favorite flavor to the mix, everything gets even better. Some of us have made ice cream at home with some success -and even though that’s a fun experience, it can be better not to have to do any work and just enjoy an ice cream. Over the years our family, like many in Coronado, have gone to MooTime Creamery to enjoy an ice cream. I have tried many flavors at MooTime. I recently enjoyed my chocolate and coconut ice cream and my daughter tried something different - banana and cinnamon.

On a recent Sunday, Moo Time Creamery on Orange Avenue had a constant stream of customers. Open since 1998 MooTime has brought many smiles to ice cream lovers. Coronado kids have grown up going to MooTime and I’m sure many remember their little ones wanting to sit on the cow outside for a photo.

The Coronado Real Estate Association, an organization with 180 members, recently named Scott Aurich of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty and Caroline Haines of Coldwell Banker West Realty their Co-Realtors of the Year for 2019. The plaque reads, ‘In recognition of your cooperation, ethics, integrity, community service and service to this association and the entire real estate industry.’

Haines, who also won the award in 2013 and 2015, was pleasantly surprised by the honor, and said what winning again in 2019 with Aurich as the co-winner meant to her. “To be voted an award by your peers is the biggest compliment anybody could have. I love what I do, so it’s not hard. I will say to be acknowledged makes you feel very good and it’s recognition that you worked hard. I do the best I can every day. Winning this with Scott has put a whole different perspective on the award. He’s been the No. 1 producer in Coronado and supported CREA so much. He shows up and comes to almost every Wednesday meeting, which shows there is worth to the meeting because he does come. That’s what I love about Scott. He is very thorough and responsive, and he answers his phone. It’s a compliment that I won the award with him. The way he does sell real estate, there is no chip on his shoulder, no ego involved, and we have established a very nice, respectful relationship with one another.”

It has been 41 years since Hilda Tellefson became the owner of Coronado Boot and Shoe Repair on Orange Avenue. As a child she always loved to stop by her dad’s leather goods store in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Now in her 60s she fondly recalls how the shop had 12 men who made suede coats, hats and more. “He’d let me stay for 20 to 30 minutes. I’d get the scissors and measuring tape,” said Tellefson.

As she got older she studied chemistry and was halfway through finishing her college degree when she came to San Diego to visit her cousin. She was 21 years old and liked the warm weather that made her rheumatism disappear. One night her cousin told her they were going out. That night she met a man that would be her first husband.

Tellefson found out that a shoe repair store in Coronado was for sale and she came over to see it. She spoke to the owner who was a native of Russia. He told her, “I want to sell it but I don’t know when.” Tellefson who was eager to learn the business told him she would work for free.

“I came in and helped clean, all the time thinking I could do this job better than him,” she recalled. After three months the owner finally sold the business to Tellefson.

Sharp Coronado Hospital will hold a free community gardening class and special food tasting event on Monday, Jan. 6, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Sharp Coronado Hospital maintains a fruit, herbs and vegetable garden year round. This month’s class will discuss late season maintenance and planning for spring. Additionally, Sharp Coronado’s chef, Meghan Bowen, will share a sample of a new dish made from the vegetables from the garden. Space is limited so please call to reserve your spot at 619-522-3715. The free community gardening class will take place at Sharp Coronado Hospital, 250 Prospect Place. The garden is located along Soledad Place.

In December of 1999 Andreas Schenk took a leap of faith and opened his own physical therapy clinic, Results Rehabilitation Inc., on Tenth Street. This month Schenk celebrated the 20th anniversary of his business and reflected on the years gone by.

Before opening Results, Schenk had worked as a physical therapist for a company called Resource Rehabilitation. He was asked to open a clinic in Coronado, which he did. When the company eventually closed, Schenk took over the space and opened his own physical therapy clinic. Schenk wanted to have a smaller area for his new business, the landlord agreed but Schenk had to find someone who would rent the extra space. He accomplished that and opened the new clinic. It was difficult at first and he had a handful of former clients who continued to be his clients.

San Diego’s Marines were deployed to pick up a large donation for their Toys for Tots Campaign at Glorietta Bay Inn on Coronado Island on Friday, Dec. 6. Glorietta Bay Inn’s General Manager Claudia Ludlow took the opportunity to thank the Marines for their service and her hotel team helped pack them all into a large truck, after the photo highlighting the hundreds of toys and bicycles was taken. The Marines delivered these to a centralized San Diego location where families will be able to select toys to make their children’s holidays brighter.

The party season is upon us and Orange Avenue has everything you need to step out in sparkling style!

La Mer

La Mer is one of the reasons that Coronado women are known for their sophisticated style! This season two Karen Kane cocktail dresses stand out - one gold-flecked with billowing sleeves ($170) and the other a sleek black sequined sheath ($178). For a more casual look, choose a pair of black or red pants and team with a tunic featuring either bedazzled Poinsettias or pups in Santa hats! ($50) Lovers of all things cozy will enjoy Wooden Ship’s lightweight, cream sweater with the word Celebrate woven in black ($125.) Finally, after the party, you can get cozier still in the softest-ever cranberry fleece top from pajama experts PJ Salvage ($65.)

Sharp Coronado Hospital has been named a 2019 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey, a nationally recognized company that measures patient experience. The Guardian of Excellence Award honors top-performing health care organizations that have achieved the 95th percentile or above in performance: Sharp Coronado was recognized for Patient Experience in the Outpatient Setting.