Page 14 - Tracy Anderson Issue

Writer's Review

In each issue we have a section of the top picks by our editors. We decided to listen to our writers, and share some
of their favorite things with our readers.
They sure do know their stuff!
Escondido Restaurant Review
Eating out economically with Laura Chavarín
Joe’s Italian Dinner has been around for thirty-one years and is probably the best known Instead of splitting a meal, we make our meal more economical by using the coupon in the
Italian Restaurant in Escondido. It is a family owned business known for its homemade Get 1 Free coupon magazine that comes in the mail and get $12.95 off of the price when
dishes. The owner, Joe, is from Italy and makes some of the best sauces that I’ve ever we buy two meals. Join me next issue as I eat economically at Vintana Wine and Dine
tasted. The restaurant is small and has a warm, very Italian feel with Italian décor every- Restaurant. ~Laura
where you look and playful Italian music in the background. It is dimly lit and is a nice date
night destination or good fun for the whole family. I found myself staring at the walls and
ceiling in order to see everything. It almost felt like a mini Italian museum. The staff is
always polite and helpful and the owner is usually concocting exquisite sauces in his kitchen.
It opens at 4:30 but doesn’t start to get busy until around 6:00 p.m. Make sure to ask your
waitress if you are at the table with the secret drawer…

I always start my meal with wine. I’ve found that the house Chianti is not only reasonably
priced but also very tasty (If there is more than one of you enjoying the wine, then I’d recom-
mend either a half or full carafe). They also serve beer if you prefer. The meals are served
with either soup or salad and warm French bread. I always order the salad with Italian
dressing, which is light and a little too mild for my taste but still good. My husband likes the
soup. My favorite house soup is the Pasta Fagioli, if you haven’t had it before it is pasta and
bean soup with vegetables. The soup is rich and homemade. My favorite main course is the
Eggplant Parmigiana. It is truly delicious and without question, the best that I’ve ever had.
The eggplant is baked to perfection every time and covered with a rich, tomato marinara
sauce and mozzarella cheese. Freshly grilled vegetables are served on the side with penne
pasta smothered in more marinara sauce. I usually take about half of my meal home for the
next day’s lunch.
My husband likes the Fettuccini Alfredo and, once again, the Alfredo sauce is absolutely
delicious. It is creamy, rich, abundant and wonderful! It takes a little while for dinner to
come, but remember, each dish is homemade to be served when you get there. Trust me
14 when I tell you that it is worth the wait. The portions are large and I would recommend that
you share it but there is a $2.95 split plate fee. If you have room for dessert, the Spumoni is
tasty and light.

Unique Accommodations of the future
By Dawn Nicoli
In the aftermath of my divorce, I found myself living on a two acre property
wondering how I would make ends meet.
This is the home that I had been living in for twenty four years. With the
small ponds and waterfalls, cobblestone walkways and the lush, mature
landscape, everyone who visited said this place felt like a tropical paradise,
a retreat from the rest of the world, a little like a country oasis.
It consists of the main house with three bedrooms, a granny flat, which was
rented out already, and a mobile home where the grounds keeper lives.
I was considering renting out my spare bedroom to a student or more permanent
roommate when a friend suggested using Air BNB.
I had used another vacation rental site to promote my house in Mexico but it
was costly and didn’t always yield results. Upon visiting the very friendly, easy to
navigate website, I learned that Air BNB covered homes in over 191 countries and was
completely free to the hosts.
The global community (as they call themselves) seemed to be gaining popularity
as an alternative to the more generic stays at the typical hotels. From India to New
York City, when staying with a host, the guest has the experience of living like a local,
much more authentically.
Air BNB also provides the host with up to $1,000,000 of liability insurance.
The website was very informative with a whole section on how to be a good host.
I decided to load up some photographs and see if they generated any interest.
Without knowing what to charge, I consulted the site which analyzed the average
rental fee for my area.
I decided to give it a year at that price to see if I would make the same
amount as renting it out full time. To my amazement I have rented the rooms
out several times and have found the transactions to go smoothly and the
experience to be very interesting.