Over the holidays I ventured to a town in North County San Diego called Encinitas where I grew up to spend a week with my family as many of them still live throughout San Diego. The goal was to eat lots of good Southern California mexican food and bring it back to all the LST since the two other most popular topics on our tattoo forum other than tattoos are travel and food!

I love Northern California but Southern California will always hold my heart for mexican food with the exception of actually traveling to the various Latin countries and eating there. The biggest difference in my mind is Southern California mexican food is lots of meat and salsas whereas Northern California mexican food adds rice and beans to everything. I love rice and beans but I want my mexican food to have all meat whatever the variation(s) may be. So here's the mexican food I ate if you make your way there:

-Burrito's and taquitos on a few visits to Juanita's in Encinitas.

-Carnitas Torta from Jorge's in Encinitas (Jake turned me onto this place as he grew up on it right down the street from our parents house).

-My dad turned me onto this place in Oceanside but I can not remember the name but know it's near the pier by one block or so. I had a HUGE carne asada burrito.

-A Surfin' California burrito as seen on Man VS Food Lucha Libre Taco Shop. We normally eat this place when ever I get picked up at the airport as it is near the airport so if you fly into or out of SD airport check it out.

I also ate sushi at Tomiko's in Encinitas which was amazing as they were playing Joe Strummer in the background as it happened to also be the anniversary of his passing. I had all sorts of stuff including my favorite Tobiko Udama (spelling is probably off) which is the small fish roe with a quail egg over the top, fucking orgasmic! We had BBQ at Famous Dave's in Vista which Jake and I were familiar with their BBQ sauce as it is one of our favorites and their BBQ did not disappoint. Then on our last night we went to The Counter which I guess is a chain and I did one of the custom burgers. I did a two-third pound beef patty medium rare with horseradish cheddar and a fried egg over the top, pretty damn good. And had many visits to Pannikin coffee shop in Encinitas on the 101.

While down there I was twittering ( @LastSparrow ) the expeditions and Luke at Lucky's Tattoo Parlor in San Diego invited me down to the shop which as many know from the tattoo forum thread I did on Luke Wessman a few weeks ago have been impressed with his work for some time now and had I had money would of made an appointment with him. If you are on twitter you can follow Luke at @lukewessman and/or Lucky's Tattoo Parlor at @OGLuckysSD and the amazing work they are cranking out. So Jake and I made our way to downtown SD (Tenth and Broadway) to checkout the shop and meet Luke. First of all the shop is on the corner and looks amazing from the outside with some badass roses painted by Tim Hendricks along the exterior then you walk in and it gets better.....tall ceilings, art, flash, and photos along the walls that I have not seen before. I would later learn from Luke as he walked me around giving me a tour that lots are gifts not mass produced. It is a big open layout similar but bigger to how Temple Tattoo is for us Bay Area folks including the loft like layout upstairs over looking the shop. I wish I would of gotten pictures but didn't feel right as it was my first visit there and meeting Luke and he already went out of his way with open arms and a tour including some SD tattooer history. Maybe if he joins the site he can jump in where ever but especially in the "Was Tattooing as popular 100 years ago?" and "Old tattoo Photos" as just listening to him I think he could add some San Diego tattoo and military tattoo to it. He had some art by Morgwyn Pennypacker that I had not seen which has now turned me onto his tattoos and art. Long story short if you get the opportunity.....get some tattoos from these guys! I want to say thanks to Luke and the other Lucky's staff for the warm welcome, tour, and stories!

Below are some pictures taken with my camera phone from the expeditions, enjoy!

Until next time.....have a good day!

Lochlan