Atlas Obscura Presents Toyota Joyrides in San Diego with Adam Glick Atlas Obscura Presents Toyota Joyrides in San Diego with Adam Glick

in San Diego

Chef Adam Glick’s Joyride

Adam Glick is a nomad through and through. Growing up, his family moved around the globe. He then spent more than a decade sailing the world’s seas as a chef on private yachts, including a stint on “Below Deck Mediterranean,” the television show that offered a glimpse into luxury yacht crew life. Though he’s hard-pressed to name a hometown, San Diego, California is the city that comes closest. It’s the place that gave him his start cooking professionally and instilled his love for a healthy, outdoor lifestyle.

San Diego has so many great memories for me. The city represents coming into myself, learning who I am and who I want to be.

“San Diego has so many great memories for me. The city represents coming into myself, learning who I am and who I want to be,” he said. “Ultimately, it led me to get a job on a boat, which helped forge the next 15 years of my life,” he continued, explaining how San Diego fueled his joy and passion for cooking. The globe-trotting chef, surfer and adventurer maintains a nomadic lifestyle, with his trusty rescued Australian cattle dog, Tex, by his side. He jumped at the chance to take a joyride rediscovering San Diego. The day dawned clear and bright—no surprise, as this Southern California city has more than 260 sunny days each year—as Adam loaded up the bed of the Toyota Tacoma with his surfboard, wetsuit and travel grill. It was everything he needed to seek out his favorite spots.

Joyride Map

Jennings House Cafe

1018 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106

Get the day going with a rich cup of coffee and a side of history at Jennings House Cafe. The house was built as the first single-family home in Point Loma in 1886 and moved to its current location in Point Loma Village four years later. It’s been a cafe serving basic coffee and pastries since the 1990s, but current owner Cathy Gallagher, who purchased it in 2017, has transformed it into a full-fledged restaurant. Order the signature brioche French toast or a harvest scramble and linger on the dog-friendly patio.

Las Cuatro Milpas

1857 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113

The Barrio Logan neighborhood is dotted with gift shops, jewelry and fashion boutiques, street art and more, displaying the Mexican-American heritage of those who call it home. One of its most popular culinary stops is Las Cuatro Milpas, the diminutive restaurant where the Estuidillo family has been delighting visitors with handmade tortillas, chorizo-laced beans and rice, rolled tacos and pork-stuffed tamales for three generations. Don’t let the line that’s sure to be stretching down the block deter you. It’s worth the wait. A word to the wise: bring cash, as no plastic payments are accepted at this old-school landmark.

Point Loma Seafoods

2805 Emerson St, San Diego, CA 92106

Point Loma Seafoods has been a go-to stop for home cooks and chefs alike since 1963, maintaining its reputation for stocking the freshest seafood, much of it caught locally. Don't feel like cooking yourself? Find a seat on the cheerful patio and order a fried clam sandwich, sushi roll or crab cakes and watch the sportfishing boats at Sun Harbor Marina come and go. You might spot a record-breaking catch on the docks.

Shoreline Park

2200 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

Shelter Island may be just a wisp of an island, but there’s plenty to enjoy. Find a place to sit at Shoreline Park, where the small beach and boat launch overlook San Diego’s downtown skyline, and settle in for a picnic or a walk along the bay. Follow the paved path along the shoreline to see the Japanese Friendship Bell on the south tip of the island and watch the boats—from massive Navy ships to personal watercrafts—come and go.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Ladera St, San Diego, CA 92107

While any hour of the day offers spectacular views at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, the golden hour when the sun dips toward the horizon is pure magic. The 68-acre park hugs the coast along the Point Loma peninsula’s western side, perfectly positioning it for unforgettable sunsets. Hike down the well-worn paths from the rocky cliffs and walk along the water, or cool off in the crashing waves.

The first stop was Jennings House Cafe in Point Loma Village. “This was always my favorite place to get coffee while I was in culinary school and working,” Adam recalled. The coffeehouse is built into the historic Jennings House, a former private home moved to its current location in the 1890s. It became a cafe in the 1990s and passed to the current owner in 2017. Adam ordered a black iced coffee and hopped back in the Tacoma on a mission to gather ingredients for the dinner he was already dreaming about.

Jennings House Cafe

1018 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106

Windows down and sunroof open, the faintly salty air circulated through the truck’s ample cab as he cruised along I-5, skirting the San Diego Bay, toward the Barrio Logan neighborhood. He headed to Las Cuatro Milpas, a hole-in-the-wall where the Estuidillo family has been turning out their Mexican delicacies for three generations. Adam’s mission at the restaurant was two-fold: enjoy a nostalgic lunch of tender tamales stuffed with rich shredded pork and pick up a pack of handmade tortillas for later. Predictably, this local-loved spot had a line stretching down the block. The patrons waited patiently for their chance to order from the cash-only counter with a cadre of ladies making every item from scratch in full view. Tortillas in hand and tamales in belly, Adam hit the road again.

Las Cuatro Milpas

1857 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113

Next, the chef made a beeline for Point Loma Seafoods, a prime location for all manner of fresh seafood since 1963. He got in line and considered his options, from bright red ahi tuna to lobster that was still alive in a tank. “This part of California produces some of the best large-game fish you can get your hands on. They’re big, beautiful fish that require some know-how to take apart and cook them. I learned how to do all of that on the sportfishing docks here,” he said, pointing to the slips at Sun Harbor Marina. “I remember once seeing someone weigh an 800-pound marlin.” At the counter, Adam settled on a gorgeous piece of pristine swordfish.

Point Loma Seafoods

2805 Emerson St, San Diego, CA 92106

This part of California produces some of the best large-game fish you can get your hands on. They’re big, beautiful fish that require some know-how to take apart and cook them. I learned how to do all of that on the sportfishing docks here,” he said, pointing to the slips at Sun Harbor Marina. “I remember once seeing someone weigh an 800-pound marlin.”

Key ingredients secured, Adam found a spot to park along the water on Shelter Island. He flipped down the back of the Tacoma’s truck bed and set up his portable gas grill, lining up his knives, spices and the ingredients he picked up during his San Diego joyride. Just 10 minutes later, he’d grilled chunks of swordfish and tucked them into one of the fresh tortillas. Topped with a little fresh slaw and a squeeze of lemon, he enjoyed the simple meal with a view of the city’s skyline and an ever-changing array of boats heading out to sea. “Cooking well doesn’t need to be complicated,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the top-notch ingredients available in the area.

Shoreline Park

2200 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

Properly fueled up, he hopped back into the Tacoma and headed toward his favorite spot for watching spectacular sunsets, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, a 68-acre preserve on Point Loma’s western edge. Though it’s possible to get there from a variety of streets, he chose his favorite, Hill Street. Adam’s sharp intake of breath when the Tacoma crested the hill was for a good reason: the views of the crashing waves framed by palm trees beyond the cliffs are breathtaking. The surfers waiting to catch a perfect wave as the sun began to sink toward the horizon brought back a flood of happy memories. “I used to lobster fish out here,” he said. “You often get to see dolphins while you’re surfing. It’s incredible.” It was the perfect end to his homecoming. For the wandering chef who’s made a career out of traveling the world, it’s hard to beat the pure joy of coming back to a city that helped form him. “My everlasting love for the ocean started here,” he said, looking out over the jaw-dropping landscape. “San Diego reminds me of a really good time in my life.”

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Ladera St, San Diego, CA 92107

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This part of California produces some of the best large-game fish you can get your hands on.

San Diego reminds me of a really good time in my life.

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