LIBERTY PUBLIC MARKET - VINTAGE FOOD HALL

LIBERTY PUBLIC MARKET-SAN DIEGO

     

JEAN & CAROL

OLD FRIENDS -VINTAGE BUILDINGS

My friend Jean said her sister, Carol, would arrive at the San Diego International Airport about noon on a Wednesday. We decided to meet at the Liberty Public Market (2820 Historic Decatur Road) for lunch—a five minute drive west of the airport. This is one of the new and trendy places in San Diego, located in the northeast corner of Liberty Station, Point Loma.

     Interestingly, the new Liberty Public Market is located in the original Navy Mess Hall, one of the first buildings constructed at the San Diego Naval Training center in the early 1920s. The $3 million project offers more than 24 food and beverage vendors and a choice of inside or outside seating in a renovated historical building with high ceilings and impressive white wooden rafters.

       This is my second visit to the market. The first time was on a Sunday afternoon in April and it was crowded. The lines for food were too long, tables were almost impossible to find, and it was noisy. We did not stay.

     

PLEASANT SEATING

     I looked forward to giving it another try on a weekday. It was much better, although seating was still somewhat limited, but the lines were short and there was more time to leisurely appreciate the nearly one-hundred-year-old structure. We found a pleasant long table located inside near the AE Floral shop. Here we could comfortably visit the afternoon away. We took turns heading out to explore the many food choices, and we all tried something different.

      

CHICKEN PAD THAI

I tried the lobster roll ($16) with hot melted butter on a toasted roll with French fries from the Wicked Maine Lobster, it was delicious. Jean had a endless summer salad ($9.50) which was also good. Carol chose the chicken pad Thai ($9) from Mama Made Thai—we all agreed that this was the best. We topped off the meal with great coffee from WestBean Coffee Roasters. I will return for the coffee. You might also wish to taste one of the 24 craft beers on draft or 100 craft bottled beers at Bottlecraft. Wine tasting at the Grape Smuggler is also an option. There are many choices, and I plan to return soon to sample more of them.

     

MESS HALL

SHIP PAINTING ABOVE

This first food hall (or food hall with class) in San Diego is fun, unique, and it even offers a history lesson. While in the large mess hall dining area don't miss looking up to see the 16 ships that were painted on the walls in 1952; they still exist in their original untouched form.

                                                  ***

      After a visit to this unique food hall, there are dozens of other places to explore in Liberty Station. In the 1920s the training center buildings were designed in a Spanish Colonial style similar to Balboa Park with colonnades, arches, and towers. The original 300 structures on 550 acres housed the Navy for almost 75 years; during that time more than a million sailors received training here. It was closed in 1997 under the Base Closure & Realignment Act of 1990 and later acquired by the city. It has since been restored and preserved in what has been the largest historical preservation project in San Diego.

      Today, Liberty Station encompasses 125 acres of parks, open spaces, a boat channel to San Diego Bay, shopping, restaurants, a 28-acre arts and culture district, Visions Art Museum, the Women's Museum, the nine hole Sail Ho Golf Club, hotels, schools, church, and around 350 residences.

       It is also home to the USS Recruit; a landlocked “dummy” ship often referred to as “the Neversail.” It was used to train more than 50,000 sailors a year from 1949 until it was decommissioned in 1967. This historical landmark is available for outside viewing only.

INSIDE SEATING LIBERTY MARKET

SPANISH COLONIAL STYLE

LIBERTY STATION

OUTSIDE SEATING LIBERTY MARKET