Carmel Mountain Ranch Town Center — Local services in San Diego

The best New York style pizza place that I have found ( though I have to try this Valentino's place across the street from my new apartment)..Flippin Pizza...a slice and a drink..4 and some change though a total splurge on my way out of San Diego and back to Long Beach, totally tasty and worth the detoured trip up the 15. Today was emphatically a Brooklyn styled day on the Southwestern tip of the USA. Carmel Mountain is a quiet little suburb in the NE corner of SD suitable for anyone wanting to raise a family. The schools are excellent. The area is clean. The shopping plazas adequate for middle class living in the area. It was a quiet 2 years there. A time of reflection and a higher altitude to pray and discern and reflect. Now, I am seemingly on to a new assignment dealing in Italian canals with deep sea divers but I will definitely remember and savor Flippins and all the suburban Italian pseudo-NY flavors it provided for me during my time on the mountain. Praise the Lord for his provision and resources to have found peace and enjoyment in the little things during that time...

Went out of my way to get a few key items from Ralph's... but their prices have suddenly skyrocketed?! Suppose this could be typical in the current climate... but now I know not to go out of my way for the few items that used to be cheaper here! Still find it CRAZY-annoying that they somehow doubt have the capability to accept touch-free Payments via Google Pay or Apple Pay?!?! Get with the Program already, Ralph's!!!! 🤨

Pluses: it's STILL the only Grocery Store chain that's open later than everyone else- most till at least midnight... this store till 1am 👍 And their Reduced-for-last-day-of-ability-to-sell Bakery Items are the best around... the only store that ACTUALLY seems to want to sell these items that will soon go to waste! I'm a lot fatter with higher blood-sugar because of it... But that's a lack-of-discipline issue, hardly...

Traffic here can get a bit crazy and hectic but it's still a pretty nice plaza with plenty of shopping and dining for all kinds of tastes. This plaza houses a Trader Joe's, and Ralph's, as well as champagne French bakery, a McDonald's, a juice shop and a few other restaurants.

If you come here early enough to beat the lunch rush it's usually pretty tame with plenty of parking.

Although it is a bit out of the way for me, I come here solely for Champagne and Ralph's. Also employees in all the above places are super...