Week 92: Panama 66

Week 92: September 29th-October 5th, 2024

In college, I was part of a business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, and this week, I got a chance to catch up with my Big, Chris. In collegiate Greek life, a Big is like a mentor and older sibling.

Chris had the idea to get lunch at Panama 66, a restaurant inside the San Diego Art Museum's sculpture garden. I'd never been before, so I welcomed the idea especially since I hadn't thought of my Something New for the week yet.

Like any popular place in San Diego, Balboa Park is always bustling with activity. Thankfully, I got pretty lucky with parking and enjoyed a brief stroll through the park to get to Panama 66.

There were leftover exhibits from San Diego Design Week (September 19-24th) like this big bright installation in front of SDMA.

The big orange exhibit was hard to miss!

Outside of Panama 66

Panama 66 is a unique restaurant, not only because it is inside the sculpture garden, but also because there wasn't a waitlist, despite the long line of people outside. You'd think a place inside of a sculpture garden might have reservations, but no, they are counter service only. It even says so at the top of their online menu, which probably means they've been bugged about it before. I didn't mind too much, as the line seemed to be moving pretty fast.

The line into the restaurant

While I waited in line, I did some people watching. There were many different people exploring Balboa Park. I saw a group of teenagers giggling and making TikToks. I saw many families with varying levels of fancy strollers. I saw tourists taking photos, and local San Diegans taking in one of the remaining warm and sunny afternoons of the year. There were two small buses worth of a family dressed in evening gowns and suits. I was reminded of why San Diego is so awesome. There seems to always be something going on, and its pretty easy to find something new to experience.

After ordering our food, we sat at a table in the shade where we could still enjoy the sculptures and the breeze. We were #40 and only waited about 20 mins for our food.

We were #40!

I liked the Menu covers

I ordered a smash veg burger with a side salad, and my Big got a tuna melt and fries.

My burger had Beyond Meat

The tuna melt and fries

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my burger, as it was made with Beyond Meat, and usually I prefer the real thing. It was juicy, and actually could pass for real meat. As much as the fries tempted me, I chose the side salad because I'm trying to eat more healthy. My Big said the tuna melt was good, and I still got to steal a fry or two.

It was really nice catching up with someone who has known me through some of the most formative years of my adult life. I congratulated him on his recent engagement and heard about his travels to Cambodia and Japan. The older I get, the more I realize that constant communication isn't that common for friendships. It is a bummer, because if I could, I would spend all of my time with my friends and never feel like I had to "catch up" on their lives. However, reality forces us to reconnect when we can, and that is the best we can do.

Apparently Panama 66 is also known for its beer selection and cocktails, but I just stuck with water. I'll have to return to see more of the sculpture garden and try the drinks.

See you next week.