Happy Father's Day, Coronado

By HATTIE FOOTE

It’s that time of year again, my husband’s holiday trifecta of Father’s Day, birthday, and wedding anniversary in the same week. Every year, I promise that the following year, I will plan better, think outside the box, and guess what? It’s already the following year, and again, I am in scramble mode. I called in the big guns, AKA my friends, to give me some ideas to celebrate, and I figured we could all use some suggestions to make Father’s Day extra special, so I am happy to share everything we came up with!

Golf. Ohhhh, golf. Many fathers’ idea of relaxation. If your guy wants to go spend sunrise to sunset on the golf course that Sunday, easy peasy and good for you! Maybe stop at the Coronado Golf Course Pro Shop to pick up a new hat or fresh balls for him to take with him! Or a gift certificate for lessons with a golf pro. My friends and I actually took group golf lessons for a few months, and then our instructor took us on the course, and it took us 2 ½ hours to play three-ish holes. Turns out we were really good at drinking margaritas, taking pictures, and cheering each other on while our balls were going anywhere except the hole. It was the best, 10/10 recommend. If you are looking for a familyfriendly activity, I insist you try Tappers Mini Golf at the Loma Club in Liberty Station. My whole family is from the East Coast, where there is no shortage of mini golf. It’s outrageous to me that there aren’t more courses here. I have a dream of opening one in the empty lot near Il Fornaio on the bay and if you steal my idea, all I ask is if you name a hole after me!

Food. Every dad must eat! Instead of making a reservation at one of our lovely restaurants in town, there is something to be said for a homemade meal with extra love put into it. I have stated before I am not the best cook, it wasn’t long ago that I made my entire family gag while eating meatloaf. That’s on me; I should have listened to Randy from A Christmas Story: “Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf.” I also have a big fear of giving everyone salmonella when I cook, specifically chicken. That being said, my dream would be to effortlessly cook a beautiful meal. My friend Frida Kalach owns a local business called Host and Roast, and hopefully, you have been lucky enough to try her food at one of the many events she’s catered. She also offers cooking classes, which would be a really cute gift idea. Frida posts the best recipes on her Instagram (@hostandroast), and I am going to attempt one for Father’s Day. And if all else fails, I will eat my words and make the reservation at a restaurant because sometimes, no matter how well-intentioned a homecooked meal is, a pizza from Garage Buona Forchetta or steak from Stake is just better.

Time. The ultimate gift. Camping, a baseball game, a movie, literally sitting together at a park and staring at each other. I lost my dad three years ago, and what I wouldn’t do to spend an afternoon with him one more time. Grief changed my life; it changed me, but there is a silver lining in that it has taught me to truly appreciate every moment with the people I love. Something I like to do is to film the kids and ask them questions about their dad, having them tell stories just to capture the moment in time. They can be super short and casual, and nobody will ever see them but us. It’s a gift to ourselves in the future to look back on. However you choose to spend your day celebrating the fathers in your life, I hope it’s filled with love, fun, and, I’m sure, a grilled meat of some kind! Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads of Coronado!