Solana Beach hangout gets ‘Wizard of Oz’ makeover

Renee Miller paints a yellow brick road as part of the new Wizard of Oz motif at The Local Grind, a coffee stop that transforms into Hot Dogs Yum in the afternoon.

By Marlena Chavira-Medford
Staff Writer

There is a candy apple-red trailer at the corner of Lomas Santa Fe and Highway 101, a come-as-you-are haunt where locals go for good coffee and conversation. Behind the window, you’ll find the smiling face of Mary Likomitros, who has run The Local Grind at this intersection for about 10 years. Standing at her espresso machine, she calls out greetings to her morning customers, most of whom she knows by first name. On a recent Friday morning, one of her regulars brought her some homemade caramel, and another goes to fetch her some sparkling water after she mentions an upset stomach.

“That’s how it is here, we’re like a big family,” she said of her Solana Beach clientele while doling out lattes, which come served in cups embellished with playful decals, such as lipstick kiss marks.

In the afternoon, The Local Grind transforms into Hot Dogs Yum, which is run by longtime Solana Beach resident Randy Howell. Like Likomitros, he’s on a first-name basis with most his clientele. The lunchtime and late-night crowds come here for the hotdogs, Frito Pie, and on Saturdays, pulled-pork sandwiches, which are made by his wife, Mona, whom Howell affectionately calls “the queen of Solana Beach.” Posted near the window is his daily trivia board — and when asked what customers get if they answer correctly he laughs and replies, “Usually, a hard time” and then adds “or actually, away from me — that’s what they get.”

No doubt, this kitschy coffee-by-day and hotdog-by-night food cart has carved a unique place into Solana Beach culture. But it’s a new mural painted on the surrounding parking lot that’s calling more recent attention. The Wizard of Oz-themed mural is the work of Solana Beach artist Renee Miller, who is a longtime customer and friend of Likomitros.

“I grew up in Solana Beach, but after college, I lived in Italy and I kind of became a coffee snob. So, I started coming here for the coffee,” Miller said.
A few months ago, the landlord relocated the food cart to the back end of the parking lot. With the extra space, Miller and Likomitros saw an opportunity to create some public art.

“I especially wanted to create something here in Solana Beach because this is my hometown,” said Miller, who is a product of Skyline Elementary, Earl Warren Middle School, and Torrey Pines High School. She was, in fact, the artist who painted the mural inside the library at Torrey Pines High School.

After graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Miller worked as an artist in Italy and New York City before returning home to Solana Beach. In some ways, her own life is represented in the Wizard of Oz-themed mural.

“I didn’t plan it that way, but I guess there are some parallels, like Dorothy returning to Kansas and me returning here to Solana Beach. I guess subconsciously that played into this. But after being out there in the world, I can honestly say ‘There’s no place like home.’”

And while the mural has several references to the movie, like Toto’s paw prints on the yellow brick road and the melted remnants of the Wicked Witch of the West, there are also several nods to Solana Beach.

“I added the pool to make it clear we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, we’re in Solana Beach,” she says, pointing to the large inner-tube in the center of it.
Because the mural is on a parking lot, Miller used traffic paint, which is a far cry from the oils on canvas she typically works with.

“Right off the bat, I knew traffic paint meant primary colors only,” she explained. “The first thing that came to mind was the yellow brick road. I knew I wanted it to be really playful, and make it seem as if this cart had just fallen out of the sky here in Solana Beach.”

And so far, Solana Beach neighbors have given the mural two big thumbs up, said Likomitros.

“All of the kids love to run along the yellow brick road and play all over it” she said. “And the witch’s feet sticking out from under the cart is one of my favorite parts. I think the mural looks great, I love it.”

“And just about everyone loves that giant frog,” Howell said of the centerpiece in the mural’s lily pond. “I’d say that frog gets the most comments.”
Miller is typically inside her studio atop Solana Circle, so getting to interact with the community on this project was a nice change of pace, she said.

“Anytime you paint something in public, people want to give their two cents. I had neighbors who’d come every day to check the progress, and give me suggestions. It really was a community effort in that sense. And while I was painting, I ran into people I’d gone to school with, and I met a lot of new people. That’s part of what made this such a cool experience.

“This parking lot is literally part of my stomping ground, so it’s incredibly rewarding to have created art here in Solana Beach, especially right off the 101.

“People tend to be in their cars, not out walking or talking to their neighbors — but that’s still happening here. Because it’s right on the corner, out in the open, it’s created a place for all kinds of people to interact. [Likomitros] and [Howell]  are both amazing people, and they help make this place what it is. We’re lucky to have them here in Solana Beach.

“It may be small, but this place is really a part of the heart of Solana Beach, and I’m especially happy to have been able to add something to it.”

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Posted by admin on Jan 20, 2011. Filed under Featured Story, Solana Beach. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry