AROUND THE BLOCK AROUND THE BLOCK (December 17, 2003)

'MUMMERS' THE WORD . . . New Year's Day in the Triple El neighborhood wouldn't be complete without the neighbors' annual Mummers Parade. For the past decade, about 100 reveling residents have gone on a "Mummers Strut" through the 'hood at about 10 a.m. Wearing fancy hats or capes and tooting on noisemakers, adults and kids march block to block, taking by surprise a few sleepy residents who've forgotten about the tradition. Organizer Stew Plock leads the bunch, wearing an authentic mummers costume of light blue with feathers and small mirrors, and one of the neighborhood children holds a boom box that plays authentic mummers music by a string band. The celebration ends with a potluck brunch, hosted in Plock's driveway.

Plock and his wife hail from Philadelphia, where the Mummers Parade is a city-wide event. The tradition started in mid-15th century Europe, when performers would celebrate the winter solstice by putting on skits in streets in return for treats. An immigrant brought the tradition to Philadelphia in the late 1600s, and by the early 1900s it had grown city-wide.

Triple El is composed of El Cajon Way, Elsinore Drive and Elsinore Court and is located south of Embarcadero Road.

WARMING UP . . . Early January now looks like the time when Mexican eatery Como Esta? will open in Midtown Shopping Center. According to owner Ani Safavi, a squabble with the city over whether the restaurant's gas-powered food warmers required a ventilation hood delayed the opening from its planned date earlier this month. But the issue's now resolved, sans hood, and Safavi, who also owns Pommard Deli on Middlefield Road, is set to cook up her menu of chiles rellenos, homemade tamales and more in the new year. Annette Ashton, chair of the Midtown Residents Association said residents are eager for Como Esta? to open, especially since a recent neighborhood poll shows that residents want more groceries and restaurants in Midtown.

What's up on your block? Let us know what's going on in your neighborhood and with your neighborhood associations. Mail us your newsletter, leave a message for Jocelyn Dong at 326-8210 x256, send e-mail to jdong@paweekly.com or fax us at 326-3928.

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