Stories | Restaurant Review
American Revolutionary
Published Nov. 4, 2009
Food can be a deeply political issue, but in this case it’s the merely skin-deep question of the restaurant’s name that’s bugging me. (Didn’t Shakespeare say, “A grill by any other name would smell as yummy”? ...
Fiesta for Friends
Published Oct. 28, 2009
It’s weird that right on the border here, we’re so slow to catch up with the rest of the country on real Mexican cuisine. We’ve got lots of “Mexican” food but hardly any Mexican cuisine, compared ...
The Golden Coast
Published Oct. 21, 2009
The Lynnester has ways to make men talk. When Mark and I arrived to meet her at Iris, she was having a drink and pumping the charming manager, Edd Golden, younger brother of chef-owner Tommy Golden, ...
99 Years of Seduction Published Oct. 14, 2009
The U.S. Grant Hotel, completed in October 1910, is one of the city’s grandest old hotels. Its signature restaurant, the Grant Grill, is equally historic. ... More Comments (3)
Rare Burgers? Rarely Published Oct. 7, 2009
Trekking in Nepal involved 25 grueling vegan days of rice, lentils, mustard greens, noodles, barley stew, and boiled potatoes (and one glorious night of smoky ... More Comments (51)
Have It Your Way Published Sept. 23, 2009
Don’t cry for Laurel. It has gone to a far better place. Reincarnated as Cucina Urbana, you can now hang your hat (on the back ... More Comments (4)
Free-Range Grazing Published Sept. 16, 2009
Alchemy doesn’t turn lead into gold, but its kitchen does turn good ingredients into palate-pleasers. Open seven months and well populated since Day One, it ... More Comments (2)
Feasting on Olympus Published Sept. 9, 2009
Looking at the $20 menus for upcoming Restaurant Week, the sole temptation was Apollonia — but clicking to the website menu, I realized I wanted ... More Comments (2)
Crab Bag Published Sept. 2, 2009
Truluck’s is a Florida-based surf-and-turf house specializing in crabs — above all, Florida stone crabs, but also Maine Jonahs, Pacific Dungeness, never-frozen (they claim) Alaskan ... More Comments (8)
Sail Away Published Aug. 26, 2009
“Hotel restaurant” used to be shorthand for “What’s that slop you’re eating?” — back in the era of moldy “colonial” inns and all-one-mold “family” chains ... More Comment (1)
Seasonal Bouquet Published Aug. 19, 2009
What a difference nine years makes, just 80,000 little hours. Over those years, Mille Fleurs has mellowed markedly, adapting to leaner times. This major mood ... More Post a comment
Over the Airplanes Published Aug. 12, 2009
A few months ago, some guy from some burg like Dubuque emailed the paper, asking which restaurants he should try during a few days’ visit ... More Post a comment
Half a Glass Published July 29, 2009
Everything about Glass Door makes it a delightful, entertaining restaurant — except the food. On the fourth floor of a new hotel in Little Italy, ... More Comments (22)
Top of the World, Ma! Published July 22, 2009
La Valencia is a sheerly gorgeous hotel. Walking through that Spanish-Moorish tiled lobby en route to the Sky Room elevator, you want to sell your ... More Comments (4)
In the Realm of the Senses Published July 15, 2009
Marine Room kicks off this summer’s unofficial series on “Rooms with a View — and Bargains, Too.” The small tradeoff that recession brings to visitors ... More Comments (5)
Oh, Tempura, Oh, Morels! Published July 8, 2009
I’ve got stripes, stripes around my shoulders, I’ve got chains, chains around my legs…— Johnny Cash (based on Leadbelly’s “On a Monday”) For months I’ve ... More Comments (13)
Gimme More Turkey Published July 1, 2009
Pasha drew my eye with an ad in this paper, including a coupon for a freebie appetizer platter. Hmm...a new bargain destination? Worth trying? I ... More Comments (3)
Another Side of BBQ Published June 24, 2009
And now, for a completely different style of barbecue: Japanese yakiniku. Sensei Shima, Samurai Jim’s martial-arts teacher, favors Suzuya for it; Jim and his fellow ... More Comments (7)
Smoking or Non? Published June 10, 2009
Is it myth or truth that white men can’t “Q”? (Got your attention? Kickle kickle.) Barbecue — meaning Southern-style barbecue — is a black art ... More Comments (70)
Arias on the Plate Published June 3, 2009
Old-time San Diegans remember when the Gaslamp Quarter was getting over its “Hey, sailor” sleaze-phase and Horton Plaza was new. Italian restaurants serving affordable food ... More Post a comment
Cook Like a Chef — but Fast Published May 27, 2009
As the economic climate has turned even the well employed into the “working worried,” people accustomed to eating most dinners out are cooking at home ... More Comments (9)
Pursuit of Happy Hours Published May 6, 2009
“Sometimes life is so good,” I sighed, sipping my dirt-cheap caipirinha. Sam and I watched the ferry pull into the Coronado pier, disgorging commuters marching ... More Comments (9)
La Mesa Goes Downtown Published April 29, 2009
When the new Gio took over the space of the old Village Garden, the charming neighborhood of La Mesa Village acquired something like a “downtown-y” ... More Comments (2)
Magic Published April 22, 2009
“There may be trouble ahead/ But while there’s moonlight and music/ And love and romance/ Let’s face the music and dance.” Irving Berlin wrote that ... More Comments (2)
For Frugal Foodies Published April 15, 2009
Happiness is an ice-cold strawberry Bellini at Bite, made with the first berries of spring, and a $20 four-course dinner from a chef who can ... More Comment (1)
Feeling Puckish Published April 1, 2009
It’s odd to think of a glitzy, Angeleno Wolfgang Puck restaurant on a bucolic, wooded college campus, but Jai (pronounced “jay,” like the bird) is ... More Post a comment
Ota, Too Published March 25, 2009
It’s just beautiful — elegant and spare. Blue lights illuminate the lower half of Hane’s windows all around — useful, since I’m not sure the ... More Comment (1)
The Ambassador of Abyssinia Published March 18, 2009
Take my word, the cuisine of the Horn of Africa is fabulous — but to know that, you have to taste it; and in San ... More Post a comment
Cheap Steak Serenade Published March 11, 2009
What is Golden Hill’s edgy Turf Supper Club, along with its tattooed waitresses, doing out in the wilds of La Mesa? Same as it ever ... More Comments (6)
He's Not There Published March 4, 2009
“Mickey Two” (Samurai Jim’s friend, not his squeeze) put out the word: James Beard award–winner and Michelin two-star New York chef Christopher Lee (currently seen ... More Post a comment
At Last, True Thai Published Feb. 25, 2009
Before I write specifically about Sab-E-Lee, you need to know a little about the Thai region called Isaan, Isan, Issan, or Esarn — in English ... More Comments (15)
The Big Eat Published Feb. 18, 2009
I’d been eating in low-down dives for months. Some were high-rent dives, with coastside views that give them an exaggerated sense of their own value, ... More Post a comment
Crabby Mood Published Feb. 11, 2009
This is the winter of my discontent, following the autumn of my growing grouchiness, and the summer of my increasing reservations. It’s the economy, stupid ... More Comment (1)
Some Enchanted Evening Published Feb. 4, 2009
Valentine’s Day is the year’s biggest night for restaurants. Who doesn’t love love? For some it’s proposal night; for others, a renewal of vows. Or ... More Comments (2)
Jim and the Volcano Published Jan. 28, 2009
After nearly nine years in San Diego, I’d never been to any of the Bully’s restaurants and felt a tad guilty about my ignorance of ... More Comments (3)
Pisco Sours and "Kung Fu" Squid Published Jan. 14, 2009
Vagabond was a sensation when it opened in the spring of ’06. As the realtors say, it had a huge edge: location (times three). Restaurateurs ... More Comments (2)
The Chain of Spain Published Jan. 7, 2009
Spain’s on the same latitude as New York, so in winter the rain in Spain must mainly be a pain. I love eating Spanish food ... More Post a comment
2008: The Year in Food Published Dec. 30, 2008
Where has all the foie gras gone, long time passing? These are bad times! Don’t it just make you wanna throw your shoes at someone? ... More Comments (10)
Restaurant Porn, Italian Style Published Dec. 23, 2008
Olivetto is no relation to the fabled Oliveto up north in the Rockridge District of Oakland — there’s no Paul Bertolli in the kitchen, creating ... More Post a comment
Sushi for All Seasons Published Dec. 17, 2008
After looking over the interesting, many-page menu at Azuki, and after trying the miso soup and the first “test roll” (uni, of course) to the ... More Post a comment
French-Kissed Comfort Food Published Dec. 10, 2008
For a few decades — roughly Carter through Clinton — old-fashioned French restaurants seemed increasingly vieux chapeaux, in view of the lighter, cleaner-flavored “new French” ... More Post a comment
Modigliani Mussels, Absinthe Fountain Published Dec. 3, 2008
The current may have swept away the Currant I reviewed glowingly a year ago, but it hasn’t drowned the restaurant’s civilized atmosphere. Last spring, big-shot ... More Comments (2)
Nicole Should Be a Mousse Published Nov. 25, 2008
Recession? You’d never know it if you judged by Illume (pronounced ill-LOOM, no accent on the e) and by the light but constant pedestrian traffic ... More Post a comment
Exit the Turkey — Give Thanks Published Nov. 19, 2008
Printing a list of restaurants open for Thanksgiving has become a Reader tradition, and it’s worth noting up front that nearly every restaurant open for ... More Post a comment
The Kindest Comforts Published Nov. 12, 2008
The Curse of Samurai Jim struck again — third time in a row. We were heading for a new Caribbean place in the Gaslamp, but ... More Post a comment
Live Butchers — Live! Published Nov. 5, 2008
Face it, the meats at most local chain supermarkets are roadkill. Plumped with antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides and raised in crowded pens ankle-deep in their ... More Comments (4)
Lucky Jinx Published Oct. 29, 2008
Is Samurai Jim a jinx on bargain-price restaurants? Last time it was a vanished barbecue joint that sent us fleeing to the very minor mercies ... More Comments (2)
Heat Lightning Published Oct. 22, 2008
Enter the Dragon! I am breathing fire after enjoying the spicy cuisine of Szechuan every night for a week. One of my favorite occasional email ... More Post a comment
Short on Green? Go Green Published Oct. 15, 2008
"Why did you choose this restaurant?" asked my friend Mark en route to Tender Greens. A fair question, to be sure, since I'm scarcely one ... More Post a comment
Brought Up by Wolves Published Oct. 8, 2008
"Let's do it," said Naomi. Wow. I never thought she'd agree. I wanted her to show me what's going on with these new, like, artisanal ... More Comment (1)
The Second Childhood of Suzy Creamcheese Published Oct. 1, 2008
Welcome back, Baby Boomers and suburban-raised Gen Xers, to your childhoods. Minus, of course, bedwetting, skinned knees, dorky shoes, schoolyard bullies, mean girls, broken skates, ... More Comment (1)
The Movable Feast Returns Published Sept. 24, 2008
Of all the “charity eat-a-thons” in this town, my favorite by far is the Chef Celebration, a series of extraordinary banquets crafted by some of ... More Post a comment
- « View Older Restaurant Review Articles
- View Newer Restaurant Review Articles »
