Ed wants accordions and romance. Is he asking too much?

Standing at Fifth and Laurel. The choice: Cucina Urbana, Hexagone, Pizzicato Pizza, or the kind of anonymous-looking Gourmet on 5th. So okay, costwise, the choice is just between the last two. The others would wreck the en-tire week's budget. I …

The brand-new Park Blvd Express is all dressed up and ready. So when can we break chopsticks?

It's not open yet, but it's yea close. You swear you can smell the pork fried rice already. And you can see: everyone at the Park and Market trolley stop is kinda on tenterhooks. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/oct/07/54475/ This is Park Blvd Express …

The Good Fork, aka Buona Forchetta, has the best patio for chowing and watching the crowds

I'm hauling through South Park. Lotta people. Oh yeah. Their Walkabout's happening. Jump off the #2 at Fern and Beech. Have to see what my latest favorite patio's doing. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/oct/05/54332/ This is Buona Forchetta (3001 Beech Street, 619-381-4844), the Italian …

New cafe ups the ante for hangout spots.

Filter North Park’s departure left the neighborhood shy one coffee house. The opening of Young Hickory on the site of the ex-Filter at 4096 30th Street addresses the lacuna, and then some. The expensive and extensive remodel was more than …

A conclusion (of sorts) and a trip to Mexican Fiesta in Little Italy.

All the searching and it’s come to this: Mexican Fiesta (1460 India Street) in Little Italy. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/oct/03/54184/ Developed buildings reach for the sky all around, but this squat taco stand resists the passage of years, crumbling in on itself like …

Ed expects great things from the library café...

New library, open! Been waiting for this. Not because of the thousands of books and snooze-spots that have opened up. But because they were going to have a café in the forecourt. Place to have Deep Thoughts and eat at …

Tracking the origin of the most famous tacoburgers of all time at Danny's Palm Bar in Coronado.

There’s this taco shop in North Park. El Sol, it’s called. Ed Bedford wrote a Tin Fork in which he told the compelling story of Nacho, the restaurant’s owner. If Bedford’s to be believed, Nacho is one of the most …

Yes, Virginia, there are affordable deals in La Jolla

Psst. Wanna eat cheap in La Jolla? And drink? Point one, hit happy hour, point two, make sure you’re at Jose’s Courtroom (1037 Prospect Street, La Jolla, 858-454-7655). Specially on a Tuesday. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/oct/01/54070/ Taco Tuesday's taco deals extend beyond the …

Tiki Bar's an oasis hidden in plain sight near, well, the busiest crossing in the world.

Come here at sunset. Even though you can turn up any time of day or night. Because the Tiki Bar is open 24/7. And actually it's not a bar. It's a glorified coffee cart. Whatever, sunset is the time. This …

Busalacchi group replaces L'Angolino with a flashier, seafood-centric version of itself.

Apparently, the Busalacchi-owned L’Angolino North End Lounge wasn’t cutting it. The successful group, which seems to comprise half the restaurants in Little Italy, gave the former “little corner” a facelift. NE Lounge (1971 India Street), presumably for the “north end” …

Ed gets drunk on Mole Poblano, yards from the border fence

You can call this every cliché in the book...the hidden jewel, the Shangri-Là, whatever. Fact is right here, yards south of the border... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/27/53838/ ...in the Casa del Mole (543 Aquiles Serdan, Colonia Libertad, 011.52.664.682-9074) delivers mole poblano like I've …

Downtown's Blind Burro puts an upscale twist on the humble tacoburger.

Nobody ever said the tacoburger would be forever relegated to plebian restaurants. Nothing stops high-concept ventures from mining taco shop culture and developing a next-generation burger for the upwardly mobile. In the restaurants Downtown, some of which are as far …

Ed gets a lucky beer-taco break on the way to the bus

So I'm coming down 13th, heading for the 12th and Imperial bus and trolley stop. Smell of, well, corn twitches my nose. Look left, and there outside Mission Brewery (¡100 years old this year!) is this food truck I've never …

At the Tin Can Ale House, Dood's Foods innovates the tacoburger still further.

If taco shops can take ownership over hamburgers, what’s to say that hamburger shops can’t take charge with some tacos, or, more precisely, burritos? Dood’s Foods at the Tin Can Alehouse in Bankers Hill (1863 5th Avenue, 619-381-2756) doesn’t see …

When the coals are glowing at Pollos El Tio, the whole neighborhood knows Oscar's Sinaloa chicken is on its way

The smoke wafts past your nose. The sabroso smell. Then you spot the chimney, shooting white puffs like the Vatican announcing a new Pope. I'm up in Tijuana's Colonia Libertad. This community is like a small town in its own …

It's all about the plancha at Benny's Mexican Food in Golden Hill.

During the day, it just looks quaint, maybe even homey. After dark, Benny’s Mexican Food (1244 30th Street, 619-238-1740) in Golden Hill has some horror movie qualities. It looks closed even when it’s open, as if to say, “You shouldn’t …

A trip to La Fuente and a brief primer on why anyone would want to dedicate serious time to the idea of taco shop cheeseburgers.

Surf the web a little. Read about burgers. It’s a bigger topic than you might think. Here in San Diego, the gold standard is obviously In-N-Out. Any chef trying to foist a $14 burger on the populace has to be …

Fruit, granola, and yes, vegan donuts at Krakatoa

Bonk! The fig hits my head and bounces onto the table. Nobody even turns and looks. Anak the raccoon-striped café cat, runs around the tree-crowded balcony to smell the fruit. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/23/53582/ And to beg for scrapings of butter from customers. …

Ed tries to get through a super burger and a full bottle of wine. Something's got to give

Heh heh. Been meaning to do this for a lawng time. Test of manhood. Come here to the IB Forum... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/20/53486/ ...the last restaurant in America, right? - on a Thursday night and order their Ultimate Gut-Buster Burger and a …

Downtown sashimi spot offers a look at the history of sushi and the key to sake pairing.

There’s more to sushi than California rolls, globs of mock wasabi, and too much soy sauce. Unroll the history and traditions of this Japanese staple with Asian fusion eatery RA Sushi (474 Broadway – Downtown), who will be holding their …