Salt and Cleaver: moonshine, brats, and duck confit
Ian Pike 1:37 p.m., May 23
Black Mountain (Road)Side: Surati Farsan Mart
The miserable traffic on Miramar Road gave me the perfect excuse to wait it out at Surati Farsan Mart at ...
By the sea at WindanSea Cafe
I'm in Bird Rock today, doing some errands, so lunch is going to be a quick sandwich. Besides, since Thanksgiving ...
Cobbler Tuesday?
My $3 meal with Barrio Star (see below) has left me with five bucks. Walking down past Extraordinary Desserts (2929 ...
The One-Taco Dinner
On Fifth Avenue, tramping uphill, north. Get to Nutmeg Street, St. Paul’s cathedral. It’s five o’clock. Unbelievable pink sunset. And ...
New Name for a Brew That’s Still a Treasure
It’s hard to find fault with anything produced to raise money to fight breast cancer. I mean, who does that? ...
The Yellow Beehive
Hey hey! Another candidate for Best Sidewalk Patio. Was waiting for the bus just south of University up in Hillcrest ...
It’s About Time: Killer BBQ Comes to Town
You walk in, see the skyscraper-like trophies strewn throughout Brazen BBQ Smokehouse and Bar and immediately assume whoever is responsible ...
Serious Rising: Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria
I love pizza. New York style, Neopolitan, Chicago style, thin, thick, red, white, I don't care. I have a few ...
Un-Leftover Friday: UnderBelly
I spent last Tuesday-Thursday in my kitchen, getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. So by Friday, I was dying to see ...
Caffe Vergnano: Sign of the (Opening) Times
Went striding confidently up to Caffe Vergnano 1882 (3850 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest, 619-255-1882) the other night. Always liked their Olde ...
Street Surprise
You never know where your next tamale is coming from. Mine’s come from here, at 16th and Imperial. Was crossing ...
A Jiggerful of Judgment at El Dorado
Last week, I wrote about serving as a judge for the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival. Experiences like ...
Bobby Flay and Local Chef Rumble in Kitchen Stadium
It’s shot in a studio, lit within an inch of its life, and hosted by a hokey acrobat-slash-actor playing the ...
The Port of San Diego?
“First real coffee house in California,” says the sign. Oh. Guess I’m the last to find it. This is Café ...
Rainy Days and Sundays: Union Kitchen & Tap
We get about three days of rain in San Diego, so why do they all seem to happen on the ...
How to Eat Burgers Raw
Oh boy. All that turkey… Lessee. Healthy alternative? I’m looking up at the green menu board here at Evolution (used ...
Hall of Dreams
Oh, man. I'm holding my belly, full as a bull. I come out from Father Joe's Thanksgiving lunch (1501 Imperial ...
Beer and Cacao Worthy of Serious Buzz
When Friday comes around, I embrace my vocational freedom in tandem with a few cold ones. Last week, my workweek-erasing ...
El Porvenir: The Sign in the Window
I’m worried about El Porvenir Tortilla Factory (1782 National Avenue, Barrio Logan, 619-233-4038), home of the Most Awesome Burritos in ...
Most Colorful Pizza?
Hauling up through Little Italy. Couldn’t resist stopping by Landini’s Pizzeria, the most colorful eatery on India. Of course the ...
Free Turkey Lunch: Lining Up on JFK Day
It's one of those talky moments. We're all waiting to register with Mike for the lunch tomorrow. "Hey, it's 11-22," ...
Eating History
Ooh. Don't you just love the smell of tamales in the morning? Sitting with Marisol Arteaga and her friend Maria ...
Thanksgiving: Setting Up Pavo Day
Hey, Thanksgiving's two days away! So what about those of us who can't be cooking a giant turkey? Well for ...
Food and Wine with a Side of Scrutiny
The doorway gave way to a room awash with white. Dozens of individuals clad in chef’s coats were shooting the ...
One Lump or Two?
Monday morning in the city. How do you feel like you're in Paris and not shell out megabucks? Come right ...
A Proper Brunch: Proper Gastropub
I'm not a brunch person, and I almost never drink Bloody Marys (unless I'm in Las Vegas, where Bloody Marys ...
Winds of Change in Coronado
Wow. Blink in Coronado, and a place has closed or another’s opening up. Latest: Stretch’s, the much-loved locovore health-food eatery: ...
Teff Love at Asmara Eritrean Restaurant
What’s the difference between Eritrean food and Ethiopian food? According to the owner of Asmara Eritrean and Ethiopian Restaurant, “Just ...
At Aunty Jane’s
Last on our Tour of Revolución… They’ve been open for six decades and in this location for three of those, ...
Buster’s: Catch the Wave
I was on way back from Pier 32 in National City yesterday, and I made a sweet discovery. This was ...
Going the Route Less Traveled at Davanti
Who’d have thought three years ago that brussels sprouts would be one of the trendiest ingredients around? Not me, but ...
Joan Crawford's Bar -- at Brian's
“The dents in the wood,” says Brian. “There. There! Dime sized. Here’s another one. That’s her stilettos when she danced, ...
French-ish
Cafe Bleu has moved to Mission Hills, to a location just a hop, skip, and a jump away from it's ...
Stanbul Express!
How come kebob shops are suddenly everywhere? I’m looking at the answer here. Fact is, you get a lot of ...
It's No Lie...Fuego One Is Hittin' the Road
Bar impresario Scot Blair has a lot on his plate. So much so that the owner of Hamilton's Tavern, Small ...
Eatery on the Edge of the World
Don’t try this at home unless you’ve trained with the Foreign Legion. Kidding, but I swear, what a hike. I ...
The Tipping Point
Oh Lord. This is the part I hate. The tip. Lessee. Ten percent, add half again… “How much?” says Carla. ...
Scarfing Down the Museum's Shrimp...
The second best thing about El Museo (508 Avenida Revolución, by First Street, Tijuana (011.52.664.638-1203) is that you get ten ...
Burgers Smashing into Vista!
I heard about this from my friend Miles. He’s part of the band Red Wizard. They’re playing at the opening ...
Starlite Waging the Battle of the Beauj'
She’s better known for having put together the wine and cocktail program at Starlite, but Kate MacWilliamson has much broader ...
Time, Gentlemen, Please
We did it! Carla and I remembered to hold our breaths at 11.11.11.11.11.11. Meaning eleven seconds past eleven minutes past ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Ten
With roughly 500 events from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls, San Diego Beer Week can be ...
Hemingway Sat Here?
“Ernest Hemingway sat right in that corner,” says one of the managers of the Chiki Jai Basque Restaurant (corner of ...
Craft Cocktails? How About Draft Cocktails?
So now I’m across the road, and, you might say, across the social divide. Clue: bunch of fixies leaning on ...
King of Quiz
“Okay, first question,” says Tom. He’s standing on the stage where Napoleon Complex will be playing later. “More people are ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Nine
With roughly 500 events from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls, San Diego Beer Week can be ...
Kebabalicious!
Here is the news: The Middle East has just conquered Europe and is making serious advances across North America. You ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Eight
With roughly 500 events from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls, San Diego Beer Week can be ...
Malarkey Going Ubiquitous
Goodbye, Gio's Bistro in La Mesa; hello, Gingham. Brian Malarkey is becoming a one-man chain (a new Cohn?), with cloth-named ...
Happy (Hour) Blues
Dang. Just missed the Blue Line heading south. Standing at the Fitth Avenue trolley stop. Fifteen minutes to kill. Hmm. ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Seven
With roughly 500 events from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls, San Diego Beer Week can be ...
Veteran's Day Specials for Vets
At Sea Rocket (30th & Upas, 255-7049), 11/11 brings a "Salute the Troops" dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Three ...
White Truffle Dinner at Bice
The chefs at Bice (425 Island Avenue, Gaslamp, 619-239-2423) have gotten ahold of an enormous Italian white truffle (worth thousands) ...
Reborn in TJ: Beautiful Claudia's Eggnog Cake
!Qué lástima! I'm at the top of Revolución in TJ, 7th street, and it’s happened. La Belle Claude, my favorite ...
Nobu? No Way. But That’s Okay.
The most popular eatery on Broadway? I’m betting this place right next to the Spreckels Theater. Sushi Deli 2. And ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Six
With roughly 500 events from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls, San Diego Beer Week can be ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Five
With nearly 500 events -- ranging from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls -- San Diego Beer ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Four
With roughly 500 hundred events ranging from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls, San Diego Beer Week ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Three
With roughly 500 hundred events from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable free-for-alls, San Diego Beer Week can ...
Pizza Revolución?
TJ Week continues! I have just come out from an arcade where artists and musicians are making this feel like ...
Welcome to Pozolandia!
So after all the sightings of food for the dead, I’m kinda dying for some food myself. Come across this ...
Bread for the Dead, TJ Style
Down TJ way. Last night. November first was for the kids (like our Halloween). Last night, the second of November, ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day Two
With hundreds of events (448 at the time of this writing) from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue fermentable ...
Pastrami Wars: the Barrio
"We get around," says Mike. "And this place is good." Ron and Mike He and Ron are with CSI scaffolding, ...
San Diego Beer Week: Day One
With hundreds of events (over 400 at the time of this writing) from pint nights to festivals and all-out, multi-venue ...
The Missing Point in Del Mar's Chef Triangle
Last month, I reported that the former chef at Pacifica Del Mar, Evan Cruz, pulled up stakes and bid adieu ...
Speaking of Wine Dinners...
For better or for worse, there's but a small percentage of chefs who go Tony Gwynn, spending their entire careers ...
Really Delicious (Looking) Hot Dogs in Coronado
I was at Bay Books (1029 Orange Avenue) for their 20th anniversary/20 percent off sale yesterday. Trick or treating was ...
