Feast! Entries for November, 2012

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Pappalecco: True Cafeistas!

The coffee and the game's the thing, come rain or rain

Walking up Cedar tonight, with the rain splotting down. Come by Pappalecco (1602 State Street, on the corner with Cedar, ...

Vegan pit-stop: Soy contento!

Whole Foods lunch in Encinitas is quick and disgustingly healthy

Passing Whole Foods around one in the afternoon (Whole Foods, 687 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, 760-274-1580). See a bunch ...

Grabbing a (Healthy?) Bite at the Mall

When I heard about a "great new healthy restaurant" from a friend who is a proponent of "cleanses," I thought, ...

Tour de Cheesesteak: stage 4

The Tour heads to Pacific Beach for non-Philly steaks

I had a harder than expected time finding Pop’s Jersey Style Cheesesteaks in Pacific Beach. What is it with these ...

Café Sabina: The room upstairs

Little literary hideaway in Tijuana delivers world's best panini?

Tijuana: I come out of La Tasquita (see La Tasquita yesterday’s blog), the world’s smallest pub, and head left up ...

Small beer big in TJ

"Artisanal" beers explode in our sister city. Best place to find them? A tiny triangle

On Agua Caliente Boulevard, 9:00 p.m. Rubbing my eyes. Whu? Because in front of me, here beside where the old ...

Tour de Cheesesteak: stage 3

North County food court cheesesteak delivers poor performance on day three of the tour

Here’s what happened: I went all the way up to Mira Mesa to try and find a place called “Moose’s,” ...

Tour de Cheesesteak: stage 2

The tour continues into North Park for "homestyle" sandwiches

Planted firmly across the street from Lefty’s North Park, Eddie’s Place seems to have taken a class on interior decoration ...

Fielders' choice

Venerable Irish pub lands farm-to-table chef

Brandon Brooks has left the building. That building is the firehouse at Liberty Station converted into a combination grocery and ...

Davanti Enoteca: Top 50!

The Mia Francesca spin-off in Little Italy gets national recognition

Schussing down India t’other night. Happy hour crowds starting to fill the heated sidewalk patios. Had a Christmassy feel about ...

Heritage-infused brewing

Ramona's first brewery to revive uncommon styles

Once upon a time, beer in San Diego consisted mainly of but a few styles: hefeweizens, amber ales, brown ales, ...

Tour de cheesesteaks

Stage one: sampling the fare at San Diego's most established cheesesteak operation

Back in June, I ate at the Philly Grill in North Park and it didn’t blow my mind or anything. ...

Ma Eugenia’s: mole heaven!

Totally traditional stew house has the mole of moles

“This is mole Poblano, meaning, from the state of Puebla, where mole was born,” says Alfredo. He’s just handed me ...

White: Out

Ex-Counterpoint chef going the pop-up route

Chefing is a transient line of work. It’s common for culinary professionals from exec chef on down to prep cook ...

Like a phoenix!

Lil B's: different name, different location, still totally "Gay Denny's"

Everyone was shocked, and many were disappointed, when Brian’s American Eatery closed its doors. The closure came out of the ...

Burgers, brew, and bourbon

Eureka! Burger brings booze and buns to the UTC mall

Yet another burger chain is set to hit San Diego soon. The newly revamped UTC mall in University City will ...

Ramen Quest Continues

As winter approaches in San Diego, my endless quest for the perfect bowl of ramen continues. Right now, my favorite ...

Nibbles & Sips at 100 Wines

I knew 100 Wines -- the latest bistro to pop up in the heart of Hillcrest -- was the newborn ...

Thinking inside the box – Part 2

Notes and factoids on the rest of The Lost Abbey Ultimate Box Set

Yesterday, I rode the spirit of Thanksgiving overindulgence, sharing tasting notes on the first four beers in the dozen-strong set ...

Manj kreyol

Haitian Cuisine proves less than exemplary, but not without its bright spots

I have been eyeballing the new Haitian restaurant in City Heights for a little while now. They’ve been open about ...

RakiRaki

I was en route to one of my favorite lunch spots on Convoy (I'm talking about Tofu House, when I ...

Thanksgiving? You gotta be joking

Is this the final word on Turkey Day?

Last night, eating the usual toikey and pumpkin pie with Carla and a bunch of rellies. Jokes started flying… -What ...

Carnitas Snack Shack revisited

Carnitas Snack Shack (2632 University Ave) had a recent makeover. The seating in the back was limited with two hightop ...

Thinking inside the box – Part 1

Whetting beer fans' appetite for The Lost Abbey's Ultimate Box Set

There are plenty of reasons for excitement this weekend. For one thing, it brings double the days off for most ...

Mr. Mallard

I didn't know I was on a quest for exotic fowl, but it's apparently at an end!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Some people get (justifiably) butt-hurt over the atrocities of American colonialism this time of year, but this ...

Thanksgiving, streetside

Anonymous mealmakers turn up at a downtown parking lot

Dusk, last night, downtown. We're just above the rack of bank skyscrapers, between A and Ash at Fourth. The line’s ...

So, what are you drinking tomorrow?

If you're doing a traditional turkey dinner, and you're planning on drinking wine, please let me put in a word ...

Go home, Sanders...and brew!

San Diego's craft beer community sends Jerry Sanders off in style

As I keep reminding readers, though prevalent in San Diego, craft beer as an industry is still in its infancy. ...

Bad Ass: badass?

Coffee franchise stacks up reasonably well against the best

Franchises and chains always tip their hand early. I actually think it has something to do with the way the ...

Kealani’s Thanksgiving party, tonite!

You’re invited, as long as you’re homeless

Kealani Keliinoi is throwing a Thanksgiving party, tonight at five. Anybody who's homeless or feeling the pinch in Encinitas is ...

Cheesy Italian

Sometimes, a meal turns into a pleasant surprise even when the food isn't anything special

Seriously? That was the gist of my thoughts when I was outside Sanfilippo’s in Bankers Hill, about to walk in ...

25Forty: A la famiglia!

Meal with wine for $7.50?

How can you make a sausage look like a million bucks? Come to Old Town. I did, t’other night. Right ...

Wish for knish

This Hillcrest restaurant throws down with big plates of deli food

Confession: I had always assumed that City Delicatessen in Hillcrest would suck. The internal system of hints and warnings, which ...

The last happy hour

Coolest wine cabana in town folds its tent

Who knew? I was heading up Congress in Old Town last night, and suddenly remembered this über-cool place I had ...

Broke at the Pearly Gates

Looking at hunger from above and below the poverty line

I can’t claim I know what it’s like to be homeless, chronically unemployed, or otherwise societally dispossessed. I’d guess I ...

I was first

Now, you must go get these special, Nordic popovers this weekend!

I don’t often get to say this, but I know for a fact I’m the first person to have the ...

My Beer Radar - ¡Tres!

Big breaking news on brewer Jeff Bagby's next chapter

Shortly after posting the second of what had been planned as my two-part “My Beer Radar” series, I received some ...

My Beer Radar - ¡Dos!

And now, new brewhouses coming to already beery 'hoods

Yesterday, I focused on three upcoming brewing companies touching down in neighborhoods that don't yet have their own brewhouses. Today, ...

My Beer Radar - ¡Uno!

Brewing companies planning to enter brewhouse-less communities

It felt good getting back in the groove this week—reporting on interesting, previously unreported, barely skimmed, or completely unknown San ...

Brunch at the Patio on Lamont

As we were being led to our table at the newly opened Patio on Lamont, our hostess pointed out the ...

Not an underground sensation

Sandwich chain bites at coffee market, achieves adequate parity

Passing by it over and over again in Hillcrest, I’ve had the same thoughts as most people. Chiefly, what the ...

Strong Beer: We Have A Winner…

Don’t blink. You’re passing the champion pub you never noticed

I just about did pass this by, even after I noticed the funny beer signs. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/14/35492/ It's right by the ...

Mission: Possible?

New brewing company looking to make a go of it at Mission Brewery Plaza

Many have lamented the fact that Mission Brewery Plaza (2150 Washington Street, Five Points) is once again dormant. The facility, ...

One more juice bar

It turns out that Grantville has a very good juice and torta shop with spicy sweets and tostilocos to boot!

Just when you think that all the juice has been drunk, the smoothies sipped, and tortas nibbled, another option in ...

Back to the beer old days

How old are these old beer signs?

Hauling up Broadway, caught these signs in the window of The Beer Co (602 Broadway, downtown, 619-398-0707). What I wonder ...

Drinking with G-Men

Freebies for folks in the right place at the right time

You have to notice it. Walk through the inner plaza of Civic Center and it comes at you: Power, radiating ...

5 Cents' Worth

Something new en route for Julian...craft beer company coexistence

Of all the blips on my local beer radar, there’s one that’s been blinking red longer than any other. It’s ...

Schooled

At Village Vino, the staff doesn't pull any punches in terms of wine

Back in July, Mary Beth Abate did a thorough job of getting at what Village Vino is all about. The ...

Rush lobster job at The Local

No time to finsh the lobster, a lifetime to regret it

You know how things you have to rush are the best? You kinda have memory flashes of the hot dog ...

Downtown Magnolia tribute

Field folks reveal plans for new Gaslamp brewpub inspired by SF's Magnolia

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was San Diego Beer Week, a 10-day ...

Warm and toasty North County coffee stop

The chilly weather over the weekend put a damper on one of my favorite activities: sitting outside cafes and drinking ...

Beer Week Basics: Fezziwig's

Concluding this week's getting-to-know-you five-parter with a look at rookie Fezziwig's Brewing Company.

Here we are, on our final stop on this San Diego Beer Week-inspired series of posts devoted to telling the ...

Dinner with Karl

As promised, a reflection on class hierarchy and restaurants!

A little while back, I was reading through A Framework for Understanding Poverty, by Ruby Payne. The book mostly deals ...

New kebabs on the block

Add another layer to the recent history of the building at 1290 University. In January, I wrote about how the ...

Confusion at Infuzon

Ed crashes private party at the Park and Market trolley stop.

“This is usually Thomas Jefferson Lawsuit Night,” says Brandon. Say what? I’ve just popped across from the Park and Market ...

Beer Week Basics: New English

An English lesson or, more aptly, a lesson in New English, as in San Diego's New English Brewing Company.

The first three businesses I focused on in my five-part series on local breweries in honor of San Diego Beer ...

Mission Hills' mini coffee spot

On principle, I’m a fan of being able to get coffee outside. It makes a lot of sense to avoid ...

Toni's Weincakes: Post-election comfort food?

Toni Weinfurtner is pushing the limits in the cupcake kingdom

This is a cupcake? “It’s my French Toast cupcake,” says Toni. “It has bacon bits and maple butter cream frosting, ...

Beer Week Basics: AleSmith

Information on the evolution of AleSmith Brewing Company and the beers that drove its ascent.

Day three of this five-part San Diego Beer Week examination of five brewing companies takes us to hallowed ground for ...

Mr. Chick

It wouldn’t fit into the list of pure awesomeness that was Ambrose Martin’s Fried Chicken Survey from the Feast! issue ...

Beer Week Basics: Hess

The who, what, when, and where about rapidly-growing local company, Hess Brewing.

Part two of this San Diego Beer Week-inspired getting-to-know-you series spotlighting individual local brewing companies finds us in the Miramar ...

Celadon

Just ignore the ladies grooving with wildlife

I’m going to (mostly) ignore the fact that Celadon is a Thai-style restaurant specializing in the familiar rice and noodle ...

Dobson's: pâté party!

The cool, politicians' downtown retreat hides one of the most scrumptious pâtés in town.

It’s not the cheapest joint downtown, but it has two things in its favor: One, it’s nearest the bus stop ...

Beer Week Basics: Ballast Point

The low-down on Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits: who they are, what they brew, and where you can get it.

San Diego Beer Week is in full swing. From now through November 11, locals and visitors alike will be abuzz ...

Ebisu

This Hillcrest sushi bar has a few great sashimi specials that give it serious credibility.

I popped into Ebisu in Hillcrest on a whim, tired and hungry and feeling like taking myself out to sushi. ...

Grapes and Hops: New eatery on Market?

Signs of life, where Gaslamp meets East Village

The signs are up. Spotted this ABC Public Notice of Application to Sell Alcoholic Beverages at 933 Market. They’re to ...

One quick trip to the mall later...

Hey, San Diego. I just want you to know I appreciate you.

A while back I ate at, of all places, the Outback Steakhouse. Judge me not. There was a gift certificate ...

San Diego Beer Week: Day Ten

Make the best of the final day of the San Diego Beer 10-Day with these meet-the-brewer events

Sunday, November 11 It’s the last day of San Diego Beer Week. The last chance to get all those special ...

Souper Barrio!

Gayle Covner's day-later veggie soups are keeping the barrio warm

“Believe me,” Gayle Covner tells a reporter. “Soup tastes better a day later.” She’s a pretty famous chef who has ...

Ghouls' night out...it's getting delicious

Day of the Dead is becoming a big deal - and a good deal - at Old Town's Plaza

You thought Halloween was ghoulish? Check out this Day of the Dead menu at the Cosmopolitan Hotel’s restaurant (in Old ...

Subterranean Coffee Boutique

I went berserk at my phone trying to find the new coffee place in North Park via Google. I had ...

Dogs and dogs

When the bar allows pets, should we call the tubular meats frankfurters to avoid confusion?

I don’t know why it took me so long to notice that this new-ish bar and drill in Hillcrest was ...

San Diego Beer Week: Day Nine

Don't slow down during SD Beer Week's home stretch...here's the best of Day 9

Saturday, November 10 10 a.m. – Ballast Point Beer Brunch Looking for a good reason to check out the new ...