How to survive Yosemite in July
Amy Beddows 5:26 p.m., June 18
Ice cream wars: Sorbet from Sicily?
Nearly seven at night. Gaslamp. Hot. Harried. Hungry. Have a Hamilton. Or two. Hovering around …“Hardware?” “San Diego Hardware,” says ...
Sevilla celebrating veinticinco años
A quarter century is a long time—especially in the restaurant industry, and especially in San Diego’s eats scene. Definitely something ...
Pannikin La Jolla: Triumph through Patio Superiority
Easy question: what's the most important thing about a coffee shop? Easy answer: the coffee. That's also the wrong answer. ...
Clayton’s Mex Kitchen: It’s Hot in Here!
Spare a thought for the suffering chefs and cooks of our fair city. These days are hot enough outside. In ...
Dîner en Blanc: White the heck?
You know an idea has merit when somebody copies it. In May, a group did just that with a concept ...
7-Election: the most accurate poll?
I saw the sign pasted up in the window of a local 7-Eleven. "Help yourself to a steaming hot cup ...
Cuatro Milpas: Love the smell of lard-fried tacos in the morning
Had to check the Most Beloved Taco Shop in the Galaxy. That it had re-opened, that is. Las Cuatro Milpas ...
Wanton Sandwiches and More at The Promiscuous Fork
The name “The Promiscuous Fork” begs for an explanation. Since this La Jolla/Bird Rock restaurant also has a good-looking menu, ...
My fave pickle prep found in the Gaslamp
I love all of my friends, but I’d be lying if said I don’t harbor just a smidge more affection ...
Victorious menu expansion for the "Urban Palate"
So far, it looks like Empire House is making a serious bid to break the curse that's hung around its ...
Happy hour at The Spot
The Spot in La Jolla has been around just about forever. The building itself dates back to 1900, when it ...
Sausages’re off, love
Sausage alert on India Street! Jerry, the cook who’s just as much an institution as Pete of Pete’s Quality Meats ...
Tasty mobile pizza oven surprise
Two rapidly growing business types that, in taking flight, have dovetailed together nicely over the past few years are brewery ...
Handmade Pasta
Located near the beginning of Orange, soon after that broad avenue peels away from the Strand, Island Pasta in Coronado ...
Best Way to Start the Week? Menudo!
They say beat the heat with heat. So here I am in Barrio Logan looking for that sign at the ...
RBI's annual Beer Vs. Wine melee
Back in May, I reported El Bizcocho, the fine dining spot at Rancho Bernardo Inn, was closing in order to ...
Breakfast "extravaganza" at El Zarape
The big, yellow sign stretched across the corner of El Zarape on Adams Avenue used exactly that word, "extravaganza." How ...
Ice cream challenge: yogurt?!
Frozen yogurt isn't ice cream, this I know. It deserves an honorable mention though because it has many of the ...
Ice Cream Challenge: Freeze-Frame Little Italy
Ice cream wars continue. My new favorite place: Caffe Italia (1704 India Street, 619-234-6767.) Maybe just because I’m feeling hotter ...
Chef Shake-Ups at The Linkery, El Take It Easy
Since coming on as the chef of local farm-to-table restaurateur Jay Porter’s empire, Max Bonacci has had a lot on ...
A bite with Chad White at Counterpoint
The first time I met chef Chad White was when he was working the line at Point Loma’s since closed ...
New cafe offers tapas and sangria
The spot is on University Avenue between a smoke shop and an Ethiopian restaurant and, until recently, it was occupied ...
Café terraces: Bigger is better?
Jes’ thinking about the whole café awning issue (see Outdoor cafes: Gimme shelter!") I was complaining that café owners and ...
New social dining application thinks positive about food
There is this idea in business called the 80/20 rule. It has many permutations, but one of the most common ...
Fezziwig's Brewing set for soft open
Remember the Carlsbad-based brewhouse-in-progress with the steam-punk logo I reported on back in July? No? Well allow me to reacquaint ...
Industrial park Indian food
I'm a self-confessed devotee of South Indian food: give me idli and sambar and keep the fork! That doesn't mean ...
Fresca Deli: Crazy for Tostilocos
What’s loaded with cueritos, jicama, japoneses, pepino, chamoy, saladito, Tajin, Valentina and Tostito chips, costs $5, and is good for ...
First Look: Offbeat Brewing Company
Aside from the obvious lure of fine, hand-crafted beer, one of the most alluring facets of reporting on upcoming brewing ...
Sushi win!
Eda-mami sushi in Del Mar has a few things going for it. A mere stone's throw from Torrey Pines, the ...
Clem's Tap House
Clem's, Kensington's package store of record, opened up a tasting room a little while back to showcase the store's selection ...
Outdoor cafés: Gimme shelter!
What price sunshine? Or rather, what cost sunshine? Was in Coronado the other afternoon. Orange Avenue, in the Village. Sunny ...
Eclipse Chocolat celebrates fifth anniversary with expansion announcement
It’s been five years since Eclipse Chocolat began selling their delicious, innovative artisan chocolates on El Cajon Boulevard in North ...
Poetic Peohe’s: Not just for the rich
“Peohe” in Hawaiian means a gathering of friends. That’s what they tell you here on the clunky plank deck at ...
Sushi fail
All the sushi places within five minutes walk of my casa were closed the other day. All of them except, ...
"Eat at Recess" Food Truck: Grilled Cheese Heaven
Today is Monday and when it came time to think about lunch my mind wandered to thoughts of the yummy ...
Perry's Cafe
When I find a restaurant that is a good value and is already crowded on weekends, my first thought is ...
San Marcos Brewery celebrating others for 19th b-day
I remember when I was 19. It was quite a year for yours truly. I moved out on my own, ...
Gyros, better fries, and pointing fingers at Thomas Keller
I got a tip a while back about a Greek place in the food court by the Von's on Midway ...
Go for the beers, stay for the snacks
Poor House Brewing in North Park isn't much of a bar, at least not yet, although I got the feeling ...
Begin the ice cream challenge
It's been hot. Really hot. That's not all bad because it gives me a chance to go buck wild with ...
1500 Ocean hires well-traveled chef
When there’s chef turnover at one of your favorite restaurants, one becomes rightfully concerned. Under former chef de cuisine, Brian ...
Low-pay sope!
I guess “make it yourself” has never been in my vocabulary. Till now. Talking National City. I was just turning ...
Fish tacos are famous(er)!
My mother forwarded me a link to a Slate.com article that extols the virtues of Baja-style fish tacos. The author ...
The Five Chef Societe
A table of people having a good time is commonplace in a brewery tasting room. So, when I spied such ...
Super secret sourdough
The other day, my friend Emily forwarded me an email from one of her friends. It was about a new ...
Is it OK to eat at cultish places?
You gotta read Barbarella’s piece on eating at The Yellow Deli. I’ve been there (315 East Broadway, Vista, 760-631-1888) a ...
Humphreys Grill at the Sheraton La Jolla Hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered at this approachable hotel dining room. While so many of the "in" restaurants are ...
Saint Archer lands big brewing talent
A recent trip to Hawaii afforded me everything I’d traveled to the islands in search of—cool breezes, peace, tranquility, an ...
Breakfast at Kensington Cafe
The first thing that leaps out about the Ken Cafe is that it's on one of the nicest little street ...
San Diego Public Market slated for opening on September 12
The San Diego Public Market will open for business on Wednesday, September 12th, at 9:00 am, giving us one more ...
La Gran Tapa: Great Spanish Omelet, but "No Tips Accepted"?
“NO TIPS ACCEPTED." It's the first thing you notice when you get your check. But what does it mean? This ...
Brunch at CUSP in the Hotel La Jolla
The Kimpton Hotel company from San Francisco recently opened a renovated Hotel La Jolla. This hotel was built in 1972 ...
Were I into making distinctions about favorite cups of coffee....
In the past, I always took my coffee black or with a touch of cream. Never sweet. But, sometime in ...
Provisions, Soda & Swine coming to Normal Heights
Back in July, I reported Consortium Holdings—the company behind Neighborhood, El Dorado, Noble Experiment, Craft & Commerce, and Underbelly—would be ...
Desperately Needing Niederfrank’s
’Tis a roasting hot afternoon. Salty trickles run down, stinging my eyes. Reminds me of when I just about passed ...
Chefs show up to showdown
There are a lot of events out there where food from local chefs is counted on as the big draw. ...
Gustatory delight discovered at cookout
Every now and again, I luck out and get to uncover/discover for myself some new kind of sauce, condiment, ingredient, ...
Big Breakfasts at Adams Avenue Grill
Starting October 1st, the Adams Avenue Grill in University Heights will be expanding breakfast service, formerly available only on weekends ...
Pesca...check that...Vegapalooza: True Food Kitchen
“It’s my favorite new restaurant!” When I hear a statement like that, my food writer alarm sounds. Coworker, stranger, friend, ...
Omygosh it's Ogawashi: But is it eats or art?
What a difference a couple of weeks make. Last time I was in here the place was clanging with carpentry ...
Papa Luna's Perpetual Empanada Eating Contest
Papa Luna’s Empanadas (1404 Garnet Avenue ) hit the Pacific Beach casual dining scene a few months ago with epicurean ...
Pepita’s cactus breakfast
How many times? A hundred, maybe, that I have trundled up Highland Avenue aboard the 955 bus, spotted this blushing ...
Tiki Taka: nothing to do with Mai Tais
I'll go out on a limb and venture that few people were heartbroken when Porkyland closed in Hillcrest. One less, ...
Pescapalooza II: Tender Greens UTC
Spurred on by a meat- and poultry-less meal with a pescatarian friend the night before, I decided to go the ...
Man seeks mango, part 3
Another day, another fruteria sharing a pint-sized room with a money wiring company. This time, it's Botello's Fruit Bar in ...
Pescapalooza: Uptown Tavern
Friends bring camaraderie, an ear, a shoulder, fun, and numerous other positives into one’s life. In the case of one ...
Food truck lunch: Hoangie's Banh Mi on Wheels
I love sandwiches, and I think banh mi is one of my favorites. It has everything I like, crispy-crusted baguette, ...
The Prado at Balboa Park
I was touring a few museums on a recent Tuesday (when San Diego residents get in free) when hunger struck. ...
COOPS West Texas BBQ Still Going Strong!
I’m a transplanted Texan who has eaten her share of BBQ from one end of Texas to another and I ...
Burgers Are Famous at Jimmy's Famous But...
Although the 3 men at our table ordered burgers at Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern (J-FAT) on North Harbor Drive I ...
Meijo: Gingering up IB
Hawaiian? Japanese? Down in IB trying to decide which takeout. On my right, Hawaiian. The Big Kahuna (600 Palm Avenue, ...
Pick & Rocks Emerge from Snake Oil Shake-Up
Mixed drink consultancy Snake Oil Cocktail Company came out of nowhere and quickly raised the bar for mixology around San ...
Pfft, "Extra crispy," you say, my dear Colonel? I'll show you CRISPY!
I can't deny that if I see a sign advertising "fried gizzards," I have to check a place out...even if ...
A Tale from Inside Hotel Hell
Aside from admiring a chef with the chops and the gumption to make the rise he has, I just plain ...
Man seeks mango, part 2
My quest for fresh chili mango took me further out into City Heights. I followed a tip from a guy ...
Hot in Kearny Mesa: Jeong Won BBQ
“It’s 900 degrees outside and we’re next to a flaming hot grill,” John was laughing as we sat down. We ...
Sausages for sail...!
Carla’s gonna faint. She’s the hot dog guru. Knows her kielbasas from her bratwursts, her American mustards from her French. ...
Man seeks Mango
I have become a believer in the combination of mango, hot sauce, and chamoy. The sweet, salty, spicy, savory flavor ...
Boom-boom weekend at the Paradise Café
Boom! Ka-Boom! The cannons exchange ear-shattering fire. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/01/30702/ The smoke pours out through gun ports over the waters, the smell ...
