Staff Blog Entries

The Haven open in Kensington

New pizza spot along Adams Ave has architectural superiority and tasty pie to boot.

After achieving success in waffles and happy hours, the Kensington Cafe’s ownership has opened the Haven just down the block. ...

Kelly's Pub

Quiet neighborhood bar in Old Town serves up cheap eats.

Around the invisible barrier where Old Town starts getting seedy, or at least unglamorous, sits Kelly’s Pub (619-683-3200). It’s got ...

Chop Shop

Rest assured, no cars are dismantled at this Mission Beach teriyaki spot.

Compared to the bar- and nightclub-saturated stretches at both ends of Mission Boulevard, the northern sections of Mission Beach are ...

J Wok

Downtown "Asian modern eatery" is attractive, at least.

I wanted to check out J Wok (744 Market Street, Downtown, 619-231-1088) because I’d heard it was a triumph of ...

Eba's Lounge and Bistro

Pan-Mediterranean restaurant opens in Hillcrest.

Walking into Eba’s (142 University Ave, Hillcrest, 619-269-0123), I was surprised to find that it was a Mediterranean restaurant and ...

Lee's Garden

Chinese seafood, condensed milk drinks, and crazy muzak in Rolando.

Someone described Lee’s Garden (4055 54th Street, Rolando, 619-583-8208) as an Asian wedding destination. I even wrote that down in ...

Dan Diego's

Credible neighborhood bar open for business in Bay Park.

I watched Dan Diego’s get built along Morena Boulevard as I passed by it a couple of times every week. ...

The Rocking Tanuki

Mission Valley Japanese restaurant has a cute name, but it's no hidden gem.

I wanted to go to the Rocking Tanuki (6110 Friars Road, 619-294-4404) because I liked the name. “Tanuki” means the ...

Box'd

It's a box! With waffles!

Box’d (430 Carlsbad Village Drive, 442-333-9071) is just that, a box. Actually, it’s more of a shipping crate, cut open ...

One piece at a time at Sushi Tadokoro

Ordering Edo-style sushi in an Old Town mini-mart at $4/bite is a beautiful thing.

Few would think, “I’ll head down to Old Town and poke around in mini-malls between liquor stores and hair salons. ...

Las Morelianas Carnitas Estilo Michoacan

Michoacan-style carnitas in City Heights

Las Morelianas (3645 University Avenue, 619-521-2891) is just into City Heights, but it feels much more removed than that. Everything ...

Little cookies, long story at El Cuervo

Hillcrest taco shop serves shortbread cookies with history baked in.

I don’t usually go to El Cuervo (110 West Washington Street, Hillcrest, 619-295-9713) because it’s very average and on the ...

Phuong Trang

Inexpensive Vietnamese family-style dining in Kearny Mesa.

Following a tip from a friend of mine (he’s a scientist!), I took a little group up to Kearny Mesa ...

Dinner at Heat

Working through a very full meal from the new Hillcrest restaurant.

Having enjoyed the happy hour menu enormously, I vowed to return to Heat Bar and Kitchen for a full meal. ...

Tartine and the two coffee cakes

Remembering the weirdest fight over food I've ever had at a most precious Coronado cafe.

My roommate and I once got into an epic fight over coffee cake. I am not kidding. His mom sent ...

Duck Dive and the duck fries

Fries so good they make strangers friendly at a Pacific Beach bar.

I’m sure I saw an advertisement for Duck Dive somewhere, in a circular or someplace like that. “Home of the ...

Breakfast at El Borrego

City Heights Mexican eatery may be best known for barbecued lamb, but don't overlook the early bird specials.

El Borrego has been garnering praise over its lamb barbacoa for years. It’s not famous for breakfast. Nevertheless, as I ...

Swoon is brilliant

At the new dessert bar in North Park, the pastry cooks are doing some smart things with sweets.

Where once stood Caffe Carpe Diem (an ill-fated coffee shop that closed several outlets across town at once), now we ...

Afternoons at Brooklyn Girl

The popular, Mission Hills spot has a quieter, more reserved lunch scene.

Partly because everybody’s been charmed by her cheeky, chic-y design and partly because the food is pretty good and she ...

Allen's Alley Cafe

Vista breakfast spot has longevity and charm to spare.

No restaurant in Vista has been open longer than Allen’s Alley Cafe. In the restaurant world, sixty years is practically ...