Weekday Brunch at La Mesa Bistro
Giant menus make it difficult for me to make decisions. Last week, at La Mesa Bistro & Bakery, it took me ten minutes to settle on the Bagel & Lox, only to be told they were out of the lox. …
Julian Pie Company
Last week, on a drive up to Julian, I thought about Mr. Ian Pike, who wrote a couple of months ago about stopping in Julian to eat pie during a five-hour wintery cold bike ride. As I made my way …
$10 Lunch: Soups and Such Cafe in Julian
On a trip to Julian last Friday, my friend Beans and I had a big decision to make: Would we be good or bad when it came to choosing a lunch spot? Before driving up, we’d both assumed we’d end …
Killer Breakfast Sandwich at Cafe Cabaret
I am loyal to the North Park coffee shop where I spend the most hours sucking down coffee and hunkering over my computer at a table in the corner. But every now and again, my travels take me elsewhere, and …
$10 Feast For Two: Lisa's Filipino Cuisine
Although I have not yet finished combing my new neighborhood for sushi joints, there are those rare days when I want something besides Japanese food. Last week, I decided to take a chance on Lisa’s Filipino Cuisine, a restaurant I’d …
JSix: Three Courses for $15
When I was a kid, my heart hurt to see anyone dining alone at a restaurant. It hurt so bad, I had to look away. During my twenties in New York, I discovered the joy of a great novel, a …
Sushiman? Eh.
Lunch dates with my three-year-old daughter are usually a casual affair. I’m not a fan of the big chain fast food type places, and I can only eat so many Target hot dogs or diner sandwiches. Therefore, I count myself …
$10 Lunch: Fatuma (Somali Cuisine)
Yesterday, when I went asking around for lunch ideas, a friend sent me to Fatuma, a Somalian restaurant on University. As is often the case at African restaurants in City Heights during the lunch hour, the place was full of …
Breakdancing Competition at Fluxx
If you’re not familiar with San Diego’s B-boy (breakdancing) scene, you may not know that the reigning world champion B-boy lives here. Last November, Omar Delgado, aka Roxrite, went to Moscow, Russia to compete in Red Bull BC One, the …
Tandoor's Indian Buffet
The day before our wedding, M and I got our friends and family together for an informal rehearsal picnic that ended in a game of Wiffle ball – girls against boys. We all feasted on the mountains of food we’d …
Japanese Tapas at Raku
The first time I went to Raku, it was still Yakitori Yakiyudori, and I was pregnant. It had the vibe of the tiny izakayas from my years in Japan - minus the cigarette smoke and the drunken old Japanese men …
Warning: Red Robin Is Not for Date Night
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/mar/24/21533/ M had never been to Red Robin before last weekend. A friend of his made the recommendation, and when M suggested it for date night, I was game. As a kid, I loved Red Robin hamburgers, and it had …
Contents Under Pressure Closing Celebration
“The gallery is like a timeline for San Diego’s hip-hop culture,” says DJ KidRiz, who will help host tonight’s closing ceremony of the Contents Under Pressure art show. The show has been up at the Jacobs Center for Community and …
$10 Lunch: Sub-Marina #2
Yesterday afternoon, when I went to the counter at Sub-Marina #2 in Tierrasanta and asked the woman behind the counter what she likes, she said, “I’m boring. I usually have tuna.” The way I saw it, “boring” would be the …
Free Tuesday
Let’s say it’s a Tuesday afternoon. Sunny and warm. And let’s say you’re in Balboa Park and have decided to take advantage of the day by dining al fresco at the Prado. The problem is that everyone else has decided …
Hot Dog Cart in Balboa Park
Not every sunny day at Balboa Park calls for lunch at the fancy restaurant with the patio. Sometimes, a girl wants to spend less and eat casually on a stone bench outside the Timken. Yesterday was such a day. It’s …
$4 Lunch: Don Pepe's Tamales
The tamale is not a great drive-and-eat food. But I was hungry and in a hurry when I spotted the tamale cart outside my home office/favorite coffee shop. I had actually noticed the cart a few times in passing, but …
$10 Lunch: Claire de Lune
I have a fondness for coffee shops with mismatched furniture and a cozy, homey feel. Claire de Lune fits the bill. I especially like the atmosphere in the late evenings, when the lighting is dim and intimate. Evening at CDL …
Coffeeshop Art: Monique Lindsay
In 2007, painter Monique Lindsay (nee Jenkins) held her first solo art show at Claire de Lune. Today, her art is up on those walls for the third time. The special relationship Lindsay has with the North Park coffee shop …
Lazy Lizard Saloon in Ocotillo
Last week, on a jaunt to the desert, S and I stopped for lunch at the Lazy Lizard Saloon in Ocotillo. When we inquired about the menu, the woman behind the bar pointed to a hand-written sign that read, “Shredded …