Pizza’s the focus, but its upstaged by unexpected stars

Italian in Little Italy—what a novel idea. Nowadays, with trendy ramen joints, second-story comfort food perches, and burger joints popping up and fitting in just fine along India Street, the arrival of traditional Italian is a bit less expected. At …

San Diego Public Market fundraiser realizes chef’s makeshift resto concepts

Last year, farmers market maven Catt White and business partner Dale Steele went the Kickstarter route in search of funds to bring a central, grand scale public market to San Diego. The campaign was successful, raising more than $146,000 in …

A call for an end to an ill-advised yet ubiquitous service question

Good service can turn even a bad meal into something with redeeming memory hooks, and can turn a great meal into the stuff of enduring personal legend. I often talk about how, for me, the food always comes first—and it …

Newly arrived veggy-vegan chain committed to speedy delivery

A new restaurant just opened in Encinitas and its staff is officially on the clock. I’m not talking about 15 minutes of fame or the brief window a debuting eatery has to make a success of itself before it fades …

Vista’s Latitude 33º goes ‘nuts over PB’s SD Tap Room

I love it when I effectively spot a trend. Granted, trends, by their very nature, are relatively easy to spot so long as you’re looking. I’m always paying attention to beer, especially the varieties produced in San Diego County. A …

It was 2008, but I remember it clearly, sharing a table with young restaurateur Arturo Kassel and discussing the origins of the name for his farm-to-table Whisknladle (1044 Wall Street, La Jolla). He explained it was the name of a …

Local chocolatier seeping like molten morsels into South Park

After spending the past half-decade in North Park, Eclipse Chocolat is moving to South Park. In doing so, owner Will Gustwiller will be taking over a 4,000 square foot space that is a whopping four times larger than Eclipse 1.0. …

Cucina Urbana adds Italian craft beer to its repertoire

Many in the craft beer know are on to the fact that Italy is gaining a great deal of notoriety for its burgeoning beer scene. Microbreweries dot the Mediterranean country like raindrops on a suede boot. Major publications are reporting …

Brews Up and Ogawashi team up for Japanese craft beer tasting

Thanks to the prevalence of craft beer in San Diego, our citizens are becoming very familiar with brews from the world’s most suds savvy regions—Belgium, England, Germany, the United States. Even the burgeoning beer scene in Mexico is finally leaking …

Mira Mesa brewery to release six hop-forward beers in 2013

Since moving into their 45,000 square foot digs in Mira Mesa in 2011, the folks at Green Flash Brewing Company have done a great deal to fill the place out, not only with brewing equipment, fermentation tanks, barrels, and a …

Craft beer-infused dessert biz going in a new direction

I met Navy linguist-turned-pro baker Misty Birchall at a San Diego Brewers Guild meeting in 2010. Despite being a local craft beer journalist, it seemed more people at the meeting were familiar with her than me. Of course, I didn’t …

Making a long-delayed return to Poway craft beer bar and resto

Last week, I shared news on a special barleywine being brewed by Karl Strauss Brewing Company to celebrate the five year-anniversary of Poway bar and restaurant Phileas Foggs (11385 Poway Road, Suite 100, Poway). In doing so, I found myself …

Restaurateur/TV personality opening nightlife-driven downtown sushi spot

Kevin Roberts. That name rang a bell when someone brought it up late last week. Then it hit me, a memory flash transporting me back to 2008 when a local restaurateur of the same name appeared on Food Network’s reality …

New restaurant from Urban Solace creator coming to Del Mar

Chef Matt Gordon was once the darling of North Park. A bearded, burly guy whose pork belly and brown liquor serve as dual calling cards, he’s perhaps the manliest guy to ever qualify as a “darling,” but when he opened …

The Blind Burro’s got some serious pre-game game

I didn’t sob when The Fleetwood closed its doors. Despite its sleek appeal, it always came across as another style-over-substance downtown blemish. I was glad to see the space boarded up for installation of a new concept. Now, when I …

It’s not too late to get some highly coveted beer at The Lost Abbey

Last year, I wrote about one of the most ambitious beer projects to be undertaken by an American craft brewery—the release of 12 unique, barrel-aged beer blends from a single company over a one-year span. The brewery that took on …

Karl Strauss hooks Philleas Foggs up with 5th anniversary brew

Last week, I noted the trend of local breweries developing anniversary ales for popular craft beer bars. In doing so, I cited the pair of beers Alpine Beer Co. and Societe Brewing Company brewed to celebrate O’Brien’s Pub’s nineteenth anniversary. …

Local chef pens comprehensive guide to food, beer and craft brewing culture

The first time I heard the name Schuyler Schultz, was when I took a meeting in late 2009 at The Lost Abbey in San Marcos. The staff there was going on and on about a fantastic beer dinner they’d experienced …

Rancho Bernardo Inn names chef for its upcoming restaurant

Last year, Rancho Bernardo Inn (17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo) closed its ancient fine dining restaurant, El Bizcocho, in order to refresh the spacious dining room and unveil it later this year as a completely new concept. That’s old …

Butcher’s Brewing takes over Manzanita Brewing’s original brewhouse

It seems like only yesterday I was venturing to North Park’s Ritual Tavern to get a taste of a brand new beer from a brand new brewery. And a brand new brewer for that matter...as far as I knew at …