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Stories by Ian Anderson

Craft House grows from truck to counter to engaging restaurant

Video:Craft House Fashion Valley Adobe Flash player 9 is required to view this video   The first time I encountered its massive burgers, the Monster Crafts food truck was parked outside a brewery. A short while …

With help from the whole family, Havana Kitchen finally opens in San Diego

Once, as I strolled Old Town Temecula, pleasing coffee aromas lured me to a storefront I hadn’t expected: that of a family-run Cuban restaurant. Should I go in? I was supposed to be in the …

Burger Deck’s dictionary definition smashburgers — and a worthy vegetarian alternative

As of this month, we can find the word smashburger in the dictionary, courtesy of a new edition of Mirriam-Webster that defines it as, “A hamburger patty that is pressed thin onto a heated pan or …

Golden Hill nixes Kentucky Fried Chicken

No drive-through in my drivewayThe fast-food vendor that owns Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell is concocting a new recipe for San Diego's Golden Hill community. Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. proposes to rebuild …

October 8, 2023
Pandemic problems, produce solutions

Sometimes, the best things come about by accident. That’s how it was with my pick for San Diego’s best Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm box, offered with free home delivery by Yasukochi Family Farms. The …

October 4, 2023
A night of food (and jazz) at Books & Records

“What kind of food?” ask my parents, as we approach the new Bankers Hill restaurant, Books & Records. The question forces me to stop a moment.“I should probably know the answer to that,” answers the …

With Bhojan Griha, a meal in Old Town needn't be Mexican

If you’ve never noticed how closely Tibetan prayer flags can resemble papel picado, take a walk around Old Town’s San Diego Avenue. The varicolored rows of paper squares you’ll see strung up around Mexican restaurants …

September 26, 2023
Quixote builds a church to Baroque Mexican food

“I’m struggling to remember what it looked like before.”We’ve come to see what’s been made of the space formerly known as the Red Fox Room. Before it moved into a standalone location across the street, …

At Aladin Trio, an overseas reflection of American fast food

Eleven years ago, an Associated Press story kicked off global news coverage declaring a “Burger boom in Baghdad.” The story documented a growing popularity of American fast foods in post-war Iraq, including fried chicken and …

September 12, 2023
Heritage and Home State bring a Texas twang to South O

Right up to the moment I park, I’m not sure which of South Oceanside’s new, Tex-inflected restaurants I’m going to try. But then, I spot them, just across from one another on Vista Way, where …

The Michelin-adjacent Japanese treats of Hatsuzakura

Considering the array of idiosyncratic treats on the menu of Hatsuzakura, I’ve ordered the boring stuff.PlaceHatsuzakura2123 Adams Ave., San DiegoThis occurs to me as I watch a batch of emerald-green matcha tea being hand-whisked to …

The upshot of fresh corn tortillas and Fish Guts

Logan Avenue didn’t seem to be lacking for taco shops, but then along comes Fish Guts anyway. The recent addition to Chicano Park’s casual restaurant row may bear a dubious name, but there’s no questioning …

San Diego neighborhoods have gotten The Friendly-er

“I’m glad you’re here now.”That’s the first thing out of the mouth of a burger fan who works in Kearny Mesa, when he reaches the counter of the new Convoy Street location of North Park …

A date shake date at Kako Dates & Nuts

When I woke up, I didn’t know this would be the day I would try a date shake. Otherwise, I might have marked the occasion on my calendar. If not for the drink itself, then …

Kalei’s Kitchenette sets up shop on the island of Rancho Peñasquitos

Into Rancho Peñasquitos I drove, for only the second time ever. There might as well be an ocean between us. I was following the trail of a farmers market vendor that has made the move …

Mastiff Kitchen adds to its sausage legacy in La Mesa

It has been ten years since a food truck hit the road with a small yet memorable menu of made-from-scratch sausages. In the time since, Mastiff Sausage Company has gone on quite a roll (pun …

O-To-San Kushiyaki (and don’t forget the Ramen)

At some point, we had to stop talking about ramen. I mean, we’re not that many years removed from the days San Diego could count its number of reputable ramen shops on one hand. Then …

Havana Grill makes this Mission Valley mall a Cuban dining destination

There are quite a few reasons to visit the new location of Havana Grill, but two features in particular convinced my wife to join me for lunch. Bear in mind, she’s tagged along on enough …

La Flamme brings Alsatian pizza to the food court

This has to be the most salad I’ve ever eaten at a mall. I’ve walked a couple circuits around the food court of Plaza Bonita, the big shopping center at the border of Chula Vista …

Which to eat first at Young Cluck: the fried chicken or the eggs?

What’s something they eat for breakfast in Uganda? Offhand, I couldn’t have told you. Google cites a cooked banana dish called katogo, while the Peace Corps web site claims it’s typically porridge. Were I to …

Where Rancho Bernardo homes abut a Carmel Mountain Ranch industrial corner

Late night rhymes at Tony Pepperoni It was going on 10 pm, and I found myself hungry in the thick of North County suburbia. Which is to say, my expectations were not high. A precursory …

Two ways the sushi stylings of Temakeria are influenced by Brazil

At first, $12 seems steep for a hand roll. Even at bona fide sushi restaurants, I’m used to paying somewhere in the order of 5 to 7 bucks. Conversely, this temaki is being served out …

Return of the big burrito

Earlier this year, life circumstances led me to untie my bib, close the laptop, and take a break from scouting restaurants for Feast. I ate well at home, thanks principally to my wife’s skillful cooking, …

Julian wants to put out its own fires

Are the volunteers getting hosed? Nicio Aguilera is blunt: “Nobody up here trusts the county. We don’t trust them, we don’t like them.” Aguilera, who spent 15 years fighting fires in Philadelphia and another 15 …

May 15, 2023
The planes that pollute Serra Mesa

As aviation-gas lead drops over Serra Mesa... Usually when people complain about small regional airports, the issue is noise. But Serra Mesa resident Gary Keller is worried about lead poisoning, and a California health coalition …

San Diego Reader food critic checks self with ChatGPT

As a food writer, I’ve long thought my job was safe from the impending robot takeover. Modern-day robots may enjoy such activities as performing music, skateboarding, and playing board games, and it’s particularly vexing to …

March 22, 2023
The Food Box brings burgers from across the border

“Hamburguesas de verdad,” reads the green neon sign behind the counter of The Food Box: “real hamburgers.” Not a lot of American restaurants would make so bold a declaration in Spanish, but here in San …

It’s not pizza, but FurnSaj makes the city’s most photogenic flatbread

You’ll need to be familiar with at least two types of Mediterranean cooking appliances to understand what’s happening at FurnSaj Bakery & Restaurant. A furn may be thought of as similar to a clay pizza …

Iris Delights and the art of beautiful chocolate

A Valentine’s Day line formed almost the minute the shop opened for business. Probably, most people who wanted to mark the occasion with a box of chocolates had bought one days ago. Those of us …

Lia’s Lumpia wraps up a world of food favorites

Finally, I caught up to Lia’s Lumpia. As a food truck, it’s repeatedly eluded me: starting service after I’d left a food truck park, or ending service before I showed up at a brewery where …

A banana split and a tower leaning at The Yogurt Mill

“But have you been to The Yogurt Mill?” My wife noticed that I’ve recently spent more time writing about food in her hometown, El Cajon. However, as I’ve mainly focused on skewered and rotisserie meats, …

Guitarist Rob Logic transforms the neighborhood

Spring Valley is the new North Park About three months ago, the bar donned a large sign reading “The Bancroft” next to Fannie’s old marquee, which now entreats — perhaps tongue-in-cheek — “I assure you …

February 6, 2023
Sultan Baklava brings its kebob back to El Cajon

It’s no secret that our region’s best Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food is most often found in El Cajon. Though, for a while, some of it was found in the Gaslamp. For a few years, …

Nirwana Indian Gastrobar showcases tacos, sliders, and pizza

This menu can’t be pinned down. I see both pasta and chow mein, kabobs and wings, tacos and “artisan pizza.” But mostly, there’s Indian food. A drink at the bar might shed some light on …

The Sushi Stand packs rolls like confections

There always seems to be something new at Liberty Public Market. Of the 35 vendors currently doing business in the Liberty Station food hall, only eight remain from its original, 2016 lineup. Like so many …

Uncle Tetsu sends you home with Japanese cheesecake

While noodles, dumplings, and other savory fare draw the most attention to the Convoy District, you could practically fill a guidebook to the neighborhood based solely on singular Asian dessert restaurants. I’ll have to circle …

Finding Tahini Middle Eastern Street Food on an outdated map

Call it a case of mistaken identity, but I’ve been sleeping on Tahini. A byproduct of writing about food week after week is that my brain has become a de facto restaurant map, where any …

La Central, the other Fernandez birrieria

At first glance, the arrival of La Central Birrieria & Menuderia doesn’t seem momentous. Birria, after all, has spent the past few years becoming the most talked about Mexican meat dish on the planet. We’ve …

The Trails Eatery may fuel your new year habits, whatever they are

Mission Trails is the sort of place that gets a lot of January action, largely from people who resolve to spend more time outdoors and exercising in the new year. I might have fallen into …

Bay Park wants its own status

Bay Park remains a mere neighborhood Bay Park was around long before there was any movement in Clairemont. Bay Park has history going back to 1877. Clairemont wasn't developed until the 1950s. Ocean Beach lives …

January 2, 2023
Dim sum closer to home at Diamond Palace

People get attached to their favorite dim sum. That’s certainly one reason many San Diegans who seek out the dim sum experience are happy to drive to the Convoy District to seek out their favorite. …

Chocolate Bash dresses fruit in decadence

Facing the tumult of school kids on break for the holidays, I had an ace up my sleeve this year: Belgian chocolate. More than that, thanks to the recent arrival of the growing Southern California …

Don’t wait too long to eat at Temaki Bar

Just about every sushi joint makes room on its menu for temaki, better known as hand rolls. However, there is a point to going to a dedicated hand roll bar. While a conventional sushi restaurant …

A second home for Uruapan carnitas

“Family owned and operated since 1986,” it says on the hard-cover menu. Actually, this place, Carnitas Uruapan Family Restaurant, opened little more than a year ago, on that section of El Cajon Boulevard that sits …

Angkorian Pikestaff adds early weekday excitement to Market on 8th

Decisions do not come easy inside National City’s Market on 8th. A year since the food hall opened, its vendors have proven themselves masters of temptation. Would you rather indulge in the rich pork bone …

The discreet charms of Secret Sister

San Diego appears to be experiencing a golden age of baked goods. At least, I’ve had trouble keeping up with all the capable bakeries doing business around the county. Every other week seems to find …

The wildest things on the Funky Fries & Burgers menu

Over the top burgers probably make up the biggest draw to Funky Fries & Burgers. A bacon cheeseburger topped with mac n cheese ($13.50) first lured me in, when I was specifically searching for out …

White Rice Bodega raises silog to Normal Heights

There’s a term particular to The Philippines, bayanihan, which describes the spirit of a community working together for the common good. It springs from a centuries old practice of an entire village showing up to …

The varied traditions of Gold Finch Modern Delicatessen

This sandwich is almost making me wish I’d pursued a career in life sciences. If I had, then perhaps I’d be working in this niche bio campus on Science Park Road, barely a mile from …

The Pub at Lake Cuyamaca gives new meaning to “elevated” bar food

If we were going to drive 50 miles, at bare minimum I wanted to find a decent meal at the other side. I don’t feel like that was too demanding — there didn’t need to …

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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