The large column in the foreground is part of the reconstruction of the San Ysidro border-crossing station. Its length seems to increase every day as steelworkers and welders work on it. Whether it will be …

On October 17, the Sweetwater Union High School District board voted 3-2 to move forward on electing trustees by area. Over the protest of teachers, parents, and ex-students, the board chose to seek from the …

Unless you outright loathe good beer, you probably know the name Scot Blair. In fact, you’ve probably been to his University Heights, South Park, and City Heights bars, which specialize in select local and craft …

Graze on our 2011 Restaurant Issue, covering the best in burgers, drinks, pizza, beer, burritos, and neighborhood restaurants.

Half-pound cheeseburger, $6.25 The champion bar burger, certainly for the money. It starts with the beef: fine grind, loose pack, superjuicy, good grill seasoning that keeps you taking bite after bite. A medium rare that …

Passing by this constantly packed spot in the East Village, one would never guess the perseverance it took for owner Arsalun Tafazoli to force it down downtowners’ gullets. His goal was to provide the perfect …

At this Five Points hot spot, hefty helpings of flavorful carne asada and shrimp are packed into flour tortillas like a past-his-prime wrestler into fluorescent pink Spandex. It’s a fitting analogy for a venue that …

You might call this place Hillcrest’s secret. It’s an old house beside an open field in Hospital Land. All the UCSD nurses and doctors come here to avoid their own cafeterias. Plus, prices are low, …

Café 21 began as a lunch joint in University Heights, moved to a larger location there, and has now accepted the dare of downtown. It’s the zesty creation of a young couple from Azerbaijan, a …

What first drew me in here was Starlite’s informal, relaxed atmosphere, illuminated by a sparkly, starry sky-like chandelier hovering over the sunken bar. Though atmosphere played a significant role, it was the consistent deliciousness of …

The younger sibling of the larger Arrivederci Ristorante a few doors down specializes in Neapolitan-style pizza. Sidewalk seating gives diners a front-row view of Hillcrest happenings. Servers are likely to speak Italian, and the low …

As Dr. Robert Ledgard in Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In, Antonio Banderas has a John Boehner tan and a rather Republican attitude (cut, cut, cut). Experimenting in his luxurious home surgery near Toledo, …

My friend Erica wants to make her daughter Elsie’s tenth birthday a special one, and Elsie is on an arty kick. “But do I dare let a whole party’s worth of kids just cut loose …

Newly appointed Del Mar Fair trustee David Lizerbram says he wants the fairgrounds to host more major music events. That’s just not going to happen, according to promoter Garry Thayer, who organized the Hellbilly Fest …

Mountain West, Big East, ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-America, et al. College conference realignment reminds me of the good old days, circa 2007, when Goldman Sachs sold worthless collateralized debt obligations …

Matt: If our temperature is 98.6, why do we feel hot when it’s 85 or 90 outside? — WS, San Diego That 98.6 business isn’t what it appears to be. That’s an average core body …

“I’d been living in pain and without health insurance for about six years,” says Cathryn Beeks, who nonetheless managed to promote over 500 local concerts during that time period. “I finally got insurance and had …

Tropi-Cali act Red Pony Clock has a fluid lineup ranging from 10 to 13 members, and they describe their music as “clarinet and xylophone–driven vaudeville-a-delic joy pop, influenced by mariachi and seething with the eternal …

The Drowning Men, I was told, were a band to catch next time they played in town. So I did, at Bar Pink, I believe, and here’s what I witnessed: cheery music, bleak lyrics. “I …

Once he leaves a California state prison, a man gets (at max) 200 bucks “gate money,” a set of “dress outs” (post-prison clothes), and his freedom. An unmarked white van drops him and a handful …

Singer-songwriter Kevin Martin, frontman for Get Back Loretta, is best known for his Beatle-esque melodies. Indeed, the Vista resident’s new solo album is titled Throwback Pop. However, the Occupy San Diego movement has inspired Martin …

Truck It I want to commend Dorian Hargrove for the excellent article he wrote on page 3, “Hidden Pipeline, Secret Menace” (“City Lights,” October 13). Yes, that is an accident waiting to happen. Would you …

The former Ron Roberts and Brian Bilbray aide running next year for the seat being given up by retiring county supervisor Pam Slater-Price is off to a big start in campaign contributions. According to a …

You often hear the word “Americana” thrown around when music shows the influence of blues, folk, country, and old-time rock ’n’ roll. Those are all great ingredients, but why stop there? Why is jazz not …

As a longtime San Diego County supervisor, Republican Ron Roberts is used to being generous with other people’s money. Now he’s perfected his giving style by making so-called cash and in-kind behests, paid for by …

"The honeymoon might be over,” acknowledged Dr. Edward Brand, interim superintendent for Sweetwater Union High School District. Knee-deep in scandal, the Sweetwater school board on June 21 fired Superintendent Jesus Gandara. On June 22, Brand …

Beware nontraded real estate investment trusts. That advice was issued early this month by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the nongovernmental regulator of securities firms. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) pool money from many investors, …

Membership: 325 Pastor: James Jerpseth Age: 51 Born: Graceville, Minnesota Formation: University of California-San Diego (Engineering); Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley Years Ordained: 14 years San Diego Reader: What is your main concern as a …

Thirty-Five Years Ago “It’s gotten really bad in the last three years,” says Bob Moore, one of 45 Border Patrol agents patrolling the Chula Vista Sector. “Well, this is just hearsay, you understand, but I …