Gilbert Castellanos mentors Pink Trio into jazz world
“I do most of my homework in the car on the drive up to L.A.”
Robert Bush 10 a.m., Dec. 12
East Village Stories
Duck Foot’s new menu proves gluten isn’t necessary
The brewery’s East Village taproom and restaurant raises its game
By the end of this story, chances are you’ll forget I’m talking about gluten free food. That’s exclusively what Duck Foot Brewing serves at its East Village restaurant and taproom, where even the beer has ...
J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats And Negroni Warehouse is a mouthful
Aperitivos and sandwiches go with vinyl records and imported cheese
When I grab a seat at the counter, the first question I’m asked is whether I’d like any parmesan to snack on. The correct answer to that question is always yes. It’s especially so when ...
Amplified Ale Works' underground arts venue
The Acid Vault brings poetry, comedy, drag shows, and more to East Village
The Acid Vault was supposed to be a place for barrel aging beers to sour. At least, that was the original plan when Amplified Ale Works took over the space overlooking Fault Line Park last ...
The Invigatorium makes coffee fun
The new East Village coffee shop from Modern Times dazzles and caffeinates
When I heard Modern Times Beer and Consortium Holdings were conspiring to open an East Village coffee bar, I was excited for a couple of reasons. First is that I’m a fan of Modern Times ...
Dressy tie dye from Obey and Pacsun
“It’s colorful, bold, and creative”
I was making my way to Punchbowl Social in the East Village for game night with some of my friends when I came across the most colorful mural I had ever seen. It was in ...
No more prohibitions for You & Yours Distilling
Second rounds now being served at East Village urban distillery
From the moment Laura Johnson first opened You & Yours Distilling Co. two years ago, it gave East Village a craft spirit tasting room and lounge photogenic enough to lure influencers and attract national media ...
Monica’s black bangs and bell sleeves ensemble from Forever 21, Aldo, Topshop and Target
Casual enough for downtown errands, but also very sophisticated
One sunny Friday morning on the way to work, I decided to stop and get an iced latte from one of my favorite coffee shops, Copa Vida in East Village, just north of Petco Park. ...
Where to pre-game the new Padres season
New spots to consider for an East Village pub crawl
The Padres have returned for 2019 and things are going to be different this year. Manny Machado different, sure, but I’m talking pre-game beer different. Since opening day 2018, the craft beer landscape surrounding Petco ...
Whatever Lola's got
Six months in and already a taco destination
San Diegans rejoice, because we are experiencing a golden age of tacos. Great tacos are nothing new here. Taco shops are one of the things people miss most when they move away. But new taco ...
The continuous still of Storyhouse Spirits
East Village's shiny new distillery was made to make whiskey
San Diego’s newest craft spirit maker opened for business in early February, updating a vintage industrial space in East Village. In lieu of tasting room, Storyhouse Spirits offers an appealing bar and restaurant, with a ...
East Village's birdman loses Sydney, run over by trolley
"Get out of here with your dirty clothes"
Victor Vasquez holds his head in his hands. His white parakeet Ginger sits on his shoulder. Coocooberry, his 25-year-old red-lored green Amazon parrot, sits atop his cage, looking at Vasquez, unblinking, silent. “It’s really painful,” ...
A fault line Made in Kitchen
There are better options within walking distance
The mixed veggies in my curry look right out of a can or freezer bag: identically chopped sections of green beans, cubes of diced carrot, and faded peas. Like the potato chunks, they’re all fairly ...
That's not the fish taco you're looking for
Don't believe everything you read in a restaurant window
Some places are just doomed to fail. Specifically this one place in East Village, right across the street from Petco Park. It seems like every time I walk by, there's a new restaurant at 317 ...
A cool patio on a hot day
Parkside property in East Village gets Amplified
When two-headed business Halcyon Coffee and Stella Public House launched in a new East Village construction in 2014, it created one of the best outdoor drinking spaces in all of downtown. Its perch overlooking Fault ...
The case for fresh pasta
Sauces include local ingredients and vegan options
Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, Italian master chefs would hone their culinary arts in France, then return to cook for aristocratic households in Naples and Sicily, plying French techniques with Italian ingredients and ...
So how's the beer?
Visiting 10 Barrel a year later. Was it worth the fuss?
It’s been a year since Anheuser-Busch subsidiary 10 Barrel Brewing Co. opened its controversial, multimillion dollar, East Village brewpub amid an epic troll battle with local craft breweries, beer media, and fans. That made me ...
Quartyard II aims for East Village's sweet spot
If you build it, will they come...again?
By the time you read this, Quartyard II should be up and running. That’s what they promised. But I’ve been wandering past this replacement location at 13th and Market in East Village for months, chafing ...
Dockless bikes and hepatitis
They put them in the furniture zone
Representatives from three of the dockless bikeshare companies attended an East Village Association meeting at the San Diego Central Library on March 8. Dockless bikes are a relatively new experiment in San Diego, but their ...
Birdman of East Village
They’re not pets
Has anybody seen the Birdman of East Village lately? Okay, that’s just what I call him. I met Victor Vasquez, 53, taking his three birds: Sydney, 30 years old, a medium sulphur-crested cockatoo from Papua ...
Unlimited toppings for $10!
Aspirations for that 30-story East Village tower
"J ó étvágyat!” says Zorka. It means “Bon appetit,” in Hungarian, she says. She’s from Budapest. We’re sitting in this brand-new, two-week-old pizza-and-salad joint, in East Village. Man, I’ve been waiting for this place to ...
Pacific Beach's high crime problem
"Police are doing the best job they can under impossible circumstances."
Pacific Beach continues to be one of San Diego's highest crime neighborhoods, according to new stats released by the San Diego Police Department. Public records indicate the beachside entertainment hotspot ranked in the top five ...
Hard-caught MTS bus out of East Village
New schedule implemented January 28th catches riders unaware
A host of new changes took effect on the bus lines of the Metropolitan Transit System on January 28th. Several routes were eliminated, with MTS noting in a monthly bulletin that you could still get ...
One-man band in East Village
"He makes the dough, adds everything, puts it in the oven."
I’m on the Orange Line. Where I get out at Park and Market in the East Village, a whole gang of kids is sitting on the railings goofing off, hanging out, clacking skateboards. And behind ...
Meat on the radar
It’s rare that a steak isn’t cooked exactly to order at a steakhouse
Call it economic anxiety, call it freelancing for a living, but for whatever reason this past year, my fine-dining experiences were limited to a handful of special occasions. When you spend more money than you’re ...
Music venue bloom
Breweries, Moose Lodge, and don't forget about Quartyard 2.0
Oceanside, San Diego County’s third largest city, has seen a boom in the opening of music venues. Three breweries — Midnight Jack, Black Plague, and Legacy — now host bands on a regular basis. Co-founder ...
