San Clemente Island has been pointing at the tuna
Some of the counts look horrible
Daniel Powell 10:26 a.m., July 23
Feast! Food & Drink Reviews
Stop eating poke bowls
Choose donburi instead, at the new Little Italy Food Hall
After years of construction, Little Italy’s pedestrian-friendly Piazza Della Famiglia has opened, and the ten-thousand square foot, Euro-styled plaza has proven an ideal venue for the neighborhood’s Saturday farmers market. When I showed up on ...
Pigging out
New BBQ joint in La Mesa
There’s no doubting Chef Hanis Cavin’s affinity for pigs. On his forearm is a tattoo of a butcher’s diagram of pork cuts, and in his home is his beloved pet, Carnitas—the not-to-be-eaten little piggy for ...
Out of South Africa
“I made 300 pounds of sausages for the Fourth of July. We sold out.”
‘Just think about it,” says Perky. Graham Perkett, actually, but his friends call him Perky. “Four, five hundred years ago, the Cape of Good Hope was where every ship from Europe had to stop in ...
This gelato shop won't clean your clothes
But this summer a great time to love ice cream in San Diego
“Confused?” asks the web site for An’s Dry Cleaning. A fair question, considering An’s is an ice cream shop. Better than that, it’s a small batch gelato and sorbet shop, devoted to local sourcing, freshness, ...
If La Jolla had a Cheers
The Spot to be in Mat Kulaaxuuy
Welcome to Mat Kulaaxuuy — Land of Holes. ’Course, you may know it as “La Jolla.” But to the Kumeyaay, always and still, Mat Kulaaxuuy’s the name. Mat means “land,” Kulaaxuuy means “holes.” Ergo, Land ...
What's inside this burrito?
It may be chilaquiles, bacon & cream cheese, or chicken & waffles
On the opposite shore of the Sea of Cortez from Baja California, due south of Arizona, sits the Mexican state of Sonora. Despite our relative proximity, San Diego doesn’t see a lot restaurant dishes attributed ...
These noods are for nubes
Tourists aren't coming back, so why bother to impress?
In military parlance, West Pac refers to the western Pacific, which may include Hawaii, Japan, and much of southeast Asia. As a military brat, I grew up familiar with the term, and ultimately spent time ...
A-frame over an open flame
The oldest salmon cooking technique proves best
Though the cooking technique dates back countless centuries to natives of the Pacific Northwest, here in latter day America, cedar plank salmon has largely become the provenance of upscale dining venues. But don’t tell that ...
Colombian carbs
Usually, plantains are kind of like unsweet bananas. Not this luscious baby.
Are we too hung up on spicy? On hot habanero burns to make our eating life sexy? The question came up the day Colombia beat — no, thrashed — Poland in the World Cup, 3 ...
What’s a red-blooded sake drinker to do?
Deal aside, this place just seems to have the right vibe. Good fusui.
DMV. Wednesday afternoon. “H.H. Zero. One. One,” says the woman’s auto-voice over the loudspeaker. “Report to counter #3.” Okay, that might not be exact, but I’ve been sitting hearing the numbers creep up for the ...
Fruits and vegetables and superfoods, oh my!
The new fast food embraces "fresh" and "healthy"
Can healthy food be franchised? That’s the question I ask myself while waiting for my order at Fresh, a fast casual eatery that recently opened within the North City development of San Marcos. It’s the ...
How Lao can you go?
Adventurously eating around the honeycomb
This was my first time in a Laotian restaurant, so I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. “Actually,” said the guy manning the counter of Bane Phonkeo’s, “a lot of dishes on Thai ...
That overflowing beef
San Diego raises its Philly game, by way of Seattle
A tee shirt sold by new Pacific Beach restaurant Calozzi’s Cheesesteaks calls it, “The Michael Jordan of Cheesesteaks.” It’s a brash statement, for a couple of reasons. “Why not the Dr. J of cheesesteaks?” wonder ...
Famous for all-u-can-eat ribs
“He always lived by the motto, ‘Not as mean, not as lean, but still a Marine.’”
“First,” says the lady driver, “watch this traffic. It can be lethal out here.” I see what she means. Cars and trucks hurtle into this valley like the last plunge of the Giant Dipper at ...
The mystery of the famous waffles
The unlikely international intrigue of a mall kiosk
The inconsistencies started piling up. Knowing I would wind up in Escondido at the end of a long workday, I poked around online to find some convenient place to grab a snack before tackling the ...
