Food and Drink
It had been years since I’d been to the Pappalecco in Little Italy, so my expectations were neutral when I walked into their most recent location in Kensington. The first thing I noticed was how …
That Sacred Union of Beef, Bun, and Other Junk — Chad DealThe Sort of Meat You'd Expect to Find at an Upper-Tier Butcher Shop — Ambrose MartinGateway garnishes — Mary Beth AbateFootball, hamburgers, and Oreos — Ernie …
“This is the downtown of your dreams. All of the music and food, none of the parking hell.”
Salt separates the bland patties from the ones that sing hymns of meaty goodness. Thus, in the salty spirit, while my brilliant colleagues (each one infinitely more well mannered, and supremely more qualified than me) …
At its best, the hamburger is an affordable luxury, a piece of pleasure available to one and all. As important as Mexican food is to local culture, San Diego is still a burger town. The …
My favorite burger of all time is still Starlite’s (see Mary Beth’s note about it) primarily for its classic perfection (Brandt beef, gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, brioche bun). But having a go-to doesn’t preclude me …
I take burgers a little too seriously. I’m the guy who gets all up in your grill at a summer barbecue: critiquing patty formation, warning to only flip it once. I preach salt and pepper …
When I’m having folks over for burgers, I like to buy the premade ground-chuck patties at Iowa Meat Farms ($4.99/lb). The pack and portion are perfectly consistent, the price is close to supermarket ground beef, …
Much as football replaced baseball, I believe hamburgers long ago ousted hot dogs from the traditional trinity of Americana: baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie. Apple pie has probably been replaced by Oreos. Lamentably, we …
The hamburger’s toothsome alchemy has enchanted appetites everywhere since first materializing during the late 1800s in Connecticut, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, New York, San Francisco, or Germany, depending on whose historical account one is to believe. …
Hey, all this talk about how the rich are shutting out the rest of us? How come in the past ten years happy hour has increased by, oh, 3 zillion percent? No self-respecting luxury eatery …
Burgers. I love them. I’m a traditional sort. Acceptable toppings are lettuce, tomato, raw onion, American or cheddar cheese, and a smear of mayo. At least that’s what I told myself. Somewhere along the line, …
The “danger dog” was born in the streets of Tijuana, then spread to Los Angeles (and beyond). Usually sold by unlicensed street vendors on improvised dirty grills, the weiner is typically a bacon-wrapped and deep-fried …
It's wet hop season in San Diego, when rare beers made from fresh, locally grown hops appear in tasting rooms and tap houses. The availability of locally farmed hops is still relatively new, but the …
The growing East Village beer scene gains another micro with the official opening of Knotty Brewing Co. on September 15. Knotty's small tasting room and five-barrel brewhouse are part of an overall expansion of the …