Food and Drink
Last July, I reported the establishers of Local Habit (3827 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest) were selling the business. Immediately, regulars at the “Cali-Creole” spot were worried it would veer away from that unique style of cuisine …
About a year and a half ago, Jaime Brambila and five associates began transforming the 1800-square-foot curio stall above his family’s former restaurant, Café La Especial (1952–2008), into a contemporary gastro bar. La Justina — …
The golden-brown steaming lake of birria sends wafts of beefy, spicy, cilantro-y, almost mole-ish richness swirling up my nostrils. And now the lime I’ve squirted on it makes it so purr-fect it almost sings as …
Shelter Island may be rightfully perceived as the domain of boat owners and fresh seafood restaurants, but every community needs a reliable burger and beer spot, and in this little corner of Point Loma, it's …
I’ve been spending more time in South Park since my friend Mellie moved from Venice Beach to South Park central, right on Fern Street. One recent evening, Mellie invited David and me to dinner at …
It looks kinda like a sheikh's tent from across the street. Cabana-style brown and black drapes and awnings half conceal the big sidewalk terrazza. We're at the "Fifth and Olive Building" up here at, well, …
So, this guy walks into a bar (University Heights’ Small Bar to be exact), orders a beer, and promptly has it snatched up by a young woman who takes a sip and correctly identifies its …
Pity about Saltbox at the Hotel Palomar. The place used to have something going for it when Simon Dolinky wore the big hat in the kitchen. His dishes weren’t always mind blowing, but they had …
From the outside, The Market Place looks like a convenience store four or five decades past its heyday. But, like other nearby fixtures Hobnob Hill and Nunu's, the place must have been doing something right …
Last September, a most alliterate duo — Coronado Brewing Company and Tampa, Florida’s acclaimed Cigar City Brewing — collaborated to create a “not so common” India pale ale. Dubbed “Last Spike,” it was the first …
The Love Boat sushi restaurants aren’t upscale. They’re fun, in an “eat sushi till you drop” kind of way, but there’s nothing special there, and that’s using the word “sushi” in its broadest sense. Blue …
When most San Diegans celebrate the history of beer, they start out with Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Or, if they really comb the annals of suds’ story, they mention the original Aztec Brewing Company and …
Wow. What a difference from last time. I stuck my nose in in early January. This is near the old Central Library, Ninth and E. The sign, “Acme Southern Kitchen” was up, but inside it …
From day one, the first image visitors to the tasting room at Manzanita Brewing Company’s associated with the Santee operation was its namesake lumber. The twisted tree was painted on the walls, and front and …
I never made it to Café Paris, but there's enough Francophile to me that I'd looked forward to it. Wine and small plates can be just the thing some evenings, even if you have to …