My friend John Drehner is in ebullient pre-Christmas spirits. “What do you get when you cross a centipede with a chicken?” he shouts, rubbing his hands against the chill. “Uh? Uh? More drumsticks. Bada-boom!” He …
December 22, 2021
Latest News & Stories
Relaxed, Bing Crosby-esque
Cinderella at the shoe store
“Can we be serious!” That’s me, trying to get a shot of Allison (“Allie”) Demers, 22-year-old stage actress, singer, composer, veteran of acting school, recipient of an MFA degree in musical theater from Indiana University, …
December 22, 2021
Bucking the breakfast norm at Café 222
Hot chocolate and Oreo pancakes might not be what my wife had in mind when she sent me off with the children in search of breakfast. But it’s a chilly morning, and we’re dining outside, …
December 21, 2021
Coastal Commission approves regs for tiny houses
Tiny houses on wheels, the cheapest and easiest small units to build, were initially left out of San Diego's granny flat ordinance. That changed in July 2020, when the city, seizing on their potential as …
December 21, 2021
Inpasta brings more Italian to Lemon Grove
How much does Lemon Grove like Italian food? The answer may be forthcoming, as a new restaurant and market has set up shop in the neighborhood. Inpasta Artisan Pasta and Pizza opened this month a …
December 20, 2021
Homeless walking on 78 freeway
Since the Escondido Police Department found guns and ammo in a pitched tent adjacent to SR-78 last month, North County residents say they are witnessing fewer pedestrians crossing the 78 close to where it merges …
December 20, 2021
Toyon berries – protected by state law
Toyon, or “Christmas-berry,” one of the more distinctive shrubs of Southern California’s native chaparral plant community, are now flaunting clusters of bright red berries. In coastal San Diego, toyon can be found wherever large patches …
December 20, 2021
San Diego's madame Karen Wilkening, Metabolife's Mike Ellis and Mike Blevins
My Own True Story One morning, Hercules had left for work around 6:30 and I was still asleep, there was a knock on the door. I opened the door only about a half an inch. …
December 20, 2021
Kelvin Barrios hit with $5,000 ethics penalty
After a blitz of allegations about loose ethics and possible crimes, Kelvin Barrios was forced in November of 2020 to abandon his campaign to fill the Ninth District city council seat of Georgette Gomez, his …
December 20, 2021
Santee doesn't break the bass records
Dock Totals 12/12 – 12/18: 540 anglers aboard 37 half-day to three-day trips out of San Diego landings this past week caught 172 bluefin tuna, 18 calico bass, 8 lingcod, 25 lobster (34 released), 24 …
December 19, 2021
VW bus hangers-on, purposeful Porsche owners, Road Ramblers did 80 mph in 1930s
Do you ever get called… “I love the side doors. In a ’65 they swing open. I do carpentry work. The newer models have rolling doors, the suspension is a little better, but they have …
December 19, 2021
Eccentric North Park bungalows, Mexican architecture everywhere in San Diego
Radical, Whole-Wheat Architecture He describes Dryden, who died in 1946, as “flamboyant, quixotic,” and “a personality who ranged from high to low.” He says, “He also describes this scene: “His family said he made and …
December 18, 2021
Informal concerts in 2021 not kind to San Diego
This is the time of year when we ordinarily take a look back over the previous season and select the top concerts. We could do that, but 2021 was not an ordinary year for classical …
December 17, 2021
Sahara Taste of the Middle East (and East County suburbs)
Having recently moved out of San Diego’s urban center, I’ve spent much of this year reconciling myself to the idea that, beyond the city proper, sometimes independent restaurateurs manage to outdo competition within suburban shopping …
December 17, 2021
Historic St. Francis Hotel burns down in Tijuana
On December 9 the oldest building in Tijuana burned down, after 117 years of history. The Hotel St. Francis witnessed the transformation of the Tia Juana rancheria into one of the cities in Mexico that …
December 17, 2021