Save the planet
Award winning Author smells smoke
Michele Battiste 2 p.m., Jan. 17
University Heights Stories
A guilty trip to Wingstop
Buffalo-style plus cajun, lemon and pepper, garlic parmesan, and Korean
I admit it: I love buffalo-style chicken strips, but not the wings so much — too much work getting out all the meat. I’ve previously satisfied my jones at Epic Wings and Things, a locally-based, ...
Regular size front door
Sandwich shop's lateral move
I was driving past Big Front Door the other day when it hit me: that's not where Big Front Door should be. But it's really close. Two months ago, the six-year-old sandwich shop moved one ...
$100 for place to walk your dog? Not bad.
Animals vs. kids at Park and Washington
University Heights residents are divided on the highest, best use for the joint-use park that is the playground for Alice Birney Elementary School. Neighborhood dog lovers have been letting as many as 30 of their ...
An extraordinary battered sole
On a menu of lovely Thai dishes, a simple stir fry stands out
Turns out, I’ve been ordering cashew chicken all wrong. I’ve been doing so since my picky teens, when I was the opposite of an adventurous eater at Chinese and Thai restaurants. Probably for that reason, ...
One more craving
Park Blvd. croissants come close to Paris
It was my wife’s birthday and I was on a quest: To find a really superlative chocolate croissant. Here’s the backstory: We got engaged in Paris back in 2000, and one of the other highlights ...
The golden age of small batch scoops
Stella Jean's is giving ice cream a new look
Let’s just call this what it is: a golden era for ice cream in San Diego. Made from scratch ice cream parlors have been opening up left and right this year, and the latest neighborhood ...
Adams Ave. park re-born
Without the grass, but that's okay
Layla and her kids are impressed with the recent renovation of their Adams Recreation Center Park on Adams Avenue (between I-805/I-15) — in Normal Heights; they’ve been hanging out here for over three years. “They ...
Forced out but not outfoxed
Red Fox moving across from Lafayette Hotel
One of the oldest restaurants in San Diego, going back to the 1950s, is The Red Fox Steakhouse and Piano Bar on El Cajon Boulevard in the historic Lafayette Hotel. It’s an old-school steakhouse, and ...
The irony of historic districts
Park Boulevard the latest to test the waters
Two planning groups that share Park Boulevard as a boundary formed a task force to look at the historic district on Park between Upas St. and Robinson street, one that the city’s historic resources board ...
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, ...
Cleveland Ave. and Ohio St. chimeras
The disappearing landlords on Craigslist
The birth rate of suckers “born every minute” seems at times to keep pace with their rising desperation to find reasonable rent. Recently, at Twiggs Coffee House on Park Boulevard in University Heights, conversations have ...
Georgia Street Bridge — now promised for September
Something “horribly wrong with the delays”
Back in 2011, the city got things moving to begin the Georgia Street Bridge reconstruction in North Park. Simon Wong Engineering, now Kleinfelder, received an amended agreement from the San Diego City Council, boosting their ...
Happy hour for dinner, the French way
Leave content but not overfull
I like making a dinner out of happy hour or, as the French would say, making un apéro dînatoire. That is, to sip, socialize, graze on a variety of offerings over time, and leave content ...
New pie shop to take place of old Nati's
Plan for O.B. mainstay Mexican restaurant is more than a remodel
In December it was announced that Nati’s Mexican Restaurant in Ocean Beach was sold and would close for renovations and remodeling. On December 13th, Nati’s co-owner Dennis Kerr issued a press release, saying, "It is ...
Burglary victim leads cops to crooks
“I was kind of dragging the police along behind me.”
Computer theft tracked to Mission Valley hovel.
The plumeria thief drives a Mercedes
"Oh, man, hey, I’m so sorry. Can I buy this plant off you for 50 dollars?”
At around 11 p.m. on Monday, October 30, Tommy Sayles headed out to walk his dog in front of his apartment on Kansas Street in University Heights. He quickly stumbled upon a crime in progress. ...
Guess who Impeachmint cocktail refers to
Peach, mint, bourbon at Madison on Park
Since everything from scoops of ice cream to the NFL has become politicized, it was only a matter of time before San Diego’s cocktail scene stepped into the arena. Thus, Madison on Parks’ Impeachmint. Bar ...
Loiterers, crime at Adams rec center park
“Then where are we supposed to go?”
“Two months ago, while I was walking my two dogs by the Adams Recreation Center park,” Frank said. “A black homeless [looking] guy flicked his cigarette on the street. He [then] said, ‘What you lookin’ ...
Grains — when soft opening's time is up
The vegan default menu
Is there an expiration date for a soft opening? A soft open is when a restaurant opens to the public for a trial period before declaring itself officially ready for business. Ostensibly, it gives a ...
Trends come and go, but Parkhouse Eatery remains
Don’t ever change
If there’s one thing in this ever-changing world I can rely on, it’s the menu at Parkhouse Eatery. The place that was serving up avocado toast long before it was a thing is also home ...
Great cheesy gunk
Lunge into a feed at Cafe 21
"Messy Hair, Don’t Care.” That’s what the back of this girl’s T-shirt reads. I can just see her and her boyfriend through the leaves of the grape bower. They’re chowing, chatting, cooing, billing. But actually ...
Succulent thief in North Park and University Heights
“Who steals plants?”
"Yesterday, a woman parked her white Prius right there [in front of my house],” said Steve from University Heights, “then started to cut my succulents (with a pruner), and left. That’s stealing!” Steve, 67, is ...
Pot shop or landlord the bigger problem for 12-steppers?
Alano Club may go up in smoke over coffee
“You know when somebody just wants you gone.”
Madison’s Mediterranean brunch
A good call
Madison in University Heights has been open for about a year. My wife and I dined there in February and liked the cocktails, but we felt the food needed more seasoning. Then my wife said ...
Fourth-wave surf rock
Jason Lee isn't a kid anymore, so who's taking the next surf-rock set?
Local surf rocker Jason Lee and his bandmates are putting the finishing touches on their sophomore release, Monsters and Mai Tais, due out in Spring, 2017. Featuring members from both of his bands — the ...
Buzzy eatery embraces flaky concept
The proof is in the pie crust
Here in San Diego, we love us some high-concept casual dining. I don't know of a local restaurant this year that's captured more social media attention as the Pop Pie Co. And no, a pie ...
Bad behavior leads you to become a hungry ghost
Bill Helm, director of Taosist Sanctuary, takes questions
Taoist Sanctuary of San Diego Membership: 75-100 Director: Bill Helm Age: 66 Born: Tucson, AZ Formation: Taoist formal training with John Davidson, Share K Lew and Khiegh Alex Dhegh Years ordained (Lawshr): 40 San Diego ...
Hipster zone planned for North Park
Community plans for Golden Hill and South Park also laid out
Mid-city residents packed city-council chambers on Tuesday afternoon (October 25) as councilmembers convened to consider long-awaited updates to community plans for North Park and Golden Hill. The most contentious discussion centered around the North Park ...
El Cajon Blvd. revamp ramps up
Business relocations and apartment projects
A couple of years ago the rundown section of El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights began a slow journey to rejuvenation. Construction crews have recently picked up the pace. The largest residential project in the ...
Historic houses still for sale — assembly required
Our Lady of Peace Academy structures stored in city storage yard
Though they have been deconstructed into enormous puzzle pieces and are partly wrapped in tarps with the windows boarded up, the two stucco houses on the back lot at the city's Chollas Operations Center remain ...
I.B. Strong
Rock trio Abner represents for the South Bay
“We recorded our first EP in May at King’s Ransom Studios in Lakeside with Jeff Sers, who’s been fighting cancer for the past couple years,” says Adam Baez, one-third of the grungy goth rock trio ...
The aesthetic of popular restaurants is in flux
Et Voilà does it anti-hipster
For those who didn’t catch Barbarella’s take on Et Voilà in June, here’s the TL;DR version: she found the restaurant charming, (i.e. “a ‘nice’ establishment, yet you don’t feel out of place if you happen ...
A lot of people probably see religion as an opiate
Pastor Dale Huntington takes some questions
4325 Park Blvd, University Heights Membership: 25–30 Pastor: Dale Huntington Age: 33 Born: Visalia Formation: Grossmont College, El Cajon; Southern California Seminary-San Diego Christian College, San Diego Years Ordained: 5 San Diego Reader: What’s your ...
Et Voilà arrives in University Heights
And be sure to pronounce it correctly
Ever since we first saw the sign announcing a new French bistro named Et Voilà would soon be opening, David and I found ourselves forgoing the freeway to take the longer route down Adams Avenue ...
Parks booze bans a no-brainer
Enough! say San Ysidro, Ocean View Hills, and University Heights residents
Residents of San Ysidro and Ocean View Hills want to see alcohol banned, and, in University Heights, the residents want an alcohol ban and a curfew. Ocean View Hills, Vista Pacifica, and Cesar Solis parks ...
Umbrellas and a Vieux from Above
Another take on Madison
I’m always on the hunt for a spot to enjoy cocktails and shareables with friends. A handful of restaurants have opened within the past year that hit the bull’s-eye, and one of them is Madison. ...
Perfect “sapid” pizza
A new go-to at Pizzeria Bruno
Pizzeria Bruno is among my top three go-to places for pizza in San Diego (the others being Isola Pizza Bar in Little Italy and Buona Forchetta in South Park). I think I’m just a sucker ...
A salute to Swedenborgian Hall
Final curtain
On Sunday, February 7, parishioners lost their church, and local theater lost a space. After a farewell service in the sanctuary, where each member signed the paper of dissolution, the Swedenborgian Church of San Diego ...
Madison needs more seasoning
University Heights restaurant still finding its way
In recent years, Little Italy and North Park have become a dining destination. East Village is trying. University Heights seems to be the next big area with the addition last year of Park & Rec ...
In between the burgeoning hipness
Raw fish and more at Ceviche House
This small counter shop specializes in Peruvian seafood dishes tiradito (raw fish) and ceviche (raw fish cured in citrus juices). Organic and fresh caught local ingredients are the norm, and all dishes are made to ...
"Stunning" fast-food experience promised
El Cajon Boulevard developments include Starbucks and Wendy's facelift
The long-closed Coco's restaurant at 2644 El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights is finally scheduled for demolition. The site will become a Starbucks coffee shop. Realtor Mike Clark with Cushman & Wakefield said they “had ...
The bars of El Cajon Boulevard: Park Boulevard to 805
The wild west end
You could have a worse judge than a dog.
Vegan for lunch, whoops
Plumeria has been there this whole time
I never had anything against going to Plumeria. I always knew I’d get around to going. I knew it was a vegetarian and vegan restaurant, and as an omnivore of convenience I suppose I was ...
You cannot help but root for these actors and characters
Select elements shine but flawed execution dims Bright Half Life at Diversionary Theatre
Tanya Barfield’s Bright Half Life revolves around the lives of Erica and Vicky, two women who meet at work and eventually begin dating. Over the course of the play they fall in love, get married, ...
Precious Little inaugurates fitting space
Small, intimate production from InnerMission speaks to language as life
Diversionary Theatre has converted its old rehearsal space into an intimate blackbox theater. There are still some bugs to work out, sightlines in particular. But hey: any new performing space in San Diego’s a cause ...
Shrill, grotesque love
Amazons and Their Men at Diversionary Theatre is good and could be great
Hitler called Leni Riefenstahl “my perfect German woman.” The first time she saw him, in 1932, she said “I feel very happy that such a man has come.” Riefenstahl opened the movie camera’s eye. In ...
Feast! Uptown
Best restaurants from the Heights to the Parks
From Mission Hills to Kensington, in Heights both Normal and University, and in Parks North and South, UPTOWN residents don't rest on good looks or thick pocketbooks. They thrive on personality and artful presentation. So, ...
Brunch at Café 21
When the pancake did arrive, it looked impossibly huge
It was a happy coincidence that within a week of enjoying a dinnertime meal at the Georgian restaurant Pomegranate I happened by the similarly exotic menu at Café 21, just to learn that the owners ...
A Georgian-cuisine gem called Pomegranate
“Tasty Eastern European Food”
Tucked into a row of nondescript storefronts along the industrial main drag of El Cajon Boulevard is a Georgian-cuisine gem called Pomegranate, but you wouldn’t know that from standing outside. The sign outside simply reads, ...
Gratitude and resurrection in harmony
Diversionary Theatre presents a sharp take on A New Brain
What do we mean when we say A New Brain at Diversionary Theatre? We mean a show that’s mostly sung, a show about gay men and the woes connected to one man’s brain surgery, and ...
Right kind of mindless
The Silence of the Clams at Diversionary Theatre takes the low road, yet moments impress
Clarice Starling: “Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.” Hannibal Lecter: “I didn’t.” Clarice: “No. You ate yours.” Jonathan Demme’s Silence of the Lambs can be funny, in a ghoulish sort ...
Last call: Oedipus El Rey, You Can't Take It with You, Baby with the Bathwater
Three very different, beautifully performed shows must end their runs this Sunday.
Oedipus El Rey, San Diego Rep. This isn’t Sophocles’ Oedipus, its playwright Luis Alfaro’s Oedipus Gomez. He rises from prison to become a Scarface-like, L.A. drug lord who has faith only in himself (“God’s ego’s ...
