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Up in Smoke BBQ now cookin' in San Marcos
A food truck finds new beginnings, a food writer finds burnt ends
I consider myself lucky. Though I’ve gone too many years without discovering the joy that is burnt ends, once I’d learned about this delicacy of BBQ brisket, only 30 minutes passed before I was trying ...
Sampling the Pacific at JJ’s Island Grindz
A stand-out grilled menu, from kelaguen to huli huli
We’re driving south on Broadway when we spot it: a simple, boxy storefront with a banner sign and cartoon graphic depicting a spiky haired toddler in an aloha shirt. Usually, when I’m in this part ...
The city's latest ramen obsession: Artisan Noodle Tatsuki
Los Angeles ramen chef delivers the richest broth we've seen
Every time I think my list of San Diego’s top five ramen spots is set, along comes a new one to shake things up. Artisan Noodle Tatsuki opened a few weeks back in the Gaslamp ...
Tin Fork
The Hole In The Wall: Karaoke and tons of avocado cool it down
“We’ve made about 130 burgers already tonight.”
Flaco plays the flames like a conductor. He thrusts his hands into them and flips half a dozen patties in short order. Smoke bulges up like a Nevada test cloud. “Sundays are always crazy,” he ...
Beer News
Pure Project's environmental approach to beer
New packaging solutions extend the brand's plastic-free lifestyle
Since Pure Project launched in early 2016, a significant part of its impact on local craft beer has been seen in its canned special release beers. Fans routinely line up for these limited batch releases, ...
It’s always fünf o’clock at Deft Brewing
Linda Vista area brewer finds a year-round audience for European styles
It’s September, and that means several of San Diego’s craft breweries have been gearing up for Oktoberfest, breaking out their German beer recipes and planning modest parties loosely modeled after Munich’s massive end of summer ...
Booze News
California Spirits pivots into packaging
San Marcos distillery out, Poway bottling and canning plant in
Over the past couple of years, when I’ve asked local spirit startups where they produce their alcohol, I’ve quite often been met with the same answer: San Marcos. Specifically, at the small batch distillery home ...
Pour Over
Claro Coffee goes with the grain
An industrial zone lumber shop furnishes the prettiest café in town
The best looking coffee shop in San Diego has sprung up in a surprising place: within a specialty lumber shop in the Morena district. Claro Coffee serves locally roasted coffee from Zumbar Coffee & Tea, ...
Set 'em Up Joe
Farmer Bottega’s Rosie Elephant inspires one’s inner Rainbow Warrior
Its graceful parade of flavors never lets the palate forget the parts for the whole
When the Farmer’s Bottega bartender Shannon Pierce created The Rosie Elephant, she looked to local farmlands and African savannas for inspiration. “It really originated out of nowhere!” she says. “I had tasted all of the ...
Here's the Deal
Kimpton Hotel's alleyway of Mexican primo spirits
1/4 ounce of creme de violet binds to scent receptors
“Curadero” may not mean much outside of the downtown San Diego Kimpton, but within its lobby-side, mural-strewn walls, the neologism signifies top-quality Cali-Baja cuisine, inspired cocktails, choice drafts, 80+ premium Mexican spirits (including mezcal, bacanora, ...
