Reckless Brewing slaughters sacred cows
Like something your precocious punk friends pulled together
Chad Deal 6 p.m., Aug. 23
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Stories by Ian Anderson
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Limbo doesn't last long at Circle 9 Brewing
Lager up, sinners, or wait till the next batch
Back in June, the Reader reported a new nanobrewery, Circle 9 Brewing, had debuted its first beer at a fighting float festival in Japan. As of August 19th, the Kearny Mesa craft brewer is officially ...
Go east, Green Flash
San Diego beer-crafters buy a Lincoln, Nebraska, brewpub
Mira Mesa–based Green Flash Brewing announced this week it has purchased a 10,000-square-foot production brewery and restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska, where it plans to expand its bicoastal beer brand by the end of the year. ...
Potato stuffed with meat sounds appealing enough
Cuban oasis in Chula Vista shopping center
I can't pretend to have much experience eating at a Cuban bakery. To be specific, I was dealing with exactly zero experience before I stumbled across Los Pollos Rotisserie & Cuban Bakery. Which was all ...
No pulse at Magnetic Brewing
Attempt to sell stake in business results in $12K judgment and eviction
One of San Diego's smallest breweries appears to be closed following an eviction notice and a $12,000 judgment from a recent lawsuit related to the brewery's attempt last year to sell 1 percent stakes of ...
Surprised by vegan tacos in middle of South Park
Satellite of Tijuana's La Taqueria Vegiee
I'm fortunate to have my favorite fish tacos within easy reach. A Mariscos Nine Seas food truck sets up daily in what is now the Target Express parking lot, by the corner of Hawthorn and ...
Second Chance Beer Co. celebrates second anniversary
OG San Diego brewers dig up proven recipes for three-day party
This Labor Day weekend, Second Chance Beer Co. will celebrate a busy first two years in business with a three-day party at its Carmel Mountain brewery. Second Chance already distributes six varieties of beer in ...
Warming up to cold noodles
Sashimi topped ramen may be the perfect summer dish
My ramen consumption has been down. Not because I'm over it, and definitely not for lack of availability — Yelp tells me I have roughly 300 ramen choices within a 15-minute drive. I've just been ...
Alta Brewing's no-get-rich-quick scheme
"The focus is really just do killer beers, not reinvent the wheel."
New breweries in San Diego join a crowded field. With over 150 brewhouses at work in the county, there's a growing sense that the time has passed for startup breweries to achieve the scope of ...
3 Punk Ales goes live in Chula Vista
And the feedback is good
Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing Co. has officially returned, adding to Chula Vista's rising status as a craft beer destination. Following an 18-month build-out, Punk cofounders John Marshall, Steve Garcia, and Kevin Lewis opened their new ...
Why slow and low cooking is worth the wait
Paris Bakery Coop's BBQ, Tamales Ancira, Campfire, Wrench and Rodent, Village North, Buona Forchetta, Aladdin's
You won’t find a better sandwich for $3.75 than you will among the bánh mì of this low-key Vietnamese deli counter. Bánh mì literally translates as “bread,” and Paris Bakery does well to live up ...
Cajun/Creole in East Village
From time to time, alligator sausage makes an appearance
Between Emeril’s “Bam!” and the House of Blues chain Disneyfying the concept of a bayou restaurant, I’ve subconsciously come to expect all Cajun eateries in California to be in some way larger than life. Bud ...
Do growlers count as open containers?
Law-enforcement agencies weigh in on a commenter's question
Following a recent story I wrote about the growler concept taking hold at an urban winery, a commenter asked whether filled growlers can be considered open containers during a traffic stop. Good question. I posed ...
A snowball’s chance in Escondido
Baltimore-style shaved ice, best served with marshmallow sauce
If you’re interested in trying the sweetest, coldest treat you can get your hands on this summer, turn your attention to Escondido and a small shack called Baltimore Snowball. As its name suggests, the snowball ...
Camp Pendleton: A hell of a place to grow up
In a good way
We were nearing the end of a late-afternoon soccer practice, trying to squeeze in a few more minutes of scrimmage time before the sun set when coach blew his whistle. The long, shrill tweet stopped ...
Escondido Feed & Pet Supply and Brewing Company
"It's a little less than 300 square feet. We had to be a little imaginative."
A 14-year homebrewer, Ketchen Smith has long dreamed of leaving his job in the medical device industry to start a brewery. "I wanted to go 15-barrel," he says, "and retire to brewing." Doing so would ...
Range of brews
Beer, cider, mead, and sake producers hybridize
With alternative craft beverages such as cider, mead, and sake gathering momentum in San Diego, local beer producers have taken note, and in recent months brewers of all kinds have gotten together to experiment with ...
Ice cream puffs?
This could be a thing, except for the donut itself
I’ve got to hand it to Coronado Spice & Tea. When I spotted the sign saying, “Try our ice cream puffs,” I took notice. I didn’t know what they were, but I guessed that they ...
Lemon Grove railroad ties used to replace Starbucks vibe
James, OB Beans, Ryan Bros. test local loyalty
Several San Diego neighborhoods have gained locally roasted coffee this spring. First up, James Coffee Co. has opened a 413 square foot coffee counter in Bankers Hill, at newly constructed building The Louie (2870 Fourth ...
Beer cans on the beach A-OK...in South Korea
Abnormal sees and takes opportunities out west
In June, Rancho Bernardo's Abnormal Beer Co. opened its first offsite location: in Busan, South Korea. Abnormal Taphouse + Cantina opened in the popular beach community Haeundae, where it serves street tacos in addition to ...
Little Miss growlers on demand
"If we roll up and they're wasted, we can't give it to them."
Little Miss Brewing opened a satellite tasting room in Normal Heights in June. While the brewery makes beer in Miramar, its business model has always been to open tasting rooms in more populous urban neighborhoods. ...
The place seemed to be verging on chaos
Getting seated is a hassle, and then the food is not worth the wait
A sign tells you to order at the register first and then find your seat. That’s where the trouble began when I visited North Park’s colorful new tapas-style joint, Tamarindo Latin American Kitchen and Bar. ...
Coronado Brewing buys in to Monkey Paw
Scot Blair to retain oversight
In a move it's describing as a partnership, Coronado Brewing Company has purchased a majority stake in Monkey Paw Brewing Company. According to a press release announcing the acquisition, Monkey Paw owner Scot Blair will ...
There was fontina, scamorza, buffalo mozzarella, jamón serrano…
Every neighborhood deserves a gourmet Italian market
Vigilucci’s several restaurants are familiar to me, but I might never have noticed Vigilucci’s Gourmet Market except for an empty parking space I found next to its sidewalk patio. Being next door to the larger ...
Viewpoint is good beer upside down
High-rent city's first brewery didn't happen without effort
Just in time for opening-day races, Del Mar's first craft brewery has opened to the public. Viewpoint Brewing Company sits directly south of the Del Mar racetrack and fairgrounds, just across the San Dieguito Lagoon. ...
San Diego's official destination beer is not Stone
"There are so many breweries people don't know about."
The San Diego Tourism Authority has enlisted the help of Bay City Brewing Co. to create what it's calling San Diego's official destination beer. "We're the first destination to do anything like this," says Tourism ...
The tails were firm, plump, and juicy
Don’t skip an opportunity to eat fried lobster
I don’t usually order tacos outside of a Mexican restaurant. In San Diego that means I’m skipping a lot of tacos — everywhere from Jack in the Box to George’s by the Cove. At this ...
Baked goods distilled into booze
Misadventure & Co. makes vodka out of discarded bread
A new spirit producer in San Diego has debuted a line of vodka made from an unlikely source: discarded baked goods. Misadventure & Co. was founded by local bartenders who initially got together four years ...
Is this bánh mì five times better?
You pay for the sandwich, and you pay for the view
I don’t normally valet park when I go to lunch on a weekday (or ever, really). But June gloom had ended, the sun was out, and a sandwich with a side of ocean view sounded ...
Modern Times officially puts stock in employees
First brewery in California to take the initiative
Modern Times Beer announced today (July 7) that it has transitioned to a 30 percent employee-owned company, with long-term plans to raise that number to 100 percent. According to the announcement, "At only 4 years ...
Adventurous sushi rolls
Korean street food out of the back of a supermarket
Most of the time I visit Korean grocery store Zion Market, it’s for a quick bite in its food court. That’s at the front of the store, all the way to the right as you ...
Latitude 33 distributed to 38 states
Beer-of-the-month subscriber service sends Vista brew far and wide
A new, national beer-of-the-month service launched this summer, featuring a San Diego brewery in its inaugural shipments. Two beers from Vista's Latitude 33 Brewing were offered for the June delivery of CraftX, a Los Angeles–based ...
Blue Fourno has everything going for it, except flavor
Pass the salt
I learned that fourno is the Greek word for oven when I dropped by the new Hillcrest spot for lunch. I could not see whether Blue Fourno Grill actually cooks with a blue oven, but ...
New English celebrates 10 years
Finally, a tasting room expansion — and a party, of course
New English Brewing Company marks its tenth anniversary July 8, celebrating with a party debuting its capacious new taproom and events space to the public. Located in the suite next door to its Sorrento Valley ...
Craft beer's declaration of independence
Check the label for Brewers Association seal depicting upended bottle
The movement to promote independent beer got another boost this week as the Brewers Association national craft-beer trade group unveiled its plan to distribute a "certified independent craft" logo to breweries not owned by multinational ...
Neither grape nor grain — but craft, indeed
"The science behind fermentation allows any fruit wine to be fermented to dryness."
A different sort of craft-beverage company has landed in Hillcrest, just in time for the summer heat. Fruitcraft Fermentery and Distillery grand-opened the sweltering last weekend of June, serving alcoholic drinks produced not from grain, ...
Progressive coffee sourcing in San Diego
Not just organic but biodynamic beans
Biodynamic beans Barrio Logan’s Café Virtuoso has sourced only organic coffee from its inception. This year it’s gone a step further: sourcing certified biodynamic beans. According to Virtuoso general manager Greg Luli, “The easiest way ...
OB bubbles and biscuits
Ocean Beach's new pier-view eatery an upgrade
One of Ocean Beach's prime pier-view locations has a new summer restaurant destination. Open since earlier this year, OB Surf Lodge reads as a stylish update to the breezy charm of Shades Oceanfront Bistro, which ...
Sour beer, sweet victory for Council
"You can go to any brewery and get an IPA."
The San Diego International Beer Competition announced its 2017 medal results back in April, but it kept one major award under wraps until its Del Mar beer festival the weekend of June 17th. This year's ...
I brake for pizza e birra
House-made mozzarella and dough make Italophile spot worth slowing down for
I drive past it often — whenever I take the Washington Street exit from I-5 north to go to Mission Hills. But Il Centro Pizza e Birra always goes by in a blur. Problem is, ...
San Diego brewers fare well, awards-wise
QUAFF wins again, while state fair more than fair to locals
Several San Diego breweries added to their awards caches at the state fair over the weekend. Local homebrewers also made their prowess known, both on state and national levels. San Diego beer companies claimed 25 ...
40 ounces of Alesmith
Fluid commemoration of Sublime's 25th year since breakout album
For a brief time this summer, one of San Diego beer's most recognized brands will be selling brew in a 40-ounce bottle. AleSmith Brewing has teamed up with Long Beach reggae-punk band Sublime to release ...
There goes the Neighborhood — past 10-year milestone
"What's worked for us is that we have a good draft system."
East Village gastropub Neighborhood turns ten this week. As the first business opened by the partnership now called Consortium Holdings, it laid the foundation that has become one of San Diego's most recognized hospitality groups, ...
Local, organic, and rich in that umami flavor
So Cal stereotype
I was cruising through Encinitas, and the words “organic café” caught my eye. I pulled over and parked, and before long I was noshing on a grilled chicken pesto sandwich on a casual patio, trading ...
Del Sur: two steps forward, two steps back
Everything tastes better when preceded by tequila
I’m ambivalent about table-service Mexican restaurants. In a city where great-tasting Mexican food often comes out of taco stand or off the back of a truck, it’s when I sit down and order food off ...
Beer wars come to San Diego
Brewers Guild window decals to distinguish indie beer from big beer
San Diego's independent beer wars started in earnest Memorial Day weekend, as local breweries and their supporters lit up social media and literally took to the skies to voice displeasure about the opening of a ...
Skaters kickflip for beer
Some of the world's best skateboarders have something brewing in Oceanside
The grand opening for Oceanside's newest brewery is slated for Saturday, June 10, but it has already sold out its first batch of beer, thanks to racking up 122 different bar and restaurant accounts. That's ...
The lure of fresh bread in the morning
Torpedo repeat
BMH Italian wasn’t open yet, but I could smell the bread baking, so I parked it on a bench outside and waited. 10:30 a.m. may have been a little on the early side for lunch, ...
New SD brewery already big in Japan
Circle 9 makes craft rice lager to drink while fighting floats
New San Diego beer company Circle 9 Brewing has yet to open. However, it has already served its first beer — in Japan. Cofounders Darren Baker and Andrew Campbell took a Circle 9 beer to ...
Everyone gets what they want — on the menu, anyway
Tacos and sushi under one roof...hmm...
“Something for everyone!” says the website for Craft & Sea, the North Park restaurant now occupying the space that was — as far back as I can remember — Zensei Sushi. I find it interesting ...
Drink a few for female beer professionals
Pink Boots Society conference and festival this weekend
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer has designated June 3rd Pink Boots Society Day in San Diego, marking the tenth anniversary of the nonprofit's mission to encourage the professional advancement of women within the brewing industry. ...
