Farewell to KFMB radio
KFMB 760 AM and 100.7 KFMB-FM to be sold by November 15
Ken Leighton 12:30 p.m., Oct. 21
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Stories by Ian Anderson
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The sixteen spices (and thirty toppings) of Zen Curry
A choice of curry toppings includes a few surprises
A lot of different cultural cuisines offer curry. Countries on the Indian subcontinent alone are responsible for dozens of different types of curry. Southeast Asia developed a whole other curry lineage, led by Thailand, with ...
Eppig Brewing grows up, moves to North County
The popular North Park brewer got its own place in Vista
Three years almost to the day after brewing its first beer in North Park, Eppig Brewing officially became a North County brewery this month, producing the first batch at its new brewhouse and headquarters in ...
The home style Ukrainian of Village House Kalina
Enjoy babyshka’s recipes, just don’t order mineral water
Several months back, I wrote enthusiastically about a plate of stuffed cabbage made by a local market vendor and caterer. One reader responded by recommending the same dish, made by La Mesa restaurant, The Village ...
Barrio Dogg grows again
A bar and beer menu beef up Logan’s top dog stop
If feels like yesterday that low rider loving hot dog specialist Barrio Dogg first set up shop in a small Logan Avenue storefront fronted by a piece of ‘64 Impala. But not only has it ...
Jason Mraz and the million dollar cup of coffee
This is only the beginning for San Diego-grown coffee beans
As promised in March, premium San Diego-grown coffee beans were served for the first time by Bird Rock Coffee Roasters last weekend. The surprise is whose farm grew them: two-time Grammy-winning local musician Jason Mraz. ...
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 ...
Julian – chock full of history
Hosking's Ranch, blessing box, badgers, Brian Kenner, Tom Nickel, volunteer fire dept., Mike Julian, windmills, logging, drought, Cauzza dairymen, orchards, poachers, Chariot Canyon Massacre
Appellate court turns back Hosking's fake cattle ranch Inhabitants of Julian who oppose the development of 1416 acres of local back country have a newfound victory to celebrate. An appellate court has reversed the decision ...
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 ...
Sushi Tadokoro and its bass reputation
More than four days in a house-made miso marinade
“It’s the best seabass in San Diego.” That’s what a server tells me, when I tell her I’m trying to choose between the grilled Chilean sea bass and the teriyaki black cod. Often, black cod ...
Nessy Burgers in Fallbrook, period
Rocky’s has the Crown Pub, but is it still the best? Was it always?
Every year, when the Reader publishes a burger issue, a good chunk of San Diego’s population only seems to care about one thing: was Rocky’s Crown Pub included? This year, the Crown Point mainstay was ...
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, ...
The Wurst Nox in the food court
Currywurst parks in a permanent UTC location
When last I saw the Currywurst Frankfurt food truck, it was doing its thing: serving finely minced pork and veal bratwurst smothered in ketchup and curry powder. The Berlin street food favorite is a natural ...
Siamo Napoli embraces its Italian identity
Neapolitan pizza is only part of the coastal town’s cuisine
We are Naples. That’s what the name means of San Diego’s latest Italian restaurant operated by people from Italy, means. Siamo Napoli recently picked up where Il Postino left off in a large North Park ...
Bowlegged BBQ is your next Texas temptation
Music, art, and slowly smoked meats converge in Mount Hope
There’s music and art all around me as I dig in to a pile of BBQ meats. Old soul and R&B album covers hang, framed on the walls, packed in alongside stylized paintings depicting scenes ...
Fruitcraft makes just about everything but beer
The fruit wine specialist now ferments grapes, apples, honey, and teas
When Fruitcraft Fermentery and Distillery dropped anchor in Hillcrest two years ago, it primarily carried on the work of its original brand iteration, California Fruit Wine. That is, it fermented wine from virtually every type ...
Mary’s Gourmet: ghost salad restaurant
Miramar kitchen delivers big, healthy chopped salads to your doorstep
It’s probably fair to count me among the nine out of ten of Americans the CDC says don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. One problem is that my preferred diet of tacos, fried chicken, and ...
Trust the Breakfast B in suite 3825
Sassy brunch spot brings life to a struggling Hillcrest location
It’s tough to ignore a restaurant name like Breakfast Bitch. Which could prove to be important, because the willfully sassy breakfast spot recently filled in a Hillcrest location that’s been devastating to its past few ...
Revolt Wine Co. targets a different kind of wine drinker
The keg-only local wine label wants its wine where there’s live music
No adult beverage is more closely tied to a sense of geography than wine. Names of wine growing regions are used as shorthand for quality, attributed to an appellation’s terroir. In other words, the flavor ...
San Diego Reader 2019 Burgers issue
From Oceanside to Escondido to Sherman Heights to Mount Laguna
Ian Anderson Look out for the burger of the day A hub for carnivores in Escondido’s historic downtown, it might be tough to notice the burgers past all the smoked meats and poutine. You’ll do ...
Lido’s Italian Foods are too classic to be pretty
A mid-century Italian restaurant survives, despite the times
When the server places a thick white ceramic plate on the table, it’s all but spilling over with a pile of spaghetti. The noodles, and the two racquetball size meatballs astride them, are so drenched ...
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, ...
This 55 Thai fries chicken thighs
Healthy, affordable Thai chain grows into large Pacific Beach restaurant
When 55 Thai Kitchen first appeared in the cramped back room of a corner market in Golden Hill, the community-minded eatery had me intrigued. When the food turned out to be good, in addition to ...
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 ...
Rad Habits brings the juice back to South Park
Organic produce and superfood smoothies return from three-year hiatus
For a couple of years there, South Park had a great little organic produce market slash cold pressed juice bar called Sacred Juice. Except one day, the shop abruptly closed due to water damage, according ...
Going back to Mystic Mocha for the muffins
A longtime neighborhood favorite known for distinctive pastries
Once upon a time I lived in University Heights, less than a block from the truncated corner where Mission Avenue crosses Alabama Street at an odd angle. That’s how I came to know about Mystic ...
Amplified Ale Works' underground arts venue
The Acid Vault brings poetry, comedy, drag shows, and more to East Village
The Acid Vault was supposed to be a place for barrel aging beers to sour. At least, that was the original plan when Amplified Ale Works took over the space overlooking Fault Line Park last ...
Sugar highs and lows at Theatre Box
Yes, you can order food from your movie seat, but should you?
The tabloids invaded the movies. The public relations team for Theatre Box, the luxury movie theater and sugar-themed restaurant complex that opened in the Gaslamp this spring, started sending press releases about celebrities making appearances. ...
The Melt wins over this grilled cheese troll
Fast casual chain makes macaroni sandwich and hobo toast look easy
Big deal, it’s easy to make a grilled cheese sandwich. That’s what the troll on my shoulder reminds me whenever I encounter a grilled cheese restaurant. His words are more nefarious because they’re true. I’m ...
Feasts on a bun at Daddy’s Hot Dogs
Hillcrest’s finest street food purveyor makes a frank case for vegetables
Through a sidewalk counter window in the middle of a lively block on University Avenue, I meet Hillcrest’s resident hot dog maven. His name is William Schroeder, but with a streetwise New York accent, he ...
Serra Mesa – outsiders easily get lost
Mobley Street, Jewish deli, sushi restaurant, Ruffin Canyon, aviation gas, the bus that goes through
New generations in Serra Mesa That first southbound walk home from Wegeforth Elementary, back in '68, was long and hot, each shadow on Mobley Street a refuge. For a transplanted fourth-grader, it was an arduous ...
Bibigo Kitchen brings Korean eats to the mall
Hot stone bulgogi bibimbap is far better than the food court
There’s an aisle on the ground level of the B parking lot on the south side of Fashion Valley mall, where two arrows painted on the asphalt point away from the exit. Problem is, you ...
How’s the San Diego beer industry doing? It depends who you ask
Stinging small brewery losses undercut reports of economic impact
Last week, the San Diego Brewers Guild revealed that 2018 saw local beer production increase to 1.1 million barrels. The economic numbers likewise continued to rise, with craft beer alone accounting for $848 million in ...
Seasurf Fish Co. shows the cost of affordable seafood
Farmed fish comes off lackluster in a city rich with fish markets
San Diego has trained me well. When I see the words “fresh fish market” associated with a restaurant, I imagine glass counters that contain glistening fresh filets tempting customers toward one seasonal catch or another. ...
The Modern Vegan succeeds with classic meat dishes
A place for plant eaters who don’t want to sacrifice meaty textures and flavors
A hunk of thickly breaded, fried chicken sitting atop a pile of mashed potatoes, all smothered in gravy. A Rueben of marbled rye bread loaded with corned beef, melted cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing. ...
Cascaraa makes sparkling tea from leftover coffee fruit
Antioxidants and organic botanicals in a lightly caffeinated beverage
The life cycle of coffee has been well documented. The coffee cherry grows on a shrub until it's red and plump, then gets harvested for its seed, which is extracted, dried, and ultimately roasted into ...
El Trompo grows in Barrio Logan
New taco shop specializes in Tijuana-style street tacos
The sight of a trompo spinning on a Tijuana street corner is usually accompanied by a crowd, and the same appears to be true in Barrio Logan. At least, so suggests the early popularity of ...
The Invigatorium makes coffee fun
The new East Village coffee shop from Modern Times dazzles and caffeinates
When I heard Modern Times Beer and Consortium Holdings were conspiring to open an East Village coffee bar, I was excited for a couple of reasons. First is that I’m a fan of Modern Times ...
Food lives up to the scenery at Feast & Fareway
Golf club restaurant includes a view of the bridge
The Coronado Bridge turned 50 last week, and gazing up at its swerving blue span, I experienced a small jolt of pride that the iconic bridge representing our city is not just another suspension bridge. ...
The Original 40 raises the brewpub game
In 2019 breweries don’t just pour beer; they create a hospitality experience
Sales, production, and the proliferation of satellite tasting rooms may be on the rise in San Diego, but at least one aspect of the local brewery industry has slowed down considerably: new brewery openings. We’re ...
Reader 2019 Feast restaurant issue
New and old, from the Guadalupe Valley to Carlsbad
Food you’ll talk about later – Ian Anderson You may not think you want to drive 90-minutes beyond the Mexican border for a meal, but from the moment you take a seat, the reasons for ...
Pizza or prix fixe at Il Dandy
Spend a little, or spend a lot to experience Italian star chefs at work
Fans of animated cinema will remember the pivotal moment in Ratatouille, when the impossible to please food critic Anton Ego is bowled over by a single bite of the titular dish, ratatouille. As we see ...
When the fish is not fish at Café Gratitude
It’s no Hawaiian poke, but when it comes to poke bowls, choose watermelon over tuna
I’ve got a love/hate relationship with poke. The love is based on trips to Hawaii, where a simple poke salad of raw fish, sliced onions, sesame oil, and maybe some chili spice turns out to ...
Where to drink beer outside this summer
New brewery venues where the sun does shine
There’s nothing wrong with drinking beer in a warehouse tasting room, per se, but each year a handful of breweries embrace the idea that San Diego’s best beer lifestyle requires great outdoor drinking venues. Here ...
Who killed the giant squirrel of the Cuyamacas?
Oceanside boys on a Confirmation retreat
We’re not talking about a backyard squirrel, the kind your dog chases up trees at the neighborhood park. This was a burly mountain squirrel, a western gray with steely black eyes and the hind legs ...
The other Gaglione Brothers sandwiches
It’s not just cheesesteaks (but order a cheesesteak)
I’m hardly the first Reader contributor to praise Gaglione Brothers cheesesteaks. Heck, I’m not even the first Feast writer named Ian to do so. The grilled, thinly sliced ribeye steak and lightly crispy crust of ...
Puffles and rose petals at Cauldron Ice Cream
Liquid nitrogen ice cream scoops bloom in bubble waffles
“Okay, so that will be a red velvet puffle Sun Moon and Stars with a sprinkle of rose sugar?” I look over my shoulder. Nope, no one standing behind me, she must be talking about ...
San Diego's hard seltzer summer
It's not beer, but breweries are experimenting with the fruity, diet-friendly adult beverage
During a recent, beachy afternoon out by the Oceanside Pier, I walked a short distance to the colorful new Kilowatt Brewing Oceanside Taproom. Parched from the sunshine, and in need of refreshment, I bellied up ...
Walk, don’t drive, to Tasty Noodle House
Its regulars would like to keep this unassuming little eatery secret
“We’ll take you to our favorite Chinese spot,” a couple of friends told me, “but only if you won’t write about it.” “Let’s go!” I said, careful not to make any promises. I’ve only experienced ...
