Saturday morning is one of my favorite times to walk around the Gaslamp. It’s not crowded, there’s parking, and the old buildings have grandeur in the a.m. sunlight. Except for the occasional jogging conventioneer, you …

My kids are currently spending their Saturday mornings working on a play, so my wife and I have been taking advantage of this by going out for brunch at different spots around town. We decided …

I love a good burger but, these days, I’m holding out for a great one. It’s not enough for a burger to be okay — I need it to be transcendent. I’d rather have an …

My wife is vegetarian, so I’ve been seeking out restaurants with tasty meatless options. Her birthday was last week, and I was hoping to kick things up a notch by taking her to a place …

The Gaslamp is a top dining destination, but I often view it as a Walt Disneylike imitation of a big city neighborhood. Many of the businesses cater to daytime workers or tourists and, consequently, don’t …

For the next five months, my kids are spending their Saturday mornings at a theater rehearsal. Date nights are difficult to do right now, but I can handle date mornings. For our taste of Saturday …

When La Mesa held its Oktoberfest in early October, a running topic of conversation was whether the city is the next North Park or the next Little Italy. La Mesa is a great city to …

There are good places in San Diego for sandwiches — I’m a fan of Hillcrest Sandwich Shop — but it’s rare that I have a truly transcendent sandwich experience like I’ve had in New York. …

In 1966, Craig Smith was friends with Beach Boy Mike Love and Monkee Mike Nesmith. Smith was a successful songwriter and singer marked as a potential pop star. By 1969, he believed he was the …

At its best, the hamburger is an affordable luxury, a piece of pleasure available to one and all. As important as Mexican food is to local culture, San Diego is still a burger town. The …

San Diego has always had the makings of a food mecca, but it’s only been in, say, the past decade that a majority of citizens have decided they don’t want to settle for an average …

When I first saw Liberty Station, I wasn’t impressed. I liked the open spaces but thought it was just another tourist trap that I didn’t need to visit unless out-of-towners forced my hand. My opinion …

“Even today I’ll meet a 15-, 16-year-old girl who will tell me, ‘You wrote that song for me.’ That puts a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart.” Former San Diegan Gary Puckett is talking about …

My in-laws took my kids to Florida for a week, so my wife and I decided to do a “staycation” of sorts by eating out every night while they were gone. Some restaurants we had …

Alicia Champion knew she was bisexual from a young age. “When I was nine or ten [years old], I remember watching Power Rangers,” she recalls. “I had a crush on the pink ranger but was …

Stories about musicians suffering for their art are legion. Few of them involve rollerblading. But Eve Selis says her new record, See Me with Your Heart, never would have happened if she hadn’t torn her …

Poke, that raw fish salad associated with Hawaiian cuisine, has poked its way into the San Diego food scene recently. Some Whole Foods have bars dedicated to it, and there’s even an “I Love Poke …

A lot of musicians feel they have to leave San Diego in order to “make it.” Jacob Underwood felt he made it when he was able to move back. “I live in the Gaslamp, but …

Asada days and adobada nights — A little taste of Loreto in San Diego. by Mary Beth Abate Tacos where you least expect them — Looking beyond standard tacolandia. By Ed Bedford Taco mecca — …

It’s been said that no Chinese restaurant will ever go out of business in New York because there’s enough people willing to try a place at least once. That’s how Mexican food is in San …

Living in San Diego, I get a lot of out-of-town visitors, so there’s a need for places that are nice but casual with decent food and an atmosphere that pushes the San Diego dream. Some …

If you are reading this on May 5, there is a good chance that the two main members of the Nortec Collective are flying over your head from Montreal. The Tijuana-based techno musicians are scheduled …

My wife hosted a bridal shower recently and told me to take my son and go away for a few hours. We decided to go up to the La Jolla Cove area. It was still …

“It’s been percolating for a while. I’ve been wanting to do something to help the campaign,” says local musician/promoter Jakob McWhinney about his upcoming Bernie Sanders rally, appropriately called #BerningMan. The day-long concert is scheduled …

There’s a strip mall near my home in La Mesa that seems to be a black hole for restaurants. They seem to disappear almost as soon as they open. Some of the places that have …

The man who played Bill in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure hopes his next excellent adventure involves Frank Zappa. Actor/filmmaker Alex Winter is currently running a Kickstarter campaign that, if successful, will raise $500,000 to …

When San Diegans discuss the area’s best burger, the two top contenders are usually Hodad’s in Ocean Beach and Downtown and Rocky’s Crown Pub near Pacific Beach. I understand. Both places make high-quality burgers. I …

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the San Diego Zoo and the 50th anniversary of the classic Beach Boys album Pet Sounds. Local history professor and music writer Steve Thorn has a pet project …

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 …

How does a band stay together for more than ten years? For the Donkeys, chemistry is key, but having little faith in one’s own abilities doesn’t hurt either. “I think we all share a lack …

“We had all these songs on our website that nobody cared about, so we thought, We’ll do videos so people will care,” says T.C. Johnston. “Of course, nobody really cared, but we were having fun.” …

Two years ago it may have seemed that Europe, the metal band that gave the world “The Final Countdown,” was down for the count. But a Geico car insurance ad has changed things in ways …

“Our intent is to reveal the bass,” says Kamau Kenyatta, about LOW: The Power & Beauty of Bass, the newest exhibit at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. “Everyone feels it, so we did …

“These are people who didn’t get into music for fame, money, or to sleep with beautiful women,” Brandes says. “These bands weren’t interested in cutting corners or changing their sound in order to get a record deal.”

Scott Weiland’s recent death may increase sales of his records, but fans may want to hold off on honoring his musical memory by starting a tribute band. “There are a dozen Stone Temple Pilot tribute …

Gayla Peevey can’t avoid hippos, even if she wanted to. “People assume I collect them, so they give them to me,” she tells me from her home near Mt. Helix. “I have figurines and a …

When I heard that Roppongi in La Jolla was closing down after 17 years, I wasn’t surprised. Owner Sami Ladeki said the restaurant’s closure was due to changing neighborhood tastes. I always liked Roppongi and …

Nick Lowe is of two minds about Christmas. “In Britain, Christmas is different,” he tells me by phone from his home in England. “In the states, you embrace the corniness. Here [in Britain], it’s more …

If I were visiting from out of town for a week and staying in the Gaslamp, I might pass by Cafe 21 a few times before I gave it a chance because it doesn’t look …

James Bond not only rules the box office, but the super spy has also shaken and stirred trends at cocktail bars since the 1960s. With the release of the latest Daniel Craig flick Spectre, some …

When the Sloths play the Casbah November 9, the 1960s-era garage band will have a famous guest: Jason from the Friday the 13th films. “There’s a guy I know down there who does a great …

No one goes to a theme park for food. I get that. But I don’t understand why SeaWorld doesn’t sell sushi. When I see those those beautiful sea creatures at the park, I get hungry. …

Want to see Ryn Weaver’s November 4 show at the House of Blues? You could buy a ticket or you could just ask her mother, Cynthia. “My mom is the worst when it comes to …

I try to differentiate between places that are worth driving to and places that are good if I’m in the neighborhood. Taco shops are part of what makes San Diego great, but most of them …

After 90 years in existence, Belmont Park is starting to become a food destination. Draft opened in 2014 and, more recently, Cannonball, a Pacific Rim restaurant with lots of sushi options. Cannonball sits atop Draft …

We’ve been having an argument around the homestead: Which pizza style is better, thin crust or thick? As much as I love New York, I find the smug attitude the citizens have towards their thin-style …

La Mesa’s Claudia Sandoval is one of the top-three finalists for this season of MasterChef, a cooking show on the Fox Network. She stands to win a book deal and $250,000. When she was picked …

San Diego has been the starting point for a few successful restaurant chains — Rubio’s, Jack in the Box, and Roberto’s to name just three. Un Mundo Mexican Grill is a new spot in University …

The nature of journalism, even food writing, is to report “news,” not “olds.” The result is that foodies and food writers will often focus on the next food trend or new eating spot at the …

Usually when a sushi place tries to add American elements, it is more confusion than fusion. But when it’s done well, it can take Japanese flavors into an interesting new place. One restaurant that does …