Kebab shops seem to be springing up all over the place, which is a nice trend. One of the most recent arrivals to the Middle Eastern take-out scene, Kebab King on University Avenue, is in the building recently vacated by …

Part II The second stop on my tour of Vista breweries was Aztec Brewing Company, a business started August of last year by a group of SDSU alums. Their mission was to add a dose of flavors from our neighbors …

I love finding a food that I haven't seen before. I wandered into La Cafe on Regents Road in University City looking for a sandwich and ended up getting educated about burekas, also known as boreka, burek, byoreka, and many …

The Smoking Goat, the casual, busy French/American bistro on 30th just north of Upas in North Park, is expanding. Owner and chef Fred Piehl has taken over the space next door, previously occupied by the North Park Fish Market, and …

For most, opening a modern homage to traditional Japanese noodle houses would be enough to garner plenty of oohs and aahs. But not when the restaurateurs behind said venture also own a neo-urban gastropub with an illustrious built-in speakeasy and …

Say the word “sandwich” and my first thought is, Blah. I eat them, yes, but rarely do they move me. The banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) at Cali Baguette Express, however, do move me. I've said it before, and I'll say …

Chef Scott Cathcart of Beaumont's Eatery in Bird Rock recently unveiled some new items for their winter menu, including a slew of new drinks. New libations include: 40 Love, Cinnamon Girl, Scarlett Begonia, Rosemary Collins, and Sicilian Smash, ranging from …

In the comments section of my bit on Industrial Grindl, a reader suggested I visit Lazy Hummingbird coffee in Ocean Beach. I've now done so, and I still think that it's got a totally fantastic name. The little coffee shop …

Part I Brewhouses are opening at an astounding rate around San Diego County, but no one region has experienced as much growth over the past year-and-a-half as the city of Vista. Once home to just two breweries, Green Flash Brewing …

I’m big on atmosphere. Give me a place where the music and the decor aid my fantasies of world travel or lux living, and I can forgive bad coffee or mediocre fare. My husband, M, can shrug off a cafeteria-like …

Whew. Travelin’ with da rich and famous now. Carla’s buddy Linda has just come back from Hong Kong with her hubby Bill, flying first class. Can you imagine how much that lightened their bank account? I’m thinking normal air fare …

A few months ago, Barbarella gave the lowdown on breakfast at the Range in Hillcrest at that all windows spot in front of the Ruby Room. She covered the barbed wire and dairy crate ambiance and even captured the sideways …

Having recently relocated from the land of cheap, multi-culti eateries (City Heights) to the kingdom of chain restaurants (Eastlake), I feared that my options for I’m-not-cooking-tonight-but-don’t-want-to-spend-a-lot would be limited to Chik-fil-A and Pick Up Stix (neither of which I’ve ever …

There's a guy in tears at one of the three small tables inside Banh Thai. There are three more tables outside, but that is all the seating available. "They make it way spicy here!" he says. "They don't play around!" …

Del Mar Highlands Town Center is quickly becoming a well-rounded nosh zone. Burlap provides upscale yet accessible eats for the Highlander scenester sect;The Counter provides a good build-your-own-burger option; Urban Plates makes Souplantationers weak in the knees; and Cinepolis has …

Chef Patrick Ponsaty, chef de cuisine at the Loew's Coronado Bay restaurant Mistral, has been awarded the title of Maître Cuisinier de France. The prestigious organization has only 200 or so members, including Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, Michel Richard …

Harry's Coffee Shop in La Jolla opened in 1960, and judging from the wall of fame in the back of the place, has sponsored every sports league in the city since. That's how it is at Harry's. It's family owned, …

Normally, I don't go for mid-afternoon coffee, even though it's my favorite time of day to drink the stuff. I go to bed early, and a caffeine buzz will trash my sleep cycle. But today is different. Today I have …

Hillcrest can sometimes seem like a Boys Town -- if my many friends are any indication, men of the LGBT variety are more likely to party and frequent clubs, whereas the ladies enjoy holing up at home. Pipe down with …

A Feast! feature in which your humble correspondent visits a restaurant and orders the specialty of the house. Yee-haw! "It's between the tongue & cheek ($26) and the butt ($24)," mused The Wife innocently after hearing our waitress's suggestions. She …

A Feast! feature in which your humble correspondent visits a restaurant and orders the specialty of the house. Subtle! Up first, the appetizer. Like Quality Social, Searsucker is good at elevating the familiar. Triple cheese toast + tomato-tarragon soup ($8)? …

“Code Stroke, ER, Bed Number Three! Code Stroke, ER, Bed Number Three…” It’s the hospital sound system. “Sounds like “Code Stroke, ER, Bedford numb and freezed,’” I say to Carla. “Let’s get da heck outta here.” We’re at Sharp Coronado, …

In a city where burritos and Tecate are our bread and wine, taco Tuesdays are the Holy Sabbath, and there’s no better place to elude entirely the prospect of toil than Bravo’s Mexican Restaurant Y Cantina in Ocean Beach. Kitty-corner …

Hey, Mary Beth. I've got a haggis story too (see her story right below). Happened last Saturday. Carla's and my friend Annie is true-blue Scots. Asked us to her annual Robbie Burns party, featuring The Haggis as the main part …

My love may be like a red, red rose, but my appetite runs in more carnivorous directions. To that end, The Linkery and El Take It Easy in North Park are celebrating the 253rd birthday of Robert Burns with a …

When the Cohn Restaurant Group brought aboard executive chef Daniel Barron, a chef who treats his kitchen like a laboratory for scientific experimentation, he seemed an odd hire. And not just for the restaurant he'd helm, Blue Point Coastal Cuisine …

It's a good thing that John Montagu liked to play cards and talk. At least, so the legend goes. As a result, I can eat good things stuffed into bread every day for the rest of my life and never …

For any hip, Uptown denizen who's ever coveted the good vibrations and the mellow ways of the deeply tanned and yoga-limber North County swamis, Lotus Cafe in Hillcrest is a great way to soak up a little Encinitas style (the …

Shout out to the real thing. Past couple of times coming back from TJ I’ve ended up on the street, looking for one last dog. This time it’s around ten at night, corner of Avenida de la Amistad (“Friendship Avenue”) …

Whoo hoo. What a deal. Popped in to Stout Public House (1125 6th Avenue, downtown, 619-702-7933) during happy hours (which are long and easy to remember: 4-8:00 p.m., seven days) to grab a bite and a pint before I jumped …

Before comfort food and reclaimed chic were the trends in America's Finest, there was Whisnkladle. The product of young restaurateur, Arturo Kassel, and partner in crime, executive chef Ryan Johnston, WNL took La Jolla, and then the entire county, by …

A Feast! feature in which your humble correspondent visits a restaurant and orders the specialty of the house. Me, last Friday afternoon: "Apparently, Quality Social isn't fucking around any more." The Wife: "What makes you say that?" Me: "They just …

The cupcake craze of the recent past is gone, but the cupcake shops remain. It's likely that most of them will be around for a while since no real alternative pastry fashion has risen to take the reins. Pie was …

Last year, Encinitas' St. Germain's Bistro & Cafe brought aboard Kaitlin Ramos to fill their executive chef vacancy. This move seems fairly pedestrian, but Ramos' gender makes her hire standout a bit. While home kitchens the world over are primarily …

Urge Gastropub in Rancho Bernardo will host their First Annual Black Out and San Diego Top Brewers Book Signing on Wednesday, January 25th, beginning at 5:00 pm. The event will celebrate the darkest of brews, including: BrewDog Tokio Barrel Aged …

I walk into the hall in the ball. Seriously. Cecut. Centro Cultural, Tijuana. Around 8.30 at night. And man! You come in like you’re entering the sun itself. I mean some architect’s done something original for once. Beam me in, …

Gorditas ("little fatties") are a taco-alternative that aren't as widely available as burritos or quesadillas. Made from masa dough that's about halfway between the filling for a tamal and a corn tortilla, the little pockets are stuffed with various fillings. …

Urbn Coal Fired Pizza has made it known that their speciality pizza is crafted in the Neopolitan style popular in New Haven, Connecticut. Baked in a blisteringly hot, coal-fired oven, the slices at urbn bear deeply charred crusts and scorched …

Local businesses love food. Sometimes, they like it more than money...within reason. Try this: next time you're planning on making an appearance at your favorite bar or club, bring along some cookies. Maybe you even made some yourself, which goes …

“Well, it’s better than airplane food,” says Ken. “And Surly Jim here makes a good vodka.” OK, so damned with faint praise on the food front. But hey, even though this is the airport, I’m actually chewing on some pretty …

Snooze, the latest addition to the block of Fifth Avenue between University and Washington in Hillcrest, calls itself "an AM eatery". And yes, they are open at the ungodly hour of 6:30 am on weekdays, which I rarely see willingly. …

I saw the open doors at Brooklyn Girl Eatery, the new Michael and Victoria McGeath restaurant, so I stopped to see what was happening. The McGeaths, who previously owned Trattoria Acqua in La Jolla, signed their lease on Goldfinch Avenue …

Now that chef and restaurateur Matt Gordon has gotten through the first several months at his newest eatery, Solace and the Moonlight Lounge in Encinitas, the spot’s running well enough for him to take a breath and have some fun. …

Reading and correctly interpreting wine labels, particularly non-USA wine labels, can be challenging. Add a pretentious shop owner or a snooty sommelier, and you can end up paying too much for a wine you may not enjoy, or that you …

A bar stool at San Diego’s most venerable craft beer bar, O’Brien’s Pub, on an uncharacteristically busy Wednesday night turned out to be the right place at the right time for this beer journalist. That was when owner Tom Nickel …

The three candles burn bright in their candelabra. It sits on the console in the middle of this ol’ horseshoe bar. It’s the kind butlers hold to light the way through the hacienda in movies like, say, Zorro. Wax from …

Time to get your nerd on. Tonight 98 Bottles on Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy is hosting Free Epic Movie Night, beginning at 6:00 pm. The double bill includes Better Off Dead starring John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers and Kim …

"I don't like using the word 'macrobiotic' to describe our food", says Eduardo (Wayo) Longoria III, "it sounds too science-y. Macrobiotic actually means 'great life' and that includes food, but it's so much more. It means to live every part …

Gringos are familiar with the taco, burrito, enchilada and extreme nacho sections of Mexican to-go joints. They’re the unofficial signature cuisine of America’s Finest City. Yet, there’s one prominent, well stocked portion of the standard taco shop bill of fare …

Tucked in a strip mall on Rosecrans Street between Midway Drive and Sports Arena Boulevard, a small vegetarian/vegan-friendly restaurant named the Naked Cafe exists. In this Freudian-influenced business district known for its many strip clubs, the first thing that comes …

Wandered up here by accident. Saw the sign by the elevators in the Marriott (at Marriott Gaslamp, 660 K Street, 619-446-6086) down here in the Gaslamp, and, zzzipp! Suddenly I’m walking out on the 9th floor, onto the roof patio, …

Uncle Biff's "Killer" Cookies has been in business for 21 years now, which is no mean feat along a stretch of University Avenue with doubtlessly high rents and ample competition in the highly congested district. Tucked away in an otherwise …

Sadly, Caffe Vergnano 1882, the Italian coffee shop on Fifth Avenue, just off University, is no more. I'd been there a few times, and had excellent coffee for a reasonable price. It was one of the few places in San …

Chef Jeff Rossman is pretty well known around San Diego. He’s helmed his restaurant, Terra (in its first iteration in Hillcrest and now as Terra American Bistro in College East) received accolades for his stunning farm-to-table cookbook, From Terra’s Table …

Osteria Romantica, on Avenida del Playa in La Jolla, could be straight out of a movie set, from it's pretty patio and checkered tablecloths to it's handsome, accented waiters and sunny, cheerful dining room. It's a lovely place for a …

Pizza is problematic. With the plethora of regional styles, identifying what separates a great slice from the mediocre hordes is ultimately a personal matter. Because of this wide appeal, pizza's position near the top of the comfort foods' pantheon is …

So after the adventure (see Rabbit For Breakfast?), and no rabbit to cook on a fire, and all that mud slogging, I'm starved. Andrea's giving me a ride up to Palm Avenue. She has one of those smart phones. “Imperial …

I'd heard the name, Bangkok West, from my father, usually in passing, as in, "I had lunch at" or "I'm having dinner at Bangkok West." A creature of habit, when Dad finds something he likes, he sticks with it. But, …

Dang. Thought I was going to get me a free rabbit breakfast this morning. Went out into the fields of Suzie's Farm, the organic vegetable outfit with fields near Ream Field, east of Imperial Beach. I turned up around 6.30 …

I've been eating a lot of fancy pants food lately. There's nothing wrong with that, but by Friday, all I wanted was a burger. Not a froufrou burger either, just a plain old decent patty. Enter Canada Steak Burger, on …

Is this the best hot dog in the universe? OMG. It’s increíble! And tastes as good as it looks. I’m looking down at a viper’s nest of crispy candied onions, tomato chunks, a crooked line of yellow mustard with red …

The January Ride that runs up Kitchen Creek, over Laguna Mountain, along Sunrise Highway, and finally up to Julian makes a traditional stop at Mom's Pies for mid-ride refueling. The ride is challenging — five hours on the bike, over …

Within the confines of Pacific Beach, Mission Blvd. is the nearest street parallel to the edge of the continent. For over 20 years Taco Surf has proudly stood on Mission Blvd. as the love child between surf and taco culture: …

Apologies in advance to the Vietnamese language. The proper characters just don't exist on most keyboards in the US. That said, there is an amazing soup from Vietnam and it is not pho. It is called Bun Bo Hue, or …

First, it should be noted that this is not a proper review. Gingham just opened this week, and the pieces are still being set in place; it wouldn't be fair to level our critical six-shooters in its direction just yet. …

The primacy of the burrito as the lunch item of record in SD remains unthreatened, but there are some delightful alternatives to be had for those in the market for lunch on the quick. At Savory Deli in University Heights, …

I've been to Blind Lady Ale House a few times, though not recently, and I've had good beer and pizza. Their new venture, Tiger! Tiger!, is just over the 805 from BLAH, on El Cajon near 30th. T!T! (yes, I'm …

Close dining scene observers were surprised last year by the sudden separation of chef Jason Maitland from his former restaurant, Flavor Del Mar. After all, he'd been very enthusiastic about the venture and worked tirelessly to get it open and …

A five-course dinner…from a food truck? Mangia Mangia, the Italian food truck, usually offers this deal Thursdays at 6.30 at 57 Degrees (1735 Hancock, near Washington Street, 619-234-5757). It’s kinda civilized. You can eat on the streetside patio (on Hancock …

Being half Mexican I am completely comfortable claiming that the Mexican food of San Diego is the best Mexican food in the world — perhaps even better than in Mexico! When the accumulated wisdom from centuries of tasty-food-making fuses together …

I decided to drop by Pho Fifth Avenue for a bowl of steaming Pho a couple of days ago. Though you pay the Hillcrest premium and the portions are on the smaller side (not necessarily a bad thing), I've found …

Like a mid-twentieth century toaster, the pop-up restaurant trend is ejecting another special one-night-only event. This time, it's the product of Cooks Confab. Earlier this week, I made mention of their Super Bowl Sunday fundraiser. While that event is for …

Ooh. Tongue-zipper! That's the thing you remember about crêpes here: the crêpes themselves. The batter has the tang of orange zest. Like shavings of the skin of oranges. Plus, cinnamon and a “vanilla beer batter." Whatever, they’re tasty in themselves. …

I'm not a vegetarian, but I do like vegetarian food. Well, for the most part. I tasted a Tofurkey once, and didn't care for it. Anyway, I was walking past Sipz Fusion Cafe in North Park when I was enticed …

For the most part, food writers and restaurant critics operate in a vacuum. Or, at least they should. Nothing good - or at least honest - can really be gained from journalists offering opinions on eateries and dishes powwowing together …

The enormously successful Francesca Restaurant Group is expanding their Southern California locations. A second Davanti Enoteca will open in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center soon. Next door to Davanti Enoteca in Del Mar will be their sister restaurant, Mia …

El Take It Easy will be hosting it's second Veganized evening on Wednesday, January 11th. The three-course prix fixe menu will feature vegan offerings using produce from Suzie's Farm, for $20. The featured artist is Ensenada native and North Park …

Man. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Wait: I am in a candy store. Never meant to, but I just bought $4 worth of home-made maple walnut fudge. For Carla, you understand. OK, partly for me. I …

Considering that it's a pretty major chain, the arrival of Freebirds World Burrito in Hillcrest shouldn't make that much of a splash in San Diego where one is seldom more than fifteen minutes from a world-class burrito. However, Freebirds bears …

I should have known it when I heard they'd been palling around. Two young chefs with seemingly limitless energy and a flare for the dramatic. It's appropriate that Brian Malarkey and Chad White have found each other and it turns …

Am I the last person to see this? There I was, wandering down Fifth in the Gaslamp the other night, and stopped outside Trattoria La Bocca (515 Fifth). Closed! Actually the place was above my pay grade, but I always …

So, you say you love food more than anything. Even more than the biggest annual sporting event in the country? Come February 5th, fans of food and football will have some difficult decisions to make when Cooks Confab, an alliance …

Ok, maybe we won't live forever just from including a little freshly squeezed juice, green smoothies, and wheatgrass in our diets, but it's not going to hurt. Personal feelings on the health benefits of juicing, superfoods, and supplements aside, there's …

Kitchen 4140 is in an unlikely location on Morena Boulevard better known for design studios, carpet stores, and Costco. Chef Kurt Metzger describes his culinary style as "ingredient-inspired and ingredient-driven". I'm not sure what that means. I saw a rotisserie …

There’s something new goin’ on behind two of the oldest windows in town. I’m in deepest Gaslamp. Standing outside where American Apparel was (for, what? Three years?) and before that, San Diego Hardware (for, can you believe, 90 years?) and …

Many of us have gone to a farmer’s market, or been unable to get to one during its prescribed day and hours of operation, and wished there was a farmer’s market in a set location that was open seven days …

Over the past several months, I have (along with just about every local food writer) been trying to keep up with all of the HR-related activity going on along the one block of expanse of Camino Del Mar from 15th …

When John and I were having breakfast at the Fig Tree Cafe recently, we noticed this hanging on the wall. While I wouldn't say we're coffee snobs, we do love a good cup. We'll go so far as to roast …

How did I find out about Free Cupcakes Next Wednesday? By just about colliding with the guy waving a huge arrow on the corner of 5th and Island. He was advertising Heavenly Cupcake (518 6th Avenue, at Island, downtown, 619-235-9235). …

“As my dad was dying, six years ago,” says Star, “he made me promise that I wouldn’t sell, that I’d keep the place going, as is.” Star Thompson, Ben Chaudoin and I are standing outside the Star Bar (423 E …

Every time I head to Noble Experiment, the cocktail bar hidden behind a false wall of kegs in the back of Neighborhood in the East Village, I drink in the atmosphere before partaking of their liquid wares. With the artwork …

I have a confession to make...I love cupcakes. There, I've said it. I've loved them ever since my mother sent me to kindergarten with a box, homemade and decorated like miniature Easter baskets, with tinted coconut "grass" and jelly bean …

John and I were strolling around Pacific Beach a while back when we noticed a crowd of people waiting to get into the Fig Tree Cafe on Cass Street. It was pretty inside, and the menu looked good, but we'd …

If you had to pick four letters that spelled out what's happening in our restaurants this coming year, they’re “K.I.S.S.” Yeah, that’s “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Or maybe that should be “K.I.L.S.” “Keep It Local, Son.” The National Restaurant Association’s …

The Del Mar Highlands Town Center is undergoing a major facelift, with a newly renovated movie theatre, new shops, and new restaurants. Urban Plates is one of the latest eateries to open there. According to their website, the owners of …

Back in the Barrio, heading down Cesar Chavez towards the trolley. Walk past ye olde brick building that was Chuey's bar-eatery for the longest time. 'Course for the last eight years it's been Ryan Brothers' coffee roasting and sipping place …

It's the last official day of the holiday season, and what better way to show it out than with cocktails and a view. It seems that everyone feels more generous this time of year. Candelas Coronado, at 1201 First Street, …

If you are a fan of the cuisine at Ritual Tavern, first off, I think you have good taste. Second, be sure to get over there soon. Chef Brandon Brooks has officially tendered his resignation, but his responsibly-sourced cuisine will …

Oceanside council will discuss amending city code to allow food trucks to operate in the City at a hearing on Wednesday. The order to allow food trucks was first discussed in August after councilmembers Esther Sanchez and Jerry Kern requested …

If it seems chef Brian Malarkey is everywhere these days, that’s because he pretty much is. After the runaway success of he and partner James Brennan’s first restaurant, downtown’s Searsucker, the duo moved north to Del Mar Highlands less than …

Get your walkin' boots on... At the mouth of the Sweetwater River, in the badlands west of the I-5, National City kinda surprises you with a brand-new facility beside a yacht basin. It’s a place where all the yacht owners …

One of the pleasures of the holiday season is going to see big, loud, explosion-filled action movies. So John and I headed up to Del Mar to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol at Cinepolis Luxury Cinema in the Del Mar …

Last month, I was psyched to announce news that The Lion's Share, a craft cocktail lair with a game meat-heavy menu had opened up in downtown's Marina District. The primary fuel for my excitement was the fact the kitchen is …

Was talking to Nathalie the other night. She’s one of the waitresses at this li’l ol’ place – the oldest eatery in Old Town, they claim, and I can believe it - La Piñata (2836 Juan Street, Old Town, 619-297-1631). …

New Year’s resolutions could start right here. Mine are simple: One, raw veggies. And two, I swear I’m gonna get out and work off whatever else I eat. Not so much the gym. I mean what’s the point of wasting …