Ed finds Rogelio the sushi chef doesn't laugh at his, well, ignorance

“Patience, Grasshopper. Quality sushi takes time.” That’s what stops me, at the head of the menu. A kinda quote from that David Carradine TV series, Kung Fu. Carradine played Kwai Chang Caine, who tried not to fight at least until …

It was 2008, but I remember it clearly, sharing a table with young restaurateur Arturo Kassel and discussing the origins of the name for his farm-to-table Whisknladle (1044 Wall Street, La Jolla). He explained it was the name of a …

The OB Farmers' Market contains wonderful, portable, miniaturized treats.

I was minding my own business, waltzing through the Ocean Beach Farmers’ Market (Wednesdays from 4-7 on Newport Street) in a vain search for a guy who sells photo journals, when the unmistakable scent of fresh donuts wafted my way. …

It's the aroma, getting richer and richer...

The thing about the Vietnamese soup-meal pho is the more you slurp it down, the better it gets. The more concentrated, the more flavorful. That’s my tragedy tonight. In a rush. Truly ten minutes before the trolley. Won’t have time …

Locally-run loyalty program establishes a fundraising drive to help an ailing restaurant owner.

Yesterday, I (and all the other MOGL subscribers) got an email with the subject, “request to help a restaurant owner in need.” I subscribe to the loyalty program, which rewards customers at restaurants with cash back, as much for the …

Local chocolatier seeping like molten morsels into South Park

After spending the past half-decade in North Park, Eclipse Chocolat is moving to South Park. In doing so, owner Will Gustwiller will be taking over a 4,000 square foot space that is a whopping four times larger than Eclipse 1.0. …

More musical chairs at a challenging location

First it was an Italian coffee house, Caffe Vergnano 1882 - it had been going since 1882 at the chain's HQ in Turin, Italy. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/29/39232/ That lasted a matter of months at this location in the beautiful ol' French-Indochina style …

Berkeley Pizza in the Gaslamp has the right crust.

I will shamelessly admit that every time I go to the Little Italy Mercato, I snag a sample of Berkeley Pizza. They are there every Saturday morning, selling take and bake pies and giving out bites to taste. There’s always …

Cucina Urbana adds Italian craft beer to its repertoire

Many in the craft beer know are on to the fact that Italy is gaining a great deal of notoriety for its burgeoning beer scene. Microbreweries dot the Mediterranean country like raindrops on a suede boot. Major publications are reporting …

New, pan-Asian spot downtown set the bar high, delivered in some respects. Still has lots of potential.

Gang Kitchen was hyped and hyped, and then hyped a little more in the months leading up to its opening. But, hey, it’s been open for a little while now and my curiosity was up, so I stopped by for …

Can the new Mercado's restaurant compete with Cuatro Milpas?

They say it has been 21 years coming. But the Mercado apartments are open, its supermarket is open, and now its first restaurant is open. Cocina Doña Tina sits on the corner where the food section of the Northgate Gonzalez …

Brews Up and Ogawashi team up for Japanese craft beer tasting

Thanks to the prevalence of craft beer in San Diego, our citizens are becoming very familiar with brews from the world’s most suds savvy regions—Belgium, England, Germany, the United States. Even the burgeoning beer scene in Mexico is finally leaking …

A Menu Inspired by Milan

Following in the footsteps of their Little Italy predecessors, when Bencotto Italian Kitchen owners (Chef Fabrizio Cavallini, Valentina DiPietro, and Guido Nistri) were looking to open a new Italian restaurant, they did so right next door to their successful existing …

North Park restaurant has a novel idea for generating customer loyalty.

Old Mill Cafe is trying to buy my loyalty. And yours, too. All of our loyalties. With cold, hard cash. Yup, that’s right, this family-style restaurant in North Park is, as far as I know, the only restaurant with “Win …

I never saw an episode of Cheers -- the show was before my time -- but I get the gist, as I've heard the theme song. It's a place where you can feel at home, where "everybody knows your name, …

New fish joint brings its own legend to Horton Plaza

At last: hope for the corner of 4th and Broadway. I was there Friday night around six, and the corner with the dark brick building looked different… You could see people eating. Through the window, at tables, a big island …

The weekly special at this Old Town bistro is a hit.

I went to 25 Forty Bistro and Bakehouse (2540 Congress Street) for “Trattoria Thursday” last night and I was served one of the biggest meals I’ve had in a while. Eight courses, without dessert, came out of the kitchen. Service …

The place with 220 tequilas and awesome happy hour deals has a sign on the door...

Down at the ballpark. Worrying. The Proper Pub, 20 yards away, closed down for lack of interest, like no foot traffic on non-Padre days (and that’s maybe 200 days in a year), after what must have been a hugely expensive …

Mira Mesa brewery to release six hop-forward beers in 2013

Since moving into their 45,000 square foot digs in Mira Mesa in 2011, the folks at Green Flash Brewing Company have done a great deal to fill the place out, not only with brewing equipment, fermentation tanks, barrels, and a …

Craft beer-infused dessert biz going in a new direction

I met Navy linguist-turned-pro baker Misty Birchall at a San Diego Brewers Guild meeting in 2010. Despite being a local craft beer journalist, it seemed more people at the meeting were familiar with her than me. Of course, I didn’t …

My thoughts on wine lists delivered via iPad.

Last night, I journeyed up to Del Mar to check out a tasting menu from the new-ish chef at Pacifica. Since I got the invitation to visit the place, I can’t deliver a binding verdict considering that I usually dine …

"People get in the warp area, and weird things happen."

A turista comes up, confused. “Excuse me. Is this Old Town?” My buddy Jason nods. “Yes sir. This is Old Town.” “Welcome to Old Town’s Bermuda Triangle,” he says, when the tourist shuffles off. Jason runs the coffee cart on …

Making a long-delayed return to Poway craft beer bar and resto

Last week, I shared news on a special barleywine being brewed by Karl Strauss Brewing Company to celebrate the five year-anniversary of Poway bar and restaurant Phileas Foggs (11385 Poway Road, Suite 100, Poway). In doing so, I found myself …

Normal Heights now has its very own super-small-batch coffee roaster

I’ve watched, hawk-like and keen-eyed, as Dark Horse Coffee postponed opening over and over and over again. Normal Height’s new roastery was supposed to open in October of last year, but delays in construction and inspection (part and parcel of …

This is not your great great great great great great grandpappy’s food. (But it’s maybe as near as we can get…)

I see the shadow of disappointment cross June’s face. Guess it's because I said "bread” when she asked if I want lettuce or bread around my Paleo burger. Paleo…whu? To be honest: I don't know much about Paleo anything. Except …

Restaurateur/TV personality opening nightlife-driven downtown sushi spot

Kevin Roberts. That name rang a bell when someone brought it up late last week. Then it hit me, a memory flash transporting me back to 2008 when a local restaurateur of the same name appeared on Food Network’s reality …

Burger Lounge's new burger (and its free burger offer) are non-delicious in Hillcrest.

I’ve been seeing everyone and his cousin lined up at Burger Lounge in Hillcrest as of late. This is probably because Burger Lounge mailed the entire city of San Diego a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. Under normal circumstances, I’m averse to the …

Red's has great decor, under-performing espresso machines.

Based on looks alone, I liked Red’s Espresso Eatery (1017 Rosecrans Street) immediately. The place had an unexpected amount of character. The outside was unassuming, a “we’re open” sign the only indicator that anything’s going on inside. The narrow halls …

The Counter has a deal of a meal…uh, might bring your microscope

This is so typical. I’d been watching this corner – 6th and G – for months, waiting for these guys to open. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/21/38750/ Then when it happened, I blinked, got distracted. It’s only t’other day, when I’m wandering, lonely as …

New Indian spot in Hillcrest serves curry fast food style

Naked Pizza tried to simplify ‘za with iPhone apps and pictographic menus. While the PB franchise is still in operation, the Hillcrest branch didn’t last very long in the tough-to-fill spot on Fifth Avenue. Now, Kasi is trying the same …

New restaurant from Urban Solace creator coming to Del Mar

Chef Matt Gordon was once the darling of North Park. A bearded, burly guy whose pork belly and brown liquor serve as dual calling cards, he’s perhaps the manliest guy to ever qualify as a “darling,” but when he opened …

Dick’s Last Resort is a mess – so you’ll stay warm

Dick’s is all screwed up. You know Dick’s Last Resort (345 Fourth Avenue (between J and K Streets), Gaslamp downtown, 619-231-9100). It’s the place that’s famous for its shenanegans, where the waiters are there just to mess you up, bad. …

Bailiwick enters the cocktail fray with some good drinks in a high-profile spot

The new cocktail spot downtown, Bailiwick (756 5th Avenue), has a cool look about it. It’s a mixture of shabby chic and Edwardian cool, like the Titanic is going to sink at any moment behind the bar. Clawfoot tubs and …

There are exactly 200 restaurants participating in San Diego Restaurant Week this year. So far, I've only been able to make it to one: The Prado at Balboa Park. It wasn't until we were seated beside trees on the outdoor …

Nothing better than a roaring fire, bubbling tortilla soup, and Old Town to yourself

Is it cold? Claro que si. Is it crowded? Claro que no. Is the soup sabroso? You betcha. Specially sitting round one of the patio fireplaces of El Patio de Old Town (2611 San Diego Avenue, 619-260-8389). http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/17/38598/ Actually, fire …

The Blind Burro’s got some serious pre-game game

I didn’t sob when The Fleetwood closed its doors. Despite its sleek appeal, it always came across as another style-over-substance downtown blemish. I was glad to see the space boarded up for installation of a new concept. Now, when I …

Is it a cafe with a post office or a post office with a cafe?

I saw a cool and random thing the other day in Old Town — a combination post office and ice cream parlor. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/17/38558/ I’m about 110% sure I’ve been in Korky’s (2371 San Diego Avenue) before, but I didn’t remember …

Farmhouse Cafe is about to celebrate its 5th anniversary with a celebratory four-course dinner that will be served for the first three days in February. It had been a number of years since I'd last eaten at the small, quaint …

It’s not too late to get some highly coveted beer at The Lost Abbey

Last year, I wrote about one of the most ambitious beer projects to be undertaken by an American craft brewery—the release of 12 unique, barrel-aged beer blends from a single company over a one-year span. The brewery that took on …

New cooking competition reality show premieres January 22nd, also stars Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre, Anthony Bourdain.

San Diego chef Brian Malarkey will be a judge and team mentor on ABC’s new reality/cooking competition show The Taste, which premieres January 22, 2013 at 8:00 pm. Malarkey joins fellow judges Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre, and Anthony Bourdain as …

Two of the best street foods join forces in one liquor store parking lot.

University Heights’ street food scene is exploding! Well, sort of. I cruised by the liquor store at Texas and Meade the other day and espied the new arrival of a food cart in the parking lot. The combination outfit features …

Ray dishes on crêpe secrets from France

Ray's flying over San Diego Bay. Okay, aboard the 901. Looks down from the Bay bridge to the 32nd street naval base. "That's where my dad took me to see his ship, before he shipped off for the Philippines, back …

Karl Strauss hooks Philleas Foggs up with 5th anniversary brew

Last week, I noted the trend of local breweries developing anniversary ales for popular craft beer bars. In doing so, I cited the pair of beers Alpine Beer Co. and Societe Brewing Company brewed to celebrate O’Brien’s Pub’s nineteenth anniversary. …

Oh, man, this is a great idea. Like, a really great idea. Bento and sandwiches living together as one. Two of the world’s great foods of convenience under one roof. It’s Bentowich and the only thing bad about it is …

Tivoli's best daytime meal deals include beer

Oh man. I never do this. Have beer for breakfast. But here I am, sitting in the Tivoli, jes' 'cause of the sandwich board outside http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/16/38488/ ..."Come in for our beer and food specials, Monday thru Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - …

Local chef pens comprehensive guide to food, beer and craft brewing culture

The first time I heard the name Schuyler Schultz, was when I took a meeting in late 2009 at The Lost Abbey in San Marcos. The staff there was going on and on about a fantastic beer dinner they’d experienced …

Ocean Beach Hawaiian bar doesn't deliver on the island food, but the vibe's still cool.

I was feeling mighty mainland the other night, freezing in the cold and darkness, so I thought to myself, hey, I’ll check out Tiny’s Tavern in OB and see if they got da kine make me feel more better. I …

Great bacon burger, but…...what's it gonna take to chow into a chunk of real bacon?

Carla and I were dining out the other night. Tent City (1100 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-435-4611). We went a little wild, for us. Carla had the beef tournedos (tender cuts with blue crab meat, bearnaise sauce, and crumbled blue cheese). …

I have "almost" gone to Las Cuatro Milpas in Barrio Logan on several occasions, always to be deterred by the long line out the door. I am not a patient woman. But after three people either mentioned it to me …

Rancho Bernardo Inn names chef for its upcoming restaurant

Last year, Rancho Bernardo Inn (17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo) closed its ancient fine dining restaurant, El Bizcocho, in order to refresh the spacious dining room and unveil it later this year as a completely new concept. That’s old …

Downtown fish bar charges a premium price, but the fish is seafood is indeed fine.

A sense of good humor marked the menu at Escape Fish Bar with little snippets and jokes (“stalk us on Facebook!”). The staff, while perhaps a shade over-friendly on a quiet night, came off as nothing if not hospitable. Spirits …

The Taiwan-based Buddhist bookstore has really vibes for daydreaming, or writing your thesis without pressure

“From good thoughts to everlasting deeds.” These sayings are all around you, but they’re the only things interrupting your thoughts in this pretty elegant coffee-contemplation place just waiting for the new domed library to open, right across 11th Street. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/11/38287/ …

Butcher’s Brewing takes over Manzanita Brewing’s original brewhouse

It seems like only yesterday I was venturing to North Park’s Ritual Tavern to get a taste of a brand new beer from a brand new brewery. And a brand new brewer for that matter...as far as I knew at …

Grant Hill loses a chicken house and gains a burger joint.

Urban Chicken was cool. It wasn’t the best place in the whole wide Grant Hill, but the chicken was tasty and the funky building had some charm. Naturally, I was a little bummed when the place shuttered and quickly deteriorated, …

Happy hour at Currant is, uh, raisin' the bar...

So I’ve just swung by Sushi Deli 2 (see blog yesterday). Didn’t go in, but last time I was there, in May, you got those totally delish “green mussel dynamite,” four green-lipped mussels baked in the shell with spicy mayo …

Alpine Beer, Societe Brewing pay sudsy homage to O'Brien's Pub

When assessing the San Diego craft beer scene, most people see two camps—breweries and the venues that deal their product. While these are two separate factions, there is more overlap then ever before between them. Numerous owners of brewing companies, …

One yakitori grill closes, another opens in its place.

Raku is gone, replaced by Tec Chan, which isn’t all that different. The inside looks basically the same, although some bamboo awnings and booths went up on the north wall where, if I’m correct, only tables stood before. Lights and …

Is it a rock star? Is it an iPad 5 launch? Is it their soy sauce?

This was the scene downtown at 3rd and Broadway, next to the Spreckels Theater. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/10/38192/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/10/38194/ Except this crowd has nothing to do with rock stars or showbiz. They’re lining up to get into Sushi Deli 2. What is it …

A visit to the ladies in Barrio Logan cures the bug

Oh man. This was the only place I could come to. Last two days Carla and I have been heaving. Stomach bug. Lost five pounds! Now, want to come back gently to the world. So I homed in like a …

A post-European perspective on San Diego's beer scene

For years, I stowed away as much extra money as I could muster, storing it in the bank and fighting the urge to spend it on big-screen TVs, musical instruments, or bottle after bottle of high-priced craft beer. Truth be …

North Park bar may just have the best deal on a steak dinner, but it's only one night a week.

I don’t know how I missed out on steak night at Gilly’s, living right around the block and all, but Tuesday now has a new old hotness. I guess they’ve been doing it for a quarter-century--grilling up steaks for the …

Sights and details from the debut of Ramona's first craft brewery

The first time I wrote about ChuckAlek Independent Brewers (2330 Main Street, Suite C, Ramona), the only thing I had to show you all was a sleek black-and-scarlet logo; a crest displaying a cardinal and a poppy. Those carefully selected …

Honors keep rolling in. My honor: best bread to soak up sops

Spotted this on India… http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/07/38013/ Wow. That's two nods for Best New Restaurant, a Best Chef (Ryan Johnston) and a Top Ten. Not bad. This is at Prep Kitchen Little Italy (1660 India Street, 619-398-8383). http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/07/38012/ Have to agree about …

Japanese restaurant in Liberty Station has the hard to find condiment on the menu

I’ve had my eyes open looking for fresh wasabi ever since a reader told me about a (since closed) sushi place in La Jolla that served the green horseradish prepared fresh instead of the ersatz powder that’s more commonly used …

Local craft beer champion named Imbibe Magazine's Beer Person of the Year

A few weeks ago, San Diego bar owner Scot Blair and I were touring the Malheur brewery in Buggenhout, Belgium. About an hour in, he leans in and discreetly announces to me that he’s been named Beer Person of the …

Free HH food as long as you buy full-fare drinkies

Wow. This is swank. Sora (655 West Broadway, downtown, 619-564-7100). I’ve come in for happy hour. Thursdays and Fridays, you buy a drink, you get free food, like pasta and pizzas and edamame. Choice is not surprising since Sora is …

The illustrious-sounding Pamplemousse Grille in Solana Beach is not cheap, but Chef/Owner Jeffrey Strauss does his best to assure that you get what you pay for. The service is outstanding, and it definitely feels like a high-end affair. I recently …

Revisiting a previously black-listed downtown bar and restaurant

Sometimes one’s experience at a venue can be so remarkably bad that it results in that place being black-listed for life. That was the fate I had figured for downtown bar, The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole (1065 Fourth Avenue, …

La Mesa Ukrainian restaurant boils and stews it all

Having recently read Dead Souls, I’ve had the culture and cuisine of Eastern Europe at least somewhat on my mind. When word of Kalina reached my ears, I knew I had to get out to La Mesa to visit the …

Ida's got a big following for her hot beef melts

Walking past that big black glass building at 7th and B in the financial district. Thing I notice is the single table and chair under the tree outside that slope-glass frontage. Gets me curious. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/03/37854/ So I haul inside into …

Everybody around here knows it: Arturo's take on sushi has Baja written all over it

Big surprise at this little place next to the old Churchill Hotel. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/03/37847/ Arturo, who owns Ue Kara Grill (819 C Street, 619-231-0865...it means "From Above" in Japanese) has decided to put his Mexican background into his sushi. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/03/37849/ "I …

Ballast Point to employ new look and packaging material in 2013

Two short years ago, the sight of aluminum cans made craft beer fans point and snicker. Now, thanks to a slow but steady trickle of information being doled out by beer experts and brewing companies, consumers are getting wise that, …

Few things are more satisfying to eat on a cool evening (or any evening) than this Salvadoran specialty — a great alternative to tacos!

I espied El Salvador Pupuseria on my way back from Tom’s BBQ. Honestly, I don’t know how it had evaded my scrutiny for so long. I adore pupusas. I’m not the only one, either. Bedford did a whole Tin Fork …

The guys who gave you Craft & Commerce, Neighborhood, El Dorado, Underbelly, are landing again in LI

Are these guys on a roll or what? Arsalun Tafazoli and Nate Stanton started off - only five years ago! - with Neighborhood, the gastropub in East Village that really pushed local beers and seems to have made gastropubs cool, …

Checking out replacement to Gordon Ramsay's hellish disappointment

The last time I was in the space currently housing Brick + Mortar (820 Fifth Avenue, Downtown), I was cringing as I watched the episode of FOX’s Hotel Hell where superstar chef Gordon Ramsay ripped the owners of The Keating …

Ducks, chickens, and pigs all meet a savory, crispy, soy sauce-drenched end.

There’s not much to Tom’s BBQ in City Heights. The storefront comprises a counter, register, display case, and a table that looks like it isn’t for sitting at; at least, not for customers. All of this is slammed into a …

Most popular Feast entries of the past year

1) Dinner at the Movies: Cinepolis Del Mar Luxury Cinema 2) Le Dîner à San Diego: Evening in White 3) Provisions, Soda & Swine coming to Normal Heights 4) Chef Shake-Up at Brooklyn Girl 5) Coming Soon (Finally!): The San …

Tijuana restaurant is totally worth the wait in the linea

I have got to start bringing my phone with me when I go to Mexico. I always try to travel extra-light, but there are too many things to take pictures of. For example, it’s a shame that I didn’t get …