Dynamite Deal: Green Mussels at Sushi Deli
Whew. Just beat the line. And there’s always a line outside Sushi Deli 2 (135 Broadway, downtown, 619-233-3072.) http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/may/03/23836/ OK, gal at the lecturn on the sidewalk handles a party of eight (and they won’t take groups like this until …
Taste of Polynesia Samoan Restaurant: Fa Afetai Lava, Junior
Rita Gorniak and her son Raymond didn’t ever meet Junior Seau. But their Samoan customers coming in today all talk about him. Of course, because his family, his roots, and his traditions all came from Samoa. Rita and Raymond do …
Café Needed Here!
Man, if I had the money… http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/may/02/23819/ The Sofia Hotel (150 West Broadway) which used to share the historic 1928 building with Greyhound, now has a lotta space freed up, since Greyhound left for their new, smaller site at 12th …
Currant: Affair on Broadway
Where do you eat when nobody’s eating? I’m slurping a coffee from a nice handled glass ($1.83 after tax) at The Coffee Bean (160 West Broadway, 619-238-8047), sitting outside on their patio. Looking east towards Horton Plaza, listening to rumbles. …
Diet Fads: Pick Your Decade
I’m desperate to get down to 200 pounds. Got about 6 to go, but, man, it’s hard work. I did go on a fast once. For a week. OJ, once a day. That was it. First two days, hollow-gut hell. …
Urban Turban: Swinging India Hits Downtown
Was heading down 4th Avenue when I noticed something had changed. Joey’s BBQ had become Urban India (1041 4th Avenue, 619-238-8380). This was about eight at night and I just needed a snack. Ho-kay. Why not an Indian snack? http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/27/23566/ …
Fast Food? Fast Pho-ward!
Just come from a Big 5, Southland Plaza, Palm City. Got me a pair of $18 shoes. Can’t beat ’em. Ten minutes to catch the 933. Promised Carla I'd bring home a meal. This is eight at night. Humping back …
Scoreboard: Pigs Do Fly...In IB
Pigs’ wings? In the real world, fuggedaboutit. But we’re here in IB, where anything is possible. So Joe the owner is standing behind the blue bar counter, and Pia the waitress is leaning on the stool beside me, waiting for …
Kathy’s Place: How to Blow a Perfectly Cheap Meal
“Should we?” This is Carla. We’re standing outside the doors of Kathy’s Place, the in-house cafeteria at Sharp Coronado Hospital (sometimes called Sharp Coronado Cafe, 250 Prospect Place, 619-522-3600). Carla’s here to get a check on that elbow she twisted …
Town’s Unfriendliest Patio?
The patio guard rail reminds you of the old bumper sticker: “Welcome to California. Now Go Home.” This arty rusty Stalag-13-style “fence” looks like it’s made to keep people in, rather than keep the rest of us out. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/23/23359/ Actually …
PO5: Improvements to Late Nite Pizzeria
Heads up, you late nite Gaslamp guzzlers! Pizza On Fifth Pizza Lounge - PO5 – where everybody goes to sober up a little at three in the mawnin’, is changing up, becoming more, well, loungey inside, with beer, wine, and …
La Terrazza — Life at the Top
Oh man. Seems every day off, the lovely Carla wants to head for Diane, on the sceptered isle of Coronado, to get her hair swished up. She's there now. Me, wandering lonely as a cloud, till I pass this place …
The Pasha of F Street
The street guy takes the blind woman inside the café and says she needs a drink. The owner doesn’t scoot them out, but asks them to “please wait.” The two wait outside. A little while later, the owner comes out …
Salad Style: In the Chapel? Or Under the Green Umbrella?
Green noodles, red cabbage, lime umbrellas, blue sky. Who could ask for anything more? Couldn’t resist stopping in here at Salad Style (807 F Street, 619-255-6731), what with the sunny day and the cute, little ol’ low red brick building, …
Counter Culture: Counting Down – But When?
“Arriving Early 2012.” Uh-huh. We’re nearly May now. What’s happenin’, fellas? The sign is stuck to the window of this new condo building at 6th and G downtown. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/16/22998/ It's right beside an application for a “41," the beer and …
Friday 13th in the Rain: The Butternut Solution!
On a miserable Friday 13th in the Gaslamp like tonight, this is the answer: Hot butternut soup. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/13/22862/ Sitting here at The Hopping Pig (734 5th Avenue, 619-546-6424)... http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/13/22864/ ...nursing an Arrogant Bastard (another beautiful cold weather consolation, $6), and …
Urban Eats? Urban Apps!
OMG. Eyes rolling back. Little gastronomic orgasm happening here. I’m crunching into a truly dee-lish bruschetta, loaded with big sloppy caramelized onions that sit under bigger, blacker, splayed-out wild mushrooms which are topped with bubbling, golden, toasted blue cheese. Plus …
Fry's: No Time to Eat the Plate
Crisis! Router ain’t woiking no more. Hours on the phone with nice gal in the Philippines. Result: “Your router is defective. You are out of warranty. Good luck.” Second result: I’m on the 120 bus, 7:30 at night, then the …
Delux Dogs: Open!
For months it’s had brown paper covering the windows and a sign promising they’d be opening soon. Every time we come through, my official hot dog taster – Carla – looks longingly. “When, when, for crying out loud!” She’d say, …
Sunflower Seeds: San Diego’s Ancient Food Comes Home
Beth spits out her mouthful of sunflower seeds. You gotta admire this. From time immemorial you could divide the human race into those who could and those who couldn't...crack off multiple shells in the mouth, eat the meat, and ptooey! …