Frauds and Swindlers grand opening set for August 24th
New cocktail and spirits bar downtown looks like a silent movie villain, but puts some very cool ideas onto the drink menu.
Frauds and Swindlers (820 Fifth Avenue, 619-814-5700) soft-opened over the weekend, but a grand opening date is set for August 24th and the staff swears, “it’s going to be a wild party.” That remains to be seen, but one thing …
Sundara: underwhelming Indian food
Ocean Beach Indian restaurant is "Indian-ish" at best, and no better than the average takeout spot.
Sundara Indian Cuisine (1774 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, 619-889-0639) started life as a pop-up affair in a coffee shop, taking over the space in the evenings and selling a short menu of curries. Apparently, so successful was the Indian venture that …
Wingstop open in University Heights
A quick lesson in eating hot wings based on a too-expensive--but otherwise good--multi-state chain's spicy chicken bites.
So, a Wingstop recently opened in University Heights, right next to the Lovin’ Hut. 1901 El Cajon Boulevard, 619-297-9464. Maybe the owners have a sense of irony, sticking a chicken wing shop in next to the all-vegan noodle hut. Maybe …
Lotus Cafe joins series of closed Hillcrest restaurants
What's next for the perpetually troubled location adjacent to the Hillcrest 24Hr Fitness?
Lotus Cafe gave it a go, but the Hillcrest location is done. Stick a fork in it. The original location in Encinitas remains, hopefully unharmed by the failed venture in Hillcrest. “We will be waiting for you [at our Encinitas …
Aqui es Texcoco serves pulque!
In addition to off-the-wall barbecued lamb, South Bay's premier barbacoa restaurant sells ancient Mexico's favorite booze!
Aqui es Texcoco (1043 Broadway, Chula Vista, 619-427-4045) has mostly enjoyed success for lamb barbecue. Much like Mama Testa becoming synonymous with fish tacos in the eyes of TV audiences, Food Network and Travel Channel talking heads have dubbed Aqui …
Fish Public opens strong
Kensington's new restaurant of note serves shellfish with style, flounders on the drinks, but rallies with impeccable service.
Fish Public (4055 Adams Avenue, 619-281-4014) got its fair share of hype following the public closing of the Kensington Grill and the onslaught of hyperbolic PR surrounding the new seafood restaurant’s development. But there’s no denying that the Urban Kitchen …
Natural Style Chicken is cheap and delicious
Point Loma chicken rotisserie and teriyaki is a strip mall hidden gem for cheap lunches and filling dinners.
Natural Style Chicken (3944 W. Point Loma Boulevard, 619-223-9887) is the kind of place you have to stumble upon, unless directed there by someone in the know. The name almost makes it sound "free-range-grass-fed-organic," but in this case it just …
First look at Lucky Bastard Saloon
New bar downtown makes an effort with the comfort food...and the chaps.
Skipping past the juicy but irrelevant PR hype (“ermhagerd it’s owned by a Playboy Playmate!”), the Lucky Bastard saloon at 840 Fifth Avenue looks like its trying harder than most to put food worth eating on the menu. This is …
Meatball Cucina open for business
Downtown restaurant replaces Sora with an easy, fun concept and good wines by the glass.
Talk about taking something in the opposite direction! Sora, which wasn’t long for this world, tried an elaborate Japanese-Italian fusion concept that hinged on a grip of eccentricities to tie it all together. Meatball Cucina (655 West Broadway, 619-564-7100) replaced …
Breakfast at Tobey's 19th Hole Cafe
Restaurant at the Balboa Park Golf Course is a total hidden gem with a killer view and cheap eats.
Golfers know that the municipal golf course in Balboa Park is excellent. As city courses go, it’s one of the better ones. Hipsters know that Tobey’s 19th Hole Cafe, located by the pro shop at 2600 Golf Course Drive, is …
Whole Foods opens 7th Ave Pub
Grocery store enters the craft beer bar fray with a surprisingly respectable mini-tavern.
To the best of my knowledge, the Hillcrest Whole Foods (711 University Avenue) is the first grocery store in these parts with a bar inside. The store’s University Ave facade used to be reserved as a dining area for customers …
First Look: Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen
Freshly opened in Hillcrest, Blue Ribbon enters the "craft foods" fray short on hype and long on skill.
Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen (530 University Avenue, 619-501-6795) is open in Hillcrest, right where Bayu’s Ethiopian closed up shop months ago. The new restau grew out of successful North County enterprises Blue Ribbon Pizza and the Craftsman Tavern. Branding itself …
First look at Rred Wine Bar
New to Hillcrest, RRed could be a good spot for wine and light noshing if diners can keep the check totals low.
Cafe Delano lasted for almost no time at all before the promising tapas bar shuttered and slipped into limbo. The place looked inactive for a long time until, with little warning, Rred Wine Bar took over at 540 University Avenue …
Fat Sandwiches at Fat Sal's Deli
Pacific Beach sub shop puts a little bit of everything between bread.
Rumors of Fat Sal’s Deli (956 Garnet Avenue, 855-682-4373) percolated up to me some time ago, but my perambulations kept me away for far too long. Looking at the menu, I constructed an ideal of the “fat sandwiches.” In my …
"Feast" to debut at New Children's Museum in the fall
New exhibition will teach "the art of playing with your food" and offer hungry patrons a chance to dine like *Le Roi Soleil* (for a price, of course).
The New Children’s Museum changes exhibits once every two years. New exhibits spend over a year in development and it takes more than a month of full work days--during which the museum has to close--to put up a new installation, …
Soup, soup, and more soup at Trieu Chau
City Heights restaurant breaks the cycle of chow mein and fried rice with a bevy of delicious soups and stews.
Trieu Chau Restaurant (4653 University Avenue, 619-280-4204) is named after a Chinese linguistic dialect (commonly transliterated as “Teochow”) that’s mostly spoken in the province of Fujian. Maybe that doesn’t add anything to the experience of eating at the blue and …
Pomegranate gets everything right
University Heights Russian restaurant has great food and sets the gold standard for warm and friendly service.
Pomegranate Russian Georgian Restaurant’s long history has been spotted with ups, downs, rave reviews, and weird moves. There was the time the restaurant (2312 El Cajon Blvd, 619-298-4007) stopped taking credit cards, favoring an ATM in the dining room to …
Piacere Mio open in South Park
New cafe on Fern Street presses up some wicked panini.
The cafe at 1947 Fern Street (across the street from South Park Abbey) got a slick, Italian makeover six weeks back and reopened as Piacere Mio, Italian for “my pleasure.” http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/27/48217/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/27/48218/ Formerly, the space housed a different coffee shop, …
Sudden closure of 25Forty Bistro and Bakehouse
Bad business relationships at one of Old Town's coolest restaurants caused unexpected and immediate shutdown.
After working 90 hours a week for four years, Mark Pelliccia feels like he has nothing to show for it. After years of toil at 25Forty Bistro and Bakehouse, he claims he was close to clearing the restaurant’s debts and …
The Works Pizza
Mission Valley pizza place isn't fancy, but the slices are good and the beer is cold.
I’ve been wanting to get to The Works Pizza (5608 Mission Center Road, 619-296-1400), but it was like being on a wild goose chase. There has got to be a smarter way to give mall stores addresses. The Works is …