Fashion Week: Burlap
Not long after Chad White was picked up by Enlightened Hospitality Group, Brian Malarkey again lit up Twitter with the announcement he’d signed on another young and adventurous toque, Anthony Sinsay. Over the past year-plus, Sinsay had made a name …
Fashion Week: Gabardine
When Brian Malarkey and business partner James Brennan opened their fifth restaurant in May, it seemed the flurry of activity surrounding their Enlightened Hospitality Group might finally die down for awhile. That assumption was proven wrong in a matter of …
New Plans for an Old Love
I’ve passed by Jimmy Love’s American Restaurant & Bar in the Gaslamp easily a hundred times over the past decade. Every time I do, two words spring to mind — Parmesan cheese. That’s normal, right? The reason I associate this …
Venissimo Del Mar & Its Options Grow
I was recently asked: “If it were the last meal of your life, what would you eat?” I’m used to being the one asking people questions, but once the amazement that somebody was actually soliciting my opinion for a change …
Art, Beer and a Barn in the Ranch
I heard a rumor there was an art class going on in Scripps Ranch. As a writer, I like to fancy myself some fringe type of artist. All the same, despite appreciating Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, and their talents, for …
Weekend Debut Set for Mother Earth Tap House
I was packing my bags for Portland, Oregon, when suddenly my iPhone buzzed. An email had just come in from Daniel Love, owner and brewer at Vista’s Mother Earth Brew Co. notifying me that, after 90 days of heavy tenant …
Molcajete: My Favorite Soul Food
Some people overcompensate for shortcomings by purchasing gargantuan SUVs or wearing blinged-out Rolexes. Me, I put an accent on the “a” in my last name. I’m half-Mexican, and proud of it, but that doesn’t really come through in my appearance. …
A.R. Valentien Chef Stepping Out of Kitchen & Into The Fishery
Typically, reporting a chef move entails talking about what the incoming chef will bring to his new kitchen. In this latest report from the local toque shuffle, there’ll be none of that. Tim “T.K.” Kolanko, former chef de cuisine for …
Ideal Beer Release Event Found at Lost Abbey
In the beer world, there’s something that’s universally loved and loathed — specialty beer release events. Back in the day, before craft beer had grown as popular as it is today, a seasonal or experimental beer could be released by …
Mai, oh Mai Tai, Plus a Great Take on PB&J
Over the years, one thing has instigated my trips to Bali Hai—mai tais. Umbrella drinks may harken to a bleaker period of culinary history, but there’s a reason they’ve stuck around as the American culinary scene has evolved around them. …
A Decadent "Au-Re-Foie" at Red Light District
Red Light District—it’s quite possibly the best restaurant you’re not eating at. At least that’s what it looks like when I’m there. Granted, I avoid the Gaslamp on high volume weekend nights, so perhaps I’m not being granted the best …
Ribbon Cut, Doors Open: White Labs is Open for Business
Friday afternoon, Mayor Jerry Sanders wielded his giant novelty scissors, snapping them shut on a yellow ribbon on the threshold of the new White Labs tasting room (9495 Candida Street). This symbolic gesture marked the official grand opening of the …
Karl Strauss Homebrew Competition Succumbs to Brown-Out
If you’ve never attended a meeting of a local homebrewing club or had the chance to taste award winning entries from local homebrew competitions, you likely have no idea just how good some of the beers being produced by scores …
Homecoming for a Pair of Village People
Most of my meals are strategized. Typically, it’s to provide myself and those who read my work a taste of what a restaurant has to offer. This weekend, I planned a visit to a specific venue, but the reason was …
Local Habit Celebrates Anniversary with Special Beer and a Special Election
Hillcrest Cali-Creole and craft beer haven, Local Habit, is about to turn one. It seems like only yesterday I was monitoring its transformation from its former identity as Pizza Fusion to its current all things local and sustainable model. I …
Musical Chef Shuffle at Donovan's Prime Seafood
There’s a reason The Reader has a blog subcategory called Musical Chefs. The local restaurant industry is huge and constantly in flux. Finding the right chef for one’s venue can be difficult. Maybe they have the chops, but the wrong …
A Different Kind of Health Food at Alchemy
Few factions offer as formidable a brand of camaraderie as the cheffing community. Theirs is a line of work where banding together is extremely important as they are often on their own when it comes to solving vocational problems. They …
Vegan Cuisine Popping Up with Craft Beer in North Park
It’s something I accepted about myself a long time ago. While I respect vegans (hey, more meat for me, right?), their cuisine will never scream out to me with the same regularity or intense volume as a juicy cheeseburger, piled …
Korean Fusion Amid a Club Atmosphere at Fuze
I’d noticed it a couple of times while driving down Mira Mesa Boulevard, and always at night. A large black sign sporting the word FUZE on a turret ascending from a building off a driveway near the intersection at Black …
Sky's the Limit for Former Red Velvet Chef Luke Johnson
It’s been over a year since I lamented on the loss of a very talented chef when Red Velvet Wine Bar shut down last May. Every dish I enjoyed from chef Luke Johnson at the quaint yet luxurious Little Italy …