Food Truck Horsepower on Display at the Racetrack
And away they go! No, I'm not talking about the ponies breaking away from the gates down at Old Del Mar. I'm referring to a multitude of food trucks spanning just about every cultural cuisine imaginable as they depart en …
For Encinitas, Solace Comes to Those Who Wait
It was over a year ago that I sat in the dining room of North Park's Urban Solace and interviewed chef and restaurant owner Matt Gordon about his upcoming second restaurant, Solace and the Moonlight Lounge (http://www.eatatsolace.com). I was the …
Coronado Brewing Expands Beyond the Island
To the casual observer happening upon a six-pack of Islander IPA or Mermaid Red - say an out-of-state tourist staying at the Del and meandering down Orange Avenue - Coronado Brewing Company (coronadobrewingcompany.com) may at first glance seem a trite …
Modern Day Aztecs Behind Days-Gone-By Aztec Brewing Brand
Espirit de corps is at the heart of one of San Diego’s newest brewing operations. Aztec pride, to be exact. A quartet of Montezuma Hall move-ons has banded together to make a go of it in San Diego’s vibrant craft …
Oenophiles May Have Themselves a New Crush in Solana Beach
Photo at left: Montalcino When in Solana Beach, craft-beer lovers know to go to Pizza Port to scratch their hop-and-malt itch. But what if you’re more the Brunello d’Montalcino type? The answer to that question may lie at Crush (http://www.solanabeachcrush.com), …
La Jolla Shores Stalwart's Chef Rotation Is All Aces
I often compare the chef scene in San Diego to professional sports. Like the scores of teams that make up the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball, the restaurant industry is constantly in flux. There's always some spot letting go …
The Beer Lottery
One of the most appealing aspects of American craft brewing is the continuous innovation behind the beers and the companies comprising the industry. A brewery that’s led the charge in that area since the uncapping of their first 12-ouncer is …
My Kinda Literary Experience—A Book Signing with Cocktails
San Diego-born sisters Jordan Catapano and Jocelyn Dunn Muhlbach are reaching out to the fairer sex with the release of their new book, This Girl Walks Into A Bar. While a collaborative effort, this surprisingly potent book is a how-to …
Red Door’s New Exec Chef Is Anything But Green
Not too long ago, I wrote one of the types of articles that I hate the most — the story of a chef and a restaurant parting ways. I was particularly bummed to pen that item because the eatery where …
Anti-IPA Day: Alpine Braces Fans for Life Without a Fan Fave
It's won numerous awards and become a big-time favorite among Alpine Beer Co.'s (http://www.alpinebeerco.com) hop-loving fan base. It's Duet, a West Coast-style India pale ale (IPA) made with two types of hops -- Simcoe and Amarillo. The aroma and exquisite …
Former Chef at The Shores Sets Sail for Sycuan
It's rare to see a chef stay at the same restaurant for nearly a decade when they're not the one calling the shots. While Augie Saucedo's role was to direct the kitchen at The Shores Restaurant in La Jolla, he …
Alchemy Chef Proves You Don't Have to be Vegetarian to Do Right By 'Em
At left: Ricardo Heredia Cooking for vegetarians can be tough for chefs, not because they don’t respect them, but because, as members of perhaps the most over-the-top caste of foodies, these pros love all the food the world has to …
San Diego Beer Culture Encourages "Sketchy" Behavior
As a beer writer, I’ve always been a fan of ales and the arts. So, when I heard about a pair of art contest tied into the local brewing subculture, I was all in. Not having set a pen or …
Summer Brings New Life to the Menu at Downtown’s Jsix
As seasonal edibles harvested from SoCal farms becomes more and more the staple in San Diego, perusing menus gets more and more exciting. Unlike the old days in America’s Finest, many of our restaurants’ food bills change with a good …
Chocoloate and Cheese Make Unlikely Yet Yummy Bedfellows at Dallmann Confections
A gaggle of eager, happily chatty women salt-and-peppered with a few guys wearing skeptic expressions…sounds like Bunco night at the homestead when hubbies arrive to pick up their gambling- and chardonnay-loving wives. But last night, it was the scene at …
Stone Turns "Tea"-totaler to Aid Japanese Tsunami Relief
Stone Brewing Company has put out a great many collaboration beers of late. One of the latest to hit the scene is the Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA. The beer was conceptualized and forged into reality …
Sea Rocket Bistro Blasts Off into Cooking Channel Stratosphere
A San Diego eatery is going to be featured on a food-related TV program and, for once, it's not Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. That non triple-D eatery is North Park's Sea Rocket Bistro, which has gained a good deal of …
The Rumors of My Professionalism Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Way before I started writing about food, I was in love with it and cooking up gourmet dishes on a daily basis. It was a dozen years of solid practice, constant learning and culinary evolution that got my chops to …
Save Room for Dessert at Blueprint Café's Happy Hour
When I met Gayle Covner, I thought she was just another ravenous carnivore taking in the Cooks Confab 2009 "Meat!" event at The Grande Colonial Hotel. It wasn't until after a long conversation about our love of food that I …
Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em at True North Tavern
I don't smoke...but I also don't judge. After all, sensual experiences brought on by hand-crafted products is something I'm all about. I know the enhancing effect the perfect beer, wine or spirit can have on food and vice versa. So, …