L'Auberge Del Mar Offers Sneak Peek of KITCHEN 1540
Most of the time, when a restaurant gets a makeover, the reason they're in need of one has been extremely apparent for way too long. This isn't really the case with KITCHEN 1540, the fine dining option at L'Auberge Del …
Craft Beer's in the Pink at La Jolla's La Valencia Hotel
As a champion of local craft beer, there's something so delightful about turning people on to the quaffable medium or sharing a convo with a recent convert. I had such an experience recently while dining at La Valencia's Mediterranean Room. …
Late-Night Chef Spotting at Quality Social
I knew these guys could cook...that's their job! But who knew their interest in alcohol went beyond deglazing and consumption. Even I have to admit to being surprised to find that some of San Diego's most noted chefs are as …
Manzanita One-Year Anniversary Offers Heat-Beating Option
With temperatures registering in the sweltering range, their may be no community better suited or more appreciative of a beer festival than Santee. That's where Manzanita Brewing Company makes a lot out of their little piece of real estate, the …
Local Brewer Makes Playful Toast to the Other Budweiser
With the unveiling of bottle art for his newly renamed beer, Green Flash head brewer Chuck Silva proves there's always room for fizzy yellow beer and some humor. Overa a year ago, Silva invented Fizzy Yellow Beer, a low alcohol, …
Customized Homebrew (or Any Brew) Cupcakes
The popularity of homebrewing -- not only in San Diego, but in America -- was displayed during last month's American Homebrewers Association National Homebrewers Conference, a sellout event that took place at the Town and Country Resort. Like any craftsmen, …
Top Toque Going to Longtime Sous at Starlite
Over the past four years, Starlite has been a favorite of locavores, particularly those with a penchant for late-night eats and craft cocktails. From day one, the former has been comprised of classic Americana with a modern twist and a …
An Imperfect Union with Some Serious Blue Chips!
I'd heard some buzz, but it wasn't until chef Paul McCabe of KITCHEN 1540 leaned over to me at the California Restaurant Association awards and asked, "So, have you been to Union yet?" that I knew I'd need to fire …
Sneak Peek: Asian Cowboy Desserts Planned for Del Mar's Burlap
Rachel King is the confectionary mind behind Searsucker, Brian Malarkey's en vogue restaurant on Fifth Avenue and Broadway in the Gaslamp Quarter. Serving hundreds of hungry customers per evening has allowed the young pastry chef to get her name out …
Hotel Del Makes It 1500 Plus Two
The Hotel Del Coronado was dealt a crushing blow this spring when wine director Ted Glennon, who was in charge of adult beverages for the ENO Wine Room as well as their white linen enclave 1500 Ocean, turned in his …
Dallmann Chocolate Boutique Sweetens Up Flower Hill Promenade
Isabella Valencia has sugar and over a century of tradition coursing through her veins. A third generation confectioner, she's used time-tested family recipes and her forward-thinking creativity to do what her forefathers have done back in her home country of …
Spelunking Beer Beyond the Counter at Iowa Meat Farms
Like many an American, I find myself heeding the carnivorous call of mighty Miss Liberty, heading out to get some Grade A beef for not one, but numerous Fourth of July weekend barbecues. This year, I opted, as I have …
SD Beer Industry Insiders Team Up Against Breast Cancer
Collaborations are common in the craft brewing industry. The most typical collabs involve brewers from different companies getting together to put together a joint effort beer like the Highway 78 Scotch Ale from Stone, Green Flash and Pizza Port Carlsbad. …
Red Door Owners & Chef Part Ways
So much for that chef at the Red Door who likes to take patrons to the adjacent Mission Hills Farmers' Market. Brian Johnston has left the building, but both sides say it's an amicable parting of ways. Owner Trish Watlington …
Sneak Peek: Local Habit in Hillcrest
The Hillcrest space that formerly housed Pizza Fusion has undergone a transformation and will reopen on July 4 as Local Habit, a restaurant with a goal of utilizing as many SD grown and crafted edibles as possible. As one would …
Hitting the Bottle in Little Italy
Li'l Italy's Art District has traded reds and whites for ales and lagers with the arrival of Bottlecraft (http://www.bottlecraftbeer.com), a craft beer bottle shop which recently took over the spot that recently housed Tango Wine Company (which had its final …
Quality Social Gives Affordable Reasons to Celebrate Summer's "Dog Days"
Whenever I hear the words hand-crafted or house-cured in relation to any edible product, my wallet winces in anticipation of a hefty price tag. But, despite the lengths the folks in the back of the house at Quality Social go …
A Tale of Two Beerfests: Part 2 (SD Int'l Beer Festival)
The Del Mar Fair (that's right...I said it...this native doesn't have to get on the San Diego County Fair bus) features a number of competitions where blue ribbons and their lesser hued cousins are pinned to the chests of worthy …
A Tale of Two Beerfests: Part 1 (Sour Fest)
Sour beer — it sounds wrong and, on first taste, most (myself included) confirm that theory with a disapproving lemon-faced grimmace. But, just like one's first beer, distaste typically gives way to an amour that darn near borders on a …
We've Got Spirits...Yes, We Do!
The San Diego Spirits Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday ( June 25-26) at the Broadway Pier's Port Pavillion on San Diego Bay. The venue is a big-time upgrade from last year when it was held at multiple venues …