Just Another BLAH Place in the Inner City
There's a sign up in the windowed front portal that formerly gave way to Soho (and before that, Vesuvio) at 3025 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park. Mere blocks, yet somehow light years away from the thriving section of 30th …
Marine Room Chefs Overachieve on an International Scale
It seems like just last week I was blogging about how a San Diego chef had gotten big-time props for writing a standout cookbook. Oh yeah, it was (kudos again to chef Jeff Rossman of Terra American Bistro). At the …
Curses...Eden Tries to Silence Hillcrestian Specters
Something new is sprouting up at Eden in Hillcrest. Actually, from the sounds of it, very soon EVERYTHING will be new. If you, like me, are thinking, Wait a sec...didn't that place like JUST open? you're right. It opened last …
SD Homebrewers Shimmer in National Spotlight
The whole world knows San Diego is home to some of the best professional brewers on the planet. Before they took charge over big ol' brewhouses, those sudsy studs manned stovetop stock pots in their humble kitchens. This base level …
Are We En Route to $100 Beer?
When it comes to beer, I'm into Belgian tripels and triple IPAs. What I'm not into is the thought of paying triple DIGITS for a single bottle. Yet, much like the cost of gasoline, the value of my favorite liquid …
Chef Jeff Rossman's Standing on Terra Firma
Often, cookbooks that are self-published and slated for a locals-only demographic tend to be...how can I put this nicely...not something to drool over. That's for sure not the case with From Terra's Table: New American Food Fresh from Southern California's …
The Red Door Gives Way to the Mission Hills Farmers Market
Once considered little more than a passing fancy among restaurateurs, farm-to-tableism has caught on big time in San Diego. One chef who walks the walk in this regard, literally, is Brian Johnston of The Red Door. Every few months, he …
Lame Duck a L'Orange in 4S Ranch
Fans of French Food in America's Finest City know the name Philippe Verpiand. He first cut the Dijon mustard at La Jolla's Tapenade as the younger component of a mentor-protégé relationship with chef Jean-Michel Diot before staking his own claim …
An Angry Panda Descends on Urban Solace
The latest libation to debut on the SD craft beer scene has a most interesting name. Dubbed "The Angry Panda," one might think it's an homage to the most storied residents of the San Diego Zoo, but that explanation's too …
Grant Grill Dishing the "Father-lode" for Dad's Day
I don't make it a habit to post menus, but some sound so tantalizing that I can barely help myself with Grant Grill's Father's Day Beer, Barley, & Hops menu, June 18 to 24. Grant Grill's beverage director, Jeff Josenhans, …
Good Cause Brings Out Good Cooks
Two of San Diego's best chefs who've been off the radar for quite some time are taking temporary respite from their hermitism to help out a cause. Amy DiBiase — who rose to fame at Laurel (now Cucina Urbana) in …
Who Says You Can't Go Home?
This weekend, on a lark, I decided to drive a dozen miles out of my way just to hit up my favorite taco shop from my youth. Housed in an orange-and-yellow-striped barrel and situated just close enough to my alma …
Wine and Queso at Wet Stone
Located on the downslope of Fourth Avenue in Bankers Hill, there's a cozy vino-driven spot with a worldy eclectic serenity-now vibe that seems almost out of place amidst residences and office buildings mascarading as condo complexes. You could easily walk …
What's All the Hubbub, Bub's?
So, yesterday, I expressed my belief San Diego would someday become one of America's top 10 best dining cities. In typing up that impassioned dissertation, I mentioned that most tourists miss the boat where our up-and-coming cuisine is concerned because …
Private Space Available Above Kitchen
Looking for a quiet spot in the Gaslamp to celebrate? Believe it or not, one of the best bets is the loudest, most packed restaurant in the Quarter — Searsucker. Brian Malarkey's constantly crowded eatery is now offering a private …
R.I.P. Red Velvet Wine Bar
So, I awake to an otherwise awesome Saturday, fire up the ol' email, and click open a message from one of our finest local chefs. What I see horrifies me; one of my favorite spots in San Diego is closing …
Mac' & Cheese — Hold the Mac
I'll be one of the first to admit...OK, RANT...that certain dishes seem to be on every menu in town for no good reason. Short ribs, flatbreads, pork belly, ahi tuna, etc.; as a guy who eats a lot and sees …
Mayor Declares June "San Diego Craft-Beer Month"
Spotting San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders in a brewery with a beer at 10:30 a.m. on a weekday. Sounds downright scandalous, but worry not, fair citizens, of my suds-slugging hometown. I'm not providing grist for the rumor mill. There were …
New Digs, New Beer for Green Flash
Photo at left: Chuck Silva Makers of arguably the most quintessential example of San Diego's most famous beer styles, the West Coast IPA, Green Flash Brewing Co. has experienced a great deal of success since opening its doors in 2002. …
Pacifica Del Mar
Already known for having good California-meets-Polynesia coastal-style cuisine and one of the finest views in the county, Pacifica Del Mar is offering a new way to pack in patrons with the introduction of their Ocean Bar, an expanded and stylistically …