One of the ironies of Eleanor Widmer's life is what she ate in her last months. Widmer had become a restaurant critic in 1974, back when brunch at La Valencia featured molded Jell-O "Seafoam," made …
November 23, 2005
News & Stories
Reader writer Eleanor Widmer - life in food and literature remembered
Inzunza's Hideaways
It turns out that National City mayor Nick Inzunza, recently the subject of a Union-Tribune exposé about his plans to take an extended holiday vacation from his mayoral duties, owns a getaway in the San …
November 23, 2005
Writers: Photographs by Nancy Crampton
Writers: Photographs by Nancy Crampton; introduction by Mark Strand. The Quantuck Lane Press, 2005; $40; 224 pages. FROM THE DUST JACKET: Here are more than a hundred wonderful and sensitive duotone portraits of our major …
November 23, 2005
Don Squirreleone
If you have any doubts, go to the emergency room. Don't worry about embarrassment -- it's better to be embarrassed than dead. -- Richard Stein 'Wow, look at all of them! There's so many," I …
November 23, 2005
If You Hold It, They Will Defile It
The Pacific Beach Block Party is over, according to Benjamin Nicholls, executive director of Discover PB, an association that includes 1200 PB business owners. Discover PB was granted the party permit by the city for …
November 23, 2005
No Jiving — Sister Fannie
James Brown, 71, did his thing for almost an hour and a half last week at 4th & B (no encore, but no one seemed dissatisfied). Before the show, at his merchandise table, a woman …
November 23, 2005
Will Rock for Clothes
"We picked up a sponsorship with [shoe company] Osiris," says Flight Risk singer Jesse Blanton. "They kicked us down some shoes, shirts, and jeans. They said they'd get us on all the [2006] West Coast …
November 23, 2005
The Cops Killed Francisco
"The cops killed Francisco, plain and simple, and they'll probably put me in jail for saying so," says Hoover High student Amanda M. She claims she was arrested for "obstruction" after being questioned about her …
November 23, 2005
San Diego Audiences Still Suck
North County band Faceles was named Best Hard Rock Band at the 15th annual L.A. Music Awards last Sunday. Vocalist Roger Baca says Faceles plays twice a month in L.A. at either the Roxy, the …
November 23, 2005
As the Fog Lifts
"Hey, I know that guy from somewhere," a dude at the Casbah claimed last Wednesday night. He was talking about Ted Washington, onstage with his group Pruitt Igoe (more "performance art" than rock and roll). …
November 23, 2005
You Are What You Eat...
When Fiona Apple appears at the House of Blues on Monday, November 28, her contract states she "presents an extremely dynamic, yet subtle show and consequently will require a state-of-the-art sound system." She wants her …
November 23, 2005
Breathe in the Jazz
'Our vocal group at school had been offered the opportunity to record an on-air spot at Jazz 88.3 for a festival at City College," says La Mesa resident and jazz vocalist Karin Carson. "I went …
November 23, 2005
The daily war to kill the old man
"Christians can't fight battles of sin alone. I failed miserably when I tried to deal with sin on my own. I felt alone. I was fearful of sharing my struggles with others," said Jim Allsop, …
November 23, 2005
In the Fragrant Harbor
“Man, you are so woulda-coulda-shoulda. You can’t enjoy anything anymore.”
Ramble through an artificial yet salubrious native-landscape-in-the-making at Orange County's Talbert Nature Preserve.
All along Orange County's north coastal region (Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach), formerly environmentally abused wetlands and floodplains are in the process of being restored to some semblance of an original condition. Talbert Nature …
November 23, 2005
The Big Fix
Last week, San Diego County sheriff Bill Kolender announced he was running for his fourth four-year term. The 70-year-old candidate boasts the full support of the local Republican establishment, including all five members of the …
November 23, 2005
A Gritty Dilemma
Around 9:30 p.m., on Friday the 19th of August, 22-year-old David Silverman of Jacumba and two female friends were cruising south on Buckman Springs Road toward Campo when they found themselves stuck behind an 18-wheel …
November 23, 2005
New Centre City Chief Plays Ball
'I'm not going to get into a pissing contest with Nancy Graham," barks Joel Daves, who followed her as mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida. Good advice. Graham, who was the first chief executive after …
November 23, 2005
Self-Mutilating Toddlers
'Parrots are very vocal animals. In the wild, the way they keep in contact with each other is by yelling back and forth," says Bonnie Kenk, founder and executive director of the Parrot Education and …
November 23, 2005
Holiday Inn
Down Mexico way, El Biz is pronounced "Elvis," and that's the kind of star power you'll find in El Bizcocho's dining room. Like the King, it's both charismatic and oddly elusive. To reach the restaurant, …
November 23, 2005
Stress the Vines
“Irrigation comes from the river that runs down from the mountains, bringing minerals to the soil.”
November 23, 2005
Ho Down
Pimp 'n' Ho parties have been popular for years. Someone asked me if I thought it was because Julia Roberts's character in the movie Pretty Woman glamorized prostitution. I think it's because of the hip-hop …
November 23, 2005
Michael Manske in Slovenia
Open Letter Dear Nikolas, It's been a few days since your fast and furious birth. Despite the fact that I once nearly passed out watching a dog get neutered (effectively ending my nascent veterinary career), …
November 23, 2005
The Reader's Eye on Television
"Fourth down and one. Chargers need to convert here to put themselves in field goal range." Sparkling graphics prance across the screen with stats on how many points the San Diego kickers scored this year …
November 23, 2005