The Little Italy I love has always been its sumptuous food and sensual people, both of which, despite the nouveau riche takeover of late, remain as present and prosperous as ever. That Little Italy is …
January 17, 2018
News & Stories
Little Italy’s big — massive redevelopment
Hidden gems: Life of Pi and In Bruges
People always dread when their favorite novel gets adapted into another medium. So you can imagine how I felt when I heard Ang Lee was going to direct Life of Pi. But I was never …
January 17, 2018
A reason to break from the corporate state
Dear Hipster: Why does the Valentine’s Day stuff come out the day after Christmas? — S. Commerce, bruh! Sometimes, I actually think we are headed toward a future straight out of a George Saunders story, …
January 17, 2018
Labels come and go, John Hiatt stays
You can’t make this stuff up. John Hiatt, from Indianapolis, left home as a teen troublemaker in a rock band. He landed work in Nashville — not as a dishwasher or a grocery bagger, but …
January 17, 2018
Cháo, one of the great porridges of the world
There ain’t nothin’ in this whole wide world as comforting and warming and tastebud-caressing as Asian porridge. Known as jok in Thailand, baw baw in Cambodia, cháo in Vietnam. At this very moment, I’m chowing …
Trump’s local ambassadors
Two Californians on president Donald Trump’s list of administration nominees submitted to the Senate this week for confirmation have longtime San Diego ties. Most famous is ex–Union-Tribune publisher Douglas Manchester, whose 2017 nomination by Trump …
January 17, 2018
Not Yo' Mama's gin and tonic
Co-owner of Pillbox Tavern, Ryan Jones has something preposterous. He’s messed with that bit of perfection known as the gin and tonic. And what he’s come up with — well, it’s not your dad’s gin …
January 17, 2018
Shot in one 90-minute take
The Witch is a supernatural horror story that is wonderfully menacing and draws a gloomy, sinister picture of a Puritan family living on the edge of the woods in 17th-century New England after being banished …
January 17, 2018
That cruise-ship show-band gig
Multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Sundy came to an important insight four years ago. “I had been performing in San Diego for a long time, but I wasn’t making enough money, even though I was doing a lot …
January 17, 2018
Is small-batch bread necessarily good?
Dear Hipster: Is “craft” beer more authentic than “artisan” bread? Am I better off with hand- or homemade? Is small batch better or worse than limited edition? I am lost in a sea of hipster …
January 17, 2018
Astronomy led to Judaism
Membership: 60 Rabbi: Michael Samuel Age: 64 Born: San Francisco Formation: Tomthei Temmimim, Israel; San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo Years Ordained: 41 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? Rabbi …
January 17, 2018
Faulconer takes care of the humble business
It’s been a downward trip for San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer from touting a new taxpayer-subsidized NFL stadium to taking care of the humble business of cleaning up downtown’s homeless hepatitis epidemic, as evidenced by …
January 17, 2018
That fat analog sound
Maybe it’s when a man starts to feel a bit broken down and disposable himself that he starts to look around for things that are worth repairing and saving. Things like this Belles A amplifier …
January 17, 2018
Link two trails in La Costa, get a four-mile hike
La Costa Valley and La Costa Glen are Carlsbad City trails that are near each other and relatively short. They are within or in close proximity to similar riparian and coastal chaparral/sage scrub habitats, but …
January 17, 2018
Conflicted 1950s housewife
The two films I would recommend would be Far From Heaven and Brief Encounter because both deal with the marital struggles of a mid-century housewife being conflicted with what is desired by them and society. …
January 17, 2018
Belly Up vs. Kaaboo
The coast was clear for the Belly Up Tavern to take over booking for the state-of-the-art concert venue located on the Del Mar Fairgrounds. A committee appointed by the board that oversees the fairgrounds (the …
January 17, 2018
An eight-million dollar view on Lookout Drive
The newly constructed estate at 7750 Lookout Drive sits at the northern foot of La Jolla’s Mt. Soledad, privately tucked into the hillside yet still affording ocean views toward La Jolla Shores. “Enter this elegantly …
January 17, 2018
This just in: Observatory's troubles far from over
Lt. Steven Behrendt of the San Diego Police Department’s Vice Operations issued the following statement this morning (January 17th): “Based on the incident that happened at the Observatory on June 7, 2017, and other prior …
January 17, 2018
A rock and my disinclination to kick at it
Library sink tableau two pages hardcore porn small sunscreen tube The bride and the groom and a little brown-haired girl sticking out her tongue Fourteen hours waiting for this train hello again, wink the stars …
January 17, 2018
It’s true what they say about Hamilton
Art can alter life, literally. In 2015, the Treasury Department planned to take Alexander Hamilton’s portrait off the ten-dollar bill. The indefatigable Founding Father was too controversial (he came close to advocating dictatorship and a …
January 17, 2018
Wife locks husband in chicken coop
I gave my wife five chickens for Christmas. A friend gave her three more, for a total of eight, which is also the number of children we’ve conceived. (Two made their exitus before being born.) …
January 17, 2018
It's good to be King Taylor Project
“The band started as something Josh and I joked about when we got engaged, that we were starting a ‘King Taylor project’ together,” says singer Sandi King of her collaboration with singer/guitarist Joshua Taylor. The …
January 17, 2018
Wanting to eat the Tide Pod is perfectly natural
Dear Hipster: Will I die if I eat a Tide Pod? — Derek You will probably die, yes. I won’t blame you. Wanting to eat the Tide Pod, at least a little bit, is perfectly …
January 17, 2018
Burglary victim leads cops to crooks
Computer theft tracked to Mission Valley hovel.
January 17, 2018
Democrat dad’s cram school
Super-rich Democratic congressman Scott Peters of La Jolla, who has touted his efforts to lower federal student loan rates, has invested between $15,000 to $50,000 of his own money in a La Jolla start-up called …
January 17, 2018
Carmen as revenge fantasy
An Italian opera company is said to be producing a version of Carmen in which Carmen is not stabbed to death by Don José. In fact she lives at the end of this production. In …
January 17, 2018