Kearny Mesa Stories
Suzanne Coe, president of the Kearny Mesa strip joint known as Cheetahs, claims the San Diego Police Department's vice unit revoked the club's entertainment permit in retaliation against her and her club after her manager …
While on the way to Tofu House, I rarely pay any mind to the big red awning advertising “Japanese Noodles” across the street. Once every few months, David and I venture to try something new …
Last year, I had the pleasure of collaborating in the brewing of an English-style extra special bitter (ESB) aptly named Bitter Beer Writer. It was the idea of Tom Nickel, the owner and brewmaster at …
“Is that the actual key?” Eric Denton says with obvious delight. “And it still works?” It does. “We should raise the price,” he says, only half joking about the $99 price tagged onto an old …
It’s hard to believe that, although two-and-a-half-years ago there had never been a brewery in Kearny Mesa, there will soon be five. It’s even more inconceivable that three of those share a strange, unplanned thematic …
One of the best things about the San Diego brewing scene is the fact that most of its players opt to regard each other as comrades versus competitors. Sure, they produce similar products and vie …
Sushi Deli operates three casual sushi restaurants with locations in Gaslamp, Hillcrest, and Kearny Mesa. I ventured to the last on the list, known as Sushi Deli 3, and found myself in an odd industrial …
Residents of Kearny Mesa refer to it as “musical cars,” the nightly race against hundreds of neighbors for a parking spot. If unsuccessful, the loser must decide between parking as far as five blocks away …
I walked into Do Re Mi House recently and ordered a dinner of hot tofu stew for about 10 bucks. It could just have easily been japchae noodles, or a hot stone bibimbap rice bowl. …
Motorists traveling northbound on 805 out of Mission Valley into Kearny Mesa may have recently noticed something covered up on the green freeway signs indicating the Balboa Avenue exit. Covered over in mismatched green is …
Drop what you are doing for yet another trip to Convoy Street. This time, it’s the hambāgu from Wa Dining Okan that ought to drag you out of your hiding place for an extended lunchtime …
The closest San Diego comes to having a “China Town” is the stretched out expanse of cold, industrial Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. The mile-long stretch of pedestrian-unfriendly road is home to nearly 100 Korean, …
Rakiraki, Kearny Mesa’s hipster noodle house, has an oxtail ramen dinner on the menu that’s an absolute must-grind. The ramen part is more of the same: Rakiraki’s chicken-based ramen, with its light and surprisingly fatty …
Even if we live in a sick, sad world where Hello Kitty isn’t actually a kitty at all, there’s always Angels and Hearts, a new dessert shop in Kearny Mesa, to inject a bit of …
Perhaps no brewery that’s debuted in 2014 has arrived to such immediate and nearly unanimous fanfare as Council Brewing Company (7705 Convoy Court, Kearny Mesa). From hop-forward pale ales and IPAs to low-ABV English-style ales …
My day always starts with coffee from Cafe Moto (2619 National Avenue), whether it ends up being a dream day or not. It’s usually in my own kitchen, but my fantasy morning would have me …
When I think of my ideal food day in San Diego, it doesn’t involve heavy white linens, maître d’s, or putting on a suit and tie. Maximum dining enjoyment in my laidback hometown comes from …
Even if they don’t always write about it, beer bloggers tend to be extremely opinionated. It takes a lot to please one, much less several, but last weekend, after attending the 2014 Beer Bloggers Conference, …
There are no shortage of restaurants in Kearney Mesa I'd like to try. I actually keep a list, and every once in awhile I hop on the freeway to go and check off another, come …
The Medical Board of California's Department of Consumer Affairs has brought an accusation against Niloufer Dennis, M.D., who practices obstetrics and gynecology and has offices in Kearny Mesa and El Cajon, according to an online …
The 18 feet in easements that city councilmembers gave to Sunroad for their Kearny Mesa development isn't free after all. Today, August 22, the developer, the City of San Diego, and attorney Cory Briggs agreed …
San Diego needs another restaurant serving craft beer and tarted-up pub grub like it needs another mayoral scandal. But there’s one neighborhood that’s remained more or less free from badge logos, kale, and people sticking …
Blush Desserts, new kids in Kearny Mesa, are pushing out cupcakes and French macaroons (all in the $2-$4.50 range) like the end times draw nigh and only a massive influx of glorious, sweet sugar will …
The 18 feet of city-owned parkland that the San Diego City Council gave to developer Sunroad Centrum isn't free after all. On August 1, San Diego Superior Court judge Timothy Taylor issued a temporary restraining …
The flap over San Diego Police Department's raid on two strip joints earlier this year is nowhere near finished. On July 16, a dancer named as "Jane Doe" filed a lawsuit against the police department …
Tom Nickel isn’t one of those bandwagoners who become infatuated with futbol every four years. He follows soccer year-round, travels the world to take in matches at storied arenas, and has made his bar, O’Brien’s …
At my day job, my colleagues and I recently brainstormed potential names for a saison. A rangy ale style originally brewed on French and Belgian farmsteads, we toyed with many farm-inspired names. In the end, …
Though Emerald Chinese Seafood Restaurant is my go-to spot for dim sum, I recently decided to shake things up and finally check out China Max, a place that friends have been telling me about since …
I am in awe of birthday celebrants with the foresight, ability, and friendship base to stretch their special day into a full week of good times. So, I can’t help but to marvel a bit …
Without camaraderie, the San Diego craft beer scene would be much different—and much smaller. It’s the cooperation of local breweries through the San Diego Brewers Guild and on individual, inter-brewery levels that has allowed so …
Objectivity is everything, but I’ll admit, it’s hard not to pull for a nice husband-and-wife team that used their own four hands to build out their brewery and tasting room, and do everything from brewing …
I had to go to the courthouse to deal with a traffic ticket — nobody's idea of fun — and had just enough time to squeeze in lunch beforehand. I wanted, needed, a good reason …
Sunroad Enterprises and the city will be heading back to court to fight yet another lawsuit over the developer's Sunroad Centrum development in Kearny Mesa. The city will be right alongside, defending their decision to …
I'm not sure I've ever really had good Chinese food in San Diego. I've had good dishes at Chinese restaurants with distinctly English names, and I've had bad experiences pointing at what I think want …
Though not as talked about as Kearny Mesa neighbor and brewing industry cult favorite, Societe Brewing Company, there’s a lot to talk about lately when it comes to Helm’s Brewing Company (5640 Kearny Mesa Road, …
“I am Magnetic Brewing,” replies Morgan McCarty when asked about the staff at his new brewery-to-be in Kearny Mesa. It’s a solo operation, and though he has the support of a loving wife and two …
A hastily-assembled crowd of about 30 demonstrators gathered in Kearny Mesa on Wednesday afternoon, protesting a Supreme Court ruling handed down earlier in the day that weakens federal campaign contribution laws. On a 5-4 vote …
I entered to the sound of construction, but instead of a crew of burly dudes hammering and sanding away, I encountered a kindly looking couple wearing matching gear made dusty yet stylish by the addition …
Fifteen years saturated with constant travel provided Dylan Wallace many worldly experiences — he’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, traversed the Inca Trail, and eaten and drunk his way through many cities in Europe and Asia. But …
I love Japanese food, and I have eaten a lot of Japanese food. But if a recent visit to Izakaya Sakura proved anything, it's that I've developed a sort of Japanese comfort zone, and it's …
Last year, Societe Brewing Company (8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Kearny Mesa) made a lot of noise behind an ever-expanding fleet of diverse India pale ales that, even in a town awash with IPA, rated among …
In this age of nanos and neighborhood-geared breweries, many brewing companies’ beers will only ever be available at their tasting rooms or, at best, on draft. In the case of the latter, most of those …
Little differences matter. Imagine hobnobbing with a group of hoity-toity snobbish types, drinking port and discussing great matters of Western Civilization. They’re talking about Richard Burton and how he helped get the Kama Sutra first …
From the outside, there's not a lot to distinguish Friend's House from the many restaurants lining Convoy Street. It sits at the end of a shopping center, touting photos of dinner specials on a poorly …
As I did last year, I’m calling out the best new brewing operations to debut in 2013 or so late last year that they didn’t qualify for the 2012 rookie of the year race. Last …
There is a growing community comprised of electronics enthusiasts, tinkerers, artists, and even entrepreneurs who gravitate towards Make Magazine, where Do-It-Yourself projects are shared online in a step-by-step format. In addition to a growing internet …
How does the 4646 Convoy Street mini-mall manage to contain such a staggering array of tasty foods and drinks? Crab Hut, Shabu Shabu House, Raki Raki (except for that damn ramenburger), etc. Add BABS to …
As a kid, I used to joke, “I like French food. Especially Jacques In Ze Box.” Trust me, it had the lunchroom in stitches. But I may have been on to something if a recent …
It was o-dark-hundred hours and I was driving through Kearny Mesa en route to a local television station to film a spot about San Diego Beer Week. A navigational miscalculation took me down Convoy Court. …
“So, when are you going to release your sours?” It’s been the most uttered question (thank in part to yours truly) since Societe Brewing Company (8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Kearny Mesa) opened last year. Even …
Iron Fist Brunch: Every year, Churchill’s Pub & Grille closes out Beer Week the same way, by inviting Iron Fist Brewing Company brewmaster Brandon Sieminski and his beers over for brunch, which is available a …
Ballast Point Tap Takeover: For years, The High Dive has been standout Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits’ best, most loyal account. Now, it’s time for payback in the form of specialty beers that will flow …