Tin Fork
Ed Bedford digs into some Filipino soul food at Villa Manila in National City.
"Come sit here!" Southern hospitality hits San Diego. Darlene and Steven have just about finished their food, but as soon as they see me come into the courtyard, they toss out the invite. “We always …
"The usual,” she says. Kellie’s ahead of me in line. We’re standing between a bank of Canadian coffee dispensers and a Parisian street. Okay, a pretty darned convincing Parisian scene — on the wall. “I …
"Kurios arene,” says Dave Rawley. He’s a Bible scholar carrying three heavy, worn Bibles. At least one’s in classical Greek. He’s been sitting and studying them over his Greek chicken, in the corner of the …
It’s about 9:00 at night. Wednesday. I hear a ripple of people clapping. I look in through the door of this café I’ve never noticed before. Place is filled. Can hear the thudded Ps of …
When I was eight years old, I gave up candy. My mom was scared of the whole sugar thing. Had us on All Bran, for roughage, to rush the dangerous stuff through. Guess she scared …
Sunny, breezy day. Walking through the barrio, heading down César Chávez toward the trolley. Pass ye olde brick building that used to be Chuey’s bar-eatery. ’Course, for years it’s been Ryan Bros. coffee-roasting and sipping …
It’s the word that stops me. A new word on the awning of this old place. “Cremalose.” Huh? This is the San Diego Hardware building. The 100-year-old curved-glass windows of what was once a Woolworth’s …
"What’s that guy eating?” yells Carla. “It looks ginormous!” “Say what?” “I said…” We’re shouting at each other at the new Nicky Rottens place in Coronado. Carla wanted to meet here at the bay end …
Anastasia from Vladivostok brings my waffle. Melissa — her family is from Guam — hands me my coffee. The coffee’s Kona, from Hawaii. The waffle is from…heaven. Sigh. Love a surprise. Here I was, ambling …
"Don’t rush me!” Dion’s voice cuts through the noise. She’s barking at a customer who wants to pay up and go. “Besides, you haven’t drunk enough yet. We have rules!” Dion walks away muttering, under …
It hangs below four others like it, an ancient rifle from ancient wars. Did it kill people? Did it save someone’s life? As I stand in line waiting for coffee and something to eat, I …
If I’d known then what I know now, I might have stuck to life east of the I-5. I swear, what a hike. I get off the Blue Line trolley at 24th Street, National City. …
"More people worldwide are killed by donkeys than die in plane crashes every year. True, or shit?” Tom’s standing on the stage where the band Napoleon Complex will be playing later tonight. This is Wednesday …
"Malagueña salerosa…” Krizanto sings his heart out. I chomp into my $5 dinner: ribs, carrots, broccoli, blob of mash, white-bread bun, and butter. Take a slurp of my $1 beer. Yeah, one Washington. In Old …