There are two types of diners in the world: those who would absolutely never, under any conditions, order food prepared in the back of a liquor store; and those who will pull over their car …

A little over a year ago, a new San Diego-focused alcohol distributor announced its launch. Scout Distribution boasted a small portfolio of known and emerging local brands including Abnormal Beer, Bivouac Cider, and Juneshine hard …

A lot of new information has come to light since I learned there is a Swedish bakery in Poway. For example, did you know there’s a distinctly Swedish baking tradition? Somehow, in my case, this …

When I grab a seat at the counter, the first question I’m asked is whether I’d like any parmesan to snack on. The correct answer to that question is always yes. It’s especially so when …

From downtown San Diego, the drive to Mexicali took a little over two hours, most of it traveling east. Past the Cuyamacas, past the Jacumba hot springs, past the Desert View Tower and its surrounding …

San Diego’s larger-than-you-think wine industry has emerged from the shadow of craft beer, and it’s primarily thanks to a growing national reputation among fans of natural wines. Among the local wine labels getting notice is …

As I approach what used to be a Starbucks on University Avenue, a corner unit of the historic North Park Theatre building, a sign written in large letters announces a welcome change: it’s now a …

To access Forbidden Cove, you’ll need a carved wooden idol that unlocks a secret doorway leading into a narrow hallway where your own mirror reflection echoes before and behind you into infinity. It’s a simple …

It’s not even two years since The Friendly dusted off an old pizza joint in North Park and started smashing patties for a legion of raving burger fans, but it feels like a lifetime when …

It can be fun to play tourist in your own city, but that doesn’t mean we’re obliged to eat Mexican food when visiting Old Town. While traipsing about the historical park the other day, rather …

Slowly but surely, San Diego’s mead industry is growing. The latest example: Meadiocrity Mead, a brand that, now a little over three years since contract brewing its first mead, has finally opened its own meadery …

Nobody’s knocking IPAs. The hoppy pale ale style that built San Diego’s beer reputation is alive and well. We have hundreds to choose from every single day. We are spoiled with IPA options. But sometimes, …

Sunday brunch is a joy so great they named a fourth meal to honor it. Which is why Sunday brunch is sort of a nightmare event. Every-dang-body wants to meet for brunch about 11 am …

Perhaps it’s owing to the small size of Doner Mediterranean Grill, or to its Gaslamp location. Maybe it only has to do with the doner shop’s generic name. For whatever reasons, I’ve always ignored the …

A lot of different cultural cuisines offer curry. Countries on the Indian subcontinent alone are responsible for dozens of different types of curry. Southeast Asia developed a whole other curry lineage, led by Thailand, with …

Three years almost to the day after brewing its first beer in North Park, Eppig Brewing officially became a North County brewery this month, producing the first batch at its new brewhouse and headquarters in …

Several months back, I wrote enthusiastically about a plate of stuffed cabbage made by a local market vendor and caterer. One reader responded by recommending the same dish, made by La Mesa restaurant, The Village …

It feels like yesterday that low rider loving hot dog specialist Barrio Dogg first set up shop in a small Logan Avenue storefront fronted by a piece of ‘64 Impala. But not only has it …

As promised in March, premium San Diego-grown coffee beans were served for the first time by Bird Rock Coffee Roasters last weekend. The surprise is whose farm grew them: two-time Grammy-winning local musician Jason Mraz. …

I consider myself lucky. Though I’ve gone too many years without discovering the joy that is burnt ends, once I’d learned about this delicacy of BBQ brisket, only 30 minutes passed before I was trying …

We’re driving south on Broadway when we spot it: a simple, boxy storefront with a banner sign and cartoon graphic depicting a spiky haired toddler in an aloha shirt. Usually, when I’m in this part …

Every time I think my list of San Diego’s top five ramen spots is set, along comes a new one to shake things up. Artisan Noodle Tatsuki opened a few weeks back in the Gaslamp …

Appellate court turns back Hosking's fake cattle ranch Inhabitants of Julian who oppose the development of 1416 acres of local back country have a newfound victory to celebrate. An appellate court has reversed the decision …

Over the past couple of years, when I’ve asked local spirit startups where they produce their alcohol, I’ve quite often been met with the same answer: San Marcos. Specifically, at the small batch distillery home …

“It’s the best seabass in San Diego.” That’s what a server tells me, when I tell her I’m trying to choose between the grilled Chilean sea bass and the teriyaki black cod. Often, black cod …

Every year, when the Reader publishes a burger issue, a good chunk of San Diego’s population only seems to care about one thing: was Rocky’s Crown Pub included? This year, the Crown Point mainstay was …

Since Pure Project launched in early 2016, a significant part of its impact on local craft beer has been seen in its canned special release beers. Fans routinely line up for these limited batch releases, …

When last I saw the Currywurst Frankfurt food truck, it was doing its thing: serving finely minced pork and veal bratwurst smothered in ketchup and curry powder. The Berlin street food favorite is a natural …

We are Naples. That’s what the name means of San Diego’s latest Italian restaurant operated by people from Italy, means. Siamo Napoli recently picked up where Il Postino left off in a large North Park …

There’s music and art all around me as I dig in to a pile of BBQ meats. Old soul and R&B album covers hang, framed on the walls, packed in alongside stylized paintings depicting scenes …

When Fruitcraft Fermentery and Distillery dropped anchor in Hillcrest two years ago, it primarily carried on the work of its original brand iteration, California Fruit Wine. That is, it fermented wine from virtually every type …

It’s probably fair to count me among the nine out of ten of Americans the CDC says don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. One problem is that my preferred diet of tacos, fried chicken, and …

It’s tough to ignore a restaurant name like Breakfast Bitch. Which could prove to be important, because the willfully sassy breakfast spot recently filled in a Hillcrest location that’s been devastating to its past few …

No adult beverage is more closely tied to a sense of geography than wine. Names of wine growing regions are used as shorthand for quality, attributed to an appellation’s terroir. In other words, the flavor …

When the server places a thick white ceramic plate on the table, it’s all but spilling over with a pile of spaghetti. The noodles, and the two racquetball size meatballs astride them, are so drenched …

The best looking coffee shop in San Diego has sprung up in a surprising place: within a specialty lumber shop in the Morena district. Claro Coffee serves locally roasted coffee from Zumbar Coffee & Tea, …

When 55 Thai Kitchen first appeared in the cramped back room of a corner market in Golden Hill, the community-minded eatery had me intrigued. When the food turned out to be good, in addition to …

It’s September, and that means several of San Diego’s craft breweries have been gearing up for Oktoberfest, breaking out their German beer recipes and planning modest parties loosely modeled after Munich’s massive end of summer …

For a couple of years there, South Park had a great little organic produce market slash cold pressed juice bar called Sacred Juice. Except one day, the shop abruptly closed due to water damage, according …

Once upon a time I lived in University Heights, less than a block from the truncated corner where Mission Avenue crosses Alabama Street at an odd angle. That’s how I came to know about Mystic …

The Acid Vault was supposed to be a place for barrel aging beers to sour. At least, that was the original plan when Amplified Ale Works took over the space overlooking Fault Line Park last …

The tabloids invaded the movies. The public relations team for Theatre Box, the luxury movie theater and sugar-themed restaurant complex that opened in the Gaslamp this spring, started sending press releases about celebrities making appearances. …

Big deal, it’s easy to make a grilled cheese sandwich. That’s what the troll on my shoulder reminds me whenever I encounter a grilled cheese restaurant. His words are more nefarious because they’re true. I’m …

Through a sidewalk counter window in the middle of a lively block on University Avenue, I meet Hillcrest’s resident hot dog maven. His name is William Schroeder, but with a streetwise New York accent, he …

New generations in Serra Mesa That first southbound walk home from Wegeforth Elementary, back in '68, was long and hot, each shadow on Mobley Street a refuge. For a transplanted fourth-grader, it was an arduous …

There’s an aisle on the ground level of the B parking lot on the south side of Fashion Valley mall, where two arrows painted on the asphalt point away from the exit. Problem is, you …

Last week, the San Diego Brewers Guild revealed that 2018 saw local beer production increase to 1.1 million barrels. The economic numbers likewise continued to rise, with craft beer alone accounting for $848 million in …

San Diego has trained me well. When I see the words “fresh fish market” associated with a restaurant, I imagine glass counters that contain glistening fresh filets tempting customers toward one seasonal catch or another. …

A hunk of thickly breaded, fried chicken sitting atop a pile of mashed potatoes, all smothered in gravy. A Rueben of marbled rye bread loaded with corned beef, melted cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing. …

The life cycle of coffee has been well documented. The coffee cherry grows on a shrub until it's red and plump, then gets harvested for its seed, which is extracted, dried, and ultimately roasted into …