You can walk into any taco shop in town and order without looking at a menu. Everybody does carnitas, carne asada, and some kind of fish, and most do at least one of these well. …

Miramar, Vista, North Park. Now, up in the northwest corner of the county, Oceanside has become San Diego's latest craft beer epicenter. Oceanside Ale Works kicked the whole thing off ten years ago this month, …

On April 25th Mission Brewery debuted a new tasting-room extension, adding 5400 square feet to the 20-thousand-plus it occupies in East Village's historic Wonder Bread building. Only two days prior, the San Diego Chargers officially …

San Diego breweries enjoyed another successful beer competition, this time at the 2016 World Beer Cup. Competing in 96 style categories, local beer companies brought home 5 golds and 14 medals overall — roughly 5 …

The founders of Stone Brewing Co. went against the grain when they launched their craft-beer business 20 years ago, an effort that included fighting the beer establishment. Last week, outgoing CEO Greg Koch announced a …

Beets and summer squash continue to run strong around the county during the month of May, including at JR Organics, which is also enjoying some prime time in its strawberry season. JR Organics farmers’ market …

There used to be a place called Urban Chicken here that focused on naturally raised rotisserie hens served with a couple of nice sauces. Pretty good, but it didn’t last long. After it closed something …

Years living around Golden Hill has gotten me familiar with Panchita’s Bakery. I knew the Mexican bakery had a couple of other locations around town, so when I noticed a new one open in North …

Miramar beer company Intergalactic Brewing has had an eventful month. Fresh off winning ten medals at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition, it's picked up another two at the San Diego International Beer Festival. In …

Word of a new Vietnamese restaurant off the Convoy restaurant row in Kearny Mesa got me wondering whether my next lunch would involve bánh mì, pho, or bún, aka vermicelli noodles. All are included on …

The oldest coffee roasting company in San Diego hails from Hawaii. Over 100 years old, family company Pavaraga Coffee goes back five generations, boasting 50 farms scattered across several Hawaiian islands. Last summer, Pavaraga quietly …

For the past three years or so, ChuckAlek Independent Brewers has been producing beer in small batches out in Ramona. During that time, occasional kegs would make it into central San Diego, but the nanobrewery …

Hawaii celebrated its first beer week April 17–23, highlighting a growing taste for suds in the island state. Several San Diego breweries sent representatives and beer to participate in Honolulu Beer Week, which included events …

Belching Beaver Brewing has been in serious expansion mode this spring. In March, the company more than quadrupled its capacity by moving in to a 30-barrel production brewery in Oceanside. Meanwhile, its original 15-barrel Vista …

Danish brewing company Mikkeller made its long-anticipated Miramar debut the weekend of April 15th. While new breweries tend to open in San Diego with every gibbous moon, they usually aren't started by a European craft …

In my pursuit of lazy eating, I've been digging into every internet delivery service that comes along. So, when a coupon for Google Express passed my way, I snapped it up — $30 for $50 …

Sixteen San Diego–based breweries (and one meadery) earned medals in April at the the 2016 Los Angeles International Beer Competition. Out of more than a thousand entries covering 97 categories, San Diego companies made a …

I've eaten sushi in Montana. So, intellectually, I understand that you don't need to be coastal to get fresh-enough fish. But, for some reason, I get as far as East County and I get dubious. …

Most of the specialty coffee growth seen locally the past few years has been a proliferation of third wave shops and an increase in the number of roasters — up to nearly three dozen. And, …

Nine local breweries are introducing bottles and/or cans for the first time in the first half of 2016. That's only a small fraction of the roughly 120 brewhouses in the county, but nearly a 25 …

In early 2015 the Philadelphia Sandwich Co. — est. 1979 — moved from Kearny Mesa to an address on Miramar Road. That’s about six mile difference by car but a distinct change in market for …

The South Bay's brewing scene has been slowly coming to life over the past year, but there's another company that recently began working in Chula Vista with an ABC type 23 Small Beer Manufacturer license. …

As predicted, Be Wise Ranch has lots of strawberries coming to market in April. Beets are also plentiful, including chioggia, also known as candy cane beets for their distinctive red and white stripes. Rainbow chard …

Spring Valley doesn't boast any craft breweries, but it's playing a pivotal role in San Diego's burgeoning craft-distillery movement. Kill Devil Spirits Co. started out there back in 2011, Liberty Call Distilling Co. in 2014, …

Word of mouth finally reached me of a Convoy Street shop known for its hand-pulled noodles. Actually, of a California chain of restaurants called Liang’s Kitchen, named for its founder’s mother. Mama Liang reportedly learned …

This week, the National University System Institute for Policy Research issued its annual survey of San Diego craft-beer sales and employment, compiling figures for 2015. As expected, the results show continued brewery sales and jobs …

Aside from fresh-baked bagels, I wouldn’t say I had specific expectations going into Memo’s Bagel Café. It’s in a boxy shopping center storefront in Rancho San Diego surrounded by a litany of corporate food chains. …

In the wake of local brewery acquisitions, a debate as to whether corporate-owned breweries can call their beer "craft" has been ongoing on barstools throughout San Diego. Scores of beer professionals gathered at Mission Brewery …

In March, Denmark-based media organization Danwatch issued a report outlining deplorable treatment of labor on coffee farms in Brazil. The world's largest coffee grower by volume, Brazil produces six billion pounds annually, equivalent to the …

When family comes to town, everybody looks to Uncle Ian to ask a deceptively simple question: “Where should we meet for lunch?” Visiting friends often ask for recommendations such as “Where can I get good …

Following several months of delays, construction has resumed on La Mesa's next brewery, Depot Springs Beer Co. Originally projected to open in December 2015, Depot Springs founder Aaron Dean pressed pause on the project last …

September 23rd, Modern Times Beer tweeted its intention "to open a pilot brewery, restaurant, and specialty coffee shop in Los Angeles." Six months later, almost to the day, it revealed it has secured a location …

As of the new year, 619 Vodka is produced in its home area code. When Nick Apostolopoulos decided to launch the San Diego–based brand back in 2011, setting up a distillery in San Diego was …

The national craft-beer trade group known as the Brewers Association has issued an economic report detailing the growth of the craft-beer segment in 2015. At the end of 2015, there were 4269 breweries operating within …

This year, the National Coffee Association held its annual convention at the Hotel Del Coronado. The March 17-19 event drew hundreds of coffee industry execs to network, market roasting and packaging equipment, and attend talks …

I’ve never considered myself an Indian food expert, but I’m fan enough to know a little lingo. I know saag, channa, and dal refer to spinach, chickpeas, and lentils. Papadum is the thin, crunchy spiced …

Since before Prohibition, Americans have been celebrating Saint Patrick's day by drinking green beer. While green food coloring doesn't technically violate the Brewers Association definition of craft beer, most beer dyed green tends to be …

Grammy-winning bluegrass group Steep Canyon Rangers played their first San Diego show March 9 — that is, their first without a certain actor-comedian. The Asheville, North Carolina–based band has appeared here several times backing up …

The San Diego Brewers Guild and its members triggered a hearing of the Downtown Community Planning Council in February in order to voice opposition to a brewpub proposed for East Village. Oregon-based 10 Barrel Brewing …

As of January 1, a new California law went into effect allowing beer companies to pour tasting samples at certified farmers' markets. Sunday, March 13, Hillcrest Farmers Market became the first in San Diego to …

Now in its 22nd year in business, Barrio Logan-based Ryan Bros. Coffee has added packaged beverages to its product line. Bottles of its cold brew and flavored coffee drinks began appearing last spring at its …

“Revolutionizing oatmeal.” That’s the claim made by Mush, a food stand at the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market. I have a doubt that anything oat-related can qualify as revolutionary, but it’s certain that the appearance of Mush …

When I heard fusion burrito-sushi rolls were being served in Hillcrest, I made it my next meal. Rolled Up recently opened in a storefront with a history of failed burrito shops. Its predecessors built burritos …

White Labs Brewing Co. is bottling beer for the first time, releasing its Frankenstout March 17 at its Miramar tasting room. The brewing arm of the yeast cultivator made the unusual take on a stout …

I had to drive up a Morena off-street in Bay Ho to find this newish restaurant that calls itself Spice & Soul. It’s a part of town I find myself visiting a lot more often …

Stehly Farms Organics is currently selling some golden nugget tangerines at their shops and, for a limited time, cara cara naval oranges, known for their seedless red flesh and sweet tang. Large, buttery Reed avocados …

Hangovers aside, the proliferation of craft beer in San Diego has made little impact on its local rock scene. But for some areas of the county, breweries hosting live shows have established music venues in …

An opening date has been announced for the debut of Mikkeller San Diego, the brewery partnership between Mikkeller gypsy brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and AleSmith owner Peter Zien. The brewery will launch at AleSmith's longtime …

Vegan fast food. It might sound like a contradiction in terms, but it’s out there, trying to be fast as can be without serving animal or animal by-product. Bankers Hill restaurant Evolution has been working …

I’ve eaten Tajima ramen. I’ve eaten a lot of Tajima ramen. When the small restaurant group out of Kearny Mesa opened a ramen bar in Hillcrest in 2014, the opportunity to slurp its perfectly made …