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Stories by Ian Anderson

Burning Beard keeps El Cajon on tap

El Cajon's brewing scene came back to life on February 29, the soft-opening date for Burning Beard Brewing Company. Founded by a pair of homebrewing friends, Burning Beard debuted — as many new breweries do …

March 4, 2016
Moonshine and Dominican beans unite

As more local breweries have partnered with local roasters, coffee beers have become something of a regional specialty, racking up national awards left and right. Now, as San Diego’s craft-spirit scene has grown past its …

March 2, 2016
Shot heard 'round San Diego

In summer 2015, BNS Brewing and Distilling Co. won a gold medal at the California State Fair for its Gatling Gun Imperial Stout. That regional win inspired the nanobrewery to submit its stout to a …

March 1, 2016
Sandwiches for our Thyme

A sandwich shop doesn’t often make for an interesting Feast entry. I can answer questions such as, “Does it carry Boar’s Head or Dietz & Watson deli meats?” And if a shop cares enough about …

Resident now brews at Local location

San Diego's newest brewery has set up shop just a few blocks from its oldest. Resident Brewing Co. started brewing last month, 27 years after Karl Strauss brewpub opened its first location on Columbia Street …

World's priciest coffee beans

This January, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters received a Good Food Award, which recognizes environmentally responsible practices in the artisan foods sector, in addition to quality. Two hundred judges blind-tasted a couple thousand entrants across 13 …

February 24, 2016
Click it, drink it

Home-delivery service has become one of the tech industry's fastest growing sectors, and while its primary focus has been restaurant-prepared meals, beer and liquor are increasingly on the agenda. Over the past several months, several …

Stuffed hash browns. You read that right.

“You’ve got to see this,” he said urgently, producing what looked like an inflated potato pancake. “It’s like a hash brown breakfast burrito!” My friend had just come from the Hillcrest farmers’ market with a …

In between the burgeoning hipness

This small counter shop specializes in Peruvian seafood dishes tiradito (raw fish) and ceviche (raw fish cured in citrus juices). Organic and fresh caught local ingredients are the norm, and all dishes are made to …

In like Gwynn

It’s been a year since plans were announced for a museum commemorating the life and career of Padres legend Tony Gwynn, and construction is now underway. The TAG Foundation (named for Gwynn and his wife …

Palomar Brewing abandoned for Culver

Last July, the Union-Tribune reported that the City of Carlsbad had approved the application of Palomar Brewing Company to open in the vicinity of McClellan-Palomar Airport. In late December, while researching an article previewing new …

February 16, 2016
Thirty reasons to head south to Machete

Early February marked one year since Machete Beer House brought craft beer to National City. In that short time, Machete has already earned a reputation for having one of the more intriguing beer selections south …

February 14, 2016
You sure you don’t want a beer with that?

According to the website for Carlsbad Village gastropub The Compass, “Sometimes drunken conversations become a reality.” Not surprisingly, the reality of this two-blocks-from-the-beach restaurant is a full bar plus plenty of wine and a craft …

Liberty Public Market to include Bottlecraft in its roster

When the vendors were announced last summer for Blue Bride Hospitality's Liberty Public Market, they included purveyors of locally roasted coffee, a butcher shop, and a place to get Maine lobster rolls. At that time, …

February 12, 2016
Bánh mì makes it downtown

Before my friends got paranoid about gluten, we used to make a lot of bánh mì runs. With rare exception, these were always in the direction of City Heights. There are some great options to …

Japan + Philadelphia at Nozomi

It’s been more than a couple years since I’ve started submitting Feast! stories, and there are a few wonderful places I haven’t been willing to share with the general public because I don’t want y’all …

The shops are opening in pairs along 30th Street

A couple new coffee shops opened along 30th Street recently, though under very different circumstances. Hawthorn Coffee opened in late December on Adams Avenue, within a block of several popular businesses in a burgeoning pocket …

February 10, 2016
Alpha King brings home a whale

Former local brewer and reigning Brewpub Brewer of the Year Kirk McHale made a return visit to San Diego last week, and he brought some award-winning beer with him. While beer enthusiasts prepared to queue …

February 8, 2016
Tough times for beer in El Cajon

For a moment there, the El Cajon was on the verge of having three breweries. But last week, incoming Knox Corners Brewing announced via Facebook it had ended its efforts to open in El Cajon, …

February 4, 2016
The internet loves AleSmith

Beer-review website RateBeer.com released its annual accounting of the world's top brewers and beers, and San Diego breweries figured prominently. AleSmith was named number 2 on the list of Top Brewers in the World, Alpine …

February 1, 2016
Craft is dead. Now we drink Indie Beer

The term Craft Beer may be in need of a makeover. The Union-Tribune reported this week that Bend, Oregon's 10 Barrel Brewing Co. has proposed a 10,000-square-foot brewpub in East Village. In response, local beer …

January 29, 2016
Pure Project debuts in Miramar

Back in August, it was announced a new brewery, Pure Project, would be taking over one of two turnkey brewhouses set up by HG Fenton's Brewery Igniter program in Miramar. Last week, Pure Project announced …

January 25, 2016
A new contender for best burger

After I wrote about the simplicity of the burger at Rocky’s Crown Pub recently, I heard all about everybody’s favorite burger spots. Like Rocky’s, most were places that count their longevity in decades rather than …

Thorn St. Brewery nabs former boiler factory on National Avenue

The partners behind North Park's Thorn St. Brewery are branching out into Barrio Logan, where they will grow their brand — and their brewing capacity — as Thorn Brewing Company. Dan Carrico, Dennis O'Connor, and …

January 24, 2016
You’ve got ramen options, San Diego

It might be getting carried away to start calling San Diego a ramen town, but the recent proliferation of noodle bars suggests our collective taste for this stuff isn’t a trend that will soon pass. …

Too many choices at Lemonade

On its website, Los Angeles based fast-casual chain Lemonade describes its menu as “a colorful bounty of seasonal comfort food in a bright cafeteria setting” with a “rotating daily spread of deliciousness.” It goes on …

January 22, 2016
Globe-trottin' hops

Coronado Brewing Company announced it would begin distributing its Stingray IPA globally in January, shipping to six countries, including New Zealand. Among the four varieties of hops contributing to the IPA's tropical fruit flavors is …

January 21, 2016
A giant can of beer to go

A few months ago, I started hearing about breweries adding a new alternative to growlers in their tasting rooms: giant beer cans. Basically, a beertender fills a topless 32-ounce can straight from the tap. Then, …

January 18, 2016
Soup and salad in a jar

With the glut of Silicon Valley tech companies vying for a piece of the food home delivery market the past year, I was surprised to discover a small local business pursuing its own niche: Car’s …

Thr3e Punk Ales signs a lease in Chula Vista

Chula Vista's Third Avenue Village is gaining a brewery to add to the #southbayuprising craft beer movement. Thr3e Punk Ales has signed a ten-year lease on a 4000-square-foot storefront at 259 Third Avenue, in what …

January 14, 2016
Wine, love, coffee

Manzanita Roasting Company opened in December, cooking single-origin beans on a 15-kg Loring roaster in North County. The couple behind the coffee wholesaler is relatively new to the business. Weston and Samantha Nawrocki initially met …

January 13, 2016
Green Flash's new brewmaster takes the wheel with a steady hand

Within minutes of Chuck Silva's resignation as brewmaster of Green Flash last September, owner Mike Hinkley promoted head brewer Erik Jensen to the position. It was a tremendous vote of confidence for Jensen, suddenly entrusted …

January 11, 2016
Dogs and snow and patio seating

When the snow hit the mountains towards the end of the year, I got together with some friends and our dogs to drive east and make some memories. Afterward we dropped in on Julian in …

Grant's Marketplace hand-off

After 13 years in business, Joe and Kim Grant have sold South Park corner store and deli Grant's Marketplace. A note posted to the market's door in late December informed customers the longtime owners would …

January 11, 2016
No shots, no pitchers, no Fireball.

As of January 7, the long anticipated Urge Gastropub & Whiskey Bank has opened to the public in Oceanside, and with it attached brewhouse Mason Ale Works is officially serving beer. The converted bank property …

January 8, 2016
Respect the donut maker!

It’s easy to mock the emergence of the hipster donut shop. Donuts seem easy to make: raise some dough, deep fry, and sweeten it with glaze. Adding breakfast cereal, fruit slices, cured meats, or some …

Sixty miles for a Nickel beer

At an hour-and-15-minute drive, Julian's about as far as I can go from my house and still drink beer in San Diego County. That's not a drive I make often, so when I found myself …

January 5, 2016
No bacon, no pepper jack, no fried egg, no avocado

When I first moved to San Diego I fell in with an avid burger crowd, basically a bunch of guys with strong opinions on who makes the best in town. Most were in agreement the …

Kensington Brewing not so new after all

In case anyone has wondered how many years a small brewery can operate in San Diego without garnering any press, the answer is three. I first encountered beer made by Kensington Brewing Company in late …

January 2, 2016
Tapping 2016's first new beers

On January 2 the first new San Diego brewery of 2016 opens its doors. Bitter Brothers Brewing Co. has been a long time coming, building out its BayHo brewhouse and tasting room since spring of …

December 31, 2015
San Diego’s coffee scene on par with Portland’s?

San Diego’s coffee community has come on strong the past three years, and it did not stop growing one bit in 2015. The number of roasters producing beans countywide grew to at least 26, while …

December 30, 2015
Roll out the barrels

The year 2015 has seen more than 20 new breweries open in San Diego. While it seems unlikely they'll crop up at such an unprecedented rate in 2016, these 8 new breweries plan to open …

December 27, 2015
Brooklyn Bagels our best local bet

When I'm in New York, I eat a lot. I eat everything I can get my hands on. I don't leave without seeking out great pastrami, some kind of smoked fish, and a bagel. You …

Biggest Beer News stories of 2015

Ballast Point sold for $1B The B in billion makes anything world news, and Ballast Point's billion-dollar sale to big beer in November didn't just get its name in financial papers — TV networks even …

December 25, 2015
32 North at Liberty

Among the many new projects pending for Liberty Station's north end arts district is a multipurpose store from design and fabrication brand Moniker Group. The 5400-square-foot indoor/outdoor Moniker General will combine a modular retail concept …

December 24, 2015
Owls and emotions in South Park canyon

A group of South Park residents, who objected to a proposed development in the 28th Street canyon two years ago, have initiated fundraising efforts in hopes of purchasing the property. The Protect 28th Street Canyon …

December 22, 2015
Brisket over beef shoulder

I never had a problem with the beef sandwiches at the BBQ House. I sure ate enough of them when I lived in Ocean Beach. Weekly visits earned me Regular status, greeted like a champ …

Unwritten Lager, anyone?

For the moment at least, another brewery has joined the craft-beer ranks of Santee. Thr3e Punk Ales debuted December 12th at the New Kids fest, an event dedicated to San Diego's newest breweries. Thr3e Punk …

December 21, 2015
Outstanding Peruvian rotisserie in Oceanside

If you've never been to South Oceanside — and I'd wager most haven't — you probably don't imagine you're missing much. Lately, you'd be wrong. Urge Gastropub's on the verge of opening a spacious 42-tap …

Christmas comes early for the beer writer

One of San Diego's hardest to come by beers is Duck Duck Gooze. The Lost Abbey gueuze is a blend of old and young barrel-aged wild ales that only releases in small quantities every three …

December 20, 2015

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