Americans tend to be sentimental about Southern food whether or not they've ever lived below the Mason-Dixon. It seems to be linked to some sort of nostalgic national identity, to the point that poor-quality biscuits, …
February 13, 2014
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Stories by Ian Anderson
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Eating with a Southern California accent
The best würst place to take your pup
When a restaurant describes itself as having "a new dining concept based on the ancient art of sausage making," a lot of thoughts pass through my head, but two words that don't leap to mind …
February 11, 2014
Gai-jin on a katsudon mission
I spent a disproportionate number of my high school days eating katsu from a small, family-owned restaurant just outside the gate of a military base on Okinawa. Attempts to replicate the experience in San Diego …
February 7, 2014
A taco platter silver lining
Due more to bad luck than to any exhilarating lifestyle choice, I've found a nail stuck in my tire four times the past two years. It's made me somewhat of a regular at a Grant …
February 6, 2014
Trying to find a niche at the farmers' market
A certain La Jolla resident/presidential candidate made the wrong kind of headlines a couple years ago when he suggested not enough Americans have the entrepreneurial spirit required to borrow twenty grand from their parents to …
February 4, 2014
It's not just the bread you need to worry about at Con Pane
The orderly rows of architecturally identical old Naval buildings of Liberty Station are not the easiest to navigate. But I'm more than willing to get lost for a few minutes on a quest for a …
February 3, 2014
Light organic fare where you'd least expect it
For all the talk in the past few years of East Village having become someplace worth being — with upscale restaurants, condo developments, an urban ballpark, and a big new public library – it's got …
February 1, 2014
Dog-Friendly Dining: Café Chloe avec mon chien
It may yet be years before Paris opens its first San Diego-style restaurant (though it has apparently availed itself of California cuisine in food truck form). While French gastronomy might be missing out on the …
January 30, 2014
Potential canyon development in South Park
On January 9, the City of San Diego’s Development Services Department issued a notice of site development at the corner of Granada Avenue and Fir Street in South Park. Within days, dozens of nearby residents …
January 28, 2014
San Diego Central Library at four months
The new San Diego Central Library officially opened its doors to the public on September 28, 2013, capping 3 years of construction, 17 years of planning, and 36 years of talking about it. The 500,000-square-foot …
January 26, 2014
Belgian bistro takes over at Vagabond locale
I'm not above a little light reading before dinner. So when the menu at Brabant — South Park's newest Belgian theme restaurant — opened with a list of recommended food and beer pairings, I embraced …
January 24, 2014
Popular street food finds a permanent home, for the moment
It's not likely Don Pepe loaded up his first tamale cart thinking his name would echo through San Diego lore as a street food legend. Then, it's equally unlikely his pursuit of the American dream …
January 23, 2014
Coal-fired pizza and craft beer, the happy hour way
Show up at North Park's URBN pizza restaurant on a Friday night after 7 and here's what you'll see: beautiful well-dressed people stacked at the bar, waiting to be served by beautiful people, and creating …
January 20, 2014
Reconciling with maple bacon in South Park
I tend to be averse to sweetening food that's meant to be savory, so I've long put off visiting Eclipse since it moved in to South Park last year. William Gustwiller's confections are unquestionably delicious, …
January 20, 2014
Dog-Friendly Dining: made in the shade at Mama's
Most of the time, even dedicated dog-friendly dining establishments don't allow a pooch inside. I'm sure this is due to some issue of sanitation or municipal regulation, etc. So, as pup and I walked up …
January 17, 2014
U.S. Marshals nab suspect from South Park rental
Agents of the U.S. Marshals Service raided a house in South Park on Wednesday January 15, at 4:30 p.m., arresting at least one occupant and detaining two others while they searched the house. Ten armed …
January 16, 2014
Blackfish backlash continues — protest at SeaWorld
Animal-rights activists staged a demonstration at the entrance to SeaWorld on Saturday afternoon, January 11. Approximately 50 activists brandished picket signs and formed a line along Sea World Drive on both sides of South Shores …
January 14, 2014
Seitan, dumplings and donuts in North Park
The area around 31st and University in North Park has seem some unusual transformations over the years — an old church added a rock venue (The Irenic), a bank turned into a 7-11, and now …
January 14, 2014
Holdup at South Park coffee kiosk
A woman with a gun robbed a coffee-kiosk tip jar in South Park Tuesday, January 14, at approximately 9:50 a.m. Armed with what appeared to be a black semiautomatic pistol, a woman driving a two-door …
January 14, 2014
Just standing in a parking lot, eating Korean BBQ tacos
Must have been about five years ago now first I began hearing press — I'm sorry, word of mouth — about Kogi, the Los Angeles Korean BBQ/taco/food truck/phenomenon meant to revolutionize the restaurant industry forever. …
January 11, 2014
Dog-Friendly Dining: Pup's choice in South Park
South Park easily claims the title of my dog's favorite neighborhood. It's home to her favorite dog park, pet shop and bar (Hamilton's, naturally). It's also where to find her favorite mid-walk water dish – …
January 7, 2014
Banchan, bibimbap and bendy straws
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 …
January 5, 2014
Language barrier prompts naval hospital bomb scare
A couple of guys attempting to deliver a package triggered a shutdown of the main gate access to Balboa Naval Hospital on Thursday, January 2. For approximately two hours, San Diego police blocked access to …
January 5, 2014
Rebranding a sunset view, yet again
You'd think it was hard to muck up a restaurant holding down one of the best spaces on the west coast — an oceanfront location so prime, surfers can see into it from the line-up. …
January 2, 2014
Poway Pollo Spot Proves Local Beats Loco
In theory, any of the thousands of strip malls paving their way across Southern California could house delicious locally-owned restaurants worthy of repeat business. In reality, they don't. Most strip malls offer a scourge of …
December 28, 2013
Dog-Friendly Dining: Tower Two Beach Café
For this series, I've recruited my dog Loki to help me review canine-friendly restaurants around town. Not because I necessarily want her to dine with me, but because sometimes, when we're out exploring the world, I get hungry.
December 27, 2013
Creative sandwiches with artisan toppings? BFD
In this age of text and twitter shorthand, it's tough to say whether branding your storefront with the bright bold letters "BFD" should be taken as a bold declaration, or act of self-deprecation. Fortunately, the …
December 26, 2013
Cold Weather Comfort Food in a Warm Weather Town
The mildly cold days of winter descend on San Diego as early as November some years, forcing us to don knit beanies and hooded sweatshirts for as many as two or three evenings in a …
December 24, 2013
Lucha Libre straddles the line between real and good
San Diegans reserve a special sort of judgment for Mexican food — one where quality is less associated with fine dining as it is a feeling that the food could have been wrapped up and …
December 23, 2013
High concept sandwich shop aims for the sweet spot
Fusion's not a difficult a culinary concept to embrace. Combining the flavor profiles of unrelated global cuisines makes for a great narrative — just as appealing to bored young chefs as to bored young foodies. …
December 21, 2013
Spike strip ends low-speed car chase in O.B.
A police helicopter threw its spotlight on a slow-speed car chase through Ocean Beach Friday night, December 13. As many as nine patrol cars attempted to corral a stolen Honda Civic as it weaved on …
December 17, 2013
Building begins on busy corner in Point Loma
A long-empty corner of Point Loma Heights is getting a makeover. A developer named Veritas Urban Properties recently broke ground on the empty lot at the intersection of Voltaire Street and Catalina Boulevard, a site …
December 3, 2013
Point Loma residents pick sides in Pointers’ stadium proposal
A battle of yard signs wages in the neighborhood surrounding Point Loma High School, and it has little to do with the upcoming special election for mayor. These yard signs debate the results of ballot …
October 22, 2013
Speedy Ortiz blazes through Soda — in shorts
Not a lot of rock bands would take the stage wearing shorts. For a recent gig at the Soda Bar, Massachusetts four-piece Speedy Ortiz did exactly that. Maybe they're hip to the fact that San …
August 2, 2013
Dirty Projectors Challenge, Gratify at House of Blues
Left-handed fingerpicked electric guitar. This alone would be enough to set the Dirty Projectors apart from the spate of blue-eyed Afro-pop artists passing through indie-rock circles of late. But as the Brooklyn six-piece launched its …
August 2, 2012
Steve Martin Brings Folksy Music and Humor to Balboa Theatre
Steve Martin says Hollywood will never buy the truth — that he happened upon a performance by bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers during a vacation to their hometown of Asheville, North Carolina — so he's …
October 11, 2010