Tommy DeCarlo is not a believer in transferable skills. At least, he doesn’t think the skills he learned working at a Home Depot in Charlotte, North Carolina, have carried over to his current gig — …

Since Carol Rider is the lead singer and guitarist of local Americana rock quartet Girl in the Middle, you might assume the name is referring to her. You’d be wrong. “The name is a concept …

“We were around when there was lots of acid rock and we filled a niche that was being ignored,” says singer Paul Cowsill of his 1960s pop group the Cowsills. “Bob Dylan told Rolling Stone …

Of all the cocktails featured in this issue, the Margarita is the one with the closest ties to San Diego. Specifically, the frozen kind; the alcoholic version of the Slurpee. In 1947, Albert Hernandez, a …

When Coco’s closed most of its San Diego–area restaurants in April, it put a kink in my family’s dining schedule. It is my in-laws favorite place to eat, and I willingly joined them in their …

Richard Shelton has a very good reason to keep in shape: he owns a tuxedo once worn by Frank Sinatra — and it fits him perfectly without any alterations. “We’re the same height and weight,” …

The San Diego County Fair opens June 5, but they opened the door to the press last night for a culinary preview. If you are wondering which deep-fried delicacies or served-on-a-stick specialties you should prioritize, …

Albert’s Mexican Food Albert’s, located in a lowly strip mall, is known for gigantic rolled tacos that are huge and filling. One of the daily specials is usually a burrito with some form of meat …

Some high-school students might spend their summer vacationing in Mexico. Not Max Oestreicher. The 17-year-old plans to spend his vacation in Haiti. For the second year in a row. Oestreicher, who lives in La Mesa …

Blues guitarist Jerry DeMink has played music professionally for 30 years in front of all types of audiences. Still, he admits being daunted at a recent gig: Playing for the children at an orphanage down …

Like many music fans, Jeff Storm loves the selection he gets from streaming music services such as Spotify and Pandora. Unlike most of them, he feels guilty that the artists he loves are getting streamed …

Draft For a restaurant located at an amusement park, Draft is much better than it has to be. As many as 69 beers available. Happy hour (Monday through Friday from 4–6 p.m. and then from …

“When we talk about ‘disco’ we have different ideas. I think of Arthur Russell and underground dance music.”

“Bands from the 1960s evolved based on the technology. We ignored technological advances ... the evolutions are personal.”

A songwriter looking for material could do worse than to work in a pawn shop. Moris Adato, the general manager of CashCo pawn shop in City Heights, hears the type of stories that make for …

Halloween 2013 was a good day for Oscar Carrion and Andre Flores. That’s the day the duo, who make up the band Citrus, finally scared up a vocalist after ten years of playing together. “We’ve …

I love Thai food almost as much as I love Mexican, but both cuisines suffer from the same problem: It’s really good and (often) really cheap, which makes it hard to justify shelling out more …

When Andy Altman came home from Coachella this year, he had a revelation. “I’d been relying on Uber a lot,” he said. “At the same time, my dad mentioned, ‘If I wanted to hire a …

Ours isn’t the first city people associate with Christmas, but the holiday has inspired many musicians with a local connection. Maybe it’s the location at the bottom west of the lower 48, but San Diego …

Singer/songwriter Cindy Lee Berryhill is in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign to fund an upcoming album, but now wonders if December was the best time. “The timing is challenging, but I’m at the mercy …

“I don’t listen to reggae,” says Jakob McWhinney, guitarist and singer for Space Heat, an ambient pop group based in La Mesa. “Maybe I did as a kid because it was on in the house.” …

My family and went on vacation to Kauai this summer. Loved it, but the whole time I was craving a decent teriyaki burger — and never found one. When we got back, I was still …

I love meat as much as the next person. Unless that person is my wife, who has been a vegan for nearly 18 months. Eating out when you’re meat-free sometimes is more of a hassle …

Recently, I got an invitation to Diner En Blanc, this semi-sort-of-exclusive pop-up dinner taking place in a secret location on September 19. Diner En Blanc goes like this: A bunch of people more stylish and …

“A wet burrito is not Mexican, I think, but people love them,” says Chef Antonio Friscia, who opened his latest restaurant, Don Chido, in the Gaslamp in late June. He knew going in that some …

La Mesa is not known for its food, but it’s a great place to raise a family and there are plenty of good places for tasty, reasonably priced food for my perfect food day. For …

If anyone needs a poster child for the powers of marijuana, look at Doug Benson. The 50-year-old comedian grew up in San Carlos and El Cajon before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting …

"Last year Tender Greens won Sausage Fest,” says JSix executive chef Christian Graves. “They haven’t been invited back this year because they peed in the bushes, and jumped in the pool.” Now in its third …

The best craft cocktails are miniature works of ephemeral art. Here today, gone to stomach. Cat Eye Club This retro-style tiki bar looks and feels like a mid-century living room. Fruity cocktails served in glasses …

July 4 not only marks America’s 238th birthday, but, if the legend is correct, it’s also the 90th anniversary of what is arguably the region’s greatest contribution to culinary culture: The Caesar Salad. “I think …

Around Father’s Day, I decided to take my father-in-law out for a meal. Just the two of us. He’s a great guy who does a lot of stuff for my kids so I wanted to …

Even before its opening, Juniper And Ivy was one of the biggest news stories in the San Diego food scene. Having a winner of Top Chef Masters like Richard Blais as your main chef will …

As if Adams Avenue didn’t already have enough good dinner spots. Now Hanna’s Gourmet, long a popular weekend brunch spot, is serving dinner — and it's good. Hanna’s has been expanded from its original use …

If you go to Puesto, you’re going to do a lot of cursing. Not in a bad way, but along the lines of “This taco is f-ing awesome!” or “This is an f-ing great margarita!” …

You ever spend a few days with people who are showing you their city and all the hot spots in the tourist guide? By the time the fourth day rolls around, if you’re lucky and …

Before me at the Allison Avenue La Mesa Fire Department on June 8 were two giant blocks of butter sculpted into a fire helmet and and a fireman’s boot. Fitting, since I was at a …

Adventurous seafood fans are discovering octopus all over again. Long a staple at sushi bars, respected eateries all over the county have been adding novel dishes to their menus that prominently feature the many-armed mollusks. …

I am perfectly happy eating every meal at a taco shop with some variation of “bertos” on it, but yellow-and-red-striped huts with Formica tables and vending machines for 50-cent tattoos are only going to appeal …

“This place looks out of my league,” my friend texted me hours before we were planning to meet downtown for drinks and appetizers. He was referring to the Cat Eye Club, which, during its first …

“Wait! Sushi is raw fish?” My nephew had this revelation while we were getting read to chow down on an assortment of mackerel, octopus, raw shrimp, bluefin and other delicacies at Blue Ocean Robata and …

The San Diego County Fair officially opens June 7, but members of the media were able to get an early taste. Here is a rundown of some of the goodies that “carnie-vores” can gobble during …

Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q location at Coronado Ferry Landing means it’s teeming with tourists at times. Because the place is in a prime real estate spot, it suffers from a reverse snobbery among barbecue buffs. There …

It was the day before Mother’s Day and the kids and I wanted to give my wife a nice meal. She’s been a vegetarian for more than a year so I figured a steakhouse was …

Tom Jones’s House of Blues concert was a more stripped-down affair than his typical shows. It was billed as a blues show, but people expecting Jones to wail away on Chicago blues classics like “Sweet …

My wife is vegan. Actually, she’s a vegetarian who doesn’t eat dairy. Since she has long ago made peace with the fact that I don’t care what I put in my body, we get along …

Jsix at the Hotel Solamar downtown closed down at the beginning of the year to revamp the menu. The restaurant now promises food that is organic, sustainable, hormone-free, and that supports local farmers. All of …

When Tee Henley decided to start Open Arms, America’s first female-fronted Journey tribute band, some wondered if she should change the lyrics to reflect her gender. She decided to accept the masculine-focused lyrics with open …

Few cities in America have a variety of Mexican food as wide as San Diego. There are Baja-style seafood places, Mexico City-style antojitos spots, Sonora-style taco places, and gourmet spots where nary a burrito can …

“A lot of times, I get, ‘You look really familiar,’ and usually the recognition comes from a guy who’s really close to his wife,” says La Mesa–based porn actor Dick Chibbles. “I don’t know if …

When I went to Southpaw Social Club a while back, the menu had some good things on it, but the place was still feeling its way six months after opening. With its back patio smack …