I can't go to Coronado without a visit to MooTime Creamery. I know it's sort of touristy, there will probably be a long line, and there are trendier, hipper shops and gelaterias around, but sometimes I just want a nice, …

Wow. Here’s something great for tonight (and tomorrow and Sunday) on your way to whatever else you’re doing. In Old Town Plaza they’ve got a bonfire going where you can sit around warming your tootsies and roast marshmallows and have …

Suddenly got this good idea about what to do on New Year's. Was up at 8th and C downtown last night, heading for Broadway and buses. Passed this Middle Eastern kinda eatery-nightclub. Saw families in there eating, kids playing around, …

Claire's on Cedros Bakery and Cafe, at 246 North Cedros in Solana Beach, is as much about it's cute, homey, ultra-green building and grounds as it is about it's food. It's the first restaurant in San Diego to receive the …

Aah. Nothing like breakfast in the living room. Except this is in the Living Room (2541 San Diego Avenue, Old Town, 619-325-4445, also in National City, Point Loma, El Cajon Boulevard near SDSU, Southwestern College, La Jolla). And this is …

As the close of 2011 nears, my attention is already turned to 2012. There are tons of new restaurants, businesses and developments ready to break in the New Year. Many are still under wraps with the people behind them not …

Scratching my head on this one. But I keep going back to O’Hungry’s (see this week’s Tin Fork) in Old Town (2547 San Diego Avenue, 619-298-0133). This cowboy eatery jes’ beyond the main entrance to Old Town Plaza has (drum …

As the close of 2011 nears, my attention is already turned to 2012. There are tons of new restaurants, businesses and developments ready to break in the New Year. Many are still under wraps with the people behind them not …

From outside, Urbn Coal Fired Pizza/Bar, at 3085 University Avenue, looks like the latest entry on the list of "huge warehouses turned into trendy bar/pizza places". It has a big fan, lots of different seating options, and some clever touches, …

I was out and about early in the morning, a rarity for me, and stopped into Extraordinary Desserts at 1430 Union Street in Little Italy (between Ash and Beech) for breakfast. I love the sleek, Asian/industrial look and serene early …

As the close of 2011 nears, my attention is already turned to 2012. There are tons of new restaurants, businesses and developments ready to break in the New Year. Many are still under wraps with the people behind them not …

New Years? I shiver, 'cause used to be me and my buddy Mark would, uh, mark the moment when the year changed by hauling ourselves down to the Pacific Ocean and diving into it at one minute before midnight. We’d …

Talking of Suzie’s Farm (see below), if you’re determined to be organic, how do you scare off everything that wants to eat your crops? Especially those pesky rabbits. Some organic farmers use scarecrows to protect their vegetables. Some use electric …

“The Christmas dish?” says Quinn Wilson. She markets Suzie’s Farm produce from IB, in the Tijuana river valley. “It had to be Amy DiBiase’s Romanesco cauliflower soup. She’s the chef at the La Jolla Shores Hotel.” Uh, Romanesco cauliflower? “Sure. …

In October, David and I traveled to Japan on an epic quest to sample ramen made by the “Tokyo Ramen Gods” he’d read about in Lucky Peach, David Chang’s (of New York’s Momofuku Noodle Bar fame) new magazine. With their …

As the close of 2011 nears, my attention is already turned to 2012. There are tons of new restaurants, businesses and developments ready to break in the New Year. Many are still under wraps with the people behind them not …

As the close of 2011 nears, my attention is already turned to 2012. There are tons of new restaurants, businesses, and developments ready to break in the New Year. Many are still under wraps with the people behind them not …

I ate lunch yesterday at Rubicon Deli, 3819 Mission Boulevard in Pacific Beach, and today I shared the other 75% of the sandwich with John for breakfast. Doesn't everyone eat tuna sandwiches for breakfast? No? Never mind, my point was …

Bolillo Tortas, the new eatery at 417 Fourth Avenue in the Gaslamp, has a mission statement on their website, which reads in part, "(Bolillo Torta's) mission is to be the most important torteria in America and to be an ambassador …

Changes right next door to Davanti Enoteca, too. Solunto bakery (Panificio E Ristorante Solunto, 1643 India Street, Little Italy, 619-233-3506) has been sold and is about to get a name-change and a face lift. Sad to see the old name …

Hiking down Little Italy yesterday (Thursday) past the new Davanti Enoteca (1655 India Street, Little Italy, 619-237-9606). Something’s different. Recognize Tony, one of the crew here. “What’s new?” I say. “Our outside deck here,” he says. “This is our first …

The seal was probably attacked by a shark. There’s not much left of him. Nearby, a seagull climbs vertically like a helicopter to 30 feet and drops a clam. It splits on the hard sand. Beyond, three actual helicopters circle, …

While doing some Christmas shopping in North County this weekend, I took the opportunity to check out Bressi Ranch Village Center’s Elevation Burger. The beef there is 100% USDA-certified organic, grass-fed and free-range. Additionally, it’s ground and formed into patties …

Let's get the whiny part out of the way. If you go to Oliveto Cafe & Wine Bar for happy hour (3:00–6:00 p.m. daily) expecting that the half-price small plates menu will be given to you voluntarily, this will not …

Leilani's Cafe on Cass Street in Pacific Beach is so comfy, so homey and friendly, that you feel as though you could walk in with pajamas and bunny slippers on and no one look up except to say hello. We …

If I had a spare quarter-mil, this is where I’d put my café, bistro, terrazza, whatever. The nicely-rounded corner is crying out for tables, umbrellas, waiters dashing around with their li’l round trays held high. It’s the new Strata condo …

Why does everybody have to say Happy Holidays? Why can’t we say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Eid, have a great Kwanzaa, Happy Winter Solstice? Why can’t we ALL celebrate ALL of them? Like being guests at neighbors’ houses. I …

Street foods are a vital component of nearly every culture the world over. Over the past few years, street staples like poutine, sausages and skewered meats a plenty have been getting their due and elaborate makeovers at the hands of …

The long-awaited (why does opening a business take so much time?) pork love-child of Hanis Cavin and Sara Stroud, Carnitas' Snack Shack, has finally opened. Here's the low-down -- Hanis was the head chef at Kensington Grill for, like, ever. …

I catch him coming out of Starbucks. Modest looking guy. Except I know he’s a magician. Alfredo Gutierrez is in the middle of painting the murals for the new place opening two doors away from Funky Garcia’s, at 415 Market …

Last week, I wrote about barleymash, the bar-restaurant moving into the soon-to-be-vacated Whiskey Girl space on Fifth Avenue and Market Street downtown. Since then, deeper digging has unearthed additional details and a copy of the tentative menu. Barleymash will be …

There are some food writers in town that I’ve had numerous lengthy conversations with. Despite those interactions, I really have no idea who they are, what they’re about or what they really think about anything. Yet, although I never met …

Temecula Valley Slow Food has just announced its 5th Annual 100 Mile Dinner, to be held at Jan. 28th at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Garden in Escondido. The 100 Mile Dinner is a five-course feast, featuring ingredients that have …

Got some really sad news here, folks. Naomi Wise, the Reader’s food critic and my colleague, passed away yesterday from complications after surgery. She had been in the hospital for a week. Those are all the details I have. We …

The Mediterranean Room at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla is now offering a weekly Sunday Supper prix fixe menu. Executive chef Lance Repp will prepare a three course dinner, served family style, from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm every …

I'd seen the Specialty's Cafe & Bakery sign a dozen times from Genesee or La Jolla Village Drive in University City, but I could never figure out exactly where the place was. Today I was in the area around breakfast …

I know, I know. Midwinter and we’re talking salads? But here I am, seven at night, sitting outside Salad Style, that tiny little eatery just up from the post office (807 F Street, 619-255-6731), waiting for a Moroccan couscous salad. …

Since hitting the East Village this summer, Monkey Paw Pub and Brewery has only been living up to half its billing. With a solid tap and bottle selection and cozy, unpretentious neighborhood vibe, it had the pub component down flat, …

I tend to be a purist when it comes to my burgers. Salt and pepper only, medium rare. That's not to say I don't like toppings. Cheese, onions, even a fried egg gets the okay. Boomerangs Gourmet Burger Joint in …

The stretch of Miramar Road between the 805 and the 15 probably doesn't immediately spring into your mind when you think about great lunch spots. But all those folks in the auto body shops, slab granite and hardwood warehouses and …

Anastasia from Vladivostok brings my waffle. Melissa — her family is from Guam — hands me my coffee. The coffee’s Kona, from Hawaii. The waffle is from heaven. Sigh. Love a surprise. Here I was, ambling along Market. Biggest care …

Several new local restaurants have opened featuring beer lists as long as Santa’s delivery manifest, making it easy to believe that a venue needs 25 to 100 taps to be legitimate when, really, it’s more about quality than quantity. Take …

It was the end of a long night. C-c-cold out here. About ten. I was down on Tenth and Market. Looking to catch a bus heading south. Dang. Timetable says another 15 minutes. So I start moseying down Tenth towards …

After two days of clouds and rain, I really needed to take a walk. I also needed to get some office work done, so my destination would require free wifi. Starbucks would be the obvious choice, but I wasn't in …

Whiskey Girl, one of Downtown's most popular spots for late-night/early-morning drunken debauchery, is moving out of its space on the corner of Fifth and Market. But fear not stoked frat boys, bachelorette gaggles and metrocentric boozehounds, a new tenant with …

San Diego Beer Week ended over a month ago, but you’d never know it. Beer dinners, cask nights and all sorts of other events are still happening on an almost daily basis. Another phenomenon that’s occurring more regularly is the …

Like religion and politics, pizza talk feels taboo. People get emotionally attached to their favorite pizzas. I'm not about to start comparing what city makes better pizza, that's for sure. Regent's Pizzeria in La Jolla has no such reservations. They …

I was wandering along National Avenue in Barrio Logan, about nine at night, when I noticed a light inside the long, low, century-old El Porvenir building. Then a couple of people coming out. Looked like a little family scene going …

Temecula’s number of free-standing craft breweries is set to double in 2012 with the addition of Ironfire Brewing Company. That newcomer will join Black Market Brewing Company, an operation that has enjoyed a good amount of success, including an award …

My laments over the closing of Little Italy’s Red Velvet are well publicized. The combo wine bar-resto had great food. So, it pleases me to know that one of the culinary minds behind that venture, Lhasa Landry, is at the …

The first time I came by Cozine’s Grocery (402 Civic Center Drive, 619-477-8488), I was taking a picture so I’d recognize it. I wanted to come back and try the fried chicken someone had told me about. So I’m clicking …

“The biggest impact you can have on the environment is changing your eating habits,” says David Holtze of the gourmet organic Green Truck, “like thinking about where your food comes from and eating less meat.” David Holtze in the Green …

(1.) The parking probably won't be any worse than it is at the mall. (2.) They have wonderfully fresh flowers, pine boughs, garland and wreaths for nearly the same price as the dried out ones in the mega stores and …

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Waters Alice Waters, chef, proprietor of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, author, activist and the first woman to be named Best Chef in America (1992) by the James Beard Foundation, will be signing copies of her latest book, …

Shock report: Coronado has made chicken-raising illegal on the island! Leslie Crawford had been depending on her breakfast eggs from the two snowflake hens she had been raising for months when neighbors complained to the city. They worried that bacteria …

“Don’t rush me!” Dion’s voice cuts through the noise. She’s barking at a customer who wants to pay up and go. It’s all part of the schtick. The crew gives customers a hard time from the get-go. People love to …

Last night I had a rare evening alone. I didn't feel like cooking, but I was craving noodles. I know where I can get that fixed. Star Anise Thai Restaurant, 8195 Town Center, in University City, is walking distance from …

Problem on the Blue Line. Accident, they told us. Whatever, it's the end of the line till they get buses organized to Old Town, which is where I was going. So everyone off the trolley. This is at the temporary …

It’s been said by brewers that no singular ingredient has more influence on a beer’s flavor than yeast. One of my sources went so far as to say yeast accounts for roughly 90% of a brew’s overall taste profile. Yet, …

Last week, I found a coupon that I thought I had lost. Yes, I can be a real cheapskate, and I use coupons and online deals sometimes. It allows me to eat out more often, and at more pricey places …

Honestly? The cool part of Fifth downtown is south of Broadway. The uncool part is just north of it. Eatery-wise anyway. Maybe that was Pierre’s problem. Pierre’s Place (1404 Fifth Avenue, at Ash, 619-727-4700) was a brand-new construction. Father Joe …

Roasted tri-tip beef, rubbed all over with – no joke – coffee? Had this once before, but I keep coming back. It's in a sandwich, along with smoked gouda cheese, tomatoes, mixed greens, garlic mayo. Oh man. Michael Karijanian’s the …

I was in North Park buying art supplies and wondering what to have for lunch when I stopped in my tracks. Bad spelling, good sandwich Reuben Tuesday? I like Reubens, a lot. I need to check this out. The Linkery, …

Situated in the Gaslamp, in the space that housed the failed Donovan’s Circle of Fifths (and before that, the failed Australian resto, Bondai), Donovan’s Prime Seafood opened quietly earlier this year. However, since landing a chef from the kitchen at …

If you’ve been to Señor El Taquero (435 Broadway, downtown, 619-550-5451), it was probably after you got out of some Gaslamp bar around 2:00 a.m. and needed solid food, like, now. “Say one o’clock Friday night, the line outside’s way …

Chicken lovers Unite! Today (December 6) is the day. According to secret sources on the sceptered isle of Coronado (okay, Carla’s buddy/hairdresser Diane called her), the Coronado City Council is set to debate whether their ban on keeping chickens within …

Some people wear tuxes when they’re receiving big awards. At this year’s Great American Beer Festival, the biggest brewing competition in the country, several Pizza Port employees wore t-shirts that read “Who the fuck is Jeff Bagby?” when collecting the …

Saturday mornings in our house almost always begin with a trip to the Little Italy Mercato at Date and India Streets (9 am -1:30 pm, rain or shine). We've been doing it since it first opened with 40 vendors in …

On Friday, my friend Hal turned 93 years old. We've been getting together and having a martini two or three times a week for a couple of years now. Hal is a retired Army colonel, fought in WWII and Korea, …

Having a budding and extremely promising business questionably targeted by the government and drained of its monetary lifeblood via combative legal fees. It would have been enough to make lesser men throw in the cheesecloth. But when you’re as passionate …

Changes keep on comin’ in Little Italy. Was at Caffe Italia the other night. Right next door is Vincenzo’s Ristorante Italiano (1702 India Street, at Date, 619-702-6181), kinda classy black and white place I’ve always wanted to eat at. Wanted …

Do you know how to eat Californian? Like, from what Mother Nature has to offer in California’s natural state, right here? Me neither, but I’ve started trying to learn what every Kumeyaay knew back in the days before the rest …

Hip to San Diego’s bourgeoning knack for fresh, local, organic food, Urban Gourmet sprouted up about three months ago at Fern and Grape in South Park with the goal of catering to the area’s taste for healthy, fresh, and affordable …

Thursday night, John had just gotten back from a business trip to a city in the Midwest where, apparently, there is no good beer. Makes you appreciate what you have in your own backyard. So we headed up to the …

Carla’s gonna kill me for this, but she’s built like a woman and so anytime something spills on the way to her mouth it lands on the nearest platform, and that ain’t her lap. Same with me. I swear. The …

Downtown. Drifting. Desperate. Three buckeroos in my pocket and I’ve got nothing to take home to the beautiful Carla, and I promised I’d bring her a late nite snack. And I’ve got seven minutes till the bus. Lawdie. I’m at …

For writers, it can often feel as though we're typing up hundreds of words at a clip then jettisoning them into a black hole. It's always nice to be reminded that people actually read what you put out there. Comments, …