Fine dining tradition keeps on keeping on for the better part of a century in La Jolla

The Marine Room doesn't try to keep up with the new kids. This 70-year-old restaurant sees no need to trade in its white tablecloths for reclaimed wood; it has no interest in forgoing its soft white shell sconces for those …

This must be the most historic room downtown, and I’m munching $3 fish tacos in here.

You kinda hesitate before you come in here. The building’s this big-arched monumental pile of stone with brass historic plaques, and revolving doors to get in, and a small army of valet parking guys who you're sure are checking you …

Mission Valley Japanese restaurant has a cute name, but it's no hidden gem.

I wanted to go to the Rocking Tanuki (6110 Friars Road, 619-294-4404) because I liked the name. “Tanuki” means the Japanese raccoon dog, which looks like a cross between a fox and a raccoon. I don’t know exactly how one …

The restaurant on the rock serves the rich, the famous, and Ed

I happened on this burger totally accidentally. Never meant to come here. Had never heard if it. I’m way down where the two Californias once divided – between Dominican and Franciscan-ruled lands in their missions of discovery and conversion. I …

It's a box! With waffles!

Box’d (430 Carlsbad Village Drive, 442-333-9071) is just that, a box. Actually, it’s more of a shipping crate, cut open and immobilized on a platform in downtown Carlsbad, filled with waffle irons and cash registers, and dedicated to selling waffles …

Down by the Otay river, swordfish plays with Ed’s taste buds

I mean, come on. It’s a gas station. So how come I’m eating the most scrumptious swordfish taco I can remember, and right here? This is Mariscos El Venado (3733 Main Street, Chula Vista, 619-476-80710), part of the Cali-Mart gas …

Ordering Edo-style sushi in an Old Town mini-mart at $4/bite is a beautiful thing.

Few would think, “I’ll head down to Old Town and poke around in mini-malls between liquor stores and hair salons. Maybe I’ll find some great Edo-style sushi there.” Nevertheless, that happens in this town sometimes. Barbarella’s discovered that the tapas …

For Guinness’ sake: Straight burger and no monkey business!

Yeah yeah yeah. It was the Jewel Box and now it’s Monkey Paw. Apart from that, same crowd, same sunset blinding everybody looking out the front door. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/26/42545/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/25/42534/ Big difference: beers. They make half of them right here, in …

Michoacan-style carnitas in City Heights

Las Morelianas (3645 University Avenue, 619-521-2891) is just into City Heights, but it feels much more removed than that. Everything is rough around the edges, from the construction to the service to the clientele. Not rough as in dangerous, rough …

Hillcrest taco shop serves shortbread cookies with history baked in.

I don’t usually go to El Cuervo (110 West Washington Street, Hillcrest, 619-295-9713) because it’s very average and on the wrong side of the street. Really, it’s virtually identical to Los Panchos--both restaurants even use the same style of menu …

The breakfast eatery is staging its 2nd annual ping pong face-off. No food, plenty of booze

Hot news tonite! 5:00 p.m. [Friday 3/22] at Snooze, the pretty-new Hillcrest breakfast place (3940 5th Avenue, Hillcrest, 619-500-3344)... http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/22/42388/ ...they’re holding their Second Annual Ping Pong contest, with a three-foot-tall trophy topped by a table-tennis bat for the winner …

Inexpensive Vietnamese family-style dining in Kearny Mesa.

Following a tip from a friend of mine (he’s a scientist!), I took a little group up to Kearny Mesa to visit Phuong Trang (4170 Convoy Street, 858-565-6750). Reportedly, it’s one of the best Vietnamese family restaurants in the area. …

Mark Djugashvili’s latest Georgian eatery has a funny take on East Meets West.

The happy hour deals (5-7pm daily) at Mark Djugashvili’s latest Georgian eatery, Kafe Sobaka (2469 Broadway, Golden Hill, 619-297-4007) are in the drinks. Beers and vodkas $3 each. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/21/42308/ But if you look carefully at his wild and crazy menu, …

Well, there is plenty of lettuce...

On the island a lot recently. Carla’s seeing somebody from her childhood who's been in hospital here a couple of weeks. “Got to eat healthy,” says Carla as we head outside. “Why not eat here?” I say. "Hospital eateries must …

The second bi-annual veggie fest at Margarita's Village offered clever Baja Med cuisine

If the words “Tijuana vegetarian food festival” evoke images in your mind of, at worst, rows of bean and cheese burrito vendors or, at best, Pokez-style potato flautas, you aren’t alone. In fact, just about everyone I mentioned the event …

Taking the sister act next door to Little Italy's Bencotto

When an eatery is a sister operation to another restaurant, it’s hard not to associate it with its sibling. That’s particularly true in the case of Monello (750 West Fir Street, Suite 102-B, Little Italy), a new-ish spot specializing in …

Working through a very full meal from the new Hillcrest restaurant.

Having enjoyed the happy hour menu enormously, I vowed to return to Heat Bar and Kitchen for a full meal. I liked the look of the dining room even more from the corner banquette seating. Incorporating a nightclub look without …

Sunday's MVCBF will be the last, but The Handlery's not done with beer

It’s the end of an era, albeit a relatively short era. After hosting the Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival for the past four years, the crew at The Handlery Hotel (950 Hotel Circle North, Mission Valley) are pulling …

Chicken tikka masala competes with pizza at 10th and Broadway

The floor tiles at the entrance read “Broadway Linoleum and Carpet Co.” That must have been a long time ago. Because this is something completely different. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/19/42134/ “Maizbaan,” says the brand-new sign. We’re up at 10th and Broadway (1010 Broadway, …

Remembering the weirdest fight over food I've ever had at a most precious Coronado cafe.

My roommate and I once got into an epic fight over coffee cake. I am not kidding. His mom sent him a box of baked goods for Christmas, including what he claimed was “coffee cake” and I insisted — with …

Crazy St. Paddy's day at McP's, but the Irish food's still good, and it's always on the menu

Had to stop at McP’s Irish Pub (1107 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-435-5280), just to check out the party going on, see about some Irish eats. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/18/42059/ McP's is one of Carla’s favorites. Says she just likes to ogle the hot …

Ed eats meatballs, drinks Chianti for $10.15 -tip included

Aah. Flamenco guitar. Guy’s playing it just inside the door of the Gran Tapa. This time I don’t just hang around listening. I go in. Because, hey. It’s five o’clock somewhere and that’s here. Happy hour! Actually the place's full …

Former Roy's La Jolla chef fills clogs at The Shores

Yesterday, I shared the news that gastronome Amy DiBiase is heading back to Paradise Point Resort & Spa, where she cooked between 2006 and 2008. In doing so, she left a vacancy at her last post, The Shores Restaurant (8110 …

Fries so good they make strangers friendly at a Pacific Beach bar.

I’m sure I saw an advertisement for Duck Dive somewhere, in a circular or someplace like that. “Home of the duck fat fries!” it said. There was no question I’d be getting some of those sooner or later. That time …

The Shores chef sets sail for familiar digs at Paradise Point

She’s been out of the spotlight since her 2011 move to The Shores Restaurant at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, yet she remains, in my humble opinion, one of the best chefs in San Diego. Her name is …

Mediterranean restaurant focuses on newer beer garden & eatery in Pacific Beach

California Kebab announced yesterday that they have closed their location next to San Diego State University in order to focus on California Kebab & Beer Garden in Pacific Beach (1450 Mission Blvd. #208). California Kebab opened next to the SDSU …

City Heights Mexican eatery may be best known for barbecued lamb, but don't overlook the early bird specials.

El Borrego has been garnering praise over its lamb barbacoa for years. It’s not famous for breakfast. Nevertheless, as I rolled through City Heights, I saw a sign above the door there that advertised cafe de la olla (cinnamon-laced Mexican-style …

Son of an Afghan immigrant creates fusion pizzas: Taste the old country in his toppings

“How’s your dad?” I’m asking Khaled Waleh. Last year his dad Zia decided to return to his farm in Afghanistan to live. He missed it too much. His family here was worried sick. But he was happy. To him, Afghanistan …

When all else is closing down, you can rely on Haitham

The chairs are going up all down Fifth Avenue. I’m in the bowels of the Gaslamp. It’s late. Like, okay, ten. But that’s the thing. Ten seems to be the magic hour for pubs' kitchens. But I needs food. Now. …

Wine Vault & Bistro Offers a Deal You Shouldn't Refuse at the Foot of Mission Hills

It seems David and I only get to Wine Vault & Bistro when our friends Hannah and Allard invite us, even though they live all the way across town in Kensington, and David and I are close enough to walk …

For a small fee, Alchemy promises booze, photos, music and a lot of food at their birthday party on Thursday.

Since opening in 2009, Alchemy has made sure their food could be described by those delicious buzzwords – sustainable, free-range, local and organic. Never have I personally had such a glorious meat-laden meal at one restaurant, via Alchemy's Suckling Pig …

At the new dessert bar in North Park, the pastry cooks are doing some smart things with sweets.

Where once stood Caffe Carpe Diem (an ill-fated coffee shop that closed several outlets across town at once), now we have Swoon Dessert Bar (3139 University Avenue, 619-528-0875). The space has been extensively, maybe expensively, remodelled and it looks great. …

At Proprietor’s Reserve, Ed finds wine, HH deals and a warning: Don't bring your ex. It's too small for hissy negotiations

No, not talking about me. Carla and I are fine. And when she has an issue, an entire school cafeteria would hear it anyways. Actually, I was heading for that classy French joint, Bleu Bohème, in Kensington on Carla's recommendation. …

The first of three dinners from this new chef series has the head chefs from Jsix, Cusp, and Saltbox cooking together.

Peas are often that vegetable you corral to the side of your plate, walling it in by mashed potatoes so as not to infiltrate your main course. Thursday, March 14, however, peas have been picked to be the seasonal building …

A changing of the brewhouse guard for long-time local brewing bastion

Visiting San Diego Brewing Company (10450 Friars road, Mission Valley) in the late nineties was my first experience tasting beer in the same place it was brewed. I still remember how foreign, and how abundantly cool, that concept seemed to …

The popular, Mission Hills spot has a quieter, more reserved lunch scene.

Partly because everybody’s been charmed by her cheeky, chic-y design and partly because the food is pretty good and she deserves it, Brooklyn Girl (4033 Goldfinch Street) has gotten a reputation as a bit of a scene where diners are …

Over 75 regional restaurants offering sustainable seafood options during week-long event to benefit San Diego Oceans Foundation.

Everyone's gotta eat but finding eco-friendly choices, especially when it comes to seafood, can sometimes prove difficult. Non-profit ocean stewardship organization San Diego Oceans Foundation (SDOF) has helped take the guesswork out of this yummy endeavor by pairing up with …

Vista breakfast spot has longevity and charm to spare.

No restaurant in Vista has been open longer than Allen’s Alley Cafe. In the restaurant world, sixty years is practically an eternity. I mean, Allen’s is no White Horse Tavern, but it’s been around for a lot longer the the …

Belching Beaver Brewery using tasting rooms, bottles to reach consumers

Despite my best efforts to be clear in my communications, the messages in my articles get misconstrued from time to time. Of everything I’ve written concerning local beer, perhaps none of my opinions have been as misunderstood as those concerning …

Greenfix is the pause for your pores at all the farmers' markets

“Filler up.” Matt plonks his growler on the counter. Phil grabs it, goes back to the tap, and starts pouring the thick green stuff in. Joe grabs his $27. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/08/41439/ “It’s $29 if you don’t have your own jar," he …

Fried avocado and olive spread are fun, but salt and pepper are burger essentials

I just have to ask: what’s the deal with burgers these days? In a day and age where the “gourmet” burger is clearly here to stay and any topping one can imagine seems to be making its way onto patties …

Normal Heights gets its very own giant sports bar/nightclub.

Man, I am hitting all the spots right now! I had to poke my head inside the new Heights Tavern on Adams Avenue to see what kind of a place it’s turned out to be. Construction seemed to go on …

Finding molecular gastronomy at a Hillcrest fro-yo parlor.

I remember watching videos of Ferran Adria explaining spherification and how elBulli’s kitchen could make any kind of liquid into a kind of caviar. The reaction between sodium alginate and calcium compounds, naturally occurring in the food or otherwise, would …

Locally sourced, locally sauced! This halibut was trawled 100 yards offshore. Now Chip works his saucy magic

You know those trawlers you see drifting up and down off the coast, from IB to La Jolla? They’re catching halibut. And I’ve got me one of them. Standing here at the PB farmers’ market, at Chip McCarty’s orange truck, …

Hillcrest's new eatery has red light specials and a sprawling menu, but does it work?

I had to be the first to eat at Great Maple because there is no restaurant in San Diego that’s closer to my house. I did a little snooping around when it was under construction in early February, and I …

A disappointing experience at UTC’s posh new burger and beverage den

Typically, I plan out where I’m going to eat and what I’m going to write about in advance, but every now and then, a dining experience is such that it merits a write-up even if it wasn’t premeditated. In the …

While Mad Scientists from The Lab make your coffee, ask about their jar of oatmeal.

Huh. Wandering up Mission Boulevard when I pass by a bunch of laptoppers sitting right next to me at a plank counter that’s open to the sidewalk. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/06/41279/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/06/41281/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/06/41282/ Then the Big Question: “Did you know? The lighter the …

The Grand Del Mar’s hidden gem stepping out of Addison’s shadow

Despite being sequestered far beyond the guarded gates of luxury property, The Grand Del Mar, any local foodie worth their NaCl knows of the fine dining temple widely regarded as the best restaurant in San Diego County. Yes, I’m talking …

This is me admitting to being wrong about a restaurant based solely on not wanting to believe the hype. I stand corrected.

Sometimes, I like to think that I know better than everybody else. Sometimes, I do. Sometimes, as with the OB Noodle House (2218 Cable Street, 619-450-6868), I’m wrong. Everybody--from yelping idiots to Reader critics to my vegan ex-girlfriend who shopped …

Olive Café has all-day breakfasts, and Turkish coffee, so you can read your future…

I’m looking deep into my Turkish coffee cup. The grounds have about three bumps up the left side, and a loose column way up to the lip on the right. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/06/41206/ “Huh,” I’m saying to Jesús and Sarah. “What does …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/05/41168/ Mikko, an “authentic sushi and Japanese cuisine” restaurant, sits just off the 5-freeway, at Carlsbad Village Drive (Elm Avenue to older locals). Many Carlsbad residents and others have been offering their patronage to the establishment quietly occupying a space …

The plaza at Fourth and University is exploding with new restaurants (sorry, Subway!) and the newest one is an alternative burrito place.

When I was eating at that new pizza place in Hillcrest, workers were putting the finishing touches on yet another new restaurant in the plaza at Fourth and University. “Sloppy’s Burritos,” said the sign, with a little avocado pictograffic for …

North County pub puts on six custom-made, high quality craft beers

Over the past two months, I’ve written a lot about San Diego breweries creating beers for local bars and restaurants. Arguably no other establishment has had as many crafted for them—and definitely none in the span of the past year …

Salah learned his art in Baghdad and Damascus. Check it out as you chomp cheap

Salah Jamel learned his art in Baghdad and Damascus. Now he’s bringing it to life in Coronado. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/04/41086/ I come across him inside Pizza and Greek Grill (933 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-435-4059). http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/04/41085/ As I come in, he’s just painting …

Festa Della Donna at Cucina Urbana in Bankers Hill

First, a bit of history. It was in 1945 that the Union of Italian Women declared March 8 as Festa Della Donna (Women's Day), a day to celebrate and honor women. Though inspiration for this decision was inspired by events …

PB’s Table 926 solves elusive equation for producing a complete restaurant

I’ve been writing so much about our vibrant craft beer scene of late that it’s been awhile since I’ve let you in on some of the eating I’ve been doing. While it’s incredibly fun and rewarding to give you the …

Downtown San Diego's new hot spot is long on booze and short on food.

I’d stopped by Bailiwick--a new cocktail bar downtown at 756 5th Avenue--a while ago and had a good experience with the drinks and vibe there. It was chilled out and stylish; and the cocktails menu was sincere without being pretentious. …

Pacific Beach brewery at California Kebab and Beer Garden pairs farm-to-table meal with flight of beer.

Since opening shop in November at California Kebab and Beer Garden (4150 Mission Boulevard #208 - Pacific Beach), Amplified Ale Works managing partners JC Hill and Alex Pierson have been dialing in their beer & bacon brunch and, last week, …

Happy hour deals in the finest bar you’ve never heard of.

I thought I knew downtown. But here I am walking up First Avenue from Broadway, heading past the Bristol Hotel for the trolley when something at the bottom of a sign on the sidewalk stops me. You could miss it …

Uncle Karl celebrates the big two-four with a celebratory sour

As we age, we start to pay more attention to time…or at least the passage of it. Such is the case with San Diego’s oldest operative brewing company, Karl Strauss. Twenty-four years in, they’ve established an artful, interesting way to …

Seeking conciliatory sushi in Liberty Station, I found some true delights at Sushi Mura.

After my trip to AI Sushi, which was more disappointing than thrilling, I followed a tip from a reader (thanks, Reg!) to Sushi Mura (2816 Historic Decatur Road, 619-241-2587) in Liberty Station. It’s new, only being open since some time …