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Barrio Logan’s new star: Cocina Doña Tina
Can the new Mercado's restaurant compete with Cuatro Milpas?
They say it has been 21 years coming. But the Mercado apartments are open, its supermarket is open, and now its first restaurant is open. Cocina Doña Tina sits on the corner where the food section of the Northgate Gonzalez …
Overseas Suds, Part 1: Japan
Brews Up and Ogawashi team up for Japanese craft beer tasting
Thanks to the prevalence of craft beer in San Diego, our citizens are becoming very familiar with brews from the world’s most suds savvy regions—Belgium, England, Germany, the United States. Even the burgeoning beer scene in Mexico is finally leaking …
Italian Street Food at Monello in Little Italy
A Menu Inspired by Milan
Following in the footsteps of their Little Italy predecessors, when Bencotto Italian Kitchen owners (Chef Fabrizio Cavallini, Valentina DiPietro, and Guido Nistri) were looking to open a new Italian restaurant, they did so right next door to their successful existing …
Win cash at Old Mill Cafe
North Park restaurant has a novel idea for generating customer loyalty.
Old Mill Cafe is trying to buy my loyalty. And yours, too. All of our loyalties. With cold, hard cash. Yup, that’s right, this family-style restaurant in North Park is, as far as I know, the only restaurant with “Win …
Off Days are On Days: Sunday Brunch and Tapas Tuesdays at Starlite in Middletown
I never saw an episode of Cheers -- the show was before my time -- but I get the gist, as I've heard the theme song. It's a place where you can feel at home, where "everybody knows your name, …
Buck-a-shuck for oysters at Spike Africa’s, downtown
New fish joint brings its own legend to Horton Plaza
At last: hope for the corner of 4th and Broadway. I was there Friday night around six, and the corner with the dark brick building looked different… You could see people eating. Through the window, at tables, a big island …
25 Forty on Thursdays
The weekly special at this Old Town bistro is a hit.
I went to 25 Forty Bistro and Bakehouse (2540 Congress Street) for “Trattoria Thursday” last night and I was served one of the biggest meals I’ve had in a while. Eight courses, without dessert, came out of the kitchen. Service …
El Vitral: “Window” joint open? Closed?
The place with 220 tequilas and awesome happy hour deals has a sign on the door...
Down at the ballpark. Worrying. The Proper Pub, 20 yards away, closed down for lack of interest, like no foot traffic on non-Padre days (and that’s maybe 200 days in a year), after what must have been a hugely expensive …
Green Flash embarks on Hop Odyssey
Mira Mesa brewery to release six hop-forward beers in 2013
Since moving into their 45,000 square foot digs in Mira Mesa in 2011, the folks at Green Flash Brewing Company have done a great deal to fill the place out, not only with brewing equipment, fermentation tanks, barrels, and a …
PubCakes mixing things up
Craft beer-infused dessert biz going in a new direction
I met Navy linguist-turned-pro baker Misty Birchall at a San Diego Brewers Guild meeting in 2010. Despite being a local craft beer journalist, it seemed more people at the meeting were familiar with her than me. Of course, I didn’t …
Bermuda Triangle! Revealed in Old Town Market Cafe...
"People get in the warp area, and weird things happen."
A turista comes up, confused. “Excuse me. Is this Old Town?” My buddy Jason nods. “Yes sir. This is Old Town.” “Welcome to Old Town’s Bermuda Triangle,” he says, when the tourist shuffles off. Jason runs the coffee cart on …
Phileas Foggs speaks proper English
Making a long-delayed return to Poway craft beer bar and resto
Last week, I shared news on a special barleywine being brewed by Karl Strauss Brewing Company to celebrate the five year-anniversary of Poway bar and restaurant Phileas Foggs (11385 Poway Road, Suite 100, Poway). In doing so, I found myself …
Dark Horse Coffee is open!
Normal Heights now has its very own super-small-batch coffee roaster
I’ve watched, hawk-like and keen-eyed, as Dark Horse Coffee postponed opening over and over and over again. Normal Height’s new roastery was supposed to open in October of last year, but delays in construction and inspection (part and parcel of …
Stone Age in Middletown? Not So Fast food at 57 Degrees
This is not your great great great great great great grandpappy’s food. (But it’s maybe as near as we can get…)
I see the shadow of disappointment cross June’s face. Guess it's because I said "bread” when she asked if I want lettuce or bread around my Paleo burger. Paleo…whu? To be honest: I don't know much about Paleo anything. Except …
Kamikaze 7 crashing into Gaslamp
Restaurateur/TV personality opening nightlife-driven downtown sushi spot
Kevin Roberts. That name rang a bell when someone brought it up late last week. Then it hit me, a memory flash transporting me back to 2008 when a local restaurateur of the same name appeared on Food Network’s reality …
Boar burger fail
Burger Lounge's new burger (and its free burger offer) are non-delicious in Hillcrest.
I’ve been seeing everyone and his cousin lined up at Burger Lounge in Hillcrest as of late. This is probably because Burger Lounge mailed the entire city of San Diego a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. Under normal circumstances, I’m averse to the …
Point Loma's coffee roaster
Red's has great decor, under-performing espresso machines.
Based on looks alone, I liked Red’s Espresso Eatery (1017 Rosecrans Street) immediately. The place had an unexpected amount of character. The outside was unassuming, a “we’re open” sign the only indicator that anything’s going on inside. The narrow halls …
The Counter: East Village's littlest burger?
The Counter has a deal of a meal…uh, might bring your microscope
This is so typical. I’d been watching this corner – 6th and G – for months, waiting for these guys to open. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/21/38750/ Then when it happened, I blinked, got distracted. It’s only t’other day, when I’m wandering, lonely as …
McDesi at Kasi
New Indian spot in Hillcrest serves curry fast food style
Naked Pizza tried to simplify ‘za with iPhone apps and pictographic menus. While the PB franchise is still in operation, the Hillcrest branch didn’t last very long in the tough-to-fill spot on Fifth Avenue. Now, Kasi is trying the same …