Top Articles from Wandering Appetite

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Eateries around Balboa Park
Food to pair with beer and/or Shakespeare When eating Vietnamese, don’t just look for ‘foe’
These City Heights spots offer more than the signature noodle soup Pizza, all grown up, at North Park’s Urbn
Eggplant-parm pie is a pleasant surprise It’s lunchtime in Clairemont
Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, Wa Dining Okan and Tea Garden Two options for when a milkshake craving hits
Ice-creamy goodness at Beef ’N Bun Whistle Stop and Crazy Wheel Coffee Supping at Soltan Banoo
Delicious Persian fare with a planet-friendly ethos Carnitas Snack Shack is a festival of pork
One of North Park’s newest stops serves delicious bits of porcine greatness Carnivores are challenged at Manna in Kearny Mesa
L.A.-based, all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ traffics in high-quality meat Amaya's rotisserie pork chop is close to perfect
No mediocre chops at this hotel eatery Dumpling Inn offers stir-fry, noodle soup, orange chicken and BYOB
Convoy Street fixture has great dishes that aren’t its namesake

Monday, May 14,2012
Wandering Appetite

It’s easy to find Rachel Caygill

After leaving Bankers Hill, pastry chef’s work is popping up in new places

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

I became acquainted with Rachel Caygill’s desserts after a three-month stint preparing for a standardized test. Some sixth sense had me ordering pie, with cherries baked soft, but still toothsome and soaked in syrupy sauce.

Monday, April 23,2012
Wandering Appetite

A friendly neighborhood bar—but with coffee

Café Moto’s retail store feels like Cheers, but without booze or the catchy theme song

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

The interior is warm, with a bar where you can sip coffee, chat with the friendly folks preparing your drink and relax.

Monday, March 26,2012
Wandering Appetite

Pizzeria Bruno Napoletano is the upper crust

University Heights joint’s Naples-style pizza not a secret anymore

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

Before it came along, I didn’t appreciate pizza crust. It was merely a carrier for whatever was on top.

Monday, March 12,2012
Wandering Appetite

Luxurious Currant is sexy and indulgent

Downtown brasserie serves up simple French-American food

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

I always start with the daily flavored popcorn. One popular flavor is Gruyere cheese and ham, which combines a very American snack with very French flavors.

Monday, February 27,2012
Wandering Appetite

Zumbar Coffee elevates the humble brew

Owner Steve Rayle and crew bring top-notch coffee to San Diego’s biotech hub

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

When I met Rayle, it wasn’t as a food writer; it was as a coffee geek and longtime customer who finally got to meet the brains behind the operation.

Monday, February 13,2012
Wandering Appetite

Union Kitchen and Tap takes it up a notch

Encinitas eatery grows into its own with great food and beer

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

The place was bustling, the people pretty, and I threaded my way through groups of friends enjoying happy hour and a handful of guys showboating at the bar.

Monday, January 30,2012
Wandering Appetite

Valentine’s Day in San Diego: Think outside the box of chocolates

A sample of sweets from The Salty Sisters, Praline Patisserie, The Elegant Truffle and Eclipse Chocolat

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

Valentine’s Day, no matter what it means, is a day for confections, and I took on the arduous task of sampling goodies from a handful of proprietors.

Monday, January 16,2012
Wandering Appetite

Yakitori Yakyudori’s laid-back lunch

Kearny Mesa eatery combines famed ramen with extras for a good deal

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

Yakyudori’s lunch menu is one of its strengths, combining a bowl of ramen with something extra each day.

Monday, January 2,2012
Wandering Appetite

Carnitas Snack Shack is a festival of pork

One of North Park’s newest stops serves delicious bits of porcine greatness

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

I received one of those letters a while ago—the one from my doctor that very politely told me to get off my ass and eat healthier because my cholesterol level needed improvement. Since this is my

Monday, December 19,2011
Wandering Appetite

Amaya's rotisserie pork chop is close to perfect

No mediocre chops at this hotel eatery

By Marie Tran-McCaslin

While I have yet to encounter a bad dish at Amaya, all of the great dishes I’ve had are outdone by the center-cut rotisserie pork chop.