Whirlpool
Jun 18, 2013
In the mood for noir? Otto Preminger’s devious slice of moral deceit promises lots of bad decisions all around.
34 other events on Tuesday, June 18
By Ian Cheesman
When most people hear others state emphatically, "I don't like beer," it's rightfully understood as a signal that an alternative should be considered.
By Ian Cheesman
When most people hear others state emphatically, "I don't like beer," it's rightfully understood as a signal that an alternative should be considered.
By Ian Cheesman
The vigilant folks at the San Diego Natural History Museum invited 300 likeminded heroes to an evening of Bugs & Beer, part of its newly launched "Nights at the Nat" series.
By Ian Cheesman
I am not typically a superstitious man. I don't fear black cats or walking under ladders. I don't believe voodoo dolls are a means to bewitch others (though I have seen enough of the Child's Play flicks to know it's never a bad idea to stab dolls as a preventative measure).
.widea.jpg)
By Ian Cheesman
The beer reviews you are about to read are true. The names of the beers have not been changed to protect the innocent.
By Ian Cheesman
Walking into Societe Brewing's tasting room at noon is akin to arriving a bit too early for a party. All the heady anticipation you felt on the drive over slowly dissolves into the awkwardness of appearing overly eager for festivities to begin.
By Ian Cheesman
By all accounts, Cucina Urbana (505 Laurel St. in Bankers Hill) is not a place I'd ordinarily select when time comes to enjoy a beer.
By Ian Cheesman
The moniker “Iron Fist” has an undeniable severity to it. To me, it conjures images of a downtrodden populace weary from totalitarian rule. It also makes me think of Robocop, which is totally awesome, but really no less daunting.
By Ian Cheesman
New Year’s resolutions may be a bit of a cliché, but I contend that they’re still important. They can be remarkable tools for self-improvement.
By Ian Cheesman
There’s been much made of the Mayan calendar declaring Dec. 21, 2012, to be the end of the world. It’s utter nonsense. Mesoamerican lore clearly details in the Popol Vuh that the 14th b’ak’tun marks the incarnation of the fifth world and not some cataclysmic scenario.
By Ian Cheesman
Trying to keep up with all the newest breweries in San Diego County sometimes feels like performing a census on Tribbles aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.
By Jen Van Tieghem
If you're looking for a high-energy, trendy wine bar, San Pasqual Winery's Tasting Room may not be your best bet. The small business in La Mesa's Downtown Village (8364 La Mesa Blvd.) takes on the
By Jen Van Tieghem
If you're looking for a high-energy, trendy wine bar, San Pasqual Winery's Tasting Room may not be your best bet. The small business in La Mesa's Downtown Village (8364 La Mesa Blvd.) takes on the
By Jen Van Tieghem
As summer has come knocking hard, I thought it time to find a wine to welcome this aggressive guest. In my constant quest for white wines that are both refreshing and full of flavor, I decided to compare a couple of my favorite varietal: Sauvignon Blanc.
By Jen Van Tieghem
Beyond beach babes and beer bros, Pacific Beach suits limited walks of life. Since sunshine disagrees with my pale skin and I'm allergic to reggae, I don't head there often. However, after a friend's mention of Turquoise Cellars, I made an exception.
By Jen Van Tieghem
It’s obvious to anyone who knows me why I bought this bottle of wine—a pretty pink label with hearts on it.
By Jen Van Tieghem
Simply named Confectioner's Chocolate, the under-$10 price tag was immediately appealing, the label's boast of dark-chocolate flavor promising.
By Jen Van Tieghem
Proprietor's Reserve Wine Bar (4711 34th St.) found a quaint home on the edge of Normal Heights tucked off Adams Avenue. The small space is well-stocked and offers seating for a couple dozen patrons.
By Jen Van Tieghem
I spent the first couple of my wine-drinking years believing that I hated white wine. Drinking the rich, buttery Chardonnay my mom enjoyed was as appealing to me as a root canal.
By Anders Wright
It happens now and again. I have a movie to see and time to kill beforehand. In one recent case, I was an hour early for a press screening of Stoker, the first English-language film from Korean auteur Park Chan-wook, at Hillcrest Cinemas.
By Anders Wright
When I was a kid, one of my annual aspirations was to stay up all the way to midnight on New Year’s Eve. It was a pretty big deal for me, a sort of harbinger of adulthood, and I was lucky enough to be around adults who would usually let me do so.
.widea.jpg)
By Anders Wright
It took a moment, once my editor had jokingly spit-balled the idea of writing a Jew’s take on wines to drink at Christmas, to realize that he was, in fact, talking about me.
By Kelly Davis
It would be generous to say that grappa's an acquired taste. A byproduct of wine (made from the stems, seeds and skins of grapes), it's got a smell best described as "highly flammable."
By Kelly Davis
It would be generous to say that grappa's an acquired taste. A byproduct of wine (made from the stems, seeds and skins of grapes), it's got a smell best described as "highly flammable."
By Kelly Davis
There's more to summer cocktails than a paper umbrella, fruit spear and rum. Not that there's anything wrong with those things, especially when the fruit spear's soaked in rum.
By Kelly Davis
Saltbox bar manager Ali Terrill hit on a gem of an idea with Wells Done Well, a newish cocktail program at the Hotel Palomar bar (1047 Fifth Ave., Downtown). It's a small menu of classics—Manhattan, Paloma, French 75 among them—made with well liquors and quality touches like fresh-pressed juices.
By Kelly Davis
Polite Provisions is the newest venture by Arsalun Tafazoli (Neighborhood, Noble Experiment, Craft & Commerce, Underbelly); its theme—old-school soda fountain—stops short of being kitschy.
By Kelly Davis
“You haven’t had the Arch Nemesis,” Brian Divine says. I’m at The Propagandist, the bar whose spicy Mango en Fuego cocktail I fell in love with almost a year ago. Divine flips off a bottle cap and pours me a glass. Yep—bottle cap.
By Kelly Davis
With this issue of CityBeat having a retro focus, I was at a loss as to what to write about. No, really. Retro cocktails are pretty much all I’ve been writing about in this space.
By Kelly Davis
Ever since I took over this column in April, I’ve wondered: Is there really such a thing as a new cocktail—an idea no one’s tried before?
By Kelly Davis
Jennifer Queen’s stoked about her vermouth. And she should be.
By Kelly Davis
I’m writing this the morning after election night, just a bit hung over from celebrating, but not too much so to think about celebrating some more.
By Kelly Davis
Leroy’s Kitchen & Lounge in Coronado was still a shell when Emily Tracy started dreaming up its cocktail menu last June. The makeshift bar area, where she’d offer the staff tastes of her creations, was a card table and egg crates full of liquor.
By Amy T. Granite
There isn’t anywhere to sit at Stardust Donut Shop in Imperial Beach. From inside, 69-year-old Cliff Arnold waits on customers as they walk up to the little stand’s window and choose what they want from the modest selection of cult favorites like cinnamon rolls topped with peanuts.
By Amy T. Granite
There isn’t anywhere to sit at Stardust Donut Shop in Imperial Beach. From inside, 69-year-old Cliff Arnold waits on customers as they walk up to the little stand’s window and choose what they want from the modest selection of cult favorites like cinnamon rolls topped with peanuts.
By Kelly Davis
In the last decade, CityBeat’s food writers have hit up fancy spots, holes-in-the-wall, authentic ethnic eateries and even strip clubs (see below) in the hopes of turning readers on to the best places to eat or (we hope) offering constructive criticism to restaurants that miss the mark.
By Jenny Montgomery
Build your own burger or choose from one of the creations they’ve already dreamed up for you.
By Jenny Montgomery
There’s something timeless and humble about a fish sandwich, and with the recent uptick in fast-and-fresh fish houses in San Diego, there’s no shortage of variations to try.
By Jenny Montgomery
I was pleased to discover the cavernous confines of Via Moto in Santee. The sprawl of Mission Gorge Road may not be the hippest of locales, but if you’re looking for something tasty that starts with the letter “p,” be it pizza, panini or pasta, this is the place in East County.
By Jenny Montgomery
In terms of layout and dining style, imagine the fanciest Chipotle you’ve ever been to—with far tastier eats.
By Amy T. Granite
Less than a mile away and triple Yakitori’s size, Hinotez exudes more of a restaurant vibe than that of a boisterous izakaya (Japanese for “pub”).
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Over the years, I’ve found that San Diego’s dim sum options aren’t plentiful, but there are some lesser-known gems.
By Amy T. Granite
The narrow, humble space is warm with colorful art and lively patrons equally engaged in food, drink and conversation.
By Amy T. Granite
It’s best to leave your craft-cocktailing, farm-to-tabling, dining predispositions at the door and enjoy the no-frills meat-and-booze den for what it is
By Amy T. Granite
A visit to Harry’s Coffee Shop reminded me of many of the reasons why I love the blue-col-lar food beat. The family-owned, classic diner has been around since 1960, with Harry’s sons continuing to operate it much the same way, I’d imagine, that their father did during his lifetime.
By Amy T. Granite
A visit to Harry’s Coffee Shop reminded me of many of the reasons why I love the blue-col-lar food beat. The family-owned, classic diner has been around since 1960, with Harry’s sons continuing to operate it much the same way, I’d imagine, that their father did during his lifetime.
By Amy T. Granite
In lieu of new beginnings, here are seven drinking ’n’ dining trends to recycle along with 2012’s Christmas tree
.widea.jpg)
By Amy T. Granite
Expect a tad more convenience from Oscar’s Mexican Seafood than you would from a mariscos truck: There’s a small patio out front with stools lining a counter and enough room inside by the cashier to seat a few more
By Amy T. Granite
More often than not, dishes with meat at Thai joints sound better on the menu than they actually are. One time, I wanted to impress a friend with what I thought at the time was the best hole-in-the-wall Thai food in town.
By Amy T. Granite
Chinese restaurants are fine places to eat, but sweet and sour pork pairs so much better with the couch. Chicken chow mein just tastes better when my feet are up and the bathrobe is on.
.widea.jpg)
By Amy T. Granite
I stopped reading the menu at “Pork Roll.” For some reason, it made me laugh. Not knowing what to expect, I ordered one, because, really—how bad could a sandwich be with a name like “Pork Roll”?
.widea.jpg)
By Amy T. Granite
A box holding the remains of a dozen donuts sits on a counter nearby. My stomach is angry—the usual morning-after effect—and yet, I haven’t brought myself to toss the tasty culprits into the trash.
By Amy T. Granite
At a party a couple of Friday nights ago, one of my Ocean Beach buddies started quizzing me on the food and drink joints I’ve been to in his neighborhood.
By Amy T. Granite
As I searched for an eatery to write about this week, I was shocked to discover that one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego has yet to be covered by traditional media in more than just a two-line mention.
By Amy T. Granite
Fact: Convoy Street is the most delicious stretch in San Diego. If you disagree, it’s time to put down the new-American Kool-Aid and venture away from North Park.
By Brook Larios
I’ve been dishing nibbles of food news to you for a year now and, like most things in life, from restaurants to relationships, this column has run its course for me and, thus, will not flex its muscles in the new version of CityBeat that will be unveiled next week.
By Brook Larios
I’ve been dishing nibbles of food news to you for a year now and, like most things in life, from restaurants to relationships, this column has run its course for me and, thus, will not flex its muscles in the new version of CityBeat that will be unveiled next week.
By Brook Larios
This week's items include tidbits about Jsix, Dallman's, The Red Door, Crush, the Coronado Grub Sprawl and California Avocado Grill
By Brook Larios
You know 50 Cent? He has nothing to do with Slater’s 50/50, a burger place with locations in Huntington Beach, Anaheim and, this fall or winter, replacing Point Loma Sports Grill & Pub (2750 Dewey Road, Liberty Station).
By Brook Larios
New places to eat, a place to sleep and eat, The Cooking Channel and cigar food
By Brook Larios
Three new restos, one forthcoming and The Food Network's in town
By Brook Larios
Two chef departures, a new farmers market, a new restaurant and where to grub at next week’s Pride fest
By Brook Larios
Chocolate, new restaurant openings and the closure of a local farm
By Brook Larios
Industry and late-night happy hours, Beer & Sake Festival, an award-winning cookbook and Eden’s new executive chef
By Brook Larios
Keeping up with Peter Zakarian is akin to keeping up with a certain Armenian celebrity and her family.
By Brook Larios
AGRI*PLANET at Alchemy, Cavaillon’s new chef/owner, Eclipse Chocolat’s new brunch menu, a festival for the women’s museum and a food-truck anniversary
By Jenny Montgomery
As long as Leucadia keeps nurturing little patches of quirkiness like Haggo's Organic Tacos (1114 N. Coast Hwy. 101), I think my sidewalk-eschewing, new-agey former hometown will remain firmly connected to its funky roots.
By Jenny Montgomery
As long as Leucadia keeps nurturing little patches of quirkiness like Haggo's Organic Tacos (1114 N. Coast Hwy. 101), I think my sidewalk-eschewing, new-agey former hometown will remain firmly connected to its funky roots.
By Jenny Montgomery
If you've ever wanted to walk straight into a Restoration Hardware catalog, Real Food & Spirits is the place for you.
By Jenny Montgomery
The Flying Pig (626 S. Tremont St.) just notched its two-year anniversary—and it's definitely hit its stride.
By Jenny Montgomery
Box'd has taken over the corner of State Street and Carlsbad Village Drive (430 Carlsbad Village Drive). It's not so much a restaurant as a shipping container and a large patch of soft, artificial turf.
By Jenny Montgomery
Iris occupies a busy little twist of residential road at the southern end of Del Mar (2334 Carmel Valley Road); if it didn't sit just west of Interstate 5, we'd call it Carmel Valley.
By Jenny Montgomery
Some days, the quest to find a cool place to eat (and a fun place to write about) involves getting in my car and driving directly to the next place on my “gotta try” list.
By Jenny Montgomery
I had such high hopes for Chandler's Restaurant and Lounge. There it sits, facing the bright, blue ocean, separated from the sand by a particularly fast section of Highway 101.
By Jenny Montgomery
Sometimes, I get an email telling me that "this café serves everybody—not JUST Sabre Springs Swingers!" Nutmeg Bakery & Café in Poway? You had me at swingers.
By Jenny Montgomery
If you’re looking for a more relaxed atmosphere with no diminishment in quality of food, grab a casual lunch or dinner at Panca Peruvian Rotisserie in Oceanside.
By Jenny Montgomery
You don’t need me to tell you that Fallbrook, way up in the northern reaches of the county, isn’t exactly where the foodies flock.
By Mina Riazi
Sometime after the crumb-strewn appetizer plates were whisked away and before the main dishes arrived, I realized that my friends and I had ordered too much food at Lotus Thai.
By Mina Riazi
Sometime after the crumb-strewn appetizer plates were whisked away and before the main dishes arrived, I realized that my friends and I had ordered too much food at Lotus Thai.
By Mina Riazi
Other than its calzone, Zia's menu doesn't offer much more than pizza. There are salads, yes, but who wants leafy greens when there's cheesy bread on the brain?
By Mina Riazi
Kafe Sobaka's humor-spiked menu brings together Russian, Georgian and California cuisines.
By Mina Riazi
The best way to handle summer heat is with an ice-cream sandwich in each hand. Here are three of my favorite places to get them:
By Mina Riazi
Despite being barely 18 months old, Miramar's Grill House Cafe is no drooling baby. The Iranian eatery has grown past the shaky crawling stage undergone by many newbies and settled into an easy stride.
By Mina Riazi
There are few foods more delectable than sambusas. Perhaps it’s because the pudgy, pyramid-shaped pastries elicit the kind of anticipation and excitement you feel when opening a present
By Mina Riazi
Isabel's Cantina sits on a wide residential street in P.B. The squat building would be easy to miss if it weren't for the scaly, decorative dragon frozen mid-dive above the doorway.
By Mina Riazi
The restaurant's menu is a multi-paged affair split into sections like "Carne Rossi" and "Pesce." Some may find its heft overwhelming, especially if starting with an empty belly.
By Martin Jones Westlin
Horton Plaza’s Hot Dog Station, operating from a cute little ground-level send-up of a train engine, is still the city’s monument to that most legendary summertime delicacy and the condiments that define it.
By Martin Jones Westlin
Horton Plaza’s Hot Dog Station, operating from a cute little ground-level send-up of a train engine, is still the city’s monument to that most legendary summertime delicacy and the condiments that define it.
By Martin Jones Westlin
Try some of the greatest bar food in the Major Leagues.
By Martin Jones Westlin
You might recognize the name Dionysus in connection with live theater. Some people think this Greek mythological figure is the god of the performing arts, when, actually, he just used to see a lot of shows. He’s more the central spirit of fertility and drunken revelry.
By Martin Jones Westlin
Peanut butter and jelly cupcakes? Chocolate chips and cream cheese? Custard and whipped cream?
By Martin Jones Westlin
Sonic has about 3,500 eateries in 43 states, including one in Santee—and if this locale doesn’t dredge up the best memories of days gone by, then no such locale exists.
By Martin Jones Westlin
Even as you know you’re doing your waistline no favors, you cannot stop eating this monster amid its succulence and tremendous size.
By Martin Jones Westlin
This month marked my 6 millionth visit to Carlsbad, the frequency owing to my play-going duties and the fact that I used to stop over after visiting family in neighboring Oceanside.
By Martin Jones Westlin
I’ve always thought it would be pretty cool—and innovative—for some entrepreneurial types to throw their weight behind an eatery that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches.
By Michael A. Gardiner
Somewhere, somehow, someone forgot to invite the Koreans to America's cavalcade of Asian-food fads and trends—until recently, that is.
By Michael A. Gardiner
Somewhere, somehow, someone forgot to invite the Koreans to America's cavalcade of Asian-food fads and trends—until recently, that is.
By Michael A. Gardiner
where El Borrego really shines is the non-barbacoa dishes, particularly those native to the Hidalgo region of Central Mexico, north of Mexico City.
By Michael A. Gardiner
Hillcrest's Tiki Taka Grill (646 University Ave.) offers Israeli, as opposed to Ashkenazi Jewish, food.
By Michael A. Gardiner
In theory, Japanese-Italian fusion ought to have worked. Both cuisines prominently feature noodles (pasta for Italy and udon and soba for Japan). Both have raw-fish traditions (crudo for Italy and sushi/sashimi for Japan).
By Michael A. Gardiner
Phở Hòa is the Truth. It does phở and only phở. If you want spring rolls, you're out of luck. If you want bánh mì or bún, you'd best look elsewhere.
By Michael A. Gardiner
One of the enduring traditions of American Jewry is “Chinese food for Christmas.” More specifically, Chinese food—and a movie.
By Michael A. Gardiner
It would be easy to similarly mistake the apparent austerity of Sushi Dokoro Shirahama and its enigmatic chef, Koji Kotani, for some form of diffident severity, of arrogance.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Welcome to Terra: an unpretentious place that serves food so good that most will find something they love.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Welcome to Terra: an unpretentious place that serves food so good that most will find something they love.
By Kristin Díaz de Sandi
Twenty-three years ago, a street-food cart with the name "Burros El Tocayo" painted on the side began serving up massive carne asada burritos to locals in Tijuana.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
I spoke of my envy of current collegiate food options when I wrote a few months ago about the Secret Cookie Service. Apparently, there's more to envy with J&T Thai Street Food (5259 Linda Vista Road) right outside the University of San Diego campus.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Sab-E-Lee was a food-lovers' darling when it made the rounds through blogs and Internet forums. Like all popular restaurants, it grew and expanded.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Ah, the doughnut (or donut, if you will). So humble, but so many possible permutations. Every few years, it seems the doughnut undergoes another renaissance.
.widea.jpg)
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
I’m one of those people who can’t decide what they want for dinner. Soda & Swine (2943 Adams Ave. in North Park) is very kind to the indecisive, with small dishes and a flexible menu that facilitates mixing and matching.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Two bars, a bustling crowd and libations galore usually mean that I'm meeting friends and drinking away life's worries. The food's just there to soak up the alcohol, meaning I don't give much thought to it.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Generally, inviting yourself to dinner is considered rude. Somehow, Twitter makes such a thing seem OK.
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Valentine's Day is upon us. Whatever your feelings are about Feb. 14, it's usually a good time to chat about chocolate.
.widea.jpg)
By Marie Tran-McCaslin
Good friends of mine are ardent plane geeks. When Japan Airlines began service from San Diego to Tokyo, it was not only an opportunity for them to see Japan, but also a chance to fly on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
