It should be no surprise that when a French Master Chef who has cooked and created some of the best meals in the world gets married, the wedding is a casual affair, in his backyard, on his day off, with an emphasis on love, laughter, friends and food, in no particular order. Here’s to the…
Grand Ole BBQ, Flinn Springs
You can ignore the sign at the street for now. It’s about the only thing Grand Ole BBQ, Flinn Springs hasn’t breathed fresh life into at their new location while waiting for the ever so sense-of-urgency challenged minions of bureaucracy to give their royal assent to open. Meanwhile, on some recent weekends, those in…
‘Til later, Kat Humphus, Waterbill Dinner 9/8/18, Cyclops Farms
On an unseasonably cloudy, post Labor Day evening in San Diego’s North County, the latest in the series of Waterbill dinners was an all-star chef studded event attended by about 30 more guests than were actually on “the list.” Chef Kat Humphus, beloved by any who’ve ever received one of her warm embraces or a…
Sabor de Baja 2018
If white is the absence of all color, it is also the singular indicator of light. As a Summer swan song, Sabor de Baja, bedecked in light, and white, checks all the right food and wine boxes on a late summer night. Originally conceived as a late summer party in the beachside ville of Rosarito, Mexico…
Lola 55, Tacos & Cocktails in San Diego’s East Village
Calling Lola 55 a taco shop is akin to calling a hurricane an autumn shower. You may be technically correct and even able to fool yourself for a hot minute until the full force and fury of the spices, acids and myriad textures you’ll encounter here permanently change your reality…from the inside out. Now feeding…
The Latin Table, by Chef Isabel Cruz
There’s an elegance and thoughtfulness about Chef Isabel Cruz that flows seamlessly into her food. In her latest cookbook, you’ll experience what she experienced, cooking at home, enjoying food with family, the simplest pleasures. You’ll get the sense that the restaurant business was simply a way to have more people eat at her table… The…
Lego Optimo – Cannabis Paired, et al
When my friend, Carolyn Kates, filled me in on her new venture with co-creator, Josh Timmerman, cannabis pairing dinners by Lego Optimo, I was mildly intrigued. Having been partially raised, in tandem, by a guru chasing, foot kissing, sandal wearing, macrame practicing, seer-of-the-light, tie-dyed 70’s hippie of an older sister and a Mom who was…
Firehouse Boards – Three Ain’t Enough
The auction had been going about 10 minutes. At stake was a custom engraved mahogany cutting board and 9″ Miyabi birchwood sujihiki knife donated to Collaboration Kitchen by FireHouse Boards. On the one hand, it was exciting to see the bids reaching into the high hundreds of dollars, all of which would be donated to the…
Tribute Pizza – In Its Own Zip Code
My two trips, thus far, to Tribute Pizza in North Park are bracketed by two distinct points in time that, taken in the context of the visits, document a journey, perhaps a revelation, verging on a conversion. The first moment, speaking of journeys, was about 46 minutes into what turned into a traffic laden hour…
Patrick Ponsaty Commands 1500 Ocean
A few hours after French Master Chef Patrick Ponsaty first stepped into the 1500 Ocean kitchen at Hotel Del Coronado on a late August Saturday afternoon, he sent me a text saying, “Lots to do. Still working on new concept. I will let u know.” That was in response to my badgering, errrm, asking him…