Stories | Restaurant Review
2008: The Year in Food
Published Dec. 30, 2008
Where has all the foie gras gone, long time passing? These are bad times! Don’t it just make you wanna throw your shoes at someone? A year ago, the glitzy openings of Quarter Kitchen at the ...
Restaurant Porn, Italian Style
Published Dec. 23, 2008
Olivetto is no relation to the fabled Oliveto up north in the Rockridge District of Oakland — there’s no Paul Bertolli in the kitchen, creating legendary handmade salumi from scratch. But, with that out of ...
Sushi for All Seasons
Published Dec. 17, 2008
After looking over the interesting, many-page menu at Azuki, and after trying the miso soup and the first “test roll” (uni, of course) to the accompaniment of lilting Brazilian pop, I made a firm decision: ...
French-Kissed Comfort Food Published Dec. 10, 2008
For a few decades — roughly Carter through Clinton — old-fashioned French restaurants seemed increasingly vieux chapeaux, in view of the lighter, cleaner-flavored “new French” ... More Post a comment
Modigliani Mussels, Absinthe Fountain Published Dec. 3, 2008
The current may have swept away the Currant I reviewed glowingly a year ago, but it hasn’t drowned the restaurant’s civilized atmosphere. Last spring, big-shot ... More Post a comment
Nicole Should Be a Mousse Published Nov. 25, 2008
Recession? You’d never know it if you judged by Illume (pronounced ill-LOOM, no accent on the e) and by the light but constant pedestrian traffic ... More Post a comment
Exit the Turkey — Give Thanks Published Nov. 19, 2008
Printing a list of restaurants open for Thanksgiving has become a Reader tradition, and it’s worth noting up front that nearly every restaurant open for ... More Post a comment
The Kindest Comforts Published Nov. 12, 2008
The Curse of Samurai Jim struck again — third time in a row. We were heading for a new Caribbean place in the Gaslamp, but ... More Post a comment
Live Butchers — Live! Published Nov. 5, 2008
Face it, the meats at most local chain supermarkets are roadkill. Plumped with antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides and raised in crowded pens ankle-deep in their ... More Comments (4)
Lucky Jinx Published Oct. 29, 2008
Is Samurai Jim a jinx on bargain-price restaurants? Last time it was a vanished barbecue joint that sent us fleeing to the very minor mercies ... More Comments (2)
Heat Lightning Published Oct. 22, 2008
Enter the Dragon! I am breathing fire after enjoying the spicy cuisine of Szechuan every night for a week. One of my favorite occasional email ... More Post a comment
Short on Green? Go Green Published Oct. 15, 2008
"Why did you choose this restaurant?" asked my friend Mark en route to Tender Greens. A fair question, to be sure, since I'm scarcely one ... More Post a comment
Brought Up by Wolves Published Oct. 8, 2008
"Let's do it," said Naomi. Wow. I never thought she'd agree. I wanted her to show me what's going on with these new, like, artisanal ... More Comment (1)
The Second Childhood of Suzy Creamcheese Published Oct. 1, 2008
Welcome back, Baby Boomers and suburban-raised Gen Xers, to your childhoods. Minus, of course, bedwetting, skinned knees, dorky shoes, schoolyard bullies, mean girls, broken skates, ... More Comment (1)
The Movable Feast Returns Published Sept. 24, 2008
Of all the “charity eat-a-thons” in this town, my favorite by far is the Chef Celebration, a series of extraordinary banquets crafted by some of ... More Post a comment
Recession Bleus Published Sept. 17, 2008
Everybody’s hurting in this economy except the fortunate few vulture capitalists and hedge traders who got the big tax breaks. But it’s a mighty plunge ... More Comment (1)
Earth-Bound Fish Published Sept. 10, 2008
For months before it opened, Mukashi seemed like a presold hit: Everyone who ate at Avenue 5, just across Nutmeg Street, could see the sign ... More Comment (1)
Didn't He Ramble? Published Sept. 3, 2008
Girls just wanna have fun, and aging-boomer foodie girls especially wanna have fun at the table (as other options become scarcer). Tabule offers that kind ... More Post a comment
Coming Up Roses Published Aug. 27, 2008
Roseville (named for its first settler, Louis Rose, not a shrub) is a Point Loma neighborhood also called “the village.” It’s a bit out of ... More Post a comment
Indian Cuisine 101 Published Aug. 20, 2008
Samurai Jim confessed recently he’d never eaten Indian food. Curries, yes — his mother cooks them Japanese style. But he didn’t know a Samosa from ... More Comments (4)
Unchained Links Published Aug. 13, 2008
Stately, plump Bruce Aidells came from the smoker bearing a bowl in which a sausage and a French roll lay crossed. That was some 30 ... More Comments (4)
North (Park) Sea Published Aug. 6, 2008
When the Linkery moved north and Sea Rocket took over its former quarters, I could barely contain myself. Seafood in North Park, less than ten ... More Post a comment
Au-Some Cooking Published July 30, 2008
When I ate at Molly’s during June “Restaurant Week,” the place should have been at least as packed as Ruth’s Chris was the previous night. ... More Post a comment
Track of the Sushi Cat Published July 23, 2008
It’s like that Bible story of Ruth and Naomi: “Whither thou goest, I will go.” Or that girl-group song of the ’60s: “I will follow ... More Post a comment
Git Along, Little Bison Published July 16, 2008
A recent issue of Vogue showcased a shot of Nicole Kidman in period costume, gazing aristocratically into the distance from atop a white dappled horse. ... More Comments (15)
Summer Break on Steak Published July 9, 2008
My pal Samurai Jim is in some ways a paragon of the classic Bachelorus americanus species. He loves good Scotch, good red meat, a brisk ... More Comment (1)
Back to South Beach Published July 2, 2008
The summer I was six, my mom and I (plus two platinum-blond, leather-skinned aunts resembling Marge Simpson’s sisters, and a sweet, bald uncle) spent a ... More Comments (2)
A Great Escape Published June 25, 2008
Red Marlin is the answer. If you can find it. The questions are: Where do you take visitors for dinner when you want to show ... More Comment (1)
Dixie-Fried Published June 18, 2008
Since the last time I reviewed Chateau Orleans for Mardi Gras, 2001, it’s been through at least two changes of ownership. I wasn’t crazy about ... More Comments (6)
Italian Green Published June 11, 2008
The old Naval Training Center at Point Loma is now a perfect new neighborhood, a salmon-colored village with shops, groceries, restaurants, and even an arts ... More Post a comment
Chefs Call Him "Awesome" Published June 4, 2008
Nearly every week, I pour myself a glass of Japanese fizzy-water (Nigori sake), take a deep breath, and call up some rank stranger — the ... More Post a comment
The Farmwife and the Pirate Published May 28, 2008
First it was Fresh, a pricey seafood house owned by Sammy Ladecki (of Roppongi and pizza-chain fame). Then Ladecki sold it in August 2006 to ... More Comment (1)
Odalisques on a Plate Published May 21, 2008
Sometimes change is good. Take Parallel 33. “It’s right in my neighborhood, but I haven’t eaten here in years,” said the Lynnester, buttering her baguette ... More Post a comment
That Breathless Charm Published May 14, 2008
A few days before the grand opening of the splashy new Dish restaurant-nightclub in Hillcrest, I decided to check out one of its forerunners. Dish ... More Post a comment
The Tao of Dough Published May 7, 2008
Over the door is the “dough” — the Chinese ideogram for the Tao (pronounced “doe”), meaning “the way” in general, and in Taoism, the way ... More Post a comment
Wannabe Sexy Exy Published April 30, 2008
The E in Exy is actually the Greek letter sigma (for S), so the restaurant’s name really transliterates to something like “Sexy,” and that’s what ... More Comments (4)
Farm-Fresh French Published April 23, 2008
At Farm House Café, chef-owner Olivier Bioteau claims to serve “rustic French cooking.” That he does — if you remember that France is a country ... More Comments (2)
Carla Plans a Party Published April 16, 2008
“Sweetheart?” coos Carla. “Honey? My heart? Mi corazón?” When Carla slips into Spanish and uses “th” for the z, something’s up. “Uh-huh?” “Call from my ... More Post a comment
Neighborhood of E-ville Published April 9, 2008
Block by block, the redeveloping East Village (which I nicknamed “E-Ville” when it all started) is indeed becoming a high-rise, high-priced condo neighborhood, complete with ... More Comment (1)
The Kiss of the Sea Urchin Published April 2, 2008
Sushi lovers think of sea urchin roe as the Japanese delicacy called uni, a coral-colored, spongy-velvety, sexy-tasting maritime fluff perched atop a puck of seasoned ... More Comment (1)
Chain of Gold Published March 26, 2008
No, to answer everybody’s first question, the flashy new Gaslamp Nobu is no relation to our sweet and humble Solana Beach Nobu, owned by Nobu ... More Post a comment
Delivered Chef Dinners Published March 19, 2008
Sometimes, the second-to-last thing you want to do is dress up, get in the car, and go to a restaurant. The only alternative that’s worse? ... More Comment (1)
The Italian Cooking of Joy Published March 12, 2008
Attention, all New York expats and other lovers of indulgent, exuberant Italian food: That terrific “secret” Mulberry Street restaurant you loved and still miss has ... More Comments (3)
New Venice Published March 5, 2008
Alexander’s is the new North Park spin-off of very old Old Venice in Point Loma, where the latter is popular, if perhaps taken for granted. ... More Comment (1)
Don't Bore -- Explore! Published Feb. 27, 2008
The Better Half is a restaurant after my own heart, and the hearts of all adventurous foodies. Almost everybody I know (including the pickiest, crankiest, ... More Post a comment
The Devil in the Details Published Feb. 20, 2008
Among the many new restaurants opening along the formerly starved 30th Street corridor, the one that’s generated the most buzz is Urban Solace, a giant ... More Comments (2)
Tryst Sweetly, Discreetly Published Feb. 6, 2008
Sally’s has a long-standing reputation as one of San Diego’s most romantic destinations for lovers. It’s an outbuilding behind the Manchester Grand Hyatt at the ... More Post a comment
Gourmet Gluttony Published Jan. 30, 2008
This year, for the first time since 1994, the 33rd annual winter Fancy Food Show came to San Diego, occupying the belly of the Convention ... More Post a comment
Early Bird Gets the Duck Published Jan. 23, 2008
Breathe a sigh of relief: It’s not your grandma’s Chez Loma anymore. The lovely, long-running Coronado bistro has sprung back to vivid life with new ... More Comment (1)
Time Travel Published Jan. 16, 2008
I suspect that all middle-class (and up) native San Diegans have dined at Rainwater’s on Kettner at least once — for a birthday, a graduation, ... More Post a comment
Eating Rite Published Jan. 9, 2008
This is how far we’ve come: An affordable new neighborhood eatery, warm and pretty but unpretentious, serving humanely raised natural Niman meats, precious Jidori chicken, ... More Post a comment
Chow of Thao Published Jan. 2, 2008
If you and your eating buddies feel like tasting your way through several Asian countries and are looking for economy fare, then Chow is designed ... More Comment (1)
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