We’re taping this week’s episode at Bayside Kitchen + Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn in Little Italy, which offers SoCal inspired comfort foods, craft cocktails, and a vibrant mid-century setting. This week’s incredibly talented special guest is Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins. She was in the running for a James Beard Award earlier this year, and was nominated as a semi-finalist for Best Chef in the West. You may notice there are two parts to this week’s episode. When we first recorded with Claudette, she was still acting as executive chef at El Jardín, which has since closed. The first part of the episode is untouched from when we spoke in late July, but we sat down with her again for an update just this week, as she will not be returning as executive chef when it re-opens. She chose Punjabi Tandoor in Mira Mesa for her Two People, $50, and the hosts opted for Starlite, Carruth Cellars, and Masala Street. Next up is Hot Plates, where the Busalacchi family is celebrating the 35th anniversary of their very first restaurant—Casanova's Pizza! To honor the milestone, the Busalacchi’s two Little Italy restaurants, Barbusa and Nonna + Cafe Zucchero, are offering a throwback menu throughout August. In other Italian news, Buona Forchetta is opening a small pizza restaurant on University Avenue in North Park this month. It's called Gelati & Peccati, and it will serve Roman style pizza. Don’t forget that next weekend is the Latin Food Fest at the Embarcadero Marina Park North. And lastly, there's a new executive chef, Timothy Ralphs, at THE MED at La Valencia. Our Hot Topic this week is about the recently published list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, and more specifically, the highest-rated U.S. restaurant on the list: Cosme in New York City. It came in at number 23 this year, but that's not what's most notable about it. The chef of the restaurant, Daniela Soto-Innes, was named Best Female Chef at 28 years old, the youngest to earn the controversial title. Skeptics see a problem considering there's no Best Male Chef title, insinuating that women chefs are not comparable to men. The Best of San Diego Party is next Friday! Taste samples from more than 80 restaurants at the most delicious evening of the year. It’s on August 16 at Liberty Station. This event sells out every year, so don't wait to get your tickets. Insiders get a special discount on tickets and front of the line entry. Thanks for listening, and we’d love to hear from you! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message. Or if you’re too shy to call, you can email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

We’re back with Happy Half Hour! Once again, we’re taping from Eppig Brewing’s Waterfront Biergarten in Point Loma and seriously, guys, if you haven’t checked it out yet, the views (and brews) are worth the trip. This week is a special one, for we have the one and only Peter Halmay, also known as the “Urchin King” of San Diego, as our guest. Peter is a local fisherman who has been diving for uni for over 30 years, and he is the president of the San Diego Fishermen's Working Group, a coalition of local fishermen that he started. Peter updated us on the $3 billion dollar waterfront redevelopment at the Port of San Diego and shared his ideas on how he believes the commercial fishing industry can thrive in the future. We loved his choice for Two People, $50—Five Guys at Liberty Station. The staff’s picks this week included Cowboy Star (although the $50 limit was a little questionable), The Red Door, and Tiger! Tiger! That brings us to Hot Plates, where we welcomed Original 40 Brewing Company to North Park. Check it out—Troy got the first look at the aesthetically-pleasing brewpub. If you haven’t heard, the landmark restaurant Old Trieste shut its doors after more than 50 years of serving fancy Italian fare in Bay Park. The Tomicich family was ready to retire. But, when one door closes, another one opens—Babycakes has returned to Hillcrest with a pop-up shop. Last but not least, for those in East County, there's a new farmers’ market in town! You can now get fresh produce every Wednesday at Grossmont Center from 2 to 6 p.m. For our Hot Topic, we're talking about a protein that according to the Washington Post, is going to go mainstream year: collagen. Collagen-infused drinks and powders claim to add a youthful, smoother look to skin, but evidence of whether the products actually work is limited. The Best of San Diego Party is coming up quick! Taste samples from more than 80 restaurants at the most delicious evening of the year. It’s on August 16 at Liberty Station. This event sells out every year, so don't wait to get your tickets. Insiders get a special discount on tickets and front of the line entry. Thanks for listening, and we’d love to hear from you! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message. Or if you’re too shy to call, you can email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

We have another special episode for you, which we taped at Eppig Brewing’s Waterfront Biergarten in Point Loma (if you haven’t been here yet, you have to check it out!) We’re celebrating the huge collaboration we did with three local craft breweries to make three special-edition beers to coincide with our Best Of San Diego issue. From Eppig Brewing, there’s the Best of San Diego hoppy pilsner; Fall Brewing Company crafted a Best of San Diego kettle sour, and Coronado Brewing Co. created a Best of San Diego IPA. You can sample our collaborative beers at each brewery, and at our Best of San Diego party on August 16. This week's special guests are Clayton LeBlanc, co-founder and one of the head brewers at Eppig Brewing, and Erin Meanley Glenny, Editor-in-Chief of San Diego Magazine. They gave us a behind-the-scenes look into how the special beer collaboration came to life, how long it took and how timing was everything (since freshness is crucial for beer). Clayton’s pick for Two People, $50 was Tobeys 19th Hole Restaurant in Balboa Park. Erin recommends the happy hour at Nine-Ten in La Jolla (they have $5 wines!), Troy liked Eve in Encinitas, and Lauren went to The Rose wine bar in South Park. In Hot Plates, My Yard Live just opened in San Marcos—it’s a huge public and entertainment space for people of all ages: it has a playground for kids, a brewery, bar and restaurant, and games like bocce ball and shuffleboard. Fort Oak started a new chef’s counter experience with just 14 seats that has a six-course tasting menu for $100 (wine pairings cost an additional $40). The cross-country touring Uncorked Wine Fest is coming to Del Mar this Saturday, July 27. Enjoy over 150 wines from across the globe, watch the races, then stay for a concert by the country band Midland. Carruth Cellars—a tasting room in Little Italy with an adorable patio—is now serving pizza. This week’s Hot Topic is about CVT Soft Serve, a popular ice cream truck in Los Angeles, which has been making headlines because the owner is absolutely fed up with influencers asking him for free ice cream, so he’s charging them double the price for even asking. The Best of San Diego Party is just around the corner! Taste samples from more than 80 restaurants at the most delicious evening of the year. It’s on August 16 at Liberty Station. This event sells out every year, so don't wait to get your tickets. Insiders get a special discount on tickets and front of the line entry. As always, we want to hear from you! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message. Or if you’re too shy to call, you can email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

Welcome back! We hit the jackpot this week on Happy Half Hour as we tape from our sponsor, Sycuan Casino Resort, specifically in the restaurant Bull & Bourbon. Marcel, the sous chef of the steakhouse, hopped on to tell us about the 75 internationally-sourced rare bourbons that complement the steaks and seafood. This week was all about barbecue, and our special guest, Andy Harris, knows just about everything there is to know. He’s the owner of Grand Ole BBQ & Asado in North Park, and he recently opened a second location in Flinn Springs, which is near our recording location by El Cajon. Andy's BBQ joint is this year's Critic's Pick for Best of the Best Casual Restaurant in our annual Best Restaurants list, and was recently featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on the Food Network. Andy shared how he switched from working in the music industry to becoming a BBQ expert, and he gave a shout out to Himalayan Cuisine in La Mesa for his Two People, $50. As for our hosts, the veggie burger at Station Tavern and Chiko in Encinitas were this week’s standouts. Things were looking real sweet in Hot Plates this week as we welcomed a new Donut Bar location in Chula Vista. Pacific Beach got a new Argentinian Cafe on Garnet Avenue: Yerba Mate Bar & Empanadas, and Breakfast Republic continues its city-wide domination of the breakfast/brunch scene with the opening of its 9th location, this latest one in Mission Valley. Last but not least, family-owned restaurant Bahn Thai is expanding to Hillcrest. We’re talking about Del Taco as far as Hot Topics go. The fast-food company started selling tacos with Beyond Meat in April, and they just revealed they've already sold two million fake-meat tacos. It's the best-selling new product in the company's history. Thanks for listening, and we’d love to hear from you! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message. Or if you’re too shy to call, you can email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

Hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend! We have another great episode of the Happy Half Hour for you. This week, we’re recording from our sponsor, Sycuan Casino, which recently underwent a huge renovation, and are taping at their new restaurant, Bull & Bourbon Steakhouse. We talked with Marcel, Bull & Bourbon’s sous chef, about the restaurant’s in-house dry-aging program and a special tomahawk steak that is aged for 120 days. Our special guest this week is Arturo Kassel. He's the CEO of Whisknladle Hospitality, which brought us restaurants like PrepKitchen, Catania and of course, Whisknladle in La Jolla. In 2017, Arturo sold the company's Prepkitchen locations so he could focus on his next big project, Gravity Heights, a brewery in Sorrento Valley that just opened in January of this year. Gravity Heights was just named the all-around winner of Best New Brewery in our annual Best Restaurants list—this means that both Troy and our readers agreed that Gravity Heights deserved the title. Arturo is also working on another project in Sorrento Valley, a 10,000-square-foot food hall called Park Commons. His pick for Two People, $50, was The Fishery. Troy liked Cross Street Chicken and Beer, and Lauren’s pick was Morning Glory (which Troy reviews in our upcoming August issue!) In Hot Plates, we talked about Troy getting the First Look at Ciccia Osteria, Mario Cassineri’s new Italian restaurant in Barrio Logan, Puesto taking over Gordon Biersch’s location in Mission Valley and starting their own brewery, and Home & Away, a two-story cocktail and beer bar, opening in Encinitas. This week’s Hot Topic: soon, you’ll be able to order food from McDonald’s, and even a burger from Juniper & Ivy, and have it delivered by drone. San Diego is one of ten cities in the country where the tech giant partnered with McDonald’s to test out drone delivery. We got an email from a listener who needed a recommendation for good Mexican pastries and desserts—listen to find out what Troy and Arturo had to say.

We’ve got another exciting Happy Half Hour episode for you! This week, we’re recording from our sponsor, 10 Barrel Brewing. We got to speak with brewer Ben Shirley who recommended the creamy and crisp Frosty Mug or the most popular IPA, Cali Love. Our special guest this week is Jojo Ruiz, the head chef at the new Serea seafood restaurant at the Hotel Del Coronado. Serea is the iconic resort's new oceanfront eatery that replaced 1500 Ocean, and Chef Jojo, who opened Lionfish and also worked at Ironside, has created a "sea-to-table" menu of sustainable seafood sourced from local fishermen. Jojo explained how San Diego is at the forefront of the sea-to-table movement, and he thinks that the mackerel fish and the Soupfin shark are underrated in the culinary world. His pick for Two People, $50 is Cantina Mayahuel, and the staff suggested Phuong Trang and Shank & Bone for pho, Il Dandy, and brunch at Fort Oak. In Hot Plates, the owner of the popular Breakfast Republic chain opened a new brunch spot in North Park, North Park Breakfast Company, to help alleviate the crowds at Breakfast Republic. The Guild Hotel downtown just opened with a new restaurant, Luca, with Chef Justin Vaiciunas from Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” leading the kitchen. Lastly, there’s a new happy hour in town! Wayfarer Bread in Bird Rock just launched a summertime happy hour on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and will include a changing menu with various crudités, dips, and a local brewery or winery. This week's Hot Topic is about a polarizing beverage: LaCroix sparkling water. CNN said the brand's popularity with Millennials is fizzing out, and sales of the lightly flavored, fizzy beverage are "in freefall." As Americans drink more seltzer than ever before (sales of the beverage have doubled in the past five years), there's lots of competition now, especially for the boozy kind. Nevertheless, Jojo still prefers a LaCroix over a beer after a long day at work. It’s not too late to join us for our live taping of Happy Half Hour at Eppig Brewing’s Waterfront Biergarten next week, July 8, at 3 p.m. We will be sampling the first of three collaboration beers we are doing with Eppig, Fall, and Coronado brewing in celebration of our Best of San Diego issue. There is no charge to come down, but there will be discounts for everyone in our Insider’s Program. We hope to see you there!

We’re taping from our sponsor, 10 Barrel Brewing this week, where they’re celebrating their two-year anniversary with a hazy V-IPA, brewed by the pub’s most loyal customers, as well as an early 2000s-themed party at the end of the month. We’re honored to have Wally Sadat, marketing director and part owner of The Kebab Shop, as our special guest this episode. The local chain won this year's critic's pick in Best Restaurants for Best Middle Eastern Food, and you've probably had their doner kebabs and fries. But something you might not know about the company is that it’s still family-owned, or that they once auditioned for a reality show on Bravo. They're opening their 15th location next month—the first one outside of California—in Austin, Texas. Sadat explained how The Kebab Shop went from concept to reality, and how the famous cilantro sauce found its way to the menu. His pick for Two People, $50 is Barbusa Modern Sicilian, and the staff liked Northgate Gonzalez Market’s menudo, Village Vino in Kensington, and Bay Park Fish Company. This week in Hot Plates, we have new celebrity chefs in town. Michael Mina and NBA-star wife Ayesha Curry are opening their upscale BBQ chain, International Smoke, next month in One Paseo. Little Frenchie, a Parisian-style bistro with a “drink by numbers” wine-pairing system, recently opened in Coronado with Chef Matt Sramek (Thomas Keller's Bouchon) leading the kitchen. The owners of U-31 are opening The Original 40 Brewing Company in North Park, and our very own Troy Johnson got a look at the new spot. The brewmaster is from Mikkeller, and the chef, Luke Johnson, has worked at Melisse in L.A. and Sky Room at La Valencia. Last but not least, Sisters Pizza just opened in Bankers Hill, where first-time restaurant owner Emily Green serves New York and New Jersey-style pizza by the slice, as well as whole pies. In regards to Hot Topics, Star Wars fans, listen up: Disneyland just opened the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge theme park. The 14-acre park also includes Oga's Cantina, where fans can get a Star Wars-themed cocktail. It's the first and only bar in Disneyland that serves alcohol. Please come and join us and see the Happy Half Hour live at Eppig Brewing’s Waterfront Biergarten on July 8 at 3 p.m. We will be sampling the first of three collaboration beers we are doing with Eppig, Fall, and Coronado brewing in celebration of our Best of San Diego issue. There is no charge to come down, but there will be discounts for everyone in our Insider’s Program. We hope to see you there! We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message. Or if you’re too shy to call, you can email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

It’s a very Happy Half Hour indeed this week as we tape from rooftop pool deck at the Westgate Hotel, and chat with local jazz hero Gilbert Castellanos about its weekly summer concerts, the Sunset Poolside Jazz Series. CEO Jeff Fenster is our special guest this week. He founded Everbowl, a San Diego-based acai bowl and juice chain, and this year's Reader's Pick for Healthy Eats in our annual Best Restaurants list. Fenster started Everbowl in 2016, which has now expanded to 22 locations across Southern California—with two just added in Hillcrest and Little Italy. The superfood bowl company lets customers build their own bowl with pitaya (dragonfruit), graviola, acerola, acai, and a plethora of natural toppings. Fenster shared with us how (and why) he made the career shift from getting a law degree to owning a payroll company and founding the growing restaurant chain. His pick for Two People, $50 is Naked Café in Solana Beach, and the staff liked Starlite and Fauna in the Valle de Guadalupe. Julie P. from Scripps Ranch wrote in to say to check out Ariana Kabob House in Mira Mesa. In Hot Plates, chef Daniel Barron takes the role of executive chef at The Oceanaire Seafood Room downtown (where Brian Malarkey once worked). The owners of the former Moto Deli in Encinitas have opened a new Mexican-Italian restaurant concept in the same location, Valentina, with Alex Carballo running the kitchen. A big name in the culinary world made his way to San Diego: Nathan Myhrvold from Modernist Cuisine Lab in Seattle was just here to open his fourth art gallery in La Jolla. You may have seen the late Anthony Bourdain interview Nathan for an episode of “Parts Unknown” or read one of his Modernist Cuisine cookbooks. Nathan is famous for his avant-garde food photography, which he accomplishes by using catapults, high-speed cameras and robots that he builds himself. David’s 60 Second Beer Review this week is Amplified Aleworks’ Hopp Puddin’. As far as Hot Topics go, we learned from a recent article in NPR that one-fifth of all the food waste in American homes is attributed to confusion over food labels and the “sell by” and “use by” dates, and discussed what the FDA wants to do to change this. Please come and join us and see the Happy Half Hour live at Eppig Brewing’s Waterfront Biergarten on July 8 at 3 p.m. We will be sampling the first of three collaboration beers we are doing with Eppig, Fall, and Coronado brewing in celebration of our Best of San Diego issue. There is no charge to come down, but there will be discounts for everyone in our Insider’s Program. We hope to see you there! We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message. Or if you’re too shy to call, you can email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

Today we have a special episode of the Happy Half Hour for you, which was recorded at our annual Best Restaurants celebration last week at the pre-party event at Room & Board. We chatted with five different chefs who were at the event, and talked about everything from what it’s like to be a Best Restaurants winner to the dishes they prepared that evening. Hear from Brad Wise, executive chef of Fort Oak (critic’s pick for Best New Restaurant); William Bradley, executive chef of Addison, the only San Diego restaurant to receive a Michelin star (critic’s pick for Best French Restaurant); Ludivine Ryon Mas, co-owner of Le Parfait Paris (critic’s pick for Best Dessert); Christine Rivera, chef de cuisine of Galaxy Taco (critic’s pick for Best Fish Taco); and Steven Torres, co-owner of Pop Pie (runner up for reader’s pick for Best Indulgent Eats) and Stella Jean’s (critic’s pick for Best Ice Cream).

This week, we’re at the pool deck of the Westgate Hotel, which is famous for its elegant Sunday brunch and high tea, and chatting with local jazz hero Gilbert Castellanos about its Sunset Poolside Jazz Series. Our special guest this week is Chef Quinnton “Q” Austin, who recently moved to San Diego from the Big Easy and leads the kitchen at Louisiana Purchase. Chef Q was chef de cuisine at the legendary Antoine’s, and he shared with us what it was like to work at a place with so much history. He also revealed how insanely busy that restaurant is (they serve 700 people at lunch time on average), his impression of San Diego’s dining scene and how it differs from the chef culture in the French Quarter, and what goes into the alligator andouille cheesecake he created for the North Park restaurant. In Hot Plates, the big news was the Michelin Guide’s reveal of its Bib Gourmand picks for San Diego, which included eight restaurants, and we have a lot of opinions about the list. H Mart revealed a cool Korean food hall at its new location on Balboa Avenue, Bibigo Kitchen recently opened a Korean BBQ spot in Fashion Valley, and Bankers Hill gets its first brewery and tasting room with Pure Project. David’s 60 Second Beer Review this week is Pariah Brewing’s Intermittent Availability IPA. In Hot Topics, we talked about the new Taco Bell-themed pop-up hotel in Palm Springs and wondered who this would appeal to, and the staff’s picks for Two People, $50 are The Smoking Goat, Din Tai Fung, and Miguel’s Cocina in Point Loma. A listener called in and said their pick is Tribute Pizza. Please come and join us and see the Happy Half Hour live at Eppig Brewing’s Waterfront Biergarten on July 8 at 3 p.m. We will be sampling the first of three collaboration beers we are doing with Eppig, Fall, and Coronado brewing in celebration of our Best of San Diego issue. There is no charge to come down, but there will be discounts for everyone in our Insider’s Program. We hope to see you there!

We’re taping from the Hilton San Diego Del Mar, which is just steps away from the Del Mar Fairgrounds. This week’s special guest is David Favela, founder of Border X Brewing in Barrio Logan, the first Latino-owned brewery in San Diego. David is a first-generation immigrant from Mexico, and he grew up in Escondido. He did his undergrad at Chico State and studied international business at UCSD, and worked at Hewlett Packard for over 20 years. He launched Border X Brewing five years ago, and just expanded the brewery to a second location in Los Angeles. David tells us how Border X Brewing began and why he decided to focus on Mexican flavors and brewing traditions, which resulted in the creation of their most popular beers—saison brewed with jamaica (hibiscus tea) and the Horchata Golden Stout. He also talks about how Barrio Logan has changed over the years—the neighborhood is bustling with more breweries, art galleries and new shops, which we featured in this month’s Neighborhood Guide—but that the change is community-led. David’s pick for Two People, $50 is Mariscos El Golosito, a B.Y.O.B. Sinaloan seafood restaurant in Barrio Logan, and the staff’s picks this week were Louisiana Purchase and Thai One On in Carlsbad. In Hot Plates, we talked about the revamp and remodel of Currant American Brasserie, the new menu at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido and Liberty Station, and the news that Mendocino Farms and Blue Bottle Coffee are opening locations at the new Tower 180 office building on First and Broadway. David’s 60 Second Beer Review is Groundswell Brewing Company’s Tropical Hefeweizen. The Hot Topic this week is the Aperol spritz—is it a good or bad drink? Check out the article in the New York Times that started the debate, and hear what Troy and Lauren have to say. It’s time again for San Diego Magazine’s annual Best Restaurants party! Next week, on June 12, San Diego’s top chefs and winners of this year’s critic’s and readers’ picks will serve their signature dishes to an intimate crowd at Pirch at UTC. This year, we’re hosting a pre-party at Room & Board, which includes a live taping of the Happy Half Hour! There’s still time to get tickets! We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message, like a caller did about Troy mispronouncing “shave ice” during our episode about the I Love Poke Festival. Or, you can email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

This week’s special guest is Angelo Sosa, chef and owner of Death By Tequila, a Baja-Asian restaurant in Encinitas. Angelo has worked at Jean Georges and for Alain Ducasse, and in New York he ran the Michelin- recommended Añejo in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. You may also know Angelo from Top Chef Season 7, in which he was runner-up, and from Season 8 of Top Chef All-Stars. Angelo just moved to San Diego from New York a little over a year ago, but his restaurant has already been garnering a lot of press. Angelo thought he was joining us only to talk about an upcoming charity dinner he is cooking at, the seventh annual Baja Bash in Coronado on June 22 which benefits the nonprofit WildCoast. He had no idea on the day of this taping that Death By Tequila won this year’s readers’ choice award for “Best New Restaurant” or that his restaurant was featured on the cover, so we had a big reveal! Check out our Instagram to see how the surprise news was unveiled. In Hot Plates, we talked about the new cocktail menu at George’s Level2, Denmark-based Joe & the Juice opening at One Paseo (and what makes this beverage chain different), and the new Italian marketplace, RoVino The Foodery, that’s set to open in East Village. David’s 60 Second Beer Review is back! This week, he’s sipping on Eppig Brewing’s Count Maltula Cereal Imperial Milk Stout. We also had a caller ask the podcast team for recommendations on good gluten-free beers, listen in to find out the top picks. This week’s Hot Topic is news from elsewhere: Faviken, the restaurant in Sweden that has two Michelin stars and was featured on "Chef's Table," is going to close in December. Chef Magnus Nilsson told the Los Angeles Times that he's creatively tapped out and just done with the restaurant. Is it a smart decision for a restaurant owner or chef to quit when they realize their heart isn't in it anymore, even if the restaurant is wildly successful? Hear Angelo and the staff weigh in. It’s time again for San Diego Magazine’s annual Best Restaurants party! On June 12, San Diego’s top chefs and winners of this year’s critic’s and readers’ picks will serve their signature dishes to an intimate crowd at Pirch at UTC. This year, we’re hosting a pre-party at Room & Board, which includes a live taping of the Happy Half Hour! Get your tickets now—they will sell out! We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message or email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! We’re taping this episode from Suite 33 at Petco Park, and this week’s guest is Eddie Quinn, director of partnership services for Petco Park (we call him “the beer guy” at the park). Eddie manages the relationships with the Padres’ corporate partners, and more specifically, all of their beer partners (including Ballast Point, AleSmith, and Budweiser). Eddie talks about collaborating with Ballast Point on the Swingin' Friars Ale and reveals what’s the No. 1 best-selling beer at the park (take a guess). He also shares his history with the team—he’s been with the Padres since 2003, and he actually started as a bat boy! You and Yours Distilling Co.(which is female owned!) debuted a new food menu crafted by chef Brian Redzikowski from Kettner Exchange. The Patio Group has a new executive chef, Jarrod Moiles, who came from Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. San Diego is one of 18 cities in the country where you can order beer delivery from 7-11 (but so far we don’t see any craft beer on the list). Cohn Group opened Del's Hideout in Del Cerro, which has its own spin on service: order at the counter, and there’s a call button at the table that will summon a server when you need something. Is this a good or bad thing for restaurant service? Listen to what Troy and Erin have to say. This week’s hot topic is a question that came from a San Diego Magazine staffer: what’s the proper way to tip at fast-casual restaurants? Specifically, if you go to a place with counter service and pay using an app like Square, the app asks you upfront if you want to leave a tip—before you’ve received your food or any level of service. Do you leave a 20 percent tip, ten percent, or nothing? Listen to the staff sound off on this topic.

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! We are taping this episode at Petco Park, and our very special guest this week is Mark “Mud” Grant, who has been the color commenter for the Padres for 24 years. He talks about his favorite places to eat in Petco Park, and what his diet was like when he played professional baseball in the late ’80s compared to how MLB players eat today. Mud says he will eat anything, but confesses there are two things he can’t stand (eggplant is one of them!). His pick for Two People, $50, was The Brigantine, and the staff liked Puesto, HiroNori Craft Ramen, and Coronado Brewing’s Bay Park location. In Hot Plates, we talked about Il Dandy, a new Italian restaurant in the base of the Mister A’s building in Bankers Hill, which opened with much fanfare (and Troy got the First Look). A new modern Vietnamese restaurant, Kingfisher, is taking over the former Kafe Sobaka space in Golden Hill. The owners of Farmer’s Bottega in Mission Hills are opening Two Bleu Ducks in North Park, which will serve breakfast in the morning and then beer, wine and light snacks in the evening. Finally, there’s lots of new vendors opening in Liberty Public Market, like BOPJO Seoul in a Bowl…or Tortilla! (a Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant) and Rob Ruiz’s new sustainable sushi spot, Hold Fast. The Hot Topic this week is fake meat: Is it taking over real meat? Beyond Meat was recently valued at $1.5 billion at its IPO, and The Impossible Burger is testing its meatless patties at Burger King—hear what Troy and the gang have to say. We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message or email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, or tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world.

We’re on location at Petco Park and taped this episode at the recent Padres vs. Mariners game. This week’s special guest is Katie Jackson, vice president of marketing for the San Diego Padres. Katie has been with the Padres for 5 years and oversees all the brand partnerships at the ballpark. She talks about the Party in the Park series—a huge themed happy hour event during every Friday home game—and the drink specials you can get for $5. Her pick for Two People, $50, is The Crack Shack, and the staff liked Realm of the 52 Remedies and Bankers Hill Bar and Restaurant. In Hot Plates, we talked about the owners of Board & Brew and chef Alex Carballo opening Casero Taqueria in The Square in Bressi Ranch near Carlsbad. The Hotel Del is getting a new oceanfront restaurant in June, Serea, which is replacing 1500 Ocean and will be run by local chef JoJo Ruiz (the executive chef at Lionfish) and focus on sustainable seafood, letting guests pick their fresh catch of the day. Akira Back, a Michelin-starred chef with restaurants in Las Vegas, Seoul, Toronto and Singapore, is opening his first restaurant in San Diego, Lumi by Akira Back, in the Gaslamp. It will be a rooftop space on the corner of Fifth Avenue and J Street, and you can expect elevated sushi and sashimi. David’s 60 Second Beer Review this week is Tail & Tooth, a collaboration from Coronado Brewing and Belching Beaver—David enjoyed this hazy IPA, even though he confesses he’s normally not a fan of Belching Beaver’s beers (listen to find out why!) This week’s Hot Topic is about Instagram: Is the photography aesthetic made popular by the app and its influencers—like poses in front of pink walls, artfully arranged avocado toast—over? A recent article in The Atlantic says yes, but Troy has an interesting counterpoint.

We have a very special edition of the Happy Half Hour! We taped this week’s episode at Petco Park during the recent Padres game versus the Seattle Mariners, and our special guest is Carlos Vargas, the executive chef for the San Diego Padres. Carlos talks about how the food served at Petco Park has gotten so much better over the years with the inclusion of local restaurants, what it’s like cooking for VIPs in the stadium’s suites, and he reveals how many pounds of hot dogs and tri-tip they go through in a season (it’s a lot!). Carlos’ pick for Two People, $50 is Porchetta Shack, and the SDM staff liked Cesarina, Death by Tequila and Royale. This week in Hot Plates, we talked about Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles filing a permit to finally open its first San Diego restaurant in Barrio Logan, Shake Shack’s new Little Italy restaurant, and chef Giuseppe Ciuffa (who was one of the opening chefs at the former Bottega Americano and runs the kitchen at Caroline’s in Scripps) opening Candor in La Jolla. Troy also shares the story about how he met his now fiancé (you gotta hear it!) David’s 60 Second Beer Review this week is Karl Strauss’ regreen Brut IPA, a collaboration with Taylor Guitars. This week’s Hot Topic is a soda bill one media outlet called the “Big Gulp Ban” that didn’t make it into the California Legislature, which sought to ban restaurants and grocery stores from selling sodas larger than 16 ounces. We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message or email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, or tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world. Our sponsors for this episode is the San Diego Padres—get tickets at padres.com

This week’s guest is Priscilla Curiel, chef and owner of Tuetano Taqueria in San Ysidro. Priscilla’s taqueria has only been open for a little more than six months and was already written about in Food & Wine, and her birria tacos topped with roasted bone marrow is the Very Important Taco in the May issue of San Diego Magazine. Priscilla talked about growing up in a family of restaurateurs (her family owns Talavera Azul in Chula Vista and La Espadaña in Tijuana), what it’s like to strike out on her own, and how San Ysidro Boulevard seems to be in the middle of a revitalization. Priscilla’s pick for Two People, $50 is Ironside Fish & Oyster Bar, and the staff liked the Catamaran, Peace Pies, and Trust. In Hot Plates, we learned that another San Diego chef is going solo: DJ Tangalin left Bivouac Ciderworks and is opening Maya Eatery in Hillcrest, a restaurant focusing on modern Filipino cuisine, and we discussed why Filipino food has not become mainstream in San Diego yet despite the city having the second-highest Filipino American population in the country. In other news, a two-story restaurant devoted to wine and food from Baja will open in Chula Vista, and Troy talked about the next-level Game of Thrones-themed cocktails being shaken up at the Grant Grill. David’s 60 Second Beer Review pick is Alesmith’s Luped In IPA. This week’s Hot Topic: are millennials tired of drinking? Recent articles show that millennials have cut back on their drinking and that the market for non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails will grow over 30 percent over the next few years. We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message or email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, or tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world. Our sponsors for this episode are Donovan’s in the Gaslamp and the San Diego Padres—get tickets at padres.com

Our guest this week is Nino Camilo, founder of the I Love Poke Festival. The festival is an annual celebration of Hawaii’s beloved raw seafood dish, and this year is its tenth anniversary with 15 chefs competing to see who makes the best poke in San Diego. Nino talks about what’s changed since he started the festival in 2009 and how he tries his best to represent Hawaii’s culture in a thoughtful way, especially since poke has become trendy in recent years and a proliferation of “fake poke” shops have since opened across the country. Nino gave us two picks for Two People, $50: Panca Peruvian Cuisine & Rotisserie and Fish 101. In Hot Plates, we talked about Consortium Holding’s long-awaited brunch restaurant in Little Italy, Morning Glory, which is set to open April 21 in the Piazza della Famiglia, and debated whether San Diego is good brunch town (Troy says no). We also learned Cucina Enoteca is expanding with a new location in Scripps Ranch, and chef Steve Brown, who runs the fine-dining pop-up Cosecha SD, recently moved back to San Diego with plans to open a tasting-room only restaurant. Our new segment in the podcast is David’s 60-Second Beer Review. He kicked the series off with Fall Brewing Company’s Mix Tape Hazy IPA. The Hot Topic was Heinz’s latest invention in time for Easter: A Cadbury Crème Egg-flavored mayonnaise. What do you think about this condiment mash-up? David said he was intrigued (but we weren’t able to find it in time for the podcast taping to make him try it). We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message or email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, or tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world.

Welcome back to Happy Half Hour! In the guest seat this week is Jason O’Bryan, bar manager at The Lion’s Share. Jason also recently joined Service Animals, a new beverage consulting company and developed the drink menu for The Florence in Poway. Jason talked about how The Lion’s Share has remained successful despite its hard-to-find location and upcoming changes on the menu, as well as what it was like opening a bar in suburbia. He also talked about Tortoise, an underground fine-dining pop-up restaurant he founded with his wife (who was a sommelier at Addison) that has only 16 seats available for its monthly event. Jason’s pick for Two People, $50 was Cantina Mayahuel, while the staff’s picks this week were The Taco Stand, Wayfarer Bread and The Smoking Goat. This week in Hot Plates, we talked about the impending closure of Paesano in North Park—an Italian restaurant that’s been in the neighborhood for 50 years—and what’s going in its place. Kensington is getting a new South American restaurant, Pachamama, which promises to have a menu that’s 100 percent organic. Consortium Holdings is working on opening another restaurant downtown while it renovates Neighborhood, J & Tony's Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse. Cucina Urbana has a new executive chef, Tim Kolanko, who was the founding chef at A.R. Valentien at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. The Hot Topic again is restaurant surcharges, which were recently back in the news: Paradise Point Resort in Mission Bay agreed to pay almost $35,000 to the City of San Diego in fines over its surcharges to customers. We have a phone number for this podcast now! We're going to end each podcast with a question for our listeners, and you can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave us a message. You can also email us at [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50. It’s your last chance to join us at the Best of North County party, happening this Sunday! You don’t want to miss this party at the Park Hyatt Aviara where you get unlimited bites and sips from all the new and noteworthy spots in North County.

You may have noticed that the sign at Carnitas’ Snack Shack on University Avenue now says The Porchetta Shack. We asked our guest this week, chef and owner Hanis Cavin (who has been called San Diego’s “King of Pork”), why he changed the concept for his popular North Park restaurant after eight successful years. Hanis also shared that he’s no longer affiliated with the Carnitas’ location at the Embarcadero, and his pick for Two People, $50 is Fernside in South Park. This week in Hot Plates, we learned that chef Matt Gordon (who recently closed Urban Solace and Solace & The Moonlight Lounge) is now the vice president of operations for Blue Bridge Hospitality—the company behind Liberty Public Market and Stake Chophouse. Neighborhood, the craft beer and burger joint that’s been in East Village for 12 years, isn’t closed: the shutdown is just temporary for a remodel. The Florence is now open in Sabre Springs (Troy got the First Look at the space and the menu), and the tenth annual Eat.Drink.Read fundraiser for the San Diego Council on Literacy is coming up at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. The Hot Topic this week is the James Beard Awards and the fact that San Diego chefs and restaurants were excluded, again, from making the cut as finalists. Troy took a closer look at how many San Diego chefs have been nominated for a James Beard Award in recent years compared to chefs in LA and San Francisco (and finds a huge disparity), and shares what it would take to get San Diego included in the “Oscars of Food.” We have a phone number for this podcast now! We're going to end each podcast with a question for our listeners, and you can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave us a message. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50. Did you get your tickets yet to Best of North County? You don’t want to miss this party at the Park Hyatt Aviara on April 14, where you get unlimited bites and sips from all the new and noteworthy spots in North County. Our sponsors for this episode are the North Park Main Street Association and the San Diego Padres. Enter to win two tickets in a VIP suite for a live recording of the Happy Half Hour on May 6th! sdmag.com/padrespodcast - get tickets at padres.com

In this week’s Hot Plates, we talked about the huge remodel ($260 million!) at Sycuan Casino, which is having its grand opening today. Troy got the First Look at the renovation and Bull & Bourbon, the resort’s new signature steakhouse. Also new in town is Louisiana Purchase, a New Orleans-themed restaurant in North Park, and Hess Brewing had the soft opening for its new tasting room in Imperial Beach. We can’t believe it's already been three years since Trust opened in Hillcrest—in honor of the restaurant’s anniversary, Pastry Chef Jeremy Harville is bringing back a selection of the most popular desserts for a limited time. Lastly, we learned that Carnitas' Snack Shack is now known as the Porchetta Shack. Founders Hanis Cavin and Sara Stroud have rebranded their popular pork-centric eatery in North Park, and are no longer affiliated with the location that's on the waterfront. In the guest seat this week is Ted Smith, the new executive chef at Born & Raised, the fancy steakhouse in Little Italy from Consortium Holdings. Ted was formerly the executive chef of Craft & Commerce, and he was also the Chef de Cuisine at Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant. He also spent time in the kitchen at The Four Seasons Resort in Vail, Colorado. Ted shared with us how he’s going to refresh the menu at Born & Raised (we got the scoop on what dish could be taken off the menu) and the table numbers for the best seats in the house. His pick for Two People, $50, was Izakaya Masa in Mission Hills, and SDM staff liked Cesarina, Nolita Hall and Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens Liberty Station. The Hot Topic is a new bill introduced in the California Assembly that could create stricter rules for third-party food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash. AB 1360 would require drivers to get a food handler's permit, and a section of the bill would define the drivers as "contract labor" — which means that restaurants could be liable for drivers. We have a phone number for this podcast now! We're going to end each podcast with a question for our listeners, and you can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave us a message. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50.

This week we met with up Candice Eley, director of communications for the San Diego Tourism Authority, and learned about her passion for promoting San Diego's arts and culture, diversity, dining scene and proximity to Mexico, and how she gets travel stories about our city to appear in national media, like this recent story in Travel and Leisure. We talked about how San Diego is still perceived as a sleepy town, and got her take on the Hot Topic: San Diego being included in Michelin’s new guide to restaurants in California. What could this mean for the city, and will restaurants like Addison finally get the recognition they deserve? Candice’s pick for Two People, $50 is Tanuki in Kensington, a Japanese restaurant and sake bar owned by a former chef at Nobu. In Hot Plates, we shared the news that Urban Solace served its last meal after a 12-year run in North Park and that owner Matt Gordon also closed the Solace & Moonlight Lounge in Encinitas. Peking Café Chop Suey, which had been in North Park for 90 years, also recently closed its doors because the descendants of the restaurant’s founder want to retire. We learned some good news about the impending (and temporary) closure of the Red Fox Room: It’s going to stay open until the end of June before it moves to its new location on El Cajon Boulevard. Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins and her popular restaurant, El Jardin, was reviewed recently in The New York Times. We also covered two new openings, Himmelberg’s in the East Village and Dark Horse Coffee’s newest location in South Park. We have a phone number for this podcast now! We're going to end each podcast with a question for our listeners, and you can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave us a message. This week's question: what are your favorite memories of Urban Solace? You can also give us your recommendations for Two People, $50.

This week, we chatted with Mary Kay Waters, owner of Waters Fine Foods & Catering, which has been in business in San Diego for almost 30 years. Waters describes herself as a food perfectionist with very high standards who refuses to accept anything less than the best. She also has a café that sells “fine foods to go” on Morena Boulevard that you can visit (Troy likes the Coconut Magic Bar). Waters also just released a cookbook, which you can pick up at the café or on their website. Her pick for two people, $50 was DaoFu. In Hot Plates, we’ve got some North County news! My Yard Live is opening in San Marcos in the old Hometown Buffet space, and will have a restaurant, brewery and a patio with a dedicated kids’ play space all under one roof. The place will be huge — over 17,000 square feet — and is opening in June. Stone Brewing Co. is back in the pantry aisle at Whole Foods — they teamed up with Homegrown Meats to create two new beef jerkies that are marinated in Tangerine Express IPA and Arrogant Bastard Ale. One Paseo has officially opened! The mixed-use development project in Carmel Valley has been steadily building buzz over the past year, and curated a mix of local and national eateries: we can expect Michael Mina’s International Smoke, The Butchery, Ways & Means Oyster House, and the first San Diego location for Blue Bottle Coffee to open here. Juniper & Ivy is having its five-year anniversary this month and is celebrating by bringing back some classic dishes from the original menu, like the squid ink linguine and clams, beef cheek dumplings and grape toast. In news elsewhere, we talked about La Plaza Cocina, a museum devoted to Mexican food and culture that is set to open in downtown L.A. this spring. The Mexican food mecca will not only have exhibitions and lectures, but interactive programs and events. Are mail-order meal kits doomed? This is a Hot Topic in the food world right now, and headlines in a variety of news outlets recently asked this question. Companies like Blue Apron were all the rage when the concept first launched in 2012, but it seems the novelty has worn off. If you haven’t signed up yet for San Diego Magazine’s Insiders program, do it now for the chance to dine with food critic Troy Johnson and Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins, chef of El Jardin. Aside from exclusive events like this, our Insiders also get the benefits of a monthly hosted happy hour, free tickets to shows, and ongoing discounts at restaurants and bars around town.

Small Bar’s second life, a contest seeking SD’s best taco recipe, plus lots of food news We got the scoop on what’s happening with Small Bar in University Heights by chatting with owner Karen Barnett. Karen gave us an update about the renovation and the bar’s new life, and how her new partnership with chef Brad Wise (Trust, Fort Oak) is taking shape with the refreshed menu. She also shared with us how she got into the industry (she gave up a career in construction management to open the bar) and what it’s really like to own a popular neighborhood watering hole. Her pick for two people, $50 were the tacos at Lola 55. In Hot Plates, we learned that Grand Old BBQ Y Asado on 32nd Street in North Park is undergoing a remodel — it looks closed down, but it’s not. When it reopens later this fall, the popular barbecue spot will have more covered seating and a new bar. Holy Matcha’s new Instagrammable East Village café is now open. Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant is hosting a special beer pairing dinner with Abnormal Beer Co. on March 13. We also got word of some great dining deals: GBOD Hospitality Group, which owns Monkey King, Meza Greek Fusion, El Chingon and Havana 1920, debuted a four-course pre-fixe meal for $49 per couple — and the price includes wine! Born & Raised, the swanky steakhouse and cocktail bar in Little Italy, just launched a happy hour menu with a $7 Wagyu Old Fashioned, waffles and caviar, and “Le Slim Jim” beefsticks. In food news elsewhere, we talked about what’s happening at Feva Restaurant in the town of Castelfranco Veneto in Northern Italy, where chef Nicola Dinato came up with a dish called “Aria Fritta,” or fried air. Listen to find out what’s actually in the dish. Calling all home chefs and aspiring bloggers: Do you think you have the best taco recipe in San Diego? Puesto and San Diego Magazine have partnered up to find the city’s best taco — and are giving one lucky winner $1,000 for their recipe!

We finally hosted a parking expert on the show! Colin Parent, who runs mobility think tank Circulate San Diego while also serving as an elected member of the La Mesa City Council, gave us insights on parking in San Diego, how it affects restauranteurs as well as regular people dining out, as well as the overall effects on neighborhoods, the housing crisis and more. He also offers thoughts on the rise of La Mesa as a “hot ‘hood” and shares a unique experience he had with San Diego Mag’s food coverage years ago. His pick for two people, $50 was a Scottish pub on La Mesa Blvd called Four Penny House. In hot plates, we covered the upcoming Bartender Shakedown, new pasta spot Cesarina, an update on Small Bar’s refresh, and Blue Water Seafood’s second location in OB. We also discussed a new trend of young chefs igniting a passion for hunting as it relates directly to their cooking.

This week, we rundown the news that Cutwater Spirits sold to Anheiser Busch, Carruth Cellars is having a big party where you can taste wines before they have aged, Bobboi Gelato is opening two new shops just blocks from one another in Little Italy and the Cohn Restaurant Group is experimenting with call buttons as a way to make service more efficient at its new restaurant. We also go in depth on the concept of natural wine with sommelier and bartender Anne Estrada, who is currently pouring at The Rose in South Park, and discuss whether Instagram Influencers are ruining neighborhood restaurants.

This week's episode is brought to you by Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego and their Dream House Raffle. Visit www.sdraffle.com to buy tickets and learn more about the hundreds of prizes! Early Bird deadline is February 22, 2019! On this week’s show we meet a new restauranteur with an interesting background that includes a stint at Google. In Hot Plates, we learn about Fish 101’s plans to expand from Leucadia to a second location with an ocean view in Cardiff. Pro skateboarder Tony Hawk is opening a craft coffee spot with son Riley, serving beans roasted by James Coffee Co. alongside a vinyl record shop. In other food news, Phil’s BBQ is expanding again and Adams Ave is getting another sushi restaurant. Soichi Kadoya opens in March. For more SD Food News, visit Troy’s blog. In the guest seat is Alia Jaziri of Medina, a new restaurant in North Park opening March. The menu is rooted in traditional North African dishes Alia grew up cooking with her father, plus classic ingredients from Baja California. Medina began as a food truck concept in San Francisco (thanks to a little help from a Google accelerator) and later evolved and expanded to farmers markets and pop-ups in San Diego. This is the first brick-and-mortar location.

This week's episode is brought to you by Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego and their Dream House Raffle. Visit www.sdraffle.com to buy tickets and learn more about the hundreds of prizes! Early Bird deadline is February 22, 2019! Today we’re talking brewing, tasting rooms, and whether there is another softening in the market for local craft beer. In Hot Plates, we’re discussing the new locations for Extraordinary Desserts and Holy Matcha, as well as the opening of Kairoa Brewing Company in University Heights. Seven Seas Roasting Company has also soft-opened in South Park and Grand Ole BBQ is officially serving up smoked meats in the Central Texas-style out inFlinn Springs. In the guest seat is Dan Caricco, a San Diego native and one of the founders of Thorn Brewing, who talked about growing up in Mission Hills and leaving behind the doldrums of an office job to turn a passion project into a profitable business. We learned how the racoon-riding-a-bike logo came about as well as his thoughts on the regulations facing the beer industry and whether the recent string of closings is good for the industry. Thorn Brewing’s newest tasting room is open soon in Mission Hills near the new Fort Oak restaurant. Our hot topic is all about the Little Italy Food Hall being voted one of the 10 Best in the nation.

Today we’re talking Metallica, John Resnick, and Jeune et Jolie. In Hot Plates, we’re discussing the new Farmer’s Table in Little Italy, RMD Group’s new project Lumi with Michelin-starred chef Akira Back, Powerhaus Pizza’s debut in Pacific Beach. A collaboration beer between Metallica and Stone Brewing Co., and more. In the guest seat is Resnick, here to chat about his East Coast roots and moving to San Diego to work at The Hard Rock Hotel then The Pearl before transitioning to the restaurant world. Resnick logged years at Craft & Commerce and Ironside Fish & Oyster for CH Projects, but in 2016 he broke out on his own, opening Campfire in Carlsbad. He shares why he picked North County and all the issues that came with building a restaurant in a former auto garage. At his latest concept Jeune et Jolie, he’s highlighting modern French cuisine, a raw bar, and elevated bistro style by Campfire designers Bells + Whistles. Our hot topic is all about the reinstated ban on foie gras, and how restauranteurs like Resnick feel about it. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Kindred, ChiKo, Dija Mara, and Din Tai Fung.

Today’s episode starts with news about one of the city’s buzziest restaurant openings: Fort Oak. Troy had the First Look and tells us about its seafood-centric menu, the high design, and how a parking garage caused major problems. Elsewhere in Hot Plates, we discuss Sister Ray’s, a new chili dog and burger concept from the teams behind The Balboa Bar & Grill and Luigi’s Pizzeria; an Italian concept moving into Bankers Hill this May with Michelin-star resumes; and a New York Times piece on the omakase-only Kearny Mesa restaurant Hidden Fish. Today’s guest is Moe Girton, a pioneer of Hillcrest’s restaurant scene and a partner at Mo’s Universe, which includes Gossip Grill, Urban’s Mo’s, Hillcrest Brewing Company, and Baja Betty’s. She talks about starting her career as a “door girl” at The Flame, moving up from bartender to management, opening Gossip Grill 10 years ago, and her new venture at InsideOut. We’re talking about how gay rights negatively impacted Hillcrest’s LGBTQ scene, why she calls Gossip Grill a “women’s bar” rather than a “lesbian bar,” and more. Our hot topic is about just how vegan San Diego really is according to a recent survey. And in Two People/$50, we’re recommending Muzita, Facing East (and Troy’s quest for the best xiao long bao in San Diego), Pomegranate, and El Carrito.

On today’s episode of the Happy Half Hour we’re talking To the Point, tuna fishing, Tribute Pizza, and more. In Hot Plates, we discuss the opening of Natural Style Chicken, a Hillcrest barbecue spot that’s taken over the old Tokyo Ramen space; Cesarina, which previously operated as a farmers’ market vendor and will open in the former To The Point space in Point Loma; and Flap Your Jacks, a DIY pancake eatery coming to the heart of North Park this June. Today’s guest is Rob Ruiz, the chef-owner of Carlsbad’s Land & Water Co. and the upcoming Hold Fast in Liberty Station due at the end of this month. He’s telling us about getting integrated into the sustainable seafood scene in Hawaii, the problem with importing seafood, and how he was tested by the James Beard Foundation. Plus he explains his goal to be more “aggressively perfect” with his cooking. Our hot topic is about Javier Plascencia opening his next restaurant in Miami (don’t worry, he’s still planning something for San Diego). And in Two People/$50, we’re recommending Choice Juicery, Cafe Gratitude, Soda & Swine, Neighborhood, and Tribute Pizza.

A new year means new changes to the restaurant scene, and Pisco Rotisserie & Cevicheria in Carlsbad is switching gears to become Toast Gastrobrunch by the end of the month, just one year after opening the Peruvian concept in North County. The update, still led by local restauranteur Sami Ladecki will be a breakfast-and-lunch eatery serving gourmet toasts, sourdough bread bowls, and more. In more Hot Plates news, Parakeet Café opens a second location, an iconic San Diego gay bar closes, and former Bracero coworkers Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins and Javier Plascencia team up for a one-night-only dinner at El Jardín. Plus, we finally know what’s going into the old Cafe Chloe space—and it’s not French food. In the guest seat is Lauren Garces and Wesley Quach from the Convoy District Partnership, who are telling us about the annual San Diego Night Market, the new generation taking over the iconic foodie neighborhood, whether they want to be “the next Little Italy,” and their favorite restaurants in the area. Plus, they tell us about a live mural reveal you can check out this month.

Welcome to the first Happy Half Hour of 2019! In today’s show, we’re talking about a luxury theater slash restaurant in the Gaslamp and a new “American brasserie” now open in the East Village. Plus, lots of donut news, including Sidecar Doughnuts debuting in Del Mar and a new venture from Nomad Donuts’ Kristianna Zabala. Back in the guest seat in Matt Gordon, the owner and chef of Urban Solace and Solace & the Moonlight Lounge. Gordon is telling us why he decided to overhaul his 11-year-old North Park eatery (goodbye, duckaroni; hello refreshed patio!), why he’s feeling liberated because of it, and the unique reason he decided to bring breakfast service to the space. Our hot topic is about one of San Diego’s oldest family-run restaurants shuttering in North Park. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending ChiKo in Encinitas, Hillcrest’s Amarin Thai, and San Telmo downtown. Looking to make new friends, see new places, and try new things in 2019? San Diego Magazine’s Insiders club curates exclusive discounts at editor-selected restaurants, bars, spas, and more for $10 per month. That’s right—it’ll cost you less than happy hour. (Speaking of happy hour, Insiders get access to a monthly happy hour at buzzy San Diego bars to meet and mingle with fellow club members, our podcast hosts, and editors of the magazine.) Plus, we’ll be hosting an exclusive dinner with food critic Troy Johnson in the coming months. Sign up here to get all the info!

Malls are cool again, marijuana is being infused into food, plant-based menus are everywhere, and California’s minimum wage laws are wreaking havoc in the restaurant world—we’re covering all of it and more in our last episode of 2018. We open the show with the top five news items of the year, including the craft beer downturn and Westfield UTC’s restaurant takeover before counting down the top five guests of the year, and the trends that shaped our year. Plus we pay tribute to the saddest closings of 2018 (Café Chloe, Kafe Sobaka, and more), and end the show with our personal picks for the top restaurant and bar openings of the year. We’re off next week, but if you want more food news to devour during the holidays, check out Archana’s recap of the Future of Women panel, Troy’s take on why holiday meals matter, and the first look at Jeune et Jolie, the new Carlsbad restaurant from the team behind Campfire. See you in the new year!

With all the restaurant development that’s happened in Little Italy and North Park, it was only a matter of time before the trend trickled northward. In today’s edition of Hot Plates, we have three new restaurants above the 56, including D.C. export ChiKo in Encinitas, Eve (coming to Oceanside next year), and Exhale—a modern Mexican restaurant—also opening in O’side. Closer to the city, The Nood Bar will open early next year in North Park and Moto Deli’s Alex Carballo has purchased a dive bar with a special history. Our guest is Jim Floros, President and CEO of the Jacobs & Cushman Food Bank of San Diego. He’s helped expand the Food Bank’s programs, increase the number of people they serve monthly from 320,000 to 370,000 San Diegans, and shift the nonprofit’s focus from just “food banking” to “nutrition banking.” In fact, they have a full-time nutritionist on staff and a policy against stocking sodas, sheet cakes, muffins, candy, or energy drinks. Floros also explains why they teach people how to grocery shop, why expiration dates are bogus, and how you can easily help hungry locals during your next grocery store trip.

On today’s show, we’re talking about chef Accursio Lota’s exit from Solare and the new restaurant he’ll open downtown, El Jardín landing on best restaurants lists in both Esquire and Food & Wine, and Buona Forchetta’s move into the barbecue world. Plus, Council Brewing announces its close, SuperNatural Sandwiches opens a new location, and Fort Oak by the Trust Restaurant Group is due next month. Our guest is chef Danilo Tangalin, who interned at big-name restaurants like Le Bernardin and Eric Ripert’s 10 Arts Bistro before coming to San Diego, where he’s led the kitchens at Tidal and Jrdn. Now he’s infusing his Filipino roots into the menu at Bivouac, the cider-centric restaurant and bar in North Park (check out Troy’s review from our November issue). He tells us the top three dishes to order off his menu, why his version of fish and chips is so different, and his favorite authentic Filipino eateries in town. Plus, what does “Bivouac” actually mean? DJ explains. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Lotus Thai, The Rabbit Hole, Lola 55, and Raglan Public House. And did you hear? San Diego Magazine has launched its Insiders club, offering exclusive discounts at editor-selected restaurants, bars, spas, and more for just $10 per month. That’s right—it’ll cost you less than happy hour. (Speaking of happy hour, our next Insiders Happy Hour—where you get free drinks and bites—is taking place next week right in our office. Sign up here for the details.)

This week we’re back at Fernside, the new South Park cocktail bar and eatery from Christian Siglin (Bracero, The Grass Skirt, Cutwater Spirits), Shane Gerde (UnderBelly, Cutwater Spirits), and Adam Cook (Bluefoot Bar & Lounge) and also one of the participating restaurants in this year’s SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off. In Hot Plates, we’re talking about more ramen coming to Hillcrest, Fashion Valley’s North Italia restaurant led by former Waypoint Public Executive Chef Rich Sweeney, a new mezcal bar that’s landed in Old Town, and awhiskey slash steakhouse spot coming to Gaslamp next year. Our guest is Alicia Bell, the District Executive Chef of Palomar Health and winner of the People’s Choice Award at our Top Doctors party. The San Diego native and classically trained chef tells us about going from “cooking for rich people” to cooking in hospitals, how her mother’s cancer diagnosis changed her career path, and why she wants people to eat at a hospital for lunch. Plus, she gives us the scoop on the award-winning tacos—and shares the recipe below! In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Cucina Urbana, Carnitas’ Snack Shack, Tacos el Gordo, and The Cork and Craft.

This episode is sponsored by the SoNo Fest. The free street festival returns to the South Park-North Park area on Sunday, December 2 with 40 of the best restaurants from both neighborhoods competing in the ultimate #chilismackdown. There will also be a craft beer garden, food trucks, live music, and a kid’s fest. The best part? All proceeds go to the McKinley School Foundation. This week we’re coming at you from Fernside, the new South Park cocktail bar and eatery from Christian Siglin (Bracero, The Grass Skirt, Cutwater Spirits), Shane Gerde (UnderBelly, Cutwater Spirits), and Adam Cook (Bluefoot Bar & Lounge) and also one of the participating restaurants in this year’s SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off. In Hot Plates, we’re talking about big changes coming to Urban Solace in January, the new Asian-inspired speakeasy with a major designer behind the concept, Pure Project’s next tasting room location, and our comprehensive Thanksgiving guide, packed with traditional turkey feasts, eclectic buffets, catering options, and plenty of cocktails. Our guest is chef Amy DiBiase of the new InterContinental Hotel’s Vistal restaurant. She talks to us about how she works with a scientist to ensure seafood sustainability, the best dishes to try at Vistal, and why the poke trend may be peaked. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending El Jardín, Seasons 52, the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, Mirin Cafe, and Hernandez Hideaway. And did you hear? San Diego Magazine has launched its Insiders club, offering exclusive discounts at editor-selected restaurants, bars, spas, and more for just $10 per month. We’re off next week, so have a happy, safe, and delicious Thanksgiving holiday­—cheers!

Lobster rolls with yuzu aioli, pollo a la abrasa on buttery brioche, spicy drunken noodles—we’re feasting at The Willows Hotel & Spa at Viejas Casino & Resort, today’s sponsor alongside chefs Antonio Votta and Larry Banares. We kick off with Hot Plates. Popular Kensington Tex-Mex spot Ponce’s has opened a new location in Del Sur and Modern Times’ new plant-based eatery has debuted in Encinitas. Plus: Helix Brewing Co. has a new sours-only bar in La Mesa, Umami Japanese comes to San Marcos, and La Catrina takes over the old Tostadas space with a chef who previously worked with Javier Plascencia. Our guest is San Diego native Mike Maass, the cofounder of Burning Beard Brewing, an El Cajon brewery that opened in 2016. He explains the metaphor behind the brand name, starting with home brewing in a bathtub, and why canning beer is the “old new thing.” In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Bivouac Ciderworks, Shank & Bone, The Cork & Craft, and Fifty-Two East. We’re also discussing Scout, a new craft beer and wine distributor that’s revolutionizing marketing for beverages.

On today’s show we’re coming at you from our sponsor, The Willows Hotel & Spa at Viejas Casino & Resort, along with vice president of food and beverage David Duran. In Hot Plates, we’re talking about two upcoming events, including the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival and the first annual San Diego Food Tank Summit with bold-faced names of the industry (like the president of the San Diego County Farm Bureau and the co-owner of Café Gratitude) discussing how we can responsibly grow our region’s food movement. Plus, Ike’s sandwiches opens in the Midway district, Buona Forchetta opens its first North County location, and Farmer’s Table expands to Bay Park. Also, we talk about a fundraiser to help the cancer-stricken daughter of local beer icon Mike Hess. Our guest is Nica Knite, the owner and operator of Pine House Café & Tavern and the woman behind the revamp of the historic Pine Valley House & Silver Queen Saloon, a 95-year-old boutique resort, restaurant, and bar in Pine Valley, built by the architect Richard Requa (who built most of the California Exposition in Balboa Park). She explains why she’s restoring the scene in her mountain town and everything on her from-scratch menu. We’re also talking about the recent ban on polystyrene foam, a.k.a. Styrofoam, in the city. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Din Tai Fung, Grains, Maestoso, and The Mission in North Park.

What’s better than one Buona Forchetta concept in South Park? Two! On today’s show we’re talking about the debut of the Neapolitan pizza pro’s new wine bar, a Cohn Restaurant Group (Coasterra, Island Prime) concept coming to Mission Valley, and the closing of a Vista brewery. In the guest seat, meet Lee Chase, co-owner of Blind Lady Ale House, Tiger! Tiger!, and Balboa Park’s Panama 66, as well as the force behind Automatic Brewing. The San Diego native tells us about his start in home brewing at age 17, what drew him to Stone Brewing Co. as one of its earliest employees, and we revisit our favorite subject, what is going on with the food scene in Balboa Park. Today’s first hot topic focuses on craft beer, specifically how the local industry now pulls in three times the revenue of the Padres. Then we’re asking the question: Will we ever stop eating animal meat? Factory farming counts for one-sixth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions—but Americans don’t seem to care. We talk about going meatless (for at least one meal per week) and longtime vegan Chase chimes in, too. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Plant Power, Jaynes Gastropub, and El Jardín. And did you hear? San Diego Magazine has launched its Insiders club, offering exclusive discounts at editor-selected restaurants, bars, spas, and more for just $10 per month. That’s right—it’ll cost you less than happy hour.

In today’s episode of the Happy Half Hour, Troy, Erin, and Archana are discussing Mutual Friend Ice Cream, the hip new ice cream shop from the team behind Dark Horse Coffee Roasters,Surf Rider Pizza Co. coming to La Mesa, and a new hand roll concept coming to Liberty Station from Land & Water Co.’s chef Rob Ruiz. Plus, we have two Thanksgiving-centric events for you: Brian Malarkey’s demo and family-style dinner on November 7 at Farmer & the Seahorse and a November 14 ChefsGiving at Provisional Kitchen, Café & Mercantile at the Pendry hotel featuring JoJo Ruiz (Lionfish), Anthony Wells (Juniper & Ivy), and more, with Troy hosting the event and $25 of each ticket benefitting the San Diego Food Bank. Today’s guest is Erick Castro, partner and bartender at Polite Provisions and Raised By Wolves, not to mention podcaster and documentary filmmaker with his platform Bartender At Large. He’s talking about opening Polite when Normal Heights wasn’t so cool, the one problem with that rotating platform at Raised By Wolves, and yes, he answered why they opened in a mall. Our hot topic is about a food writer turned restaurateur who wants to apologize for all the critiques she’s thrown at restaurant owners. She’s sorry; she now realizes just how hard the industry really is. In Two People/$50 we’re recommending K Sandwiches, Simsim, and Fernside.

On today’s show Troy, Erin, and Archana are talking about The Brigantine’s new concept Ketch Grill & Taps, South Park’s Fernside courtesy of some of San Diego’s top talents, and the US Grant’s soon-to-debut Prohibition era-themed bar inside the downtown hotel. Our guest is David Cohn of Cohn Restaurant Group, the man behind San Diego staples like Island Prime, Coasterra, Corvette Diner, Bo-Beau, The Prado, Tacos Libertad, and more. He talks about what it was like to launch in Hillcrest in less vibrant times, how he met CRG executive chef-partner Deborah Scott, and what’s changed about those plastic straws at Corvette.

On today’s show, we’re talking about two buzzy new imports: the new dumpling restaurant that’s landed at Westfield UTC by way of Tawian, as well as Cava, the fast-casual Mediterranean concept that started in Washington, D.C. and recently opened an Encinitas outpost. Less exciting news is the closing of Russian-Georgian restaurant Kafe Sobaka and Cat Eye Club, the downtown cocktail lounge that has shuttered to make room for a Blind Burro expansion. In the guest seat is Bernard Guillas, the France-born chef who has served as Executive Chef of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club since 1994, directing its three restaurants and all catering operations. He tells us how he and the restaurant keep things fresh, the number of marriage proposals he sees inside the restaurant daily, and the scoop on that sea lion who wound up inside The Marine Room. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending DaoFu, Vistal, Nine-Ten Restaurant and Bar, and Taegukgi Korean BBQ. And did you hear? San Diego Magazine has launched its Insiders club, offering exclusive discounts at editor-picked restaurants, bars, spas, and more for just $10 per month. That’s right—it’ll cost you less than happy hour.

In today’s episode of the Happy Half Hour, Erin, Troy, and Archana are chatting restaurant news, like a new Mexican eatery at Fashion Valley started by the team behind True Food Kitchen and Flower Child. Plus, the mezcal tasting room Tahona is coming to Old Town next month and Common Stock is now open in Hillcrest. Our guest is Ben Simon, the CEO and co-founder of Imperfect Produce, the produce subscription service that sources “ugly” fruits and vegetables from farms and delivers them to your door. They just launched in San Diego, and Simon tells us how his company is helping cut down food waste, why San Diego was the right city to launch in, and how his food journey started at his college campus dining hall. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Wrench & Rodent, Cross Street Chicken and Beer, and Cucina Basilico. And did you hear? San Diego Magazine has launched its Insiders club, offering exclusive discounts at editor-picked restaurants, bars, spas, and more for just $10 per month. That’s right—it’ll cost you less than happy hour.

On today’s episode of the Happy Half Hour, we’re talking about Hundred Proof, the gastropub in Hillcrest that just hired former George’s at the Cove bar director Stephen Kurpinsky to revamp their cocktail offerings. Plus, an Indian restaurant is opening next month in South Park and Aero Club will live on thanks to its new owners, The Waterfront’s Chad Cline and Jason Nichols. Today’s guest is Frank Vizcarra, the owner of the new East Village taqueria, Lola55. His resume spans professional soccer, working at Pizza Hut and McDonald’s, and investing in Tender Greens. He opened Lola, a tribute to his 81-year-old mother, earlier this month with many of the recipes he grew up eating. Frank talks about why McDonald’s is the most misunderstood company in the world, his nationwide taco research tour, and expansion plans for Lola55. In Two People/$50, we’re recommending Civico1845, El Carrito, and Carruth Wine Cellars Garden. And did you hear? San Diego Magazine has launched its Insiders club, offering exclusive discounts at editor-picked restaurants, bars, spas, and more for just $10 per month. That’s right—it’ll cost you less than happy hour.

A local vodka co. wins big, and Bertrand Hug of Mister A’s and Mille Fleurs drops by by San Diego Magazine

For today’s episode, Erin, Troy, and David are kicking things off with some beer—a saison San Diego Magazine created in collaboration with The Bell Marker. Our producer and in-office beer expert David shares the details on how we picked the style, the fruit he himself peeled, and where you can drink find it around town. In Hot Plates, we’re discussing the Daniel Boulud protégé who’s going to launch his own restaurant in San Diego next year, a new Carlsbad bistro, and Farm to Fork Week’s return. Our guest is Luke Girling of Cyclops Farms, the Certified Organic Farm in Oceanside’s Fire Mountain where Girling grows anywhere from 30 to 45 different varieties of fruits and vegetables on his 2.5-acre plot. He gives us the origin story of Cyclops, how a health scare led to partnerships with Oceanside’s top chefs, and why he throws a dinner party on his farm (almost) every month. Today’s hot topic is about a new residential and commercial development that may come to Oceanside and what it means for locals like Girling. We end with Two People/$50, including Officine Buona Forchetta, The Balboa, Local Tap House, and Wrench & Rodent. And did you hear? San Diego Magazine has launched its Insiders club, offering exclusive discounts at editor-picked restaurants, bars, spas, and more for just $10 per month. That’s right—it’ll cost you less than happy hour.