Forget zombies.  Craft beer is about to take over San Diego. 

Friday, Nov. 6 through Nov. 15, breweries, bars, restaurants and hotels will celebrate the first-ever San Diego Beer Week with tons of awesome events all around town.

From beer dinners, cask nights and barrel-aged tastings, to learn-to-brew classes and beer education seminars local brewers plan to show off the goods that recently earned San Diego the honor of being named the top beer city in the country by Men’s Journal.

The kickoff event is the San Diego Brewers Guild Festival on Friday at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park.  The festival will feature 80 beers brewed in San Diego – admission includes 10 samples, complimentary food, live music and a souvenir tasting glass.  

Festivities wrap up on Nov. 15 with a Chef Celebration of San Diego Beers in La Jolla.  The event will feature 16 local chefs and eight San Diego breweries. Admission includes a souvenir tasting glass, live music, all you can eat pairings and beer seminars presented by local brewers and chefs. 

During the 10 days in between, there are more than 200 fun San Diego Beer Week events. 

You heard me right, that’s two full weekends of pints, pours and parties. 

Plus, if you’re considering a last-minute trip, hotel packages and special rates are still available.  Come and raise a glass with us!

Tags: craft beer, dining, drinks, festival, food

Categorized under: Dining & Restaurants, Insider Tips, San Diego Events | 1 Comment »

One of my favorite things about San Diego is all the diverse neighborhoods located within the county.  All in all, there are more than 100 neighborhoods and one each offers its own unique experience, personality and charm.  While I could go on and on about each, my hands-down favorite is Ocean Beach…well “OB” as us locals like to call it.

With each visit, this town’s laid-back, hippie beach vibe is contagious.  I find myself truly relaxed as I sip mimosas in the sun, in awe with my latest fashion finds and entertained by the diversity of people and personalities that flock to this area. 

To sum it all up, here are my OB highlights, hot spots and favs:

Food

• Whenever friends or family come to visit, I make sure to take them to Tower Two Café.  While the food is just average, it’s the casual beach setting that draws me here…. Ok, and the mimosa beach buckets. (True story: the bottle of champagne comes in a colorful beach pale filled with ice, and it even has a cute little shovel attached!) Here, you can sit in the sun on the outdoor deck and look out into the ocean.  It’s dog- friendly too, so your pup can enjoy the sun, socializing and table scraps.

 

Runner ups:

• Hodad’s has been around for over 40 years and serves some of the best burgers in San Diego, even CNN thinks so.  The catch, it’s so popular that there is almost always a line out the door but the burgers are definitely worth the wait. 
• If you like fish tacos you must go to South Beach Bar & Grill.  This little beach bar has won numerous awards and recognition and in my opinion, serves the best fish tacos I’ve ever tasted…try the Mahi taco, you won’t be disappointed, I promise!!

Shopping

• My go-to for cute shoes or accessories is Lola Luna on OB’s main drag, Newport Avenue.  They always have the best shoes that you don’t see in department stores, which means most people won’t have them.  Also, they always have a sale table outside with $10 shoes… what could be better than that??

Runner ups:

• Dream Girls is one of my newer discoveries and also one of the more expensive places in OB.  It’s located on Newport Ave and they have an amazing selection of
  

  heaven on earth

  good-quality clothes, shoes and accessories so you defiantly get what you pay for.  So far, it’s proven impossible for me to leave this place empty handed.

• Also on Newport Ave. is the Closet.  I like this place for cheap clothes and shoes for nights out or special events.  Since the clothes are always changing to keep up with the latest trends I find that most visits here are either hit or miss.

Activities

• Of course a visit to OB would not be complete without stopping at the beach.  True beach lovers can surf, swim and tan, while those who just  want to take in the view can perch themselves on the boardwalk or walk across the OB Pier for amazing ocean views.  There’s also Dog Beach, a leash free beach area where dogs and their owners can splash through the waves and play fetch on the beach.

Runner ups:

• Every Wednesday from 4-8 pm, (and 4-7pm in winter) OB hosts a fantastic farmer’s market along Newport Ave. Here you can find fresh, locally grown produce and flowers, but there are also delicious food stands with all types of ethnic cuisine (mmm…sambusa) and live music, handmade jewelry and, drum roll please…… llama rides!
• Antiquing… not really my thing but if I was going to take up the hobby, I’d definitely shop in OB where they have the largest concentration of antiques and collectable in all of San Diego. In OB’s Antique District, on Newport Ave. you will find an eclectic array of one-of-a-kind antiques, mid-century modern furniture, fine estate sale items, vintage jewelry and so much more.

Tags: antique, beach, dining, dog, food, ocean beach, Shopping

Categorized under: Beaches & Outdoors, Insider Tips | 2 Comments »

Looking for something to do this weekend?  Consider:

1. Look to the sky this weekend during the MCAS Miramar Air Show at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The event showcases several types of aircraft, including vintage biplanes
   

   sunset at the air show, but the fun is just beginning...

   and stealth fighter jets, as well as simulated combat demonstrations, amazing areal performances and a nighttime show with the Great Wall of Fire and a firework grand finale.  I’ve heard that the wall of fire is AMAZING so I’ll be there to check it out this weekend.

2. Bratwurst, beer gardens and oompapa bands can only mean one thing—Oktoberfest! This weekend, check out celebrations of this German holiday during Oktoberfest in La Mesa, the largest festival the U.S. West Coast and Octoberfest in El Cajon. As the German’s would say, “Prost!”
3. Head to Julian this Saturday and Sunday for the 100th Apple Day celebration at the Menghini Winery from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The event includes apple displays, music and dancing, children’s games and activities, gold panning demonstrations, a beer and wine garden, food and merchandise vendors and of course, Julian’s famous apple pie.  The event costs $5 for adults and children ages 12 and under are free.
4. SeaWorld gets a little spooky this Saturday with the unveiling of the park’s Halloween Spooktacular featuring new shows and festive entertainment. Come see Clyde and Seamore’s Trick or Treat, Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween musical and enjoy special Halloween activities and photo opportunities with characters in costume.
5. Get your grub on this Saturday during Taste of North Park from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy yummy food samples and refreshing microbrew tastings at restaurants, galleries and boutiques throughout the neighborhood.  Tickets for the event are $30 with advanced purchase or $35 day of.

Tags: 5 to try, craft beer, food, Halloween, Julian, San Diego Events, seaworld, things to do, what to do

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Remember when Peter Brady made two dates for the school dance with two different girls and tried to keep them both without either one finding out?  His solution was simple: find a kid at school who looks identical to him for some reason and set him up with one of the unwitting young ladies.

I’m facing a similar double-booking problem this weekend — two huge, 2-day events that I look forward to each year: Adams Avenue Street Fair and the Pacific Islander Festival – both taking place September 26 and 27.  Unfortunately, without the wits and resources of a Brady, there’s no way for me to enjoy both days of programming.  Yes, these are my troubles.

Adams Avenue Street Fair

 

Adams Avenue Street Fair is the outdoor event I most look forward to every year.  With six musical stages, carnival rides, and a food and arts & crafts bazaar, it’s San Diego’s most happening block party as well as Southern California’s largest free music festival.  I never miss it, and every year I come away with some great, new local discoveries, as well as chili-lime kettle corn breath.

It’s hard enough choosing which stage to go to at any particular time during Adams Avenue Street Fair, let alone deciding which day to cut entirely.  This year, the music I’m most looking forward to, or curious about, will come from Red Pony Clock, Akayaa & Bolga Zohdoomah, and Jack “Mr. Bongo” Costanzo & his Latin Orchestra.  And I can personally vouch for The Styletones and Gregory Page.

Find a complete schedule of performers and their websites here.

Adams Avenue Street Fair runs from 10:00 A.M. to 9 P.M. on Saturday, and from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Street Fair Report 9/28/09: One thing this year’s Adams Avenue Street Fair had in common with those from most previous years is that it was the best one yet.  I became so swept up in the music on Saturday that I found myself returning for more on Sunday and, in the end, I stood up the Pacific Islander Festival (and my pulled pork and mac salad).  So much for multitasking.  Peter Brady — 1, me — 0.  But boy, did I dance this weekend!

Charlie Konopka busks some San Diego blues on Adams Ave.

Yes, even the buskers brought the goods this year.  It reminded me of an embryonic South by Southwest.  If next year’s Street Fair is to top this year’s, I think these three acts will have to put something together.

 

Pacific Islander Festival

The other event I look forward to every year is the Pacific Islander Festival, also going on September 26 and 27.  This one takes place at Ski Beach on Mission Bay, and it celebrates the rich folkways of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia with ethnic food, arts & crafts, cultural exhibits, and a stage with a steady schedule of musical and cultural performances.  It’s the place to go to sit on the grass with your plate lunch and shave ice and take in some ukulele combos and a poi ball dance performance.  That’s my kind of dinner theater.

 

The Pacific Islander Festival opens on Saturday at 9:00 A.M. and is pau at 4:00 P.M.  On Sunday, it’ s 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Limited parking is available for $10 in the lot on the west side of Ski Beach, but you should get there early to catch that worm.  A good alternative would be to park at one of the three remote parking lots and catch a free shuttle into the festival.  And wear sunscreen, bruddah!

Tags: festival, food, free, live music, outdoors, things to do, what to do

Categorized under: Activities & Attractions, Arts & Culture, Beaches & Outdoors, Insider Tips, San Diego Events | 1 Comment »

A couple weeks back, Peter Haigh of the internet radio show On The Menu was in town scoping out the San Diego restaurant scene.  Peter and his co-host (and lovely wife) Ann have been doing this show for years and have interviewed some of the culinary world’s biggest stars.  So, I was really excited to get an opportunity to chat with him on-air. 

We got to talk about San Diego in the fall, all our amazing farmer’s markets including the Little Italy Mercado (a personal favorite) and our incredible fall culinary events like San Diego Restaurant Week on Sept. 13-18, Celebrate the Craft  on Nov.1 and the first-ever San Diego Beer Week coming up Nov. 6-15. 

Peter also got a chance to interview a great local chef, Adam Bussell from the Vela at the new downtown Hilton San Diego Bayfront. 

Adam’s a native San Diegan (they are hard to find here!) who spent the last several years in the kitchens at the Five Diamond Award-winning Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Michael Mina’s Aqua at the St. Regis Hotel Monarch Beach and Montage Studio Restaurant at the Montage Laguna Beach.  Now, he’s back and cooking at Vela.

Listen to us online in the On The Menu archives (look for the Sept. 6 show) or click here.

Tags: dining, food, in the news, san diego bay, san diego restaurant week

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Sam the Cooking Guy, San Diego’s own Emmy Award-winning, foodie TV star is excited about the upcoming San Diego Restaurant Week. 

So much so that he’s offering up a series of video tips on how to make the most of your  experience Sept. 13-18.  Watch and learn!

Tags: dining, food, san diego restaurant week

Categorized under: Dining & Restaurants, San Diego Events | 19 Comments »

Want to channel your inner Julie & Julia?  

Whether you want to master the perfect hand-rolled sushi or unravel the mysteries of wine tasting, this fall the Balboa Park Food & Wine School is offering the chance to dig in and savor the experience with an exciting roster of autumn cooking classes.  

Classes are held at the school’s gorgeous facility in the heart of Balboa Park and fall highlights include a brunch how-to with last season’s Top Chef contender from San Diego, Rich Sweeney, on Sept. 19 and the 9th Annual Harvest Celebrationwith The Prado’s chef Jeff Thurston and local winemakers on Oct. 15.

Of course, Balboa Park isn’t the only place in San Diego to give your culinary muscles a good work out.  Classes are also regularly scheduled at downtown’s San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, at Great News! Cooking School in Pacific Beach and at Macy’s School of Cooking in Mission Valley.   Bon appetit!

Tags: balboa park, cooking classes, downtown, fall, food, mission valley, pacific beach, wine

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Hungry?  Just a little?

Here’s five new eateries to whet your appetite:

• Claire’s on Cedros, an eco-friendly bakery and café, opened in Solana Beach earlier this month as the first freestanding restaurant in the U.S. to receive Platinum LEED certification. The laid back, dog-friendly restaurant offers organic eats (natch) for breakfast and lunch. 
• Also in August, The Red Door opened in Mission Hills with affordable New American comfort food for dinner daily, lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends. Priced below $20, dinner entrees include cornmeal-crusted Cajun catfish with sweet potato-crab hash and a surf & “cheeky” turf with sea scallops, braised pork cheek, roasted garlic jus and crispy polenta.  Um, hello?  Yum. 
• Here’s a double – Barona Resort & Casinoin San Diego’s East County opened two restaurants in July and both are great values (and good for those of us playing the penny slots).  Italian Cucina serves classic Italian dishes, pizzas, calzone and pasta all priced under $20 while Seafood Plaza offers grilled items, priced from $6.95 to $12.95, oysters at the raw bar and signature rolls at the sushi bar. 
• In June, Cucina Urbana opened in Banker’s Hill adjacent to Balboa Park serving affordable Italian regional cuisine with a local farm-to-table ethos (no menu item tops $20). Crazy good starters include seasonal pickled vegetables, pate and other spreads served in mini mason jars and antipasti like amazing fried squash blossoms with ricotta, purple basil pesto and lemon aioli.  Innovative pastas and modern spins on classic Italian entrees round out the menu.  The restaurant is open daily for dinner. 
• Also in June, a long-time San Diego favorite returned with the opening of Casa de Bandini in Carlsbad.  For more than 25 years, the restaurant was a fixture in Old Town and, once again, diners can enjoy the ambiance of Old Mexico with strolling mariachis, brightly colored umbrellas on a sunny outdoor patio, authentic regional cuisine and giant, frosty margaritas. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Okay, I can’t stop at just five.  Just one more because, in San Diego you can never have too many great new restaurants.  Especially when they’re serving up frosty margaritas.

• Casa de Reyes in Old Town State Historic Park reopened in May with a new chef, menu and bright cheerful design. The restaurant has always been popular for outdoor dining so they doubled the size of the patio and added a new shade arbor and dramatic fire pits.  Salsas are made fresh daily; each burrito is served with a specially prepared sauce, and chili rellenos are made the old fashioned way with a creamy, homemade cheese sauce. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and – yes! – margaritas. 

Tags: 5 to try, bankers hill, Carlsbad, casino, dining, dog, food, green, mission hills, old town, solana beach

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Last night, my friend and I went to check out the new Side Bar in Gaslamp Quarter, which reopened in May after a multi-million dollar renovation. 

Upon entering, this bar/lounge/club was unlike anything I had ever seen. The black, red and silver décor was over-the-top in the most fabulous way –  I swear, I spent a couple of minutes actually considering how I could attempt to steal all the lights, mirrors and rugs – and the ambiance exuded a sense of mischief, intimacy and dare I say… sexuality.

Aside from all the amazing décor there are a lot of neat design details that many may not notice. For example, the VIP booths have secret compartments for girls to hide their purses, and the bench cushions you sit on?? Yeah, they come off to reveal your very own personal dance floor underneath. How cool is that?!

After making our usual lap, (you know, the one where you walk around and scope out the scene) we sat down at a table to taste some of the menu selections. While everything was fantastic, I highly recommend the Toasted Raviolis and the White Spinach Pizza, they were delish! For drinks, we tried the Watermelon Mojito (fabulous, but strong) and the Absolute Side Bar (mmm, the fresh strawberries were a nice touch, except for when they clogged my straw, sad face).

After dinner, we hung out for a bit as the DJ revved up for the evening, but as responsible girls with work the next day, we called it an early night and left before the mass crowds came to let loose.

Side Bar is open Tuesdays – Sundays from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. for dinner, drinks and dancing. The owner told me that the place gets packed on Fridays and Saturdays, so come early to avoid the lines… I know I’ll be there, with my Toasted Raviolis in one hand and my Absolute Side Bar in the other. Cheers!

Tags: drinks, food, Gaslamp Quarter, night club

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There’s fun stuff happening this weekend, especially on Sunday. So if you’re in the mood for great music, good food and whales and mimosas too, check out these weekend activities and events:

1. Get your groove thang on this Saturday and Sunday at the North Park Music Thing, a two-day concert event. On Saturday
   

   doin her thing at North Park Music Thing

   night around 7 p.m., a number of North Park’s most happening bars and clubs will transform into a concert hallapalooza during the Saturday Night Music Fest where over 100 bands will perform on 20 stages at venues like True North Tavern, Bar Pink and The Office Bar. Saturday night admission tickets will be sold at each venue for $20 and provide entry into all 20 venues. Then on Sunday, the North Park Music Thing festivities continue from noon to 7 p.m. with the Sunday Street Fest, which will feature 3 stages of live music, a live art show, international food and street vendors.  Street Fest tickets will be $20.

   *** This just in: Tin Can Alehouse will be selling one-cent beers on Saturday night during the Music Fest. Buy one beer and get the second one for a penny! ***

2. On Sunday, Hillcrest’s main drag, Fifth Avenue, will come alive during the annual Hillcrest Cityfest Street Fair. Taking place from noon to 9:30 p.m., this free event will have music, arts and crafts, food, entertainment stages, children’s rides and more. Take part in the Lantern Parade at 8:30 p.m. and stay for the countdown to the relighting of the famous Hillcrest city sign at 9 p.m.
3. This Sunday is a chance of a lifetime…a chance to see the largest mammas on the planet, Blue Whales! They’re here in San Diego for the summer and you can check them out with H&M Landing’s Blue Whale Cruises. The 8 hour cruise departs this Sunday at 9 a.m. from H&M Landing’s home base in Point Loma. The cost of the cruise is $80 for kids and $100 for adults.
4. Carlsbad’s annual Art in the Village event goes down this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with live jazz performances and over 200 arts vendors selling sculptures, photography, ceramics, handmade jewelry, furniture and more.
5. I think Sunday’s are the perfect days for brunch and mimosas. There are a number of places in town to kick back and let the bubbly orange juice elevate your mood, but I’m quite fond of the summertime Sunday brunch at The Pearl Hotel. Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Pearl serves up a delicious brunch selection at very reasonable prices. The best part? For just $20 you can enjoy your choice of entrée and bottomless mimosas.

Tags: art, Carlsbad, festival, food, free, Hillcrest, live music, North Park, Point Loma, summer, things to do, whale watching, what to do

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