San Diego Magazine's Happy Half Hour

Latest Episodes:

The parking episode! The latest chef-hunter trend, and lots of La Mesa talk. Feb 27, 2019

Show notes

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.

What's behind the natural wine trend, and a debate over Instagram influencers Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

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.

A new Moroccan Baja-inspired restaurant lands in North Park, plus loads of other food news Feb 14, 2019

Show notes

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.

Thorn Brewing talks tasting rooms and is the Little Italy Food Hall one of the top 10? Feb 06, 2019

Show notes

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.

Metallica and Stone Brewing Co. make beer, and John Resnick from Campfire and Jeune et Jolie Jan 30, 2019

Show notes

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.

Fort Oak opens and Moe Girton from Gossip Grill and Baja Betty’s drops in Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

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.

DIY pancakes are headed to North Park, and Land & Water Co.’s chef Rob Ruiz drops in Jan 16, 2019

Show notes

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.

The Convoy District Partnership talks expansion and staying authentic Jan 09, 2019

Show notes

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.

Urban Solace chef-owner Matt Gordon is back in the guest seat Jan 02, 2019

Show notes

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!

It’s our 2018 wrap-up show, with the buzziest news, favorite guests, and our personal picks Dec 20, 2018

Show notes

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!

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