San Diego Magazine's Happy Half Hour

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Beyond Booze: Michael Skubic of Old Harbor Distilling Talks Making Hand Sanitizer Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! San Diego has long been a craft beer destination, but the city is also home to a burgeoning small-batch distillery scene. How has the pandemic affected these companies, since tasting rooms have to remain closed? We invited Michael Skubic, founder of Old Harbor Distilling Co., to talk about this. Michael got his start as a homebrewer when he was just 21, and after college he helped co-found Mike Hess Brewing. He later ventured on his own and founded Old Harbor in 2014, and he makes gin, rum, and coffee liqueur out of its East Village headquarters. In the beginning of the pandemic when sanitizer was in short supply, Michael teamed up with other companies in the San Diego Distillers Guild to produce and donate 10,000 gallons of it. Michael talks about the process of making sanitizer (he also studied biochemistry at Point Loma Nazarene University), how his business is doing, and some new products he’s launching. He also shares what makes his San Miguel Southwestern Gin stand apart from other botanical gins on the market—it involves a cool history lesson, so listen to find out! In Hot Plates, we talked about the new Tito’s Deli in Barrio Logan, which specializes in Puerto Rican tripleta sandwiches. Chef Andrew Bachelier announced that he’s leaving Jeune et Jolie, which Esquire named one of the best new restaurants in the country last year. We ended the segment with some good news: Addison, San Diego’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, is reopening in a new outdoor setting on August 1. Chef William Bradley announced this on his Instagram. For Two People for Takeout, Michael recommended Tribute Pizza. Troy said to get the birria to go at Fernandez Restaurant in Nestor. David is a big fan of the Roman-style pizza at the newly opened Gelati & Peccati, and my pick is the shoyu (soy sauce) ramen at HiroNori Craft Ramen. Thank you so much for listening and for staying with us. We want to hear from you. Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? A topic that should be explored? Need a recommendation for takeout? Do you have a question for Troy? Let us know. You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you’re shy, you can email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com.

We dig in to Korean fried chicken with Tommy Nguyen, owner of Cross Street Chicken and Beer Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! When we taped this episode, the state of California had just announced the re-suspension of indoor dining at restaurants. Over the past few weeks, local restaurants have had to weather reopening, closing, and converting their dining spaces outdoors. We checked in with Tommy Nguyen, who owns Cross Street Chicken and Beer, the Korean fried chicken emporium with locations on Convoy Street and at Windmill Food Hall in Carlsbad. Tommy shared with us how he’s adapted his restaurants to this new environment, and that other small restaurants in the Convoy area—many of which reside in strip malls—have followed suit, turning the neighborhood into what looks like a night market. We then dived into how he started the business, and what inspired him to focus on Korean fried chicken, which isn’t as prominent in San Diego. He and his wife, Grace Chi, spent a couple of years traveling throughout Asia, and Tommy says he fell in love with Korean fried chicken during an extended stay in Seoul. Grace’s family also owns several restaurants on Convoy, including Grandma Tofu and Korean BBQ, DduriBa, and Bing Haus ice cream. In Hot Plates, we shared the news that Hanna’s Gourmet is back and offering family meals to go. Gelati & Peccati opened last week in North Park, with a walk-up window serving Roman-style pizza and gelato. Con Pane, a bakery that had been in Point Loma for 20 years and abruptly closed earlier this year after an audit by federal immigration authorities, was purchased by Cohn Restaurant Group and will reopen in Liberty Station. For Two People for Takeout, Tommy’s picks are Hinotez (which specializes in yakitori) and the pho at Phó Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest. Troy’s favorite this week is another Convoy institution, Wa Dining Okan. David recommended the ice cream at Stella Jean’s, and my pick is the Hawaiian-style ahi poke at Hawaiian Fresh Seafood. Thank you so much for listening and for staying with us. We want to hear from you. Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? A topic that should be explored? Need a recommendation for takeout? Do you have a question for Troy? Let us know. You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you’re shy, you can email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com.

What’s the future of live music in San Diego? We ask Tim Mays, owner of The Casbah and Starlite Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! At the time of this taping, indoor dining at restaurants in San Diego has been shut down for at least the next three weeks, and bars remain closed. We’ve been wondering what this means for the industry, and also how this will affect the live music scene and the venues that host them. So we brought in Tim Mays, who owns The Casbah on Kettner Boulevard—a landmark that’s been in town for over 30 years—along with Starlite restaurant, Krakatoa Cafe and Vinyl Junkies Record Shack. Tim is a serial entrepreneur: He’s also a partner in Soda Bar, and owned both Turf Supper Club in Golden Hill and Riviera Supper Club in La Mesa. He got his start in the industry by passing out flyers for concerts and booking shows in the ’80s before he opened The Casbah. Tim shares his insights on what it takes to adapt a restaurant to social distancing rules, when live music might start up again (nothing is projected until next spring), and what the industry could look like in the near future. We talk about how local musicians and creatives are affected by this, and how some are changing in response; Tim also shared his top favorite bands that have performed at The Casbah. (Listen to find out!) In Hot Plates, we talked about how Il Dandy changed its high-end Italian concept to a more casual one, Civico by The Park, that is serving pinsa—Troy explains what pinsa is and how it’s different from pizza. New things are happening at Liberty Public Market: the owners of Mastiff Sausage are opening a hot chicken and burger concept; Phillip Esteban (whom we just had on the show) is opening a brick-and-mortar spot for his Filipino rice bowls; and The Presley is opening at the end of this month, taking over the former Fireside by The Patio space. For Two People for Takeout, Tim’s picks are Buona Forchetta and Pizzeria Luigi. Troy’s pick is the döner fries at The Kebab Shop, and I picked the larb at The Original Sab-E-Lee. David’s pick is the fish and chips burrito at Beerfish, and he explains a fun to-go promotion the restaurant started that involves Smirnoff Ice. Thank you so much for listening and for staying with us. We want to hear from you. Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? A topic that should be explored? Need a recommendation for takeout? Do you have a question for Troy? Let us know. You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you’re shy, you can email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com.

How Chef Phillip Esteban Adapted and Expanded His Businesses, One Rice Bowl at a Time Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! This week, we checked in with Chef Phillip Esteban, a National City native who has worked at David Chang’s Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City and most recently as the research and development chef for Consortium Holdings. We’d initially planned to have Phillip on the show back in March to talk about his upcoming culinary projects in National City, which we featured in the April issue’s Neighborhood Guide. With the show up and running again, we talked to him about the status of his upcoming Filipino restaurant, Well Fed, and his culinary bookstore, Wordsmith, which is going in the new Market on 8th development in downtown National City. He shares what we can expect when the store opens this fall and how the restaurant is taking shape for a 2021 opening. He is also going to be on an episode of the Food Network’s Chopped on Tuesday, July 7—we’ll have to tune in! We had a great conversation with Phillip about the revitalization efforts in National City, his experiences as a Filipino American in San Diego, and how Filipino cuisine is still underrepresented locally and throughout the US. He shares how he put his efforts into his catering business, Craft Meals, and expanded it to provide Filipino silog (rice bowls) for at-home delivery once the March lockdown went into effect. The rice bowls have been a hit (if you like pork, you have to try the lechon), and Phillip also teamed up with World Central Kitchen to help donate meals to health care workers. Since March, he and his team have donated 40,000 meals. You can view the menu and order through Rice Bowls for All. We brought the Hot Plates segment back, where we discuss the latest local restaurant news. First, we talk about bars having to close again. Then we take a look at restaurants that have opened or expanded during the pandemic: Puesto is opening its new brewery and restaurant in Mission Valley; Michelin-starred chef Akira Back opened Lumi, a large rooftop restaurant in the Gaslamp; and La Puerta, a popular Mexican restaurant downtown, is working on its second location in Mission Hills. We also talk about Encinitas closing a section of its main street downtown to allow for more outdoor dining. We end our show with our revised Takeout for Two segment. David recommends the boozy popsicles and the cioppino at Small Bar, Troy loves the empanadas at Empanada Kitchen, and my pick is the brisket at Coop’s West Texas BBQ. Phillip had three picks, all of which are small businesses that just opened and are offering delivery: Coffee from Provecho; Tijuana-style burritos from Longplay Studio; and Mexican seafood from Mariscos Tone Camarón. Thank you so much for listening and for staying with us. We want to hear from you. Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? A topic that should be explored? Need a recommendation for takeout? Do you have a question for Troy? Let us know. You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you’re shy, you can email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com.

Brad Keiller of Nomad Donuts shares his experiences on being a Black business owner in America Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

Happy Half Hour has returned! After a nearly three-month hiatus, we’re excited to have the show back up and running. A note on today’s episode: Happy Half Hour is a podcast about San Diego’s restaurant industry. We know that listeners download it to hear Troy’s recommendations, and to find out what local chefs and restaurant owners are working on. For many people, the show is a form of escapism and entertainment. But today’s episode is different. We felt it would be irresponsible to not discuss current events, and the social issues around race and the need for inclusivity in this country. So we’re having this important discussion. We invited Brad Keiller, the co-owner and founder of Nomad Donuts, to be our guest on this episode to share his experiences and perspective on what is happening in the US. Brad’s family is from South Africa, and his parents left the country in 1969 during apartheid and moved to Canada, where they raised him. Brad has been in the US for 20 years now. Brad opened Nomad Donuts in North Park in 2014. Aside from being known in the neighborhood for creating high-quality donuts and Montreal-style bagels, he’s also known for his advocacy and work in the community. Last fall, he publicly defended a homeless man, whose name is Ray, when a customer complained on Yelp about Ray hanging out by the donut shop. Brad's compassionate response went viral. Brad also recently wrote an article for Inc. Magazine about the nationwide protests and the killing of George Floyd. We end the show with a new spin on an old segment: Two People, Fifty Bucks is now about our favorite places to get takeout for two people. Troy’s pick is Cori Pastificio, and mine is Tribute Pizza. Brad likes the takeout at URBN Coal Fired Pizza and Bar. Thank you so much for listening and for staying with us. We want to hear from you. Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? Need a recommendation for takeout? Do you have a question for Troy? Let us know. You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you're too shy, you can email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com.

Chef Travis Swikard Returns to His Hometown to Open Callie Restaurant in East Village Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

We’re here at Ballast Point Brewing in Little Italy, and today, we have Colby Chandler, Ballast Point’s vice president and specialty brewer. Colby is the second-longest employee of Ballast Point—he’s been with the company for 23 years. He was involved in the creation of their award-winning flagship beer, Sculpin, where he took two gold-medal-winning IPAs and melded the recipes into one. His version of their two beers is the Sculpin you know today. Today’s special guest is Chef Travis Swikard. Travis is opening one of the city's most anticipated restaurants, Callie, in the East Village, which we talk about in the Neighborhood Guide in the March issue. Callie is filling the space on Tenth Avenue where Bottega Americano was. Travis grew up in Santee, and he recently moved back to San Diego after working in New York City with acclaimed French chef Daniel Boulud for over a decade. Travis wanted to get back to local, fresh ingredients and a place to raise his two kids. Callie is his first solo restaurant. For Two People, $50, Travis chose Don Bravo, a small taco shop in La Jolla. David chose Tabu Shabu in North Park, and Erin liked happy hour at The Prado. Troy’s pick this week are the frittelle cacio e pepe (savory Italian donuts) from Cori Pastificio Trattoria in North Park, which he reviewed for our upcoming April issue. In Hot Plates, we talk about Prep Kitchen closing its doors in Little Italy, and Rock Bottom ending its run after being in UTC for over 20 years. The popular Food Network show "Restaurant Impossible" is taping at Kaiserhof, the German Restaurant in Ocean Beach. Normal Heights is getting a “hipster 7-Eleven” that’s going to open soon, complete with craft beer, a fro-yo bar, taco shop, and of course, kombucha on tap. We’re only one of the three cities in the country to get the company’s new “Evolution” stores. 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 HappyHalfHour@sdmag.com. 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.

Would You Try a Mashed Potato Pizza? Jon Mangini of Basic Pizza Talks About Why You Should Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

We’re here at Provisional Kitchen, one of the restaurants in the Pendry Hotel in downtown San Diego. Today, we have David Duran, the director of food and beverage at the Pendry, talking to us about their new superfood brunch cocktails. David got into the hospitality business at age 17 in Las Vegas and moved to San Diego in early 2017, where he took the job at the Pendry. Today’s guest is Jon Mangini, owner and founder of Basic Pizza and URBN Coal-Fired Pizza. Jon is a Connecticut native who is best known for bringing New Haven style thin-crust pizza to San Diego. He opened Basic Pizza in East Village in 2006, just a couple of years after Petco Park opened—and way before the neighborhood became a dining destination. It’s famous for the pizza topped with mashed potatoes and bacon. In 2008, Jon moved on to his next pizza project, URBN Coal Fired Pizza, which he launched in Vista. He has since expanded the company, and today URBN has five locations around the county, including a new location at One Paseo. For Two People, $50, Jon chose Fish 101 in Leucadia and Cardiff. David chose Tahona Bar along with their speakeasy, Oculto 477, where you have to disclose a sin before entering. Troy’s pick was another stop on his hunt for San Diego’s best birria, Cocina de Barrio in Hillcrest. Now that Troy’s birria journey is over, what should he try next? In Hot Plates, Jsix, the restaurant at the Hotel Solamar, is going to close and will be replaced by Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville chain. This will be the second Margaritaville Hotel in San Diego; the first is coming to Paradise Point in Mission Bay. Other news from East Village: Melvin Brewing closed its brewpub on 14th and Market. The Grand Ole BBQ y Asado in North Park is still closed for renovation, and they’re hoping to reopen in May. Soi 30th North Park Thai Eatery is opening a new location in Ocean Beach, replacing the Subway on Cable Street. If you listened to our end-of-year episode in December 2019, you’ll remember that we had strong opinions about The New York Times’ prediction that mushrooms would be the next kale. Well, CNN backs this up claim, and declared “mushrooms are the new grocery aisle celebrities” of 2020. 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, you can email HappyHalfHour@sdmag.com. 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.

Our Conversation with Gaston Martinez Gets Smoky As We Discuss Mezcal, Mexico, and Marketing Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

Today we’re here at our sponsor, Provisional Kitchen, Café & Mercantile, one of the restaurants in the Pendry Hotel in downtown San Diego, and today, we have Chef Brandon Sloan with us. Brandon is the Chef de Cuisine of Provisional, where he serves up a sunny side up ostrich egg—an egg so large that it equals 16 chicken eggs and feeds four people. Today’s guest is Gaston Martinez, the founder and CEO of IZO Mezcal, a line of agave spirits produced in Durango, Mexico. With the special Mexico travel issue of San Diego Magazine being on newsstands for only one more week, Gaston is the perfect guest to tell us everything he knows about one of Mexico’s most popular spirits. Gaston’s mezcal line is headquartered here in San Diego, and he founded the brand in 2018. The mezcal joven won a gold medal at the San Diego International Wine and Spirits challenge last year, and you can find it at restaurants like Cantina Mayahuel, Javier's Cantina, and at Costco. For Two People, $50, Gaston chose Javier’s up by UTC and The Taco Stand for their stellar salsas. David chose Venissimo Cheese and Erin chose Tahini, where she enjoyed their fried halloumi cheese sticks. Troy chose another stop on his hunt for San Diego’s best birria, Carnitas las Michoacanas. In Hot Plates, Addison, the only Michelin-starred restaurant in San Diego, unveiled its new look after closing briefly for a remodel. They also announced that Victoria O'Bryan was promoted to wine director. Bay City Brewing is opening their East Village location on March 2. Two events are happening on Leap Day: Stone Brewing is having its first all-IPA festival at its World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido, and Marina Kitchen at the Marriott Marquis is hosting a special five-course dinner with wine pairings from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa. Troy just announced the winner of the Best Birria in San Diego! To see the full list, visit The Feed. Today’s hot topic revealed that the largest archive of Mexican cookbooks in North America was released online. The University of Texas-San Antonio library digitized its collection of historic Mexican cookbooks, and anyone can view them on their website. The oldest cookbook in the library dates back to 1789, and about 50 others are handwritten manuscripts. You can also see the oldest cookbook published in Mexico, which dates back to 1831. 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 HappyHalfHour@sdmag.com. 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.

Amplified Ale Works’ founder Alex Pierson shares how he went from cooking kebabs to brewing up beers Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Alex Pierson, the founder of Amplified Ale Works. Alex got his start in the restaurant business when he opened a Middle Eastern restaurant in 2009, California Kebab. While running the restaurant he started brewing his own beer at home, which led him to start a brewery in Pacific Beach in 2012 and adopt the name, Amplified Ale Works. In 2016, he moved production to Miramar and opened a tasting room there where they expanded annual production from 300 barrels to 2,000 barrels. In 2018, he opened a third location in East Village. Along with beer, Alex focuses on working with musical artists and has created over 12 collaborations with local and touring bands, including Motörhead. Today, Alex is turning his attention to Lemon Grove where he wants to open his third beer garden. He started a Wefunder page to raise money for the new project and has already collected over half of their $300,000 goal. For Two People, $50, Alex chose Lola 55 for their affordable tacos and the mezcal menu at Tahona Bar in Old Town. David chose SKA Bar because he says their wasabi mashed potatoes are out of this world. And Troy chose the goat birria at Birrieria Y Menuderia Guadalajara. In Hot Plates, Cardellino is a new Italian-American restaurant from the team that runs Fort Oak. It is now open in Mission Hills and Troy got the First Look. Chris Carriker, who recently won an episode of “Chopped,” just opened his second ramen restaurant in Pacific Beach called Wokou Ramen and Yakitori. A new vegan Mexican restaurant, Oleri Cultura, just opened up in Grossmont Center. It was started by the founder of Chicano Soul Food, who we had on the podcast in December. Jose Luiz Hinostroza, who worked at Noma in Copenhagen and now is the chef at ARCA in Tulum, Mexico, is coming to San Diego to cook at a dinner series at the Hotel Del with Chef JoJo Ruiz. Valentine's Day is this Friday, and about 70 percent of Americans plan to dine out. Industry people have long called Valentine’s Day “amateur night,” and Gordon Ramsay even said that “it’s the worst day of the year to go out.” So where does the HHH team side on this issue? Tune in to find out and to get some Valentine’s Day tips if you still haven’t come up with plans. 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 HappyHalfHour@sdmag.com. 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 Talk Pizza and Ridiculously Hot Chicken Wings with Regents Pizzeria owner, Bill Vivian Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Bill Vivian, the owner of Regents Pizzeria in La Jolla, a pizzeria that specializes in both Chicago and New York-style pizzas. They’re also famous for their chicken wings, which range in spice levels from mild to explosively hot. We highlighted the “Scorpion Wings” from Regents in The Adventurous Eaters' Checklist feature in San Diego Magazine’s Food Lover’s Guide. If you want to order the Scorpion Wings, you have to sign an actual waiver—they’re so hot they pack 2 million Scoville units (for reference, a habanero has anywhere from 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units). Regents Pizzeria was opened in 2005 by Stephen Carson, and when he passed away in 2011, Bill took over the operation. And since the opening of the restaurant, Regents has never owned a freezer and never will, according to Bill. Regents’ current location in La Jolla has been open since late 2014. For Two People, $50, Bill chose Tribute Pizza, whose owner, Matt Lyons, helped Bill perfect a gluten-free pizza crust. David chose Cori Pastificio Trattoria, chef Accursio Lota’s new restaurant in North Park. Troy chose Mister A’s for their fabulous views (and shared some tips on what to get for happy hour there). Erin chose Ciccia Osteria, the Italian restaurant in Barrio Logan owned by Mario Cassineri and his wife, Francesca. In Hot Plates, Rusticucina is a new Sicilian restaurant that just opened on Park Boulevard, and the co-founders are all from Sicily. Toronado, a long-standing craft beer bar in North Park, is going to close soon. Another big closure happening this week is Indigo Grill, which has been in Little Italy for more than 20 years. The pop-up dinner at Liberty Station where you get to dine inside a terrarium starts tomorrow, Feb. 6, and the chef for the event is Claudette Zepeda Wilkins. Keep an eye on The Feed next week, because Troy will be announcing the winner of the city's Best Birria! David’s 60 Second Beer Review this week is Karl Strauss' 31st anniversary barrel aged scotch ale, a traditional Scotch ale aged for 12 months in American whiskey barrels. This week’s Hot Topic comes from an opinion piece that Troy just posted on our website: “Superfood is a Supersham,” where he says “Superfood is a meaningless marketing word” that is commonly used to describe certain fruits, vegetables and ingredients—and there is little to no good science to back up the health claims. Also, some of the research that does was paid for by the producers of these foods. 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 HappyHalfHour@sdmag.com. 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.

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