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We Talk Healthy Eating with Lan Thai, Chef at Enclave, Inside of JuneShine Ranch’s Kombucha Brewery Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Lan Thai, chef at Enclave, the restaurant inside JuneShine Ranch's kombucha brewery. Enclave's menu is based around the concept of food-as-medicine and its partnership with Juneshine is a “match made in organic heaven,” according to Lan. We highlighted the roasted beet salad from Enclave in the January issue of San Diego Magazine, which is devoted to tips on healthy eating. Lan’s parents were refugees from Vietnam, and she was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. She came to the U.S. when she was six months old and her family settled in San Diego. She studied graphic communication at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and worked at Adobe Systems for nearly seven years. Yet, she left the tech world to pursue her passion for cooking, working as a caterer and now as chef for Enclave. For Two People, $50, Lan chose Tasty Noodle House on Convoy Street for their Shanghai noodles and grilled pork buns. David was recently in Big Bear, and he chose Himalayan Restaurant in Big Bear Lake Village. Troy’s pick this week is Super Cocina in North Park for their goat birria. In Hot Plates, Rincon Reservation Road Brewery, Southern California’s first certified Native American-owned brewery, opened at Harrah’s Resort SoCal on January 30. Oi Asian Fusion, a popular Filipino restaurant from LA, opened up a second location in Carmel Mountain Ranch Town Center. Rob Ruiz’s sustainable sushi concept at Liberty Public Market has been cancelled. The Lost Abbey will be opening a tasting room in a historic building in East Village—they’re taking over the Mexican Presbyterian Church on J and 13th streets, which dates back to 1906. 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.

Hard Cider is Here to Stay: North Park’s Bivouac Ciderworks Rolls Out Cans Jan 23, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! Joining us in the studio today is Lara Worm, co-founder of Bivouac Ciderworks in North Park. We’ve mentioned Bivouac before on the show, and you’re probably familiar with the brand, but we share the big news that they just recently released their ciders in cans—including the popular San Diego Jam. You can buy the cider at BevMo, Jensen’s and Barron’s, and soon they’ll be available in Orange County. We learned that Lara has had an interesting career path before founding Bivouac: She was a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. In 2015 she moved back to San Diego and still worked as an attorney, but she was pitched the idea to start the brewery by her current business partner, Matt. Lara is now with Bivouac full-time, and the company just celebrated its second anniversary. In Hot Plates, we talked about the new brunch spin off of Breakfast Republic, Gaslamp Breakfast Company, opening on Sixth Avenue and J Street. Del Mar is getting a big food hall, called The Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands, later this spring. A food truck in South Park, Shawarma Guys, were named the No. 1 place to eat in the country by Yelp. And Troy is still on the hunt for the best birria restaurant in San Diego! The Hot Topic is zero-proof distilled spirits, which ties in perfectly with “Dry January.” Several companies have come out lately with distilled "spirits" that they say taste just like vodka, gin, or even rum and whiskey, but have no alcohol. We're aware of two big brands that you might see in bars around town: Seedlip, a clear herbal tonic from the UK, and Lyre's, a line of alcohol-free spirits from Australia. Sycamore Den in Normal Heights carries Lyre’s, and we wrote about this trend in the current issue of San Diego Magazine. For Two People, $50, Troy picked Carnitas Las Michoacánas. Lauren liked Vina Carta Wine Shop and Bar, with sandwiches from Mona Lisa Italian Foods, and Lara selected Olympic Café. We want to hear from our listeners! Do you have a question for Troy about what it's like to be a restaurant critic? Need a restaurant recommendation? Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? 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.

A Q&A With the New Owner of Ballast Point: We Ask Brendan Watters How it Came to be Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

This week’s very special guest is Brendan Watters, the new CEO of Ballast Point and co-founder of Kings and Convicts Brewing Co. Kings and Convicts is the small brewery from the Chicago area that just purchased Ballast Point last month from Constellation Brands. Ballast Point shook the craft beer world when they sold to Constellation Brands for $1 billion over four years ago. We got to know Brendan during this interview and learn more about his background—he started Kings and Convicts in 2015 after having a longtime career in the hotel industry. He was CEO of a hotel firm that he sold to Red Lion for $8 million, and he has an MBA from the London Business School. Brendan jokes that he is the “convict” in “Kings and Convicts” because of his Australian roots, and says his business partner, Christopher Bradley, is the “king” because of his British heritage. Brendand has been visiting San Diego regularly for the past 20 years, and says he is working on fully relocating to San Diego. During the rest of the interview, Brendan gives us the details as to how he acquired the famous San Diego craft beer brand. For Two People, $50, Brendan chose Pizza Port. David chose Thai Joint on Adams because their warm larb salad is superb. Troy chose TJ Birrieria—one of the stops on his journey to find the best birria in San Diego. In Hot Plates, Chef Angelo Sosa gave Troy, and us, the exclusive news that he's leaving Death by Tequila to pursue a new project in San Diego. Sam the Cooking Guy is opening a two-story restaurant in Seaport Village called Graze by Sam the Cooking Guy. San Telmo Argentine Cafe (which made our Best Restaurants list in 2018) closed its location on Seventh and Broadway, but their catering business will remain open. This week’s Hot Topic is about how an Australian news site is saying that charcuterie boards are over, and declared that French fry boards will be the entertaining trend of 2020. Charcuterie boards have been all over Instagram and in food magazines this past holiday season, including in the November Food Lovers’ Guide of San Diego Magazine. So, what does our Australian guest have to say about this? We want to hear from our listeners! Do you have a question for Troy about what it's like to be a restaurant critic? Need a restaurant recommendation? Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? 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.

Love Italian Food? Get Ready to Feast, Matteo Cattaneo of Buona Forchetta Fame Joins us Jan 10, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back and Happy New Year! After the holiday break, we kick off 2020 by catching up with Matteo Cattaneo, who is from Bergamo, Italy, and the founder of Buona Forchetta, the popular pizzeria. We last had Matteo on the show back in the spring of 2017, but so much has happened since then. Buona Forchetta now has three locations throughout the county, and in late 2018, Matteo opened an Enoteca next door to Buona Forchetta’s flagship South Park location. This year, he plans to open Gelati & Peccati, a Roman-style pizza stand in North Park; Carbón, a barbecue restaurant in South Park; and a fourth Buona Forchetta in Coronado. He’s also getting ready to open a nonprofit restaurant, called Matteo, in South Park. In Hot Plates, we catch up with news on restaurant openings and closings, and unfortunately start of the new year with some significant restaurant closures: Chef DJ Tangalin closed GayaGaya, his modern Filipino restaurant in Miramar; the La Jolla location of Donovan’s Steak & Chophouse shuttered; and McCormick and Schmick's closed without warning on New Year’s Day after being in the Omni Hotel in the Gaslamp for 15 years. We end with one of the first restaurant openings of 2020—The Village in North Park replaced Anthem Vegan, and is serving vegan sushi and Mexican food. These cuisines are definitely a trend, which we explore in the January issue of San Diego Magazine. David’s 60 Second Beer Review is Back! This week, David likes the Springboard Pale Ale from Ocean Beach Brewery—it’s big collaborative beer made along with Belching Beaver, Pizza Port Brewing and Amplified Ale Works, and will be available at the Springboard West Music Festival in Ocean Beach this weekend. This week's Hot Topic is related to the plant-based trend: the company that makes the Impossible Burger announced earlier this week they're going to launch a pork alternative. It's going to come in ground and sausage versions, and you can expect to find it at Burger King soon on their croissant breakfast sandwich. We caught up with what everyone has been eating. Troy’s pick this week for Two People, $50, was Fernandez Restaurant, a birria restaurant in Nestor. Troy is currently on the hunt for who makes the best birria in San Diego—and we want to hear your suggestions on where Troy should go next! Lauren checked out Rare Society, the new steakhouse in Hillcrest from the group behind Trust, and Matteo’s pick was Wayfarer Bread—he loves their bread and pastries, especially the croissants. We want to hear from our listeners! Do you have a question for Troy about what it's like to be a restaurant critic? Need a restaurant recommendation? Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? 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.

The Team Reminisces On 2019 as They Look Back at Trends, Guests and Holiday Traditions Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back and happy holidays! We are wrapping up 2019 with two year-end episodes to discuss the best food, the coolest trends, the biggest headlines, and the saddest goodbyes that we featured on the show this year. In part two, the team discusses some of the food predictions that national studies and media said would be big in 2019, including: cannabis and CBD infused everything, hard seltzers like White Claw, Taiwanese cheese tea, plant-based eating, and mushrooms. We look at the past year to see if any of these trends made their way over to San Diego. Plant-based meals definitely had a huge impact at San Diego Magazine, as we dedicated our entire upcoming January 2020 issue to healthy eating and finding new vegetarian and vegan restaurants around the city. We also wanted to provide the update that we did find a place in San Diego that serves cheese tea, Happy Lemon in Kearny Mesa and Eastlake. The team also talks about what trends they saw appear in San Diego’s dining scene in 2019, as well as what they are predicting for 2020. Some things to look out for are craft sake, more comfortable chairs and carpeted restaurants, and the decline of the hazy IPA. Also in this episode, we take a look at our most downloaded episodes. What episode do you think it was? The team plus David casts their votes for their favorite guests of the year including Steven Yeng of OB Noodle House, the “Urchin King,” Peter Halmay, Brandon Zanavich from The Friendly, and more. Lastly, everyone provides their own Holiday Survival Guide to getting the most out of the festive season in San Diego, with tips like hitting up Miracle on 30th Street, a Christmas pop-up bar hosted by Polite Provisions, or checking out the cheesy holiday lighting competition between Fall Brewing Co. and Beerfish. 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, let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast, or ask Troy a question.

What Was the Best Thing You Ate In 2019? The Biggest Stories and we Reveal our ‘Best Of’ List Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

We are wrapping up 2019 with two year-end episodes to discuss the best food, coolest trends, biggest headlines, and saddest goodbyes in San Diego’s restaurant scene. This special episode is Part 1. Some big headlines this year included Addison becoming the first and only restaurant in San Diego to receive a Michelin Star. We also discussed the news that the owner of The Patio Group was charged by the federal government in an alleged $300 million fraud scheme, and Matt Gordon closed Urban Solace, which Troy called a “city icon.” El Jardin also had a big year with the hiring of chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins, gaining national acclaim, and then closing for a rebranding without Zepeda-Wilkins. Also, Cutwater Spirits was bought by Anheuser-Busch, and Constellation Brands sold off Ballast Point to a small brewery in Illinois. We also revealed the overall most-read story of 2019 on the San Diego Magazine website. Hint: It has something to do with food. Troy's most-read stories this year were “First Look of Il Dandy,” "The Best Soup Dumplings in San Diego," "The Problem with Bright Red Tuna," and "Restaurants Are Dying; Here's the Solution." Also in this episode, the team plus David reveal their personal best restaurants, best dishes, best breweries and saddest closures of 2019. Some places on their lists include: Original 40 Brewing Company, Fort Oak, De Cabeza, Animae, and Blue Point. Thanks for listening, and we’d love to hear from you! What was the best thing you ate at a restaurant in San Diego this year? Or do you have a question for Troy? 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 also 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.

Sergio Garcia Manriquez of Dos Tierras Talks About Finding His Calling Through Cooking Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

We’re kicking off December with a small announcement: After a good run, we’re retiring the column VIT (Very Important Taco) as we head into 2020 and are redesigning San Diego Magazine. We’re adding new departments and columns throughout the magazine, including the food section, as we’re about to unveil a brand new look. Don’t worry, we still plan on writing about tacos, but we’re making room to feature other dishes in the Mexican food canon along with more cuisines from around the world. This week’s podcast features our last, but not least, VIT: the pork birria and funghi ranchero tacos at Dos Tierras. In the studio with us today is Dos Tierras’ founder, Sergio Garcia Manriquez, and he talks about how his mobile catering business brings a taste of Mexico that isn’t commonly found in San Diego—cooking techniques from Michoacan, Mexico’s countryside—to various pop-up events and locations throughout the county. Sergio shares his journey with us, from growing up cooking with his grandmother to working in corporate America, and then shifting his career to focus on the culinary arts and eventually starting his own business. This month, Sergio is opening a vegan Mexican eatery, OleriCultura, in the food court at Grossmont Center. In Hot Plates, we talked about Blue Ocean Sushi and Harumama bringing Japanese food and adorable buns shaped like animals to La Jolla, Bottle Rocket Rocket Bar and Grill opening in the former Monkey Paw space in East Village, and that Jarrod Moiles, former executive chef of the Patio Group, has landed at Decoy Dockside in San Marcos. We also asked why J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse took a popular sandwich (made with prosciutto and French butter) off their menu after being open for just a few months—because we all loved it! David’s pick for the 60 Second Beer Review this week is White Labs Brewing Company’s Brut Saison. We wrap up with Two People, $50: Sergio had two picks, TJ Oyster Bar and the gumbo at Bud & Rob’s New Orleans Bistro. Troy liked the xiao long bao at Dumpling Inn and maintains they’re the best soup dumplings in San Diego. David gave us his pick for the week, the bone marrow appetizer at Starlite, which comes with the option of a whiskey luge—the bone marrow shot isn’t written on the menu, so be sure to ask for it. What's your pick for Two People, $50? Is there a local chef or restaurant owner that you want us to interview on the show? Or do you want to ask Troy a question about what it’s like to be a restaurant critic? Feel free to reach out to us! You can call us at 619-744-0535 or email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com if you’re too shy to leave a voicemail.

How the City of Oceanside is Using an Innovative Kitchen in the Fight Against Food Waste Nov 27, 2019

Show notes

Today is our special Thanksgiving episode, and joining us in the studio is Colleen Foster, Environmental Officer for the City of Oceanside, to talk about the new Green Oceanside Kitchen and its mission to end food waste and serve the community. Green Oceanside is a commercial kitchen and storage facility that is part of the city’s new food rescue program, where they teamed up with local nonprofit O’Side Kitchen Collaborative to collect unwanted food from farmers, backyards and restaurants, and make meals to feed those in need. Colleen says that 40 percent of the food grown in the U.S. is wasted, and that one in five children in San Diego is food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Colleen says they also host culinary demonstrations and workforce training classes at the kitchen, and they can also cater events. In Hot Plates, we discussed the news that chef Marco Maestoso is closing his namesake restaurant at the Hub in Hillcrest, and that its last day of dinner service will be Saturday, November 30. Troy named it the best Italian restaurant in San Diego in our annual Best Restaurants list this year, and Maestoso also received a mention in the Michelin Guide. Double Standard closed after a five-year run in the East Village, and Jeune et Jolie was recently named one of the best restaurants in the country by Esquire magazine—but listen in to find out why we’re not thrilled about how the writer described San Diego. We end Hot Plates with a local feel-good story that has been making national news: A customer gave Nomad Donuts in North Park a one-star review on Yelp because there is a homeless man who hangs out near the storefront. The owner of Nomad Donuts came to the man’s defense and posted a response to the customer, and it’s definitely worth a read. David’s 60 Second Beer Review is back! This week, he tells us why we should drink the Home of Indie IPA by Home Brewing Company. For Two People, $50, Troy’s pick this week was Con Pane Rustic Breads and Café, and he also tells us what it was like to dine at the three-Michelin-starred The French Laundry, where he recently went during his honeymoon. Lauren liked Rare Society, the new steakhouse in Hillcrest, and Erin’s pick was the Farmer & The Seahorse. Colleen represented Oceanside and selected the sushi at Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub. We end today’s show with the staff sharing their favorite hacks for cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Speaking of Thanksgiving, the editors at San Diego Magazine need your help! We want to hear from people who are experiencing their first Thanksgiving this year. What do you think of the American tradition? We want to hear your impressions and observations about the holiday, or if you hosted someone for their first Thanksgiving. Email erinm@sdmag.com if you have a story to share! We have a phone number and email 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 or happyhalfhour@sdmag.com, and leave us a message. What's your pick for Two People, $50? Or do you want to ask Troy a question? Feel free to reach out to us!

Fernando Gaxiola Gives us Taste of Mexico’s Wine Country Through His Co., Baja Wine and Food Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

This week’s special guest is Fernando Gaxiola, founder of Baja Wine and Food. Fernando was born and raised in Mexico and has a degree in engineering, as well as an MBA from Arizona State University. He spent years traveling and consulting around the world, but in 2011, settled in the San Diego-Tijuana area. In 2013, he launched Baja Wine and Food, a tour company which takes people to the boutique wineries and restaurants in the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja's wine country. He also helps these vintners distribute their wines internationally and promotes their events. We featured Baja Wine and Food in this month's Food Lover's Guide as an Immersive Food Experience. For Two People, $50, Fernando chose Lola 55, which is located in his same office building, so he says it’s both convenient and delicious. Lauren chose Tribute Pizza, but for the brunch, not for the pizza—she says they have the best bagels and breakfast calzones. Troy chose the Staff’s Favorite pizza at Blue Ribbon in Encinitas. In Hot Plates, we discussed the opening of a 6,000-square-foot conveyor belt sushi restaurant near Convoy called Mikami. San Diego just got a Venezuelan restaurant: Mi Pana Latin American Cuisine just opened in National City after the Venezuelan owner said he didn't see the cuisine being represented here. Feeding San Diego, a local nonprofit, says they are using a new app called MealConnect, created by Feed America. The app allows hotels, restaurants, events planners, farmers’ markets vendors, and convenience stores to donate their extra food and have someone come pick it up, like an Uber for food donations. This week’s Hot Topic was brought to us by one of our listeners, Tom. Tom just moved to South Park from the Bay Area a year ago, and he wrote to us with some questions about what’s going on with some of the restaurants in the neighborhood: he says several are still under construction or have delayed openings. Lauren has intel on the status of each restaurant Tom asked about, and Troy gave us insight on why there might be a backlog in the permitting process. 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.

Tommy the Fishmonger Talks About Going Solo while Staying Sustainable Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour podcast! Our sponsor this week is the SoNo Fest and Chili Cook-Off, and with us today is long-time chili competitor and beer donor, Lee Chase from Automatic Brewing, Tiger! Tiger!, Blind Lady Ale House and Panama 66. SoNo Fest is now one of the largest festivals in the North and South Park neighborhoods and is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year on December 1. This week’s special guest is Tommy Gomes, also known as Tommy the Fishmonger. Tommy joined us on the podcast in 2017, but is back to talk about his new consulting and advocacy work under his new brand, Tommy the Fishmonger. Tommy has a long history in San Diego working for Catalina Offshore Products, helping them open the Seafood Education and Nutrition Center. Tommy also founded Collaboration Kitchen, a nonprofit dinner series focused on seafood education, and you can also find him on YouTube cooking up some great seafood recipes. Tommy’s work helped Catalina Offshore receive a grant in 2019 to help expand the demand for underutilized species. We featured Tommy in our latest issue's Food Lovers’ Guide, where he gave us tips on how to buy the best seafood. For Two People, $50, Tommy chose Volare on Midway because he says their pasta with red sauce is the most authentic in San Diego. He also chose Fiddlers Green because you can get a steak with a baked potato and a salad for just $12. Lauren chose Brian Malarkey and Chris Puffer’s new restaurant, Herb and Sea. Troy liked the garlic chicken wrap at Mama’s Bakery and Lebanese Deli. In Hot Plates, it was all about restaurant openings: the new Puffer Malarkey Collective, Herb and Sea, the new Hillcrest steakhouse, Rare Society, and a new Southern restaurant in Hillcrest, Sunnyboy Biscuit Company. We also talked about Daniela Martinez, the pastry chef at Il Dandy—she just won the Sweets Showdown on the Food Network show Chopped. Daniela competed against the chefs from Milk Bar in New York and Broken Spanish in LA, and won $50,000! This week’s Hot Topic is about what to do when you’re a huge foodie, but you have a kid who is a picky eater. Troy wrote a heartfelt essay for the November issue and shared that while he’s a restaurant critic and an adventurous eater for a living, his daughter has a long list of things that she will not eat. 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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