California Kebab & Beer Garden and Amplified Ale Works Celebrate Oktoberfest with German Beer and Hear & Trotter Brats | Saturday, September 28

September 25, 2013

Amplified Ale Works will be celebrating Oktoberfest on their ocean view patio at Cali Kebab & Beer Garden in Pacific Beach this Saturday, September 28, offering ten different German beers on draft and beer basted brats from The Heart & Trotter Butchery.

Esquire Network's Brew Dogs Premiers September 24 | First Episode Focuses on San Diego's Craft Beer Scene

September 24, 2013

Brew Dogs - one of Esquire Network's most exciting new shows - premiers tonight at 10pm!  The series features James Watt and Martin Dickie, owners of the UK’s fastest-growing craft brewery BrewDog, as they travel across America visiting different beer towns, celebrating distinctive craft beers and creating their own locally-inspired drafts.  Appropriately, the first stop on the Brew Dogs tour will be San Diego’s very own Stone Brewing Co., further solidifying San Diego's status as the world capital of beer!

Urban Kitchen to Open Del Mar's Newest Hotspot | CUCINA enoteca Opens September 29!

Summer corn stuffed agnolotti

September 24, 2013

A group of San Diego epicureans swarmed the unfinished space in Del Mar's Flower Hill Promenade to get a behind-the-scenes tour of what will soon be the newest restaurant in Tracy Borkum's Urban Kitchen Group.  Although the opening is a bit later than originally anticipated, come September 29, CUCINA enoteca will be a guaranteed North County culinary destination where foodies and socialites flock.  The friendly and cohesive staff is eager to serve up family style, modern Italian fare with the casual California twist that diners have come to know and love from Tracy's restaurants.

Shooting for That Top Spot | Craft Beer Tourism Summit Encourages All San Diego Businesses to Embrace Our Beer

September 23, 2013

On Thursday, September 19, politicians, brewers, restauranteurs, hoteliers, and media members joined together at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens Liberty Station for the San Diego Craft Beer Tourism & Hospitality Economic Summit, a symposium with the summary purpose of encouraging all local businesses to 'embrace and evolve' our position as a craft beer mecca.  Stone Brewing Co. founders Greg Kock & Steve Wagner invited fellow beer enthusiasts, including former mayor and current San Diego Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Sanders, to a discussion about how we can take our city to the next level as the world's top destination for beer enthusiasts.

Over 30,000 Expected at the 5th Annual La Jolla Art & Wine Festival | October 12-13

September 22, 2013

We're less than one month away from one of San Diego's hottest Fall tickets! Named nationally as one of the U.S.' "Top Fall Food & Drink Events" by Eater.com, the non-profit La Jolla Art & Wine Festival is set to take place this year on Saturday, October 12th & Sunday, October 13th. Packed with 2 days of wine, art, music, fun & charity, the entire picturesque village of downtown La Jolla will transform itself into one of the most prestigious art and wine festivals in the country!

Ballast Point Oktoberfest Dinner at Searsucker Del Mar | September 26

September 22, 2013

Just in time for Oktoberfest, Searsucker Del Mar and Ballast Point have teamed up to create a dynamic Oktoberfest-inspired menu that features some of Celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey's unique dishes along with an assortment of Ballast Point's popular brews including Longfin Lager, Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Oktoberfest and Victory at Sea Porter. The Ballast Point Oktoberfest Dinner will take place on Thursday, September 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the recently opened Searsucker Del Mar (12995 El Camino Real, Del Mar).

Lucky Bastard Saloon Debuts Weekend Brunch Menu

September 21, 2013

Lucky Bastard Saloon’s 38 giant-screen TV’s have already made it ideal for football season, and now the Gaslamp sports bar has launched a full brunch menu to complement every game. Every Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., fans can get their brunch fix without resorting to checking ESPN on their phones.

The Tom Ham's Revival | Restaurant Evolves Through Renovations to Menu and Historic Location

September 20, 2013

Photos by Derek Plank courtesy of Tom Ham's Lighthouse

Lately we have been increasingly hearing its name chanted and revered from the mouths of trusted foodies. Tom Ham's Lighthouse has been owned by the Baumann family since the early 1970s, and although the restaurant could have lost itself in complacency and still thrived on its incredible view alone, Tom Ham's chose to undergo a five month, $3.5 Million renovation and picked up the experienced Chef Lance Repp from La Valencia to overhaul the menu.  The stunning result is a patently 'new' restaurant offering some of the freshest seafood in town along with a fantastic craft beer selection and quite possibly the very best view of downtown San Diego.

The Baked Bear Starts Catering Service | First Catered Party is Last 3 Padres Home Games!

September 19, 2013

Take two warm cookies and bring them together with creamy, rich ice cream and you have yourself what many people have dubbed “the best idea ever.” From their Instagram following to their constant line out the door, The Baked Bear of Pacific Beach, has already become a San Diego staple, and now with the launch of a new catering line, partygoers will be able to enjoy The Baked Bear’s scrumptious menu in the comfort of their own fest. With a brand new “Baked Bear” wrapped van and portable refrigerated carts, San Diego will now see The Baked Bear on the go, starting this weekend at Petco Park!

Whole Foods Market Hillcrest 7th Ave Pub Launches Urban Baja Menu

Chef Martín San Román

September 18, 2013

Whole Foods Market in Hillcrest will launch its new Urban Baja Menu created by Season Catering & Events Chef Partner Martín San Román at its 7th Ave Pub starting Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. Internationally recognized local chef Martín San Román, who has received more than 250 awards from various countries, will be paving the way for a new culinary path for Whole Foods Market Hillcrest, embracing the popular Baja Med style and introducing a large line of regional wines to complement the already lengthy craft beer selection.

Casualization - Embracing the Zeitgeist of an Oppressive Society | Notes from a Loudmouth With an Affinity for Philosophy

Scene from Brooklyn 99

September 18, 2013

San Diego Magazine's resident food critic Troy Johnson has struck up an interesting debate with his article Casual Hex in San Diego, an entertaining and philosophical read on a fascinating subject - the modern trend toward casualizing the dining experience. Bertrand Hug of the legendary San Diego fine dining establishments, Betrand at Mister A's and Mille Fleurs, has already chimed in on the subject, as has Chef Matt Gordon of Sea & Smoke, Urban Solace and Solace and the Moonlight Lounge. As a San Diego loudmouth, I just had to get in on this action, interject, and toss my own two cents into the debate!

Oktoberfest Arrives to Mille Fleurs on September 24

Fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms, Bread Dumpling, Cream Sauce With Parsley 

September 18, 2013

Beginning Tuesday, September 24, Chef Martin Woesle at the renowned Mille Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe will take guests to his homeland of Germany with Mille Fleurs’ annual Oktoberfest celebration. Mille Fleurs will offer daily specials showcasing a variety of traditional German cuisine through the end of October.

Top Snowboarding Pros Flock to Bear Mountain for 10th Annual Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails | Saturday, Sept. 21

September 18, 2013

Snow in September? Definitely, at the highly anticipated 10th Annual Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails! Impressive lineups of over 40 professional snowboarders from across the world are slated to take part in the annual winter kick-off event at Bear Mountain. The best of the best high-performance athletes will take over the mountain on Saturday, September 21 to showcase their ultimate skills and compete for bragging rights- and $15,000 worth of cash prizes- at the one and only Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails snowboarding competition.

10th Anniversary Spirits of Mexico Main Event Presents More Than 200 Varietals of Tequila | Saturday, Sept. 21

September 17, 2013

Tequila aficionados and budding enthusiasts will have the opportunity to discover hundreds of world-class, agave-based spirits produced in Mexico at this year’s 10th anniversary Spirits of Mexico Festival happening Sept. 17 through Sept. 21 in Old Town, San Diego. The festival’s Main Tasting Event, Sat., Sept. 21, will feature more than 70 brands with more than 200 varietals from well-known to smaller, independent producers, who will provide samples of their best spirits.