San Diego Reader Continues Search For City's Best Taco At 2nd Annual Tacotopia On May 14 | Save On Passes & Enter To Win VIP Tickets

February 20, 2016

The San Diego Reader is once again on the search to find the best taco in San Diego, and at the 2nd annual Reader Tacotopia at Golden Hill Park on Saturday, May 14, over 40 of the top eateries in America's Finest City will compete for cash prizes and bragging rights. The participants for this event were carefully curated by food writers at Reader, and hey, we at SanDiegoVille even gave our input. The best part about Tacotopia is that attendees pick the champion. After trying signature tacos from as many restaurants as possible, each attendee will place their token in a voting box on the table of their favorite vendor. The vendor who receives the most tokens wins the title of "Best Taco in San Diego" and $1,000! We're giving away 2 VIP tickets to this already-almost-sold-out event and also offering promo code SDVILLE for $5 savings on any ticket type. Read on for all the details and be sure to enter.

Museum Of Contemporary Art San Diego To Host The Spring Thing: Modern Mutiny On Friday, March 4

February 20, 2016

Ever had dinner and drinks in a Museum? On Friday, March 4, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego will host The Spring Thing: Modern Mutiny. The voyage begins with a specially curated craft cocktail reception, followed by a family-style dinner masterminded by San Diego's Kettner Exchange. After dinner, guests will get a chance to explore the museum and enjoy hosted drinks and live music at The Late Night Party.

Chef DJ Tangalin Puts Pacific Beach On The Upscale Dining Map | JRDN Restaurant Makes Tower 23 Hotel A Culinary Destination

February 19, 2016

People in San Diego can be rather cynical about Pacific Beach, especially when it comes to dining options in this notoriously bar-driven neighborhood. When recommending restaurants around town, it's rare that one names somewhere among this area known by many as a raucous college scene. That is all about to change, as Chef DJ Tangalin has put the underappreciated beachside neighborhood on the dining destinations map now that he is leading the kitchen at JRDN. We recently enjoyed a staycation at Tower 23 Hotel that was highlighted by an incredible chef's tasting menu at its in-house eatery.

Tiki In PB | Crew Behind Pacific Beach's Firehouse To Open Tiki-Inspired Haunt At Former Good Time Charlie's Location

February 19, 2016

The minds behind Kettner Exchange, Firehouse Pacific Beach, Vin de Syrah and Analog are going tiki for their next project. SDCM has secured the lease on the former Good Time Charlie's location in Pacific Beach and will turn it into a dual concept - Good Time Poke & The Grass Skirt - with SDCM and Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski tasked with designing the menus for both.

San Diego's Largest St. Patrick's Day Party Returns For 22nd Year | Save On Passes & Enter To Win VIP Tickets To ShamROCK

February 18, 2016

Calling all lads and lasses - it’s time to get your green on and let your inner leprechaun out to party! Discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow at one of the largest outdoor St. Patrick's Day parties on the West Coast when the 22nd annual shamROCK festival returns to take over the streets of San Diego's Gaslamp District on Thursday, March 17, from 4pm to midnight. In addition to offering promo code SDVILLE for $5 savings on GA tickets and $10 on VIP, we are also raffling off 2 VIP passes to attend!

MasterChef Hosting First Season 8 Open Audition In San Diego On March 5

February 17, 2016

Do you have a passion for cooking and think you have what it takes to compete against some of the best home cooks in America?!? FOX's MasterChef is now casting for Season 8 of the popular culinary competition and will be traveling to 12 cities to meet some of nation's top home cooks, with a its first stop taking place in San Diego on Saturday, March 5! San Diego native Claudia Sandoval won the last season of MasterChef. Could San Diego repeat in Season 8??

Bracero, Addison, Polite Provisions Make It To Semifinals Of 26th Annual James Beard Foundation Awards

February 17, 2016

The James Beard Foundation announced today its list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for the 26th annual James Beard Foundation Awards. Selected from a list of more than 20,000 online entries, the prestigious group of semifinalists in 21 categories represents a wide range of culinary talent, from exceptional chefs and dining destinations in ten different regions across the U.S., to the nation’s top wine and spirits professionals, best new restaurants, rising star chefs, pastry chefs and bakers. From San Diego, Bracero Cocina de Raiz made the semifinals in the Best New Restaurant category; Polite Provisions are in the semis in the Outstanding Bar Program category; and Addison at The Grand Del Mar is a finalist in two categories - Outstanding Wine Program and Best Chef West division for William Bradley.

Dirty Birds Bar & Grill To Open 3rd Location In San Diego's Liberty Station

February 17, 2016

San Diego's King of Chicken Wings will open it's third location in San Diego's Liberty Station as early as this summer. An award-winning wing-centric eatery, Dirty Birds has acquired the lease on building number nine in the neighborhood’s booming northern Arts District precinct in the historic Naval Training Center turned cultural destination.

Arizona-Based Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers To Take Over Acqua Al 2 Space In San Diego's Gaslamp

February 16, 2016

Talk about keeping it simple with a restaurant name! Arizona based concept - Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers - will be taking over the prime Gaslamp space recently left dormant by longtime tenant Acqua Al 2 to open the 6th location of the popular eatery.  With a menu that boasts use of only fresh ingredients with all items made in house daily, Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers is eager to introduce San Diego to their award winning burgers, mac-n-cheese, sandwiches and more.

Stone Brewing To Close Stone Farms In Escondido

February 16, 2016

Stone Brewing Co. took over an organic farm in Escondido to create Stone Farms in March 2011 to move forward in its commitment to have a sustainable local food source for its restaurants. With only 5 out of its 19 acres of space useable for farming, plus the need to close for the winter, the company had trouble justifying the expenditure, as the farm only produced about 25% of the product necessary for its various restaurants. As such, Stone has decided to pull the plug on Stone Farms by the end of the month and is currently looking for a viable suitor to take over the land.

Another One Bites The Dust | After 19 Years In North Park, Claire De Lune Calls It Quits

February 16, 2016

This year hasn't started off well for longtime San Diego restaurant institutions. Albie's Beef Inn shuttered at the tail end of 2015 after over 50 years in Mission Valley. Croce's closed in January after a cumulative 30+ year stint in San Diego. Acqua Al 2 is no more after 15 years in the Gaslamp. The latest victim is Claire De Lune, which closed it's popular coffee shop and hangout today after nearly two decades in North Park.

Prime Now In San Diego Keeps Getting Better | Amazon's Prime App Now Offering Free Restaurant Delivery

February 16, 2016

Prime Now customers in San Diego can now enjoy delivery from local restaurants, including Carnitas’ Snack Shack, Dumpling Inn, Rubicon Deli, T Deli, Tajima, Tandoori Hut and many more - free for a limited time on all restaurant orders. Using Amazon's Prime Now mobile app, San Diego customers can view participating restaurants, browse menus, place orders, track the status of their delivery, and watch as the driver travels from the restaurant to the delivery address in real time.

San Diego Magazine To Feature Some Of The City's Top Brunch Destinations When Brunch Bash Takes Over Estancia La Jolla Hotel For The Ultimate Sunday Funday On March 6

February 15, 2016

San Diego Magazine will host its first Brunch Bash on Sunday, March 6, from 11am-2pm at Estancia La Jolla Hotel, bringing together chefs from 17 of San Diego’s top breakfast restaurants for an ultimate Sunday Funday of unlimited food and drinks.

From The Guy Behind Coop's West Texas BBQ - Da Chicken Coop To Open This March

Bradrick Cooper showing off his chicken and waffle

February 15, 2016

Bradrick "Coop" Cooper has made a name for himself in San Diego County as the purveyor of some of the most delicious barbecue in town, but come March 1, Coop will be adding fried chicken to his full-time repertoire, as he will open Da Chicken Coop in the same shopping plaza that houses his original concept - Coop's West Texas BBQ.

Documentary On Baja California Cuisine Set To Debut At San Diego Latino Film Festival Along With Latin Beer & Food Festival

February 14, 2016

Get ready to savor the culinary delights of Baja California without hopping the border when documentary Baja Taste debuts at this year's 23rd annual San Diego Latino Film Festival, set to take place March 10-20 at AMC Fashion Valley 18. The documentary will premier on March 19 alongside the ticketed Sabor Latino Beer and Food Festival, which will offer attendees a chance to sample paired craft beer and food from both sides of the border.

Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival Returns To Offer Best Beer Fest Value In Town On Saturday, March 26 | Save On Passes & Enter To Win VIP Tickets

February 13, 2016

Over the course of its five previous installments, the Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival has come to be known by many as the tried-and-true, locals-friendly, best-value-in-town craft beer festival. MVCBF has always been reasonably priced and includes unlimited food and craft beer samples (plus spirits!) as well as great music. On Saturday, March 26, the event will return to take over the gigantic practice field at Qualcomm Stadium for a day devoted to America's finest craft brews paired with some of our city's best restaurants and chefs. As always, SanDiegoVille readers save on any ticket type with promo code SDVILLE and we are also raffling off two SOLD OUT VIP passes to attend.

Civico 1845’s Builds New Vegan Menu With Famed Italian Chef Luca Zannoni | Restaurant’s February 24 Unveiling Will Raise Money For The Humane League

New Polpettine di Miglio in Tre Salse

February 12, 2016

Little Italy's Civico 1845 has brought renowned Italian/vegan chef Luca Zannoni to San Diego to help design its new Spring incarnation of its vegan menu. With a resume that includes creating menus for restaurants and hotels across the globe - including the Grand Hotel Rimini, Harry’s Bar in London and Il Bacco Ristorante in New York - Zannoni has cultivated an international reputation as an expert in organic, vegetarian and vegan cooking.