Celebrate National Chicken Wing Day on Monday, July 29

July 28, 2013

Whether it is snack time, game day or happy hour, it is likely that chicken wings are on the menu. This all-American finger food is enjoyed for a variety of occasions, often times coated in hot sauce and usually served with cool bleu cheese.  It’s only right that a food this popular be recognized with a holiday. This year, we celebrate National Chicken Wing Day on July 29.

San Diego IndieFest 8 Returns with Eclectic Line Up | August 16-18

July 26, 2013

San Diego IndieFest is back for its 8th incarnation! After a hiatus due to the birth of their son, San Diego IndieFest creators/ producers Alicia Champion and Danielle LoPresti have been busy creating a renewed look and format for IndieFest 8, still featuring the kind of roster you've come to expect— filled with formidable indie revolutionaries to excite and inspire. SDIF is still family friendly, wildly eclectic and offers a wide array of visual art, activities, film and of course, tons of music.  Headliners Cake, Talib Kweli, Best Coast and Gilbert Castellanos are among over 100 other artists and films who will be showcasing throughout the 3 day festival.  To take advantage of San Diego’s awesome summertime weather, IndieFest has moved to August 16-18, and has expanded its music program to two days, kicking off on Friday, August 16, including a Red Carpet Media Event at the Film Stage with doors opening at 5PM.

El Agave Restaurant and Tequileria to Open New Location At Del Mar Plaza | Old Town Favorite Takes Over Space Previously Occupied By Flavor Del Mar

July 25, 2013

El Agave Restaurant and Tequileria will bring traditional “Hispanic-Mexican” cuisine, award-winning tequilas, and indigenous flavors to Del Mar Plaza, taking over the sprawling space previously occupied by Flavor Del Mar. Since 1996, El Agave has been serving San Diegans their trademark “Mexican Nouvelle Cuisine” from their original location in Old Town. The new Del Mar location, El Agave’s third in San Diego, will also feature a comprehensive tequila museum stocked with over 2,000 premium tequilas. Scheduled to open in November 2013, El Agave will be open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, and will feature a special Happy Hour menu and tequila tastings.

Mike Hess Brewery Partners with San Diego's New Zealand-Themed Restaurants to Celebrate Launch of North Park Tasting Room | August 15th

July 24, 2013

San Diego’s New Zealand-themed restaurants Bare Back Grill, Raglan Public House and Queenstown Public House, have partnered with Mike Hess Brewing for its Aug. 15th launch party. All three Kiwi-inspired restaurants will be hosting brew-centered blowouts in celebration of Mike Hess Brewing’s premier craft production brewery and tasting room debut in North Park.

 

Chef Matt Gordon’s Newest Restaurant Concept, Sea & Smoke, Officially Opens its Doors on July 24th

July 23, 2013

San Diego chef and restaurateur, Matt Gordon, will officially unveil Del Mar’s newest American-style brasserie - Sea & Smoke - to the public on July 24, 2013.  Sea & Smoke is Gordon’s third restaurant, following award-winning Urban Solace in North Park and Solace & The Moonlight Lounge in Encinitas.

Karl Strauss Brewing Debuts New Tasting Room at Main Brewery | Set to Open to the Public on July 27th

July 22, 2013

By Megan Gallagher | SanDiegoVille Contributor

Karl Strauss Brewing Company is pulling back the curtain on their 32,000+ barrel per year operation – and in a big way. After 24 years in the beer business, the not-so-micro brewery will open the doors of a tasting room at its main brewery in the unsuspecting location of Bay Ho for the first time on Saturday, July 27th. We recently got a sneak peek of the scene at the company’s preview party on July 13th, and we’ve got to say, we’re liking what we see.

Combining 10 Breweries, 10 Restaurants and 10 Farms to Promote Regional Sustainability | Don't Miss the Brew Rendezvous on Sunday, July 28th

July 18, 2013

On Sunday, July 28th, join Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP) for BREW Rendezvous, a social beer and food fundraiser  featuring San Diego’s top brewers, restaurants, and farms, with proceeds supporting CHIP's non-profit efforts to promote a healthy, more sustainable, regional food system. Brew Rendezvous will be a deliciously fun event, pairing 10 breweries, 10 restaurants, and 10 farms together for a beer and local food extravaganza at the Handlery Hotel in Mission Valley.

Lucky Bastard Saloon Now Open in the Gaslamp Quarter

July 16, 2013

Located in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, Lucky Bastard Saloon has taken over the space formerly occupied by Cremolose, and pays tribute to the area’s storied Stingaree district, which historically offered a wealth of colorful entertainment and diversions. Saloons were the destination of choice to enjoy a stiff drink, flirt with dance hall girls or engage in a game of chance for gambling gunmen and tourists alike. If good fortune was on their side, they earned the distinction of “lucky bastard.”

PB Landmark, Tavern, Reopens with First-Ever Menu, New “Tap Tables” and More

July 15, 2013

Tavern at the Beach, a Pacific Beach-area institution, has recently reopened after having been closed for renovations since early April of this year. Formerly called Tavern at the Beach, and now known as just “Tavern,” the bar underwent major renovations over the past few months. The addition of a full-service kitchen and an entirely new upstairs floor, utilized for office space, are just two of the many upgrades Tavern fans can’t see.

Final Casting Call for The Bachelor to be Held at San Diego's Paradise Point Resort & Spa | Friday, July 26th

July 14, 2013

Don't miss your last chance to audition for the new season of “The Bachelor” on ABC.  The search is on for eligible women who are ready to find true love on the new season of the hit reality show.  One lucky man is given the opportunity to find the woman of his dreams in the popular primetime romantic reality series.  Those who feel they possess the charm, style, class and charisma to become America's next leading lady or leading man are invited to Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego to meet with the show’s casting producers.

The Craft & Commerce Crew Plan to Open New Concept in Little Italy

July 12, 2013

From CH Projects, the culinary collective formerly known as Consortium Holdings, a new concept is underway as they've recently taken over a 4,500 square foot space in the heart of downtown’s oldest continuous neighborhood, Little Italy.  The new venue, located at 1654 India Street, is slated to be one of the group’s most ambitious concepts yet. The project details are currently under wraps, but the build out is in the early stages of construction with a projected opening date in early 2014.  The building itself was previously occupied by the former wrought-iron gate-makers, Ironside.  Having occupied the space for decades, the 1920s-era structure is the last industrial space in the immediate area to be redeveloped.

In Anticipation of Slightly Stoopid's 7th Annual Summer Tour "Kickin' Up Dust," An Interview with RyMo

Slightly Stoopid

July 11, 2013

Coming up this July and August 2013, Slightly Stoopid's 7th Annual Summer Tour continues the tradition of bringing together today's most lauded acts to entertain at outdoor amphitheaters across the country, including San Diego's very own Sleep Train Amphitheater on Saturday, July 20. This year, Slightly Stoopid teams up with renowned Minneapolis hip-hop collective, Atmosphere, for the "Kickin' Up Dust" Summer Tour 2013! Supporting acts will include The Budos Band, The Grouch & Eligh, and Tribal Seeds.  In anticipation of the tour, we interviewed Slightly Stoopid's drummer RyMo, a long time resident of America's Finest City!

San Diego Restauranteur, Jon Mangini, Unveils Plans for New Brewery and Third URBN Coal Fired Pizza Concept

Jon Mangini (right) and Chef Alex Carballo (left) will soon join for a new
brewery concept in El Cajon.

July 10, 2013

URBN Restaurants Inc. set to expands into El Cajon, partnering with Stone Brewing Co.’s former Executive Chef Alex Carballo.  Leading Southern California Restaurateur, Jon Mangini of URBN Restaurants Inc. (Gang Kitchen, BASIC Urban Kitchen + Bar, and URBN Coal Fired Pizza in both North Park and Vista) announces major plans to expand his collective eastward into the heart of El Cajon. Expected to open doors in early 2014, the dual-concept initiative will house a yet to be named brewery and will add a third URBN Coal Fired Pizza to Mangini’s growing repertoire. With this news Jon reveals that the new concept will partner with seasoned industry veteran, Alex Carballo – Executive Chef of Stone Brewing Co., who will be leaving his current position at Stone near the end of July.

Living Coast Discovery Center to Host From Farm to Bay Food & Wine Classic on San Diego Bay | Saturday, Aug. 3

July 9, 2013

The Living Coast Discovery Center, a nonprofit zoo and aquarium on the southern edge of San Diego Bay in Chula Vista, will host its fourth annual Food & Wine Classic on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The culinary celebration brings together some of San Diego’s finest names in food, wine, craft beer and spirits to support the center’s coastal wildlife conservation and education programs in its largest fundraiser of the year.  This year’s event has been renamed - From Farm to Bay - and will have a special emphasis on the local and sustainable food community in the San Diego region. Andrew Spurgin, acclaimed chef and culinary consultant, has joined the event as Culinary Chair.

Heat Bar & Kitchen Turns It Up in Hillcrest

July 5, 2013

By Megan Gallagher | SanDiegoVille Contributor

Living in the beach area, it's easy to become trapped in a bubble, experiencing only a fraction of what San Diego has to offer. Convincing friends to drive to Encinitas to check out a new breakfast spot when they can just as easily bike to Bird Rock for some good brunch can be a challenge. To get in a car or pay for a cab when perfectly good grub is just a stroll away seems counterintuitive. As an ever-curious freelance journalist, I am constantly on a quest to get my friends to step outside of the beach bubble and experience all that America’s Finest City has to offer. My latest discovery?  Heat Bar & Kitchen in Fabulous Hillcrest.

A New Captain Sails Smooth at Leroy's Kitchen + Bar

Diver Scallops + Shrimp

July 3, 2013

When the news broke that Chef JC Colón would be taking over the executive chef position at Leroy's Kitchen + Bar, we knew that a return visit to this Coronado hotspot would soon be in order.   Chef Colón, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, boasts an impressive resume that includes roles in the coveted kitchens of both CUCINA urbana and Kensington Grill, so we were enthusiastic to see how this classically trained chef would embrace and evolve the eclectic, farm to table cuisine that Leroy's has become known for.  A recent dinner revealed that Chef Colón has settled right in, incorporating influences from positions past, and making the menu an extension of his own culinary personality while maintaining the quality and form Leroy's patrons have come accustomed to.

Explore Many of Downtown San Diego's Best Happy Hours at the Taste of Happy Hour | Saturday, July 6

July 2, 2013

San Diego may be one of the best cities in the country for great happy hour specials, if you know how to work them. This Saturday, July 6 from 1 to 6 p.m, experience nearly 20 of downtown San Diego's most desirable (and most lucrative) happy hours at the Taste of Happy Hour, a self guided tour organized by the King of Happy Hour himself! This 4th of July weekend, enjoy food samples and exclusive drink specials as you learn where to go to get the biggest bang for your buck!

The Linkery to Shut its Doors on July 15th

Jay Porter

July 1, 2013

The Linkery owner Jay Porter has announced that the North Park restaurant will shut its doors on July 15th. Porter recently overhauled his former El Take It Easy in late April 2013, replacing it with a burger-centric gastropub called Hubcap. Porter's announcement also relayed that Hubcap will close at the end of July, finalizing Porter's departure from San Diego, as he has already relocated to the Bay Area.

Cannonball Nearly Ready to Make a Splash in Mission Beach

June 29, 2013

By Megan Gallagher | SanDiegoVille Contributor

With all of the dining options in San Diego, there has always been one big gaping hole - beachfront dining. Sure, there are excellent waterfront options downtown and farther north in places like La Jolla and Del Mar, but for the tourists and residents of Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach there are few restaurants with a worthwhile, unobstructed view. Eat.Drink.Sleep. Hospitality is about to change all of that with the introduction of Cannonball.  Formerly SoundWave and before that Cane's Bar & Grill, this new restaurant concept will include a sprawling, 6,000 square foot sushi and tapas bar suspended above the Mission Beach boardwalk, adjacent to Wave House and Belmont Park.