Imagine my excitement when I received an e-mail from Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego announcing that they would be hosting a weekly cheese bar.  !!!!! I do love Extraordinary Desserts – the décor, the desserts, the little odds and ends they sell, and the espresso and hot chocolate.  And now, I can add cheese to the list.  I had previously been to the Union Street location and ordered a cheese plate.  I had been impressed by the selection of cheeses and I liked the option to build your own cheese …

What does the sun taste like?  I can’t prove this, but I think it must taste like a tomato.  There is something so bright about a fresh ripe tomato.  I can’t help but think that it is the flavor of the sun.  At Il Postino restaurant in North Park, they have captured that flavor and complimented it with their tomato dip for your pre-dinner bread.  To be honest, I loved it so much I just want to write about that dip.  But, in the interest of balanced coverage, I will …

I became impatient with chemistry class in high school. It always seemed like there was an over emphasis on diagrams and tables and not enough skill teaching about explosives or even how to make an amazing espresso. Chemistry is all around us, and I often feel like the child who slipped through the cracks. Alchemy restaurant in South Park is helping me make up for lost time. The art and science of food and drink are happening in this creativity lab and all are welcome (Bunsen burner not needed).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The menu …

I see more and more promotion of farm-to-fork; buying local seasonal foods, sometimes from small farms.  Indeed, the fresher, the better when it comes to fruits and vegetables.  And clothes. 
While I have yet to think of a catchy term, the concept of buying local and fresh is relevant to clothing.  There is no better place to do that then in local boutiques.  Frequently, people avoid boutiques out of concern that the prices are much higher than a chain store in the mall.  This is not the case.  In addition, local …

If you are digging the Mad Men style – the glamour, panache, and confident-cool, you can find yourself all dressed up with no place to go.  To be sure, finding the right outfit can be a far cry easier from finding a place with enough style to meet you more than half-way.  For those in San Diego this isn’t such a dilemma. 
When the mood strikes, look no further than The Wellington in Mission Hills.  You will be met by a stellar menu that mixes classic dishes, such as the signature …

Going to the Vela restaurant at the bayside Hilton filled my mind with questions. After stopping there for a weekend breakfast, I wanted to know: Did the interior designer get sleepy after the first few days of work and only complete the entry? I haven’t been able to shake from my mind the feeling I had as a child when I learned that the little houses and castles at the miniature golf course were not the actual homes of my favorite fairy tale characters. The Vela has a fabulous entrance …

Fall always seems to me like a temporary guest of a season. Perhaps it is because her stay seems interrupted by faux-winter – the holiday marketing season – and my own attempts to stretch Summer to the maximum length her elasticity will allow. It isn’t because I dislike Fall. I think it is because I dislike change, and I cling to Summer to avoid it. Then, once in Fall, and beginning to enjoy her company, the marketing version of Winter – a fifth season of gift peddling comes crashing in before …

In fashion and design, stripping away the extras and reducing something to its barest point is an art.  Adding in elements that provide contrast, pop, and visual surprises takes style, confidence in your design, and a sense of creativity and identity.  These principles are no different with food.  With most food, you have options.  You can do your own cooking or you can find restaurants that focus on flavor and quality.  But one crucial area where you cannot be as independent is chocolate. This holy-holy of foods is not something …

One resource everyone needs in their back pocket is a Place for Important Conversations.    In the movies, it seems that dark restaurants with a well stocked bar, quiet corners, staff who know how to provide great service while leaving you alone, and menu items you can take time over sit on every corner.  In real life, finding this location is a little trickier.  And yet, it is something that every one needs in their little electronic black book of resources.  You need one of those places where the setting adds …

Tucked in plain sight in the East Village of downtown San Diego is Café Chloe – a fusion of Parisian chic and urban Southern California.  The interior décor definitely speaks French, but has more use of white and bright natural light than most traditional Parisian cafes.  The blend is a great match for this wine bar and cafe.
With distressed dark washed wood floors, dark open cabinets, and a dark bar contrasted by the white round table tops, a curved white bar top, and white (and lavender in the nook in …