Welcome back to Happy Half Hour! We are sorry, the audio quality this week isn’t fully up to par. You can blame David for being in Las Vegas for a heavy metal concert. This week our special guest is Ian Tenzer, the executive research and development chef at Puesto Mexican Artisan Kitchen & Bar. Ian joined the company last fall, which started in La Jolla and now serves its popular tacos and micheladas at nine locations in Southern California. Ian moved here from New York, where he worked with acclaimed chef Daniel Humm for several years and as sous chef at Eleven Madison Park, which has three Michelin stars and was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2017. In his current role, Ian creates new menu items for all of Puesto’s locations, which he calls a “dream position,” and he's working on making their operations completely environmentally sustainable. We chat with Ian about what it really means to be a “zero-waste” restaurant and how he’s doing it, what it was like to cook at Eleven Madison Park, and the new fall/winter menu we can expect at Puesto. He also shares details about their newest restaurant, Marisi, which will open in La Jolla early next year. And if you want to experience more of Ian's cooking, he’ll be at a new local chef dinner series at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel on September 14. In Hot Plates, Tahini is expanding its shawarma restaurant in Kearny Mesa, and is also opening a new Middle Eastern coffee and dessert shop. Chula Vista Brewery is opening its second location soon in Eastlake; the new tasting room will also feature Texas barbecue from Oak and Anchor BBQ. In case you missed it, a local chef based in San Marcos is competing on Christina Tosi’s new Netflix show, Bake Squad. We also have a call for pitches for an upcoming issue of San Diego Magazine—tune in to find out how you can contribute if you have a story to share with us! In Two People, $50, Ian’s recommendation is the Spam musubi from Leilani’s Cafe in Pacific Beach (which I was thrilled to hear!). Troy says to try the lamb meatball with ras el hanout (a North African spice mix) and naan at Arlo in Mission Valley. Marie's pick this week is the shrimp tempura udon at Musashiya in Kearny Mesa. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! We’re recording this episode from a premier club suite at Petco Park, thanks to this week’s sponsor, the San Diego Padres. Our special guest this week is Jaclyn Lash, the Padres’ vice president of special events. She joined the team in 2011 and oversees all events for the Padres and Petco Park, including concerts, game-day festivals, private and special events, and gatherings for the team. Before joining the Padres, she was at Jimmy Kimmel Live!, coordinating guest appearances and booking musical artists. We had to ask what it’s like to meet and work with celebrities regularly, and she shares some fun stories (one including Kanye West!). Jaclyn is here to tell us how they transform the ballpark into venues for everything from the Monster Energy Supercross to The Links at Petco Park, a nine-hole golf course; and about upcoming concerts such as the Hella Mega Tour on Aug. 29 with Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer. You can see a schedule of more upcoming concerts here. In Hot Plates, the owner of RakiRaki Ramen opened a new restaurant, Matsuoka Pure Sushi, specializing in temari sushi and kaiseki bento. Karina’s, a local institution for Mexican seafood, returned to downtown with the opening of a new cantina. Chef Kaci Goff of Wolf and Woman (and a podcast alum!) launched a new monthly dinner series, Lucky Cricket, with Taylor Berk, sommelier at Puffer Malarkey Collective. The dinner features several courses of Malaysian-Tamil cuisine and wines produced by female winemakers. In Two People, $50, Jaclyn is excited about Wolfie’s Carousel Bar in Little Italy, which Troy just got a First Look at. Troy recommends the El Xolito hot dog at Barrio Dogg (located in Barrio Logan and Petco Park), and I got the El Borracho fries from Grand Ole BBQ inside the park. David and Troy got seafood without me and went to South Beach Bar & Grille in Ocean Beach for fried oyster tacos. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! We’re returning from a short break and taped this episode from a premier club suite at Petco Park, thanks to this week’s sponsor, the San Diego Padres. We’re here with Eddie Quinn, vice president of partnership services for the Padres and the park’s resident beer expert, as they face off against the Miami Marlins. Eddie started his career with the Padres as a bat boy before he headed off to college, then he returned to San Diego and rejoined them as a sales representative. He’s been with the team ever since (more than 15 years!) and worked his way up to his current title. He tells us about the craft beer program at the park and how many different breweries they partner with, and names his top three favorite brews that are available on site—listen in to get his recommendations! In Hot Plates, we have some big news to catch up on. Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, named after the chef’s popular TV show, is opening its fourth (and largest) location at Harrah’s Resort in Valley Center next spring. La Puerta, a cantina that’s been in the Gaslamp for over a decade, opened its second location in Mission Hills. After being on hold for a few years, LA icon Roscoe’s House of Chicken N Waffles announced it is opening soon in Barrio Logan. Chef Bernard Guillas, who has been at The Marine Room for almost 30 years, recently retired. For Two People, $50, Eddie is a fan of the Beagle Burger at The Regal Beagle in Mission Hills. Troy’s pick is the omakase with dry-aged bluefin tuna at Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub in Oceanside. David recommends the chile verde at Cantina Mayahuel in North Park. My pick is the branzino and cheese cart at Seneca, Consortium Holdings’ new restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! This week we’re with Emmanuel Favela and Tony Haro, founders of Hellote in Chula Vista. Hellote is a new outdoor eatery that specializes in elote, Mexican street corn, served in both traditional and nontraditional ways. Emmanuel and Tony opened Hellote last fall, and they both have backgrounds in architecture (but zero restaurant experience), yet Hellote has been a success. We chat about how they conceived of the idea and created such a fun and inviting space on Main Street. We also learned that Emmanuel once worked as a designer at Funko (which explains the adorable Hellote logo!) and that they went to Texas to get special corn roasters that can cook the ears at a scorching 800 degrees. They walked us through the menu: Aside from a standard elote (Valentina sauce, lime, Cotíja, mayonnaise, and Tajín), there are dessert tamales, arrachera baked potatoes, inventive snack boxes of roasted corn topped with black ash mayo and chicharrones, and entire ears of corn covered in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Aside from visiting them in Chula Vista (you’ll want to Instagram the shipping container park), you can also see them at our Best of San Diego Party next month at Liberty Station. In Hot Plates, Biga is back and will be serving their pizza and sandwiches at the new Rady Shell at Jacobs Park along with other local food vendors and chefs (including Richard Blais). A taquería that everyone on the show agreed is a favorite, Tuétano Taquería, announced they’re opening a second location this summer in the upcoming Old Town Urban Market. For Two People, $50, Troy’s pick isn’t within the budget, but he recommends the steak at Cowboy Star downtown. David says to try the boozy ice cream and Cajun eggs Benedict at Metl Bar in North Park. Emmanuel’s go-to Thai restaurant is 55 Thai Kitchen in Golden Hill, and Tony’s pick is the beans and rice from Las Cuatro Milpas in Barrio Logan. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Happy Pride Week! Our special guest is Roanna Canete, owner of The Gluten Free Baking Company in North Park. Roanna founded the company in 2015 when her son was diagnosed with a gluten allergy and she started baking for him—that led to formally studying cooking and baking, and starting the business. The storefront opened on 30th Street in the spring of 2020 and offers donuts, brownies, bagels, and pastries that are all gluten free; they can also make wedding cakes and gingerbread houses. In honor of Pride Week, Roanna created a menu of cupcakes and a special Pride rainbow cake, and she’s donating 20 percent of the sales to The National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization focused on empowering the Black LGBTQ+ community. We talk with Roanna about the importance of allyship, and how business owners can get involved in social justice issues and help make a difference, even in small ways. In Hot Plates, the founding chef of Dija Mara is opening a new Southeast Asian restaurant in North Park. Buona Forchetta opened another pizzeria, its eighth restaurant in the county, in San Marcos. Attention Top Chef fans! Animae and Unplated are hosting a charity dinner on August 1 featuring four chefs from the most recent season, filmed in Portland, Oregon, and the proceeds are going to the nonprofit World Central Kitchen. For Two People, $50, Roanna’s pick is the tangerine chicken at Plumeria Vegetarian Restaurant, and she’s also a fan of Meráki Café in University Heights. Troy recommends the Morroccan spiced lamb at the newly opened Verbena Kitchen in North Park. David tried the bone-in ribeye at Rare Society, and Marie visited White Elephant (a new Thai restaurant in Hillcrest) for the crispy duck salad. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Welcome back! This week we chat with Tara Monsod, who recently took over as executive chef at Animae, the high-design Asian fusion restaurant owned by Brian Malarkey and Chris Puffer. Tara has also worked at Herringbone, Burlap, and at the acclaimed Mozza Pizzeria, and this is her first executive chef position. She recently changed Animae’s menu, and several of the new dishes reflect her Filipino American heritage and the flavors she grew up eating. David and I checked out the new menu (and didn’t invite Troy), and we recommend the scallop crudo with calamansi (a citrus fruit from the Philippines) and the beef short rib kare kare, made with a savory sauce of peanut oil and bagoong (shrimp paste). We chat about Tara’s passion for cooking and have a bigger discussion about whether Filipino food is finally getting the recognition it deserves, especially in a city that has one of the largest Filipino American communities in the U.S. She also shares the biggest lessons she learned from the late chef Anthony Sinsay, who mentored several chefs in San Diego and helped put our Filipino food scene on the map. In Hot Plates, Ponto Lago opened in Carlsbad last week with a Baja-inspired menu of ceviche, a daily roast of different proteins, and even dishes prepared tableside. Chef Phillip Esteban, our 2020 Critic’s Pick for Best Chef, opened the brick-and-mortar location for White Rice in Liberty Station last week. It serves silog, Filipino rice bowls topped with an egg. For Two People, $50, Tara recommends the hand-pulled biang biang noodles from Shanxi Magic Kitchen (which we featured on the cover of our June issue!). David visited the North Park Farmers’ Market for Gourmet Tamales and hot sauces from Down to Ferment. Troy enjoyed his first brunch at Breakfast Republic, and Marie liked the carne asada torta from Roxy’s Tacos. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

David, Marie and Troy are still at our sponsor, Home Brew Mart. Rumor has it David brought a cot and this is where he lives now. Understandable. The Linda Vista store is where the city’s first bootstrap scientists got all the ingredients, materials, recipes, rumors, and know-how to start the craft beer revolution in San Diego. It’s also home to Ballast Point—makers of one Sculpin IPA, one of the most famous craft beers in existence—who’s celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Colby Chandler—the second-longest serving employee who helped create Sculpin way back when—will share a few pints and some stories of craft beer’s days in the manger. This week we talk to the creators and host of a new documentary film, Beer City: San Diego. Host Aubree Miller (who’s also the creative director of Amplified Ale Works) and producer Dave Wadsworth spent three years documenting San Diego’s craft beer world, talking to the brewers, owners, and personalities who helped build the culture. The film also features and serves as tribute to longtime craft beer supporter and eminently great human being, Nate Soroko, who passed away recently. Some of the proceeds of the film’s premiere party (Aug. 5 at The Casbah) will go to Nate’s family. In Hot Plates, we cover Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s Ice Cream, which is opening a new spot in one of San Diego’s original neighborhoods. We discuss the boom of the Mexican stew, birria, now that everyone’s going nuts for Mike’s Red Tacos, a new birria food truck in Morena. Plus, one San Diego bar made it into Esquire’s annual “Best Bars in America.” For Two People, $50, Troy is still knee-deep in donuts and shares his story about sitting down with the owner of the iconic VG Donut (get the apple fritter) in Cardiff. David suggests hitting up Garibaldi, the speakeasy-ish spot inside the InterContinental Hotel downtown. Aubree reluctantly points people to her favorite natural wine bar in South Park, The Rose. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! We’re recording in person at Home Brew Mart by Ballast Point in Linda Vista, our sponsor for this week’s episode. Ballast Point is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and Home Brew Mart is where the company began. We’re with Colby Chandler, Ballast Point’s former vice president and speciality brewer. He’s the creator of the award-winning Sculpin IPA and the company’s second-longest-serving employee! This week’s special guest is Will Dryden, manager of operations for Baja Jerky. This new beef jerky company is headquartered in San Diego, with recipes created by Michelin-starred chef Brandon Rogers (Benu in San Francisco). Will fell in love with the cuisine in Cabo when he lived there, so the line has six Baja-inspired flavors of jerky like street taco, serrano lime, and even churro. He talks about how Baja Jerky stands out compared to national brands, the challenges in getting national distribution, some details of the high-quality beef they’re sourcing, and where you can buy some. In Hot Plates, Pizza Port is opening a new location in Imperial Beach. Silverlake Ramen announced that it’s expanding from LA to San Diego. An alcoholic herbal tea is being brewed at Kové Hard Yerba Mate’s tasting room in Barrio Logan. For Two People, $50, Will’s pick is the Brandt Burger at Ranch 45 in Solana Beach; David and I got fried chicken sandwiches at Corner Chicken in East Village, and Troy recommends the seasonal huckleberry donut at Sidecar Doughnuts in Del Mar. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! This week’s special guest is Barry Robbins, founder of Milton’s Delicatessen Restaurant in Del Mar. The New York–style deli is famous for its Reuben, matzo ball soup, homemade desserts, and breads; and it’s celebrating its 27th anniversary this year. You’ve most likely seen Milton’s multigrain bread and line of crackers in retailers like Costco: This national brand of baked goods was also launched by the deli. The company has a storied history, and we enjoyed learning about its origins and growth. Barry’s a Windy City native, and when he first moved here in the ’70s, he and his brother couldn’t find any deep dish pizza, so they started Chicago Brothers Pizza. They experimented with making frozen pizzas in the restaurant, and eventually distributed them nationally. Their pizza was one of the first frozen items sold at Costco (then called Price Club), and as many as 20 bakeries around the country were producing them—legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was even the company spokesperson! Barry sold Chicago Brothers Pizza and opened Milton’s in Del Mar in 1995, which he still operates today. When the restaurant was under construction, he teamed up with chef Claire Allison (who would go on to open Claire’s on Cedros in Solana Beach) to develop an in-house bread for the sandwiches. That became the famous multigrain bread that’s sold in stores, and they expanded with a line of crackers (the bread and crackers were acquired by another company a few years ago). Reflecting on 2020, Barry said it’s been difficult, but the deli has pulled through thanks to community support. And although he’s managed companies of over 500 employees, the past year has been “back to basics” because he’s the sole owner of the business—that includes washing dishes and doing whatever is needed to keep the doors open. The fridge in the front of the deli contains new products they’re testing out—right now they have a turkey pot pie and a banana pudding. Troy’s pro tip is to check this fridge out when you visit, because—like Milton’s pita chips and gluten-free crackers—they could be the next big thing! In Hot Plates, Juniper and Ivy has hired a new chef from New York’s Eleven Madison Park. El Camino in Little Italy is being turned into a new concept, and Rollin Roots and Doggos Gus (both former podcast guests) received grants from the California Restaurant Association. In Two People, $50, Barry said he enjoys the cashew chicken from Double Happiness in Del Mar. Troy’s pick this week is O’Brien’s Pub on Convoy, one of the first craft beer bars in San Diego, and their Birthday Bacon. David had brunch at Morning Glory in Little Italy and recommends the Japanese soufflé pancakes and lobster omelet with caviar (fancy!). Marie's pick this week is from her recent visit to Santa Barbara: the patatas bravas and paella at Loquita. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!

Welcome back to Happy Half Hour! This week we have two special guests, Jamie and Marie Brawn, owners of Homestead Solana Beach. The business—which served locally-sourced gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan food—was inspired by the duo’s own home cooking for their sons who both have food allergies. But like many, the pandemic forced them to switch gears; and the idea was born to turn Homestead from an eatery to a neighborhood market. Jamie and Marie were running both their catering company and Homestead before the pandemic hit. When they shut down the catering company, Homestead was forced to float on its own and adapt to a changing landscape. While food and drinks are still offered, the neighborhood market they launched has become the heart of the business, stocking the shelves with locally sourced and unique goods. For Jamie and Marie, “locally sourced” doesn’t just mean from the San Diego area, but any small business that has their own story. This philosophy has opened the doors to bringing in items like imported gluten-free pasta from Italy and fresh seafood sourced just outside of Jamie’s hometown in Maine and shipped overnight, never frozen. Part of Homestead’s goal is to bring dining experiences you would typically only find in Little Italy or North Park to Solana Beach. To fill their niche in the community, all the items on the shelves at Homestead are a little different than what you would find in the surrounding stores. In addition to those small-batch food products, they also serve food and drinks on the patio, and are preparing to launch a raw seafood bar. Jamie and Marie are looking for more people to help bring the craft food scene to Solana Beach. With a few more restaurants, Jamie and Marie believe Solana Beach will be well on its way to providing an experience like in Little Italy, where you can find somewhere great to eat just by walking around the neighborhood In Hot Plates, Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens welcomes Chef Rich Sweeney to lead the Liberty Station location and Chef Israel Ortiz to take charge of the flagship in Escondido. Verbena Kitchen, a new restaurant by Chef Ronnie Shwandt featuring a seasonal menu, is opening in North Park at the end of June. Vegan, Chicago-style hot dog pop up Chicago Not Dogs is opening a brick and mortar in the former location of The Modern Vegan this summer. Pacific Hotel opened their second restaurant called High Low and serves up fun dishes like squash blossom breakfast enchiladas and buttermilk and Indio corn pancakes. Best Restaurant voting has just started and will continue until June 15th, make sure to check out the results in September! In Two People for Takeout/Two People for $50, Jamie and Marie’s favorite takeout spot during the pandemic has been Himilayan Kitchen in Encinitas for their chicken tikka masala and a triple order of naan. Troy’s quest for the best donuts in San Diego brought him to Dark Horse Coffee Roasters which serves an Earl Grey vegan donut from Skinny Donuts with frosting that tastes exactly like Fruit Loops. The pozole soup at Brother’s Mexican Restaurant is David’s pick for the week. Noah's pick is to check out Shawarma Station in OB for their rib-eye beef fries. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. 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 [email protected]. See you next week!