Restaurants & Bars

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• Bali Hai

  Bali Hai, Shelter Island, San Diego. Rated ★★★★☆

• Beach Break Cafe

  After hearing about it from friends who are big fans, I had breakfast here yesterday. The corned beef hash was hearty, the tortillas were fresh, the coffee was great.

• Blair's

  Blair's. Rated ★☆☆☆☆

• BO-beau kitchen + bar

  I don't hand out five-star reviews much. BO-beau kitchen + bar in San Diego earned one.

• Bombay Cafe

  Bombay Cafe, Escondido. Rated ★★★★☆

• Bully's East — The Solo Prime Rib

  When I have an evening to myself, I like to sit at the low bar — a big round table at the end of the bar where you can drink and dine. It's a lot more social, and it's perfectly…

• Chesapeake Bar & Grill, Inner Leucadia

  Inner [[leucadia|Leucadia]]. Fred considered going for a bike ride, went toy shopping instead.

• Crabby Bob's Seafood, Carlsbad

  Sunday after a long Fry's run — 40GB HD, MP3 player, Sportbrain, buttload of books from the closing Crown Books.

• Dalton's Road House

  I've been coming here for years, since it used to be in my neighborhood. Went in last night for birthday dinner with my wife, sister, and her two kids. We got a booth where the…

• Dirty Birds

  Dirty Birds, San Diego. Rated ★☆☆☆☆

• Don the Beachcomber

  Don the Beachcomber. Rated ★☆☆☆☆

• False Idol

  False Idol, San Diego. Rated ★★★★☆

• Famous Dave's Barbeque

  Chain BBQ with good sauce but no vegetables not deep-fried. Rated ★★★☆☆

• Famous Dave's, Vista

  Famous Dave's, [[vista|Vista]].

• Fat Ivor's

  Fat Ivor's Rib Rack. Rated ★★★★☆

• Fat Ivor's Rib Rack

  [[el-centro|El Centro]] all-you-can-eat beef ribs institution. Rated ★★★★☆

• Gardens of Taxco

  My favorite restaurant memory isn't from a Michelin place. It's from Gardens of Taxco, on Harper in West Hollywood.

• Grasso's, El Centro

  Grasso's Italian Restaurant, [[el-centro|El Centro]], California. Rated ★★★★☆

• Great Divide Brewing, Denver

  Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, [[colorado|Colorado]]. June 2023. Rated ★★★★★

• India's Oven

  India's Oven, Pico near Fairfax, [[los-angeles|Los Angeles]]. Early 1990s.

• Jamroc 101 Caribbean Grill

  Jamaican food in Carlsbad. The Scotch Bonnet sauce deserved a warning label. Rated ★★★★☆

• Jay Bee's Bar-B-Q

  Jay Bee's Bar-B-Q, Los Angeles. Rated ★★★★★

• Joey's Smokin' BBQ

  Joey's Smokin' BBQ, [[vista|Vista]], California. Rated ★★★★☆

• JR's Barbeque

  JR's Barbeque, [[los-angeles|Los Angeles]]. Rated ★★★★★

• Kennedy's Market, El Centro

  The local carne asada standard. Rated ★★★★☆

• King's Fish House, Laguna Niguel

  King's Fish House, Laguna Niguel.

• King's, Carlsbad: Oysters and the Darkest Beer

  King's Fish House, Carlsbad. Rated ★★★☆☆

• La Especial Norte

  Some friends of mine were moving to Chicago, so they were running through their list of "things to do before we leave." I got to join them for one of the items on the list.

• Mahogany Smoked Meats, Bishop

  Mahogany Smoked Meats, [[bishop|Bishop]], California. Rated ★★★★☆

• Marco Italian Restaurant

  This place feels like the good old Italian restaurant from the childhood in New Jersey that I never had.

• Mount Signal Cafe

  I believe this place has been closed for about two years, but I'm writing it up anyway. They've closed and opened before. We can always hope.

• Muzita Abyssinian Bistro

  I used to think the only Ethiopian restaurants in the US were in Adams-Morgan in Washington DC. Then I realized I was living down the street from the ones on Fairfax in LA. I've…

• Nozomi, Carlsbad

  The best sushi in Carlsbad, and it knows it. Rated ★★★★★

• Outback Steakhouse: A Solo Ritual

  Outback Steakhouse as a guilty pleasure. Rated ★★★☆☆

• Outback, Mission Viejo

  Outback, Mission Viejo. Rated ★★★☆☆

• Passage to India

  Regular dinner spot in San Marcos. [[fred-heald|Fred]] and Becke's standing order. Rated ★★★★☆

• Penny Lane Pub & Grill

  Penny Lane Pub & Grill, San Marcos. Rated ★★★★☆

• Pizza Port and the Old Brewery Bottle

  [[pizza-port-carlsbad|Pizza Port]], which had recently been the Carlsbad Brewery.

• Pizza Port Carlsbad

  Pizza Port (formerly the Carlsbad Brewery), Carlsbad, California. Rated ★★★★☆

• Pizza Port, Solana Beach

  Four stars for the beer. The pizza is a meh footnote. Rated ★★★★☆

• Powdered Sugar All Over Myself

  Cafe Beignet, Decatur Street, New Orleans. I'm getting powdered sugar all over myself. Have had a bit of full stomach most of the day today, I guess that's called indigestion. Or…

• Roy's Restaurant, Carlsbad

  Hawaiian fusion for a family birthday. [[fred-heald|Fred]] gets kalbi ribs with a fried egg. Rated ★★★★☆

• Scolari's Food & Drug, Reno

  The annual Burning Man grocery stop. Rated ★★★★☆

• Soot Bull Jip

  Soot Bull Jip, Koreatown, Los Angeles. Rated ★★★★★

• Spring Street Smokehouse, Los Angeles

  Spring Street Smokehouse, [[los-angeles|Los Angeles]]. Rated ★★★★☆

• Stone Brewing

  Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens, Escondido. Rated ★★★★☆

• Stowaway

  Stowaway. Rated ★★★★★

• Strong Water

  Strong Water, Anaheim. Rated ★★★★★

• The Scotch Bonnet Waiver

  Jamroc 101 Caribbean Grill, [[vista|Vista]]. Rated ★★★★☆

• Tiki-Ti

  Tiki-Ti, on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles — a tiki bar open since 1961. Rated ★★★★☆

• Tip Top Meats

  Tip Top Meats, Carlsbad. Rated ★★★☆☆

• Tortilleria Leon

  Tortilleria Leon, Vista. Rated ★★★★☆

• Travertine Grill, Borrego Springs

  Between the Salton Sea and [[anza-borrego|Anza-Borrego]]. 102 degrees, sweaty, grateful for air conditioning. Rated ★★★☆☆

• Tropical Mexico Restaurant, Pomona

  It's been about twenty years since I've been to Trop Mex. I'm still giving it five stars just for the memories.

• Woody Creek Tavern

  Woody Creek Tavern, Woody Creek, Colorado. Rated ★★★★★

• Zeke's Smokehouse, Montrose

  Montrose BBQ joint with Shiner Bock on tap. Rated ★★★★☆