A note from Darlene: Every once in a while, I like having Paul write a review for me. I don't encourage him to eat fast food but sometimes it's one less post for me to write. I'm one of those guys who didn't believe there was such a thing as a "wet burrito." Opposed to... Continue Reading →
Vertical Patio Gardening: Using Rain Gutters
One of the things I wanted when we bought our place last year a backyard. Due to cost, we opted for a nicely sized enclosed patio without having to put down a half a million on a home. As I'm going on six months of unemployment, I glad we went that route without having to... Continue Reading →
Another San Diego Cronut Contender: Paris Baguette’s Croissant Donut
The universe must be telling me something because right after I tried Azucar's Cray-nut, I saw Paris Baguette's Zion location advertising their own version, simply called Croissant Donut. In fact there's no mention of the word "cronut," only that it's a pastry hybrid in New York City. I asked about it at the counter and... Continue Reading →
Urban Bar & Grill: Contemporary American Cuisine in Downtown
The word combination 'contemporary American cuisine' doesn't elicit my salivary glands. When I want food, I want delicious food that doesn't have to be innovative. But the menu at Urban Bar & Grill has me changing my tune. Urban Bar & Grill's menu is diverse. There are quesadillas, tuna tacos, flatbreads, pasta, salads, poultry and... Continue Reading →
Milton Baked Snack Cracker Selection + Giveaway
San Diego institution Milton's Restaurant has had bread on the market for a while and they recently started producing crackers. The crackers are based on the same formula that makes their bread healthy: incorporating multigrains with organic wheat, corn and oats. Milton's offers five varieties of crackers and they're all multi-grain: the original (based on their... Continue Reading →
Make It On Your Own: Carl’s Jr. Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich
When Carl's Jr. introduced their Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich, I immediately became irritated. It represented to me laziness that someone at Carl's Jr. thought there was an audience for pre-made Pop-Tart sandwiches. It isn't rocket science, people… and even though $1.49 for half a pastry with ice cream isn't a lot, it's a lot more... Continue Reading →
Farmer John Mild Jalapeño Bacon + Bacon-Cheese Hand Pies + Free Bacon
For the last several years bacon has been in a transition stage. It went from breakfast food to headlining meals around the clock, including dessert. But I'm starting to see a backlash with its overexposure. It was especially evident in this year's summer fairs where bacon beer made a questionable splash onto the food scene.... Continue Reading →
San Diego Cronut Contender: Azucar’s Cray-Nut
With the hype surrounding Dominique Ansel's cronut in New York City, there had to be some imitators. And sure enough, they soon appeared. San Diego has its own version and it's from Azucar. Since the cronut name is trademarked, it can't legally be used. So names like doissant, zonut, cro-nots and host of others are... Continue Reading →
Keeping Salad Eating Interesting: Goat Cheese & Beet Salad
Deep in my consciousness, I have a terrible hatred of salad. Salads when I was growing up consisted of iceberg lettuce, tasteless tomatoes and some sort of dressing and lots of it. Going back even further to second grade, the principal pointed at my untouched salad and asked me to take one bite. I don't... Continue Reading →
My Love Affair with Popeyes + Chicken Waffle Tenders
Here's a confession: I love fried chicken. I prefer fried chicken over a hamburger any day. And not just any fried chicken but one that's well-seasoned but not too greasy. I've had KFC, San Diego Chicken Pie Shop, Ralph's, Albertson's and Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken but other than making it myself (I'm fry-phobic), I always turn... Continue Reading →
My Burning Kitchen... on the road 