The Barn House BBQ “The Messier the Better”

The Barn House BBQ in Lemon Grove

Like tacos, ask ten people their opinion on BBQ and you’ll get fifteen answers. There’s Carolina, both east which is peppery and vinegar-based, and west which is Bavarian-based. You have Kansas City with its beef ribs and sauce which is sweeter and tomato-based, and Memphis with its pork. Texas likes its meat cooked low and slow over hickory wood. Many cooking styles.  Many spice Continue Reading →

Spill the Beans Coffee and Bagels providing cool vibes and more

Spill the Beans coffee

Cool Vibes, Good Music, Food and Drink. That is the motto of the newly opened Spill the Beans Coffee and Bagels. Located on the north side of The Townsend Apartments, or as some call it, the back entrance to Fashion Valley Shopping Center, they join other supporting businesses for this new housing area. One of these businesses is Spill the Beans Coffee and Bagels. Continue Reading →

Casa Gabriela in La Mesa Serves Humble and Elevated Food Using Fresh Ingredients

Chef Gabriela Lopez at Casa Gabriela in La Mesa CA

Gabriela Lopez has been cooking and consulting professionally for over 20 years. Like many great chefs, she learned to cook from her grandmother and mother starting at the age of 8. She has fond memories of making dough with her grandma at that age. “I had the passion from way back then,” Lopez said. Continue Reading →

Blanco Cocina + Cantina, Great Hospitality, Every Time

Blanco outdoor dining in Fashion Valley San Diego

The sign in the Fashion Valley Shopping Center Food Court on the upper level says Blanco Tacos and Tequila, but don’t be confused, they serve much more than that. Yes, there’s a beautiful Tequila bar that intrigues anyone who enjoys sipping a fine Tequila. And of course, there are tacos with a unique assortment of flavors. Continue Reading →

Papalo, La Mesa Village and Chef Drew Bent’s Sonoran Desert-Inspired BBQ

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Papalo Sonoran BBQ

Where does creative inspiration come from? It’s different for everyone, but for Drew Bent, it was the smell of the Sonoran desert.  “After I left Lola 55, (which he helped open and subsequently earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction) I was driving to Tucson with my wife. It was raining during the drive, and once it stopped I rolled down the window to smell the fresh air. I inhaled the air and turned to my wife and told her that he wanted to make food that tasted like this air smells. I wanted to make food inspired by the desert, which is vast, beautiful, calm, and quiet, Bent said. Continue Reading →