Author: Andrew Smith
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Animal – Los Angeles (Fairfax Area)
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Paul and I recently took a little mini-vacation to Los Angeles. It was a great time to see the Getty museums, The Walt Disney Concert Hall and Griffin Observatory. Chef Brian Redzikowski from Kettner Exchange suggested that we have dinner at Animal, one of the restaurants owned by Jon Shook and…
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Cowboy Star – East Village San Diego
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Cowboy Star is an upscale steak house in San Diego’s East Village neighborhood, that was the vision of Jon and Angie Weber (formerly from Kensington Grill), and executive chef Victor Jimenez. They have created a beautiful and comfortable setting to enjoy an amazing selection of meats and fish, craft cocktails,…
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Bracero – Cocina de Raiz
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First, we have to make full disclosure — the general manager of Bracero is a good friend of ours. But with that on the table, I will do my best to be fair and impartial in this article. Bracero is the latest restaurant from Chef Javier Plascencia, who is widely…
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The Palette at the Art Institute of San Diego
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I had lunch last week at the Palette at the Art Institute of San Diego. For those who have never been there, this is the student run restaurant for the culinary programs at AI. First, readers should know that each quarter, a different team of students (and I presume, teachers)…
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Buona Forchetta – San Diego’s Best Pizzeria
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Yesterday, we took Cooper down to a great dog park in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego (Grape Street Dog Park at Grape and 28th Street). Since we were so close, we decided to stop by one of our favorite South Park restaurants, Buona Forchetta (http://buonaforchettasd.com/). Buona Forchetta is…
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Kettner Exchange
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We had the opportunity to join two friends at Kettner Exchange the other night. This is the relatively new restaurant that features the work of Executive Chef, Brian Redzikowski. Chef Brian has some amazing credentials including Le Cirque 2000 in New York, Joel Rubuchon at the Mansion in Las Vegas,…
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North County Wine Company (San Marcos, CA)
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My friend Curtis introduced me to a great wine shop/bar in San Marcos, CA yesterday evening. The North County Wine Company (www.northcountywinecompany.com) offers an impressive variety of wines at all price points. This shop is owned and operated by Jim and Bill Tobin and they provide a warm and welcome…