Lick the Plate
La Especial Norte tops list of local places for great soup
It’s officially soup season in San Diego. The blustery weather has us all bundled up and craving something warm and comforting. I say that somewhat in jest, but it’s all relative right? Regardless of what your idea of winter weather is, once we get into December, soup is at the top of my mind and [...]
Claire’s on Cedros — as close to perfect as a restaurant gets
Of course there is no such thing as a perfect restaurant, but once in a while one comes along that has such a perfect mix going on it’s difficult to find much wrong with it. That mix, for “Lick the Plate” anyway, is a combination of the people running the show, the talent in the [...]
Domo Arigato Mr. Ogata for keeping it real in Encinitas
It was kind of ironic that on the day I was thinking about writing a column on Ogata, I heard that classic rock staple “Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto” by Styx. After all these years of not really paying attention to the lyrics, I looked them up and discovered that they were saying thank you in [...]
Broken Yolk: breakfast and lunch done right
It seems to be a rite of passage for most 20-somethings who move to San Diego to spend a couple of years living and partying in Pacific Beach. Part of that experience, or so I’ve been told, involves breakfast at the original Broken Yolk after a big night out. I can see the appeal with [...]
Lick the Plate’s new favorite: The Flying Pig in Oceanside
There are certain restaurants that the minute I walk through the door I say to myself, “Yeah, I’m going to like this place.” It’s just an intuition I have and I rarely prove myself wrong. That’s what I felt before I even entered the Flying Pig in Oceanside. It’s location on a street that is [...]
Foodies rejoice! Get paid to dine out with MOGL
I’m beginning to think that this foodie phenomenon is not just a passing trend, but a movement that has established such deep roots that it’s here to stay. I have friends and family, who, until recently, were strictly meat and potatoes, chain restaurant types, that are now asking servers if their tomatoes are locally sourced. [...]
Like an old friend, Calypso Café is back and it’s great to see
There is really no place like Calypso in San Diego and when it was closed for renovations it left a huge void in the dining and entertainment scene. It’s good to have you back old friend. Cool is hard to manufacture and I can smell it a mile away when a business is trying too [...]
Traditional Mexican, family style at Bety’s
I will be the first to admit that my habit of not venturing out of the neighborhood to explore the plethora of Mexican food options in the area is a bad one. Friends and trusted foodies have been mentioning Bety’s for years, so I finally stopped in on a recent Saturday and Sunday afternoon and [...]
Hot dog heaven and so much more at the Dog House Diner
If there is any type of culinary related snobbery going on in my life, I will readily admit to it when it comes to hot dogs. I am also slightly obsessed with sampling as many regional variations as possible, always comparing them to my beloved Detroit Coney Islands, Skyline in Ohio, the classic dirty water [...]
Contemporary Greek served with a twist at Taverna Blu
I’ll just say it up front, I really liked this place and would highly suggest you check it out if you are a fan of Greek cuisine; or, for those of you who are not, this would be a perfect place to become familiar with it. First off a little history — A Taverna is [...]
