It has become La Mesa’s go-to restaurant for wood-fired pizzas, rustic pasta dishes and slow-cooked meats.
Sign up for our eNewsletterSign up for our eNewsletterIt has become La Mesa’s go-to restaurant for wood-fired pizzas, rustic pasta dishes and slow-cooked meats.
I craved the Szechuan spiciness of kung pao chicken and the fruitiness of Mandarin-style glaze cloaking shrimp or scallops — but with the option of sizzling beef or chop suey in case of a sudden change of mind.
The last time I ate at The Trails Eatery was in 2011, when owner Stacey Poon-Kinney was riding a high wave of publicity from the Food Network show, “Restaurant Impossible.” The San Carlos eatery had been selected for a $10,000 makeover, which meant the show’s domineering host, Robert Irvine, would rescue the business from despair — his way.
By FrankSabatini Jr. As the Sunday dinner hour hit, streams of customers began arriving to Lemon Grove’s new Giardino Neighborhood Cucina to experience Italian cuisine crafted by a young, ambitious chef whose mother taught him to cook at age 13 in his native Sicily. In little time the place was full.
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
It’s been a while since a meal made me jump into the air with such excitement, especially from a restaurant that isn’t awash in hipster hype or flaunting some multi-million-dollar theme.
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Danilo de Corato learned to cook in his teens from a mother “who lives in the kitchen.” A native of Milan and former apprentice of the Italian Federation of Cooks, he’s exactly the kind of guy you want making your pasta when going out for an Italian meal.
De Corato and his wife, Francesca Brusati (also from Milan), moved here more than a decade ago, after which they ran Caffe Bella Italia in Pacific Beach for a while.
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Past pretty flower beds leading to the indoor food court, and then through its second set of doors near Dante’s Pizza, is Grossmont Center’s big barbecue secret. But if you’re sniffing around for it on weekends or any late afternoon, you’ll be let down.
Smokin Blaine’s BBQ operates only from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Marked by a quaint wooden façade with two windows flanking the entrance, the 600-square-foot eatery resides in an unseen nook partly enclosed by an outer wall of Macy’s.
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
The name is a misnomer.
La Mesa Bistro & Bakery more closely resembles an all-American diner rather than some quaint bistro serving rustic French fare. The menu and chalkboard listings bombard you with hearty food choices for breakfast and lunch, and despite its small façade, the interior greets with two sizable dining rooms perfect for family dining.
By Frank Sabatini Jr. Oscar Acosta recalls telling his wife, Dulce, before they got married, “One day we’re going to have a restaurant.” The couple first met at a farmers market in their native Mexico City. They eventually moved to Spring Valley, where they run one of the best and most underrated Mexican restaurants in […]
By Frank Sabatini Jr. | Restaurant Review Comforting ramen has arrived to La Mesa. So have a couple of unique sakes that are hard to find outside of BLVD Noodles, the neighborhood’s first and overdue Japanese-inspired eatery that opened on the village strip a few months ago. One of the sakes is a sea-green Bushido […]