Coronado Times

Ever gone on a blind date? Stepping into the unknown with no expectations can go either way. You always hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Such was the case for me with my dinner at Jolie, the newish little restaurant in town on the one hundred block of Orange Avenue. It is…

Are you looking for a great Italian sandwich? Interested in Amari or some good Italian wine? Pizza dough, house-made sauce, and pasta in all shapes and sizes, Mona Lisa Deli on India Street at Hawthorn in Little Italy has got it all. I have been a faithful customer for 25-plus years, and I am still…

If you sit down for lunch at a restaurant on the island, most sandwiches will be approaching $20; add a drink and tip, and you get the picture. The price is not a criticism; you should see what these places pay for rent.  There is the restaurant’s atmosphere, the banter with friendly staff, and a…

The feel of a good pencil and the smell of cedar evoke creativity in me. The routine of sharpening and whittling away at a pencil feels like progress. Pencil nubs litter my workspace like cigarette butts, each representing a project completed. Putting words or images on paper, not just any paper, good paper, is magical…

If you like the Lafayette Hotel, watching movies in the pool at The Pearl, and cooking a steak at Turf Supper Club, you may be a candidate for glamping at Pinecrest Retreat. I am talking about trailer camping, and this hidden spot is only 45 minutes away, just shy of Julian. The Pinecrest retreat has…

When you can smell the oak, it ain’t no joke. As I headed into San Diego’s Mount Hope neighborhood, I rolled my windows down, waiting for the smoke to hit me. If you don’t smell it, you’re sure as hell not going to taste it. Suddenly, there it was, the essence of oak. Smoke is…

In 1933 Petra and Natividad Estudillo opened one of San Diego’s most beloved Mexican food restaurants in Barrio Logan. It has been serving up mind-blowing food made from the heart ever since. I am talking about Las Cuatro Milpas (The Four Corn Fields), 1857 Logan Ave, San Diego. If you are not aware of this…

Idyllwild Weather, “Betting on the Come” “Betting on the come” is derived from a gambling expression. It means you don’t have what you want or need now, but you are betting or hoping you will have it when the time comes.  Idyllwild in early spring feels a little like gambling. You want to head up…

Bonita lived up to its name this past weekend when I went to one of my favorite spots for Mariscos. The wildflowers were in full bloom, and the hillsides and pastures had transformed from the usual dusty brown to a lush green. That’s right, one of my favorite fish tacos is 15 minutes Southeast in…

My uncle from North Carolina once told me, “There’s a simple truth in barbecue: If you don’t see wood stacked out back, it ain’t worth stopping for.” No need to worry — as you arrive in Sherman Heights at El Barbecue, you can smell the perfume of the white oak hanging in the air, and…