Crest Café is open 7 a.m. to midnight 364 days a year, offering American food—and all-day breakfast Friday through Tuesday. Parking at the nearby lot is validated. (Courtesy Cecelia Moreno)

Cecelia Moreno, the longtime co-owner of Crest Café, can trace her culinary roots back to her kindergarten days when she would watch her father, Luis Moreno, who also helps run Crest Café, cook at a drive-in diner in the ’60s.

“It was a real diner with carhops waiting on people eating in their cars and indoor dining as well. My favorite item was the patty melt, which is on our menu today,” Cecelia Moreno said.

The gourmet genes can also be traced to her grandmothers.

“My paternal grandmother, Julie, made homemade flour tortillas and refried beans and I would place those tortillas on the griddle and cover them with butter, fold up the ends so the butter wouldn’t drip on the floor. They melted in your mouth. We now get our tortillas from La Popular in National City, which are the next best tortillas from grandma Julie, and we make our beans homemade at the Crest Café,” Moreno said.

Luis and Cecelia Moreno bought the three-year-old Crest Café in 1985 and eventually recruited family members to create a dining establishment to serve “hearty, healthy comfort food,” as Cecelia calls it.

“We are definitely not trendy. We just serve what I love to eat and I hope people enjoy it,” she said.

Today the Crest Café team consists of dad Luis, daughter Cecilia and cousin Ruben Medina, who all work together to host diners at the restaurant. However, Cecelia wasn’t always so eager to follow in the family footsteps. In fact, for some time she fought her gastro-infused DNA, planning at one point to go into politics or law.

But she reconsidered. In addition to co-owning Crest Café, she has also been chairperson of the Hillcrest Business Association and a longtime board member of the San Diego Restaurant Association.

The San Diego native is just as passionate about Hillcrest as her food and family.

“Hillcrest is the best neighborhood in San Diego, no doubt. Where else can you go and see dignified elderly folks strolling next to a young couple with their baby carriage next to a retro clad girl with a red bouffant next to a buff, tight-jeaned young guy in a baseball cap and maybe they’re gay or maybe they’re straight and it doesn’t matter?” she said.

With her passion for family, it makes sense that Moreno’s aspirations for improving the quality of life in her community extend beyond the dining table.

“My dreams for a better than ever Hillcrest include more ambient sidewalk lighting, recycle trash cans, a streetcar, a pocket park or two, a boutique hotel or two and, of course, a nice-looking parking garage and a redeveloped Pernicanos,” she said.

While Cecelia may have big hopes for Hillcrest, right now she said she has her hands full feeding hungry locals at Crest Café, caring for her two dogs and spending time with husband Kit, whom she met when applying for a food server position at a restaurant he managed.

And that’s no surprise—it would be hard to imagine a Moreno marrying anyone who strayed too far from a kitchen.

Chefs used to be anonymous beyond the confines of their small, steamy empires, which in Europe typically were located in the basement. The idea of a “celebrity chef” would have seemed strange, except in the rare cases of experts recruited to serve the most glittering courts, such as Antonin Careme, who fed the royal houses of England and Russia in the gilded early decades of the 1800s. At that time, wearing a crown was pretty nice work if you could get it, while Careme, “the chef of kings and king of chefs,” frankly complained that the endless hours he and his battalions of cooks spent in hot, airless palace kitchens amounted to slow death.

The era of media chefs, some of whom have only a vague idea of the layouts of their own star-studded kitchens, has been upon us for some while, encouraged in San Diego by cable television programs like “Top Chef.” The three local chefs who have appeared on this show now have their own places, all opened this year: Frank Terzoli’s The Big Easy and Rich Sweeney’s R Gang Eatery, both in Hillcrest, and Brian Malarkey’s Searsucker in the Gaslamp.

Which brings us to Carl Schroeder, a La Jolla native (he played football at La Jolla High, as he may mention early in a conversation), and a natural-born media chef who pointedly declines the title. Skittish around the press and seemingly uninterested in performing for the friendly lenses of television cameras, Schroeder is a maestro in his kitchen. He vastly prefers this tight landscape to the wide-open spaces of his dining rooms, where fans eager to heap praise on his broad shoulders rarely get the chance. Schroeder first made his name at Arterra, a well-regarded hotel dining room, and then at Market on Via de la Valle in Del Mar, which he co-owns with managing partner Terryl Gavre and several investors.

Schroeder and Gavre, who long has operated the popular downtown Café 222, have created the kind of buzz usually reserved for media chefs with their new Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant in the Fourth and Ivy location formerly occupied by Modus. A couple of months ago, Bankers Hill was so au courant that it could be a challenge to snare a table on a Monday night. Now, the hipsters needful of seeing and being seen have newer options, and tables are more easily found. But make no mistake, Bankers Hill jumps and jives well into the evening.

Inventive in the kitchen and famous for insisting on produce so fresh it’s just about moist with the morning’s dew, Schroeder is capable of writing remarkably sophisticated menus. At Bankers Hill he instead specializes in reworking classics of American comfort food, thoughtfully priced to comfort contemporary budgets. No entrée costs more than $19.75 —for the present, $20 is a barrier Schroeder and Gavre refuse to break—and some creative items, like the crispy BBQ-braised pork taco with pepper Jack cheese, avocado (it smoothes the spices like butter) and a tangy herb-lime cream cost as little as $14.25. There’s always plenty of food on the plate, and unlike at many establishments that highlight quantity, it’s good food. Very good, usually.

Schroeder earns his reputation every day. He understands the longing of many Americans for bold, clearly defined flavors and satisfies them with starters like a pairing of deviled eggs (from the farmers market, the menu assures us) with irresistibly crisp, lemon-accented shoestring potatoes ($7.75). This is comfort times two, and more indulgent than the eggs stuffed by many generations of home cooks, since crunchy bacon crowns the halves. Share a plate of these with a companion who also wants to enjoy the cornmeal-battered shrimp, crisp but succulent morsels wisely paired with a creamy salad of apple and shredded celery root (a vegetable we deserve to know better) and a vibrant aioli flavored with grain mustard ($10.25). The pleasures continue with truffled french fries ($7.75 as a starter, or $3 as a side with the gloriously all-American house burger, whose décor includes sliced heirloom tomato), and open-face B.L.T. sandwiches enriched with Dungeness crab and basil aioli ($7.25).

In the time it takes to order a cocktail or a reasonably priced glass of wine, first-timers notice the woodsy, almost rustic décor of Bankers Hill, which is considerably changed from the Modus regime. The dining rooms now open into one another, and the vibe travels actively between them, along with a noise level guaranteed not to soothe anyone looking for a quiet night out. Bankers Hill is for a night on the town, with glasses in hand and gossip turned up high, enlivened further by a cavalcade of Boomer tunes that swings from the Doors to ABBA.

Servers somehow tune their ears to hear their guests, cheerfully taking orders for such finely composed pairings as prosciutto and juicy peaches garnished with goat cheese, arugula and candied almonds ($10.25.) Similarly sweet, tart and pungent flavors make an equal pleasure of the salad of watermelon and watercress with feta cheese and roasted pistachios ($9.50). Either of these would share well before Bankers Hill’s uptown version of fish and chips ($18.75), crafted from local ling cod coated in a batter made with Stone Brewery’s distinctive Porter, and served with cole slaw, tartar sauce and malt vinegar. It’s pure comfort, as is the oven-roasted chicken breast with Sherried jus (a rich essence of roasted chicken parts and flavorings), forest mushrooms and smooth purée of potatoes and onions ($16.50). A preserved lemon salad makes a brilliant accompaniment to naturally rich duck confit served with a mixed “roast” of heirloom potatoes and corn ($18.25), and the fluffiest of buttermilk biscuits accompanies hickory-smoked baby back ribs ($17.50) as comfortably as peas go with carrots at Sunday dinner.

The menu is big on meats, including a spice-rubbed, grilled flat iron steak served with deliciously retro “twice baked” potatoes and melting dabs of Worcestershire-scented butter ($19.50), a dish so savory it demands to be followed by one of pastry chef Rachel Going’s amazing sweets (all $7). Sometimes the apple pie is built of Granny Smiths from her granny’s tree, baked in a fabulously buttery crust. And then there’s a butterscotch pudding that seems perfect after deviled eggs and roast chicken.

Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant
2204 Fourth Ave.
Bankers Hill
231-0222
bankershillsd.com
Dinner served nightly

Chip in for buy-one-get-one beers at $4-$6 each, including “big mama” drafts and bottles of Alaskan IPA, Green Lakes Organic Ale and Bass. (Dr. Ink/SDUN)

Within days my little wine gang was sitting knee to knee at a long and narrow communal hightop on Gossip Grill’s smoke-friendly patio, surrounded by potted plants and friendly girl groups slugging down Shock Top draughts from tall “big mama” glasses. Sure enough, as we irrigated our throats with cold ales and vodka tonics, we began amassing the color-coded chips and slowly turning them in for free drinks of equivalent value. What we didn’t cash in went straight into our pockets for another visit.

Gossip Grill’s happy hour from 2 to 7 p.m. daily is among the most generous Dr. Ink has seen in San Diego. The buy-one, get-one-free deal extends to a plethora of hearty beers, including Bass, Guinness and Alaskan IPA, as well as to cocktails using Seagrams gin and vodkas, Sauza Silver Tequila and Early Times Bourbon.

For those suspicious that the happy-hour bargain is a ploy to sell drinks at jacked-up prices—you’re wrong. Bottled and “big mama” beers range from $4 to $6, and generously spiked mixed drinks average $6.

Within no time at all, our table started appearing as though a poker game was in progress by heavy gamblers. And then came the grilled Buffalo-style chicken strips with blue cheese, the reasonably endowed Thai shrimp skewers and a full-size “moe-jo” burger (named after chef Maryjo Testa)—each for only $3. With steals like these, the Gossip Grill has mastered the art of generating gossip about itself.

The food was good, with the exception of rosemary-garlic potatoes slathered in vegetarian chili and cheese. When drinking beer, especially a crisp organic Green Lakes ale from the bottle, Dr. Ink prefers to ying and yang it a little by matching such healthy liquids to flavorful beef fat. But the vegetarian in our group, who has long forgotten the mouth joy of greasy chili over spuds, rated the dish as “swell.”

Gossip Grill’s happy hour is confined to the back section of the patio, which offers a full bar and limited seating in addition to the main hightop table that we partially occupied. The crowd is largely lesbian and the vibe is welcoming and festive, much like its sibling restaurants, Urban Mo’s and Baja Betty’s, owned also by entrepreneur Chris Shaw.

As my friends who visited before me attested, the staff is swift and friendly, although drink and food orders must be placed at the bar no matter how many “big mamas” you’ve downed. During our visit, Missy the bartender kept a growing influx of customers serviced at lightning speed, and with an easy smile to boot.

If you demand elbow room with your cocktails, get there before 5 p.m., otherwise get ready to gossip with the throngs who start filtering in quickly afterward as though a rumor of juicy importance just leaked out.

Gossip Grill
1440 University Ave.
Hillcrest
260-8023
Happy Hour: 2 to 7 p.m., daily

Drinks: 4
Domestics and imported ales are served in bottles and tall drafts called “big mamas.” A full gamut of liquors includes rum, tequila, bourbon, gin and a dozen flavored vodkas. There are no signature concoctions, which means you call the shots.

Food: 4
The Thai shrimp skewers scored high in flavor, and if you trust our hazy recollection, we counted 10 medium shrimp on each. Burgers are plump and charred, and the chef understands that blue cheese (not Ranch dressing) works best with Buffalo-style chicken strips. Other reduced-price options include flatbreads, Chicago-style dogs and rosemary-garlic potatoes covered in so-so vegetarian chili.

Value: 5
For every drink purchase, a colored plastic chip is bestowed for a free second drink. The antidote for regaining equilibrium after trading them all in is a menu featuring the above-mentioned foods priced at only $3 apiece.

Service: 5
Although customers must approach the bar for food and drink transactions, the staff is fast and alert, and the wait time is short for plates to arrive at your table.

Duration: 5
Five hours, seven days a week! We challenge other bar owners to match it.

While IPAs are iconic to the craft beer community, Belgian IPAs take the method a step further by combining Belgian tripel with an American double IPA for a ‘complex marriage’ that is celebrated in both Belgium and the U.S. (Lauren Duffy/SDUN)

Take, for example, the Belgian IPA. The style is a recent innovation, one that blends the traditional Belgian tripel or strong ale with the American double IPA. Beers in this style are not quite American and not quite Belgian, but an intriguing, complex marriage that brings out the best of American hops and Belgian yeast. The exciting thing about this style is that it’s emerged in both Belgium and the United States—it seems Belgian brewers want to experiment with American hops and American brewers enjoy adapting a Belgian style to their liking.

While Belgian IPAs are being made throughout both countries, there are quite a few notable examples in San Diego. Pizza Port’s Belgian IPA “Big Wednesday” took the Best in Show award at the 2010 San Diego International Festival of Beers. And Stone Brewing’s Cali-Belgique and Green Flash’s Le Freak are two beloved examples of the style.

I chose to write about this style this week as San Diego is lucky to have a visit from Chris Bauweraerts, co-founder of Brasserie d’ Achouffe in Belgium. Chris will be at Small Bar, Blind Lady Ale House and O’Briens throughout the weekend (see details below). Chouffe, as the brewery is often nicknamed, counts a Belgian IPA in their lineup, and so for the first time you’ll find a beer outside of San Diego written about in this column.

Belgian IPAs hold up wonderfully to food; their bold, complex profile works well with strong, funky flavors. Try them with fresh sourdough bread; hard, aged cheese or charcuterie. They pair wonderfully with picnic fare, and I dare say a 22-ounce bottle makes a much better outdoor beverage than the stereotypical bottle of wine.

Here are a few notable Belgian IPAs to be on the lookout for—all are available year-round.

Cali-België IPA, Stone Brewing Co.
Cali-België, or Cali-Belgique, is Stone’s Belgian adaptation of its Stone IPA. The malt and hop profile is actually the same in both recipes, but in this version, Belgian yeast is used, and the result is quite delightful. The nose is distinctly hoppy but not overpowering, and the first whiff offers tamed notes of floral and citrus hops. On the palate, hops play out against a honeyed backbone, while yeasty, spicy notes are noticeable on the finish. This is a wonderfully balanced, drinkable beer, and an excellent example of what can come from the calculated marriage of hops and yeast. 6.9% ABV; available in 22-oz bottles.

Le Freak, Green Flash Brewing Co.
Dark golden in color, this is a deliciously complex, bold and well-integrated beer. The nose is a balanced blend of citrus and spice, with lots of orange character. Dozens of flavors dance upon the palate, a lively blend of coriander, pepper, citrus, honey and bread notes. At 9.2% ABV, this is a big beer, but the hops, malt and yeast all work together to create an excellent balance. Enjoy this with rich, robust flavors—I’d suggest pork tenderloin with figs, bacon-wrapped filet mignon or a rich, creamy Brie. Available in 22-oz bottles.

Mischief, The Bruery
Described as a “highly hopped Belgian strong ale,” this beer lives up to its mischievous name. Unfiltered and bottle-conditioned, it offers a playful blend of bold yeast and hop flavors that play off each other from first whiff to last sip. On the nose, familiar citrus and pine notes give way to a hint of banana and spice, while yeasty, bready flavors mingle with citrus on the palate. The finish is crisp and dry, leaving just a slight hint of bitterness on the palate. 8.5% ABV; available in 750-ml bottles.

Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel, Brasserie d’ Achouffe
Houblon is the Belgian brewery’s nod to the IPA style, inspired by aromatic hops, which are traditionally absent from Belgian styles. While this beer is made with generous amounts of American and Czech hops, it is still distinctly Belgian in its roots. It pours a light golden color with a creamy head and a visible effervescence. The nose is distinctly yeasty, with hints of banana and spice. The hops here are balanced and subtle, a deft use of Amarillo, Tomahawk and Saaz varieties. All in all, this is a well-balanced beer that belies it’s 9% ABV. It is refreshing, intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable. Pair it with mussels steamed in beer, fish prepared with citrus or a wide range of cheeses. Available in 750-ml bottles.

A few for the craft beer calendar:
Friday, 9/3: Small Bar in University Heights gives Christian Bauweraerts, co-founder of Brasserie d’ Achouffe in Belgium, a warm welcome with an evening featuring three Chouffe beers, including Houblon, their IPA Tripel. The beers will be available by the glass, flight or with food pairings. If a pour of Houblon Chouffe with spicy mussels, shrimp, corn and hop sausage sounds tempting, head there early, as this is sure to be a popular event.
Saturday 9/4: Chris Bauweraerts has a busy schedule in San Diego, and today he spends the early afternoon at Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights followed by a few hours at O’Briens in Kearny Mesa. Blind Lady will offer a Chouffe-themed lunch, featuring three courses and three Chouffe beers. Tickets are $48 and reservations can be made by emailing clea@blindladyalehouse.com. Chris will be at O’Briens from 3–5 p.m., where there will be several Chouffe beers and Chouffe-inspired food, including a Houblon IPA mac n’ cheese.
Monday, 9/13: Stone’s ongoing women-only beer education series presents its latest class: Women in Brewing. Learn the role women have played in the brewing process throughout history and become inspired by the beers that women brewers are creating today. The class is led by several of Stone’s female employees. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through Stone’s website.
Sunday 9/26: Mark your calendar for the O’Briens Sunday night tasting, which will feature Belgian beers carried by Wetten Importers, paired with food, cheese and dessert dishes. That means Delirium Tremens, Kasteel, Gouden Carolous and more. Tickets are $35 per person, and reservations can be made via a sign-up sheet at the pub.

It’s a delicious situation to be in, of course, provided you’ve got the appetite to handle it all. The flavors of the new dishes prove what’s been obvious for quite some time: Saigon on Fifth doesn’t merely rank as one of the best Asian restaurants in Hillcrest, but holds a special place as one of the finest eateries of any type in Uptown.

The use of herbs by the handful is a distinguishing characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine, and the medley of sharp purple mint, fresh and cool regular mint, and pungently spicy purple basil stretches the flavors of the restaurant’s new mango salad ($9.95) like a rainbow. Tender shrimp cover a mound of green mango shredded into spaghetti-like strands, tossed with sweet and tart flavorings, enriched with shredded carrot and cool sliced cucumber, and nearly carpeted with crunchy, pan-crisped minced garlic. It’s kind of a Vietnamese kitchen sink salad, with a mystery ingredient or two tossed in to make it all the more interesting. Ask for a little hot chili, too, since this bold seasoning throws the fascinating jumble of flavors into sharp relief. Dried chili flakes should be included automatically, but the kitchen sometimes frets about challenging conservative taste buds.

Saigon on Fifth sells 400 to 500 orders of fried imperial rolls on an average weekend. (Michael D. Pawlenty/SDUN)

“On the weekend, we sell 400 or 500 orders of Imperial rolls,” says Hong, who keeps his kitchen open until 3 a.m. nightly and adds, “It’s crazy on the weekends, when people are waiting in line at 2:30 a.m.”

Late-night chowhounds presumably down carloads of appetizers like the fresh spring rolls ($5.95), which are tender and delicate and deliciously stuffed with shrimp, lettuce, rice vermicelli and mint, along with thinly sliced pork, or shredded chicken, or simply an assortment of vegetables and herbs. The sauce with these is thicker, sweeter and more assertive than the sauces served with similar preparations, presumably to make the lightness of the rolls all the more prominent. If the pan-fried dumplings ($5.95) seem different from elsewhere, it’s because they’re marinated before they go in the pan. As an alternative to a fried starter, the steamed crystal dumplings ($5.95, and “crystal” because the little packages feature see-through wrappers) are filled with minced scallops, shrimp and jicama.

Numerous creative dishes such as the Lotus Stem (bottom) make choosing a meal difficult at Saigon on Fifth. (Michael D. Pawlenty/SDUN)

The entrée presentations similarly divert the eye. Elegantly mounded in a broad bowl, the cubes of filet mignon that star in the 360-degree beef ($15.95) are dusted with the pungent, crisply fried minced garlic that is a recurring seasoning in Vietnamese dishes. The flavors are complicated, and while black pepper plays a strong role, Hong says that a special, imported Saigon curry sauce, which the menu doesn’t mention, contributes multiple notes. The meat is cooked to a rare finish that makes it notably succulent. A guest asked about the name, and a good guess would be that it’s called 360-degree beef simply because the flavors rush around the mouth’s circumference.

Specialties abound on this well-written menu, headed by a favorite among Saigon on Fifth regulars called fish of Hue ($13.95). Made with a choice of sea bass or salmon, the dish derives its multiple flavors from a spicy marinade spiked with ginger and lemon grass. The one vegetarian special features eggplant baked with a puckery garlic-chili-tamarind sauce ($9.95), but there is much seafood, including a one-of-a-kind smoked oyster omelet enriched with ground pork and dried mushrooms ($13.95), shrimp baked in a fresh whole coconut ($15.95), and “Shells in Basil” ($13.95), which offers a choice of clams or mussels sautéed in a sauce sharply accented with basil, chilies and garlic. If your taste buds have been drowsing of late, use this as a wake-up call.

For vegetarians, the eggplant baked in garlic-chili-tamarind sauce is flavorful. (Michael D. Pawlenty/SDUN)

Saigon on Fifth
3900 Fifth Ave.
Hillcrest
220-8828
SaigononFifth.com
Meals served until 3 A.M. nightly

Three types of salsa are served with tortilla chips—all complimentary—at El Camino, along with $3 Coronas, margaritas and house-made sangria. (Dr. Ink/SDUN)

Welcome to El Camino, an exquisitely funky restaurant and bar that affords patio dwellers spitting-distance belly views of aircrafts making their final approaches into Lindbergh Field.

Located at the north lip of Little Italy, it used to be the retro-designed Airport Lounge. Now, from front to back, visitors are enveloped in riotous colors and Mexican-style ornamentation that vacillate artfully between eccentric and urbane. Pinewood wall slats flow profusely, leading to a convivial outdoor patio replete with wooden high-tops, ashtrays everywhere and a covered bar that was playing vintage Cheech and Chong on flat screens when we arrived. Bronze relief plaques of Jesus and Mary denote the restrooms. And those frequent quavers that strike your glass and gut are, perversely, part of the draw.

The happy-hour bargains are kept simple: $3 for Coronas, margaritas and punchy house-made sangria featuring veritable fruit salads floating within each glass. Nachos and quesadillas in various preparations are half priced, hailing from a loudly printed menu of Mexican fare revealing semi-healthy twists.

For a San Diego hipster joint with heavy alternative vibes, service is impeccable. Complimentary chips are delivered immediately, along with three types of salsa, flash-fried Serrano peppers and bowls of chili-dusted jicama wedges that match to Corona like cookies and milk. The personable tattooed wait staff keeps the free victuals promptly replenished without becoming dazed over increased customer (and air) traffic.

Summer’s latent beginning had our trio planted firmly on the patio, too sun-starved to sit inside El Camino’s darker, museum-like confines. Beer and sangria rendered us tolerant of the airplane noise and quelled the fear that these descending mechanical monsters can potentially end our drinking days with the slightest pilot error.

Nachos for $4 became the other comforting vice. We opted for meatless, priced normally at $8. They’re served generously in a deep bowl with tasty black beans, cilantro cream, chunky guacamole and Jack and Swiss cheeses—a sustaining steal even when divided between three mouths. For a few bucks extra, you can pile on carne asada, chicken or shrimp. The quesadillas offer the same options, which during happy hour range from $3.50 to $5.50 apiece.

With a come-as-you-are welcome mat leading into decent measures of hospitality, chances are high that you’ll linger beyond the 7 p.m. cutoff. And Tuesdays are the day to do it because of an abbreviated happy hour that extends until closing, with half-off tacos and continued $3 Coronas.

El Camino offers a second location on Juniper Street in South Park, not aligned quite so perfectly to San Diego’s busy flight path. The happy hour and food are the same, except that only beer and wine is served.

El Camino
2400 India St.
Little Italy
685-3881
elcaminosd.com
Happy Hour: 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday (extended until closing on Tuesdays)

RATINGS:

Drinks: 3
Drink options are quintessential San Diego, with Corona being the singular beer choice in addition to standard margaritas and fruit-loaded house-made Sangria hiding a commendable alcohol kick.

Food: 4
Nachos rank above-average, thanks to the novel additions of Swiss cheese and cilantro cream. Generous scoops of thick guacamole and flavorful black beans add plenty of sustenance. Quesadillas enjoy similar embellishments and appear sizable.

Value: 4
A continuous supply of free chips and assorted salsas (one of them cream-based) helps offset the urge for going hog wild on half-priced nachos and quesadillas. Coronas, margaritas and Sangria are $3 apiece, allowing moderates to get their swerve on for under 10 bucks.

Service: 5
You can potentially find worse service in fine-dining establishments. Here, the waiters attend quickly to your table without dropping too long out of sight. Water glasses are replenished regularly, drinks and food arrive in a timely manner and checks are presented in cute nylon bags filled with miniature pieces of Mexican chewing gum.

Duration: 3
The two-hour time slot passes swiftly when you’re counting airplanes swooshing overhead and ignoring your drink intake. In addition, happy hour doesn’t extend through weekends.

A “nano-brewery,” Hess Brewing added its five beers to San Diego’s prospering craft beer scene in July. Owner Mike Hess is hoping beer lovers will tap into his small-batch lineup. (Lauren Duffy/SDUN)

Hess Brewing is one of San Diego County’s few nano-breweries, a term that refers to breweries operating on a very small scale. (Others in the area include Lee Chase’s Automatic Brewing Co. out of Blind Lady Ale House, and Mother Earth Brewery out of Vista). Hess’s custom-built brewing equipment can produce just 50 gallons of beer per batch, which is much larger than the typical five- and 10-gallon home-brew systems, but a far cry from, say, the 775 gallons that is made in a typical batch at a craft brewery.

Hess Brewery is fully licensed to make and sell beer, so they’re a big step up from the 20-gallon homebrew batches Hess was working with before. Hess calls this in-between step brewing on a “pro-nano” scale. While it may be rare—Hess knows of only about 40 other nano-breweries around the country—it certainly seems perfect for Hess.

“I can’t jump in with both feet first,” he explained about what it would take to quit his day job and become a brewer.

Instead, while keeping a full time job, Hess brews a few times a week, operates his tasting rooms in the evenings and sells tasters, growlers and eventually bottles just as a craft brewery does—but on a smaller scale. Hess’s idea is to work on this nano-scale for at least a year, to sell beer from the tasting room, and if all goes well, to step up the brewery’s production. If you think about it, it’s a smart approach.

“I wanted to turn my hobby into something that I can turn into a business,” he explained.

San Diego, it seems, is a perfect place for the nano-brewery experiment.

“There’s a beer culture here … that’s collaborative, not competitive,” Hess said, adding that he thinks that being in San Diego will “help us make our beers better.”

He looks forward to all the feedback his beers will get. “There are a lot of people in this town who know beer,” he said.

Since Hess Brewing’s soft opening on July 7, news of the brewery has spread quickly through word of mouth, social media and the press.

“It’s totally crazy,” Hess said of all the attention they’ve been getting. “We welcome all of it.”

Still, Hess is committed to the idea of slow growth, not a fast explosion.

“We’ve had folks ask us for tap handles,” he said of restaurateurs eager to serve Hess on tap, “but we can’t do that yet.” With his size of equipment, providing kegs to restaurants would leave little left for the tasting room patrons, he explained.

So for now, the only way to taste Hess beer is to take a trip to the tasting room, which luckily is not too far away. Tucked into an industrial park off of Miramar Road, the tasting room is open Wednesdays-Saturdays. There, you can sample beers for $1 or $2, buy a pint (and keep the glass) or purchase a refillable growler. (Go to hessbrewing.com for more information.)

Hess currently produces five beers, all of which are worth the trip to the tasting room:
Claritas Kolsch is a light, crisp and refreshing beer, perfect for a summery afternoon. The beer pours a hazy golden color and is mild yet delightfully yeasty on the palate. At just 5.4 percent ABV, this makes a perfect session beer.
Grazias Vienna Cream Ale is perhaps the most unique of Hess’s lineup. A cross between a Mexican and Austrian style, it is at once smooth, slightly sweet, and yet dark and intriguing. Light brown in color with a frothy head, this beer is a delightful departure from San Diego’s traditional styles. This would be wonderfully food-friendly beer—there is enough malty undertone to add complexity, yet a delightfully clean finish.
Intrepidus IPA is the beer that marks Hess as a San Diego brewery. An explosion of floral hops greets the nose, followed by a bold, bitter and unmistakably hoppy palate. This is a strong one—it’s over 8 percent ABV—so watch out.
Amplus Acerba San Diego Pale Ale is the brewery’s most dangerous beer—at 11.3 percent, you need little more than a taster. Still, this is a nicely balanced beer that disguises its strength—it is surprisingly smooth and easy to drink.
Ex Umbris Rye Imperial Stout will be the brewery’s first bottled beer, and it is easy to see how amazing this one will get with age. From the tap, it pours silky smooth, with the flavors of chocolate, honey and rye playing out on the palate. At 9.8 percent this is another strong one, yet once again, its strength is balanced nicely.

A few for the craft beer radar:
There are a few seasonal beers on tap handles around town right now that are downright exceptional. If you come across any of these beers, don’t pass them up, as their release is limited and their season short:
AleSmith Summer Yulesmith—this double IPA was one of the first of its style to win me over. Brewed only in the summer time, it’s a 9.5 percent beer that is light in color, strong in flavor and, in my opinion, one of AleSmith’s best. It’s on taps around town, but you can also find it in 22-oz. bottles in specialty beer shops. Look for the red, white and blue fireworks on the label.
Alpine Hoppy Birthday—at just 5.25 percent ABV, this is a delightfully hoppy, low-alcohol pale ale that is characteristically Alpine in its citrusy character. It’s one to drink all summer long—or at least as long as it’s available.
Ballast Point San Salvador Saison—this Belgian-inspired saison is what Ballast Point calls “a San Diego indigenous ale.” Made with an array of local ingredients like pine nuts, agave, white sage and honey, it’s a beer that, according to Ballast Point, “tastes like the San Diego countryside.” It may be one of the most unique beers brewed in San Diego, and is certainly one not to miss.

The single-cut filet entrées are served with two side dishes to share plus an accompaniment choice of shrimp, scallops or crab cakes. (All photos by Paul Body)

Our Uptown is definitely San Diego’s hip zone. But because expense account types, conventioneers and others make downtown their headquarters, the city’s more formal, special occasion restaurants tend to cluster there—the closer to the convention center, the better. So when a special occasion comes along, it’s doubly special for us in Uptown if it coincides with a special offer at one of the relatively few really fine downtown eateries, such as Morton’s The Steakhouse.

An international icon that was founded a few feet from Rush Street in Chicago’s uptown district, the Morton’s chain is synonymous with luxury, specifically with oversized portions of deluxe meats, seafood, side dishes and desserts, served by highly trained staffers in deluxe settings. Even the music is recorded to suit Morton’s ambiance, and in San Diego, as elsewhere, Frank Sinatra is likely to narrate dinner from the first martini through the last bite of hot chocolate cake. Dinner is quite an experience, and given the exceptional quality and lavish servings, it’s quite an extravagance, too. At least it is much of the time.

At the moment, however, Morton’s is offering a specially priced, three-course dinner for two that will make you want to celebrate your birthday or anniversary before the end of September, no matter when on the calendar the event actually takes place. At $109.99, it’s by no means inexpensive, but the meal is quite grand and is definitely a bargain compared to the restaurant’s regular prices.

The usual Morton’s experience is something of a theater piece, since after the cocktail order is taken, a server wheels over a cart laden with the prime steaks, giant lobsters and slab-like cuts of fish (the swordfish can be amazing) that are the restaurant’s all-American specialties. The show-and-tell can be fun, once, but another nice aspect of the prix fixe special is that you get down to business quickly.

Caesar Salad

The key to Morton’s cuisine really is quite simple: everything is prepared knowledgeably and made exclusively from the best. The Caesar salad, for example, is composed strictly of crisp hearts of Romaine, tossed with a mellow-sharp dressing and crisscrossed, unless you opt out, with pungent anchovy filets. As hearty as it is, this probably makes the lightest preface to Morton’s dinner-for-two. The alternative Morton’s salad is richer, a jumble of tender butter lettuce with deluxe blue cheese dressing, chopped eggs and anchovies. Each bite fills the mouth with memorable flavors. Since Morton’s is the house that steak built, the main event of individual, single-cut filets features the finest beef available in this country, cooked to order, preferably in the red-to-pink zone for maximum flavor and juiciness. The seafood garnishes that transform the steaks into surf ‘n’ turf events all are prime, too, from succulent sea scallops to shrimp Alexander—so huge they seem to aspire to lobster-hood—in smooth, tart beurre blanc, and on to the oh-so-rich jumbo lump crab cake, served with a robust mustard-mayonnaise sauce that underscores the delicacy of the crab.

If the steak makes the dinner, the side dishes make the steak, and at Morton’s, all the vegetables and most potato preparations are served in boats that feed two more than generously. The steamed jumbo asparagus spears, fresh as dawn and elegantly bathed in sauce hollandaise, headline a list that includes garlicky sautéed green beans, wonderful creamed spinach and a nice medley of sautéed spinach and button mushrooms that is relatively light on the palate. The jumbo baked Idaho can be loaded as lavishly as you like and shares well, but the hash browns are crisp and buttery, and the sautéed Lyonnaise potatoes have a pungent onion garnish that goes quite beautifully with a good filet. Thus, it’s hard to choose. Or is it easy, since everything is good?

Key Lime Pie

Morton’s the Steakhouse
285 J St.
Downtown
696-3369
mortons.com

All stories by Christy Scannell
SDUN Senior Editor

Kensington residents Greg Newman and Brigette Zeiss own Bar None Barbecue, a catering company Newman started in 1998 with $7,000. Bar None now serves more then 300 events per year. (Courtesy Brigette Zeiss)

Newman went on to earn a music degree but by then he’d been promoted to the caterer’s operations manager. Deciding that service trumped songs, he progressed to becoming a sought-after manager for black-tie level catering and, later, for specialty barbecue caterers.

In 1998, Newman’s years of experience came together when he launched Bar None Barbecue.

“I was able to blend the concept of elegant catering with the fun of barbecue,” the Kensington resident said. “It really created something unique for the area.”

Along with his wife, Brigette Zeiss—whom he’d met in ninth grade at Taft Middle School—and $7,000, Newman opened shop. It wasn’t easy at first.

“I walked through business park after business park, cold calling and handing out brochures,” he said.

That first year, an event planner who knew Newman from past catering jobs guaranteed him 30 gigs. Newman did all his food preparation in a deli owner’s kitchen when the deli was closed, and he bought a van, a small trailer and a chuckwagon for onsite cooking. At the end of the year, he’d made $70,000 working alone.

By 2008, Bar None’s best year to date, the company had sales of over $1 million from catering 350-400 events per year. His 15 full-time employees—including Zeiss, who left her technical writing career in 2000 to join him in the business—and 15 part-time employees operate Bar None from a 4,000 square-foot office in Allied Gardens, hauling cooking wood, slabs of meat and all the fixins in vans and trailers throughout San Diego County.

“What really makes us different is we don’t use propane, charcoal or lighter fluid when we cook,” Newman said. “It’s all red oak wood only with just a roofing torch to start it.”

That wood is placed on custom chuckwagons—Amish craftsmen in Ohio make the axels and wheels—that are hauled onsite for the event. Bar None uses only a “choice” grade of meat, cooking up chicken, ribs, steaks, sausages, burgers, fish and hot dogs for as many as 4500 people per location. Smokin’ Joe Jones produces a special barbecue sauce unique to Bar None, while all the sides and salads—from ranch-style beans to tropical fruit salad—are made at the company’s headquarters.

Newman said his decision to avoid weddings in favor of corporate clients has been important to Bar None’s momentum. Even though he gets at least 100 calls a year to cater weddings—some people even try to trick him into cooking at their weddings by calling them “parties” or “family gatherings”—he is confident his policies of no weddings, no more than three Bar None events per day and a 50-person minimum has been essential.

“We don’t do tastings,” he said about his decision not to accept wedding clients, “and we can’t cook for a romantic dinner for two at the beach. The chuckwagon and our setup is really designed for a large group experience. Our meat comes in cases.”

Newman admits he nearly did back off on his minimum-guest count last year, though.

“The [recession] really trickled down, even into small companies, and [businesses] got really paranoid about spending money. Catering is an extra, a way to say thank you to employees, so that was the first to go off the budget,” he said. “Our industry was hit really hard. We were down $400,000 in ’09.”

A switch to catering more private events plus asking employees to take on more tasks and not raising prices has allowed the company to survive. Newman also places a heavy emphasis on customer service.

“If you e-mail us or call us you are getting a call back right away and a quote that day or within hours,” he said. “And another thing that’s different about us is our website has all our own photos from actual parties so people can see what it will be like. Other caterers don’t do that.”

Newman said he goes to 90 percent of Bar None’s caterings.

“I really like being in different locations and meeting different people,” he said. “There’s always something different. It’s never the same. And I get to be outdoors at places like Mission Bay and Crown Point.”

Barbecuing is fun, he said (see his tips below), but owning a catering business is not for the faint of heart.

“I had 4000 events under my belt before I even started Bar None. So you’d better be willing to work really hard, have experience at what you’re doing and be good with money,” he said.

It’s not all work and no play for Newman. Remember that music degree? He has recorded two alternative rock CDs: “The Cuts You Said Were Good”—available on iTunes—and “Pregnant.” But he said the only thing he plans to be taking on the road are more chuckwagons—not tour buses.

We grilled Greg Newman, owner of Bar None Barbecue, for some home barbecuing tips:

• Use utensils made for barbecuing, such as a meat fork with a long handle.
• If you are using charcoal, allow the coals to turn white before cooking. And don’t spray lighter fluid through the grilling grates.
• Never cook frozen meat—always defrost first. Frozen meat tends to cook from the outside in, making it look done on the outside while the inside is still raw.
• A simple but delicious rub for all meat is salt, pepper and granulated garlic.
• Before barbecuing bone-in chicken, precook it in an oven to around 165 degrees, then finish it on the grill. This avoids undercooking and burning due to uneven grill temperatures.
• Never push down on steaks or burgers with a spatula while grilling. “Cooks get bored,” Norman said. “So go get a beer or something but don’t take it out on the meat by squeezing out all the juices.”
• Burgers should be cooked five to seven minutes per side. The first side is done when the juices come up through the top of the patty.
• Sear tri-tips in a pan to seal in juices and then put them on a grill.
• Swordfish works best on a barbecue rather than flakier fish such as halibut. Don’t try to grill any meat under ½-inch thick.
• Rub ribs with salt, pepper and granulated garlic, squeeze lime juice on them, and then place them with some water and liquid smoke in a sealed pan. Cook the ribs at 300 degrees for about two hours, then finish them on the grill by basting barbecue sauce and honey on both sides, turning to get a good char.
• Test all meat for doneness using a meat thermometer. Beef, pork and fish should be at 145 degrees and poultry and ground beef should be at 165 before eating.
• After red meat is removed from the barbecue, allow it to rest for five to 10 minutes before eating for the moistest, tastiest meat.

Party planner Darin Dietz has been arranging soirees, directing weddings and overseeing catering for many years in both San Francisco and San Diego. He opened his own business, Darin Dietz Events, in November. San Diego Uptown News asked Dietz for ways to transform a backyard barbecue from adequate to amazing.

Darin Dietz

Uptown News’ own “Hoptown Girl,” Lauren Duffy, says these are the brews for barbecue.

Burgers
A burger done right offers a range of flavors: creamy cheese, tangy condiments, moist vegetables. A pairing is tricky, for you need a beer with heft, complexity and a little bit of boldness. A black IPA such as Stone Brewing Co.’s Sublimely Self Righteous has the maltiness to stand up to beef coupled with a bold hoppiness to match whatever fixins you prefer on your bun.

Steak
In the wintertime, there is nothing better than a hearty steak paired with a robust porter or earthy dubbel. But when the sun is shining, I can’t bear to think about such heavy beers. For a barbecue, I like to go with a spicy saison, such as Lost Abbey’s Red Barn Ale. Golden in color with a complex, earthy undertone, the spicy and peppery notes of this style can bring out the best of a seared, juicy and slightly rare steak. Plus, it pairs well with a range of side dishes, too.

Ribs
There’s a myriad of flavors going on in a well-rubbed or sauced rib, and you want your palate to enjoy each and every one. A beer pairing should have a bit of a malty backbone, but should cleanse the palate and let the tangy flavors of barbecue shine. Stay away from aggressive beers, and instead opt for the clean flavors of an amber lager, like Lightning American Amber.

Fish
For the light, delicate flavors of grilled fish, I can think of no better accompaniment than a crisp, citrusy IPA like Alpine’s Nelson Rye. Bursting with grapefruit flavors, this style is at once refreshing and palate-cleansing; a beer that belongs at a summertime barbeque.

Bartender Jeff Shimanek, a native San Diegan, has shaken and poured drinks for everyone from blue-collar workers to CEOs to sports stars at various spots around the city, including the defunct Star of the Sea downtown. Shimanek now can be found at Bully’s East in Mission Valley, where he concocted these poolside chillers just for San Diego Uptown News readers.

Jeff Shimanek, bartender at Bully's East restaurant

Watermelon Mojito
4 cups watermelon
2 oz. simple syrup*
juice from half of a lemon
1 ½ oz. dark rum (Shimanek prefers Lahaina brand)
1/8 oz. melon liqueur
fresh mint
lemon twist

1. Puree the watermelon with the simple syrup and lemon juice in a blender.
2. Muddle mint in a glass using a barspoon. “I like to use a barspoon rather than a muddler because the barspoon breaks the veins of the leaf and spreads the oils better in the glass,” Shimanek said.
3. Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour in 1.5 oz of the puree, the rum and the melon liqueur. Shake until chilled.
4. Pour into a glass with ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with a lemon twist and mint leaf.

White Sangria
½ oz. brandy
½ oz. triple sec
1 oz. orange juice
juice from half of a lemon
2 oz. white wine (Shimanek prefers Albariño or Pinot Grigio)
1 t. sugar
1/8 oz. sour apple liqueur
club soda
apple or orange slice for garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine everything but the club soda and fruit garnish. Shake until chilled.
2. Pour into a wine glass. Top with club soda.
3. Slide an apple or orange slice over the glass’s rim.

Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Cook until sugar dissolves. For a shortcut for the Watermelon Mojito, add a handful of mint and steep, removing the mint before using the syrup.

Chef Matt Gordon

Ingredients
1 c. ketchup
1¼ c. brown sugar
1 c. honey
1¼ c. rice wine vinegar
2½ c. apple cider vinegar
2 t. smoked paprika
1 t. ground clove
2½ c. worsterchire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 T. sriracha
2½ c. brandy
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. kosher or sea salt

Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a stock pot and let simmer for 1 hour. Remove the bay leaf before using. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

This sauce is perfect for a barbecued king salmon:

Ingredients
4 6-oz. portions of king or sockeye salmon (not farmed!)
¼ c. olive oil
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
dash of kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions
1. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, zest and parsley.
2. Marinate the salmon in the liquid for 1 hour.
3. Sprinkle the salmon evenly with salt and pepper and grill on a very hot grill! Cook just long enough to get good grill marks. Salmon should be eaten while still pink in the middle (kind of like a medium rare to medium steak). At the last minute of cooking, brush with the barbecue sauce to finish.

Barbecued Pulled Pork

Ingredients
5 lbs. natural pork shoulder (boneless is fine) cut into baseball-size chunks
1 T. kosher salt
1 T. black pepper
½ T. cayenne pepper
½ T. smoked paprika
½ bunch celery
½ c. garlic cloves
1 c. homemade barbecue sauce (above)
½ c. sherry
Water

Instructions
1. Season the pork with the spices.
2. Grill or sear the meat in a pan to caramelize the outside.
3. Place the meat in a deep casserole dish and add the barbecue sauce, sherry and enough water to cover the pork.
4. Cover in foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 2.5 to 3 hours or until very tender (falling apart).
5. Let the meat begin cooling for 1 hour in the juices and then remove the pork from the dish.
6. Shred the meat with tongs or a fork and toss with more of your homemade sauce and serve!

Gilberto Bravo is manager of Proprietor’s Reserve Wine Bar, a cozy spot behind Rosie O’Grady’s Irish Pub at Adams Avenue and 34th Street in Normal Heights (proprietorsreserve.com). Although people tend to think of beer with barbecue, Bravo said wine pairs well with summer grill parties.

He suggests starting with a glass of rosé and or vinho verde to greet your guests as they arrive for the afternoon or evening. Two to try: Domaine Ott Rosé, Provence, France (2008, $19); Encostas Do Lima Vinho Verde, Portugal (2008, $10).

Three for barbecue:
• Domaine Du Vieux Lazeret Chateauneuf-du-Pape (2005, $31)
• Belasco “Llama” old vine Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina (2007, $14)
• Cinnabar Mercury Rising Meritage, Paso Robles (2007, $18)

For a refreshing palate cleanser after the meal, Bravo recommends Delirium Tremens golden ale from Belgium.

Inside El Take It Easy with its beamed ceilings and exposed brick. (Photo by Paul Body)

Those of you who are quick on the uptake already have deduced that Tijuego is a conjugal contraction of Tijuana and San Diego, a name that promotes the notion that the side-by-side cities constitute a single metropolis. It’s a good argument, and one that won’t get any arguments from San Diegans who feel at home in Tijuana. This happens to be a sizeable group.

If you have trouble finding El Take It Easy in Tijuego, it may be easier to toddle over to North Park and amble up 30th Street to #3926, a spot that formerly housed an eatery called Apertivo, which specialized in Italian tapas. The small plates tradition has been handed on to El Take It Easy, which specializes in Mexican tapas. These are tapas that may well have you gaga before you’ve finished reading down the long, narrow, utterly fascinating menu of botanas (snacks) and raciones (larger servings).

Hot chocolate custard (Photo by Paul Body)

In the age of the gastropub, El Take It Easy claims the title of gastro-cantina. Spacious and high-ceilinged, it features deep booths and communal tables, and in an era that seems to ignore dress, a server or two may sport a necktie. The room at first seems dark, and one wall is indeed painted black, but the deeply varnished tables are spotlighted and, in any case, the demi-gloom has its charming side. So does the music, which plays above conversations and lends an edge to chatter braced by inventive beverages and botanas (mostly $5) like peaches spiced with chile and lime, house-pickled vegetables (very delicate and tasty; $5) and grilled peppers, which may be Hungarian, or may be Padron peppers, seasoned with lemon juice and salt.

Goat Cazuela (Photo by Paul Body)

Whole Local Spot Prawn (Photo by Paul Body)

For those who like to dine on the safe side, there are crisp-creamy fritters of chopped spot prawns bound with a smooth sauce ($12), clam ravioli with chorizo ($12), and chicken meatball soup ($8). El Take It Easy is not dedicated to those who belong to the El Play It Safe genre, though, and for the daring, it offers Kentucky-fried “buches,” which are chicken necks ($8), and—maybe you’d better sit down first—sweet-and sour fried chicken heads ($7). Well, no—maybe it’s snobby to dismiss these out-of-hand, but fried, sweet-sour or dressed in tiny party hats, chicken heads aren’t going to strut their stuff on this writer’s table. However, the neighboring table ordered both spleens and heads, and seemed perfectly happy with both dishes.

Given the strong flavors that flow through this menu, dessert is much in order, both fresh-from-the-fat churros served with a sweet dip ($7), and the day’s fruit cobbler ($8).

El Take It Easy
3926 30th St.
North Park
eltakeiteasy.com