Dish It Up

Sheep Riley of Big Front Door talks about the importance of being a regular at independent restaurants; the rising costs of labor and rent impacting small businesses; his new digs in University Heights and more.

What would the dining scene in San Diego look like without its diverse ethnic contributions? That’s the question Han Tran posed during this recording of the Dish It Up podcast.

For 15 years, co-owner Lauren Hodson of Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria has been toiling away to build a pair of neighborhood businesses that support the local community and recognizes the longtime commitment of staff members that lend their personalities to the vibe of the restaurants.

Nearly five years ago, when Coral Strong realized the Rolando area near San Diego State was a food desert, she and her husband decided to open a new restaurant in that neighborhood. Now, she is the chef-owner (and sometimes toilet cleaner) creating locally grown, organic and 100% from scratch meals with a daily rotating menu based on the fresh foods she sources.

What started out as a small burger venture in Bankers Hill grew into a viral phenomenon on Facebook group Eating and Drinking in San Diego and now, The Balboa is set to open second location in Chula Vista.

Chef/owner Matt Gordon (Urban Solace in North Park and Solace & the Moonlight Lounge in Solana Beach) has seen a lot of changes in the neighborhoods he chose to open his restaurants. With evolving dining habits, updates to minimum wages and an increase in home delivery services, he wonders where the dining industry is headed next.

The grind of having to meet daily deadlines at work lead to burnout for Patti Finnegan, who decided operating a scoop shop would be a better pace of life. So, she put together a business plan and when she caught wind that a decades-old ice cream shop in National City was in need of a new owner curiosity set in.

Chef/owner Davin Waite isn’t afraid to play with his food. “At the end of the day, how big is your box of crayons?” he pondered. The boundary-pushing chef has been named to PACIFIC magazine’s Chain of Gourmand two years running, earning praise from other local chefs. The unconventional food at his sushi/izakaya pub, Wrench and Rodent, in Oceanside has earned him a reputation among diners and fellow cooks as being the most adventurous chef in town.

Pastry chef Lori Sauer is a ‘whisk taker’ and was tapped to kick off this year’s PACIFIC Chain of Gourmand. From the one-oven Crafted Baked Goods kitchen at Liberty Public Market, she keeps busy suppling sweets for the full portfolio of Blue Bridge Hospitality restaurants around San Diego.

Chef Accursio Lota of Solare Ristorante in San Diego’s Liberty Station cooks Southern Italian food in its most simple form, and says it respects the ingredients and pushes him to connect with each dish.

Karen Barnett, owner of Small Bar in San Diego, discusses electricity surcharges, changes to the University Heights neighborhood, issues with satellite tasting rooms and celebrating nine years in business with a week of celebrations.

North Park’s Grand Ole BBQ y Asado is growing into a second location with owner Andy Harris saying it will offer a bigger space with a menu that includes steaks and burgers in addition to traditional BBQ foods, two full bars, music and an authentic Austin vibe — everything he could ever want. ___________________________________________________________ Never miss an episode of Dish It Up and subscribe here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dish-it-up/id1313536406?mt=2 And check out our other podcasts at SanDiegoUnionTribune.com/podcasts ______________________________________________________________ Please take a few minutes to complete our podcast survey. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=Kv7xaSXfStEq&ver=standard

Despite his seasickness, Anthony Pascale still goes out to the docks and purchases the catch of the day for his sushi at Saiko Sushi because fresh and local is how he does it.

Rob Graff loves talking about cheese so much that he has dubbed himself the Professor of Cheese, which comes into play with his course through San Diego’s Venissimo Cheese called “Academy of Cheese” as well as many local events and trips to major cheese destinations such as Vermont and Italy.

Fishmonger Tommy Gomes believes that “food brings us together,” which is why he helps educate the public and promote healthy eating habits when it comes to the fish we consume. ________________________________________________________________ Check out our sister podcast, Kiss My Glass here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/kiss-my-glass/id1315459349?mt=2 Stay up to date on all areas of news & info by heading over to http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/podcasts/ ________________________________________________________________

Chef Brad Wise of Trust and Hundred Proof in San Diego leads his kitchens with the motto of “check your ego” and “the guest is first.”

In fall of 2017, the popular North Park, San Diego shop Nomad Donuts opened a new, much larger main kitchen and retail locations allowing them to add wood-fired bagels to the mix along with an ever changing rotation of exotic-flavored donuts.

Vivian Hernandez-Jackson, owner of Azúcar located on Newport Avenue in San Diego’s Ocean Beach, combines her classical French training with her Cuban roots at the 10-year-old shop that carries unique desserts and pastries. Over cups of coffee and aromatic sweet and savory pastries Vivian talks about Cuban culture, big bakery holidays, what excites her about Ocean Beach and why she could never be a vegan.

San Diego-native Chef Hanis Cavin, owner of Carnitas Snack Shack, talks about the crew he runs with, where he eats when the mood strikes, and what makes his current three locations successful when the Del Mar location just wasn’t ready for the fast-casual pork restaurant.

In the premiere episode of Dish It Up host Edwin Real (Eating and Drinking San Diego on Facebook) sits down with Danilo “DJ” Tangalin Jr. to talk about San Diego's food scene ahead of the opening of his new North Park restaurant/taproom Bivouac Ciderworks. They discuss how to make San Diego a first class food city, Oceanside's distinct food style, and local Filipino chefs and food, plus DJ explains the concept behind “in-the-moment” cooking.

A new monthly podcast serving up the latest news, trends and events relating to the San Diego food scene. | This podcast is recorded as a collaboration between PACIFIC magazine and Eating and Drinking San Diego recorded at Specialty Produce Studios. Look for new episodes on the 2nd Monday of each month.