Crave – food & drink

It’s hard to leave the coast but I make the sacrifice every once in a while if I have a good reason. Alpine Beer Company in Alpine, Calif. is a good reason. This tiny brewery is in East County San Diego—a straight shot across Interstate 8 East, just over 30 miles … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

I’m stoked to see that Coronado Brewing Co. topped Coastal Living magazine’s May 2014 list of the 6 “Best Coastal Breweries”! (Wanna know my favorite beer there? Check out this post from last February.) But if you’re reviewing the best coastal breweries, why stop at 6? I can name several others that … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

San Diego is my favorite craft beer destination. San Diego Beer Week kicks off today and runs thru Nov. 10. I wish I could go! A 2-day beer tasting festival takes place Nov. 1-2. And over the next 10 days, breweries and restaurants will host more than 600 craft beer events. Later … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

A Dark Surf Nightly subscriber recently took me to what she describes as a hidden gem — Abnormal Wine Company. AWC is a self-proclaimed “urban winery,” tucked away in the North County San Diego community of Rancho Bernardo. It’s situated west of Highway 15 at 16990 Via Tazon #123. Abnormal … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

May is National Burger Month. To celebrate, two carnivores took me to Smashburger. Heads up! If your name has “burger” in it, Smashburger invites you to celebrate National Burger Month today, May 28, 2013 with a free Classic Smash! Smashburger says its “handcrafted burgers are smashed, seared and seasoned to … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

In 1989, Karl Strauss Brewing Company opened the doors to its first location at 1157 Columbia Street in downtown San Diego—the first new brewpub in the city in over 50 years. It began with 3 beers and now brews over 30 beers a year, including 6 core beers and a … Read Entire Post

BeachStyle – lifestyle

Spring Break: one of my favorite phrases. My ideal spring break is spent at the beach in the waves. I’ve spent several spring breaks at beaches all over San Diego County. I’ve done a couple in Rosarito Beach in Baja California, splashing in the Pacific Ocean and feasting on fish tacos, … Read Entire Post

Pulse – events & entertainment

Interested in beer travel? Wanna know what it takes to fulfill a beer geek’s fantasy of a year in beer? Check out Teachings from the Tap: Life Lessons from Our Year in Beer by Merideth Canham-Nelson, one of the world’s most experienced female beer travelers. Merideth, who proudly calls herself a … Read Entire Post

Book Buzz – DARK SURF news & goings-on

So what inspired this blog? I’ve written a novel called DARK SURF, which takes place on the North County coast of San Diego. The novel ventures into the dark side of coastal living. Territorial surf punks, great white sharks, killer vampires, paranormal romance—oh yeah, it’s in there. (See a sneak peek.) … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

The 3rd and final of my 3 favorite West Coast red ales? Mermaid’s Red at Coronado Brewing Company. Whether you travel to the Coronado, Calif. brewpub by bridge, ferry or aircraft carrier, it’s a great place to drink So Cal suds. Coronado Brewing calls their Mermaid’s Red an American amber ale. Measuring … Read Entire Post