Swaddee Thai is not exactly the type of restaurant that comes to mind when I think of Thai food, a cuisine I associate with casual street vendors, family-style meals and tropical, sticky weather. Swaddee — a traditional Thai greeting — lives up to its name, as servers welcome guests with warm smiles upon arrival. Still, […]
Michelle Armas
Michelle Armas is a reporter for The Coronado News. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State University, where she also studied French. She spent a year living in Tokyo, teaching English and contributing feature stories to Japan Today. In her free time, she enjoys making ceramics and creative writing. She can be reached at 661-972-6098.
Posted inOpinion
Review: Why is everyone talking about this deli!
The classic liquor deli is usually underrated. Hardly anyone ever thinks that going into a liquor store filled with mini vodkas in plastic bottles, standing next to trucker-style spiced pumpkin seeds and packaged gummy bears typical of road trips, could yield a juicy, satisfying sub. But lo and behold, a liquor store deli always has […]
Posted inOpinion
Five Coronado restaurants to try for Valentine’s or Galentines Day
Here is a list of restaurants that offer elevated fine dining, Valentine’s specials and a chance for romance. The Henry: The Henry is a Coronado staple, but for Valentine’s Day it is going all out and offering a three-course prix fixe menu experience with optional wine pairings. The menu is extensive featuring elevated starters like […]
Posted inOpinion
Valentine’s Day, the French Way
Valentine’s Day is about romance. And romance, as kitschy as it can be, may also be translated to indulgence. Kisses, chocolate, fondue, wine, dreamy weekend getaways. It’s about getting lost in the senses of life. And who loves indulgence better than the French? Their joy of life, or joie de vivre, is sacred, and their […]
Posted inNews
$200,000 grant funds ongoing fight against invasive algae in Coronado Cays
The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission has awarded the Port of San Diego a $200,000 grant to help eradicate invasive Caulerpa algae discovered in the Coronado Cays. The funding allows the port to continue a local emergency declaration, which keeps it eligible for the money. The grant will support additional diver surveys and ongoing eradication […]
Posted inOpinion
Review: An elevated take on the Japanese katsu sandwich
When I lived in Tokyo, I ate a lot of katsu: katsu udon, katsu curry, tonkatsu, katsu sandwiches. You can find katsu everywhere in Japan and pair it with almost any dish. It’s like your favorite pair of jeans — it goes well with everything. To make it, which is harder than it looks (believe […]
Posted inOpinion
Night & Day Cafe: A countertop time capsule
There’s something about American diners: burnt coffee in a clunky mug and those little creamers where you peel the plastic off the top. They’re inviting yet unassuming, something of a civic religion to the elderly, nostalgic for a time when people still flipped through print newspapers at their tables and dusted ashes into saucers. I […]
Posted inNews
San Diego wages increase — Will Coronado follow?
In September, the San Diego City Council voted to raise the city’s minimum wage for certain hospitality workers to $25 an hour over the next four years, with the first increase taking effect in July 2026. With Coronado serving as a major tourism hub — and many of its hospitality workers commuting from San Diego […]
Posted inOpinion
Family-run Italian restaurant sneaks in among the chains
If you take a hike along Orange Avenue from Hotel del Coronado to the Ferry Landing, you’ll find a whole lot of restaurants that skew more toward commercial than characterful. Coronado’s food scene is a unique one. Because many of its customers are out of towners, most of its restaurants are concentrated along about 1.7 […]
Posted inNews
Meet Claudia Ludlow and Marco Tabet, Discover Coronado’s interim leaders
Claudia Ludlow and Marco Tabet were appointed as interim chair and interim vice chair of Discover Coronado, the city’s tourism marketing organization. They both have extensive experience in hospitality and with Coronado’s tourism industry. They will serve in the role temporarily until June 30, 2026. Ludlow previously served as vice chair from 2013-2014 and chair […]
Posted inOpinion
Review: La Corriente debuts with a swell
La Corriente — “The Current” in Spanish — may serve familiar flavors, but it brings new momentum to Coronado’s food scene. Set on the corner of the Coronado Historical Association Museum, the location feels fitting for a city so closely tied to Mexico. The space was once home to L’Orangerie, a charming French bistro, but […]
Posted inOpinion
Review: Can a sushi minimalist love an over-the-top roll?
I have always been something of a minimalist. I don’t keep trinkets, I can fit all my clothes into one suitcase, and I have one small box of memories for my entire life. I’m drawn to a less-is-more mentality. That restraint doesn’t always apply to food, however. One of my favorites is pad thai, layered […]
Posted inOpinion
Review: A waterfront classic past its prime?
I’m back with my weekly review. And forgive me, though I’m a San Diego native, I’m still new to Coronado cuisine. When I chose this week’s review, Peohe’s, I didn’t realize it has been around for decades. Turns out, San Diego food reviewer David Nelson reviewed it in 1988 for the Los Angeles Times when […]
Posted inOpinion
Review: Not exactly Memphis but it feeds the island
When you think of Coronado dining, especially the ferry landing, you picture fresh lobster, ceviche or street tacos eaten alongside sparkly water. With white sails undulating in the breeze, the island is a beach destination, after all, making a traditionally landlocked cuisine like barbeque an intriguing anomaly. Lil Piggy’s Bar-B-Q is just that: a West […]
Posted inAround the Community
Coronado Philharmonia debuts ‘Holidays on Orange Avenue’ in new program
This year’s Christmas season performance by the Coronado Philharmonia Orchestra will feature a composition inspired by the city’s main street: “Holiday’s on Orange Avenue.” On Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. the Coronado Philharmonia Orchestra will present its holiday program, “Christmas in Coronado,” at the Coronado Performing Arts Center. For the past four years, the Coronado […]