Michelle Armas

Jolie, located on the ferry end of Orange Avenue, is generous in all the ways you might not expect. Self-identified as French-California coastal, Jolie — meaning “pretty” in French — is Chef Jason Witzl’s fifth concept. It began as a butchery with a six-item menu: oysters, crudo, scallops and a few salads. Executive Chef Jack […]

Situated on C Street, tucked into the corner of a small commercial plaza, sits Nado Republic, owned by Chef Gorgio Cortelli. From outside, the sectioned-off terrace gives the impression of two separate restaurants, but inside feels like someone’s living room.   In the spacious bar, stacks of wine, champagne and liquor bottles backdrop the bartender. A […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]