The wife and I came here in 2018 and liked it so much that we returned. Thus, I decided to update…read moremy review. This time in 2025, I avoided food poisoning and did not go back to the restaurant that made me deathly ill in 2018. It is still open and still serves gelato. My impression this time was much more favorable. There are so many restaurants to choose from, it is hard to imagine how we made our choices last time. It's a pizza lover's dream. I think you could eat pizza at a different restaurant every day for half a year. There are cute little shops and food stores that sell Italian foods and pasta. The Little Italy is quite large, I think larger than the one in NYC, so you can spend a lot of time walking, eating and drinking, and people watching.

Little Italy was *truly* the perfect spot to stay as first-time visitors to San Diego. We were…read morecentral to so much by staying in the La Pensione. The farmer's market was right outside on Saturday, and there were dozens of top-tier restaurants and bars within short walking distance. I'm so glad we stayed in this neighborhood over Gaslamp, as that was on my radar too but sounded like it may have been too wild. We didn't have a car, so parking wasn't a problem, and public transportation was close by. It was also easy to call for a Lyft. I also appreciated how close it was to the airport. I'd absolutely stay in Little Italy again in the future if the price permits!

The entire experience here was exquisite! I just wish we had gotten there earlier to explore some…read moremore. We paid for parking right in front of the Spanish Art Village and paid $10 for 4 hours. Spanish Art Village was beautiful. If you buy something, it goes directly to the artist whose studio you're in. The artists were sitting quietly and would talk to you about their art pieces and tell you a little about themselves. Everything in there was so cool. I was especially intrigued by the artist in Studio 21, he had these incredible three part paintings he does by hand and I've never felt so much emotion before by an art piece. I really wish I had the money for them because I really would've taken them home with me ;( The botanical building was stunning, it wasn't as big as I thought it would be but definitely beautiful! We also ended up visiting the Timken Art museum and the PostSecrets and Cannibalism exhibits within the last 15 minutes of them being open. Wish we got there earlier so we didn't have to speed through them, but staff was still really nice and everything was so interesting to look at! We went to Panama 66 for a quick drink and bite afterward. We didn't even get to explore the rest of it because the entire park is so expansive, but we will definitely be coming back to visit the rest. It's definitely a must for tourists, but I just know I'd be here every day lying in the grass and reading if I lived here!

Word to the wise, do your research and know where you're going beforehand. Unfortunately we just…read moredecided to come spur of the moment and didn't really know what we were doing. So apparently there are a lot of parking lots which are not free, $10 unless you're a native and have a pass. We found one lot, called lower inspiration that's free for 3 hours. Also, we didn't realize how big that place is, with so much to see! There are museums, places to eat, the zoo, a playground for kids and I'm sure so much more. The museums are not free, they do sell passes or individual tickets. It's a nice place to spend a day or even a few hours.

Lots of interesting shopping and food in this area. Parking is easier here than downtown or little…read moreItaly. $1 parking before 6pm across from Verbatim Books... at least on Sunday.

Everything you need is right here. Good food, beer, bars, music venues, beautiful people and even a…read moredistillery! Oddly enough, everything you don't need is here too. Such as, dog poop left on the ground, (no stray dogs here..) urine scented sidewalks, thefts, car break-ins, rude and smelly folks, paid parking in residential neighborhoods. I still go, but even my 20 year old daughter has witnessed the transition since we've been going for about 15 of those years. Everyone thinks it's cool to own a dog but they lack the decency and or common sense to care for them. Carry those little baggies and keep them leashed. Simple right? Apparently not for some. This happens in my neighborhood too, so possibly this is a millennial thing.. Wait, maybe I shouldn't generalize and blame a generation- all ages really do apply here. Pick up after yourself AND your dog. I could name the numerous establishments here, but I do have a few favorites that I particularly like. Sicilian Thing pizza, Crazee burger, Spirits 619, Lefty's, City Tacos, Yog-Art and a few others I can't think of right now. So if you live here you may take Yoga classes that you actually pay for. I couldn't resist taking a snapshot of the sign on the power pole, which suggests your Yoga could be free if you just bend over and pick up that doggie doodoo. Are you up for the challenge or not?

Tasting Event We…read morewanted to combine my birthday and my friend's birthday by having a September birthday celebration! I've been seeing these tasting events throughout San Diego so we decided to check out the Taste of North Park. North Park is in hipster neighborhood with fun energy. They have really cute boutiques, cozy coffee shops, trendy bars, and craft breweries. Each restaurant has so much character and charm! We only managed to complete 32 out of 50 restaurant tastings in 3 hours before tapping out. It was such a fun experience exploring each place and seeing what kind of food they have to offer. Now I'm intrigued to check out the other neighborhood tasting events too!

Pleasantly surprised with Taste of North Park. The event was incredibly organized. People are given…read morewristbands and a passport book that includes a map that shows all participating locations. It was even color coded if the business was giving out food or drinks. Pros: -great way to visit and sample different venues in North Park -lots of businesses were really generous with their portion sizes -there was a good mix of food and alcoholic beverages -although I am not vegan, I appreciated that they had places that gave out vegan friendly items -some venues were a little further than others so I was happy that they had a complimentary EV ride that came on a regular basis. Cons: -none Overall, solid event! In the future, I'll need to remember to bring water.

This place was great! Amazing Food, great service, small and cozy space that they made work very…read morewell and made it welcoming. Everything we tried was delicious! It was a place that I look forward to going again and again. Truly special especially how at the end of the night we got to witness the owner and the cooks share a meal together, sing, laugh and enjoy each others company as if it were in a villa somewhere in Italy. I absolutely recommend this place. Our experience there was fantastic!

Carbon Angela's Kitchen in the heart of South Park is a standout, unique restaurant. This is…read moredefinitely a perfect spot for your next date night or the place to go for dinner for any occasion, like a birthday, or better yet, my birthday! Yes, I will be there next month with my whole gang celebrating with me on my special day! Our reservations were early, arriving on time @ 5:30 it was a bit quiet with only two other tables, but not for long. In no time every single table was filled. The restaurant was busy and the wine was a'flowin'! This quaint and very special restaurant reminds me of a small restaurant in San Diego in the 1980's, "Ciao Bella". It was located downtown on 4th Ave., it was also chef-owned. When you dine at a chef owned restaurant you are most likely destined for greatness, or a great meal! This is the case at Angela's Kitchen 'Carbon', because there is pure authenticity in her dishes and a whole lotta' love delivered in each plate. The subtle, warm decor is welcoming and the music is played at the perfect level. Just the right ambiance. Once seated, you'll be promptly greeted and the attentive wait staff will have your wine delivered pronto. What a selection they have. I started with the prosecco and moved on to the Sangiovese which complimented my pappardelle perfectly. My friend ordered the grilled salmon and had the Montepulciano Abate Pietro. The delivery of their fresh bread with garlicky pesto, and another with tomato, which I think was a focaccia. Just amazing. We asked for olive oil to compliment the bread: it was the very best of quality with a dark Sicilian olive green hue and the smoothness with the polyphenols and antioxidants dancing in my mouth. Yum! I asked for a side of Parmigiano and they brought a nice square ramekin full of finely grated cheese, Perfection!! These are the details that make me fall in love with a restaurant, causing me to return again and again. Both of our entrees were executed perfectly, the vegetables were grilled leaving a slight char, and the salmon was grilled just right leaving a tender center. My pappardelle was dressed in the deepest, richest mushroom + beef cheek fusion of flavors with whispers of some kind of red wine like maybe the Nero d'Avola that they feature on the menu. WoW!! This is a dish that you want to take your time savoring. Every bite surpassed the last, and then a sip of the Sangiovese and I was in fresh pasta heaven. Just when we were winding down and reeling from being overwhelmed by the amazing food, Angela came to our table with cannoli. It too was amazing! This was such a kind and unexpected gesture from the chef/owner. Grazie mille, a domani!

There's a new weekly international market in town, and I have a weird feeling it might not last…read morelong. I went yesterday and saw about 20 vendors but less than 20 people attending. I had never heard of any of the food vendors, so I tried one randomly. I was able to get some sort of Mexican dish I've never tried for $3, which is a hell of a bargain for the amount of food that I got. I'll probably go back here semi-weekly to try new food vendors out. There are a few clothing/knick knack vendors, but nothing amazing. And a guy was playing guitar and singing when I stopped by. Could use a bit more press, but would be a nice addition to San Diego if it stayed.

This is such a fun fair! Delicious food and games for kids (and adults). Happy to have it in the…read moreneighborhood!!

We attended our FOURTH Taste of the Gaslamp, this is 2025!!! We have been coming since 2022!!!…read more It's a FUN San Diego Event. We started at Goodnight John Boy, which is a 1970's Nightclub!!! It was also STOP 1, serving PIZZA. We stopped at in on 16 RESTAURANTS!!! HERE IS HOW OUR DAY WENT: We proceeded over and up. We ate PIZZA again at PIZZA ON FIFTH. THEN, back down, BACK AND FORTH, and down some more. Back and Forth, AND UP!!! We had pizza and more pizza, a couple places had sliders. CHEESE BALLS at The Field!!! I ate both of our Cheese Balls, and they were large and filled with soft, creamy white cheese. When we walked into THE FIELD, the Staff approached us and took us to a table, the only empty table in the place!!! After that, they even exchanged the stool that was there with a backed chair. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! YUMMY, yummy Truffles at Sugarbear!!! We then ran into the MEXICAN REGION, with Rockin Baja and Hasta Manana, and Baja Rick's Cantina!!! We loved HASTA MANANA, in particular. It went all out MEXICAN FOOD, we had three different things to eat, including Chips and Guacamole, a Potato Taquito, and Arroz Con Leche. HASTA Manana was the HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY!!! At ROYAL India, we tried Chicken Marsala!!! We were thrilled to see CAFE SEVILLA again serving Paella!!! We were also thrilled to see SUGAR BEAR again serving DELICIOUS DESERTS!!! I have to say this about SUGARBEAR, we were greeted warmly by the owner, who was standing outside. It was JUST LIKE LAST YEAR. WHAT A DAY!!! I mean, this is a Classic San Diego LOCATION, location, location, the Gaslamp Quarter. Then, DID I MENTION, you get to taste the food at 16 Restaurants!!! TELL ME, what is better???

Very charming neighborhood of downtown San Diego! I stayed at the Sofia Hotel so walking and…read moreexploring the area was convenient and so easy. I loved getting to pass by all the historic buildings, most were constructed in the Victorian era. Also lots of restaurants and shops along the way to Harbor Drive

Barrio Logan is an amazing part of San Diego with bn it's amazing art painted on the bridge…read moreunderpass. The art is by incredible, their is a small playground, ocasional car shows. Their are many artists in be little divided storefronts along the main drag plus good restaurants and a coffee shop. You can also drive across the bridge with no tolls. A great way to spend a few hours.

As a Mexican American I loved to see a whole area represent us . I loved everything about Barrio…read moreLogan I can't wait to go back . Barrio Logan is full of culture and so much history . It has so many restaurants, shops , breweries and so much more . There is Chicano park and a museum also . The Chicano park has so much art on the walls . This place is just a must visit . Check out por vida coffee for a great coffee too . Can't wait to go back ..

Who we hang on cause you're comes while bus driver to drive all around town and scare you and put…read moreyou up for oh riproaring good time

The Baron is back!…read more Now that the Baroness and I are freeholders, I feel that my review needs an update, so here we go: Bosforo - Haven't been, but heard good things. Turkish pizza? Worth a try. Get a reservation; this place is always crowded. Sahara - Mediterranean takeout (with a couple of sidewalk tables). Decent beer selection, but read the label. They sell some NA brews. Caveat emptor! Nozaru - Their vegan ramen is on my list to try. Thai Joint on Adams - This jawn never disappoints. Their roots go back to Plumeria in University Heights, but they have vegan as well as omni menus. Dos Palmas Cafe - My sister said that this was the best breakfast sandwich that she has ever eaten. Hopnonymous Brewing Company - A welcome addition to the neighborhood. See my review. Rosie O'Grady's - They are back, and so are $5 draft Tuesdays! But, do they have live music anymore? Miss Shelly's Shack is slinging the grub, but if you are vegan, don't come hungry. See my review. Ska Bar - RIP Uptown Bicycles - Game Over Community Fridge - A free resource where we can share food and other resources with those of us who are less fortunate. It is in front of Normal Heights United Methodist Church. Adams Avenue Theater - Event space that sometimes hosts free comedy shows. I love Normal Heights. Normal Heights loves cool visitors. The Baron has spoken!

We randomly and luckily stayed at an Airbnb in this neighborhood…read more There are great coffee shops, breakfast sandwiches at Lestats, ice cream and plenty of craft beer and hard liquor bars. Look carefully and there are custom painted electric boxes around this walkable neighborhood. Plus, there is a grocery store and pharmacy at the east end of the neighborhood. The name Normal Heights cracked me up every time I saw the sign. Why be normal?! Life is good!