frank mangio

The Summer of 2014 for the search of great wines was unlike any I’d seen before.  For me, it started out in Colorado where the word is loose that their mountain wines were getting a foothold in the marketplace, when in fact they are but a …

Mola Gastro Bar, upstairs in the Del Mar Plaza, is drawing a lot of big time party people since it opened a short time ago.  Meet and greets love the format that promotes easy getting-to-know you over a glass of wine …

As of day five after the 6.0 earthquake that struck the southern district of Napa Valley, damage estimates may top four billion dollars, with 120 injuries, 3 critical, with over  103 dwellings “redtagged” as un-livable.  104 smaller earthquakes have been recorded to …

Pinot Grigio, Gavi, Prosecco, Spumanti, Barbera, Dolcetto, Sangiovese, Chianti Classico, Nero D’Avola, Barolo, Barbaresco, Valpolicella… the Italian wine list reads like a journey to Italy, at Il Fornaio in the Del Mar Plaza.  And the nicest thing about this list is …

San Diego County, by my count and review of Localwineevents.com, leads the nation on  a per capita basis, in wine/food events. A big contributor to that enviable record is a mild-mannered restaurateur for two Italian style restaurants:  Vittorio’s and Capri Blu in North County. Victor Magalhaes has positioned …

Wine royalty came to Coronado a few weeks ago when Il Fornaio’s General Manager lit up the island by bringing in Cakebread Cellars of Napa Valley for a wine dinner that packed the restaurant. Luca Allieri has ramped up Il Fornaio’s dinner events …

It doesn’t get any better than this one.  I’ve been to all of them and they get better each year.  This one is the 11th annual San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival from Sunday November 16 through Sunday November  23rd.  An army of the world’s premier …

James Limjoco is the easiest interview I have ever had the pleasure to do.  He’s the affable owner of Sublime Tavern with locations in San Marcos, Del Mar and soon to be inNorth Park.  He’s gone through  upgrades in his presentation of comfort food, premium wines by …

Make your plans now for the biggest and best wine and food festival on the West Coast and the most talked about public event in San Diego. The dates are Sunday November 16 to Sunday November 23rd.  This is an international showcase of the …

Before I even thought about the relevance of wine and food, Poseidon on the beach in Del Mar was my hangout.  My radio buddies and I got all fired up around the big pit by the bar and the conversation about sports, music, radio …