Unfortunately, not everyone can make it to New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras in person. However, we have a fun way to bring the excitement Mardi Gras to your friends and family - host a progressive New Orleans themed cocktail party! That's exactly what we did and it was even more fun than we expected as we paraded around our apartment complex going from loft to loft, handing out beads, sampling cocktails, and enjoying some classic New Orleans food with friends and neighbors.

Heather and I LOVE Mardi Gras - well, actually we just love New Orleans and the spirit of Mardi Gras goes along with that. There is something liberating and fun about a time of year when you can just let loose and celebrate all the good things in life including friends, family, food, and of course drink! 

Unfortunately, not everyone can make a trip to New Orleans in person, so the next best thing is to find a great Cajun or New Orleans restaurant near you and celebrate that way. In our case, this meant seeking out Bud's Louisiana Cafe in San Diego. I was a little concerned when I discovered it was located in an industrial park in a suite that would normally have held a logistics office or moving company, but as I've learned about great food down south - never judge something by the exterior appearance.

That was true here as well and I am thrilled that we spent our evening here enjoying authentic New Orleans food and of course Abita beer!

Rum and Bourbon drinks are synonymous with Mardi Gras, but what about our good friends from Mexico?

Hornitos sent in these fun tequila cocktail recipes to help us celebrate!

It's date night and we're here to save you with some delicious cocktails with Hornitos that perfect for Valentine's Day or date night any time of the year!

When I first arrived in San Diego 18 months ago I discovered there was no shortage of "Mexican" restaurants and honestly even though people loved Rubios it was by far my favorite because it simply sat in that awkward position between "authentic" and "corporate". For instance - Chipotle and Qdoba are both completely corporate but they are also good but not "awesome"... and on the other hand there are hundreds of 'Bertos as well as other hole in the wall places that do absolutely amazing tacos.

As such, Rubios for me was a place that I ordered catering from because they did a great job at that - but if I wanted a fish taco or burrito I had my favorites for that. It's difficult for them to compete in that market.

Earlier this week though, I got invited to one of their updated restaurants in Carlsbad, CA where we got a taste for the "new Rubios" - Rubios Coastal Grill. With this new positioning (which frankly isn't a dramatic change from what they have always tried to do), I feel that it sets them into a new market position with unlimited potential.

The stakes are rising fellas'! Valentine's Day is almost here and what are you going to do? Cooke a romantic dinner? Buy Flowers? or something different?

We vote for something different and we think it's time you learned how to make some craft cocktails that show her just how much you mean to her. The folks over at Cruzan sent over these recipes to give us a head start, so let's dive in!

Are you lucky enough to have a partner that loves beer almost as much as you do? Well then I've got a great Valentine's Day gift suggestion for you!

Frankly though, they have a lot more than stuff for the women in our lives and you will have as much fun shopping as she will in receiving it. Of course, if you are lucky, she will remember this place when it comes time for your birthday or fathers day since it has some great gifts for guys too!. 

Osteria Panevino is set in the heart of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter and while there is no shortage of restaurants here, it's always fun to find ones I haven't been to before.

The restaurant is designed to evoke the best of an authentic Tuscan osteria complete with brick walls and chalk boards on the walls with specials, a great wine list ranging from $25 to $900, sidewalk seating and of course bread as well as a full menu featuring homemade pasta, steaks, seafood, and of course gourmet Italian desserts. 

Sometimes in life you discover great new things completely by accident. That's how we found Viva Bar + Kitchen actually... we had gone to have dinner at a different place that sadly we left feeling we needed to go somewhere else to eliminate the "bad feeling" left in our belly. When we walked by Viva, the super friendly hostess on the sidewalk told us it was "taco Tuesday" and so we figured, "what the heck" and walked in to check it out.

That taco and that experience was good enough that before the end of our snack that we had already booked our New Year's Eve dinner here the next day.

Since 1969, when Byron and Virginia Hardin opened their first location in Ocean Beach, Hodad's has been a legendary burger joint in San Diego. With an atmosphere that borders on kitschy tourist trap but somehow manages to stay authentic, this is a must-visit location for anyone visiting the city. However, what makes it even more awesome is that it is more than just a "cool place" to grab a bite, it is serving up some of the most amazing burgers in the whole world. 

For those of you who have never been to Ocean Beach, it is a beach town located just north of the city and is full of hippies / surfer culture, so it is also great for people watching.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dr Pepper Snapple Group. All opinions are 100% mine.

7UP is a great mixer that should be on your holiday shopping list right there next to lights and mistletoe and so I was excited when I was invited to join this campaign to share with you some of my favorite cocktail recipes using it.

San Diego has tons of craft beer bars and great wine is in no shortage either but the craft spirits industry is also growing rapidly here as well. One of the shining stars there is El Agave Artesanal tequila and so I was thrilled that the folks at El Agave Restaurant invited us back to try some additional menu items as well as a tequila tasting led by one of their experts.

San Diego is an awesome town that is sometimes forgotten about or dismissed as simply a surf town, but what I have discovered over the past year is that there is an incredible amount of awesome things to do here beyond the beach including touring some of the almost 100 craft breweries, exploring vineyards in nearby Temecula and Romona, as well as visiting the Zoo, touring historic military ships and some of the best burgers and tacos in the country.

Schlitz is a beer that your father or grandfather probably recalls fondly but it isn't at the top of mind for most beer lovers today. That's about to change as the same company that brought PBR back from obscurity is now working to promote the Schlitz brand as well and what better way to do that then do a nationwide tour with a 1920's themed boxing night including cigars, dancing girls, orchestra, and of course... ice cold Schlitz beer!

The new Margaritaville Island Hotel located in Pigeon Forge on The Island, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, has opened phase one of the hotel with 55 guestrooms and suites. The grand opening of the 132-room property and event space will be in January 2015. The vacation destination hotel is in the heart of everything the area has to offer and minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park known for its extraordinary beauty, breathtaking views, and abundance of outdoor activities.

Everyone is searching for something new these days and classics like Grand Marnier are no different. While the bottle for the recently launched GM Titanium draws from the classic look, it thrusts itself forward into a modern and sleek package that boasts of an almost iridescent metallic, silver... titanium? finish.

With that initial presence, we were excited to take it for a spin and see where this new spirit can bring us!

The Gaslamp District is the destination to go for nightlife in San Diego. It's the place to be seen and it's no surprise that it is home to some of the most popular restaurants in the city. Last night I had the pleasure of dining at Acqua Al 2 for an opportunity to taste my way through it's delicious cuisine direct from Florence Italy.

Many Italian restaurants trace their inspiration back to Italian roots and Acqua Al 2 is no different - except that they actually have a location in Florence itself. Many years ago, owner and Executive Chef, Martin Gonzalez went to Italy to learn Italian and better understand the customs and way of life. To do so, he enrolled in cooking classes at the prestigious Instituto Culinario Apicius where he was award the title of "Best Student". 

Beer is good - beer is delicious when shared with friends but beer really shouldn't be pretentious. Instead, this is a blue collar drink that should be shared after work, to celebrate a day of fishing, hunting, skiing, or just relaxing on the beach. That being said, there is always a space in any market for an "ultra premium" beverage and that's what Affligem is all about. 

To help them spread the word, they invited me to join them at an event in San Diego last month where we got to learn more about the history and how to pour the beer properly using the "Body and Soul" pour with special glasses.

Josefas Cocina Mexicana is a brand new addition to La Jolla from the same folks that brought us Iberico. As part of it's opening, I was invited to stop by for a lunch to check it out and share my thoughts.

For the past year, I have been moaning that the San Diego restaurant scene sucks - and so a few PR teams ganged up on me to convince me that I just had bad luck in picking places. While I still stand beside my earlier comments, I am starting to discover that while San Diego doesn't celebrate - or demand - a certain high level of sophistication from its restaurants compared to the prices charged,... there are some fantastic gems. 

I love big over the top burgers, rock and roll, craft beer, and honoring those who serve to keep our country the best in the entire world! When a place manages to combine all of those into one tasty (if not extremely messy!) package I love to share the news of it with you guys.