Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! We’re taping this episode from Suite 33 at Petco Park, and this week’s guest is Eddie Quinn, director of partnership services for Petco Park (we call him “the beer guy” at the park). Eddie manages the relationships with the Padres’ corporate partners, and more specifically, all of their beer partners (including Ballast Point, AleSmith, and Budweiser). Eddie talks about collaborating with Ballast Point on the Swingin’ Friars Ale and reveals what’s the No. 1 best-selling beer at the park (take a guess). He also shares his history with the team—he’s been with the Padres since 2003, and he actually started as a bat boy! His pick for Two People, $50, was Bahn Thai in University Heights, and the staff liked Burger Lounge, Half-Door Brewing, and Panama 66 in Balboa Park.
Hot Plates
You & Yours Distilling Co. (which is female owned!) debuted a new food menu crafted by chef Brian Redzikowski from Kettner Exchange. The Patio Group has a new executive chef, Jarrod Moiles, who came from Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. San Diego is one of 18 cities in the country where you can order beer delivery from 7-11 (but so far we don’t see any craft beer on the list). Cohn Group opened Del’s Hideout in Del Cerro, which has its own spin on service: order at the counter, and there’s a call button at the table that will summon a server when you need something. Is this a good or bad thing for restaurant service? Listen to what Troy and Erin have to say.
This week’s hot topic is a question that came from a San Diego Magazine staffer: what’s the proper way to tip at fast-casual restaurants? Specifically, if you go to a place with counter service and pay using an app like Square, the app asks you upfront if you want to leave a tip—before you’ve received your food or any level of service. Do you leave a 20 percent tip, ten percent, or nothing? Listen to the staff sound off on this topic.
It’s time again for San Diego Magazine’s annual Best Restaurants party! On June 12, San Diego’s top chefs and winners of this year’s critic’s and readers’ picks will serve their signature dishes to an intimate crowd at Pirch at UTC. This year, we’re hosting a pre-party at Room & Board, which includes a live taping of the Happy Half Hour! Get your tickets now—they will sell out!
We want to hear from our listeners! Call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a message or email [email protected]. You can give us your recommendations for Two People, $50, tell us about any news happening in San Diego’s culinary world, or let us know who you’d like to hear featured as a guest on the podcast.
Our sponsor is the San Diego Padres—get tickets at padres.com
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Recent Episodes
- Happy Half Hour: Episode 144
- Happy Half Hour: Episode 143
- Happy Half Hour: Episode 142
- Happy Half Hour: Episode 141
- Happy Half Hour: Episode 140
- Happy Half Hour: Episode 139
- Happy Half Hour: Episode 138
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The Patio Group gets a new chef, and what’s the tipping etiquette at fast-casual restaurants?
Jarrod Moiles courtesy of Berkman Strategic Communications
