San Diego Magazine's Happy Half Hour Podcast

#385 This week on Happy Half Hour, hosts Troy Johnson and Jackie Bryant welcome Mike and Jenny Eastwood of Smallgoods American Cheeses & Provisions—a La Jolla gem born out of NYC’s Murray’s Cheese and years in San Diego’s farmers market trenches. The couple shares how a career in commercial production, a cheese cave internship, and a well-timed move from Byron Bay to San Diego turned into a sandwich-slinging, American cheese–championing neighborhood mainstay that happens to be in the same building where Mike worked 30 years ago at Spike & Mike's Festival of Animation. They talk COVID pivots, the cult of their curated cheese case, and why they believe the future of food lies in supporting small domestic producers. To follow Smallgoods click HERE. 

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#384 This week’s Happy Half Hour is equal parts hot sauce origin story and full-blown love fest for San Diego’s indie food scene. Troy Johnson confesses he’s a BBQ purist—until one burger from Rosemary’s shatters his sauce snobbery with a tangy, tamarind-laced revelation. Enter Larz Watts, the founder of Oak Steak BBQ, who built his now-beloved sauce business during the pandemic with nothing but backyard smokers, a Co-Packer crash course, and a spider his son named “Oak Steak.” From humble PB roots (yes, Lars once lived on a boat) to hot chicken collabs at Shore Club, mustard deals at Smallgoods, and a mic-drop spicy version that won first place at the International Flavor Awards, this episode is a spicy, heartfelt romp through flavor, family, and full-circle San Diego hustle. To follow Oak Steak BBQ click HERE.

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#383 In this week’s episode of Happy Half Hour, Troy Johnson and Jackie Bryant raise a glass to Carlsbad’s buzziest new opening: Little Victory Wine Bar. Co-owners Jeremy Simpson, a natty wine obsessive with a pedigree from LA’s Bestia, and Elliott Townsend, a hyper-local chef known for the pop-up Long Story Short, join the show to talk fermentation, formation, and forging a dream. The duo—half of a husband-and-wife Voltron of culinary minds—built a spot where natural wine and soulful, seasonal cooking meet with zero pretension. Natural wine gets demystified, tinned fish gets love, and the team shares what it really takes to build a restaurant rooted in connection. To follow Little Victory Wine Bar click HERE.

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#382 Troy and Jackie dig into the story behind Little Fox Cups and Cones, the Oceanside shop that’s putting an inventive spin on ice cream. Owner Megan Koll started as a bartender at CH Projects, then honed her craft at Juju Lee before turning her obsession with flavor and local sourcing into a cult-favorite ice cream shop. With flavors like toasted cornmeal, brioche-swirl avocado from Jason Mraz’s farm, and spicy carrot hazelnut brittle made from local produce, Little Fox is serving up more than just scoops. It’s storytelling in a cone. To follow Little Fox click HERE.

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#381 In this episode of Happy Half Hour, Troy Johnson and Jackie Bryant meet up with Preston Caffrey, founder of the brand-new Bebemos Tequila, to launch their “Joven Golden Hour” tour—a series of pairings between local restaurants and Caffrey’s clean, additive-free tequila made in partnership with small-batch agave growers in Mexico. Recorded at Ranch 45 with chef DuVal Warner, the group dives into Brandt Beef bone marrow luges, beef tallow–washed cocktails, and one of the best pastrami sandwiches in the city, while unpacking what makes Bebemos different and why Caffrey insists on starting small right here in San Diego. To follow Bebemos click HERE. To follow Ranch 45 click HERE.