When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore…

Me and pizza go way, way back.

In junior high, I can remember sneaking off campus to a nearby shopping center, where my 35 cents lunch money would buy a slice and a Coke at Louie’s Pizzeria. Even then, pizza – hot out of the oven, cheese dripping, fragrant sauce steaming, that crunchy crust – was irresistible comfort food.

Now, years later, it still is, and I, for one, am very glad that Pizza Moreno exists in my part of town.

Chef Diego takes on BBQ - and comes out ahead

They say it’s location, location, location.

And if that’s the case, La Hoguera has it all wrapped up.

Perched on the beach in the north end of the Gold Zone, with the sea breeze blowing and Bird Island seemingly within arm’s reach, this new BBQ spot is a cornucopia of sensory delights.

Attentive, smiling, sufficiently bi-lingual service? Check.

Eclectic, contemporary, interesting lay-out and décor? Check.

…because you can’t drink beer all the time

Keeping oneself hydrated at this time of year – and throughout the summer – takes on added importance when the temperatures soar and then stay there. Although I like plain water (yes, I’m weird like that) recently I’ve been experimenting with making my own agua frescas, simple blended and strained fruit and water with a little sugar added. That’s all fine and dandy, but when you’re out and about, sweatin’ up a storm, what’s a girl to do? Check out these non-alcoholic drinks and find your own favorite.

Thai one on at Playa Bruja’s newest eatery

The idea of a Thai restaurant in Playa Bruja – Playa Bruja?! – evokes exclamations from almost all who hear of it. And no wonder: the far north end of town, with its windswept beaches and tiny strip mall full of souvenir shops, hardly seems like a place where, well, a Thai place would open, let alone thrive. But I’d wager Jeff Sorensen’s Karma Kitchen will be a success: At first, perhaps due to sheer novelty, but then maybe solely because of his Pad Thai.