Downtown

Easter is around the corner, and here’s a quick roundup of things to do and places to go if cooking a ham isn’t your thing….

Get the kids involved on Thursday, April 21, when Cups La Jolla hosts an Easter Cookie Decorating class from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Chef Francois of renowned bakery Girard Gourmet, teaches the fun class. Ccst is $50 for a parent and child team, $15 per additional child, and $30 for a solo adult. For more information or call 858-459-2877.

More cupcake ideas come from the HOP box at Sprinkles. The box contains dark chocolate, red velvet, brown sugar praline and carrot cupcakes adorned with pink and green bunnies and is from April 15 to 24. The Jewish holiday of Passover isn’t forgotten here either. Get a dozen Passover Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes adorned with blue Star of David and sealed with a Star of David sticker and available from April 18th to 26^th. 8855 La Jolla Villa Drive, La Jolla. 858. 457 3800.

Take your daughter (or son) to tea at The US Grant Hotel on Saturday, April 23 from 1pm to 3pm where you’ll sip premium loose leaf teas served alongside a tantalizing selection of house-made sweets and savory treats.    Cost is $47 adults and $22 children.  For reservations, 619-744-2039 .

At La Valencia, you can do brunch buffet style, served throughout the day in the hotel’s various dining areas, seating from 11 am and is $75 per adult and $32 per child plus tax and tip. Bring the kids for an Easter egg hunt from 11am to 3pm. For reservations, please call 858- 551-3744.

Also in La Jolla, Roppongi Restaurant & Sushi Bar offers an à la carte menu from 11am to 2pm with interesting dishes that include Jidori chicken adobo; breakfast tacos with eggs, cheese and Asian guacamole; macadamia nut pancakes and more. For reservations: 858-551-5252.

If you’d like to sweeten an Easter basket, consider chocolates from Chuao (available countywide), Chi Chocolat (Liberty Station), The Elegant Truffle (Point Loma village), Eclipse Chocolat (University Heights) and Chocolat Creamerie (Hillcrest and Gaslamp). Buzz can attest that each of these purveyors makes artisanal and extremely luscious chocolates to satisfy every chocoholic.

Change comes quickly to 1500 Ocean with the news that chef de cuisine Brian Sinnott will leave effective April 1, and as he assured me in an email, it’s no April Fool’s joke. He wants to concentrate on his family.

Supper club dining comes to San Diego: Whisknladle Monthly Supper Club does it on the last Tuesday of each month as they begin their third year. Bringing strangers together in celebration of food, wine & great conversation, the three-course family-style fixed-price dinner for up to 12 to 14 guests served in Whisknladle’s private dining room includes paired wines. Limited to four per group to spur mingling in their private dining room, the next dinner is March 29 and the cost is $75 plus tax and tip. For reservations: 858- 551-7575.

Grant Grill Saturday Night Supper Club creates a jazz evening, with specialty cocktails and dinner. Drink and dine and then spend the night at the hotel with their Saturday night escape package which you can find on their website after scrolling down seven items in the list. (Note to hotel, make it a bit easier to locate on the website.)

The latest eatery to grace the village of Point Loma is the terrific Supannee House of Thai in the strip mall at Shelter Island Drive and Scott Street. Buzz has been there three times in the past week…and they just opened. The menu features everything from soups to Thai sausage ($7.50) and summer rolls ($7), warm glass noodle salad ($8) and many house specials including spicy squid with small round Thai eggplant, green peppercorns, chili and basil ($10.50). The food is authentic, fresh, flavorful and well (not overly) spiced so that the ingredients meld yet are not overpowered by each other. It’s a tiny space, just 24 seats so if you’re in a hurry, call ahead for takeout. Open for lunch from 11am to 3pm and dinner from 5pm to 9pm. 2907 Shelter Island Drive, 3110, 619-795-8424. Closed Sunday.

While you’re waiting for a take out at Supannee, drop in next door to The Wine Pub for a glass of red, white or micro brew.

Here’s a place Buzz would take anyone looking for interesting sandwiches, omelettes, crepes, pancakes, French toast, and more. Cafe 21 recently opened a second location in the Gaslamp and the menu reflects a refreshing take on breakfast dishes that are served all day. The terrific version of eggs Benedict involves no bread or typical English muffin. Instead a thick pancake of potato mixed with sweet corn and shrimp or another with grilled wild salmon and potato, rice and zucchini or chicken curry. The cakes are topped with poached eggs and the various combos are satisfying and delicious ($13). Ingredients are locally sourced, breads and pastas made from scratch, and the dishes reflect the Azerbaiijan roots of Layla and Alex, the husband and wife owners. Service is gracious but can be a bit slower than expected. 750 Fifth Ave. 619.795.0721 Open daily 8am to 3pm, (dinner when their liquor license arrives) and 2736 Adams Ave., 619.640.2121, Open daily 8am to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm.

Surprise your Valentine with a special dinner in the dark at the US Grant Hotel. Experience a three-course dinner from February 11 to 14 presented by Opaque Dining. Your sense of taste, smell, touch and sound will be heightened as you eat in a totally dark dining room served by blind or visually impaired individuals trained to serve in the dark. The cost for the prix fixe dinner menu is $99 (+tax)/person. Drinks and tip are not included in the ticket price. Tickets for this event must be pre-purchased and are available online at www.darkdining.com.

If you’d rather stay in and have dinner delivered (no, not pizza), but a menu that is aphrodisiac centric, check out Dining Details. Just think, no worries about drinking and driving…you can toast your honey in the privacy of your own home.

Arterra finally has a new executive chef, Tony Miller who comes from the Ritz Carlton Kapalua, Latitude 41 in Columbus and Wailea Beach Marriott Resort. He kicks off his new menu (and redone dining room) on February 17^th from 5:30pm to 8pm with Taste of Arterra where you can sample signature dishes like lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, Moroccan braised beef short rib and avocado butter cake with almond crunch. The event is free with a $10 donation per guest to Feeding America San Diego’s Farm2Kids program. Advance reservations required at Opentable or directly at 858.369.6032.

The release of Beaujolais Nouveau is a big deal in November and a couple of places will be celebrating its arrival Thursday, November 18. The Gamay grape stars in this wine and it is meant to be drunk within six months of bottling. Each year it’s released on the third Thursday of November – literally only weeks after it was still growing on the vine and because it is a light friendly wine, it’s a great reason to party!

At the Wine Vault & Bistro arrive anytime after 5:30 and enjoy a four-course Beaujolais Nouveau Family Style Menu for: $25 2010 Dupeuble Beaujolais Nouveau: $7 glass / $22 bottle. If you’re not on their mailing list, it’s worth it if you are interested in good wine dinners and tastings. For reservations: (619) 295-3939.

Euro Food Depot will celebrate on November 18 from 6pm to 10pm with wine, cheese, charcuterie and macarons. Four pours and food $30. For information: 858-452-9200.

Downtown, Bacchus Wine Market presents Beaujolais Nouveau and other first releases on Friday, November 19^th (4pm to 8:30pm) and Saturday. November 20^th(2pm to 8:30pm). Cost is $15 each day. For information: 619-236-0005.

LATE ADDITION: While we’re wining, The WineSellar & Brasserie, Paris Driggers is the new general manager and wine buyer. He’s been in the business for 15 years selling wines to top notch venues and brings a wealth of experience to the shop. Upstairs in the Brasserie chef Kevin Smith (who has worked in many of California’s top kitchens, including Patina in Los Angeles) is updating the menu. This gem of a store and restaurant is tucked away in an unlikely industrial park, just down the hill from Qualcomm and is worth a visit. 9550 Waples Street, (858) 450-9557.

For the those of you looking for a different type of meal, check out where the various food trucks of San Diego are serving up everything from cupcakes (Corner Cupcakes) and Asian fusion (Tabe BBQ) to espresso (Joes on the Nose) and ice cream (Sweet Treats).

The Hillcrest corner of Fifth and Washington that housed Sushi Itto will soon become Brazen BBQ on a ten-year lease for the 3300 square foot space. Two young guys, John Bracamonte and Brad Thomas, who are winners of some major barbecue competitions, including those sanctioned by the prestigious Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS), are the minds behind Brazen BBQ. Sounds like they may give Phil’s a good run for the money…San Diego could use some really swell and authentic barbecue.

And in case you missed it, also in Hillcrest, Kemo Sabe closed to relocate at some point to a coastal site in North County. The Cohn Restaurant Group will launch their food truck Chop Soo-ey in January at the Little Italy farmers market. In the meantime, they have their launch party in November and are doing private gigs. Their competition as recently seen on local NBC tv, is Miho Gastrotruck with creative food including pork belly sammy and lots of other goodies.

While we’re talking Cohn restaurants, they recently installed a hot new chef, Daniel Barron, at Blue Point Coastal Cuisine. This restaurant gets a huge share of convention business, and the place was full on a early weeknight. Barron has cooked around the country. However, there was disappointment in what was touted as one of his signature dishes, a 60 hour boneless short rib ($35). As explained by the server, this chunk of meat is cooked sous-vide and comes out melting in your mouth. Not. This was one tough hunk that needed lots more time, though it apparently was meant to be what was served. The horseradish hash browns were yummy, crisp and with a bite. Perhaps one needs to stick to the seafood.

There’s still time to join the fun at the San Diego Wine & Food Festival that runs from November 17 to 21. Famous chefs, lots of wine and a good crowd to boot.

If beer is your drink of choice, the annual San Diego Beer Week has many many options for you…Check out the schedule here.

Some observations from readers and Buzz…feel free to comment.

If you experience issues with your meal or service, please don’t wait til you leave or, as happened at Farm House Cafe, write an anonymous two page scorching letter about the scallop dish they ate. Had Olivier Bioteau, the chef/owner been aware at the time of the meal, he could have replaced the errant dish and could have dealt with the diner at the moment. By not expressing (nicely, by the way) the problem when it happens, everyone loses. And, restaurants and their owners always like to hear good comments also. (Side note: Farm House Cafe will be closed Labor Day weekend from Sunday dinner to reopen for dinner on Wednesday, September 8).

Shishito peppers seem to be the current darling of local chefs. The summer pepper is small and thin-skinned, not really hot and usually served in Japanese restaurants as an appetizer (peppers flash fried in a tiny bit of oil and cooked to just barely scorch the skin, then served with sea salt or topped with bonito flakes). Buzz ate them at Searsucker (called so over cleverly “no shoshiito schoos”) and heard from a reader about them at Bali Hai.

Trader Joe’s now carries coconut water, a good mix of electrolytes, with no additives that Buzz can attest, tastes good. It comes from the water of green coconuts and is considered to be quite a healthy drink. If you’d like to buy fresh green coconuts and coconut trees, check out Florida Coconuts, a company that grows and ships the coconuts nationwide.

The New York Times Op-Ed piece, Math Lessons for Locovores is worth the read and certain to provoke discussion. If you’ve not encountered an interesting site called Grist, it has a good vitural roundtable discussion addressing this Op-Ed story.

Popped into Brian Malarkey’s latest invention, Searsucker, on the corner of Fifth and Market. With it’s open ceiling, large windows, wood and old brick wall, the place has the feel of an airy, comfortable big country home. There are sofas where you can eat and drink. The bar is to the right of the entrance…and aside from backless bar stools and no purse hooks (lots of purses on the floor), it’s perfect for sipping and munching.

The menu is clever, albeit almost too clever and divided into Bites, Smalls, Greens, Ocean, Ranch, Farm, And…. Buzz popped in this week for a drink and a few Bites that included the simple preparation of quickly seared and lightly glazed shishito peppers (a staple usually reserved for Japanese restaurants) topped with a bit of citrus zest ($5) and the duck fat garlic fries with a tomato jam and tiny flecks of bacon and parsley ($6). In Smalls you’ll find spicy Baja shrimp and bacon grits ($12)–the Baja refers to the shrimp’s source, the spicy comes from a hearty Cajun spice blend and the rich and creamy grits make a perfect bed for the five medium-size, perfectly cooked shrimp. Some of the other menu items include farm bird lollipops and bleu fondue ($8) (Malarkey’s version of buffalo wings), or eggs and bacon ($) (four ounces of pork belly topped with an egg) and lots more such as cheek with goat cheese dumpling ($23) and local Baja scallops, foie gras and figs ($28).

It’s a fun place with good people watching, especially if you sit at the bar or along the high tops that edge the windows. Be prepared for a $15 valet parking fee. Open 5pm for drinks and Bites and 6pm for dinner, 611 Fifth Avenue at Market, 619-233-7327.

If you’ve not tried Saffron’s monthly Thai street food extravaganza, you must this Saturday, August 7. Served from 11 am to 2pm on the patio, you can try these typical foods. This month a Buzz favorite (that used to be on the regular menu) will be available: Lao sausage (home made spicy chicken sausage grilled and served with green papaya salad ($5.50). Try it along with an ear of grilled local corn lathered with grated coconut and coconut cream ($2) or two Thai coconut macaroons ($1.50). 3731 B India Street at Washington, 619-574-7734.

Little Italy will soon be home to a Chicago transplant–Francesca’s takes over in the former Zagarella and Cefalu spaces, at 1655 India Street, about 5,000 square feet on a ten year lease valued at just over $2 million.

Chefs Confab (a group of 14 very good San Diego chefs) hosts a week of sustainable seafood events that include dinners, talks, and more. Check the website for information on the series that runs from May 31 to June 6 ending with a $125 dinner at 1500 Ocean created by many of the Confab chefs.

Executive chef Matt Smith, will move from Winesellar & Brasserie to The 3rd Corner’s soon-to-open third location in Palm Desert. Smith is from Indio and this move will let him be closer to home as well as run Ed Moore’s newest restaurant that opens late June. Desert goers will find the restaurant at the junction of Highways 111 and 74 in the old Palomino site.

Blanca lost chef Jason Neroni who quickly realized that San Diego diners weren’t ready to expand their eating habits to include pork in a various ways or foods cooked sous vide, so he packed up and went back to his New York roots. In his place, Gavin Schmidt who just arrived from San Francisco with a resume that includes work as executive chef at the highly rated Campton Place and chef de cuisine at the two-star Michelin rated Coi. We wish him well.

Executive chef Bernard Guillas of The Marine Room , just returned from New York where he launched his cookbook: Flying Pans: Two Chefs, One World.

Buzz fav, Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar on Fifth between Nutmeg and Oliver, decided to take on the burger craze in a more interesting way. Every Wednesday is Bodacious Burger night from 5pm to close. What kind of burgers? Interesting round-the-world flavored burgers that arrive with six ounces of protein, a small salad, truffle fries and a dill pickle spear and range from $10.95 to $14.95 and include the Aussie lamb burger, the Scottish salmon burger, the Frenchie burger, portobello burger and others. Closed Monday.

Tuesdays at Jayne’s Gastropub in North Park features a Jayne burger and any draft beer for $15.

Roseville in Point Loma has a new menu created by chef Chad White with prices $20 and under along with bar food choices and nightly specials. They do need to get their website updated however, as former executive chef Amy DiBiase now heads the Glass Door (with a great view of the bay and Little Italy) at the Hotel Porto Vista.

Tommy Pastrami, with some of the best pastrami and corned beef on corned rye bread is finally opening this summer. Buzz mentioned them a year ago but they clearly had some problems getting the space finished downtown at 555 West C at Fifth between Broadway and C.

With the Hyatt management now in control at Andaz (formerly Ivy Hotel), there were bound to be changes in the kitchen. Executive chef Nathan Coulon will move on May 6. Next stop, Fashion Island in Newport Beach where he’ll oversee the new True Food Kitchen (a Phoenix import) due to open mid-July. Buzz has eaten at the Phoenix restaurant–its good-for-you menu is based on Dr. Andrew Weil’s principles of an anti-inflammatory pyramid of foods–and the food flavorful and interesting. When Coulon leaves Quarter Kitchen he’ll be in Phoenix for six weeks working with executive chef, Michael Stebner. Yes, that Michael Stebner who owned the well-received-ahead-of-its-time-Region restaurant that focused on locally sourced ingredients with a menu based on Slow Food principles. When Stebner left San Diego he went to Phoenix and ended up working for Fox Restaurant Concepts who created True Food Kitchen. Now San Diego loses another talented chef

Don’t despair, however, San Diego does have chefs who can cook and many of them give their time to do special dinners to support student chefs. Chef Celebration dinners are in full swing and they are worth checking out. At $65 per person, $35 of which goes to the scholarship fund, these dinners are worth every cent to experience a dinner featuring four chefs. Tuesday April 27, Nine-Ten‘s Jason Knibb hosts Brian Sinnott, Trey Foshee, Jack Fisher and Jeff Jackson and for the month of May the venues include Kitchen 1540, Cowboy Star, Urban Solace and Karl Strauss. Check here to see who’s cooking where and to make reservations call the individual venue.

Eat, Drink, Read, takes place Wednesday, April 28 will benefit the San Diego Council on Literacy. For just $60, you’ll taste, mix and match wines and beers with food from noted restaurants including The Marine Room, Urban Solace, Suite & Tender and many more. The venue is the hip Sushi Performance and Visual Art downtown at Eleventh and Island.

It's Got Bite

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
About San Diego's Food Scene

Easter Dining in San Diego

1500 Ocean and Supper Clubs

Supannee House of Thai and Cafe 21

Opaque Dining, Dining Details and Arterra

Party with Nouveau Beaujolais

Food Trucks, BBQ, Beer and the Wine & Food Festival

Bits: Farm House Cafe, Shishitos, Coconuts and Locovores

Bits and Bites: Searsucker, Saffron and Francesca’s

Bits and Bites: Chef Updates and Events

Bits: True Food Kitchen and more to Eat, Drink, Read

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