Tag Archives: burgers

Bits and Bites:: Burgers, Lasagna, Cupcakes and More

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**We’re hearing that Five Guys Burgers & Fries will be opening a second San Diego location in Liberty Station near Vons.  North Island Naval Station already enjoys these burgers—the franchise began in Virginia.  No opening date set for the new site.

**Smashburger, chose La Jolla as its first entry into the soon-to-be saturated San Diego market.  Expect the store to open in the next few weeks. Note to Smashburger…Do we really need three daily teaser tweets before you’ve sold your first burger in this market?

**In the space next to the empty Jack’s La Jolla on Girard, Cups serves organic cupcakes in two sizes: petite (three-bites) and large (six plus bites). Buy five get the sixth free—$2 each for small, $4 for large.  For a treat anytime, the flourless chocolate decadence is moist and worth every crumb.  Flavors change daily (the website has the weekly schedule) and they’re open late

**In Hillcrest, The Big Easy takes over in the The Better Half space while just around the corner on Fourth next to Tapas Picasso, Kips Café has reopened after relocating from El Cajon.  Haven’t tried either yet, as both opened in the past few weeks.  Down the road on Adams Avenue, Café 21 now offers dinner in addition to breakfast and lunch.

**Bankers Hill will soon welcome Isabel Cruz and Barrio Star in the space that housed the short lived Mukashi at Nutmeg and Fifth.   And down the hill on Fourth and Ivy, Bankers Hill Bar and Restaurant opens in March, the second venue for Market Restaurant + Bar’s Carl Schroeder (Buzz noted in October).

**Love lasagna, live in Scripps Ranch and hate to cook?  You’re in luck  as Lady Lasagna opens in Scripps Ranch with another location soon in the North County Mall.  Various lasagnas include Genova (pesto) and Alba (with truffles).  Check out the pictures on their website.  Haven’t tried it yet.

Buzz and Bites: Puck, Pizza and More

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**Wolfgang Puck’s venture into San Diego with JAI at the La Jolla Playhouse, may soon be short lived.  It seems that they miss their after theater audience by closing at 10 pm, and there’s no lunch service that might catch people looking for a quiet place to meet.  For many San Diegans, traveling to a university campus to see a play or eat dinner, is more than they can bear…

**Downtown, we’re hearing the Ivy will soon have a new management company.  What that means for Quarter Kitchen, and the rest of the property, well, time will tell.  Stay tuned.

**Opening in February, across the street from Ivy, in the former site of EXY, Jared Van Camp, well-known Chicago chef will oversee the kitchen of Quality Social.  From their press release:  “no guest list, no cover, no dress code. The destination will carefully pay tribute to the most treasured elements of the iconic dive bar, with a devil-may-care attitude serving as a visceral component. “  Sounds like a no pretense place that will serve house made charcuterie and some fun dishes such as a BLT with a confit of pork belly and heirloom tomatoes, or a smoked in-house hot dog served in a Pabst Blue Ribbon carton.  And no frilly drinks, either.  More to come when it opens.

**Pizza seems to be the latest inexpensive comfort food to blanket San Diego.  Coming in April, the second location of URBN opens in North Park at University and 31st. The coal fired pizza joint is Jon Magnin’s spin-off of BASIC Urban Kitchen + Bar.  He opened his first URBN in Vista in 2008 and plans to open 10 to 15 more up and down the coast.

**Support your local restaurants and dine out during San Diego’s restaurant week that runs from January 17 to January 22.  Check for the participating restaurants and their menus (three-courses for $20, $30 and $40, depending on the venue).  This is a good time to try new places and support our local restaurant economy.

**The Counter Burger arrived in Carlsbad and if you’re in the area of Calle Barcelona and the shops in the Forum at Carlsbad, this franchise that began in Santa Monica in 2004 is making waves.   It’s a build your own burger joint and should do well in North County.  Buzz hasn’t tried it yet.

Bits and Bites: Grab Bag

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Moving on:  Chef Wade Hageman, has left Blanca in Solana Beach to pursue a location of his own. He hopes to stay in San Diego.  Buzz will keep you posted.

Open for business: Burger Lounge (a Buzz fav) in Little Italy, across the street from Indigo Grill.  It is their fourth location (La Jolla, Coronado and Kensington round out the list).

Cucina Urbana:  Newly named, with a new menu and concept at Fifth and Laurel.  Food pals who recently dined there said atmosphere is fun; food working out the kinks.  Haven’t been, but do wonder why food and service kinks are not worked out before opening to the public, especially with a well-known restaurateur like Tracy Borkum (and others who seem to have the same issue).

Corvette Diner & Gamers Garage finally opened in Liberty Station.  On a recent Monday night, the wait for a table was an hour and a half…gotta love those burgers.  Tiny bar area. Lots of noise and very loud music; lots of  games in a separate area (kids and adults in that area) and an oddly darker dining area that seems a bit more civilized for eating. Oodles of parking and bring your patience while you wait for a table. We didn’t choose to wait.

Had a chance to lunch with out of town friends at Enoteca Style on India Street between Ash and Beech.  Well-priced paninis, and flavorful and inventive salads.  Loved the soba salad with ahi and a Caesar with fresh corn and grilled chicken cut into bite-size pieces.  Interesting wines and happily sold in 3 ounce pours if you so desire.

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Bits and Bites: A Melange

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Roseville now serves a Sunday brunch from 10am to 3pm.  And it’s not just your usual eggs, toast and bacon breakfast.  Chef Amy DiBiase dishes have creative twists to them: buttermilk pancakes with quince compote and cardamom cream ($11), potato-rosemary frittata ($12), duck confit stuffed crepes ($14), eggs Benedict with Con Pane’s focaccia and prosciutto ($14) and chive biscuits with linguica gravy ($12).  For reservations and information call: 619-450-6800.

Burger Lounge will open in Little Italy at the former site of Sushi Fix.  Expect to see burgers and those yummy fresh-cut fries available in the next few months.

If you love Tijuana Mexican style food but don’t love the drive to get it, Funky Garcia’s Mexican Eatery & Bar, opens soon in the Gaslamp.  It will feature mesquite grilled Mexican street tacos and a food menu with nothing over $5. Moe Sadighian, the chef and owner of Tabule around the corner has five other Tijuana based restaurants, so he knows his stuff when it comes to truly authentic TJ food.  421 Market Street, San Diego, 858-414-6654.

Look for the Hillcrest Corvette Diner to close on April 26 and reopen in Liberty Station early summer 2009.  Owned by the Cohn Restaurant Group, the new site features a gaming arcade, more seating and lots of parking.  Housed in a historic building that was the officers club, the new Corvette Diner & Gamers Garage will also give diners three different themed areas for family dining.  For adults who may need a drink beyond a milk shake, there will be a full bar.  The restaurant is located at the Barnett Street entrance to Liberty Station, across from the golf course.

Bits and Bites

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The Marine Room has done what many places should consider:  They’ve dropped the $25 corkage fee to zero. That’s right,  zero.  There is a two-bottle maximum per table…and this isn’t just a holiday stunt.  For those who own wines they’d like to drink with dinner, not always at home, this no corkage policy is a plus for Marine Room diners.   

The La Jolla-based Burger Lounge opened its second location in Kensington with a third in the works downtown.  The Lounge features four burgers including turkey and natural beef, along with hand-cut fries.  Buzz thinks they do a damned good job with the burger concept–fresh and straightforward food.

If you want excess in a very grand manner, check out The Grand Del Mar Hotel, the nearly $3 million project from Doug Manchester. Everything at the resort is huge, gilded and lives up to its grand name.  Compared to other luxury hotels in the area, however, this one is over-the-top in amenities and service.  For example, there’s a 21,000 square foot spa, with treatment rooms that for some would be the size of a bedroom. Don’t take this as a complaint…just an observation.  Foodwise, Buzz loves that Jesse Rodriguez, the  sommelier at the property’s stand alone dinner restaurant Addison, now directs the wine program for the entire resort.  Charles Stuart, after many years at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, is the director of catering, Mark Steenge is the new general manager of Addison and Jason McLeod, most recently from the Four Seasons Resort in the Bahamas, is the executive chef of Amaya the hotel’s main restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Here diners may find the Mediterranean-inspired menu more accessible than the very upscale and formal Addison with its somewhat pretentious choices from Chef William Bradley.

Executive chef Timothy Au joins general manager and top sommelier Lisa Redwine at Molly’s Restaurant and Wine Bar at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina.  Au arrived from a two year stint at the five-star Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Connecticut.  He’s also cooked with many celebrated California chefs including Bradley Ogden and Jeremiah Tower.  Haven’t tried it yet.

Downtown’s Salad Style owners Mary Jo Testa and Scott Thomas have opened Enoteca Style in Little Italy.  At the moment it’s sandwiches, waiting for their contractor to get the wine bar finished….1445 India St., between Ash and Beech. 619-546-7138.

Nobu opened at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Gaslamp.  Haven’t checked it out.