point loma | FoodBuzzSD

Through the years the north east corner of Scott and Canon Streets housed a strip joint named Fast Eddie’s Booby Trap, then morphed to an Italian eatery, La Scala, with opera singing and pasta, and for a short time, The Lighthouse. For the past few months a makeover occurred in the building. And it’s pretty swell.

Two tenants occupy the corner: Jennifer Marie creates chocolates, heavenly angel food cakes and more at The Elegant Truffle, now five and half years old. Along with terrific chocolates, Jennifer will, in about a month, serve espresso made with coffee from Italy’s Caffe Barbera. She’ll bake a daily scone to go with the coffee and will open at 7:30am. The only other place to find this coffee is in Hillcrest at Cafe Barbera on Fifth Avenue. On Saturday, July 20, Jennifer will cook at Macy’s Home Store kitchen with Chef Bernard Guillas (Marine Room).

In the Lighthouse space comes Pommarola (same owners as its neighbor Pomodoro). The restaurant opens this week with Neapolitan pizza–yes, the real deal with imported flour and other ingredients, along with the oven visible in the open kitchen. There will be a few other dishes, but the star of the restaurant will be pizza. Stay tuned as I’ll soon report on the food.

Point Loma Seafoods new building (on the same site as the original), opened Monday, March 19…and it’s a swell place. The menu is bright, large, easy to read and in color (note the fish in the blue background) while the cases (arranged in a large horseshoe) show the large selection of fresh fish, seafood, sushi and more. There is a corner for wines by the bottle, a large selection of tap beer, as well as self serve case for their tuna salad and other small take away food.

The place hasn’t gone totally new–you still don’t take a number to place your order so there’s that hustle and shuffle of people asking “Are you in line?” but that’s part of the charm of the place. For a treat, take your food upstairs to the patio area and soak in the sun and gorgeous view of the boats and the city. Those who pay with plastic can now do so, a big plus for many customers. 28o5 Emerson St., Point Loma, Open daily 9am (Sundays 10 am) to 6:30pm (later closing hours coming soon), 619-223-1109.

Tracy Borkum (Cucina Urbana and Kensington Grill) recently opened Cucina Enoteca in Irvine Spectrum, and gets a nice nod for its interior and furniture from the Los AngelesTimes.

For the longest time Point Loma suffered from a lack of restaurant choices. But now things are popping as Buzz . The latest addition to the group is Lighthouse Bar and Grill that opened last week at the corner of Canon and Scott Streets with a full liquor license (beers on tap too) and a menu that includes 10-inch pizzas ($11.95 to $13) that might give Old Venice pause.

It’s a casual room with bar seating (comfortable seats, unlike those hard tiny ones at Old Venice), with tables on the perimeter of the rooms. Expect some hiccups as they settle in with their menu that includes everything from salads and crab cakes to pasta and pizzas. (A few menu items may look familiar but with a different twist, coming from their sister restaurant Pomodoro next door.) My take-out pizza arrived with no basil (but had a not too thick or chewy crust, hand formed and was good even minus the basil). Their crab cakes are good if you like the almost pâté style that they and many other places serve. Buzz prefers the chunky, light, with no or very little, cracker crumb filler.

I called to let the manager know about the missing basil so that he could alert the kitchen, and he thanked me for telling him. Yes, it’s good to nicely let a restaurant know about a problem as it helps them iron out the opening kinks. It’s not nice to slam a place in a Yelp comment without first letting them know the problem.

Observed at the bar single gals checking the scene with drinks as well as solo guys, locals, having dinner. Open for dinner and now, soon for lunch. 1101 Scott St., Point Loma, 619-224-2272.

A few blocks away on Rosecrans, between Canon and Talbot comes Westy’s Antique & Tavern at 1029 Rosecrans. Just posted the ABC notice, so it will be a bit of time before it opens. Local resident James West is listed as applicant for the beer and wine license.

And in the same block La Playa Café and Marketplace opens Thursday, June 30. Owner Cindi of La Playa Bistro, next door plans to serve gelato, smoothies, sandwiches and more.

On Kettner, in Little Italy just before Juniper, 98 Bottles expects to open this summer. Sounds like it will be a fun spot

On the move: Ted Glennon leaves 1500 Ocean and Eno at the Hotel Del Coronado for a new venture in Monterey, near Pebble Beach. Coastal Luxury Management will soon open Restaurant 1833 in the building that originally housed Stokes Restaurant & Bar. Glennon will direct the wine program.

Now that the news is finally out about El Bizcocho’s new executive chef, Nicolas Bour (he’s been in the post for a few months) the Rancho Bernardo Inn will likely re concept the long running restaurant in the next few months for redesign and perhaps a name change to fit with Bour’s farm to table expertise. In May, he’ll be in Kentucky for a major Derby fundraiser.

La Playa Bistro will open a cafe as Buzz noted back before they opened. Owner Cindi Hoang said they expect to open the cafe late April or May. Look for take-out sandwiches and other easy to-go items, including gelato, smoothies and more for the lunch crowd that doesn’t have time for a sit down meal. Expect to see the crowded (and unsafe) intersection get a bit worse for noon time driving.

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.

Expect the action to pick up in the sleepy little village of Point Loma with the addition of Harbor Town (as the ABC posting says) in the old Roseville space on Rosecrans at Canon.

A block away on Scott at Canon in the former La Scala spot, Lighthouse Bar and Grill opens as soon as they get their approved liquor license as noted here. Expect the menu to have steaks, burgers, sandwiches, bar food and a well-priced, not fancy menu, all with an Italian flair. Both new venues will certainly give the locals other choices other than Old Venice (where the bar stools are arguably the most uncomfortable seats anywhere).

Other choices close by on North Harbor Drive include Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern where you can sit and sip inside or out with a perfect view of the dock and the yachts. In the same complex Pizza Nova pleases with the same view and good pizza and drinks.

In Fashion Valley Mall, look for Stacked to open summer 2011. They will occupy the Uno space and customers will be able to custom build (stack) everything from burgers to pizzas using tableside IPads with proprietary technology. The brains behind this unique concept also created BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. Love Boat Sushi expands from North County to the spot once held by Smith & Hawken. And sadly the Bing Crosby space waits for litigation issues to resolve.

Coronado now has its own store featuring olive oils and more. Check out Coronado Taste of Oils where you will find everything from oils and vinegars to pastas and pesto. 954 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-522-0098.

Knight Salumi Company has closed as reported by Caron Golden of San Diego Foodstuff. No details as the phone is disconnected.

The word is out (and the sign is up) that the popular Point Loma Con Pane Rustic Breads & Café will soon have a new home in Liberty Station. It is in the same complex as Joao’s Tin Fish Eatery & Pub, Ace Hardware and backs up to the Point Loma Sports Grill & Pub. The greater access with lots of parking and a big patio should be a boon to bakery goers far and near. And yes, the place is a Buzz favorite.

As mentioned in a September 8, 2009 post, wine lovers who might have wondered where Bryan Ferris landed after his many years downtown at The Wine Bank, can now sip and smooze with him at the new Fifty-Seven Degrees on Washington in the building that was the Pier 1 outlet store. The wine store is open along with the wine storage facilities and the center of the room wine bar is just about finished. 1735 Hancock Street, San Diego, 619-234-5757

Assuming you’re rooting for the Saints and watching the game with friends, plan and theme a Super Bowl party with food from Mardi Gras Café and Marketplace. You’ll find the place on Midway, two blocks off Rosecrans at Riley in small mall that includes a Punjab Indian restaurant (haven’t tried it, looks good) and a 7-Eleven. The café features sausage subs, po’boys and entrees such as red beans and rice, gumbos and jambalaya, all under $10. The market in this tiny space carries pickled pig’s cheeks, crayfish, all variations of sausage, spices, hot sauces (they boast nearly 300) and alligator tail meat, Zapp’s chips, and Café du Monde coffee and beignet mix. Open daily: 3185 Midway Dr., Point Loma, 619-223-5501.

Closed: Bondi in the Gaslamp and SanFilippo’s on Fifth in Hillcrest and according to their new phone number: 619-850-4802, they are looking for a new location.

We hear the former Modus space on Fourth Avenue in Bankers Hill will soon transform to a restaurant under the direction of Carl Schroeder (owner/chef of the popular Market in Del Mar). Name and concept to be announced .

Over in the Roseville/Point Loma neighborhood, the very busy corner of Talbot and Rosecrans will have a new building to house a restaurant and a place for take-away food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are planned for the bistro type menu with an emphasis on value and local ingredients. Cindi Hoang, owner of The Point ( great smoothies and coffee) on Canon at Scott, will oversee the venture that is months from completion.

Tuesday’s at Anthology feature chef Eric Bauer doing his own riff on American classic foods such as mac and cheese with braised pork and pale ale seafood and chorizo chowder. The pocketbook friendly “fresh vibe” menu changes every week to complement the house band’s music.

Downtown restaurant watchers will be happy to note that Bice, will open late October. It is the latest location for the worldwide restaurant group that began 70 plus years ago as a small neighborhood eatery in Milan. The Northern Italian menu–well-known in New York, Orlando and Los Angeles (Cafe Med on Sunset)–will feature local ingredients.

Point Loma will soon have a wine bar in the hood, half a block from Roseville, Pomodoro and Old Venice. Look for the Wine Pub to open in the next couple of months. Details soon.

October marks the 14th annual Chefs Celebration series of dinners to benefit scholarships for culinary students. Every Tuesday in October, including one in September (29), you can eat five course meals created by five chefs (each week a different venue and chefs) for just $65 ($35 goes to the scholarship fund). Pamplemousse hosts the September meal with guest chefs Jason Kniebb (Nine-Ten), Jeff Thurston (Prado) and Jim Phillips (Barona). On October 6, Terra hosts Norma Martinez (El Vitral), Katie Grebow (Cafe Chloe), Danny Bannister (Red Marlin) and Amy DiBiase (Roseville). Good dinners for a good cause.

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Tag Archives: point loma

Point Loma Update: Pommarola Pizza and More

Point Loma Seafoods and Cucina Enoteca

Lighthouse Bar and Grill and More in Point Loma

1500 Ocean, Restaurant 1833, El Bizcocho and La Playa Bistro

Supannee House of Thai and Cafe 21

Point Loma, Coronado and Fashion Valley

Bites: Con Pane and Fifty-Seven Degrees

Bits: Super Bowl Party and More

Buzz From the Bar: Bankers Hill and Point Loma

Bits and Bites: Wine and Dine

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