Hotels

Bits and Bites: Chef Updates and Events

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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.

Bits and Bites: Short Takes at Vela, Hane Sushi and Blind Lady

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Down on the bay near the convention center, Vela, at the new Hilton San Diego Bayfront, conveys serenity in a warm and contemporary room with views of the bay and the docks of the Port’s Tenth Avenue Terminal.  Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you just might see a Dole freighter unloading its cargo or the lights of Coronado while you dine.  The bar doesn’t have the view, but on a quiet Monday, Buzz was able to enjoy a taste pour ($5) of Barth sparkling wine from Germany along with an appetizer of butternut squash tortellini in sage butter (the pasta needed a minute or two more in the water) and a rich wild mushroom risotto ($18). Vela is a place where you can have a quiet meal and watch the world go by.  Best yet is their Vela Society for locals that includes complimentary valet parking while dining, seasonal discounts for large parties and much more–and membership is free.

Had a chance to try the new Hane Sushi on Fifth Avenue at Olive Street.  The room exudes simplicity…some may say they wish for something more on the blank wall behind the sushi chefs with only a floral arrangement at which to gaze.  Buzz loves the lack of visual candy and the contemporary design. There is a separate small bar area, and the sleek sushi bar doesn’t allow the diner to see the fish as most places do.  Sushi Ota devotees may find a favorite chef or two working here as Hane’s owners are part of the Ota clan.  If you’re in the mood, special sushi and sashimi dishes and a good selection of cold sakes go beyond standard fare found at other places…but don’t expect bargain prices for creativity, quality, freshness and gracious service. 2760 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill, (619) 260-1411.

Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights seems to be a hit with the neighborhood, especially on a recent Sunday night.  The menu reflects simple pizzas, roughly 12 inches cut into six pieces.  It’s very casual; you order from a choice of 20 beers on tap in one line and pizzas in another line where you get a number so the pizza can be brought to you.  Plates, napkins and utensils are in the middle of the room and it’s up to you to set your table.  Pizzas are European in style with thin crusts and a lighter hand with toppings–though one with butternut squash and shitake mushrooms needed more zip. House-made sausage, chorizo and Fra Mani salami are main ingredients for three different pizzas, and vegan alternatives are available including one for pesto. Pizza prices range from $7 for marinara to $14 for the chorizo with chiles and fontina.  3416 Adams Ave., (619) 255-2491.  Dinner only from 5pm, closed Monday.

Bits and Bites: New or Special Events

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If you’d like to taste some Parker 93 point plus wines, then Enoteca Style in Little Italy is the place to be on Thursday, February 26.  Cost is $20 to experience Palmeyer, Palazzo and others.  RSVP online.

There’s a new city magazine that launches mid-May, OurCity: San Diego.  It’s a magazine for our times that will cover things to do, places to go, the food scene (Buzz is the food editor) all with an eye to family, community and the people who are a part of this glorious place, San Diego.  Sign up online for three free issues.

San Diego’s first Passover seder at Urban Solace, takes place on Wednesday April 8, the first night of the holiday.  Reservations and information: 619-295-6464.

As Buzz mentioned on February 19, Winesellar & Brasserie will open a take away/sit down area downstairs from its Brasserie.  Split @ The Winesellar & Brasserie opens Wednesday February 25 with a small menu to expand as it grows.  Hours: 11am to 2pm Monday through Friday.

Eno at the Del, hosts a new series of Connoisseur Dinners that kick off with Willi Brundlmayer, the well-known Austrian winemaker.  The March 4 dinner is limited to 24, cost is $85 plus tax and tip and for reservations call 619-522-8490.

If Austrian wines aren’t your thing,  1500 Ocean, the terrific restaurant at the Hotel Del (yes, Buzz loves the place for its top food and service) hosts the first dinner in a series to celebrate sustainable foods.  On March 24, Cooks Confab, local chefs who value farm and sea to table regional ingredients, will hightlight sustainable seafood.  Chefs involved include, Brian Sinnott, Christian Graves, Nathan Coulon, Jack Fisher, and Jason Knibb among others.  The eight-course dinner is $95 plus tax and tip and for reservations call 619-522-8490.

Should you find yourself in New York on March 30, join Addison’s executive chef William Bradley and wine director Jesse Rodriguez for dinner at the James Beard House.  For reservations, call 212-627-2308.

The 3rd Corner features a number of wine events and dinners including a March 9 wine dinner with wines from Fallbrook Winery.  Others throughout March and April center on wines of Italy, Argentina, Malbecs and more.  For information and reservations:  619-223-2700.

Family Winemakers of California comes to Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds with 240 wineries participating on Sunday, March 15 from 3pm to 6pm.  Cost is $40 or $50 at the door.   Order tickets online.

At  Wine Vault & Bistro you’ll find an ever changing and interesting lineup of wines and winemaker dinners.  You need to be on the email list to know about the events.

The Kiwanis Club of Alpine Foundation hosts their 19th Annual Vintage Alpine on May 3 where you can enjoy wine, food, music and a silent auction.  $40 before March 24, $50 at the door.  For more information:  619-672-3861 or online.

Lavish to the Nines

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Addison at The Grand Del Mar, the latest Doug Manchester creation just off Highway 56, is quite simply, unlike any property here in San Diego. Massive in scale, the stand alone restaurant almost feels like a lavish hotel with its high and ornate ceilings, intricate stone and woodwork, archways, porticos and views of the golf course. Named after a 1920’s Florida architect, Addison Mizner, the restaurant and its decor encompass much of Mizner’s work in Florida according to a book on Florida architecture given to the media. Buzz does wonder what the big deal is with Florida architecture in southern California…how did “Papa” Manchester become so entralled with Addison Mizner?

While we’ve not yet had a meal there, the menu is short as the restaurant gets up to speed with five entrees and five pre courses ranging in price from $14 to $46 and a six course tasting menu for $95. Some menu items: prawns with lemon-lime jam, white nectarines and sweet garlic confit, and bass with bacon-lobster fricassee, arugula and preserved lemon.

Buzz loved the staff who are trained in the European style of attentiveness and knowledge without being intrusive to the diner. The wine selection of nearly 2000 bottles is run by sommelier Jesse Rodriguez who arrived fresh from Thomas Keller’s French Laundry. Management’s attention to details was noteworthy though the simplicity of the three page menu was marred by three glaring typos that we trust have been corrected. Addison, 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, 858-314-1900, Dinner only, Wednesday through Sunday.

Two not to miss in Coronado

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For an enjoyable and very intresting evening–beyond the usual wine dinners that many restaurants offer–1500 Ocean at the Hotel Del Coronado offers something different in October and November. Their first one in September was great fun that included a buffalo milk mozzarella tasting with the owner/cheesemakers at Bubalus Bubalis (Latin for water buffalo) and the owners/growers of Crows Pass Farm Organic Produce.

Join their Octoberfest beer dinner on October 3. Quaff samplings from local breweries, Karl Strauss and Stone Brewing Company, while you enjoy Chef Jason Shaeffer’s favorite family recipes in a menu that matches well with the beers. To go with the spirit of a beerfest, food will be served family style at the table…No oompah music however, just the sound of the waves at the beach and some very good food.

On November 7, the farmer, the vintner and the chef get together for an evening of tastings and special menu. Shaeffer, along with one of his local farmers who supplies produce to him, and winemaker Chuck Carlson of Curtis Winery will be on hand for the evening.

Both dinners are $75 with limited seating. Reservations are a must at 619-522-8490, www.dine1500ocean.comhttp://www.dine1500ocean.com

Ocean breezes

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There is something very cool about sitting on the heated patio and hearing the ocean waves at 1500 Ocean in the historic Hotel Del Coronado. The restaurant’s food and the entire experience make this classic beach resort hotel a great destination. Free valet parking for the restaurant is a plus. From the valet, walk along the outside path facing the ocean where you are at once gazing at the sand and sea, swaying palm trees and people having a good time.

From the pathway to the entrance you’ll find an outdoor fireplace and tables for drinks, then the heated patio where I like to sit to watch the sunset and hear the surf. Inside, the restaurant occupies the redone space of the former very formal Prince of Wales Room. And redone it is, in contemporary, simple beige and brown with wood accents, seating with a good mix of tables, booths and banquettes and a bar area at the back of the room with a lit sunset on the wall. Gone are the days of coat and tie for men, as anything goes. On my visits most men were casually dressed in sport shirts.

I confess that I came to know the cooking of Chef de Cuisine Jason Shaeffer when he was at the original Laurel Restaurant & Bar. After a few years cooking in New York, he returned to San Diego and I was delighted to see him at 1500 Ocean. Local purveyors and farmers from Santa Barbara to Mexico supply the seasonal ingredients for Shaeffer’s classic–with a twist–menu. A couple of my favorites: Gnudi (fresh ricotta dumplings) with fresh peas and morels, barely sauced with the mushroom juices, together make an outstanding appetizer. Yellowtail, cured with lime and honey, comes with avocado mousse, shaved jicama and radish and a sweet jalapeno jelly all melding into mouthfuls of subtle flavors and textures; the fish not overpowered by the other flavors. A childhood favorite, toad in the hole, comes to life with an organic egg cooked with its yolk still runny, in the hole of a slice of rich, buttery brioche (bread), surrounded by mushrooms and asparagus tips and some unfortunately soggy hash browns under the bread. It’s a fabulous dish (without the potatoes).

Picky kids (adults, too) will appreciate the classic side dish of mac-n-cheese with spiral pasta and aged cheddar, nothing frou frou here. Finish the evening with a stroll nearby on the ocean boardwalk—it’s spectacular. Appetizers from $12 to $20, Entrees from TK to TK. Dinner only from 5:30 p.m., 1500 Ocean Avenue, Coronado, 619-522-8490, www.hoteldel.com.First noted, June 2006.

“Papa” Doug does Del Mar

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The Grand Del Mar, located just off Highway 56 is hotel magnate Doug Manchester’s latest venture. Due to open September 2006 it features a restaurant called Addison, named after Addison Mizner, a 20th century architect known for his fanciful Mediterranean styled designs in Palm Beach and Boca Raton. According to the public relations info, the restaurant will feature photos and other memorabilia from Mizner’s life, in Florida, though he was born in northern California in 1872.

That Mizner’s designs inspired The Grand Del Mar is one thing, but name a restaurant after him? Interesting concept considering we’re in southern California. Don’t expect Florida cuisine however, as Executive chef William Bradley’s menu will feature, what else, California fresh ingredients in Mediterranean style dishes…to complement the hotel’s Florida resort architecture.