Little Italy

Buzz is back after a much needed hiatus. So here we go with the latest in San Diego’s ever growing food scene.

Notable is the explosion of new restaurants in Little Italy, with the latest additions at Beech Street and Kettner Boulevard in the 22 story Ariel Suites luxury apartments.

Baja’s celebrity chef Javier Plascencia secured the corner ground and balcony level (balcony with views of the bay and city), while Pan Bon comes from Italy to open their first US outpost, with a bakery and fine dining spot in the bi-level space. Should anyone want to cook at home, Hanson Market will occupy a large space for organic and natural foods. Don’t expect to be eating too soon as it will likely be some months before the spots open for business.

Also on Kettner, a bit north between Juniper and Ivy Streets is one of the hottest new places: Juniper & Ivy featuring some very good and innovative food from Atlanta’s celebrity chef, Richard Blais.

For a perfect espresso or cold brewed coffee in a tranquil setting on north India Street is James Coffee. The coffee bar is in Vi-Star, a unique large space, filled with unique gifts for babies, dogs, people and homes. You can browse as you sip or sit and eat a very light, classic quiche Lorraine supplied by a local chef named Mark. 2355 India St. San Diego, coffee Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm and weekends 8am to 4pm.

ICYMI: For those of you who may want to delve deeper into food related news stories, here are a few that Buzz found worthy: Mark Bittman on “Rethinking the Word Foodie”; and Paul Greenberg on “Why Are We Importing Our Own Fish?”. Both stories worth contemplating. And finally, some great press for San Diego from The Wall Street Journal on four top places to buy and drink wine.

Little Italy: Wandering along India Street in Little Italy one quickly realizes the overwhelming number of restaurant choices. If you want to go beyond the familiar spaghetti and meatball fare, La Villa is your place. The restaurant belongs to a group that began in 2000 with Trattoria Itrulli in Encinitas and now includes other venues in Little Italy: Buon Appetito, Tazza D’Oro, Sogno di Vino and The Market by Buon Appetito. It’s a Buzz favorite for many reasons.

First, they finally got their website up and running and now you can see the menu of innovative dishes from chef Chris O’Donnell. He uses locally sourced seasonal ingredients to create–without fussiness–interesting and approachable food with a rustic Italian touch. O’Donnell enjoys changing the aspects of some of his dishes almost weekly which can be a frustrating for diners who come back for a favorite only to find it revamped within weeks. At times, even the kitchen can’t keep up with a tweaked dish. One recent night the wild mushroom pizza changed that day to include fresh morels and other ingredients, but the kitchen delivered the original version first, then rectified the error.

There’s patio seating, (with heaters and even a cozy corner sofa), a chef’s table in the bustling kitchen (seats 12 or so, but just two can dine there too) and an interesting wine list that includes a small (and growing) selection of half bottles. Yes, you read that correctly. Reasonably priced, real half bottles, not carafes masquerading as Among the choices you’ll find a 2008 Schramsberg sparkling wine ($27) and a delicious 2009 Storybook Estate Zinfandel ($26).

Cocktails go well with my favorite (thankfully unchanged) avocado bruschetta–toasted baguette slice with a smear of avocado, topped with sliver of hard-boiled egg and dotted with capers ($10). A recent meal included that Storybook along with a fresh morel, baby chard leaves, ramps and a sprinkle of fresh English peas pizza ($18), a perfectly cooked (that means not chewy) grilled octopus tentacle salad ($14) and squash agnolotti with fresh favas and squash blossoms delicately plated and lightly accented with tomato sauce and pesto ($17). Fish, meats and chicken preparations vary as noted above–sometimes more often than one might wish–all good however.

The front of the house offers effortless and helpful service. A recent wine dinner seated the 65 plus diners at tables of 8 to 10 people. A smart idea that allowed a table to be completely served at once, thus the kitchen was able to work smoothly with the wine service and no one was left wondering when their food would arrive. Food paired well with the wines and more dinners are in the offing. Full disclosure: Though I know the GM and chef, I pay for my meals. La Villa, 1646 India Street, Little Italy, 619-255-5221, open daily from 11:30am.

Point Loma: Word on the street about the construction in the long vacant building on the corner of Nimitz and Rosecrans that Vons once occupied: It will soon be Ralphs. Expect the new store to open about May 10.

The perfect espresso shot can be an elusive drink in San Diego. It seems that many places (and Buzz has tried many), don’t train their baristas properly. If it’s not the barista, it’s the espresso machine, the grind of the coffee and of all things, the weather that can affect getting that one ounce shot topped with crema (that creaminess you see on the top of the liquid). A shot isn’t a four-ounce bitter cup of coffee that many places serve. More isn’t better when it comes to a shot of espresso.

Barely a year old, Toma Sol sits at the corner of Washington and Albatross Streets. Owner Seekey Cacciatore has trained staff that know how to pull a shot. A perfect shot. The comfortable independently owned neighborhood café also carries a varied selection of foods that include breakfast wraps, lunch sandwiches, beers and wines and even gluten free brownies and cookies so good you’d never guess there’s no gluten. Cacciatore books interesting events from art openings to fundraisers and the café is the drop off place for Garden of Eden’s CSA box of fresh produce The organic and sustainable coffee comes from Cafe Motto. 301 W. Washington St., Mission Hills, 619-291-1159, Monday to Friday 6:30am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 7:30am to 8pm.

Caffé Calabria in North Park roasts coffee for many places around town and is a Buzz favorite for the quintessential espresso. They now serve Neapolitan style pizza Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm to 11pm. Among the others with Calabria’s beans: If you’re in Liberty Station, Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe makes the best cinnamon roll in the city along with great breads and sandwiches–that partner perfectly with the good coffee. Con Pane’s staff is trained by Caffé Calabria to understand the intricacies that make a shot. Gelato Vero Caffe at the corner of Washington and India Streets also uses Calabria’s coffee to make good shots. Their espresso bean gelato in a shot of espresso makes a fabulous afternoon pick-me-up.

A morning espresso at Little Italy’s Caffe Italia is almost like being in Italy. Some of the locals hang at the end of the bar dishing in Italian while sipping a perfect espresso and commenting on everyone who picks up their just-made drink nearby. The espresso bar uses LavAzza coffee–a company that began in 1895 in Turin, Italy and continues there today. They also carry Gelato Vero’s various gelato flavors, including Buzz’s all time fav espresso bean. 1704 India St., Little Italy, 619-234-6767.

A few places Buzz wishes for a better pull: Ask for a shot at Red’s in Point Loma and unless you specify short, you can end up with half a cup of coffee–that is not a shot. Buzz likes the vibe of Red’s, the roasted- in-house coffee at Red’s, even some of their morning pastries, but goodness gracious, please Cyndy Grace Savoy (owner), train your staff. It’s a waste of really good coffee not to have each and every person know how to make a proper shot. Is it because there’s an ever-changing morning staff who apparently are not trained on the espresso machine or have never heard the words short shot or proper shot or simply espresso? They also have beer and wine and good food long into the night. 1017 Rosecrans, Point Loma, 619-523-5540.

Across the street at Living Room Cafe ask for an espresso and you end up with nearly 5 ounces. They will remake it to whatever you want, but that shouldn’t be the case for a proper espresso. Come on Living Room, an espresso isn’t a vente!

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

It’s summer vacation so Buzz will take some time to play and tackle new projects while occasionally posting throughout the next few months. Expect to see Buzz pushing beyond the San Diego boundaries to bring you food and travel news to inspire the wanderlust in all of us…from Los Angeles and New York to Paris and Prague (and beyond). But first, news from San Diego:

Red Velvet Wine Bar in Little Italy closes tomorrow Saturday (as noted by a Keli Dailey tweet). To answer Dailey’s question of “why”, Buzz talked with wine director Kyle Showen today to get the answer. Bottom line: Owner Wendy Segal wants time off and isn’t ready to recalibrate the staff as Kyle is moving to San Francisco where Katie Brookshire (opening wine director) now works. Terrific chef Luke Johnson will be missed as will the very contemporary and grown-up spot for interesting wines and well-paired food. We hope that Segal will not keep the place shuttered too long.

The Marine Room‘s dynamic duo Bernard Guillas (executive chef) and Ron Oliver (chef de cuisine) nabbed two big awards at the IACP gala last night in Austin, Texas. Their cookbook Flying Pans, Two Chefs, One World won the People’s Choice award along with best in the Chefs and Restaurants category (they beat chefs Rick Bayless and Michael Chiarello). Congrats to Bernard and Ron.

It’s that time of the year again when restaurants want to see you patronize them–especially if you’ve been wanting to try a new place. San Diego Restaurant Week begins Sunday, September 19. You can choose from 180 venues that offer three-course menu for either $20, $30 or $40, depending on the restaurant. Check the website for all the information.

Saffron turns 25 in October. There will be five days of fun and food from October 18 to 22 that includes a Pad Thai throw down with local celebrity chefs and media judges…Stay tuned for more information, or check out their website.

Porto Vista Hotel in Little Italy, now has Brent Calley as the executive chef for their Glass Door restaurant with a new menu to boot. During restaurant week they will have a $19 three-course dinner…sounds like a good place to try and enjoy the view of the bay and the roof tops of Little Italy.

It may be early to think about school, but a group led by Alice Robertson and Caron Golden launched the second annual Food 4 Kids Backpack Program that provides food and backpacks for low income elementary kids at risk for hunger, especially on weekends. NBC San Diego is their partner and they will donate the equivalent of the 7% cut First Giving takes so food4kids gets all the monies raised.

If you don’t want to donate money, then get to the August 21 Little Italy Mercato and donate neutral black or red backpacks (no logos, please) and kid-friendly non-perishable food. And there’s a raffle to boot on Saturday with swell items.

Or you can eat at more than 40 restaurants this month and choose the “Dollar a Dish” item that features a specific dish for which the restaurant will donate $1 every time it is ordered during the month. For a list of the restaurants and their dishes, go to San Diego Foodstuff.

Buzz donated…how about you?

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.

As noted here, chef Amy DiBiase recently left Roseville and we’ve learned just landed at the Glass Door in Little Italy. Expect to see a new menu (and hopefully a revamped dining room) very soon. At Roseville, Chad White, who was DiBiase’s sous chef, continues in the kitchen and Buzz guesses there will be some new menu items here as well.

There’s some noise in Point Loma that a building at Garrison and Rosecrans (and backs up to the Dolphin Motel on Scott St.) is being remade to become a steak house…yep, that’s what we’re hearing…so stay tuned for more info.

The latest eatery to join Bankers Hill’s “gourmet gulch” opens Monday, April 5. Barrio Star makes it six for the Isabel Cruz collection of eateries–three in San Diego and two in Oregon–she’s well-known in Pacific Beach for Isabel’s Cantina. It will be a nice addition to the myriad of places available to diners in the area. In just one block on Fifth Avenue between Nutmeg and Oliver, there’s Mexican (Barrio Star), American (Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar) or sushi (Hane). Dessert is up a block or so at Extraordinary Desserts. A few blocks south on Fifth at Laurel is Italian (Cucina Urbana) and French (Hexagone and Bertrand at Mr. A’s) and there’s more sushi (Azuki) and pizza (Pizzicato) to round out those few blocks on Fifth.

Two more soon-to-open places in Bankers Hill: Gourmet on Fifth in the former space of a coffee and sandwich place (north across the street from Cucina Urbana) and Carl Schroeder’s much anticipated Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant at Ivy and Fourth Avenue.

We’re hearing good things about yet another pizza place. Pizzeria Bruno on Park Ave, brings wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas to San Diego. Will be trying it soon.

And while we’re on pizza, the sliver of a place in Little Italy that originally was Luigi’s third location, changed names when the partnership that included Landini broke up. It’s now Landini’s and good (though the sausage was flavorless and not the chunky bulk style). 1827 India Street, 619-238-3502.

Point Loma’s newest addition, The Wine Pub, snuggled away in a corner of a small strip mall on Scott Street, makes a cozy place to meet for a glass or two of wine. It’s small with a few seats at the bar and tables in a simple room ringed with bottles of wine. There’s an outdoor patio with a fire pit, heaters and even blankets to wrap up in while you sip. The wine list is small but features some out of the ordinary choices such as a dry German Riesling named Sabrina that is a Buzz favorite. We wish for less emphasis on pub when it comes to food…pretzel poppers don’t cut it with a glass of bubbles or wine. Their substantial panini’s make for a good snack and work better with the wines and their bruschetta’s while small, are tasty. Open daily from 4pm., 2907 Shelter Island Dr. (at Scott), 619-758-9325.

It's Got Bite

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

Little Italy: Celebrity Chefs, Coffee and More

La Villa in Little Italy and Ralphs in Point Loma

Espresso: Toma Sol, Caffe Calabria, Caffe Italia and More

Lighthouse Bar and Grill and More in Point Loma

Red Velvet Closes and Marine Room’s Chefs Win Big

San Diego Restaurant Week, Saffron, Glass Door

Food 4 Kids

Bits and Bites: Searsucker, Saffron and Francesca’s

Buzz from the Bar: Point Loma and Bankers Hill

Bits and Bites: Wine and Pizza

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