Point Loma

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.

In Mission Hills, Philippe Beltran (of Bleu Boheme in Kensington) gave up on a place next door to Lefty’s Pizza. The building will now be a beauty salon: Cut. Instead, Beltran will focus on redoing a former flower shop on Adams Avenue where he will then turn out pizzas.

At the corner of Rosecrans and Talbot in Point Loma, the nearly finished box of a building (certain to be nominated for an Onion award in design) will house La Playa Bistro due to open this June or July. Expect traffic congestion–it’s a very busy intersection as the entrance to La Playa and the sub base.

Also in Point Loma, according to workers on the construction site next to the Dolphin Motel, the buzz is that the restaurant will be a coffee shop, not a steakhouse. Stay tuned.

The Arrivederci restaurant group has been busy. Along with their Ristorante Arrivederci and Arrivederci Pizza on Fourth Avenue, the group also owns the soon-to-open Au Revoir Bistro in the former La Vache location at Fourth Avenue and Robinson. They’ve just about made Monopoly on those few blocks of Fourth. The long awaited Il Postino by Arrivederci opened in North Park. Haven’t been, but will as it is next door to Buzz favorite, Caffe Calabria.

East Village Asian Diner just opened in Encinitas. With a chef trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York, the casual menu looks good and well priced. Open for lunch and dinner. 628 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, 760-753-8700.

Luna Grill Neighborhood Kabobery opens its second location in Mission Valley—in the same complex as IKEA and Costco. The 65-seat restaurant features modern fast casual Near East/Mediterranean food, including the freshest kabobs, salads, wraps and sandwiches. 2245 Fenton Parkway, Suite 105, 619-516-5862. Their first location is in the Albertson’s shopping center at the 56 Freeway and Torrey Highlands. Haven’t been, but Buzz loves their well-designed website.

Worth getting on the email list for the Hotel del Coronado for specials and coupons such as one that takes $25 off a the dinner bill (over $100) at 1500 Ocean, that Sheerwater now has a $30 tasting menu with lots of choices or that Eno has bubbly Thursdays and $5 Fridays.

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.

Caught up via email to former Blanca executive chef, Wade Hageman who will soon (June/July) open his own place, Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizza in Encinitas. Bet there will be lines for the 35 seats and the local, organic, farm to table ingredients that Hageman will make into mozzarella, sausage and pizza to be cooked in a wood-fire oven. His spot in the Lumberyard Shopping Center is just a few doors away from The 3^rd Corner that dispenses retail wines as well as bistro food.

Coming in April, Point Lomans will have more than just pasta and pizza places (not that they’re bad, just that we’ve got many) to have a bite. Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern should be a nice addition to the local scene and is just a few doors away from Pizza Nova on North Harbor Drive. Sign up says they’re hiring now.

In Ocean Beach, The 3^rd Corner has $25 prix fixe dinners on Sunday with updated menus on the website. For those who travel to Palm Desert and drive that winding Highway 74 to get there, Ed Moore’s third 3^rd Corner opens in June in the old Palomino restaurant space at 73-101 Highway 111, just a few blocks from Highways 74 and 111.

Downtown, the short-lived and eclectic Guild restaurant on Newton in Barrio Logan has become a lunch spot named Blueprint Cafe. In 1989 owner/chef Gayle Covner started her catering firm, In Good Taste and in 2010 moved it to the new location. The café, according to a pal with good taste, serves “inventive and tasty” food– Buzz hasn’t tried it yet. 1805 Newton St., San Diego, 619-233-7010. Open Monday through Friday 11:30am to 6pm.

Quality Social (site under construction) opened and Buzz expects it to be a hit. Where else in town can you get a very good gin and tonic (with housemade tonic) or a tasty Brandt beef hot dog that Chicago transplant and executive chef Jared Van Camp makes and smokes at the restaurant? These were two tasting items served at their opening party. Located in the former EXY space downtown at F & 6^th, the room includes two bars, lots of open space with high top seating and a very comfortable vibe. Buzz can’t wait to try the housemade charcuterie that includes pastrami, chicken liver pate and coppa, served with housemade pickles and mustard or goose fat fries for a change of pace. Local is the name of the game for ingredients: Crow’s Pass greens and Monterey Bay squid are but a few of the featured names. Oh, and forget about those frou frou drinks…not here. Open daily from 4pm to 2am.

Wine bars are a dime a dozen, each with their particular personality meant to attract a certain patron. Should you be the casual Wine Steals customer, their newest soon-to-open location is downtown on J Street between 7th and 8th in Petco Park. They’re also opening a separate gastro pub called Proper. And don’t forget the casual new Fifty-Seven Degrees (as noted here) on Hancock at Washington where you’ll find a large round bar, good wines and friendly and knowledgeable wine tenders. Closed Monday.

If, however, you want a contemporary, sophisticated experience, with top-notch service, a knowledgeable sommelier (Katie Brookshire who buys unusual and interesting wines), and a chef (Luke Johnson) who shops the farmers market for his weekly menu creations, then this is your spot. Buzz popped into Red Velvet for a bite and can’t wait to return. The tiny menu included fresh morels from Northern California with bite-size light gnocchi, fresh favas and Meyer lemon ($8) that paired well with a Saint- Veran and a delicate pork belly spiked with dots of tangelo puree and a subtle undertone of cocoa and jalapeno ($11) melded with a glass of Reisling. This gem seats just 30 people. From 5pm to 11pm, closed Monday.

Buzz is hearing that one of San Diego’s top chefs, Amy DiBiase, a member of Cooks Confab and executive chef at the popular Roseville in Point Loma, will be moving on in the near future. Stay tuned.

Donovan’s owners take over the Bondi space land will open later this summer with a new dining concept–possibly seafood or Italian so not to compete with their namesake steakhouse just a block away.

Lobster lovers, mark your calendar for May. That’s when King’s Fish House will feature live Maine lobsters in nine sizes and multiple dishes from bisque to rolls. Locations in Mission Valley, Chula Vista and Carlsbad.

**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.

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’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 all about beer and dinners featuring small artisanal brewers. Check out the action at The Linkery that goes on for days including a Green Flash bash November 12. For info: 619-255-8778.

At Roseville, there’s a fun menu featuring Shipyard’s limited edition brews from chef Amy DiBiase’s home state, Maine. Reservations a must for this all-inclusive $65 dinner also on November 12 . Call 619-450-6800.

If bubbles are more your style, don’t miss Winesellar & Brasserie’s annual Le Grande Champagne Tasting on November 14 that includes Ruinart, Taittinger and Krug among many top producers. For $85 it’s a deal that includes appetizers to match the various Champagnes. Reservations a must: 858-450-9557.

Thanksgiving is around the corner and you can order a turkey from any of your favorite meat markets. La Jolla’s Homegrown Meats will have local free-range California turkeys as well as spiral hams and meats. For information and to order call 858-454-6328.

Celebrate Thanksgiving by not cooking and supporting Slow Food Urban San Diego at a November 19 dinner at UCSD. Jeff Jackson, executive chef at A.R. Valentien will cook local pastured turkeys from Womach Ranch. For information and tickets or call 619-972-3500.

It's Got Bite

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

Bits and Bites: Chef Updates and Events

Bits and Bites: Kabobs, Bistros and More

Buzz from the Bar: Point Loma and Bankers Hill

Bites: Jimmy’s, Blueprint, Hageman and Moore

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

Bites: Con Pane and Fifty-Seven Degrees

Bits: Super Bowl Party and More

Bits and Bites: Wine and Pizza

Bits and Bites: Beer, Bubbles and Turkey