Solana Beach

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.

Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant opened this week. It’s Carl Schroeder’s (Market) uptown place with a tavern menu of comfort foods including what seems to be the hottest new dish for restaurants—the deviled egg. Haven’t seen the actual menu (only the cleverly designed one on the website) but am excited to try it soon. Fourth and Ivy in the old Modus space. Open from 4:30pm, 619-231-0222.

PrepKitchen goes to Del Mar in the old Giorgio’s Osteria del Pescatore (their lease was up) on the corner of Camino del Mar and 12^th. How lucky for the people living in the area. Buzz loves much of the PrepKitchen menu from La Jolla, including a wicked brownie with a bit of caramel and sea salt topping…And the food at their mainstay WhisknLadle represents good use of local ingredients— simple preparations of top-notch ingredients. There’s a happy hour at the bar where a pal and I noshed our way through the daily tapas. Expect the same quality in Del Mar.

And the chef that Blanca brought from New York, decided to return to that city after just nine months attempting to open the eyes of the eating public with interesting food. Chef Jason Neroni couldn’t get the diners to appreciate chicken that doesn’t have grill marks. San Diego struggles on to be recognized as a food city.

We’re hearing that there may be some cranky ex-employers of those souls who left to open Paon. Word on the street is that much of Paon’s menu is word for word (recipe for recipe, perhaps) that of Winesellar & Brasserie. Buzz hasn’t been to Paon so can’t comment on how Steve Barr and chef David Gallardo are doing there. (We also wonder when–or if– they will change their web address to Paon instead of Persecarlsbad–the first name they had until they heard from the original Per Se in NYC.) Winesellar has executive chef Matt Smith, who cooked in France and Spain as well as at the original Laurel Restaurant & Bar and Myres Macdougal as host and sommelier (studying for his Advanced certificate) as well as a top notch Wine Spectator wine list.

And, New York comes to Blanca with a new executive chef, Jason Neroni who cooked his way around the Big Apple at such well-known eateries as Tabla, Table 21 and 10 Downing. Haven’t been yet to taste his farm to table, down-to-earth cooking, but it sure sounds good.

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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The well-known Luna Notte in Point Loma will soon become part of Hillcrest’s popular Arrivederci Ristorante. Luna Notte’s owners, Rob and Angela Scott have sold the restaurant and are moving to Bainbridge Island in Washington at the end of this month. It will be interesting to see how locals at Old Venice, La Scala, Pizza Nova and Solare in Liberty Station will take to their new neighbor.

Up in La Jolla there’s buzz that two well-known (and very good) chefs may be vying for Damon Gordon’s executive chef spot at the Gaslamp’s Ivy Hotel.

And up in Solana Beach, could it be that the chef from the area’s top eatery may be looking to move on?

Regardless of price, it seems that high-end wine dinners are all the rage. Even if $200 per person for a Rhone wine dinner seems steep, wine geeks will love this lineup at Winesellar & Brasserie‘s June 5th event. Four courses and six spectacular wines that include 2006 Yves Cuilleron, Les Chaillets, Condrieu, 1996 Chapoutier, Le Pavillon, Ermitage and many others. For reservations and information call 858-450-9557.

And by the way, another well attended $200 dinner took place at Blanca where Caymus wines were paired with seven courses from chef Wade Hageman. Buzz heard about this dinner from an attendee who raved about it….

Rather spend your money for a good cause? Then check out the Wine & Roses charity event on Sunday, June 8 at the Westgate Hotel. $65 per ticket before June 5 and $75 at the door. It’s a terrific outdoor event (Buzz has been to a couple) with food and wine from many of San Diego’s best restaurants and wine purveyors.

Encinitas wine lovers now have Ed Moore’s second The 3rd Corner location in the Lumberyard shopping center. Buzz loves the original spot in Ocean Beach–great wine selection with an educated staff to help you choose your favorites. 897 South Coast Highway, Encinitas, 760-942-2104.

Taste tequila from Herradura at The Palm restaurant on June 12. The dinner is $95 plus tax and tip. For reservations: Cathy DeLeon, 619-702-6500.

Up the coast Seth Baas (nephew of Padres owner John Moores) and his mom created Blanca, a new venue for north county diners. No view, no waves, but a contemporary, yet cozy restaurant with interesting food and good service. The dining room features booths, tables and banquettes in understated soothing monochromatic colors. With Chef Wade Hageman’s innovative use of ingredients, it’s a place I suspect will be busy all the time.

Here you’ll find a sofa-lined lounge, bar stools worth sitting on for drinks as you munch on a bowl of Wisconsin heirloom black popcorn dusted with Parmesan, toasted black pepper and a hint of truffle oil. Now, before you flip over the idea of anything over and above Orville Redenbacher’s microwavable popcorn, you really have to try this unassuming yet addictive dish. The black kernels pop white and work well with a glass of bubbly.

A sensational Oregon morel soup comes richly finished with leeks, slow cooked until they melt, and crème fraiche (a French version of sour cream). For the more adventurous, wild king salmon tartare (raw and finely chopped) comes topped with a tiny quail egg you mix in with dill oil and eat with brioche toast points. Lounge food prices from $6 to $22, and appetizer prices $11 to $25. Open at 5 p.m., 437 S. Highway 101, Solana Beach, 858-792-0072. First noted in San Diego City Beat, June 2006.

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: Bankers Hill,Del Mar and Solana Beach

Buzz From the Bar

Bits and Bites: Grab Bag

Buzz From the Bar

Wine: Rhone, Roses and Tequila

Blanca Rocks Solana Beach

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