Tag Archives: san diego restaurants

Bits and Bites

Posted on by | 2 Replies

The Marine Room has done what many places should consider:  They’ve dropped the $25 corkage fee to zero. That’s right,  zero.  There is a two-bottle maximum per table…and this isn’t just a holiday stunt.  For those who own wines they’d like to drink with dinner, not always at home, this no corkage policy is a plus for Marine Room diners.   

The La Jolla-based Burger Lounge opened its second location in Kensington with a third in the works downtown.  The Lounge features four burgers including turkey and natural beef, along with hand-cut fries.  Buzz thinks they do a damned good job with the burger concept–fresh and straightforward food.

If you want excess in a very grand manner, check out The Grand Del Mar Hotel, the nearly $3 million project from Doug Manchester. Everything at the resort is huge, gilded and lives up to its grand name.  Compared to other luxury hotels in the area, however, this one is over-the-top in amenities and service.  For example, there’s a 21,000 square foot spa, with treatment rooms that for some would be the size of a bedroom. Don’t take this as a complaint…just an observation.  Foodwise, Buzz loves that Jesse Rodriguez, the  sommelier at the property’s stand alone dinner restaurant Addison, now directs the wine program for the entire resort.  Charles Stuart, after many years at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, is the director of catering, Mark Steenge is the new general manager of Addison and Jason McLeod, most recently from the Four Seasons Resort in the Bahamas, is the executive chef of Amaya the hotel’s main restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Here diners may find the Mediterranean-inspired menu more accessible than the very upscale and formal Addison with its somewhat pretentious choices from Chef William Bradley.

Executive chef Timothy Au joins general manager and top sommelier Lisa Redwine at Molly’s Restaurant and Wine Bar at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina.  Au arrived from a two year stint at the five-star Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Connecticut.  He’s also cooked with many celebrated California chefs including Bradley Ogden and Jeremiah Tower.  Haven’t tried it yet.

Downtown’s Salad Style owners Mary Jo Testa and Scott Thomas have opened Enoteca Style in Little Italy.  At the moment it’s sandwiches, waiting for their contractor to get the wine bar finished….1445 India St., between Ash and Beech. 619-546-7138.

Nobu opened at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Gaslamp.  Haven’t checked it out.

Bits and Bites

Posted on by | 2 Replies

Point Loma will soon have a comfortable place to eat, meet and greet when Roseville opens by the end of the year.  Look for owner George Riffle (he opened Blanca and Quarter Kitchen and was the general manager at the original Laurel Restaurant and Bar) to pick a well-known local chef for the 95-seat restaurant.  Buzz will keep you up to the minute on further details.

Well-known sommelier Ted Glennon recently left his position at the first rate Arterra to launch and direct a new concept at the Hotel Del Coronado.  Eno is due to quietly open towards the end of December.  Expect about 60 wines by the glass and a 500-bottle cellar that covers a wide variety of places and prices. The finest cheeses, charcouterie and chocolate will complement the wines that Glennon plans to serve in a casual, yet sophisticated, venue.  Buzz  figures that Eno will be a big hit with locals and guests, whether  novices or experts in the world of wine.  Why?  Because Glennon’s a wine wiz who shares with grace and wit his encyclopedic knowledge that includes a penchant for top-notch service–a combo Buzz experienced many times at Arterra.  Expect an update from Buzz in the near future. 

Buzz heard from a number of sources that the Union-Tribune’s restaurant critic, Maria Hunt, is moving on to pursue other projects.  Buzz called and emailed Hunt for clarification and information, with no response as yet. 

Steve and Gabriela Dow decided to find a way to get involved with the community as well as meet new friends.  Their company, Friends with Class, offers fun classes in everything from wine tasting and working at home (taught by Steve) to taking toddler snapshots and raising money for charity and nonprofits.  They have gift certificates available to make the holiday giving easier.

Another way to meet like-minded souls is through wine tasting.  Rob Barnett took his passion for wine and turned it into an online and community oriented business when he created www.vinvillage.com. The tagline “where wine lovers connect” conveys his idea for a social network of wine loving souls in their home cities and around the country so they can meet online via forums and in person for tastings.  The online store has wines from smaller producers not usually found in traditional wine stores. Designed to become national phenomenon, Barnett has some good people on his staff including Dustin Jones who is the sommelier at La Valencia.  Check out the site and join as the membership is free.

Fancy Food Here?

Posted on by | 4 Replies

San Diego is about to host the 2008 Winter Fancy Food Show  this January 13 to 15 at the Convention Center.  This worldwide show features everything from beverages and baked goods to soups and salad dressings along with candy, cheese and coffee–nearly 100,000 specialty food items.  Attendees from specialty food, wine, gift and department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, mail-order and other related businesses, walk the three day show to sample and buy products. 

Buzz wonders where these 20,000 to 30,000 vendors and attendees will spend their restaurant dollars as the show usually occurs in San Francisco or New York City–places known for great eating.  Let’s be clear:  right now, San Diego does not have great eating.  Sure, there are lots of restaurants with fair to good food and service but for the most part, not near the caliber of the other show cities. 

If attendees pull out their Zagat for 2007  they’ll find a handful of places rated no higher than 27 out of 30–far fewer than other cities.  They’ll spend nearly $50 per person (or more) , they will need a taxi or car to get to, among others,  WineSellar & Brasserie, Pamplemousse Grille, Arterra and El Bizcocho  and will they know the chefs are gone from the latter two? They may find a way to La Jolla for the Marine Room, Tapenade or George’s at the Cove.  Close to the Convention Center, they’ll find Ruth Chris Steak House and Rama . Or they’ve heard about others such as Parallel 33,  Modus Supper Club (no working link), but do they know the chef/partners of both have moved on or that  Laurel Restaurant & Bar got a new owner, chef and decor a few years back?  What is clear from reading comments on Zagat, and from the Zagat’s themselves–service is subpar across the country–and San Diego is no exception. 

The recent months have seen chefs who garnered good or great local and national raves–Gavin Kaysen of El Bizcocho (one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2007),  Riko Bartelomo of Asia-Vous, Jason Shaeffer of 1500 Ocean, and the most recent, Brian Pekarcik of Arterra– ditching San Diego for New York, Hawaii, Colorado and Pennsylvania, respectively.  They move on for various reasons, but underlying anything personal is the lack of support from the local press who, for the most part, don’t really educate the readers to what makes a great restaurant–be it the hole in the wall or the jazzy newcomer.  Nor does the local chapter of the California Restaurant Association further an atmosphere of greatness either as Buzz noted in July.  Of course, cities like New York and San Francisco have public transportation and are not spread out in the manner of southern California and that does make a bit of a difference.  How far and long are you willing to drive for a meal–at any price– especially if you want to have a drink or two?

So, where in San Diego would you send these food savvy souls to eat?  Besides the usual collection of downtown hotel and convention eateries (and themed Cohn restaurants on nearly every corner)  tell Buzz where you think the show goers ought to spend their restaurant dollars–be it upscale or down–do you have a favorite you think should get some notice?