Hot News: What's New in San Diego Dining
waitress at the Corvette Diner
JUNE 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joe Timko (619) 557-2812
Kate Buska (619) 557-2889
Stephenie Medina (619) 557-2838
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HOT NEWS: WHAT’S NEW IN SAN DIEGO DINING
RESTAURANT OPENINGS
Corvette Diner, a San Diego restaurant famous for its rock ‘n’ roll vibe, burgers, shakes and sassy waitresses in bouffant hair-dos, closed its Hillcrest location in April and is reopening in June 2009 in Point Loma. The restaurant is moving into the former officer’s club on the redeveloped historic Naval Training Center site, now known as Liberty Station. The new Corvette Diner will house a restaurant seating 242 guests in three distinctively themed dining areas, private dining rooms for birthday parties and events, a 5,000 sq. ft. arcade named the Gamers’ Garage and a full bar for adults. The new restaurant is twice the size of the original with plenty of room to carry on the tradition of fun family dining while adding new features, like the arcade and plenty of free parking. www.dinecrg.com
Downtown San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood is the latest location for Burger Lounge, a San Diego-based restaurant concept serving organic burgers in a retro-meets-modern setting. Opening in June 2009, the Little Italy restaurant is the company’s fourth location. Like its sister restaurants in La Jolla, Kensington and Coronado, the Little Italy Burger Lounge is open for lunch and dinner and serves a menu of organic salads, homemade cupcakes, hand-cut fries and all-natural Tallgrass Beef burgers on house-made buns. The restaurant’s contemporary design, sunny patio and outgoing staff create a welcoming atmosphere for noshing on burgers, while sipping beer, wine and real ice cream milkshakes. www.burgerlounge.com
A San Diego nightlife staple, Side Bar reopened under new ownership in May 2009 after a $1 million remodel. A dark, sexy ambiance now dominates the lounge area where patrons can order casual nibbles and relax in soft velvet and worn leather furniture under a canopy of 30 red birdcages that dangle from the lofted ceilings. The menu from chef Derek Dinublia, known for his New York-style pizza at the adjacent Ciro’s pizzeria, includes smoked bacon and cheddar stuffed burgers smothered in barbeque sauce, orange ginger-marinated chicken skewers and a thinly sliced top sirloin Panini with caramelized onions and brie. Side Bar also serves Ciro's pizza. www.sidebarsd.com
Inspired by the design style of New York's meatpacking district and the effortlessly chic, simple menus found at turn-of-the-century Parisian brasseries, Syrah Spirit & Wine Parlor opened in May 2009 in downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. This subterranean hideaway offers hand-made cocktails, unique beers and a diverse wine list. Drink selections are complemented by chef Andrew Nienke’s charcuterie, cheese, chocolate and olive boards. The décor uses surreal elements like authentic 50-year-old wine vines circling the room and a 12-ft., candle-lit tasting table to create an otherworldly, Alice in Wonderland effect. http://syrahwineparlor.com/
In Feb. 2009, Alchemy opened in South Park along 30th Street’s restaurant row offering diners a sophisticated culinary experience at affordable prices. The menu, created by executive chef Ricardo Heredia and consulting chef Matt Corbett of Manhattan’s Punch restaurant and formerly of Union Square, Django and Compass in Manhattan, combines techniques and flavors from the culinary traditions of Spain, Mexico, Italy and France with local, seasonal produce, seafood, poultry and meats. Starters include Berkshire pork piquillo relleno, grilled asparagus with romesco sauce and oysters in gazpacho verde with charred chiles and lime crema. Signature entrees include crispy Jidori chicken with baby bok choy, shitake dumplings and Szechuan pepper dust and a pan-roasted local sea bass with sautéed fennel, olive oil, tomatoes and capers. Alchemy’s wine room features value added wines, many from lesser-known regions, as well as gems from well-regarded wineries. Premium sakes and traditional absinthe are also available. www.alchemysandiego.com
Fans of Matt Rimel’s celebrated surf and turf eateries, Rimel’s Rotisserie and Zenbu Sushi, are cheering the Feb. 2009 opening of new outposts of each restaurant in Cardiff-by-the Sea in San Diego’s North County. Like the original La Jolla locations, the new restaurants are supplied by Rimel’s own local sustainable seafood and meat companies. Rimel’s Rotisserie is known for dishes like rotisserie chicken, savory steaks and juicy burgers roasted over an oak fire and complemented by the freshest produce from local farmers. Located next door, Zenbu Sushi features sprawling fish tanks filled with local lobster, uni and La Jolla rock cod, which are all sustainably caught in nearby waters. Sushi chef Tim Johnson uses these ingredients to create unique dishes like the Pill Box, combining spicy crab, tuna, shrimp and avocado with a drizzle of garlic ponzu, and the Eel Communication, combining shrimp tempura, spicy crab and tuna, freshwater eel, avocado, sweet chili and drizzled with eel sauce. www.rimelsrestaurants.com
Decanter Restaurant & Wine Lounge opened in Feb. 2009 in the upscale enclave of Rancho Santa Fe. Offering an intimate gathering space, upscale casual dining and extensive wine offerings, the restaurant boasts a massive list of wines by the glass and a temperature controlled, glass wine vault with 360-degree views. Executive chef Geoffrey Yahn serves a seasonal, organic menu with signature dishes like American caviar service and braised spiced pot roast with garden vegetables and pan jus. www.decanterwinelounge.com
CULINARY EVENTS
Now through the end of 2009, The Grand Del Mar is offering food lovers a monthly seasonal two-hour, hands-on interactive culinary session. Culinary series participants can learn about seasonal ingredients, pick up new techniques and sample food and wine with the resort’s acclaimed culinary team. Sessions are conducted 6:30-8:30 p.m. on designated weeknights, and prices range $65-95 per person. The scheduled sessions include food pairings with light, elegant summer wines on June 10, heirloom tomatoes on July 13, chilled foods like oysters and gazpacho on Aug. 12, fall apple recipes on Sept. 14, recipes for pairing with hearty red wines on Oct. 14, traditional Thanksgiving favorites on Nov. 18 and holiday pastries on Dec. 2. www.thegranddelmar.com
The 16th annual Taste of Gaslamp will return to downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter on June 13-14, 2009. Each day from 1-4 p.m., more than 25 participating restaurants will serve tasting portions from their menu to event ticketholders. Guests can tour at their own pace and sample Samuel Adams brews in the event’s beer garden, provided they are over 21 with a valid ID. Tickets cost $25 per person daily and advance purchase is recommended. www.gaslamp.org
The Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana hosts its 7th Annual Beer & Sake Festival on June 25, 2009 at the San Diego Marriott Del Mar. This charity tasting event has also been designated the official host of the SushiMasters California Regional Competition. The nationally acclaimed contest pits California’s top sushi chefs in a live competition that challenges their mastery of sushi art and style. The festival also features Japanese beers and local microbrews, multiple flavors and styles of sake and culinary creations from talented San Diego chefs. The event occurs 6-10 p.m., and tickets cost $60 per person. www.japan-society.org
1500 OCEAN at the Hotel del Coronado and its Chef de Cuisine Brian Sinnott will host a Farmers Market Sustainability Celebration on June 30, 2009. Local and regional farmers, purveyors and winemakers will set up an intimate ‘farmers market’ experience on the Del’s oceanfront Windsor Lawn, and guests will have the opportunity to drift from one stand to the next, sample offerings and learn about eco-friendly food production. Afterwards, guests will enjoy a delicious dinner paired with wines chosen by the Del’s Wine Director Ted Glennon. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and cost $95 per person, inclusive of wine pairings, tax and gratuity. www.Dine1500OCEAN.com
San Diego Restaurant Week celebrates its fifth anniversary Sept. 13-18, 2009 by adding a $20 price point to its offerings. Now, it’s even more affordable for visitors to sample the signature dishes, service and style that make San Diego’s dining scene one of the region’s top attractions. During the event, participating restaurants offer diners an amazing deal — three-course prix fixe menus at many of the region’s top restaurants for just $20, $30 or $40 per person. More than 180 restaurants throughout the county are expected to participate, providing diners the chance to experience everything from classic crowd-pleasers, to landmark restaurants, to the newest, hottest bastions of haute cuisine. www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com
The seventh annual Celebrate the Craft, Southern California’s showcase for regionally grown ingredients and innovative cooking and winemaking, takes place Oct. 31 – Nov. 1, 2009 at The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla. The weekend-long celebration also includes the Torrey Pines Plein Air Invitational, which showcases the region’s natural wonders through the work of gifted artists. Each year, the event brings together the finest plein air (open air) painters to set up their canvases onsite and capture the extraordinary beauty of San Diego. On Oct. 31, guests can bid on their favorite paintings during a cocktail reception and dinner priced at $125 per person. The festival culminates on Nov. 1 with a full day of cooking demonstrations by participating chefs from San Diego’s premier restaurants. Growers, vintners and culinary artisans from some of California’s most renowned farms, bakeries, wineries and confectioners are also on hand to share their skill and enthusiasm. Picnic tickets are priced at $65 per person. www.celebratethecraft.com
TASTY (AND THRIFTY) TIDBITS
The Linkery, San Diego’s community-driven farm-to-table restaurant, and its artisan curing shop, North Park Meat Co, are now spotlighting several delicious variations on grass-fed, pastured goat. Since March 2009, the restaurant’s menu has featured this buzz-worthy meat in curry, soup and as toppings for Mexican-inspired sopes (ground corn shells served with fresh salsa). Meanwhile, goat bacon, prosciutto and ham have been spotted in the meat case at the North Park Meat Co. All pastured goat served at the Linkery and North Park Meat Co. is sourced from sustainable California farms. www.thelinkery.com; www.northparkmeatco.com
WINE COUNTRY NOTES
In May 2009, Leonesse Cellars, a winery known for its high quality wines, elegant tasting room, friendly staff and stunning vineyard and mountain views in the Temecula Valley Wine Country near San Diego, partnered with Leah DiBernardo, executive chef and owner of Delyte’s Fine Foods, to offer a selection of gourmet appetizers. DiBernardo, who is president of Slow Food Temecula and known throughout the region for her gourmet cuisine prepared with local, seasonal foods, has created a menu that includes lamb burgers, prawns poached in Chardonnay with blood orange-infused cocktail sauce and a charcuterie platter with homemade country pate. Guests can enjoy the food and wine while relaxing on Leonesse Cellar’s expansive tasting room patio, its picnic area with spectacular vistas of Temecula or in the winery’s barrel room. The appetizer menu is available 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday. www.leonessecellars.com
Happy happens in San Diego. For more information on San Diego, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau's Web site at www.sandiego.org or call 619-236-1212. In San Diego, visit the International Visitor Information Center, located along the Embarcadero at the corner of West Broadway and Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego, or the La Jolla Visitor Center, located at the corner of Herschel Avenue and Prospect Street in La Jolla.
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