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Restaurants, Breweries and Nightlife
Opened November 2011 in Little Italy, UnderBelly is the latest venture of Consortium Holdings, the collective behind several of San Diego's most progressive restaurants, including Neighborhood, Noble Experiment and El Dorado. The restaurant group fashioned its own version of a traditional Japanese ramen bar, with 52 seats in an intimate 1,100-sq. ft setting. The name “UnderBelly” refers to the prized pork cut favored by Tokyo’s revered gods of ramen. UnderBelly’s culinary offerings pay tribute to traditional Japanese beliefs, emphasizing quality, consistency and approachability, while always respecting the ingredients and regional customs—you won’t find a single spoon inside the establishment. Regional ramen options, including a vegan alternative, are available along with assorted toppings, pork buns, gyoza and light appetizers. UnderBelly’s beverage program is dominated by an internationally focused, 27-handle draft beer list of rare styles, deliberately enticing diners to experiment. A rotating selection of beers from Japan’s Hitachino Nest are also featured, in addition to four varieties of draft wine from Sonoma Valley.
In September 2011, Saltbox, a “new American gastro-lounge,” opened under the culinary direction of Executive Chef Simon Dolinky. The restaurant is located in downtown San Diego’s former Suite & Tender in the Sé San Diego, which is now the new Hotel Palomar. In his debut menu, Dolinky draws inspiration from local San Diego purveyors and farmers for an ingredient-driven “social plates” menu designed to be accessible and inspiring. Sample dishes include lobster corn dogs with ginger remoulade, beef cheek tacos and snap pea kim chee, and crispy fried asparagus with poached egg and paprika vinaigrette. Saltbox also unveiled a trend-setting bar and cocktail program, created by in-house master mixologist Erin Williams of Pegu Club in NYC fame.
The Habit Burger Grill, a popular Irvine-based burger eatery, opened its first San Diego location in October 2011 in Mission Valley. Started in Santa Barbara in 1969, The Habit has additional San Diego locations planned, including a location in Carmel Mountain Ranch. The Habit is best known for its made-to-order “charburgers,” grilled over an open flame that are reasonably priced. The eatery also serves fresh, char-grilled sandwiches, tossed to order specialty salads, onion rings, sweet potato fries, “hook and line”-caught albacore tuna and a variety of hand-blended shakes and malts.
In October 2011, Bolillo Tortas, a restaurant specializing in tortas (Mexican sandwiches), opened in downtown San Diego’s East Village. Bolillo offers a unique fusion of favorites like turkey breast with cranberry and beef kosher-style tortas and traditional styles like carne asada and Cuban.
In September 2011, Pechanga Resort and Casino, the largest casino in San Diego’s East County, opened its latest Asian dining experience, Bamboo. Bamboo features an assortment of authentic Asian noodle dishes prepared by Head Chef Vincent Chen who is committed to authentic Asian preparation techniques. Dishes include an enoki mushroom lo mein, which is thin egg noodles sautéed in a rich oyster stir-fry sauce with fresh enoki mushrooms, crisp bean sprouts, chopped cabbage, shredded carrots and green onions. The new 134-seat, 5,500-sq.-ft., full-service restaurant is located on the far side of the resort’s Round Bar, near the smoke-free gaming area.
The recently re-branded restaurant Crossroads at House of Blues in downtown San Diego has partnered with celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez to create a new menu. Incorporating flavors from around the world, Chef Aaron has created new signature dishes such as shrimp and grits, short rib meatball sliders, hand-stretched grilled flatbreads, chile braised short ribs and his own version of street tacos. Previous House of Blues dining favorites like jambalaya remain on the menu, and Chef Aaron has also created updated versions of House of Blues staples like cornbread, pulled pork sandwiches and signature burgers that feature unique twists. The new imagery for Crossroads at House of Blues is a combination of antique road signs and U.S. roadmaps. The rusted vintage road signs come from around the world, reinforcing a multicultural cuisine back-story.
San Diego icon Cafe Sevilla has moved to a new location in downtown’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. The new location offers a large, airy tapas bar with new custom-made decor. An elegant mezzanine area hosts the dining area and can also be reserved for private parties. Downstairs, dramatic decor and a synchronized state-of-the-art sound and light system make the nightclub a popular place to dance. The authentic Spanish tapas bar, restaurant and nightclub is open seven days a week.
In June 2011, Green Flash Brewing Co. opened a 45,000-sq.-ft. brewery in Mira Mesa. The facility consists of a state-of-the-art brewery and 4,000-sq.-ft. tasting room. The custom-built brew house is a 50-barrel, eight-vessel, fully-automated brew house engineered specifically for Green Flash’s selection of award-winning beers which are showcased in the new tasting room. The tasting room serves samples, pints and growlers and offers an array of available beer styles, some of which are only available in the tasting room. A gift shop stocks Green Flash merchandise, including t-shirts, glassware and other gift items. Brewery tours are available on a regularly scheduled basis, and tasting room hours are 3:00–9:00 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, and 12 noon–9:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
In July 2011, Ignite! Fire-Crafted Food + Bar opened in Carlsbad offering spectacular views, a spacious interior, outdoor patio garden, 360-degree bar and wood-firing oven. Guests have the option of sitting at the modern bar or enjoying a family-friendly dinner around a table on the outdoor patio and garden. Menu items range from crab cakes and Neapolitan pizzas to filet mignon and local Julian apple pie.
In July 2011, Leroy's Kitchen + Lounge opened in Coronado. Specializing in urban eclectic food from sustainable natural sources, unique cocktails and local craft beers, Leroy’s is about “food made with passion and the freshest ingredients—without being expensive or fancy.”
San Diego’s Cohn Restaurant Group has joined forces with Lexus Escondido to launch a 10,000-sq.-ft. restaurant in Escondido in San Diego’s North County, set to open February 2012. The first restaurant located in the same facility as a new car dealership in San Diego will be called “Vintana,” a hybrid of the Spanish word ventana for windows and vin for its dedicated emphasis on wine. Situated on the 3rd floor of the 300,000-sq.-ft. Centre at Lexus Escondido, the restaurant is designed to create an inviting ambiance with sweeping views in an area of the county currently lacking diverse dining options. Featuring California Modern Cuisine, Chef Deborah Scott will create an eclectic array of menu selections under $25. Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch will be served, and Chef Scott will source local purveyors to provide fresh produce for her menu, including her signature roasted nut crusted brie with jalapeno jelly, a short rib orrechiette over roasted tomatoes and lobster Milanese with garlic caper butter. With an extensive wine list and a vodka lounge offering over 100 selections of vodka from around the world, Vintana will also provide taps from San Diego’s award-winning craft beer scene, including Stone Brewing Co., which is in close proximity to the restaurant’s location.
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