San Diego's North County Grows as Top Dining Spot

The latest news about San Diego's North County dining, from restaurant openings to additions, expansions, renovations and more.

NEW RESTAURANT OPENINGS

In May 2011, Scott Harris announced plans to open two San Diego locations of his Chicago-based Davanti Enoteca restaurant. The Chicago restaurant’s rustic Italian menu features dishes such as seared octopus with warm fingerling potato salad, Marcona almonds, finnochiona and fresh horseradish aioli and the “Uovo in Raviolo San Domenico,” a giant raviolo with ricotta, egg and spinach. Cheese and salumi selections, antipasti and “vasi” – small mason jars of spreads paired with Tuscan toast – add to the menu’s offerings, as does a wide selection of beers, martinis and wines by the glass or bottle. The two San Diego locations are expected to open in Aug. 2011 in the North County coastal city of Del Mar and in downtown San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood.
In July 2011, Brian Malarkey, former contestant on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and chef behind the recently opened downtown San Diego hotspot Searsucker, opened his highly-anticipated second restaurant Burlap in the coastal city of Del Mar. Billed as a sister restaurant to Searsucker, Burlap offers an Asian influenced menu that Malarkey describes as “Asian cowboy” cuisine, focusing on meats, seafood and bold side dishes. Divided into categories such as Land, Ocean, Rotisserie, Raw, Bowl and Stick, menu standouts include a whisky “drunken” swordfish paired with pistachio and cherry and an “Eye of the Martini” featuring fresh oyster and uni and topped with caviar and quail egg. Also, a whole rotisserie roasted pig can be ordered with 72 hours advance notice. Local craft beer, handcrafted cocktails and a selection of wines from around the world complement the menu selections.
In July 2011, the Cohn Restaurant Group announced their newest $2.5 million dollar restaurant project, Vintana. Slated to open Feb. 2012 in the North County inland city of Escondido, the expansive dining and event space will be located on the 3rd floor of the new 300,000-sq. ft. Centre at Lexus Escondido, making it the first restaurant in San Diego County to be located inside a new car dealership. The restaurant’s culinary offerings will be created by Executive Chef Deborah Scott, known for her innovative cuisine at Indigo Grill and Island Prime in San Diego. Scott will emphasize California Modern Cuisine and will source ingredients from local purveyors for her menu.
In Aug. 2011, Crush Italian Cuisine and Lounge opened in the coastal city of Solana Beach, offering an enticing menu of Italian-inspired seasonal cuisine. Executive Chef Jason Colabove collaborated with chef Michael Lina, formerly of the Steakhouse at Azul La Jolla, to create a menu that highlights high-quality market fresh product with a particular focus on modernized Italian classics. Offering lunch and dinner, Crush’s signature dishes include a lamb shank paired with ancient grains polenta and tomato confit and a Papperdelle Carbonara composed of pancetta, poached egg, chive and preserved lemon butter. A reasonably priced wine, beer and cocktail list has also been crafted to pair with the food, and an on-site Sommelier guides diners through an extensive wine list of more than 160 international wines.

ADDITIONS, EXPANSIONS AND RENOVATION

Del Mar Plaza in known as a destination for exquisite dining with a view, and now diners can watch the sun set over the Pacific while imbibing in a fine beverage from two new ocean view bars. In June 2011, the iconic Pacifica Del Mar introduced the Ocean Bar, featuring an international vodka bar with more than 100 vodkas from around the world, along with a raw bar and hand-crafted cocktails. The expansion of the existing bar space includes additional seating and a separate lounge area for drinks and small plates. In July 2011, the neighboring Flavor Del Mar also opened SIP, a wine bar and lounge offering a specialty cheese and charcuterie menu crafted by Flavor Executive Chef Jason Maitland. SIP features a custom-built meat curing room for producing house-made creations like boar sausage, duck prosciutto and finocchiona. Flavor’s sommelier and general manager Jerome Astolfi also partnered with Chuy Galvan, former sommelier of the La Valencia Hotel and George’s at the Cove in La Jolla and certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers, to design SIP’s wine program of nearly 40 wines offered by the glass.
In July 2011, Kitchen 1540 in the luxurious L’Auberge Del Mar resort unveiled a new menu and updated décor as part of a multi-million dollar renovation. Chef Paul McCabe’s innovative new menu offerings highlight his own hand-grown microgreens from the restaurant’s hydroponic garden as well as unique proteins, such as pig tail, cuttlefish and rabbit, from small purveyors. An unexpected new offering is Kitchen 1540’s “White Flag” menu, a tasting-focused dining experience with no printed menu for guests who trust McCabe to custom design their meal. Servers gather information from diners beforehand about their meal preferences, and the kitchen designs a spontaneous menu to suit their interests. The kitchen continues to send out food paired with cocktails, beer and wine until satiated guests literally wave a white flag.

BREW NEWS

In Aug. 2011, the award-winning Green Flash Brewing Co., maker of 38 craft brews, opened a new 45,000-sq. ft. brewery in the inland neighborhood of Mira Mesa. The new facility makes Green Flash one of the largest breweries in San Diego County and provides an increased ability to foster experimentation and craft special, limited edition brews and seasonal ales, while continuing to produce the Green Flash favorites that have captivated beer fans worldwide. The 50-barrel, nine-vessel, fully automated brew house was custom built to suit Green Flash’s exacting standards and has a start up capacity of 45,000 barrels per year with the ability to grow to more than 100,000 barrels per year. The facility also features a 4,000-sq. ft. Green Flash Tasting Room & Beer Garden open to the public Wed. through Sun. Showcasing a sizeable selection of Green Flash brews on tap, the Tasting Room’s bar is located within the brewery itself and engulfs the sounds and smells of the 24-hour Green Flash brewing and bottling process.

CULINARY EVENTS

On Oct. 30, 2011, artisans and gourmets will gather at The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla for a unique celebration of California’s indigenous ingredients, innovative cooking and winemaking during the 9th annual Celebrate the Craft event. San Diego’s top chefs will offer a full day of cooking demonstrations, and growers, vintners and culinary artisans from some of California’s most renowned farms, bakeries, wineries and confectioners will be on hand for picnic-style tastings on the resort’s Arroyo Terrace. Tickets are $75 per person.
On Oct. 15, 2011, the West Inn and Suites in Carlsbad will host OktoberWest, a fall culinary celebration highlighting culinary creations by Executive Chef Eugenio Martignago, who oversees the hotel’s Bistro West and West Steak and Seafood. Seven authentic farm-to-table food and wine pairings will feature ingredients grown on-site at the property’s own one-acre farm. The event will also include live music and a special appearance by The Living Vines, the San Diego-based performance art group.
On Oct. 2, 2011, the seaside city of Del Mar hosts the annual Del Mar Taste & Art Stroll. Held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., this celebration of local artists and restaurants includes a free art walk with live music, an interactive art area for children and a pet parade. Culinary creations from area restaurants and selections from California wineries and San Diego breweries are also available from 1 – 4 p.m. with a purchased ticket. Tickets are $25 per person in advance or $30 at the door and can be purchased online at http://www.delmarmainstreet.com/.

Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego’s offerings, 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.

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