DiscoverSD: What’s New on the Dining Scene
There’s never a dull moment in the San Diego dining scene.
With the rise of a new decade, local foodies are gifted with debut restaurants from Top Chef contestants and industry experts, coming-soon venue name announcements, and another new wine bar rolling with the Enomatic wine machine craze. Hurry up and head to La Jolla Strip Club and Toast Enoteca & Cucina, and mark your calendars for the launch of The Big Easy, Quality Social, Searsucker and much more.
Discover what’s new and notable in local dining.
1 Week, 3-Course Menus, 180 Restaurants During San Diego Restaurant Week, which runs January 17 – 22, local diners can enjoy three-course prix fixe menus at over 180 culinary hot-spots for just $20, $30 or $40 per person, depending on the venue. Some recommended spots to try are BiCE Ristorante, Cowboy Star, and Pamplemousse. Get details here.
Toast Enoteca & Cucina Pours Into East Village The brainchild of Martin Gonzalez, owner and executive chef of Acqua Al 2, Toast Enoteca & Cucina is a new wine bar that features 400 wines served by the glass, by the bottle or from wine dispensing Enomatic machines. These self-serving machines are the new trend in local wine bars, and are also found at Splash Wine Lounge and Ivy Ultra Lounge and Wine Bar. In addition to world premier wines, Toast serves gourmet Italian bites. Toast held a private opening party on January 13 (view photos here), and opens to the public on January 16, 2010. (pictured)
A Provocative Jewel: La Jolla Strip Club Opens The Cohn Restaurant Group launched a brand new “grill-your-own” restaurant in the University Town Center area in December 2009. The La Jolla Strip Club boasts a 8,500 sq.ft. dining room that can accommodate up to 280 guests, flat screen TVs, pool tables and a provocative collection of pin-up artwork, similar to what you’re used to viewing at the Gaslamp venue. Dinner favorites include the 10 oz. Strip Club Skirt Steak, 8 oz. Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna, 8 oz. Filet Mignon or your choice of Beef, Chicken or Shrimp Kabobs, with such available Sassy Sides as roasted garlic mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese fries with bacon. Get details here.
BiCE Charms Gaslamp with Understated Authenticity Housed in a sleek and modern setting on the corner of Island and 4th Avenues, BiCE is an automatic must-visit venue for local diners seeking authentic Italian flavor and excellent service. BiCE is known for its central cheese bar and impressive selection of homemade pastas such as the veal ravioli in porcini sauce, potato gnocchi and the Pappardelle Al Telefono, or wide ribbon pasta with cheese, basil and tomato sauce. BiCE opened up for business late-November, 2009. Get details here.
Kip’s Café Set to Reopen in Hillcrest Locals who have been craving Kip’s signature Chinese and Japanese entrees since the El Cajon located its doors in late 2008 will be excited to know the new venue, which is located on 4th and University, should open late January 2010.
The Bull Brings The Big Easy Frank Terzoli, more popularly known as Frankie “The Bull” from his aggressive run on Bravo’s hit show Top Chef, is about ready to open the doors of his new restaurant in San Diego: The Big Easy. The Bull’s new baby will serve French Quarter Southern food in Hillcrest, located in the slippery space that has previously housed such other businesses as The Better Half and Russo’s. We have a feeling The Bull will be able to change the reputation of this seemingly cursed venue. This local celebrity chef promises authentic Creole French food with strong Caribbean flavor, from breakfast through dinner. Stop in for a casual beignet for breakfast and return for a more formal tableside chef presentation during dinner. Now that Frankie the Bull’s BBQ is no more, the local celebrity chef is putting all his energy and skill into the new establishment which is set to open February 2010.
Quality Social Dives Into Luxury Market Quality Social isn’t trying to be a dive bar – it’s a playful juxtaposition of all that we love about neighborhood dives, presented in a new Quality light with no detail spared. With Boones Farm on the menu, a speakeasy in the back, a menu created by a Top Chef recruit who travels with salami in his suit case, a vintage photo booth on display and a champagne parlor in the see-through ladies bathroom, Quality Social invites you to embrace the deliberate contradictions and create your own experience. This luxury dive bar is expected to open mid-February 2010. Get details here.
Dream Team Delivers Searsucker EnDev’s head honcho James Brennan and fan-favorite celebrity chef Brian Malarkey announced in November 2009 that they have joined forces to merge the best of San Diego nightlife and dining. The Brennan and Malarkey venture will be a neighborhood restaurant and lounge, housed in Z Gallerie’s Gaslamp location, which is closing early 2010. This month, Malarkey shared the final name with us. The Brennan and Malarkey venue will be called Searsucker, a charming name that will reflect the menu’s chic twists on classic American comfort food dishes. The opening is slated for summer 2010. Get details here.
More new-ish obsessions include: Super El Camino in Little Italy, Cucina Urbana in Banker’s Hill, Buonissimo 2 in Hillcrest, West Coast Tavern in North Park, The Red Door in Mission Hills.
Insider Tip: From our local foodie gossip sources, we hear that Carl Shroeder’s new venue will be called Banker’s Hill Bar + Restaurant. If it’s anything like his prize Market in Del Mar, we can’t wait to discover the new downtown scene.
Discover more of the best San Diego restaurants, and stay up to speed on local foodie tips and trends on DiscoverSD.
