San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Sea Rocket's sassy salsas
Speaking of Sea Rocketians, they have a new line of hot sauces ideal for sweet stocking stuffers. Each of the three blends uses various hot-pepper types from area farms. Normally priced at $8 a bottle (or $20 for all three), they’re yours, at least for a few weeks, for $6 a bottle or $15 for all three, but only if you’ve been a good boy or girl. searocketbistro.com
I love Santa’s lap, and I know you do, too. Get on it Sunday, Dec. 12, at South Bay Fish & Grill (570 Marina Pkwy. in Chula Vista). He and the Mrs. host the Ultimate Holiday Brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., consisting of an omelet bar, hash station and every sugary carb imaginable. Just think—you, too, can look like Santa this season. Oh, and word has it Santa’s only allowing kids to sit in his lap, but mention City- Beat and I’m sure he’ll make an exception. It’s $24.95 for adults, $13.95 for chitlins. southbayfishandgrill.com
The Linkery (3794 30th St. in North Park) will re-open Thursday, Dec. 9, after its brief sabbatical / makeover. New menu items include house-cured goodness and locally sourced veg dishes; the coveted wild Mexican octopus even makes its way onto the menu. I’m a fan of good Benedict, and there are two that pique my interest: the veggie and link Benedicts, made with beer bread. Mmm. thelinkery.com
Naked Pizza recently opened in Pacific Beach (909 Grand Ave., Suite 1). The place uses a whole lot of seeds and grains in its dough, in addition to prebiotic fiber and probiotics. It promises no freaky chemicals but can’t promise you won’t run into freaky nude people who misinterpret the resto’s name. nakedpizza.biz
Best Damn Beer Shop and South Bay Drugs host the “Epic Beer Tasting and Baby Formula Drive” at Downtown Johnny Brown’s (1220 Third Ave.), with proceeds going to purchase baby formula for disadvantaged families via Power of Change, a nonprofit that serves underprivileged kids. Get 10 three- to four-ounce pours of rare beer for $35. The drinking kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15. RSVP (required) to bestdamnbeershop@gmail.com.
I recently gushed over two local finalists in the Good Food Awards, but what I didn’t realize is that there’s a third local company we should have been touting. Chuao Chocolatier is a finalist in the chocolate category for its dark-chocolate Limited Edition Origins bar, made with 77-percent cacao from Venezuela. Michael and Richard Antonorsi, the Venezuelan-bobrothers-turned-San Diegans who own Chuao, leave that soy lecithin crap out. chuaochocolatier.com
I’m always down with a masterful
mixologist—especially one who can concoct a rapturous non-alcoholic
beverage (no small feat). Wet Stone Wine Bar (1927 Fourth Ave. in
Banker’s Hill) owner Christian Gomez tries his rapidly mixing hand at a
different flavor of agua fresca nearly every day. The drink is a
butterfly blend of fresh fruit, water, juice and sugar. Hawaiian guava,
blueberry-mint and lime and hibiscus-ginger are said to be faves.
wetstonewinebar.com
Moving into a more refined territory of eating, chef William Bradley of Addison at the Grand Del Mar joined the elite ranks of the Grands Chefs of the Relais & Chateaux hotel and restaurant group. To put it into perspective, there are only 16 of these chefs in the U.S. If you’re going to spend a pretty penny on food, Bradley serves it up good.
And, finally, every Tuesday night, from 4 to 9:30 p.m., Roppongi (875 Prospect St. in La Jolla) does a $35, three-course sushi-and-sake pairing with dessert. I don’t love that they have Bluefin—one of the most unsustainable seafood varieties in the world—on the menu, but the chef is a gem and the place has a killer happy hour. roppongiusa.com
Got food news? Write to brookl@sdcitybeat.com
