Coal is not in the cards

Harney Sushi, pre-op

Had enough of cupcakes? Too bad. Sprinkles, which first opened in Beverly Hills to celeb fanfare, will open its eighth locale at The Shops at La Jolla Village on Jan. 13. Know what keeps running through my head? Who’s going to open a haute pie shop for me? Rock beats scissors; pie beats cake, though cupcakes are pretty dang yum. sprinkles.com

On Wednesday, Dec. 15, Devilicious, a female-run food truck specializing in mature takes on childhood comfort food, hit the streets. Did someone say “Butter Poached Lobster Grilled Cheese for $8”? Follow @Devilicious- Food on Twitter for updates. And, on the cupcake tip, they just linked up with the ladies who pilot the roving corner Cupcakes truck for tandem operations. Follow @CornerCupcakes on Twitter. (Keeping up with these fab food trucks is exhausting, in every sense of the word.) deviliciousfoodtruck.com

We were giddy with delight when we spied construction in action at the vacancy left by Ranchos Natural Foods on 30th Street in North Park. We wondered, will it be a new meatless resto? A café serving sandwiches piled high with local produce? Or maybe a burger joint featuring humanely raised beef? Nay. A yoga studio. Granted, it’s not a Wal-Mart, but our gluttonous hopes were slightly dashed. Putting a spoon to your mouth doesn’t require flexibility.Harney Sushi’s Old Town location will close for remodel Dec. 24 through 30. It’s aging, with 10 years now under its belt, so the wrinkles will be ironed out and a new, more youthful Harney will emerge. I take that back; a retro Harney with silk lighting, 3-D wall murals and bamboo will surface. harneysushi.com

In celebration of Chocolat’s first anniversary in Hillcrest, the owners are making it merry with an assortment of complimentary bruschetta with the purchase of a glass of wine, champagne or brew, Monday through Friday, 5 to 7 p.m. at both the Hillcrest (3896 Fifth Ave.) and Gaslamp (509 Fifth Ave.) locations. These treats are selfserve, so fill up to curb that buzz. No one’s getting drunk at Chocolat! Do you hear me? chocolatsandiego.com

Here’s ho-ho hoping Santa doesn’t snub you this year. He can be a sinister SOB.

Got food news? Write to brookl@sdcitybeat.com