Danny Green Quartet
We Olive PubCakes & Treehouse Coffee Co. will open shop on the far-easteedge of San Diego (7229 El Cajon Blvd.) on Saturday, Feb. 5. If you buy $3 worth of stout (or otherwise)-laden cupcakes or coffee between noon and 4 p.m., you’ll get three 4-ounce tastings of local craft beer. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to Hidden Treasures, a Fallbrook-based nonprofit thrift shop. pubcakes.com
Cafe 21’s second location is open in the Gaslamp (750 Fifth Ave.). It’s within a short walk from Horton Plaza, which means free parking, and for those who haven’t been to the mall in awhile, good news: Validation no longer requires that you buy a pack of gum from CVS (but get validated right after you park—the machine wasn’t validating after 9 p.m. recently). Breakfast and lunch only until the liquor-license genies come through. cafe-21.com
We Olive, an olive-oil tasting bar featuring 20 California evoo varietals, pestos, mustards, aged balsamics and dainty foods, opened Monday in La Jolla (1158 Prospect St.). With olive-oil possessing so many health benefits, I expect all of you to trade in your pilsner glasses for stainless-steel oliveoil shot vessels. (Tastes just like tequila.) weolive.com
Finch’s Wine Bar & Bistro will replace Cafe Lavande at 7644 Girard Ave. in La Jolla. Owned by five partners, the place is expected to launch on March 1 with lunch, happy hour and dinner, featuring small plates, vino, live music and coziness.
Ever-struggling to be lively and unique, drag bar Lips (3036 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park) got itself a fabulous facelift, according to its Facebook page. Think: 25 disco balls and an entryway covered in fur from the rare pink cheetah. Oh, and there’s an upstairs VIP lounge. OK, I’ve said enough. What happens there stays there. lipssd.com
V-Day is more than a saccharineinfested lust-o-rama; it’s a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. In support of it, Apertivo (2322 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park) will host a benefit at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3. It’s four tapas, four glasses of wine and live music by Brad Rambur, Tori Roze and the Hot Mess, Ezekiel Parnow, Joshua Napier and Djiipu for $50. A portion of the proceeds will go to V-Day and the Center for Community Solutions, San Diego. apertivo.com
Got food news? Write to brookl@sdcitybeat.com.
