Taste of Little Italy
Greg Koch The folks behind Encinitas Ale House have opened The Public House (830 Kline St. in La Jolla). The place touts a wide selection of ales and a grass-fed Kobe Wagyu burger made with beef from Australia’s Greg Norman Farms. At $16.95, you’ll be happy to know the latter comes with two types of cheese. Drink 80 beers in 80 days, if you’re so inclined, and be entered to win a tour of American and European breweries, all in the name of health and wellness, of course. the-publichouse.com
Ken Cassinelli and Janie Losli, owners of Apertivo (2322 El Cajon Blvd.in North Park), have come up with a new way to shake the Monday blues. Mushroom Mondays feature dishes like mushroom risotto and mushroom ravioli with truffle oil, all in the name of alliteration, of course. Mushrooms not cutting it for ya? Try Wino Wednesdays: Half-price bottles of wine, dine-in only. Note: If Toadstool Tuesdays become a reality, you won’t read about it here. apertivo.com
Not everyone is a fan of red wine, and the fine folks at Wet Stone Winebar (1927 Fourth Ave. in Bankers Hill) know it. The teeny and sweet wine bar, helmed by fab chef Christian Gomez, offers not only the omnipresent red sangria, but also tropical white—something this lover of everything Spanish rarely comes across. wetstonewinebar.com
And, finally, Chuck E Cheese’s is stepping away from its “where a kid can be a kid by eating pukey pizza” model of doing business, moving instead toward a more foodie-friendly dining experience. CEO Michael Magusiak announced this week that the frequently served stuff they were calling pizza will now, in fact, be pizza, consisting of real dough and real cheese. Good news for Chuck E., who’s still reeling from last year’s recall of light-up rings and star glasses. chuckecheese.com
By now, news of Greg Koch of Stone Brewing Co.’s hunt for a European brewery venue has likely reached you. Koch has been scouting locations in Belgium and elsewhere in hopes of bringing American craft beer to thirsty Europeans, and the beer world is frantically awaiting an announcement. Wait a little longer we will, but not without a teaser: “Currently, we have narrowed it down to possible locations in Bruges, Belgium, and Berlin, Germany,” Koch said.
Got food news? Write to brookl@sdcitybeat.com.
