San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Local Habit
Here’s a habit you won’t want to kick, unless you’re mean: Local Habit (3827 Fifth Ave. in Hillcrest) joins San Diego’s farm-to-table roster. It’s helmed by sustainability sultan Barry Braden, former owner of Pizza Fusion Hillcrest, which was housed in the same spot. What piques my interest? Pizza covered in Petaluma Jack cheese with a farm-fresh egg and bacon lardons. Like something straight out of Provence.
Ignite! (6996 El Camino Real in Carlsbad), the restaurant shrouded in a bit o’ controversy that I mentioned in our June 15 issue, opened on July 5. It’s a neighborhood gastropub with a dozen beers on tap and a spread of American comfort food. The type of flour used in its pizza is touted on its website—a very French thing to do (note: this is not a French resto).
Indulge Bistronomy (277 Third Ave. in Chula Vista), a recently opened organic bistro serving breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, will hold its grand opening at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 13. Appetizers and local wines will be served. The locale is connected to Indulge Contemporary Catering’s production kitchen, formerly in La Jolla. Owner Flor Franco teaches kids to cook with healthy, organic ingredients. All menu items are under $10, and ingredients are mainly sourced locally. Franco also owns Sherman Heights’ Urban Chicken (549 25th St.)
From the makers of Blind Lady Ale House comes Tiger! Tiger!, serving draught beer and food, without pizza at its epicenter (read: no pizza), though a wood-fired oven will be located smack in the middle of the dining room. Chef Aaron La Monica will man the kitchen. The resto, at 3025 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park, is slated to open this year. More deets to come as we have ’em.
Café Sevilla’s (353 Fifth Ave., Downtown) opening date was pushed—and then pushed again. Now it’s open for real. Think: tapas bar, restaurant and nightclub, open 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. A grand-opening celebration to benefit It’s All About the Kids (tickets: $25) will be held at 7 p.m. July 27. Ole!
The Trails, a family-owned breakfast-and-lunch spot with menu items like Elvis Cakes (chocolate chip and banana hotcakes topped with a scoop of peanut butter and powdered sugar), was in dire need of some help. Enter Robert Irvine, celebrity chef and host of The Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible. In January, the network gave a call-out to struggling local restaurants, and The Trails was selected. The restaurant was closed Monday and Tuesday, July 11 and 12 until 6:30 p.m., when it re-opened to unveil its new mojo, caught on camera by The Food Network. The locale was booked to capacity that night, cutting off reservations well before the event took place. Normal business resumes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, at 7389 Jackson Drive in San Carlos.
Got food news? Write to brookl@sdcitybeat.com.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
