RESTAURANT OPENINGS

In October 2013, Waypoint Public opened in North Park, one of San Diego's fastest growing dining neighborhoods. Waypoint Public is a casual bistro and bar devoted to celebrating California culture, cuisine and craft beer. Their expansive beer program showcases a carefully curated list of more than 300 bottled craft beers from all areas of the globe, plus a custom 30-tap system that features West Coast craft brews heavily. The wine list offers pours from nearly a dozen of California's premier wineries and vineyards, with a few selections offered on tap. Chef Amanda Baumgarten's seasonal menu highlights diverse cultural influences: Latin, Asian, and European elements she considers already indigenous to the Southern California region.

In summer 2013, Southpaw Social Club opened in downtown San Diego's trendy East Village neighborhood. Adjacent to Petco Park, the venue draws inspiration from American baseball culture and the historic Schiefer & Sons Aeroplane Co. building in which it is housed. The menu's American craft food classics consist of burgers, pretzels, the "Fat Boy Mac" (a bowl of cheese-covered noodles topped with crushed Ritz crackers, pretzels and optional pork belly) and other comforting favorites. The main bar, decorated with an overhang of distressed timber, holds 32 craft beer taps and serves up a line of lemonade-based cocktails.

In September 2013, celebrity chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval opened Venga Venga Cantina and Tequila Bar in San Diego's South Bay. The 6,000-sq. ft. restaurant features antiqued tin walls, hand-blown glass, raw cut woods and an expansive 80-seat patio with fire pits. Sandoval's menu offers a creative take on traditional dishes, such as chicken zarape with bacon panela, pico de gallo, cotija, chipotle cream sauce and crema fresca, and Venga Venga Asada with grilled Harris Ranch hanger steak, sautéed peppers, rajas, chile morita sauce and sweet corn tamale. Venga Venga serves more than 100 tequilas and mezcals in addition to a variety of innovative margaritas, such as a prickly pear margarita with blueberry infused tequila and a spicy orange margarita made with serrano pepper infused tequila and fresh orange juice. House-made red and white sangrias, mojitos, Mexican craft beers, Latin wines and weekly tequila flights complete Venga Venga's bar offerings.

In October 2013, American Voodoo opened in the University Heights neighborhood. The eclectic restaurant offers diners a California spin on Creole-style cooking, a cuisine that generally finds influences from France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Africa. Menu highlights included glazed Cornish game hen at dinner, poutine of sweet potato or regular fries, and southern fried seitan sliders. The unique 1,200-sq. ft. space provides an intimate atmosphere enveloped with curios collected from owner Jeff Joshua Hamlin's world travels, including artwork from acclaimed painter Jenna Odhner and handcrafted voodoo dolls created by the owner's mother during her time living in New Orleans.

In November 2013, Brabant Bar & Café opened in the bustling South Park neighborhood. The new beer bar and restaurant takes inspiration from all things Belgian. Menu specialties are designed to pair with Belgian (and Belgian-style) beers and include house-made bratwurst, braised rabbit and mussels with twice-fried frites. In addition to 16 tap handles and more than 80 beers by the bottle, Brabant's bar features an extensive spirits program that includes Belgian liqueurs and table-side absinthe service.

In October 2013, Pizzeria Mozza opened in The Headquarters at Seaport District, a new retails complex housed in a historic former police building on San Diego's waterfront. The new San Diego location is the fourth location of the famed restaurant collaboration between renowned chefs Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton, following other locations in Los Angeles, Newport Beach and Singapore. San Diego's menu features dishes that made the original Los Angeles location famous like fried squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta, butterscotch budino and wood-fired pizzas.

In July 2013, Iberico Spanish Bistro and Gin Club opened in the village of La Jolla. The 3,500-sq. ft. venue boasts a rustic-chic decor with blue glass chandeliers, hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and a wall made of wine glasses. Iberico's traditional Spanish menu features family-style tapas selections, which include a red wine braised ox tail, chorizo-stuffed calamari and traditional spicy Spanish potatoes. Calling itself "San Diego's first specialty gin bar," Iberico's list of libations includes an assortment of premium gins, sipped straight or crafted into a fresh cocktail.

BREW NEWS

San Diego brewers earned a total of 14 medals at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival held in October in Denver, Co. The Pizza Port and Rock Bottom breweries took home the most collective medals of the San Diego-based breweries, with Pizza Port claiming gold for Beer Hunter (Session Beer) and Rhino Chaser (Imperial Red Ale) and bronze for Kung Fu Elvis (American-Style Strong Pale Ale) and Oats (Oatmeal Stout). Rock Bottom La Jolla claimed a gold medal for Moonlight Porter (Robust Porter) and bronze for Ragtop Red (Irish-Style Red Ale) and Longboard Brown (English-Style Brown Ale). Other San Diego gold medal winners included Bonobos (American-Style Strong Pale Ale) by Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery, Red Trolley (Irish-Style Red Ale) by Karl Strauss Brewing Co. and Old Numbskull (Barley Wine-Style Ale) by AleSmith Brewing Co. The annual beer competition saw more than 4,800 entries by 732 breweries from around the nation.

In November 2013, Ballast Point Brewing Co. opened a new tasting room and kitchen in San Diego's Little Italy. The 9,000-sq. ft. location includes a five barrel brew house, 50-tap tasting bar and full service dining room. Chef Colin MacLaggan's menu features dishes broken up into the categories of "Land," "Sea," and "Garden." Standout offerings include a surf-and-turf combination of cumin-seared albacore and crispy pork belly, a duck confit salad and house-made herb gnocchi. Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen plans to add a beer garden to the facility and offer beer pairing dinners in the coming months.

RESTAURANT WEEK RETURNS

From downtown San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter to the beaches of La Jolla and Coronado and beyond, visitors to San Diego can find amazing deals at top restaurants during San Diego Restaurant Week, Jan. 19-24, 2014. The six-day celebration provides food lovers the opportunity to explore the region's exciting dining scene for a fraction of the normal cost with special three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for just $25, $35 or $45 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included) at more than 180 participating restaurants. A recent addition to San Diego Restaurant Week is the lunch program, which gives daytime diners the opportunity to feast on special two-course, prix-fixe lunch menus for just $10, $15 or $20 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included) at participating restaurants. Tickets or special passes are not required; however, reservations are recommended. The full list of participating restaurants and their menus will be posted online in advance of the event.

Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego's offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority's website at www.sandiego.org or call 619-236-1212.

# # #