By Frank Sabatini Jr.
San Diego craft breweries will be in abundance at the fourth annual Best Coast Beer Fest, which takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., March 10, at Downtown’s Embarcadero Marina Park South. (VIP admission begins at 1 p.m.)
Presented by Sycuan Casino, this year’s fest will benefit Cuck Fancer, a nonprofit that supports young adults through cancer treatments.
More than 75 breweries will pour their signature suds along with new and limited releases. Participants include Jacked Up Brewery, Mission Brewery, 21st Amendment, Mason Ale Works, Bear Republic and more.
The event also features live entertainment, along with several food trucks, which will include Deli Doctor, Super Q and Eat Your Heart Out.
General admission ranges from $40 to $50 and includes unlimited beer samples. Tickets for VIP guests range from $95 to $115 and include beer and scotch pairings, a lounge area with snacks, early entry and other perks. Tickets can be purchased on site or through ticketsauce.com. 200 Marina Park Way, bestcoastbeerfest.com.
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Restaurateur Ron Suel has upped the Southern emphasis of his StreetCar Merchants eatery in North Park with a more expressive version of it in the Gaslamp Quarter. His recent opening of Suckerfree Southern Plate & Bar, which offers an all-day breakfast menu, spotlights dishes such as seafood gumbo, fried chicken and waffles, shrimp-n-grits, pork chops with dirty rice, and more. The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily. 751 Fourth Ave., 619-892-7744.
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The current six-year anniversary of Lucky’s Lunch Counter in the East Village brings a consumer advantage. All of its classic and overstuffed sandwiches are selling for an easy $6 between March 12–16. The sandwiches normally range between $9 and $13. 338 Seventh Ave., 619-255-4782, luckyslunchcounter.com.
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The locally based RMD Group has opened Volcano Rabbit, a Gaslamp Quarter Mexican restaurant and nightclub boasting gourmet tacos and a formidable collection of agave spirits. Among the unique offerings are tequila lockers which, for an annual fee, can be rented by guests choosing to store their booze onsite; plus monthly ultra-luxe tacos that sell for $20 each. The spendy tacos can include fillings such as lobster with caviar and poached quail eggs; sea scallops with crispy yams and bacon pop rocks; and beef cheeks with foie gras and bone marrow butter. 527 Fifth Ave., 619-232-8226, volcanorabbitsd.com.
In addition, RMD has in the pipeline plans to open a restaurant and bar next year in the historic Grand Pacific Hotel (366 Fifth Ave.), which was built in the late 1800s. It will be redeveloped in conjunction with HP Investors and accommodate live music.
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If corned beef and green beer served in a rowdy atmosphere isn’t your thing on St. Patrick’s Day, perhaps a mellow three-course afternoon tea with Champagne is — and with a literary spin to boot.
The Westgate Hotel’s frilled Le Fontainebleu Room is the setting for the tea, which features “Memento Park” author Mark Sarvas, who will discuss the book’s narrative of a son who unravels the story of his father. The event takes place from 2:30 to 5 p.m., March 17 and costs $45 per person. 1055 Second Ave., 619-238-1818, westgatehotel.com.
— Frank Sabatini Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
