By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Theatre Box in the Gaslamp Quarter has introduced “Sunday Brunch and the Big Screen,” which allows guests to customize their omelets, waffles and other breakfast items as well as bloody marys and mimosas. The brunch spread, offered in Theatre Box’s Chocolate Lounge, costs $49 for adults and $24.99 for kids. It includes numerous sweet and savory buffet items, plus a movie ticket and a bag of popcorn. Bottomless bloody marys and mimosas are $20 per person. The brunch is held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday. 701 Fifth Ave., 619-814-2225, theatrebox.com.
What served for decades as the Army-Navy YMCA on west Broadway Street has been transformed into The Guild, a chic 163-room hotel that features a restaurant and cocktail bar open to guests and locals alike.
The restaurant, named Luca, sits in the structure’s inner, outdoor courtyard. The bill of fare (for breakfast, lunch and dinner) is Mediterranean-inspired to fit the restaurant’s charming al fresco atmosphere. Look for dishes such as parfait French toast; roasted red peppers with fig jam and goat cheese; capellini pasta with mushroom cream and chili oil; duck breast with maple Greek yogurt; and more.
Located directly across the lobby is The Guild Bar, where crafty cocktails and Intelligetsia Coffee drinks are served throughout the day until 11 p.m. 500 W. Broadway, 619-764-5160, theguildhotel.com.
Little Italy’s Piazza della Famiglia will make way for “Out in Little Italy: Pride Brunch,” from 9 to 11:30 a.m., July 14. The event coincides with San Diego LGBT Pride weekend (July 12-14) and is presented by the Little Italy Association. It is the neighborhood’s first sanctioned Pride event.
Set outdoors, the brunch will feature bottomless mimosas and a choice of dishes from vendors inside the Little Italy Food Hall. They include Roast, Ambrogio 15, Wicked Maine Lobster and Not Not Tacos. In addition, Frost Me Cake & Bakery will supply coffee and other items.
Live entertainment will be offered throughout the brunch by a trio of drag performers: Jinx Mirage, Glitz Glam, and Kickxy Vixen-Styles.
Tickets are $75 per person, which includes the bottomless mimosas, food, and transportation from the piazza to the San Diego Pride Festival in Balboa Park. They can be purchased online at littleitalysd.com or sdpride.org. 619-297-7683, 523 W. Date St.
Over the blue bridge at the Hotel del Coronado, the property’s long-established restaurant, 1500 Ocean, has been transformed into Serea. The new concept, created by Las Vegas-based Clique Hospitality, puts local chef JoJo Ruiz at the helm of a menu specializing in sustainable seafood and meats prepared with Mediterranean flair.
The offerings include freshly caught whole fish, lobster croquettes with Italian caviar, glazed California black cod, grilled lamb chops, Angus T-bone steaks, and more.
Leather, warm wood and soft colors comprise the airy, upscale atmosphere. The restaurant is part of the hotel’s ongoing $200 million renovation. 1500 Orange Ave., 619-435-6611, sereasandiego.com.
Fans of Puesto at the Headquarters in Downtown’s Marina District can soon enjoy craft beers that the gourmet taco restaurant will begin brewing this fall in an upcoming Mission Valley location at 5010 Mission Center Road.
The upcoming location was recently decided after Gordon Biersch announced it would be closing its restaurant and brewhouse on July 15 in Westfield Mission Valley plaza. Puesto will move in later this year and take over the existing brewing system to produce beers for all three locations, including The Headquarters (789 W. Harbor Drive) and La Jolla (1026 Wall St.). eatpuesto.com.
A major redo of the former Analog Bar in the Gaslamp Quarter will soon get underway in preparation for Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, which has an existing location in the Scripps Ranch area. Expected to open by spring of next year, the space will allow diners to cook their own vegetables and proteins on smokeless grills.
The company launched in 2001 in Los Angeles and today claims more than 700 locations worldwide. 801 Fifth Ave., gyu-kaku.com.
— Frank Sabatini Jr can be reached at [email protected].
