THE PATIO GROUP Change is in the air at The Patio on Lamont in Pacific Beach and Fireside by the Patio in Point Loma, where new corporate executive chef, Jarrod Moiles, is making “small impact” revisions to their menus.
Moiles was recently hired by The Patio Group, which runs several other local dining establishments such as Saska’s Steakhouse in Mission Beach, The Patio on Goldfinch in Mission Hills and others. He will oversee culinary operations primarily at the “patio” restaurants, saying that about 20 percent of their menus will be revamped in the coming weeks.
“Seasonality will be a main focus,” he added while referring to the Baja-style seared halibut with English pea puree he is introducing on Lamont Street. The dish will be accompanied by citrus-mint pea salad. Such new creations are being tested initially as specials. If the public responds favorably, they will graduate onto the regular menus. Moiles is an alum of Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island and last worked as executive chef for Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe.
“I’m very excited to be involved with The Patio Group and their current sous chefs and executive sous chefs on each property,” he said. “The company has a great concept and a strong culinary team.” americannationalinvestments.com. LIBERTY PUBLIC MARKET
There have been some recent comings and goings at Liberty Public Market in Point Loma, which currently leases to 26 food and product vendors.
The newcomers are Landini’s Pizzeria, a Little Italy-based eatery specializing in New York pizza and Florentine-inspired pasta dishes. It is joined by The Latin Chef, which moved to the market this month from its original Pacific Beach location. The kitchen specializes in authentic Peruvian fare.
Gone from the lineup are Fishbone Kitchen and Roast. A market rep tells us those slots and others will be replaced in the coming months by businesses such as Ono Grinds, Bao Bar Boba & Bun, Seoul KBBQ, and more. 2820 Historic Decatur Road, libertypublicmarket.com, 619-487-9346. THE 3RD CORNER Wine manger Todd Mulligan of The 3rd Corner in Ocean Beach recently added more than 150 new wines to the inventory, raising the number of labels to about 700. It’s the largest stock increase made to the restaurant/wine shop in years, he noted.
The latest additions embody “unique worldly wines” from Greece, Turkey, Hungary and the country of Georgia. Organic wines of domestic and French origins containing minimal sulfites were brought in as well.
Also new are wine tastings held twice a week, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. “We used to hold them only a couple times a month,” said Mulligan. The events usually feature six regional-specific varietals for $20. Check the website under “menus” for details. 2265 Bacon St., 619-223-2700, the3rdcorner.com. CHEESE EXPO A bevy of cheesemakers from the U.S. and Euorpe will take part in Liquid City’s inaugural Cheese Expo 2019, to be held from 1:30 to 6 p.m., May 19, at Brick in Liberty Station.
Organized by Rob Graff of Venissimo, and Edwin Real of the Facebook group, Eating and Drinking in San Diego, the event also brings in local breweries, distillers, coffee roasters and kombucha and hard cider makers, all of which will join forces with about 20 cheese purveyors. The “liquid” vendors include Modern Times, Eppig Brewing, Boochcraft, Bivouac Ciderworks, and more. Cheeses will be supplied by Venissimo Raclette Bar and Cheesesmith, both from San Diego, plus Point Reyes Farmstead from northern California, Columbia Cheese from New York, Gruyere 1655 from Switzerland, and others.
Admission ranges from $25 to $350. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Kitchens for Good, a nonprofit that helps break the cycles of food waste, poverty and hunger through innovation programs. 2863 Historic Decatur Road, 858-365-0882, eventbrite.com. NOW SUSHI
The recently opened Now Sushi in Mission Beach will introduce new sushi rolls to its all-vegan menu by the end of May. Chef Matthew Scott said the additions are under development the culinary team. The sushi lineup currently offers about eight choices plus lettuce and Tex-Mex rolls using Impossible Burger “meat” as a protein option. The eatery also just debuted daily chef specials featuring a couple of off-menu dishes a day. 3852 Mission Blvd., 858-246-6179. CUSP DINING & DRINKS Chef Ingrid Funes of Cusp Dining & Drinks has added nearly a dozen new dishes to the 11th-floor restaurant set atop Hotel La Jolla. They include a berry-orange salad with Humboldt Fog cheese and peppercorn-almond brittle; roasted Scottish salmon with risotto and Parmesan foam; and duck breast served with duck ravioli, cabbage and Port cherries.
She concurrently created an entirely new bar menu for the property’s ground-level poolside bar lounge, Hiatus, which opens for the season in mid-May, at 3 p.m. daily. Those items include rotating flat breads, sliders and daily ceviche.
In addition to Cusp’s refreshed menu, a few nightly deals have been introduced. From 4 p.m. to close on Mondays, specialty martinis are $7 apiece. From 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, fresh oysters sell for $2 each. And on Wednesdays customers can “Veuve around the clock” when glass prices for the cherished bubbly start at $4 at 4 p.m., and go up $1 every hour until 9 p.m. SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR
To those heading up to Del Mar later this month for the annual San Diego County Fair (May 31 through July 4), prepare for a barrage of sinful foods that are new to the vast lineup.
Themed this year after L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, fair goers will encounter everything from “yellow brick” smoothies and “ruby red” lemonade to “flying monkey” caramel corn and “scarecrow” hot dogs.
Among the more outrageous items are Hot Cheetos baked potatoes; fried bacon-wrapped plantains; “blizzard of Oz” frozen hot chocolate; and “OzSome crunch” cinnamon rolls studded with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
In all, more than 120 food and beverage vendors will blanket the grounds, including those offering healthy choices such as fruit bowls, salads, wraps and gluten-free items. 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., 858-755-1161, sdfair.com.