Uptown Food Briefs

By Frank Sabatini Jr. | SDUN Reporter

with Anthony King | SDUN Editor

Bartender Erick Castro and his newly opened Polite Provisions on Adams Avenue received top nominations for this year’s Spirited Awards, including World’s Best New Cocktail Bar, Best High Volume Cocktail Bar and, for Castro, American Bartender of the Year.

Polite Provision’s Erick Castro is nominated for American Bartender of the Year (Courtesy h2 public relations)

The finalists were announced Friday, May 17 and the award winners will be revealed at a swanky Tales of the Cocktail Festival ceremony in New Orleans July 20. Castro, who came to San Diego from San Francisco’s Rickhouse and Bourbon & Branch, knows his spirits: in addition to the now seven total Spirited Awards nominations, he was recognized as a “Rising Star Mixologist” in 2010. Polite Provisions has their share of accolades, too. The Consortium Holding’s establishment – joining Craft & Commerce, Neighborhood, UnderBelly, Noble Experiment, El Dorado and Soda & Swine – was named one of “The Bars to Watch in 2013” by The Spirits Business. 4696 30th St., 619-677-3784.

After operating in Coronado for 14 years, Bino’s Bistro & Creperie has relocated to Hillcrest in the space formerly occupied by Bai Yook. The creperie is owned by brothers Bogart and Balbino Sanchez, although its European-style menu is authored by Balbino’s wife, Roswita. In addition to sweet and savory crepes, the offerings include fresh-baked pastries, salads, sandwiches and omelets. Dinner service will begin in a few months when the eatery receives its beer and wine license. 1260 University Ave., 619-688-1674.

As if the bacon cotton candy, Krispy Kreme sloppy Joes and lobster nachos coming to this year’s San Diego County Fair (June 8 – July 4) weren’t enough, consumers can oink their way through the fair’s first-annual Big Bite Bacon Fest. The event, presented by Farmer John, is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Father’s Day, June 16. It will showcase unlimited samples of “bacon cuisine” created by local chefs and restaurants. Tickets start at $55 and include admission into the Del Mar Fairgrounds. 2280 Jimmy Durante Blvd., 858-755-1161.

For anyone who partied in the 1970s, the new Sycamore Den in Normal Heights recreates the good times with a retro cocktail lounge designed to feel like a middle-class den. Owner Nick Zanoni developed the concept as a tribute to his father, when he began looking back at the era in which his dad raised him. The trappings inside include a sunk-in seating area, a brass fireplace, heavy glassware and a player piano. Old photos of other dads submitted by the public in a Facebook contest are incorporated into the restroom wallpaper. The lounge features an extensive bar, though no kitchen. 3391 Adams Ave., 619-563-9019.

Joining the brunch scene in Hillcrest, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays only is 100 Wines, featuring two outdoor patios and indoor seating with a farmhouse theme. Among the standout dishes created by Executive Chef Katherine Humphus are Manchego-stuffed dates; osso buco eggs benedict; prosciutto tartine and a croque Madame on country bread. 1027 University Ave., 619-491-0100.