By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Call it tank to plate. Denver chef Jensen Cummings is collaborating with local chef Chris Arzola of The Patio on Goldfinch in presenting a six-course dinner on Aug. 16 that will feature beers by Green Flash Brewing Company and New Belgium Brewery woven into every dish.
A certified cicerone (beer sommelier), Cummings is the founder of Brewed Food, a movement that celebrates the synergy between craft beer and artisan cooking. He has presented the concept at dinners around the country in conjunction with various beer makers. The dinner will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Patio. Courses include tea-smoked scallops with pickled strawberries, beef tataki with wort soy, pork belly with cherry Sriracha, and more. They will be paired to beers by the glass as well. The cost is $70, plus tax. 4020 Goldfinch St., 619-501-5090, thepatioongoldfinch.com or brewedfoodsd.brownpapertickets.com.
New Jersey transplants Simon Wolujewicz and his wife, Karly, are preparing for a mid-September opening of Bull & Grain in the Googie-style building in Hillcrest that recently housed Tabletop Commons. “We’re giving it a makeover and there will be no resemblance to a gaming bar when we’re finished,” said Wolujewicz, who worked in the liquor industry and executed interior design projects for bars, restaurants and casinos before recently moving to San Diego. “This will be both a restaurant and a craft cocktail bar — a gastropub with a twist,” he added. The redo will include a furnished patio with railings using raw metal and ipe wood, and with the structure’s historic stone façade kept intact. Modern-industrial features inside will extend to a full-service lounge on the second level. About 25 percent of the menu will capture the couple’s favorite meals from their travels to France, Holland, Ireland and parts of the U.S., although Wolujewicz is keeping the specifics under wraps until an executive chef is hired. Look for renderings and menu details in the coming weeks on Bull & Grain’s Facebook page and website. 1263 University Ave., bullandgrain.com.
Fancier concessions are coming to Landmark’s Hillcrest Cinemas that will offer moviegoers items to purchase such as sweet potato fries, steak empanadas, Southwest-style chicken egg rolls, and more. The expanded food offerings will follow renovations scheduled to begin this summer. They will occur in the lobby, restrooms and all five auditoriums. Two of the auditoriums will be fitted with electric leather recliners and the other two with oversized seats. Beer and wine will also be sold. A company spokesperson said completion of the redo is yet to be announced, but the work is expected to be during off-peak hours that do not interrupt the showing of movies. 3965 Fifth Ave., 619-298-2904, landmarktheatres.com.
The Olympic Café at 2340 University Ave. in North Park will move one door west to 2310 University Ave. by late September into the space previously occupied by Jersey Joe’s, which suddenly closed a few months ago. Famous for its traditional Greek fare and house-made desserts, the restaurant has maintained its current post for 31 years in a strip plaza at the corner of Texas Street. “We worked so hard to stay in this area after our landlord decided she didn’t want restaurants in the plaza anymore,” said Donna Kotselas, who bakes all of the desserts while her husband, John, cooks the meals. “We just purchased most of our new cooking equipment. We’ll have a bigger kitchen and a covered patio at the new location.” The menu, she added, will retain the popular mainstays after the move — gyros, mousaka, kabobs, and chicken with lemon gravy — although customers can expect to see more baked goods and daily specials. 619-692-9082, olympiccafesd.com.
Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro in Hillcrest celebrates its 10th anniversary on July 31 by providing 10 percent discounts on all food and drinks starting at 7 p.m. The evening will feature belly dancing and live music by the Grammy-nominated Gispy Kings Family. Reservations are recommended. 3940 Fourth Ave., 619-295-5560, kouskousrestaurant.com.
Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant has hired Zack Gray as its new bar manager, who honed his bartending skills at well-known bars and restaurants in San Francisco, such as Volta and Perbacco. Cocktails Gray recently introduced include “Bees of Bennett Valley” using honey and fennel pollen-infused gin; “Cortez the Killer,” which combines Old Harbor Gin with house-made corn milk; and “Sloe Ryed” made with James E. Pepper Rye, gin and orgeat. 2202 Fourth Ave., 619-231-0222, bankershillsd.com.
—Frank Sabatini Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
