By Frank Sabatini Jr.

A bevy of new and established restaurants from Mission Hills will dole out samples of their latest and greatest dishes for the third annual Taste of Mission Hills, from 5 to 9 p.m., Oct. 14. Participating restaurants include The Patio on Goldfinch, Harley Gray Kitchen & Bar, Brooklyn Girl, The Red Door and several others located throughout the neighborhood’s upper level.

Further down the hill, along the India Street corridor, foodies can partake in fare from Saffron, Rubicon Deli, Gelato Vero Caffe, Shakespeare’s Pub & Grille, El Indio, Starlite and more.

Free Old Town Trolley shuttles will loop continuously throughout the tasting route until 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advanced at One Mission Realty, 928 Ft. Stockton, Suite 217 and at The Front Porch, located in Suite 101 at the same address. Day-of-event tickets can be purchased at The Front Porch. For more information, visit treasuremissionhills.com.

The long-running Marie’s Café at 3016 University Ave. in North Park has closed, but will make way for a second location of Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop in March. Jose Luis Rojano, who co-owns the wrestling-themed eatery in Mission Hills with his two brothers, says he just acquired the lease and won’t start breaking ground until January. He promises the same menu of unconventional tacos, yet in a bigger space that he says will be “even more fun and exciting than our current location.” 1810 W. Washington St., 619-296-8226.

Seattle native Zoe Kritzer and her fiancé, John Auchterlonie, recently opened Bearito Republic in Hillcrest after Kritzer ditched her intentions to open a restaurant in New York City, where she worked in fine-dining establishments for a while.

“San Diego is relaxed and it’s a culture I more enjoy being a part of. It’s also a fit for my health-conscious menu,” she said, referring to burritos, bowls and salads as well as vegan specialties using house-made mock meats. Craft sodas from Batch are available and a beer-wine license is in the works. 3884 Fourth Ave., 619-458-9597.

A mondo vegan restaurant named Café Gratitude is coming to the mixed-use Broadstone Little Italy building early next year. Born out of the Bay Area more than a decade ago, the popular eatery will crank out an array of vegan cuisine made with organic, seasonally driven ingredients. Construction to the 9,000-square-foot space begins this fall. 1980 Kettner Blvd.

Chef Rose Peyron of Counterpoint in Golden Hill is part of a quintet of chefs who will show off their body art at a unique culinary event titled, “Kitchen Ink: A Chef Tattoo Dinner,” to be held at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 23, at Saltbox Dining & Drinking. The five-course dinner allows each chef to create a dish based on one of their tattoos as they explain the inspiration behind them. In addition, each chef will pair their plates to a particular beer, wine or cocktail.

The kitchen lineup also includes Jeremiah Bryant of Saltbox, Jarle Saupstad of Table No. 10, Elliott Townsend of The Pearl and Johnny Duran of Prepkitchen.

Tickets are $50 (plus $15 for beverage pairings). Reservations are required. 1047 Fifth Ave., 619-515-3003.

Coming soon to University Heights is S&M: Sausage and Meat, a venture focusing on exotic game meats, charcuterie and house-cured bacon. It’s being presented in part by Scott Slater of Slater’s 50/50 in Liberty Station. The concept will capture a meat counter, bar and dining area within a 3,200-square-foot space occupied previously by Babbo’s Bar and Grill and Gulf Coast Grill. The project’s motto is no less provocative than its name: “Through our passion for pork, a community is born.” 4130 Park Blvd., sausageandmeat.com.

A series of opera-influenced cooking classes at Great News! Cookware and Cooking School kicks off with a class themed after La Boheme, at 6 p.m., Oct. 17. Participants will learn recipes for butter-poached lobster over seared spinach, herb-crusted roast prime rib and cream-filled profiteroles. Ensuing classes featuring different recipes will focus on other operas such as Don Giovanni on Nov. 7; Nixon in China on Dec. 13 and El Pasado Nunca se Termina on Jan. 16. Each class costs $54 per person and will be hosted in part by Dr. Nicholas Reveles, director of Education and Community Engagement for San Diego Opera.

The series also features special prix-fixe dinners and mixers tailored along the season’s opera schedule. Participating restaurants are Tapenade in La Jolla on Oct. 28; Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station on Nov. 12; Wang’s North Park on Dec. 9; and The Flight Path in Little Italy on Jan. 13. The dinners begin at 6 p.m.

For more information and tickets to the events, call Great News at 858-270-1582 or the San Diego Opera at 619-533-7000.

— Frank Sabatini Jr. can be reached at [email protected].