In Ocean Beach, The 3^rd Corner jumps on the Sunday brunch bandwagon with five specials all priced at $14.95.  From 11:30am until 3:00pm the specials include stuffed French toast with mascarpone, duck machaca, mushroom and onion flan, goat cheese omelet and an eggs Benedict variation.  All dishes include chocolate bread from Point Loma’s Con Pane bakery, roasted potatoes and fresh seasonal berries. Make your own mimosa with a pitcher of orange juice for $8.00, then choose a bottle of Champagne for an additional charge, with the corkage fee waived–only for sparkling wines and Champagne.

Over in University Heights, newly opened Farm House Cafe serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 2:00pm with a menu that features everything from French toast ($5)  to house smoked salmon ($9) and a FHC hamburger with fries ($10).  Buzz disclosure:  I know the owners Olivier and Rochelle Boiteau and I’ve eaten there a few times–and yes we pay.  The vibe in the tiny place (46-seats) reminds me of a French cafe anywhere in France…it bustles, customers know each other, it’s a comfortable gathering place and most important the food is good and priced under $20 for everything on the dinner menu.  They’ll start lunch this Friday, February 22.  2121 Adams Ave, 619-269-9662.

Downtown in the Gaslamp, Quarter Kitchen at the Ivy Hotel offers some fun events on Mondays and Tuesdays at 6pm.  Mondays you can slice and dice with executive chef Damon Gordonas he shows you how to prepare one of his signature dishes.  Tuesdays also at 6pm join sommelier Jared Seitzer for tasting and pairing wines with food.  For more information, 619-814-1000.

A few weeks ago on a sold out night at Copley Symphony Hall (Beethoven, Royal Orchestra and Pinchas Zuckerman), the Sheraton’s lobby bar’s experienced its worst nightmare, a train wreck that could have been avoided with a bit of foresight.  

A few things the Sheraton’s restaurant management should have known before that evening:  First, find out if the event is sold out.  Second, schedule more than one server for all the tables in the bar area.  Third, explain to servers that taking all the drink orders for all the tables, delivering all those orders, and then coming around to take food orders, is practically certain to stress the kitchen–and customers.   Many in the room waited up to an hour for the simple and good $8 saffron risotto with scallops (not overcooked) or sliders, among other items on the short bar menu.  Fourth, be prepared when the kitchen printer goes out (as it did that night) and orders have to be sent by voice rather than computer.  To their credit, one of the managers, George, explained the kitchen printer issue, and smartly discounted our bill.  Would we try the place again?  Maybe, but only if we see more than one server on the floor.

If the Sheraton isn’t your idea of a place to meet before the show, try Jade Theater, on Seventh and C at the trolley tracks.  Barely a block from Copley, this restaurant, bar and club on weekends serves contemporary Asian-style food, complete with chopsticks and a sleek, albeit noisy room.  Hint:  Eat early before a show, and upstairs in the one smaller quiet room, otherwise the restaurant’s balcony seating looks down on the bar area and the music and conversation can be overwhelming.  The menu features titillating and amusing titles for their menu items: Tease Me (small appetizers) Taste Me (larger appetizers) and Eat Me (main courses).  The food is good (jade shitake bites, ungreasy Asian fritto misto) entree portions huge (two tender legs and thighs for the duck char sui), and the service attentive though two of my pet peeves persist:  Clearing plates before all at the table are finished and a server telling me their name.  These two issues ought not to show up in better establishments such as Jade Theater.  Feel free to weigh in with your comments.

Fresh sea urchin roe (uni) as Buzz noted isn’t just a sushi bar treat.  If you want to taste uni done the way Italians like it, Baci Ristorante plans an all uni (or ricci as it is known in Italy) dinner on March 5 that will include dishes featuring ricci: seafood bisque, pasta, seabass with lemon cream and more, all paired with Italian wines.  The dinner is $85 and includes tip and tax.  For information and reservations:  619-275-2094.

If black truffles are your thing, Cavaillon Restaurant’s owner/chef Philippe Verpiand has created a menu to feature this lovely fungus. You can order a set menu for $95 or order à la carte.  Everything from asparagus with poached egg, port wine sauce and shaved black truffle to duck breast with black truffle sauce is available for dinner from February 15 to March 15.  Call the restaurant for reservations and information: 858-433-0483.