If you’ve never tried German wines (and no, they are not all sweet), do yourself a favor and go the dinner at Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar on September 23.   Truly Fine Wine will host the wine side of the evening.  As a newbie to German wines myself, I have tasted, bought and love the dry wines that Truly Fine Wine imports.  The menu sounds great and the cost of the dinner and wine is $75.  For reservations and information:  619-542-0394.

Chef Celebration is in its 13th year as a collaborative effort of more than 50 award-winning chefs who give their time and expertise, in partnership with  Napa’s Culinary Institute of America, to raise scholarship money for young chefs.  Every Tuesday during October, you can join many of San Diego’s top chefs as they prepare a course for a five-course dinner at one of five restaurants:  Terra, Bernard’O, Pamplemousse Grille, Trattoria Acqua and Thee Bungalow. Check our each restaurant for the menu and chefs who will be participating.  This year the dinners hope to raise $18000.  Of the $65 donation for the dinner, $35 goes towards the nonprofit scholarship fund so make your reservations and support young chefs.  For information: www.chefcelebration.org.

Looks like Wolfgang Puck‘s influence will now be downtown at the soon-to-open Crescent Heights Kitchen & Lounge. Executive chef David McIntyre’s experience comes from eight years at Puck’s Beverly HIlls Spago working his way to sous-chef and kitchen manager and most recently, consulting on Puck’s very upscale steak house Cut.  McIntyre’s menu features solid Puck inspired dishes…variations of which are on the menus of his LA restaurants, including Kobe beef sliders, Chino Farm veggies and more.  What Puck’s branding brings to San Diego is consistently solid food and service–something many restaurants in this town, for the most part, can’t deliver. 655 West Broadway, Ground Floor, at India St. and Broadway.  Opening late this month.

Over in North Park, Heaven Sent Desserts newly installed executive chef Tina Luu brings years of pastry making to the cafe at the corner of University and 30th.  She teaches at baking and pastry at The Art Institute of San Diego, and for the past 20 plus years has worked in top restaurants world-wide and with such chefs as Michael Mina and Bradley Ogden.

Great to see that The Better Half in Hillcrest received a Wine Spectator award for its wine list that features half bottles…that go so well with the food.

Up in Little Italy at the new Porto Vista Hotel is The Glass Door restaurant. The hotel sits up on Columbia Street and the restaurant is on the fourth floor with an engaging view of the bay. There is a skinny outdoor patio that is perfect for a glass of wine and an appetizer as you watch the sunset.  A pal and I shared simple presentations of flat iron steak with arugula and cherry tomatoes ($14) and a composed blue fin tuna niçoise salad with house cured olives, capers, pan roasted haricot verts that could have used a little lettuce or green to tie the elements together on the plate ($12).  Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacking. For information and reservations:  619-564-3755.

Up on West Washington Avenue, Olivetto Cafe & Wine Bar (website not up yet) serves homey Italian food in a newly refurbished space in Mission Hills (across the street from the Lamplighter bar).  The room is comfortable, wood accents and walls without adornment (they look great).  A nightly special of risotto with chicken ($14) filled the bill for properly cooked rice, good chicken to make a nicely flavored, uncomplicated dish.  The restaurant makes a good addition to neighborhood eating. Open for lunch and dinner.  For information and reservations:  619-220-8222.

Tender Greens, in Liberty Station (on Old Decatur Rd, behind Trader Joe’s and Vons) is a unique concept that uses local ingredients whenever possible including fruits and vegetables from Crows Pass Farms in Temecula, Pacific Beach’s Pacific Shellfish, and Con Pane breads from Roseville.  This is the place you go when you don’t want to cook…but want good food at very reasonable prices.

At a recent media dinner we sampled some of the angus flank steak with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, the tuna noise salad with greens, potato, egg, olives and a zippy dressing, and a Chinese chicken salad with spicy greens and crispy wontons.  What is terrific about this place is all of these dishes are $10.  Yep, and they are satisfying and well made.  Desserts are $3 and are homemade with seasonal fruits by executive soups chef, Rain Brandenburg’s mother, Susanna.  While this is a casual and eco-friendly restaurant, the food is notches above many other local eateries.  The original Tender Greens is in Culver City.  Open daily from 11 am.  619-226-6254.

You’ve likely already heard about Wolfgang Pucks’ latest venture, jai at the La Jolla Playhouse complex.  Recently, Puck was in town for the media lunch and we sampled some of the menu.  The restaurant is contemporary, fits well with the UCSD campus…and is perfect for the theater-going public that longs for the ubiquitous Kobe burger ($16) or a tasty Chinese chicken salad ($8 or $14) or even a steak from Snake River Farm ($45).   One of the tastiest dishes is the miss sake broiled butterfish with noodles ($23).  This is Asian-fusion done with classic Puck oversight.  It’s not Sago in food or in price:  Most all of the mains are in the $20 range.  Great for a drink and bite before or after the show.  Catering available. For information 858-638-7778.