**Wine lovers rejoice:  The wine bar at Fifty-Seven Degrees (on Hancock at Washington in the old Pier 1 Imports building) opens March 5 with a stellar group behind the bar.  At the helm is Sheila Tracy (the original Laurel and Farmhouse Café) who enlisted three top wine tenders:  Billy Spain (original Laurel), Cindy Bartelli (Crush) and Christopher J. Hile (Ivy Hotel).  The wine store features the expertise of Brian Farres (original Wine Bank).

**Downtown, Bacchus Wine Market is a hidden gem, with good tastings and a retail shop.  In the East Village, Toast Enoteca joins the wine bar market with a contemporary and comfortable room, complete with those serve yourself, credit card type wine dispensers (and many more behind the bar).  Best of all there is an Italian- inspired food menu that goes beyond a cheese plate. Little Italy is a hotspot for wine bars including Enoteca Style (on India between Ash and Beech) where the menu has panini’s, some salads from their sister restaurant Salad Style (on F near 8^th), wine and beer.

**Two blocks away on Union between Ash and Beech Extraordinary Desserts dispenses more than delectable desserts.  New the first week in March are ports, Madeira and other libations that complement the sweet and savory menu. Worth a trip for a nightcap after the symphony or a night on the town. Or start the day there with coffee and pastry.

Changes: Venice, in UTC has closed and it’s all about location, location, location. Office buildings that garner the lunch crowd cannot be guaranteed the same at dinner.  Crescent Heights (shuttered last year) was a terrific downtown restaurant on a Broadway corner with access mainly through the lobby of a large office building not close enough to catch the Gaslamp or convention crowd.

Ivy Hotel is now Andaz San Diego, and part of the Hyatt’s upscale boutique properties.  We’re hearing executive chef Nathan Coulon will continue to oversee Quarter Kitchen, that features local ingredients that become terrific menu items.  Coulon is a member of Cooks Confab, a group of talented chefs here in San Diego.

**We’re hearing that Five Guys Burgers & Fries will be opening a second San Diego location in Liberty Station near Vons.  North Island Naval Station already enjoys these burgers—the franchise began in Virginia.  No opening date set for the new site.

**Smashburger, chose La Jolla as its first entry into the soon-to-be saturated San Diego market.  Expect the store to open in the next few weeks. Note to Smashburger…Do we really need three daily teaser tweets before you’ve sold your first burger in this market?

**In the space next to the empty Jack’s La Jolla on Girard, Cups serves organic cupcakes in two sizes: petite (three-bites) and large (six plus bites). Buy five get the sixth free—$2 each for small, $4 for large.  For a treat anytime, the flourless chocolate decadence is moist and worth every crumb.  Flavors change daily (the website has the weekly schedule) and they’re open late

**In Hillcrest, The Big Easy takes over in the The Better Half space while just around the corner on Fourth next to Tapas Picasso, Kips Café has reopened after relocating from El Cajon.  Haven’t tried either yet, as both opened in the past few weeks.  Down the road on Adams Avenue, Café 21 now offers dinner in addition to breakfast and lunch.

**Bankers Hill will soon welcome Isabel Cruz and Barrio Star in the space that housed the short lived Mukashi at Nutmeg and Fifth.   And down the hill on Fourth and Ivy, Bankers Hill Bar and Restaurant opens in March, the second venue for Market Restaurant + Bar’s Carl Schroeder (Buzz noted in October).

**Love lasagna, live in Scripps Ranch and hate to cook?  You’re in luck  as Lady Lasagna opens in Scripps Ranch with another location soon in the North County Mall.  Various lasagnas include Genova (pesto) and Alba (with truffles).  Check out the pictures on their website.  Haven’t tried it yet.

Two San Diego chefs are featured in the March 2010 issue of Food & Wine magazine.  On page 45,  Thai maven and owner of Saffron, Su-Mei Yu,  shares recipes from her newest cookbook, The Elements of Life.

Then on page 54, longtime San Diego chef Deborah Schneider (she opened JSix and headed the La Jolla Hilton at Torrey Pines before that) appears with her take on Mexican food.  Schneider’s newest book, Amor y Tacos is due out in a few months.  And anyone traveling to Newport Beach might find her at her recently  opened Sol Cocina where she is a partner and executive chef.