Coming soon in Liberty Station, a revamp of the space that was Joao’s Tin Fish Bar & Eatery located  in the same block as Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe, Ace Hardware and Slater’s 50/50.  Look for Roseville Cozinha to open early November with Michaael Alves as the owner and executive chef.  Born and raised in Point Loma, his Portuguese heritage reflects his love of fishing and cooking (cozinha means kitchen in Portuguese).  Alves, with the consulting help of his childhood pals Pete Balistreri (Tender Greens executive chef), Craig Jimenez (formerly of Craft and Commerce) and Maurice DiMarino (certified sommelier for the Cohn Restaurant Group)  Alves will offer house-made salumi, local fish, meats and Neopolitan style pizzas from a wood stone oven.  Tony Gemignani  (nine- time world pizza champ in Naples, Italy) tutored Alves in that special culinary art.  Note that Alves is a licensee of the Tin Fish group and will move the Tin Fish concept to the DaKine’s spot he owns in Liberty Station where the menu will feature fish tacos, burritos and more.

One of the best places to find any and all spices, herbs, blends, rubs and more used to be only online: Penzeys Spices.  Now they are in San Diego at the corner of University Avenue and Richmond in Hillcrest.  You can find everything from A to Z starting with salt free adobo seasoning (garlic, onion,black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne red pepper) and ending with zatar (zahtar) that popular Middle Eastern blend (sumac, thyme, sesame and salt).  There is pepper in every color,  grind and blend from Szechuan to India.  Best part, you can buy small amounts from under an ounce to a pound, depending on the item. Penzey’s, 1274 University Ave, Hillcrest, 619-297-2777, Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat.: 10:00- 6:00pm; Tues and  Thurs.: 10:00- 8:00pm, Sun.: 11:00-5:00pm.

The perfect espresso shot can be an elusive drink in San Diego. It seems that many places (and Buzz has tried many), don’t train their baristas properly.  If it’s not the barista, it’s the espresso machine, the grind of the coffee and of all things, the weather that can affect getting that one ounce shot topped with crema (that creaminess you see on the top of the liquid).  A shot isn’t a four-ounce bitter cup of coffee that many places serve.  More isn’t better when it comes to a shot of espresso.

Barely a year old, Toma Sol sits at the corner of Washington and Albatross Streets.  Owner Seekey Cacciatore has trained staff that know how to pull a shot. A perfect shot.  The comfortable independently owned neighborhood café also carries a varied selection of foods that include breakfast wraps, lunch sandwiches, beers and wines and even gluten free brownies and cookies so good you’d never guess there’s no gluten.  Cacciatore books interesting events from art openings to fundraisers and the café is the drop off place for Garden of Eden’s  CSA box of fresh produce    The organic and sustainable coffee comes from Cafe Motto.  301 W. Washington St., Mission Hills, 619-291-1159, Monday to Friday 6:30am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 7:30am to 8pm.

Caffé Calabria in North Park roasts coffee for many places around town and is a Buzz favorite for the quintessential espresso.  They now serve Neapolitan style pizza Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm to 11pm.  Among the others with Calabria’s beans:  If you’re in Liberty Station, Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe makes the best cinnamon roll in the city along with great breads and sandwiches–that partner perfectly with the good coffee.  Con Pane’s staff is trained by Caffé Calabria to understand the intricacies that make a shot.  Gelato Vero Caffe at the corner of Washington and India Streets also uses Calabria’s coffee to make good shots.  Their espresso bean gelato in a shot of espresso makes a fabulous afternoon pick-me-up.

A morning espresso at Little Italy’s  Caffe Italia is almost like being in Italy.  Some of the locals hang at the end of the bar dishing in Italian while sipping a perfect espresso and commenting on everyone who picks up their just-made drink nearby.  The espresso bar uses LavAzza coffee–a company that began in 1895 in Turin, Italy and continues there today. They also carry Gelato Vero’s various gelato flavors, including Buzz’s all time fav espresso bean.  1704 India St., Little Italy, 619-234-6767.

A few places Buzz wishes for a better pull:   Ask for a shot at Red’s in Point Loma and unless you specify short, you can end up with half a cup of coffee–that is not a shot.  Buzz likes the vibe of Red’s, the roasted- in-house coffee at Red’s, even some of their morning pastries, but goodness gracious, please Cyndy Grace Savoy (owner), train your staff.  It’s a waste of really good coffee not to have each and every person know how to make a proper shot. Is  it because there’s an ever-changing morning staff who apparently are not trained on the espresso machine or have never heard the words short shot or proper shot or simply espresso? They also have beer and wine and good food long into the night.  1017 Rosecrans, Point Loma, 619-523-5540.

Across the street at Living Room Cafe ask for an espresso and you end up with nearly 5 ounces.  They will remake it to whatever you want, but that shouldn’t be the case for a proper espresso.  Come on Living Room, an espresso isn’t a vente!

At the Hotel Del Coronado’s signature restaurant, 1500 Ocean, the search for a new chef de cuisine is finally over with the arrival of Robert Hohmann who worked with Thomas Keller, Mario Batali and most recently in Napa at Michael Chiarello’s famed Bottega.  Expect Hohmann’s new menu to debut October 1, using Southland Coastal ingredients to create contemporary Mediterranean dishes that highlight the flavors of Italy, France and Morocco.

Those of you who miss chef Chad White (ex of Gabardine and Sea Rocket Bistro), his toque landed  in Golden HIll at Counterpoint.  The menu for this wine bar says “food for people” and “wine for people”  (who else besides people?), and features an eclectic collection of items from fried bologna and cheese on white bread and plum barbecued tofu to a cheeseburger and rabbit confit.  We’ll see what changes chef White creates in the next few weeks and months.

In Mission Hills, Brooklyn Girl Eatery‘s opening chef, Tyler Thrasher moves on and sous chef Colin Murray takes over the kitchen duties.