Splash enters the wine bar scene in North Park, sometime in November.  What makes it unique is the way the wine will be stored and dispensed.  According their website, there will be 72 wines available in a one-ounce pour, glass or bottle.  With a pre-paid plastic card, patrons can taste any number of wines, a “splash” being one ounce.  Stay tuned for more information. 3043 University Ave, North Park.

Fall brings with it cooler weather and seasonal menu changes for many restaurants.  Among them, Point Loma’s Roseville with executive chef Amy DiBiase at the helm, features the Sunday special of braised short ribs–a gorgeous hunk of boneless meat, braised and cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, served with a celery root puree, some braised celery and a dollop of a zippy rhubarb confit to counterbalance the richness of the Meyer beef.  For $30, it’s the perfect Sunday comfort dinner. For reservations:  619-450-6800.

Urban Solace in North Park offers chicken liver paté and an intriguing item called crab pop tart as part of their fall lineup. The restaurant recently celebrated their one year anniversary.  In a few weeks, Buzz will be at a media dinner featuring these and other fall items from chef Matt Gordon.  Look for my update after the dinner.  For more information: 619-295-6464.

Up at Arterra in Del Mar, chef Jason Maitland goes where many other chefs don’t dare.  His fall menu includes seared beef tongue, truffled popcorn sweetbreads and roasted bone marrow.  Sounds quite good and kudos to Maitland for stretching beyond the conventional.  Also at Arterra is a three-course dinner for two for $79 plus tax and tip.   For information and reservations:  858-369-6032.

Every once in a while it’s good to get out of San Diego to see what the rest of the world is eating.  Recently, Buzz tripped up to the Monterey Peninsula.

In the Monterey/Pacific Grove area…great, fabulous coffee at Acme, in Seaside, two minutes north of Monterey.  Owner Larry Thurman opened this tiny place four years ago in a garage with the motto “Resist Corporate Coffee”.  Here you won’t find those over-the-top concoctions that mask the taste of good coffee.  You will find small batches of beans from small growers, roasted in-house, ground to order and made into espresso–properly, as shots–or as regular coffee made in a simple contraption called a drip bar that allows for the coffee to made fresh in the cup–with the coffee of your choice. No stale canister coffee here.  Thurman cleverly names his blends:  Motor City Espresso, Valve Job Blend, Road Dog Blend, you get the picture.  Try the natural Ethiopian as espresso, it’s rich, not burned and almost sweet but very satisfying.  Barista Chris and Larry both know how to make very good coffee.  Located just off Broadway on Contra Costa and Palm, Seaside, 831-393-9113, Monday-Friday 6:30am to 5pm, Saturday 7am to 3pm, closed Sunday.

Down in Pacific Grove, two minutes south of Monterey, you’ll find a walkable town with many historic Victorian homes and friendly people who acknowledge you with a smile or a good morning as you wander the streets to the ocean.  At the corner of Lighthouse and 18th you”ll find Fournier’s Bakery Café. Owner/chef Kevin Fournier turns out featherlight focaccia for sandwiches and panini, not too sweet dense cocoa brownies, almond paste bear claws and lots more including custom wedding and specialty cakes.  650 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, 831-655-1447.  Open daily 8am to 5pm.

Just a few blocks away on Lighthouse, is Mélange, one of the very few places with small bar–if you don’t want to sit at a table.  Open for dinner only, the small menu changes with the whim of chef/owner David Frappiea and the seasons.  David describes his menu as world fusion (and I would add, without, thankfully any confusion).  He resists overdoing flavors but isn’t afraid to tempt the palate with an offbeat take on a dish.  Always great is the house-made fettuccine with wild mushrooms, simple and very flavorful with a mélange of seasonal ’shrooms in a light butter sauce with tomato and fresh basil.  A lovely shrimp risotto and even veal sweetbreads and braised rabbit starters appear on this small and well-priced (mostly mid $20’s) menu.  A thoughtful and interesting wine list pairs with the food and  David’s fiancée Dorothy has a terrific palate for wine/food pairings.  For my taste, however, I prefer to have my reds not at room temp (usually 65 or 70 degrees), but slightly cooler, as if they came directly from the cellar, to enhance the wine’s flavors.  Dinner only from 5:30pm to 10:00pm, Closed Sunday, 542 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove, 831-333-0301.

Looks like sushi is a big draw for Fifth Avenue.   As noted here Azuki has opened at Juniper and Fifth.  Up the street at Olive, Hane Sushi (the soon-to-be second location of the well-known Sushi Ota) will sandwich Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar with Mukashi at the corner of Nutmeg.  Ota signed a 10 year, $1 million plus lease.  Can you believe it, two sushi joints in the same block?  Buzz tried Mukashi when it opened and will soon try Azuki.

A nd over at the now defunct Gemelli’s at Fifth and Laurel, the liquor license is transferring to Restau, LLC.  Stay tuned to see what happens in this prime corner space.  Opposite corners are home to Laurel Restaurant & Bar and Bertrand at Mr. A’s (with one of the best rooftop views of the city),