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.

If you’ve got cash, have we got a deal for you: Invest in a Beltran restaurant. According to information sent to their mailing list, owners Philippe Beltran and Jacqueline Delaney are offering investment opportunities for their neighborhood restaurant concepts. He owns Blue Boheme in Kensington and Papa Nanou in Mission Hills, due to open late this year. For information: 619-823-6510.

We hear that Maria Hunt, ex food critic for the UT is freelancing for north county magazines including Riviera where she’s authoring a piece on Roseville in Point Loma.

Maureen Clancy who spent many years writing about food at the UT, now has her own blog,

Chef Jason Seibert has landed in Los Angeles. His time in San Diego included Cafe Cerise (chef/owner) and when it closed he consulted for the opening of downtown’s Jade Theater. He recently spent eight months catering with Wolfgang Puck for LA’s mayor, Billy Crystal and others.

A wonderful new restaurant named Roseville opened last week in the Point Loma community known as Roseville–one of the first areas settled by Louis Rose in the mid 1800′s. It’s the first restaurant for George Riffle, long known in this town from his stints managing the original Laurel Restaurant & Bar to opening Blanca in Solana Beach and Ivy Hotel in the Gaslamp.

He and his wife Wendy took the space next to the Point Loma-Shelter Island Drug store at Rosecrans and Canon that, in the 1960′s, was the gourmet market called Jurgensens. After the market closed, Italian restaurants came and vacated. Now Roseville brings to the area French-Mediterranean brasserie food and an eclectic wine list. The transformed space features booths, banquettes, a beer and wine bar and open kitchen–a lively room with a comfortable decibel level.

Executive chef Amy DiBiase, a graduate in culinary arts and food service management at Rhode Island’s Johnson & Wales University, gives a talented hand to the kitchen. She worked with Riffle and under then executive chef Jason Shaeffer at Laurel to eventually become top toque. When Laurel sold, she moved to Baleen at Paradise Point resort and now Roseville. Pastry chef Heather Fangon rounds out the original Laurel team with desserts that wow, now at Roseville.

And the food? It’s terrific. The Buzz disclaimer: I know the Riffles, DiBiase and Fangon, and have followed them since their days at Laurel many years ago.

Of the recent meals I have eaten with friends (and yes, I paid), the classic duck confit with shell beans (currently cranberry beans) comes with crisp skin and well-seasoned beans cooked with smoky bacon. Or, try the lighter flat iron steak, sliced and served on bed of cherry tomatoes with French feta cheese and light vinaigrette. Start with Carlsbad mussels steamed with flavorful fresh fennel and finished with a fresh herb salsa…and use a piece of Con Pane’s bread to sop up the juices. A deliciously zippy spring salad brings all fresh fava beans, corn kernels and blanched artichoke hearts mixed with an addictive grainy mustard dressing. Lamb, scallops, halibut, veal cheeks, daily specials and sides of frites, asparagus and other seasonal vegetables round out the menu. Ethereal desserts include a lemon chiffon parfait, a dark chocolate pot au crème and more. Service still has a few minor bumps, but the polish is nearly there-small things to be expected in a restaurant open not even a week. Prices range from $6 to $30. Roseville, (website soon) 1125 Rosecrans in the Village of Point Loma, 619-450-6800 for reservations. Dinner from 5:30pm, Closed Sunday