Red Leight isn’t a district but is a cleverly named and bottled Rosé.   The vineyards are in Malibu on 37 acres  and they have been producing since 2006.  Howard Leight created Red Leight which is under the Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards label that produces award-winning Cabs along with a Syrah and Merlot.  Buzz was lucky enough to taste the Rosé and Syrah along with San Diego’s top sommeliers, wine directors and distributors–and the wines are notable.  You can purchase online at their website and soon (we hope) will have distribution here.

Just opened, Sessions Public, an odd name for a new contemporary place sandwiched next to the retro Catalina Bar at Voltaire and Catalina.  The tavern style food is good and if the Cat Bar (as the locals refer to it) is too retro, the restaurant’s  long skinny contemporary room features  a full bar to go with the eclectic yet approachable food.  There’s a mystery consulting chef who created the menu that includes an additive bowl of tender crispy chicken oysters ($9), duck confit with an Asian flair of udon noodles ($17),  Nueske bacon tempura lollipops ($8),  short rib sliders ($11) and lobster-scallop cioppino ($20). Happily, most of the menu is $15 and under.  Four of us feasted well though we weren’t impressed with the miniscule serving of Serrano ham and artisan bread ($6).

Buzz wonders if the mysterious consulting chef at Sessions Public  could be Jason Maitland who had been at Arterra for ages…until the axe fell on him and others of the dining management team.  Maitland, is  teaming up with Jerome Astolfi who just left the front of the house at Market Restaurant + Bar in Del Mar to become the general manager at Flavor.  They will open late summer in the old Epazote Steakhouse in Del Mar Plaza.

Quality Social (site under construction) opened and Buzz expects it to be a hit.  Where else in town can you get a very good gin and tonic (with housemade tonic) or a tasty Brandt beef  hot dog  that Chicago transplant and executive chef Jared Van Camp makes and smokes at the restaurant?  These were two tasting items served at their opening party.  Located in the former EXY space downtown at F & 6^th, the room includes two bars, lots of open space with high top seating and a very comfortable vibe.   Buzz can’t wait to try the housemade charcuterie that includes pastrami, chicken liver pate and coppa, served with housemade pickles and mustard or goose fat fries for a change of pace.  Local is the name of the game for ingredients:  Crow’s Pass greens and Monterey Bay squid are but a few of the featured names. Oh, and forget about those frou frou drinks…not here.   Open daily from 4pm to 2am.

Wine bars are a dime a dozen, each with their particular personality meant to attract a certain patron.  Should you be the casual Wine Steals customer, their newest soon-to-open location is downtown on J Street between 7th and 8th in Petco Park.  They’re also opening a separate gastro pub called Proper.  And don’t forget the casual new Fifty-Seven Degrees (as noted here) on Hancock at Washington where you’ll find a large round bar, good wines and friendly and knowledgeable  wine tenders.  Closed Monday.

If, however, you want a contemporary, sophisticated experience, with top-notch service, a knowledgeable sommelier (Katie Brookshire who buys unusual and interesting wines), and a chef (Luke Johnson) who shops the farmers market for his weekly menu creations,  then this is your spot.  Buzz popped into Red Velvet for a bite and can’t wait to return.  The tiny menu included fresh morels from Northern California with bite-size light gnocchi, fresh favas and Meyer lemon ($8) that paired well with a Saint- Veran  and a delicate pork belly spiked with dots of tangelo puree and a subtle undertone of cocoa and  jalapeno ($11) melded with  a glass of Reisling.  This gem  seats just 30 people.  From 5pm to 11pm, closed Monday.

Buzz is hearing that one of San Diego’s top chefs,  Amy DiBiase, a member of Cooks Confab and executive chef at the popular Roseville in Point Loma, will be moving on in the near future.  Stay tuned.

Donovan’s owners take over the Bondi space land will open later this summer with a new dining concept–possibly seafood or Italian so not to compete with their namesake steakhouse just a block away.

Lobster lovers, mark your calendar for May.  That’s when King’s Fish House will feature live Maine lobsters in nine sizes and multiple dishes from bisque to rolls.  Locations in Mission Valley, Chula Vista and Carlsbad.

**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.