For the longest time Point Loma suffered from a lack of restaurant choices.  But now things are popping as Buzz  reported in February.  The latest addition to the group is Lighthouse Bar and Grill that opened last week at the corner of Canon and Scott Streets with a full liquor license (beers on tap too) and a menu that includes 10-inch pizzas ($11.95 to $13) that might give Old Venice pause.

It’s a casual room with bar seating (comfortable seats, unlike those hard tiny ones at Old Venice), with tables on the perimeter of the rooms.  Expect some hiccups as they settle in with their menu that includes everything from salads and crab cakes to pasta and pizzas. (A few menu items may look familiar but with a different twist, coming from their sister restaurant Pomodoro next door.)  My take-out pizza arrived with no basil (but had a not too thick or chewy crust, hand formed and was good even minus the basil). Their crab cakes are good if you like the almost pâté style that they and many other places serve.  Buzz prefers the chunky, light, with no or very little, cracker crumb filler.

I called to let the manager know about the missing basil so that he could alert the kitchen, and he thanked me for telling him.  Yes, it’s good to nicely let a restaurant know about a problem as it helps them iron out the opening kinks.  It’s not nice to slam a place in a Yelp comment without first letting them know the problem.

Observed at the bar single gals checking the scene with drinks as well as solo guys, locals, having dinner.  Open for dinner and now, soon for lunch. 1101 Scott St., Point Loma, 619-224-2272.

A few blocks away on Rosecrans, between Canon and Talbot comes Westy’s Antique & Tavern at 1029 Rosecrans.  Just posted the ABC notice, so it will be a bit of time before it opens.  Local resident James West is listed as applicant for the beer and wine license.

And in the same block La Playa Café and Marketplace opens Thursday, June 30.  Owner Cindi of La Playa Bistro, next door plans to serve gelato, smoothies, sandwiches and more.

On Kettner, in Little Italy just before Juniper, 98 Bottles expects to open this summer.  Sounds like it will be a fun spot

It’s summer vacation so Buzz will take some time to play and tackle new projects while occasionally posting throughout the next few months.  Expect to see Buzz pushing beyond the San Diego boundaries to bring you food and travel news to inspire the wanderlust in all of us…from Los Angeles and New York to Paris and Prague (and beyond).   But first, news from San Diego:

Red Velvet Wine Bar in Little Italy closes tomorrow Saturday (as noted by a Keli Dailey tweet).  To answer Dailey’s question of “why”, Buzz talked with wine director Kyle Showen today to get the answer.  Bottom line:  Owner Wendy Segal wants time off and isn’t ready to recalibrate the staff as Kyle is moving to San Francisco where Katie Brookshire (opening wine director) now works.  Terrific chef Luke Johnson will be missed as will the very contemporary and grown-up spot for interesting wines and well-paired food.  We hope that Segal will not keep the place shuttered too long.

The Marine Room‘s dynamic duo Bernard Guillas (executive chef)  and Ron Oliver (chef de cuisine) nabbed two big awards at the IACP gala last night in Austin, Texas.  Their cookbook Flying Pans, Two Chefs, One World won the People’s Choice award along with best in the Chefs and Restaurants category (they beat chefs Rick Bayless and Michael Chiarello).  Congrats to Bernard and Ron.

It’s that time of the year again when restaurants want to see you patronize them–especially if you’ve been wanting to try a new place.  San Diego Restaurant Week begins Sunday, September 19.  You can choose from 180 venues that offer three-course menu for either $20, $30 or $40, depending on the restaurant.  Check the website for all the information.

Saffron turns 25 in October.  There will be five days of fun and food from October 18 to 22 that includes a Pad Thai throw down with local celebrity chefs and media judges…Stay tuned for more information, or check out their website.

Porto Vista Hotel in Little Italy, now has Brent Calley as the executive chef for their Glass Door restaurant with a new menu to boot.  During restaurant week they will have a $19 three-course dinner…sounds like a good place to try and enjoy the view of the bay and the roof tops of Little Italy.