Pacific Beach, Lamont Street Grill sold (Location Matters handled the transaction) and the new owner is Gina Champion-Cain.  The place will be gutted and renamed The Patio on Lamont Street.  Expect a May opening (or sooner)  with Sheila Tracy in place as the General Manager.  Stay tuned for who will fill the chef position.  4445 Lamont Street, Pacific Beach, 858-270-3060.

The Cohn Restaurant Group moves forward with a new place in North County called Vintana Wine+ Dine.  Located in a Lexus showroom, at 1205 Auto Park Way in Escondido, Cohn staple and chef Deborah Scott will create the menu.  Look for it to open in the next few months.  And molecular leaning chef  Daniel Barron said goodbye to his chef position at Blue Point…one can only guess that his desire to put a creative spin on his menu didn’t mesh well with the Cohn convention pleasing formula.

Brian Malarky gets an interview in Inc.   where he outlines his ambitious restaurant vision.

In Point Loma, Harbor Town Pub will start breakfast in March.

Look for Towne Bakery to open in March in the Del Mar Highlands shopping center.  Owner/chef  Jason Sigala loves pastries so expect to see the vintage 40′s and 50′s celebrated in decor and in pastry choices that will include pies, cookies, puddings and cheesecakes. 12925 El Camino Real, Suite AA5. For more information, please call 858.794.7001.

March 11, grab a few tickets for  Family Winemakers of California Tasting 2012.  This tasting showcase includes features wines from California’s small, family-owned wineries. Taste wines from more than 150 wineries in California for a ticket of just $45 if purchased before February 20.

1.  The unexpected death of Naomi Wise, San Diego’s only truly anonymous food critic.  She wrote for the San Diego Reader and was scrupulous to keep her identity hidden.  I was an occasional member of her eating posse as she sometimes referred to her dining companions.  Back in 2007 a post appeared here and Naomi wrote a perfect comment about what she did to be the critical and (sometimes unpopular) restaurant reviewer in the county.   While San Diego does have writers and bloggers extolling the latest dish about a place, none are completely anonymous–ask any of the PR agencies that host media dinners.   These days, everyone thinks they know food, just look at Twitter, Facebook, Yelp and other social media.  Naomi’s  honest, food knowledgeable voice will be missed.

2.   National TV beckoned Nine-Ten‘s chef Jason Knibb who took on Bobby Flay in an Iron Chef America challenge.  Knibb lost but had a good time with the “all business” Flay who barely bothered to speak to Knibb after the show.  Riviera Magazine lost food writer and editor Troy Johnson to San Diego Magazine.  Along the way he had time to create and star in  Crave, a new show for the Food Network.  Bernard Guillas, executive chef extraordinaire at The Marine Room appeared twice on the Today Showand also was inducted into the Maitre Cuisiniers de France, a very high honor.

3.  Brian Malarkey who brought us Searsucker continues on a material tear, opening places all over the county, all named for fabrics that include Burlap and for 2012, Herringbone, Gingham, and Gabardine.  Interesting concept and Buzz wonders if he didn’t get the idea from Washington DC chef/owner Tom Power who, a few years ago, named his first restaurant Corduroy.  His second, Herringbone opens in 2012.  Malarkey picked up the shuttered La Playa Bistro and plans for it to become Gabardine. It will be worth watching how Malarkey unbuttons this small space located on a corner at the end of Point Loma’s business area.  For anyone other than area residents the restaurant’s location is nearly a dead-end destination.  And what about the food?  Will Malarkey’s name be enough to fill the spot?  Someone remarked the restaurant could have had a more nautical name such as Canvas, to reflect the neighborhood’s well-known tenant-–the San Diego Yacht Club is just two blocks away.

4.  Chefs making news:  Amy DiBiase now oversees The Shores in La Jolla, working with executive chef  Bernard Guillas; Paul McCabe left his executive chef duties at Del Mar’s Kitchen 1540 for a partnership with the owners of Rancho Santa Fe’s Delicias; Jason Maitland left Flavor del Mar and will open Red Light District in the old Sushi Itto in the Gaslamp while CIA schooled and highly credentialed Brian Redzikowski took Maitland’s spot.  Chad White jetted to Sea Rocket Bistro in North Park.  At the Hotel Del Coronado’s 1500 Ocean Brian Sinnott chose family over running the kitchen, Aaron Martinez is now in charge and wine director Joe Weaver just moved north.  Jason Shaeffer opened 1500 Ocean in 2006, then moved to Windsor, Colorado, bought a restaurant, named it  Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar and was just named one of OpenTable Diner’s Choice Overall Winners for 2011 (as was Addison at the Grand Del Mar).  Carl Schroeder made it to the semi-finals for a James Beard Foundation Award in the Best Chef Pacific region (as was William Bradley of Addison in 2010), neither made the finals…

5.  San Diegans like to drink.  According to a survey in The Daily Beast , San Diego ranks 9th in drunkest cities…This may not be an honor the city needs.

Happy New Year…May 2012 bring San Diego’s chefs, restaurants and diners great food (and service, too).  And perhaps this year will bring a James Beard Foundation award to a deserving chef and restaurant.  It’s last minute, but you can put in your own nominees for the awards here–just do it before December 31, 2011 at midnight.

In Hillcrest, Lotus Cafe and Juice Bar adds a second location (they’re in Encinitas) and moves into the spot recently occupied by Pizza Nova.  Construction is underway, so expect to see it open soon.

And beer buffs can get in on the festivities to celebrate and enjoy San Diego Beer Week that runs until November 13.

A quick note about Buzz’s absence on these pages:  For the past year she’s been testing recipes for a friend’s cookbook due out next October, coupled with traveling far and wide.  Expect to read about some of the meals she had in New York, Puerto Rico, Paris and soon Cuba.  In the meantime, here are a few bites from Buzz about San Diego’s restaurant scene.  Expect another post sometime after November 17!

Point Loma loses La Playa Bistro and the cafe it recently opened next door.  They closed their doors September 8, due to the economy (as noted on a letter posted on their doors).

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

Now that the news is finally out about El Bizcocho’s new executive chef, Nicolas Bour (he’s been in the post for a few months) the Rancho Bernardo Inn will likely re concept the long running  restaurant in the next few months for redesign and perhaps a name change to fit with Bour’s farm to table expertise.  In May, he’ll be in Kentucky for a major Derby fundraiser.

La Playa Bistro will open a cafe as Buzz noted back before they opened.  Owner Cindi Hoang said they expect to open the cafe late April or May.  Look for take-out sandwiches and other easy to-go items, including gelato, smoothies and more for the lunch crowd that doesn’t have time for a sit down meal.  Expect to see the crowded (and unsafe) intersection get a bit worse for noon time driving.

While you’re waiting for a take out at Supannee, drop in next door to The Wine Pub for a glass of red, white or micro brew.

Here’s a place Buzz would take anyone looking  for interesting sandwiches, omelettes, crepes, pancakes, French toast, and more.  Cafe 21 recently opened a second location in the Gaslamp and the menu reflects a refreshing take on breakfast dishes that are  served all day.  The terrific version of eggs Benedict involves no bread or typical English muffin.  Instead a thick pancake of potato mixed with sweet corn and shrimp or another with grilled wild salmon and potato, rice and zucchini or chicken curry.  The cakes are topped with poached eggs and the various combos are satisfying and delicious ($13).  Ingredients are locally sourced, breads and pastas made from scratch, and the dishes reflect the Azerbaiijan roots of Layla and Alex, the husband and wife owners. Service is gracious but can be a bit slower than expected. 750 Fifth Ave. 619.795.0721 Open daily 8am to 3pm, (dinner when their liquor license arrives) and 2736 Adams Ave., 619.640.2121, Open daily 8am to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm.

A block away on Scott at Canon in the former La Scala spot, Lighthouse Bar and Grill opens as soon as they get their approved liquor license as noted here.  Expect the menu to have steaks, burgers, sandwiches, bar food and a well-priced, not fancy menu, all with an Italian flair. Both new venues will certainly give the locals other choices other than Old Venice (where the bar stools are arguably the most uncomfortable seats anywhere).

Other choices close by on North Harbor Drive include Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern where you can sit and sip inside or out with a perfect view of the dock  and the yachts.  In the same complex Pizza Nova pleases with the same view and good pizza and drinks.

In Fashion Valley Mall, look for Stacked to open summer 2011.  They will occupy the Uno space and customers will be able to custom build (stack)  everything from burgers to pizzas using tableside IPads with proprietary technology.  The brains behind this unique concept also created BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse.  Love Boat Sushi expands from North County to the spot once held by Smith & Hawken.  And sadly the Bing Crosby space waits for litigation issues to resolve.

Coronado now has its own store featuring olive oils and more.  Check out Coronado Taste of Oils where you will find everything from oils and vinegars to pastas and pesto. 954 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-522-0098.

Knight Salumi Company has closed as reported by Caron Golden of San Diego Foodstuff. No details as the phone is disconnected.

You need not be a foodie to stroll Canon from Rosecrans east two blocks to Shafter on a Sunday morning to support the new Farmers Market.  You’ll find local organic produce and other goodies including flowers and even craft items.  Cheese lovers can rejoice at the selection that Mary Palmer of Taste Artisan Cheese brings to the market.  Mary and her hubby George decided to do the markets rather than the brick and mortar place they had on University next to Wine Steals.

Buzz recently cruised the market and found it a terrific start for the Point Loma residents who don’t want the hassle of the Wednesday Ocean Beach market, or don’t want to drive to Hillcrest for their Sunday shopping.  Besides good produce, cheese, and flowers, you can have a less traditional Sunday brunch as you munch on the multi-ethnic prepared foods available.  Buzz would like to see an earlier opening as their current hours are 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

It’s up to the community to support local farmers…and our local economy.  What would you like to see at the Farmers Markets …wherever you live in San Diego?