Food news
Hungry? We got you covered
By Candice Woo
A friend and I stopped to check out the new Fresh & Easy market in Point Loma and found it reminiscent of Trader Joe’s—with added convenience products but a more sterile feel. Most of the food, including the produce, is already portioned out and pre-packaged in plastic containers, though a lot of the fruits and vegetables come from California and some are organic. The bare-bones look of the place, combined with a self-checkout, helps keep the prices low. I spied a pound of strawberries for only 95 cents, though I didn’t try ’em. The new chain, owned by U.K. food giant Tesco, offers some decent private-label products, including banana gelato caramelized with brandy and brown sugar, and since they’re of British origin, there’s a nice variety of bacon, English cheese and prepared Indian food.
Fellow CityBeat food-and-drink enthusiast Anders Wright alerted me that Cafe Chloe has just started a Wednesday-night wine special, featuring half-off the bottles on its reserve list. Sounds like my next macaroni, pancetta and gorgonzola gratin might be eaten with a nice bottle of red instead of my usual beer. A lot of area restaurants are offering similar deals, including Avenue 5 and Kensington Grill, which both feature half-off select bottles on Wednesdays, too.
Chocolat, a Milan-based gelateria and café, has just opened its first U.S. location in San Diego. While the gelato definitely sounds tempting (I’m anxious to try the poppy seed and lemon-basil flavors), it’s the savory dishes that really piqued my interest. I’m thinking bresaola, an Italian air-dried, cured beef sliced thin and topped with watercress, shaved parmesan and truffle oil; carpaccio with artichokes and hearts of palm; or maybe a savory crepe filled with Portobello mushrooms and gruyere cheese. There are also salads, paninis, sweet crepes and various cakes and tarts. 509 Fifth Ave. 619-238-9400.
Specialty Produce, a local family-owned food supplier, delivers ingredients to most of the best chefs in San Diego. In turn, these chefs and their restaurants participate in Specialty Produce’s annual Fruit of the Soul event, a benefit for Little Italy’s Monarch School for homeless and at-risk kids and the ARTS program, which provides free art therapy and mentoring to children. You can sample dishes from Nine-Ten, Saffron, MARKET, Cowboy Star, Gelato Vero and others while listening to trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos and other local musicians and checking out more than 200 works by local artists for sale at the Specialty Produce Warehouse at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. Tickets are $40 at www.fruitofthesoul.org.
My first taste of really good tequila went down so smoothly that I could hardly believe it was it was made of the same stuff that haunted me in my youth. Turns out, it’s not. Tequila that has an unpleasant bite is often mixed with additives, while true tequila is 100-percent agave. Learn how all tequilas are not made alike by tasting dozens of tequilas and other agave spirits at the Spirits of Mexico event, held Saturday, Sept. 13, at the NTC Promenade at Liberty Station. Purchase $40 general admission tickets at www.polishedpalate.com.
If you missed Eclipse Chocolat’s Cupcake Extravaganza Weekend in July, don’t fret. The charming North Park café is hosting an “Exotic Gelato Spectacular” on Labor Day, featuring its new signature gelato and special deals on tasty crème fraiche cupcakes (think Ding-Dongs but 100 times better). While you’re there, sign up for the Sept. 20 tasting dinner. This month’s theme is “Southern Comfort,” and owner/chocolatier Will Gustwiller’s inventive dishes include white chocolate biscuits with a sausage gravy and cornmeal-crusted chicken with a chocolate-chip waffle.
Got food news? Write to candicew@sdcitybeat.com.
Published: 08/26/2008
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