Podiatrist in Sorrento Valley, CA

An episode of the show’s 13th season was filmed at Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at the Harrah’s Rincon Southern California Resort in Valley Center

VALLEY CENTER —

Last fall, fiery British chef Gordon Ramsay opened a Hell’s Kitchen restaurant in Valley Center, inspired by his long-running cooking competition series of the same name.

But on Wednesday, the 332-seat restaurant at the Harrah’s Resort Southern California was closed for the day to accommodate the filming of another one of Ramsay’s television shows. The final six contestants in season 13 of the Fox TV series “MasterChef” were going to be cooking all day for invited diners and the judges inside the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant. The new season will premiere in the summer.

Ramsay has served as head judge on “MasterChef” since 2010, and he asked the producers if the cast, crew and contestants could leave their Los Angeles studio for one episode to film at his North County restaurant, which is the only Hell’s Kitchen eatery on the West Coast.

In an interview inside the restaurant a few hours before filming began Wednesday morning, the soft-spoken and thoughtful Ramsay said he was excited to introduce “MasterChef” viewers to his newest restaurant, which opened last August in the space at Harrah’s formerly occupied by the buffet, which closed when the pandemic hit. Ramsay’s first Hell’s Kitchen restaurant opened five years ago at Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, and that location just served its 2 millionth diner.

Ramsay said this week’s visit was the first time he’d been able to visit with the restaurant’s cooks and serving staff since it opened last summer. He said the Valley Center restaurant serves more of a local and regular clientele than the transient convention and vacation crowd at his Vegas restaurant, so good food and customer service has been key to building repeat business.

The local restaurant opened with a limited menu, to give the kitchen staff time to become comfortable with the items, but he said that in the coming months new items are likely to be added from the larger menu in Las Vegas. The first nine months, he said, is a shakedown period to work out the kinks, like reducing wait times for dishes. But once he’s satisfied that the kitchen and service teams are working at the highest level, new menu items can be introduced.

“I’m very pleased with the beginning. The demand’s off the charts. But all restaurants need a settle-down point,” he said. “When you’ve got a brand like Hell’s Kitchen, people become pickier earlier ... everyone’s a critic ... all I want to know at the beginning of owning any restaurant are the negatives.”

Sept. 16, 2022

Ramsay said the international restaurant industry is still in recovery mode after three years of pandemic. He said that in the first 12 months after restaurants were able to reopen, diners flooded in for the social experience of dining out, and they rewarded themselves with luxury items like caviar and shaved truffles. He believes that luxury-ingredient trend is on its way out and diners now are more interested in good service and eating food that’s locally sourced.

Besides filming the “Hell’s Kitchen” and “MasterChef” TV shows, Ramsay also recently launched a third cooking competition series on Fox called “Next Level Chef.” Like “MasterChef,” it was adapted from the U.K. version of the show, and it features chefs competing on a three-story glass-walled set where they vie to move up to the top floor by the episode’s end.

One of Ramsay’s fellow judges on the U.S. version of “Next Level Chef” is Del Mar celebrity chef Richard Blais, who just opened his second San Diego restaurant, California English, earlier this month in Sorrento Mesa. Ramsay joked about Blais’s sky-high hair but praised his intelligence as both a judge and a chef.

“He’s this powerhouse nugget that is just electrifying with his A to Zed encyclopedia of knowledge,” Ramsay said. “Very few chefs at his level can cook and talk at the same time and he can do everything. He’s the real deal.”

Ramsay also talked about his love for San Diego County, which he said he visits whenever he can, particularly to swim in the ocean. He has competed in the Ironman 70.3 Oceanside triathlon, and he said a tour of Camp Pendleton a decade ago with his then-12-year-old son, Jack, was a life-changing experience. That visit convinced Jack he wanted to serve in the military, and in October 2020, he joined the United Kingdom’s Royal Marines and is now stationed in Norway.

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com

Trendy golf entertainment outfit Topgolf is pushing ahead with plans to build two new high-tech driving range venues in San Diego — one on waterfront land across from San Diego International Airport and a second at an existing driving range in Sorrento Valley.

The company, an arm of what was formerly Callaway Golf, officially announced the two proposed projects on Thursday — though Topgolf’s efforts to expand into San Diego have been widely reported previously by the Union-Tribune.

The best-known proposal calls for a 68,000-square-foot, three-level driving range on East Harbor Island. The Port of San Diego, which controls the land, gave informal support for the development in July. That kicked off real estate negotiations over the 8.5-acre site that’s currently a parking lot for rental cars. But additional land-use hurdles remain, including an environmental review and permitting.

Less known is Topgolf’s efforts to redevelop the Sorrento Canyon Golf Center, a traditional driving range on an 18-acre parcel along Carroll Canyon Road. Topgolf seeks to replace the aging facility with a new three-level, 57,000-square-foot venue equipped with its latest technology and more than 80 hitting bays. The land-use application for the project is under review, according to the San Diego Planning Department.

“We’ve wanted to bring the Topgolf venue experience to San Diego for a long time, and it’s encouraging to see us making progress toward that goal,” said Topgolf Chief Development Officer Chris Callaway. “While still in the early stages, we’re excited by the potential to bring even more play to the San Diego community.”

In March 2021, Dallas-based Topgolf International was acquired by Callaway Golf of Carlsbad in a deal valued at $3 billion. Shortly afterward, Callaway changed its name to Topgolf Callaway Brands.

The move highlights the importance of Topgolf to Callaway’s “modern golf” strategy to attract younger, more diverse players to the game.

It also changed Callaway’s financial foundation. In the third quarter, Topgolf venues accounted for $414 million of the company’s overall revenue. That beat golf clubs and balls—$297 million —and Callaway’s apparel brands such as TravisMathew and OGIO — $278 million. Topgolf same-store sales rose 11 percent in the quarter.

“Topgolf is growing exponentially and continues to bring modern golf to cities across the country and the globe,” said Chip Brewer, chief executive of Topgolf Callaway Brands. “The San Diego area has been the proud home of Topgolf Callaway Brands for more than 40 years, and we’re thrilled Topgolf is coming to the neighborhood.”

Topgolf is a mash-up of a golf driving range, video arcade and restaurant/sports bar. Players score points hitting balls from bays equipped with the company’s Toptracer ball-tracking technology, which measures distance, height, speed and other variables. Players compete against others in their group or across the venue.

The company opened new Topgolf locations in Knoxville, Tenn. and Renton, Wash. during the third quarter, as well as one international franchise venue in Thailand. It expects to open six more before year end, bringing its total company-owned facilities to 81.

“And we have a clear road map for the growth ahead of us, as we plan to successfully open 11 new venues a year,” said Brewer in a recent conference call with analysts.

Timing for the San Diego facilities remains uncertain. Efforts to reach Topgolf Callaway Brands headquarters were unsuccessful, and Topgolf officials declined further comment. The landowner for the Sorrento Canyon Golf Center was unavailable.

But it could be a while for construction to begin --- at least at the East Harbor Island location. Real estate talks with the Port are ongoing, but any development would require additional regulatory scrutiny that likely would take more than a .year.

“The timeline is dependent on various approvals by the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, real estate negotiations, environmental review, drafting and issuing a Coastal Development Permit,” said Port Spokesperson Brianne Mundy Page.

Topgolf Callaway Brands shares ended trading Thursday up nearly 7 percent at $20.04 on an overall strong day for stocks on a better-than-expected inflation report.

SAN DIEGO —

The city of San Diego aims to transform the car-dependent neighborhood of Mira Mesa and its suburban strip malls into several pedestrian-friendly urban villages featuring high-rise housing and less traffic, under a new growth blueprint approved Monday.

It’s the first time San Diego has tried to solve its housing crisis by rezoning large swaths of commercial land for high-density housing, but the so-called innovation districts in Miramar and Sorrento Valley — hubs of the biotech industry — would remain mostly unchanged.

To ease congestion and make Mira Mesa a more appealing place to live in coming decades, developers would get incentives to break up car-centric superblocks with new streets and to build walking bridges over some major roadways.

Some vehicle travel lanes on major streets would be transformed into lanes for buses or bikes under the new growth blueprint, which also includes ambitious proposals for features such as aerial skyways.

June 29, 2022

City officials and local developers touted the plan, which was approved unanimously by the City Council on Monday, as a balanced effort that will help solve San Diego’s housing crisis and make Mira Mesa a more livable area.

Critics, including Mira Mesa neighborhood leaders, said the plan would bring many more residents without the necessary infrastructure and parks to support them all.

Environmental advocates also complained the plan doesn’t do enough to shift commuters away from cars toward transit, biking and walking. The percentage of people expected to commute alone in a car would drop from 54% to 39%, a much more modest drop than citywide goals.

The plan, the first update to Mira Mesa’s growth blueprint since 1992, would increase the neighborhood’s population from 78,000 to 143,000 primarily by adding 24,000 new homes, mostly in high-density developments.

Some commercial areas would be rezoned, but the number of jobs in the community would still rise from 85,000 to 117,000.

Mira Mesa, one of San Diego’s largest neighborhoods by both population and acreage, is bordered on the east by Interstate 15, on the west by I-805, on the south by Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and on the north by Los Peñasquitos Canyon, Torrey Hills and Carmel Valley.

Mira Mesa is the city’s third-largest employment center behind Kearny Mesa and University City.

“As one of San Diego’s largest communities by land area, population and employment, Mira Mesa will greatly benefit from having more mixed-used areas where people can live, work and play,” said Mayor Todd Gloria, adding that the plan calls for homes for a variety of incomes and ages.

Councilmember Chris Cate, whose district includes Mira Mesa, said he’s optimistic city officials will follow through on promises to prioritize needed infrastructure in San Diego neighborhoods that are willing to accept the most growth.

Cate praised the plan as something that will boost an already thriving neighborhood.

Dec. 1, 2022

Advertisement

“Despite what some might say, Mira Mesa is a very vibrant and diverse community,” he said.

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the local chapter of the Building Industry Assn. also praised the plan as a boon for the economy and significant progress toward solving the local housing crisis.

“The only way we’re going to solve the housing shortage is to provide opportunities for more housing,” said Matt Adams of the BIA. “It’s an appropriate balance between residential and non-residential.”

Critics said the plan is developer-driven and would make an already-congested neighborhood much worse by allowing intense growth without the infrastructure they say is needed to support it.

“The plan will increase the population of Mira Mesa by about 50,000, but it provides very little infrastructure beyond that already in place,” said Jeff Stevens, chairman of the Mira Mesa Community Planning Group, which had 13 proposed amendments to the plan get rejected by city planning staff.

“We have no estimates of the costs of the public facilities identified in the plan,” Stevens said. “We have no estimates of how much money will be available and we can’t predict when any of the public facilities will be constructed. These are serious deficiencies.”

The plan identifies more than 91 lane miles of new bike lanes and routes. It also proposes more than 100 acres of new parkland, 17 miles of trails, two new recreation centers, one new aquatic complex and a new fire station.

But critics note that locations aren’t identified for many of the new amenities and that land will only become scarcer over time, making available sites steadily harder to come by.

California

Dec. 6, 2022

The plan calls for rapid buses on Carroll Canyon Road, which would be extended westward. There would be “flexible lanes” for buses and bikes on Camino Ruiz, Westview Parkway, Mira Mesa Boulevard, Miramar Road, Black Mountain Road and Camino Santa Fe.

A key factor mitigating future traffic congestion is a planned extension of the San Diego Trolley through North Park, Kearny Mesa and the western edge of Mira Mesa, with a station planned for Sorrento Mesa when the new purple line is complete in 2045.

Advertisement

City officials said there are also plans for connection to the Coaster and the blue line extension of the trolley, which has stations in nearby University City.

Annexed to the city in 1958 along with Miramar and land east of Del Mar, Mira Mesa was developed mostly in the 1970s when car-dependent strip malls were popular. City officials say a key goal of the plan is to revamp that development model in the community.

Swift-water rescue crews guided 11 people to safety Monday across San Diego County where back-to-back storms over the holiday weekend drenched a region that was already saturated from a series of storms dating to mid-December.

The lower San Diego River in Mission Valley quickly reached flood stage, spilling water onto streets next to the Fashion Valley Mall while football-field-sized ponds formed along Escondido Creek near Encinitas. The rain also caused massive boulders to tumble onto State Route 94 east of Jamul.

The latest storm arrived late Sunday and lasted into Monday, packing fierce winds that appear to have contributed to significant power outages. About 14,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers lost electricity in Coronado and other parts of the county.

The winds gusted to 44 mph at Naval Station North Island, 48 mph at Camp Pendleton and 74 mph at Palomar Mountain. The latter figure is the equivalent of a category one hurricane. The National Weather Service said the winds toppled a large pine tree on apartments on Marathon Drive in Mission Valley, making some units uninhabitable.

During a three-day period ending at 5:04 p.m. Monday, the two storms dropped an extraordinary 11.21 inches of rain on Palomar Mountain, 7.32 inches at Julian and 5.42 inches at Escondido. The totals were expected to rise by Tuesday morning.

The mayhem was caused by the polar jet stream, which has dropped unusually far south in recent weeks, allowing a series of storms to clobber California.

Until Monday, such areas as San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles had taken the toughest beatings. But the storms that occurred from late Saturday into Sunday and late Sunday into Monday took unusually straight paths into San Diego County, which was alternately soaked with light, misty rain and wild downpours.

The largest swift-water rescue on Monday involved seven people who became stuck on a small island in fast-moving water near 4700 Pacific Highway in San Diego just after 9 a.m. Some of the victims ended up in the water. Rescue crews quickly moved the people to safety.

About two hours earlier, an unidentified person got caught in swift waters flowing through the Otay Lakes area east of Chula Vista. Cal Fire said they found a vehicle in the water with the victim on top. The person was rescued, assessed and released by paramedic crews.

Later on Monday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department aerial unit and Cal Fire San Diego crews worked to find and rescue two men who had climbed trees to escape flooding in a nearby area of the river, close to the 13000 block of Otay Lakes Road, that flows into the Lower Otay Lake, Cal Fire San Diego Fire Captain Michael Cornette said. The men were taken to the hospital and said to be in stable condition.

Earlier in the day, around 6 a.m., a swift-water rescue team rescued a woman whose car entered the San Diego River in Mission Valley near Camino Del Este and Station Village Lane. The driver’s car was in about 2 feet of water when the incident occurred.

That area has received 2 to 3 inches of water over a 24-hour period, and the river was at flood stage — 12.77 feet — at the time, the weather service said.

The storm also triggered a debris flow along State Route 78 east of Julian, blocking both lanes of traffic, the weather service said. A portion of the eastbound highway, from El Camino Real to College Boulevard, was also closed for a couple of hours Monday morning and into the early afternoon because of “extreme flooding,” the California Department of Transportation said. Lanes reopened around 12:50 p.m., the agency said.

Flooding also was a factor in the closure of a portion of Discovery Street in San Marcos, Harmony Grove Road in Escondido and Central Avenue near Bonita. Flooding closed part of a popular horse trail in Carmel Valley.

Portions of State Route 94 east of Jamul at Otay Lakes Road, Barrett Lakes Road and State Route 188 were closed for several hours on Monday morning after large boulders fell onto the highway overnight, Caltrans said. The stretch of highway was reopened by midday.

The winds also have had an impact.

The weather service said a downed tree slowed traffic at the intersection of Valley Center Road and Mac Tan Road in Valley Center. The area was hit by nearly 2 inches of rain over a 24-hour period and winds gusting nearly 30 mph.

In Scripps Ranch, a tree fell on a car near Pomerado Road and Avenue of Nations at around 10:12 a.m., partially blocking the roadway, police said. The driver, who was not injured, was helped out by a passerby, and the tree was relocated to the south side of Pomerado.

About 14,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers in Coronado and other communities in San Diego County lost power Monday, the utility reported.

In Coronado, a minor fire at an area substation resulted in 8,835 customers in the northern part of the city losing power for about an hour, SDG&E spokesperson Alex Welling said. Power was restored to all customers in the area by 11:56 a.m., he said.

Other communities experiencing power outages included Bonita, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Fallbrook, La Mesa, Mission Beach, Oceanside, Ramona and Sorrento Valley, according to the SDG&E outage map.

Rainfall figures are equally eye-catching.

During the three-day period, the two storms dropped 8.47 inches of rain at Lake Cuyamaca, 8.02 inches at Pine Hills, 7.11 inches at Otay Mountain, 6.02 inches at Lake Wohlford and Mount Woodson, 5.65 inches at Mount Laguna, 5.29 inches at Valley Center, 5.08 inches at Alpine, 4.74 inches at Ramona, 4.65 inches at Bonsall, 4.60 inches at Campo, 4.59 inches at Cameron, 4.55 inches at Valley Center, and 4.51 inches at Fallbrook.

The storms also dropped 4.44 inches at Barona, 4.40 inches at La Mesa, 4.34 inches at San Diego Country Estates, 4.18 inches at National City, 4.04 inches at Santee, 3.96 inches at Carlsbad, 3.83 inches at Encinitas, 3.80 inches at San Marcos, 3.64 inches at Oceanside, 3.60 inches at Rancho Bernardo, 3.52 inches at Fashion Valley, 2.68 inches at San Diego International Airport, 2.63 inches at Chula Vista, 2.53 inches at Point Loma, and 0.59 inches at Borrego Springs.

A high surf advisory will be in effect at the coast through 10 p.m. Tuesday. The waves have been slamming local beaches for days.

“The surf will gradually lower Tuesday night and Wednesday, with no high surf expected the rest of the week,” the weather service said.

Monday, the San Diego County Office of Education announced that schools in five East County districts — Julian Union Elementary School District, Julian Union High School District, Mountain Empire Unified School District, Spencer Valley School District and Warner Unified School District — will be closed on Tuesday because of the extreme weather and hazardous road conditions.

City News Service contributed to this story.

Updates

7:05 p.m. Jan. 16, 2023: Updated with new rain and wind data.

6:13 p.m. Jan. 16, 2023: Updated with additional information.

5:26 p.m. Jan. 16, 2023: Updated with info on the latest Otay Lakes rescue.

3:07 p.m. Jan. 16, 2023: New rain and wind information added.

1:39 p.m. Jan. 16, 2023: Traffic updates.

12:06 p.m. Jan. 16, 2023: Information on power outages.

11:51 a.m. Jan. 16, 2023: Updated traffic incidents.

11:18 a.m. Jan. 16, 2023: Latest water rescues

10:14 a.m. Jan. 16, 2023: New rainfall totals.

Also this week: New restaurant openings include Sea Tavern, the Sushi Stand, the Great Greek and more

The Lodge at Torrey Pines has announced plans for its 20th culinary and wine showcase from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 16. Tickets are $250.

The event features tasting stations helmed by some of San Diego and Baja’s most acclaimed chefs, as well as artisan food purveyors, winemakers, brewers and distillers from throughout California.

Among this year’s featured chefs are the Lodge’s Kelli Crosson and Jeff Jackson; Roberto Alcocer of Valle in Oceanside; Michelin-starred Drew Deckman of Deckman’s en el Mogor in Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe; Greg Frey Jr. of the Golden Door resort; Jason Knibb of Nine-Ten; Tim “TK” Kolanko of the Urban Kitchen Group; Monica Szepesy of Q'ero; Jojo Ruiz of Clique Hospitality’s Lionfish and Serẽa; and many more. For tickets, go to lodgetorreypines.com/celebrate-the-craft.

Sea Tavern opens in North Park

Three friends have taken over the former End Zone Sports Bar in North Park and turned it into a lobster-roll-themed fresh seafood restaurant.

Sea Tavern is a project of restaurateur DJ Mull, chef-partner Chris Casinger and another friend. Casinger formerly worked for Clique Hospitality Group and was executive chef at Sycuan Casino. The restaurant’s menu features Maine lobster rolls, a lobster knuckle sandwich, a fried fish sandwich, fish ‘n’ chips, and a surf & turf wagyu burger with crab croquette. The menu also features New England clam chowder, crab cakes, fried calamari, lobster & shrimp egg rolls, and a peel-and-eat shrimp cocktail.

Sea Tavern is at 2859 University Ave., San Diego. Hours are 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. (619) 677-2928, seatavern.com

Sushi Stand opens at Liberty Public Market

The Sushi Stand, a new food concept from Le Parfait Paris owners Guillaume and Ludivine Ryon, has opened inside Liberty Public Market in Point Loma.

The Sushi Stand offers grab-and-go sushi rolls in recyclable and compostable boxes rather than the plastic packaging usually used for takeout sushi. The boxes are similar to the oblong, sleeved boxes used for Le Parfait Paris’ signature macaron cookies.

Chef Jerald Tolentino’s nontraditional sushi rolls include the Heat Wave with tuna, kanikama (imitation crab), seared togarashi and ponzu; the Fresh Prince, with spicy tuna, salmon, avocado and lemon slices; and the Orange Crush, with spicy kanikama, tempura asparagus, salmon, avocado and orange miso sauce. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 2820 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego. libertypublicmarketsd.com

Great Greek debuts locally

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a Nevada-born fast-casual chain, opened its first California location last week in Kearny Mesa.

The Great Greek menu features gyro and souvlaki plates, Greek salads, feta fries, four house-made dips and baklava ice cream. Manish Sharma opened the franchise location at 7951 Othello Ave., Suite 104, in San Diego. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. thegreatgreekgrill.com

Bistro 39 reopens

Bistro 39, a California cuisine restaurant at the Hilton Garden Inn near Del Mar, reopened last week following a three-month renovation. The hotel and restaurant were closed for a good portion of the pandemic, so the 14-year-old restaurant’s refresh was designed to reintroduce its American bistro-meets-California seasonal cuisine to the public. Chef Jose Fraire’s menu features California-grown produce that arrives fresh every morning. 3939 Ocean Bluff Ave., San Diego. bistro39sandiego.com

Gravity Heights plans second location

Gravity Heights, the Sorrento Mesa brew pub and restaurant, has unveiled plans for a second location in Mission Valley. The new, 4,400-square-foot location will be constructed at the new Townsend apartment complex at 5075 Camino de la Siesta in San Diego. No opening date has been announced. gravityheights.com

Black Rail launching jazz brunch Sunday

Black Rail Kitchen + Bar in Carlsbad will launch a weekly Sunday jazz brunch series this weekend, featuring top local jazz artists who will perform live indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. Dishes on chef Moises Hernandez’s menu include beet-cured smoked salmon with potato pancake, with cocktails by Hayden Webb that include the Good Morning Sunshine, made with Aperol and orange juice, a breakfast Negroni and a cold brew cocktail with bourbon. 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, beginning Feb. 26. 6981 El Camino Real, Carlsbad. blackrailkitchen.com

Hotel Del hosts pop-up brunch in Crown Room

The Hotel del Coronado will host a pop-up brunch this Sunday in its historic Crown Room, featuring a chilled seafood bar, regional dishes, carving stations and a dessert bar. Mimosas, sparkling wine and a bloody mary bar are included for diners 21 and over. 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Hotel del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado. $165 adults; $75 children ages 4 to 12; children 3 and under free with a paid adult. (619) 522-8100, hoteldel.com/events/sunday-brunch-in-the-crown-room

Rubio’s hosting fish taco battle

In honor of its 40th anniversary, San Diego-based Rubio’s Coastal Grill is inviting fish taco lovers in California, Arizona and Nevada to submit their best original fish taco recipes for the chance to win a $1,000 prize and have their taco featured on the Rubio’s menu. The deadline to enter is Monday, Feb. 27. Entrants must include photos with their entry, live in one of those three states and be over the age of 18. Three finalists will be selected and invited to the Rubio’s test kitchen in San Diego during the week of April 17, where a panel of judges — including company founder Ralph Rubio — will select the winner. To enter, visit rubios.com/fish-taco-battle

Free Nothing Bundt Cakes

To celebrate its new Oreo Cookies & Cream cake, Nothing Bundt Cakes shops in San Diego County will give away one free small Oreo cake to the first 111 guests at each location, beginning at 1:11 p.m. on March 6. The celebration marks the 111th birthday of Nabisco’s Oreo cookie brand. The limited edition cakes are available for sale through March 26. Nothing Bundt Cakes has eight San Diego County locations. For details, visit: nothingbundtcakes.com/find-a-bakery

Pechanga hosts wine and chocolate fest

Pechanga Resort Casino hosts its annual Pechanga Wine & Chocolate Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. March 4. The event will feature samples of chocolate and sips of wine from several regional wineries, as well as gourmet food samples, live music and a silent auction. 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula. General admission tickets are $100. VIP tickets, which include early entry and food items, are $175. Visit pechanga.com/entertain/wine-festival-and-chocolate-decadence

Taste of Third returns

The Downtown Chula Vista Association has announced its 27th annual tasting tour next month. Passports are $40-$45, depending on date of purchase, and they entitle ticket-buyers to tastes and sips at restaurants, shops and breweries along the Third Avenue business corridor. Participants include Attitude Brewing, The Balboa South, Don Pedro Taco Shop, Grindhouse, Lime in the Coconut, Mmm... Cakes, the Vogue Tavern, Chula Vista Brewery and more. 4 to 8 p.m. March 23. For tickets and details, visit downtownchulavista.com/events/taste-of-third.

Lionfish launches new dinner menu

On Wednesday, this finer-dining restaurant at the Pendry Hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter will introduce new dinner entrees by chef Jojo Ruiz. New dishes include truffle fried chicken and waffles, with Korean hot chicken and mochi waffles; the Bonecrusha sushi roll with king crab, tuna toro and caviar; lamb lollipop anticucho (meat skewers) with miso sauce; king crab dynamite with pickled peppers and grilled line; bacon-wrapped bacon and swordfish al pastor; and a 180-ounce prime strip beef loin crusted with blue crab. 435 Fifth Ave., San Diego. lionfishsd.com

North Park Beer kicks off brunch in Bankers Hill

North Park Beer Co. has launched a weekend brunch service at its Bankers Hill location, developed by Samuel Navarro, who is both the Bankers Hill location taproom manager and an experienced chef, and who and has worked at Stone World Bistro & Gardens, the US Grant Hotel and the Lodge at Torrey Pines. His brunch menu includes chicken and waffles, short-stack pancakes with pork belly slab, French toast biscuits and chorizo breakfast burger. All jams, sauces, gravy and biscuits are made in house. Brunch hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The lunch menu will be available after 1 p.m. on weekends. 3095 Fifth Ave., San Diego. northparkbeerco.com

Lakehouse Food & Wine Festival returns

The Lakehouse Resort in Lake San Marcos returns for its second year on March 11. The festival will feature unlimited tastings at booths hosted by local restaurants, businesses and bars, including Nectarine Grove, Grand Del Mar, Ranch 45, the Golden Door, Leucadia Co., Califino Tequila, Karl Strauss Brewing and more. Live music will be presented at the outdoor event. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 11. Lakehouse Resort, 1025 La Bonita Drive, San Marcos. Tickets are $85, or for $125, guests get a private boat ride to Lakehouse Island for a private sushi tasting by Cannonball Sushi. lakehousehotelandresort.com

Kragen writes about restaurants for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Email her at pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com.