Rooftop restaurant-bar opens in Coronado: Dive, a rooftop bar and restaurant, has opened at the new Bower Hotel in Coronado. The 65-seat venue is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner service seven days a week, with a California coastal cuisine shareable plates menu specializing in fresh local seafood. Dishes include lemon lox tartine, fried mahi-maji fish tacos and more. Hours are 7 a.m. to midnight Mondays-Thursdays; 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays; 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays; and 8 a.m. to midnight Sundays at 1417 Orange Ave., Coronado. bowercoronado.com/eat-drink
Far Corner pizza-bar opens in East Village: Far Corner, a new pizzeria and bar, opened March 27 in the former Basic Pizza space at 410 10th Ave. in East Village. Far Corner serves 15-inch pizzas with with traditional pies like Margherita and Meat Lovers to creative options like Oh Fennel with bechamel sauce, fennel and walnut pesto. There are also calzones and build-your-own options. The bar includes custom cocktails, draft beers and more.Far Corner is owned by Max Senescall, whose family has owned the 1912-era building near Petco Park for more than 40 years. The 4,000-square-foot ground-floor space has a dining room, custom bar, DJ area and lounge. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Unfork Your Planet restaurant week begins Monday: Zero Footprint, a climate restorationorganization that provides grants to farms, is hosting an Unfork Your Planet restaurant week from Monday through April 13 at nearly two dozen San Diego restaurants. During those seven days, each restaurant will serve a climate-smart dish or pledging a percentage of sales that week to Zero Footprint. The list includes 31ThirtyOne, Born and Raised, Cellar Hand, Cesarina, Cori, Cucina Urbana, Dija Mara, Elvira, Finca North Park, Haven Farm to Table, Herb & Sea, Herb & Wood, Kettner Exchange, Kingfisher, The Lion’s Share, The Plot, Scrimshaw Coffee, Solare Restaurante, Vistal Bar + Restaurant, The Waverly, Wayfarer Bread and Wrench and Rodent. Details at https://www.zerofoodprint.org/unfork-the-planet.
Chef Drew Deckman stars in Prime Video series: Drew Deckman, the chef behind North Park’s 31ThirtyOne restaurant and three restaurants in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe, hosts this six-part series now streaming on Prime Video. Produced by San Diego’s World Table Productions, “Ingrediente: México” follows Deckman to different regions of Mexico where he meets with sustainable farmers, fishermen and other food producers fighting to preserve their way of life. Last spring, Deckman earned two Michelin green stars in Mexico for his sustainable practices at his restaurants, as well as a Michelin red star for his shellfish bar Conchas de Piedra.
Hawthorn Coffee closes: University Heights’ 10-year-old Hawthorn Coffee closed its doors on March 29. In an Instagram post, the cofee roaster-brewer’s owners said that although the shop at 3019 Adams Ave. was always busy, they could not come to with the landlord on a new lease. “Building ownership was looking for a rent increase that far sured our current rental structure and would have made it difficult to continue in this space.” But that’s not the end for Hawthorn. Owners said they’re looking for a new spot to relocate, and in the meantime they’re still roasting and brewing at their original shop, Compa Coffee Roasters in Rancho Bernardo. instagram.com/hawthorncoffee
Tavolo Tasting tours: Longtime Little Italy restaurateur Joe Busalacchi will lead a series of intimate Tavolo Tasting Tours of his family’s restaurants from 5 to 8 p.m. April 14-16 and 19-21. The progressive dinners will feature off-menu items and a behind-the-scenes look into the family business. Diners will start their journey at Lala with cocktails and appetizers, then progress to Barbusa for appetizers, pasta and wine and finish up at Nonna for dessert and cocktail, wine or espresso. Tours are $200, plus tip. at barbusa.com/product/tasting-tour.
The Plot hosting Plantscape dinners: The Plot, the Oceanside-born plant-based restaurant company, will host a pair of “Spring Izakaya”-themed PlantScape dinners on April 29 in Oceanside and May 1 in Costa Mesa. The eight-course meals, created by chefs Davin Waite and Travis Roe, will feature local seasonal produce sourced from the Plot Garden Project prepared with Japanese cooking techniques, including live fire, fermenting and preservation. The dinner is $96. Seatings are available from 4 to 8:30 p.m. The April 29 dinner is at 1733 S. Coast Highway in Oceanside and the May 1 dinner is at 2937 Bristol St., Suite e100. theplotrestaurant.com
Mama’s Day returns in June: Mama’s Kitchen, the San Diego nonprofit that provides home-delivers medically tailored meals to the critically ill, hosts its 34th Mama’s Day fundraiser on June 6. The event will feature samplings of food, desserts and drinks from many local restaurants, live music, pop-up booths, drawings, photo booths and more. CEO Eva Matthews said the need for event fundraising has never been greater with the likelihood of federal funding cuts, which represent 30 percent of its budget. Last year’s Mama’s Day event raised enough to provide 53,000 meals. This year’s Mama’s Day is from 5:30-9:30 p.m. June 6 at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel downtown. Tickets start at $140 at mamaskitchen.org.
New chef team s UKG: San Diego’s Urban Kitchen Group has hired a new team to oversee its restaurants’ culinary and pastry programs. Wesley Johnson is the company’s new regional executive chef and Sofia Garcia is the executive regional pastry chef. Johnson previously worked in Portland, Oregon, at Tusk restaurant and as corporate culinary director for Submarine Hospitality. Garcia has previously worked in leadership roles at the Rancho Bernardo Inn and Con Pane at Liberty Station. The team’s first project was to revamp the menu at The Kitchen @ MCASD, UKG’s 2-year-old onsite restaurant at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla.
