AS LOCAL COVID CASES FALL, SOME ‘PAUSED’ RESTAURANTS REOPEN
Trust, Cucina Urbana, Craft & Commerce, 7 Mile Kitchen all back from self-imposed hiatus
Trust Restaurant, the Hillcrest restaurant that turned 5 last month, ended its self-imposed hibernation and reopened on Feb. 25.
Although the county lifted restrictions on outdoor dining in late January, many local restaurants — including those owned by chef Brad Wise’s Trust Restaurant Group — opted to remain closed until it was clear that COVID-19 cases had declined and stabilized enough to avoid another costly shutdown. TRG reopened its Fort Oak restaurant in Mission Hills on Feb. 12 and its Rare Society steakhouse in University Heights on Feb. 11. It’s planning to reopen Cardellino, its year-old Italian restaurant and market, in the coming weeks.
For now, Trust in Hillcrest is serving a new dinner menu Wednesday through Sunday and brunch on weekends. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Trust is at 3752 Park Blvd., San Diego. Visit trustrestaurantsd.com.
Cucina Urbana in Bankers Hill, which had remained closed since last March, reopened Tuesday with a new outdoor patio at 505 Laurel St. It’s now open TuesdaysSaturdays for dinner only. Visit urbankitchengroup.com
Craft & Commerce in Little Italy also reopened after a prolonged hiatus on Feb. 19. Chef Kyle Pierce has introduced a new menu of comfort foods with a Southern flair. It’s open for dinner daily with weekend brunch service at 675 Beech St., San Diego. Visit craft-commerce.com.
Sheraton Carlsbad Resort’s 7 Mile Kitchen restaurant also reopened last week. Chef Julian Quiñones has introduced several nightly specials, including pizza party Sundays, burgers and fries Mondays, taco Tuesdays, wine and whiskey Wednesdays and weekend brunch from 7 to 1 p.m. It’s at 5420 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad. For details, visit 7milekitchen.com.
Urban Plates extends subscription plan
Urban Plates has extended its new in-app entree subscription plan called Plate Pass. Introduced in December as a pilot program, it allows customers to register for a $20, twomonth subscription that locks in all individual entrée prices at $10, a savings of $3 to $4 per dish. Subscriptions for March and April are on sale through Wednesday. For details, visit urbanplates.com/plate-pass/.
Novo Brazil brings back grapefruit IPA
Chula Vista’s Novo Brazil Brewing Company has reintroduced its Grapefruit Double IPA beer in a canned limited release.
Formerly available only as a specialty beer on tap, the Grapefruit Double IPA has been added to the 2021 lineup of limited-release canned beers. It’s available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans at all Novo Brazil outlets and retail stores where the product is sold. For details, visit novootay.com.
Cesarina plans Women’s Day specials
In honor of International Women’s Day on Monday, Cesarina Ristorante in Point Loma will be hosting an Italian-style celebration called Festa della Donna. On-site diners on Monday will receive mimosa flowers, the signature blossom of Festa della Donna in Italy, along with a free torta di mimosa dessert, which is a vanilla cake with lemon and strawberry flavors. Cesarina is at 4161 Voltaire St., San Diego. Visit cesarinarestaurant.com.
O.B. winery hosts label-design contest
Winemaker Keith Rolle, owner of Gianni Buonomo Vintners in Ocean Beach, is inviting the public to help design the label for his OB Blend wine set for release later this year.
The label must feature an iconic Point Loma landmark, like the O.B. pier, lighthouse, marina or beach and there must be at least two musical elements. The winner will receive a $100 prize. Entries must be received by April 23. For contest details, visit gbvintners.com/winelabel/.
Boochcraft launches new product
Boochcraft, the Chula Vista maker of canned organic hard kombucha drinks, has introduced a new flavor: Pineapple Vanilla Chai.
The fermented tea product is made with fresh pineapple, Madagascar vanilla and chai tea. The new flavor is part of Boochcraft’s Liquid Art Lab limitedrelease line that features innovative can designs. Ojai artist Daren Magee designed the sunburst can decor for this variety. Visit boochcraft.com.