Summer in San Diego calls for fresh flavors and dazzling date ideas. Here’s what’s new.
THE MARINE ROOM PHOTO COURTESY OF LA JOLLA BEACH & TENNIS CLUB
Indulge in dishes featuring fresh flavors like seared ahi tuna during The Marine Room’s High Tide Dinner Series. THE MARINE ROOM PHOTO COURTESY OF LA JOLLA BEACH & TENNIS CLUB
The Marine Room is making waves in La Jolla with the return of its splashy High Tide Dinner Series. Perched above the Pacific’s rolling waves, the fine dining restaurant offers diners a specialty fourcourse prix fixe menu at 7:30PM on select Mondays and Tuesdays in July (11 to 13), August (9 to 11) and September (8 and 9), all to celebrate the ocean’s magnificent high-tide display. Dive into delectable dishes curated by executive chef Mike Minor, including crab corn bisque, seared ahi salad, Alaskan halibut and caviar, wagyu ribeye and more. Up the ante with tableside truffle or caviar service, and end the evening on a sweet note with a choice of flourless chocolate cake, strawberry cheesecake or lemon lavender cake. Guests will even take home a signature sea horse chocolate from chef Minor to remember the night by. Date night, done. marineroom.com/menus/high-tide-dinner
THE MARINE ROOM PHOTO COURTESY OF LA JOLLA BEACH & TENNIS CLUB
It’s a family affair for Java Earth Coffee owners Debbie and Abe Artenstein and their children, Alex and Andrea. JAVA EARTH COFFEE PHOTO BY CELINA KENYON
NEW BREWS It’s time to rise and shine in La Jolla, where Java Earth Coffee has opened its second San Diego outpost. The brainchild of owners Abe and Debbie Artenstein, the family-owned coffee shop is brewing up a good time with signature sips ranging from the maple cold foam Americano to the honey vanilla latte, teamed with fresh morning fare. Savory favorites include the lox bagel, topped with cream cheese, lox, tomato, cucumber, pickled onion, capers and microgreens, and the SoCal burrito stuffed with egg s, Jack cheese, hash browns and your choice of meat or avocado. Sweet treats are highlighted by Debbie’s homemade lemon loaf. Pull up a seat in the relaxed space, designed by La Jolla’s AGK Design Studio, and get your caffeine kick in style. javaearthcoffee.com
The LAVO dining room PHOTO BY RYAN FORBES
The 20-layer chocolate cake PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
THE ITALIAN JOB
Capellini di marechiara PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
TAO Group Hospitality is bringing a taste of Las Vegas’ dazzling dining scene to San Diego with the debut of LAVO in the Gaslamp Quarter. Located in the former Searsucker space, the 235-seat restaurant offers patrons an Italian-focused menu curated by TAO Group Hospitality chief culinary officer Ralph Scamardella. Sink into a sumptuous banquette in the main dining room, belly up to the three-sided bar or pull up a seat outdoors under the shade of olive trees sourced from North Park Nursery. Then, curb hunger with signature LAVO creations like The Meatball (a 1-pound wagyu meatball teamed with marinara and fresh whipped ricotta) or the Angry Maria brick oven pizza (topped with Calabrian chile, tomato, vodka sauce, basil pesto and fresh mozzarella) to start. Truffle ricotta cavatelli pasta delights with crema, mushroom ragu and shaved truffle while seafood lovers will enjoy the grilled shrimp spiedini with lemon garlic butter, shaved fennel and sweet baby peppers. Just remember to save room for the decadent 20-layer chocolate cake—chocolate devil’s-food cake layered with peanut butter mascarpone. Your Italian adventure awaits! taogroup.com
Civico 1845’s new vegan menu includes linguine al verde and insalata russa. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
In 2015, Little Italy’s Civico 1845 debuted as the first stateside restaurant to offer a full vegan Italian menu, and in 2022, its deft culinary team has updated its offerings to showcase its latest techniques and flavors. Inspired by his travels and collaborations with vegan Italian chef Matteo Febbraio, co-owner and executive chef Pietro Gallo’s new menu teams new tastes with updates to longtime favorites. Highlights include risotto with broccoli puree, roasted almonds with paprika, veggie demi-glace, shiitake mushrooms and a dash of Calabrian chile pepper oil, and linguine al verde topped with spinach pesto, marinated red beets, zucchini, lemon zest and roasted hazelnuts, among others. “So much has evolved over the last few years in the culinary world, with many new techniques to achieve the flavors and textures people love in traditional cooking while still being completely vegan,” shares Gallo. “Our new menu features several of these new methods, while also enhancing the beautiful, fresh ingredients we have become known for.” Go ahead, dig in. civico1845.com
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