By Frank Sabatini Jr. | Dining Out in San Diego
The Friars Mission Center shopping plaza in Mission Valley will soon be home to the third San Diego location of Wich Addiction, a gourmet sandwich shop lauded for its house-roasted meats and assorted aiolis. The eatery will replace Elva’s Bowls & Wraps, which closed Aug. 31 because of an impending 25 percent rent increase, according to proprietor Melvin Fleschman. The property is owned by Regency Centers Corporation.
Wich Addiction was first launched six years ago in Sorrento Valley before branching into Torrey Pines. It is owned and operated by Mark Manning and his wife, Dyann, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who serves as chef. Her sandwiches capture everything from hand-breaded fried chicken, and eggs with artichokes, to steak, seared salmon and braised pork. Creative salads and burritos filled with a variety of proteins, such as Virginia baked ham, are also on the menu.
Manning expects to open the new location by mid-October, adding that he hopes to launch several more outlets throughout San Diego if the market permits. 5664 Mission Center Road, wichaddiction.com.
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Fox Restaurant Concepts from Phoenix brings to Fashion Valley Mall colorful, modern spins on Mexican food and cocktails with a Sept. 26 opening of Blanco Tacos & Tequila. The 6,300-square-foot restaurant offers indoor-outdoor seating and replaces California Pizza Kitchen’s original space on the mall’s second level.
Executive chef Aimee Patel has developed a menu featuring grilled avocado tacos, wagyu beef fajitas, creative ceviches, and more. Her menu complements an extensive margarita and tequila program. 7007 Friars Road, Suite 901, 619-810-2931, blancotacostequila.com.
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Executive chef Brad Wise of Trust in Hillcrest and Hundred Proof in University Heights is fulfilling a career dream by cooking dinner at New York City’s James Beard House on Oct. 3. Wise and Trust pastry chef, Jeremy Harville, were selected to present the dinner for both the public and members of the legendary townhouse, which was home to the late culinary icon, James Beard. They’ve titled their multi-course meal, “Sunny San Diego.”
On home turf, Wise is preparing to open Fort Oak restaurant in Mission Hills this fall. He’s also been revamping Hundred Proof with enhanced aesthetics and a revised cocktail program steered by new beverage director Stephen Kurpinsky (formerly of George’s at the Cove California Modern). 4130 Park Blvd., 619-501-6404, hundredproofsd.com.
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Green Flash Brewing Co. in Mira Mesa will host the eighth annual Treasure Chest Beer + Food Fest to raise funds for Susan G. Komen San Diego, which invests in research to prevent and cure breast cancer.
The event takes place from noon to 5 p.m., Sept. 30 in the brewery’s tasting room. It will feature specialty, one-off beers plus food from OB Noodle House, Green Flash Gastro Truck, The Knotty Barrel, The Alpine Pub, Frat Boy Donuts and more.
The charity has raised more than $250,000 since it was established in 2011 by breast cancer survivor and Green Flash co-founder Lisa Hinkley. Tickets range from $25 to $55. 6550 Mira Mesa Blvd., 858-622-0085, greenflashbrew.com or eventbrite.com.
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Looking for dining establishments in Uptown and beyond that are free of flat-screen televisions and the noise that often comes with them? La Mesa resident Claudia Erickson keeps a running list of such places on her website, unpluggedvillage.com, which is the namesake program she launched that promotes dining without cell phones and other wireless devices. She cites recent surveys by Zagat and Consumer Reports showing that restaurant-goers complain most about excessive noise in restaurants over service and food issues.
Among those in metro San Diego that she credits for their absence of televisions are Soltan Banoo, Breakfast Republic, Pisco Rotisserie & Cevicheria, Tender Greens, Plumeria and nearly two dozen more.
—Frank Sabatini Jr. can be reached at fsabatini@san.rr.com.
