The Loma Club The new operators of The Loma Club at Liberty Station nine-hole golf course recently debuted new food and cocktail menus, which they describe as “classic country club fare but with upscale twists.”
New dishes include French toast sticks stuffed with strawberry jam and cream cheese; chickpea nachos with Buffalo-style sauce; cheesesteak potato skins, and more. Salads, burgers, and club sandwiches are also available. Visitors can end their visit on a sweet note with an order of powdered sugar donut holes named “bucket of balls.”
The revised cocktail list includes “On the Green,” which combines You & Yours dry gin with elderflower, cucumber, and lime. There’s also a “Jungle Birdie” made with pineapple rum and Campari. 2960 Truxtun Road, 619-222-4653, thelomaclub.com. Newport Pizza and Ale House In the wake of Newport Pizza and Ale House (5050 Newport Ave.), which closed about a month ago after operating for 36 years, the establishment’s pizza ovens have landed in a back area of OB Brewery at 5041 Newport Ave.
Both businesses are owned by Mike Tajran, who wasn’t available to answer whether he will indeed resume his pizza operation at the nearby brewhouse. But a former employee from Newport Pizza, who requested anonymity, said there’s also a possibility Tajran will look for a new pizzeria location. Stand by for updates. Seven Seas Craft Beer & Food Festival
The annual Seven Seas Craft Beer & Food Festival at SeaWorld gets underway on March 7 and continues for nine consecutive weekends through May 3. The event spotlights an array of international cuisines and 150 beer options of every style from nearly 30 breweries. It also features live entertainment across three stages.
New to this year’s list of represented countries are Germany, Spain, Argentina, and China. Among the dishes offered from some of those areas are bratwurst, homemade pretzels, and pork belly bao buns. In total, there are 45 food items in the lineup, served from 11 different themed areas throughout the park. Assorted wines and specialty drinks are also in the offing.
Access to the festival requires regular park admission, after which food and drink samples can be purchased a la carte ($5 to $7.50 per food sample) as well as through 10-item and 15-item punch cards. They cost $52 and $67 respectively.
In addition, SeaWorld’s “Waterfront” area will be utilized to afford patrons additional seating for eating and drinking while enjoying views of the bay. 500 SeaWorld Drive, 619-222-4732, seaworldsandiego.com. Safi Mediterranean Grill A taste of the Middle East awaits in Pacific Beach at the new Safi Mediterranean Grill. The fast-casual eatery opened recently to an affordable menu of sprightly salads, house-made hummus, samosas, gyros, shawarma, and more. Salads, pasta, and pizzas also comprise the menu.
Though quaint in size, the establishment stands out with its retro-style booths, light wall colors and bright-red trim. In-house delivery service is available. 4614 Mission Blvd. Taco Surf
With an impending change of ownership coming sometime in March at Taco Surf Pacific Beach, existing proprietor Cindy McLarty tells us the buyers, Matt and Melanie Gilmore, have committed to keeping everything intact once escrow is completed.
“They want customers who come in to not even notice we’ve changed hands,” said McLarty while pointing out there’s talk about adding some vegan items to the menu. “But that’s it,” she emphasized. “The food and interior will remain exactly the same.” 4657 Mission Blvd., 858-272-3877. Wood Yu
An impressively designed breakfast-lunch restaurant that combines Baja and Asian influences has opened in the Torrey Pines area. Named Wood Yu, it is one of the latest ventures involving celebrity chef Brian Malarkey of Puffer Malarkey Collective.
The morning menu reveals standard-American items like acai bowls and breakfast wraps. The lunch list, however, delves into such dishes guacamole with shoyu; al pastor banh mi sandwiches, shaking beef with salsa verde, and more. Beer, wine, and cocktails are also available.
The indoor-outdoor space previously served partly as an office lobby. It now incorporates lush greenery, drop lighting, and a large Asian-landscape mural. 10578 Science Center Drive, 858-812-5558, woodyu.com. Smallgoods Cheese Shop & Cafe
Cheese mongers Jenny and Mike Eastwood have made the leap from the San Diego’s farmers market scene to a new retail outlet in La Jolla. Their venture, Smallgoods Cheese Shop & Cafe, upholds a tradition of selling select cheeses and cured meats from American producers, just as they still do at the weekend farmers markets in La Jolla, Little Italy, and Hillcrest. “I can extend my cheese selection at the cafe much more than I can at the farmers markets,” said Jenny. “We have about 20 different kinds here as opposed to our market selection of about six cheeses.”
The cafe component also allows for coffee drinks as well as breakfast and lunch dishes using ingredients sourced from the outdoor markets. 7524 La Jolla Blvd., 858-886-7217, smallgoodsusa.com. Catania
Fresh off earning a listing in the 2019 Michelin Guide, the coastal Italian-style eatery in La Jolla known as Catania, will celebrate its fifth anniversary on March 17. In doing so, it will present a multi-course family-style meal that day for $49 per person. In addition, the restaurant is offering a “best hits” pasta tasting for $35, which includes five different pastas. 7863 Girard Ave., 858-551-5105, cataniasd.com.