By Frank Sabatini Jr. | Uptown News Food Briefs

The much-anticipated second location of Nomad Donuts opened Aug. 23 in a 3,200-square-foot space located blocks away from its original North Park shop at 4504 30th St.

In keeping with its inventory of globally inspired doughnuts using ingredients from local farmers markets, the roomier digs has allowed Executive Chef Kristianna Zabala to add breakfast and lunch sandwiches to the menu, as well as wood-fired bagels and new sweet and savory baked goods.

Owner Brad Keiller envisioned a larger outpost of the business two years ago and soon after landed in what was formerly Lady of the Lake bookstore.

After months of construction, the remodeled space greets with Caribbean-style elements such as aqua walls, vibrant tiling, and wooden captain’s chairs and tables. In addition, an expanded coffee program features drinks made from limited-edition single-origin varietals. 3102 University Ave., 619-431-5000,  nomaddonuts.com.

The Old Mill Café in North Park has changed its name to North Park Diner and will begin introducing Korean-inspired barbecue to its lengthy menu this month.

Harry Kim, who took over the restaurant 10 years ago with his wife, Kyoung, has already added ramen to the menu.

Also in the pipeline is “cup bob,” an offshoot of ramen served in a cup with vegetables, noodles and a choice of meat.

“We’ll also soon start making our own burgers from fresh beef instead of frozen,” he said, noting that french fries will be made fresh as well.

The diner, which operated briefly nearly 15 years ago as The Lumberjack Grille under different ownership, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. 3949 Ohio St., 619-294-3804.

Starry Lane Bakery in Hillcrest held its grand opening Aug. 19 by giving away more than $1,000 in confectionary sweets. Known for baked goods that are free of gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, nuts and artificial dyes, the business recently moved from Santee after operating there for five years.

At their new location, owners Jaime Schwartz and her sister, Jennifer, have rolled out a menu that includes everything from fruit tarts and brownies to cinnamon rolls and pound cakes, all safe to eat by those with allergies to the above-mentioned ingredients. The bakery also sells custom-made cakes. 3925 Fourth Ave., 619-328-0500, starrylanebakery.com.

A public party celebrating the new owners of Uptown Tavern and its five-year anniversary will be held at the tavern from 7–10 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31.

The popular Hillcrest establishment was recently purchased by Michael Saltsman, a former longtime manager of Urban MO’s, and his business partner, Scott Borden, of Etc Adventures LLC.

To commemorate the building’s roots, which decades ago served as an auto repair garage and gas station, the staff will be dressed in 1950s “greaser-themed” attire. The party will also feature go-go dancers and live spins by DJ Taj.

There will be no cover charge and guests can enjoy drink specials such as $3 well drinks and select domestic beer as well as $4 house wines by the glass. A full dinner menu will also be available. 1236 University Ave., 619-241-2710, uptowntavernsd.com.

Festive flights of red, white and blue hard ciders will be sold at Waypoint Public over Labor Day weekend as a fundraiser for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, which provides care to those grieving the loss of a loved one serving in the armed forces. The ciders, produced by Julian Hard Cider, are made individually with cherry juice, apples and berries to achieve their patriotic sequence of colors. They’ll be available from Sept. 1 – 4 at Waypoint’s North Park and Del Sur locations. 3794 30th St. and 16480 Paseo Del Sur, waypointpublic.com.

Mister A’s in Bankers Hill and The Marine Room in La Jolla were named among the 100 “most scenic” restaurants in the country by OpenTable.com, meaning the views outside their windows are worth noting. The ranking was tallied from more than 10 million diner reviews of more than 25,000 U.S. restaurants.

Mister A’s offers 12th-floor views of the San Diego Bay and Downtown skyline and The Marine Room looks out to the sands and Pacific Ocean from its coveted beach perch. 2550 Fifth Ave., 619-239-1377, bertrandatmisteras.com, and 2000 Spindrift Drive, 858-459-7222, marineroom.com.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. can be reached at [email protected].