By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Thorn Brewing opened a tasting room in Mission Hills in what was previously a multi-unit office space on Hawk Street. There are 12 taps divided equally on opposite ends of the bar, with all of them dispensing beers brewed at the company’s Barrio Logan headquarters.

“Our intention is to offer Mission Hills a tasting room that fits snugly between the higher-end restaurants and the dive bars,” said Thorn Brewing general manager Tom Kiely.

Beers are sold by the pint for consumption on the premises, and they’re available in bottles and cans to go. There is no kitchen, but customers are permitted to bring in food. In addition, electronic games will be installed in the coming days.

The tasting room is open from noon to 10 p.m., daily. 4026 Hawk St., 619-255-9679, thorn.beer.

The outdoor Dojo Cafe in City Heights will be the site of a vegan taco cookoff from 4 to 8 p.m., Aug. 11. Now in its third year, the event is presented by Vegan in San Diego, an organization that supports local vegan and animal-rescue communities.

Contestants include nearly a dozen caterers and food truck businesses, such as Veg’n Out, Santosha Nutrition, FaVe Tacos, The Vegan Tamale Company, and others. Two winning titles will be awarded, one by a panel of judges and the other by attendees.

General admission is $6, and crowd-judging tickets are $37, which includes one free taco from each contestant and 4 p.m. admission (opposed to 5 p.m.). Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. 4350 El Cajon Blvd., 619-949-1584, www.veganinsandiego.com.

The much-anticipated Breakfast Bitch opened in Hillcrest on July 13 with a playfully profane menu.

Under the “basic bitch” category are create-your-own pancakes. Selections from “skinny bitch” include light items such as avocado toast and kombucha smoothies with fruit and veggies, while dishes such as lobster Benedict and loaded croissant sandwiches await under the “main bitch” section. Those items and more are available from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and until 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The restaurant doubles as a late-night hangout from 12:30 to 3:30 a.m. on weekends, when spritzers, kombucha and coffee drinks are available. A limited food menu includes the “sweet and savory” taco featuring a waffle shell filled with eggs and bacon or turkey sausage.

Breakfast Bitch’s owners are former college and professional football player Derrell Hutsona and his wife, Tracii. The couple runs the Los Angeles-based lifestyle management company Elite Luxe, which caters to athletes and celebrities. 3825 Fifth Ave., 877-732-4824, eatbreakfastbitch.com.

Baker extraordinaire Joanne Sherif has sold her 11-year-old Cardamom Cafe & Bakery in North Park to Accursio Lota, the former executive chef of Solare Ristorante Italiano in Liberty Station.

“It’s time for a new chapter in my life,” Sherif told San Diego Uptown News. “I’ll still focus on my love of baking, but without running a cafe.”

Sherif plans on renting a commercial kitchen for conducting pop-ups and fulfilling catering orders via [email protected]. She will also continue supplying her famous sweet and savory croissants to Seven Seas Roasting in South Park, Daniel’s Coffee in Spanish Village and Cafe Moto in Barrio Logan, adding that Atypical Waffle in North Park may soon start selling them as well.

Lota will transform the cafe into a restaurant specializing in scratch-made Italian meals. The name is yet to be announced, although he plans on retaining Sherif’s employees. Cardamom will remain open through late August. 2977 Upas St., 619-546-5609, www.cardamomsandiego.com.

The outdoor Dojo Cafe in City Heights will be the site of a vegan taco cookoff from 4 to 8 p.m., Aug. 11. Now in its third year, the event is presented by Vegan in San Diego, an organization that supports local vegan and animal-rescue communities.

Contestants include nearly a dozen caterers and food truck businesses, such as Veg’n Out, Santosha Nutrition, FaVe Tacos, The Vegan Tamale Company, and others. Two winning titles will be awarded, one by a panel of judges and the other by attendees.

General admission is $6, and crowd-judging tickets are $37, which includes one free taco from each contestant and 4 p.m. admission (opposed to 5 p.m.). Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. 4350 El Cajon Blvd., 619-949-1584, www.veganinsandiego.com.

The newly opened Arama is a six-seat “restaurant” within Il Dandy, which launched recently in Bankers Hill as a full-scale restaurant by Calabrian-born brothers Dario and Pietro Gallo. The chefs on board are Antonio Abbruzzino and his son, Luca, whose restaurant in Southern Italy garnered the duo a Michelin star.

Situated behind Il Dandy’s kitchen, the intimate space gives guests a doting experience involving 12-course meals and wine pairings that draw upon the culinary traditions Italy’s Calabria region as well as other parts of Europe. There is only one seating per evening, and reservations are required. Prices range from $180 to $250 per person, depending on the number of guests in each party. Wine pairings begin at $70 extra. 2550 Fifth Ave., Suite 120, 619-310-5669.

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