JUNE DINING GEMS

New Restaurants, Brunch Experiences & Menus Await This Month

The culinary minds behind Azuki Sushi in Bankers Hill have debuted an immersive Japanese dining experience a couple blocks north on Fifth Avenue: Kinme Omakase Tucked away from the bustle of uptown and nearby Balboa Park, Kinme is a culinary urban retreat. The low-lit, modern space seats just

10 guests at its sleek bar—behind which you’ll find chefs Nao Ichimura and Kevin Alvarado handcrafting the evening’s 10-course omakase (or chef’s choice) tasting menu. Updated seasonally, it’s a study in Edomae sushi and the rich history of Kaiseki cuisine. Expect fresh local catches, along with fish flown

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in directly from Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Market; plus delicacies like A5 wagyu beef; and exclusive sakes and Japanese whiskies. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, the restaurant offers seatings at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (reservations required) for $175 per guest; with wine and sake pairings available

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for an additional $70 per person. 2505 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill, 858.947.1518

The Gaslamp Quarter welcomes a new rooftop bar and restaurant: Leave of Absence, by chef and restaurateur Jason Neroni, located on the pool-deck level of the recently opened Kimpton Alma San Diego hotel. The menu centers on shareable wood-fired dishes and California fare, including flatbreads, mezze plates, roasted veggies and burgers. Try the Smash Brisket Burger with smoked cheddar cheese, butter pickles and special sauce on a pretzel bun. The cocktail menu boasts margaritas and tropical craft libations such as the Raspado, a Jamaicaninspired slushy spiked with mezcal. 1047 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter, 619.515.3000

It’s Southern Italy fare at its finest at Civico 1845—one of just four San Diego restaurants to be rated by Gambero Rosso International. The Little Italy outpost has overhauled its entire menu with new and revamped offerings. Feast on debut dishes such as Ragu Calabrese with garganelli pasta and short rib ragu—topped with braised pork short ribs, homemade Calabrian sausage and pecorino cheese. A full vegan menu offers Pasta e Rapini, Ragu di Funghi and Bruschetta Ricotta among its new dishes. 1845 India St., Little Italy, 619.431.5990

Inspired by New Orleans’ French Quarter, Mister A’s new Saturday brunch service includes stellar views and live jazz. The experience starts with a bite and aperitif at the bar, along with live jazz by rotating musicians that can be heard restaurantwide, before being seated in the main dining room.

Executive chef Stephane Voitzwinkler’s exclusive Saturday brunch menu boasts blue crab cakes, hush puppies, beignets, crispy shrimp po’ boys, dirty rice topped with a fried egg, gumbo Benedict, shrimp ‘n’ grits, and more. 2550 Fifth Ave., 12th floor, Bankers Hill, 619.239.1377

Delight in Cajun cuisine, music and more at "Brunch + Beats"—a new Saturday brunch party series at North Park’s bayou-inspired eatery, Louisiana Purchase, hosted by District 619. A special brunch menu features “Drop Top Chicken Flock,” comprising wings, waffles, honey butter and maple syrup; “Grazin’ in Love,” with three eggs, ribeye steak, potatoes, onions, peppers and Crawfish Monica sauce; “Strawberry Fine” with streusel and creamcheese drizzle; and much more. More highlights: Champagne specials, live music and old-fashioned Southern hospitality.

2305 University Ave., North Park, 619.396.2316

Hotel del Coronado’s flagship restaurant, Serea, recently refreshed its weekend brunch menu— served Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Created by executive chef JoJo Ruiz, it spotlights new dishes like the caviar Benedict with blue lump crab cakes; and the cheese-andspinach spanakotiropita (a savory Greek-style pie) drizzled with fermented hot honey. There’s plenty of old menu favorites, too—including the shakshuka, smoked tritip steak with fried eggs, chilled shellfish, whole fish preparations, brunch cocktails and bubbly. Another menu standout is

Keiko Green

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the smoked polenta with grilled shrimp, poached eggs, peppadew peppers and cherry tomatoes. Reserve a table on the airy dining veranda or ample patio for prime ocean views. 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, 619.435.6611

Living up to its name, Bun & Patti is Little Italy’s new “fine casual” restaurant, serving premiumquality, all-natural burgers (read: no hormones or antibiotics) in laidback digs. And come hungry; the burgers are huge. Cases in point include the Notorious B&P—two beef patties, cheddar, secret sauce and fixings on a toasted brioche bun; and the dramatic Smoke Show, a 14-day, dry-aged beef patty from Flannery Farm, Baker’s gourmet bacon, white cheddar, lettuce, tomato and truffle aioli. Or choose from sandwiches like Taste of the South, with fried Mary’s free-range chicken, cabbage slaw, pickles and chipotle aioli on a pretzel bun; plus wings, salads, truffle fries, onion rings, mac ‘n’ cheese, and chocolate-chip cookies with ice cream for dessert. To drink: craft beer, wine, and milkshakes with house-made ice cream and garnished with Belgian waffles. 2171 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy, 619.637.6284

FROM performed together, in one orchestra.

For an organization whose concerts had been presented indoors for most of its existence, pivoting to outdoors was a huge step, but it seems to have been one that paid off. In 2021, Mainly Mozart’s four festivals broke the company’s alltime attendance record. “Mainly Mozart has been exploring different ways to serve our audience since COVID made us rethink venues and performances,” Laturno says. “Ticket sales have exploded since we moved outdoors. Most excitingly, 67% are new

11 audiences, and almost half are under age 40. We are seeing drivers coming from Los Angeles and the desert, as well as all over San Diego County.”

In fact, audiences have embraced outdoor concerts so enthusiastically that for its 35th anniversary, the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival is expanding to two weeks: in Del Mar, June 15, 17 and 18; and in La Jolla, June 20, 22 and 24. As it does every year, the All-Star Orchestra brings together the largest gathering of concertmasters and principal players in North America, drawing from the most prestigious orchestras. In addition to returning to Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park, this year the festival expands to two new venues: the five-year-old, acoustically magnificent Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla Village; and the brand-new, outdoor Epstein Family Amphitheater on the campus of UC San Diego.

“Being able to expand our festival this way shows the tremendous demand for Mainly Mozart,” says Music Director Michael Francis, returning to lead the festival for the ninth year. “Our reach is growing and of course, we offer great variety—between the might of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; to the intimacy of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony chamber version in an indoor setting. We are really trying to cater to our wonderful audience and provide an exceptional example of all that Mainly Mozart is about.”

On the program at Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park the first week: Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto and Piano Concerto No. 25, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, Brahms’ Violin Concerto, and much more. The following week, the festival moves indoors to The Conrad for Mahler’s

Symphony No. 4; then graces the Epstein Family Amphitheater with a delightful program of Shostakovich and Mozart; and finally the tremendous Beethoven Symphony No.

9. Leading players from dozens of America’s top orchestras will be led by

Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster Martin Chalifour, Dallas Symphony Concertmaster Alexander Kerr, and Cleveland Orchestra Concertmaster David Radzynski—serving as rotating concertmasters of the 2023 Mainly

Mozart All-Star Orchestra.

“Mainly Mozart seized any opportunity we could to keep going. And so therefore, we’ve maintained our audience and indeed grew,” says Francis. “What we’ve learned is presenting exceptionally high quality music with the finest musicians available in a relaxed setting has paid tremendous dividends.”

“We’ve been very happy and successful at Surf Cup Sports Park in Del Mar, and we see a long future there,” Laturno says. “But we’re also very excited to have the opportunity to perform indoors in the beautiful acoustics of The Conrad, in a different repertoire that isn’t appropriate for an outdoor setting. That and the new Epstein Family Amphitheater are an enormous gift to the San Diego community, enabling us to broaden our geographic reach and the range of experiences we can offer.”

Laturno agrees with Francis that although the programming is still classical music, the more casual vibe of outdoor concerts seems to agree with new, younger audiences. “At Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park, patrons have their choice of seating at tables for four, or www.kitchensforgood.org in Adirondack chairs; or bringing their own chairs, and picnics with food and wine. Rather than make choices based on ticket price, they decide on which of these experiences they want, and can curate their own.”

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And there’s a lot for audiences to look forward to. “There are actually quite a lot of Mainly Mozart firsts this year,” Francis says. “We’ll be performing pieces that we haven’t played before, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to finish the festival, which will be epic. There’s the Grand Fantasy, which is an arrangement of Mozart piano pieces by one of Mozart’s students, which is very exciting for me. We have a program based around the impact of politics on music through the ages, which should be really good fun. And of course our exceptional musicians and world-class soloists are highlights unto themselves.”

Among the featured soloists will be Whitney Crockett, Los Angeles Philharmonic principal bassoon; pianist AnneMarie McDermott; soprano Chelsea Guo in the Mahler Symphony No. Four and on piano; and Martin Chalifour. The San Diego Master Chorale will provide the vocal heft for Beethoven’s Ninth.

“Chelsea Guo is going to really engage people both with her high-quality piano playing and singing,” Francis continues. “A rare talent to be able to do both at the highest level. We’ll also be featuring the wonderfully talented