By Frank Sabatini Jr.
LGBTQ bakers on the rise
Two notable bakeries are on the horizon in San Diego, with each of them headed by members of the LGBTQ community.
Photographer-turned-croissant master Jeffrey Brown will reopen his wildly popular Izola bakery in the East Village in the coming month, but at a different location. Brown sprung into the baking scene at the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, when he operated Izola from a cozy loft in the Ratner Building on 13th Street. In a matter of months, the self-taught baker became famous for his expertly crafted croissants and sourdough loaves — not to mention his Tahitian vanilla knots that he sold during Pride week of 2021 to raise money for The San Diego LGBTQ Community Center.
Several months ago Brown shut down Izola, only to regroup with plans to resurrect the business within roomier digs at 1429 Island Ave. For updates, click onto Izola’s blog from izolabakery.com.
Also coming to the downtown area is Knead, a bistro and bakery that will be run by accomplished pastry chef Adrian Mendoza. The breakfast-lunch venture debuts this summer on the ground level of Symphony Towers, where Mendoza will show off his skills acquired from heading up the pastry operations at Wayfarer Bread & Pastry in La Jolla, Herb & Wood in Little Italy and other local hot spots. 750 B St.
Calling all TV dinner buffs
Visions of Salisbury steak, whipped potatoes, hot apple slices and the like are fueling a one-day TV dinner cooking contest at this year’s San Diego County Fair.
The contest is a culinary nod to the fair’s 2024 theme: “Let’s Go Retro.” It welcomes participants to create TV dinners on microwave-friendly plates, which can contain any number of breakfast or dinner items.
The contest will be held July 5. Participants must drop off their refrigerated dinners with microwave instructions between 11 am and 1 pm at the west end of the Exhibit Hall. The winners will be announced that same day as soon as judging is complete, based on how many entries are received across three divisions: Adult; youth (5 to 7 years old) and “create with me,” which welcomes one adult, and one child (ages 2 to 4).
“This is the first time we’ve ever had a TV dinner contest,” said Elena Liu, supervisor of the fair’s “home made” exhibits.
“We’re letting people get creative with their dishes, which must include two of the same dinners because of multiple judges,” she added.
Winners in each division will earn ribbons and bragging rights. Entry forms can be found at sdfair.com by entering “home made” in the top search bar. 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar.
Charitable total from Breakfast Republic
For this year’s Dining Out for Life that was held on April 25, Breakfast Republic in Hillcrest (3685 Fifth Ave.) pledged 100 percent of its sales toward the cause, and announced that it raised $3,458.49 from the event. The money generated by participating restaurants help fund The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s HIV/AIDS services and prevention programs. More than 90 restaurants took part countywide.
Breakfast Republic has multiple locations locally and falls under the Rise & Shine Hospitality Group, which also operates Fig Tree Cafe. The company ranks among San Diego’s leading philanthropists of LGBTQ charities. riseandshinerg.com.
‘Righteous chicken’ that isn’t preachy
Move over Chick-fil-A. The new Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken in Rolando originates from a company that was founded in 2012 in Durham, North Carolina, by the late Tom Ferguson, an alum of the Culinary Institute of America. Its recent San Diego debut in Rolando marks the chain’s 23rd location nationally.
What makes the chicken “righteous?” The breaded tenders are antibiotic-free, brined in buttermilk and served on fluffy scratch-made biscuits, which ranked among “the best biscuits in the U.S.” by Food & Wine Magazine several years ago.
Sandwich options feature the chicken with honey and chili pepper; smothered in pimento cheese with bacon; or in classic form with pickles and house sauce. Ham and vegetarian choices are also available. 6464 El Cajon Blvd., 858-810-6255, risebiscuitschicken.com.
Little Italy welcomes a new wine and bruschetta cafe
A vast selection of bruschetta boards are proving to be an ideal come-on to the hefty selection of wines sold at the new indoor-outdoor Postino, which was founded in Arizona about 20 years ago. The brand has since branched into several states, with another coming soon to One Paseo in Del Mar.
The wine list features a “main line up” of seasonal wines made exclusively for Postino. During happy hour, which runs generously from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, they sell for $6 a glass, with 32 oz pitchers of beer for $6 as well. The wines are also available anytime for $20 a bottle, when taking them “to go.”
Postino’s bruschettas incorporate a variety of ingredients ranging from artichokes and Mexican street corn, to figs, pistachios, smoked salmon and more.
The cafe’s décor beckons to the days when the space served as a British Motors car dealership, hence the 5,500 mechanic name tags displayed on an art wall. 2100 Kettner Blvd., 619-241-4700, postinowinecafe.com.
–Frank Sabatini Jr. has been writing about food in San Diego for over 35 years. He launched his own food blog during the pandemic, called, “The Hash Star,” which you can follow at thehashstar.com. He can be reached at [email protected].
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