Lou Lou’s Jungle Room, a 1920s-style jazz nightclub and bar with live music and a supper club menu, has opened at the Lafayette Hotel & Club in North Park at 2223 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego.
Lou Lou’s is one of the last pieces of the hotel’s $31 million makeover since it was purchased in 2021 by CH Projects of San Diego. Founder Arsalun Tafazoli’s goal was to restore the hotel to its 1946 glory. The hotel reopened last July, and its eight food and drink venues have been gradually opening one by one. The final eatery to open will be the European-style Le Horse restaurant in the spring.
Lou Lou’s is open Thursdays through Sundays only, and offers live music and a cocktail menu that offers twists on classicals, like an espresso martini, Negroni, pain killer, Caiparita and more. A prix-fixe dinner menu developed by hotel chef Ted Smith is available, for now, on Thursdays only.
Local jazz trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos will perform a monthly ticketed concert at Lou Lou’s, and touring jazz acts will also be featured in ticketed concerts. On these nights, there will be a special supper menu served before and after the concert. Concert listings can be found at loulousclub.com.
The newly renovated venue, which can accommodate up to 580 guests, retains its historic cast-concrete clam shell stage and sunken hardwood dance floor. But it’s been updated with a state-of-the-art sound system. Lou Lou’s circular bar includes a red fringed ceiling, upholstered banquettes and ornate light fixtures. The Jungle Room name comes from the hotel’s signature animal print.
Eggs in Purgatory, a brunch dish at Toasted restaurant, which recently opened in La Mesa.
(Courtesy of Toasted)
Toasted eatery opens in La Mesa
Toasted, an all-day restaurant concept created by Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza restaurant founder Sami Ladeki, opened Jan. 17 in La Mesa. Ladeki opened his first two outlets of Toasted Breakfast, Gastrobrunch and Dinner last year in Oceanside and Las Vegas. Toasted offers brunch from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 8 p.m.
Breakfast/brunch highlights include eggs Benedict specials, toasts, pancakes, Mexican dishes, smoked brisket hash and egg dishes like the sourdough loaf-topped Eggs in Purgatory. The dinner menu includes a Wagyu burger on brioche bun and some of the most popular items from the Sammy’s menu, including the chopped chicken salad, mini duck tacos, woodfired pizzas and Messy Sundae. Some of the new dinner dishes include grilled octopus and a lineup of gourmet tacos. There’s also an all-day bar menu with Bloody Marys and mimosas in the morning and cocktails, beer and wine for dinner. 8555 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa. toasted.net
Select dishes from the El Sillon tasting menu in the bar at Michelin-starred Valle restaurant in Oceanside.
(Courtesy of Deanna Sandoval)
Valle, chef-owner Roberto Alcocer’s Michelin-starred modern Mexican restaurant in Oceanside, will introduce its El Sillón Experience on Feb. 1.
Valle’s regular 8-course prix-fixe tasting menu is $180, with optional wine pairings for $150. The El Sillón, offered exclusively in Valle’s bar, will be served from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday-Sundays and will feature four courses for $110, with optional wine pairings for $105. Valle is at 222 N. Pacific St., Oceanside. For El Sillón reservations, visit valleoceanside.com.
Lamb neck tortellini at Paradisaea restaurant in La Jolla’s Bird Rock community.
(Courtesy of Paradisaea)
One month after earning recognition from the Michelin Guide as a recommended restaurant, Paradisaea has introduced a new dinner menu that moves away from the year-old restaurant’s original tropical-themed roots to focus on elevated Southern California coastal cuisine.
Owners Eric and Zoe Kleinbub worked with new executive chef Jeff Armstrong to develop the new menu, which features a mix of appetizers, entrées and sides.
Some of the new dishes are lamb neck tortellini in broth with collard greens, dry-aged amberjack crudo, veal Milanese, cavatelli pasta with oyster mushroooms and a 28-day dry-aged Prime rib chop with braised leeks. Diners can also order a prix-fixe chef’s menu for $105. Paradisaea opens for dinner at 4 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays at 5680 La Jolla Blvd., San Diego. Visit paradisaea.com.
Caffeine Crawl is back
The Ryan Brothers Coffee location in City Heights.
(Howard Lipin/Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
For the 11th year, the Caffeine Crawl will return to San Diego this weekend with choice of eight different tour routes around the city to sample brews at San Diego roasters and coffeehouses. Each crawl can accommodate up to 17 guests. Five routes will be offered on Saturday and three on Sunday. The routes are divided geographically and include four to five stops. Route 1 includes visits to the Margaritaville Coffee Shop downtown, Ryan Bros. Coffee in Barrio Logan and Cafe Moto in Hillcrest. Route 4 will include Caffeine and Green, Ryan Bros. Coffee, Light Bulb Coffee and Brew Coffee Spot, all in central San Diego. Tours are self-guided and range in price from 34.50 to $42.50. For maps and locations, visit caffeinecrawl.com
Girls Scout Cookie sales begin
The Girls Scouts of San Diego and Imperial Counties will kick off their winter sales season on Sunday. This year there are nine cookie varieties for sale, prized at $6 a box. Besides the classics (Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Samoas and Trefoils) the scouts will also be selling brownie-like Adventurefuls, S’mores, Lemon-Ups and gluten-free Toffee-tastics. Cookies will be sold from pop-up booths outside supermarkets and stores and other locations countywide. Sales end March 10. For details on where to find cookies and what varieties are available, visit girlscoutcookies.org.
San Diego Restaurant Week dates announced
The California Restaurant Association has announced that San Diego Restaurant Week will return March 3 through 10. As many as 100 restaurants in 30 San Diego County neighborhoods will participate in the bi-annual event, offering discounted prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus starting at $20. Details and participants will be announced in the coming weeks at sandiegorestaurantweek.com.
Mendocino Farms adds winter items
Mendocino Farms, which specializes in farm-fresh salads and sandwiches, has added several limited-time menu items this month. The Philly Shroomsteak Sandwich is made with Fable brand’s new meat alternative made from shiitake mushrooms. Also new is a Farmer’s Market Pesto Salad; Thai Sweet Potato Soup; Turkey Sausage & Kale Soup; Chopped Italian Chickpea Salad; Spicy Dijon Potato Salad and, on the kids menu, Pepperoni Pizza Melt. For locations, visit mendocinofarms.com.
Herb & Wood hosts GAJA wine dinner
Executive chef Carlos Anthony will serve a six-course menu paired with wines from Gaja winery in Italy’s Piedmont region at 6 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $395. 2210 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy. herbandwood.com
El Pollo Loco’s crunchy chicken taco.
El Pollo Loco brings back fried taco
El Pollo Loco has reintroduced its long-popular shredded chicken crunchy taco back to the menu. A version of this taco has been on and off the menu several times over the past nearly 20 years.
Similar in style to Jack in the Box’s crunchy tacos, the El Pollo Loco version features roasted shredded chicken and cheese inside two corn tortillas that are crisp-fried before lettuce and salsa are added on top. For locations, visit elpolloloco.com