Chicago Style Italian Comes to San Diego

by Frank Mangio

The Little Italy food-scene is undergoing a renaissance with smart new restaurants mixing it up with old fixtures like Filippi’s and Mona Lisa. Davanti’s and its sister restaurant, Mia Francesca, opening soon in Del Mar Highlands Center, comes from Chicago’s Little Italy and owner/chef Scott Harris. The food is Roman/Tuscan with a big emphasis on small bites, and food as a social experience.

Taste of Wine columnist Frank Mangio holds a Davanti style “menu” as General Manager Josh Zanow points out the wines which are 50% Italian.

Davanti has that neighborhood, rustic bar feel that you would see in the farm villages and fishing communities of Italy. “We are all about treating diners as family and serving them fresh foods that they will talk about and bring others to enjoy,” said Harris. I saw people come by the airy front entrance and the wait help greeted them with their first name. Many of them lived on the same street: typical of a Chicago style eating house.

Josh Zanow is the impassioned General Manager of Davanti who worked under the legendary Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Napa Valley, then moved over to the wine side and went to work at the respected Plumpjack Winery nearby. As you may have guessed, Plumpjack is one of the premium wines on Davanti’s list.

Zanow has 20 wines by the glass, plus the option of ordering wine by the ½ carafe as well as the bottle. Beside Plumpjack Cabernet, I tried the La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino which is Italy’s wine-royalty. We all toasted our lunches with a La Fiera Moscato from Puglia. “Helps with digestion”, someone commented.

Late afternoons after work or touring, Davanti has an outdoor patio on warm days, or the bar in the middle of the dining room, for a 2 hour unique menu of food and drink. Street tables are coming soon for an authentic trattoria feel. “We made a calculated decision to make this a truly family style restaurant,” Zanow asserted. “We did not put any TV’s or video games in. We want families to gather, eat and talk.”

Next I had to compliment Executive Chef Jonathan Batty on his Bistecca con Ravanelli e Funghi, an oven roasted tri tip steak with roasted radish and grilled oyster mushroom. It wasn’t the usual old-country breaded version, as chef felt it was more palatable for new-world foodies in this style. Chef also supervises the Chicago operation. Plans are to offer a Sunday brunch from 10 to 2pm starting in Mid October.

Davanti Enoteca is still another Italian Restaurant in the Little Italy District, with lovely lunches, an upbeat indoor-outdoor happy hour, and dinners are flavorful and easy to digest. Yet the techniques of modern hospitality blending with traditional Italian style gatherings, define the restaurant and the neighborhood through food and wine.

Josh Zanow with his kitchen and bar team are out-reaching for a kind of hospitality that is unique to this neighborhood. Visit Davanti at www.davantisandiego.com, or call at 619-237-9606.

Wine Bytes

Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula has a Brown Derby Cigar Night, with a dinner, entertainment and great wines Fri. Oct. 14 from 6 to 10pm. $100. pp. $90. wine club. RSVP at 951-699-9463.

Wine Styles in Encinitas is planning a John Alan Winery Tasting Sat. Oct. 15 from 5 to 8pm. This Paso Robles wine choice is the #1 seller at Wine Styles. $14. reg. price, $12. for members. 760-633-0057.

Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido presents Micheal David Wines Sat. Oct. 15 from 2 to 4pm. $10. pp. RSVP at 760-745-1200.

Orfila Vineyards and Winery has a Concert in the Vines for Sun. Oct. 16 from 6 to 8pm. Features Stoney B Blues Band and the Super Q Catering. Includes a glass of Orfila Wine, all for $25. Call 760-738-6500 for more.

La Jolla Gallery offers a Wine, Walk and Taste event for Thurs. Oct. 20 from 5 to 9pm. Tour over 15 galleries while sampling red and white wines. Food sampling included for $40. pre pay, $45. day of event. Details at 619-233-5008.

San Antonio’s L.A. Winery has a Tasting Room Grand Opening and A Day in Tuscany 4 course Luncheon and Wine Tasting Sat. and Sun. Oct. 22 and 23 from 1 to 4pm. Downtown L.A. $75. pp. Call 888-223-1401.

Screw Cap Wine Bottle Closures Gain in Popularity

by Frank Mangio

In what could be an inflection point in the wine industry, an announcement came out recently from the 4th largest winery in the state of Washington that Hogue Cellars, as a “result of groundbreaking research” is moving 100% of its wine production to screwcap closures.

It took Hogue Cellars about 5 years to arrive at the decision that screwcaps were the ideal closure for “preserving and aging wines.”I have long felt that screwcaps have a place in the wine world. You cannot beat Hogue Cellars of Washington is now using Screwcap Closures (photo) on all their wines. the convenience in eliminating the corkscrew opener. In the research, screwcap closures were proven to hold fruit flavors and aromas without reducing the character of the wines. Sure, corks will always be a part of the ritual of opening a powerful and expensive wine in a 5 star restaurant.

There is something to getting your moneys’ worth in this condescending approach to the pampering of the wine experience. But in this Hogue Cellars study which is the most extensive one ever, the right type of screwcap closure allows better preservation and quality compared to natural cork closures,due to a controlled ratio of oxygen to come in contact with the wine.

Over 3,200 samples were tested over 5 years. In blind samplings, the screwcap closure had the best taste consistency. “It all comes down to quality,” said Hogue Director of Winemaking Coman Dinn. “We want customers to know that when they purchase a bottle of Hogue Cellars wine, whether it’s to enjoy that night or in 5 years, the wine in the bottle will be fresh because it has been sealed in the best closure currently on the market.”

Try the Hogue Cellars 2008 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Merlot, Lemberger and Syrah, for an example of a beautifully crafted complex red ( $11.) with the newest generation of a screwcap closure. www.hoguecellars.com

“La Familia” Wines of Napa Valley

The roots of the wine world can be truly traced to husband and wife, father and son or daughter and generally can be said to be Italian in origin, in the sweeping fields of Napa and Sonoma.

In the story of Carolyn Lawrence of Leo Joseph Wines, going back to 2002, it was four generations of women learning as they went; from Carolyn’s 100 + year old mother, her daughter to her granddaughter. At the family home in St. Helena, they had planted nearly an acre of vines around the family home and began producing wines starting with the 2005 vintage. The vineyard yields 3 ½ tons of Cabernet and almost ½ ton of Cab Franc.

Carolyn Lawrence Murphy and husband Bill display their Napa Valley Cabernet vintages at a Sons of Italy gathering in Carlsbad.

Leo Joseph was her father who was born and raised in St Helena. For more on the wines and how to purchase, access www.leojosephwines.com.

Wine Bytes

§ Laguna Canyon Winery’s next monthly tasting is Fri.Aug. 5 from 6 to 9pm. For $35. ea. select from 15 different wines including Brut Champagne. Appetizers include assorted cheeses and grapes. RSVP at 949-715-1621.

§ Tesoro Winery in Temecula has the Valley Winds Swing Band Fri. Aug. 5 and 19, from 6 to 9pm just outside the tasting room in Old Town. Free Admission. Call 951-308-0000.

§ The San Diego Wine Country Festival is Sat Aug 6 from 1 to 5pm at Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo. Nearly 20 wineries in San Diego County are pouring. Education booths to learn how to make wine. Music and food add to the festivities. $20. admission. Food extra. Call 858-487-1866 x 115 for more.

§ The Venetian Masquerade is coming to Little Italy in San Diego Sat. Aug. 13, 6 to 10pm in Amici Park . Come in Costume. Italian music, food, dance and art. Silent auction. $100. pp. Tickets at www.ferragostosd.org.

§ Schlossadler International Wines in Oceanside has its annual Warehouse Tasting Sat. Aug. 13 from 2 to 5pm. Open to the public for $15. ( buy a bottle and get a your admission applied to the wine) Music, food, wines from around the world. More by calling 800-371-9463.

News from Little Italy Mercato

GROW YOUR OWN
Urban Plantations is back at the Mercato this week, demonstrating ways to fit a thriving vegetable garden into the tightest of urban spaces. Whether you're ready to embrace the “food, not lawns” concept in your front yard, have a small sunny patio or even a wall for vertical planters, Karen Contreras can help you design and maintain a crop perfect for your location. Urban Plantations is at the Mercato every other weekend – see them this on Date Street this Saturday.

BERRY, BERRY NICE
Strawberries sold out early at last week's Mercato. Not surprising, since the big, ripe berries offered a mouthful of summer. Kawano Farms promises to bring even more this weekend, but you probably still want to get yours early. Our new favorite way to enjoy them? Dipped in a luscious lemon quark (think a cross between crème fraiche and cream cheese) from Springhill Farms. Yum! Check out what San Diego Foodstuff had to say about berries and other new offerings.

FROM THE MERCATO TO YOU
Does your downtown San Diego condo community or apartment complex have a community room? Do the residents appreciate special events? Let us visit your homeowners and give them a taste of the Mercato in their own building. We'll bring wonderful Mercato offerings and demonstrate delicious recipes. Contact mercato@littleitalysd.com or call 619.233.3769 to schedule your visit.

SUPER SATURDAY NEXT WEEK
Watch for special programs at the Mercato the last Saturday of each month in 2009, featuring lifestyle businesses and Little Italy shops. On Saturday, January 31, we'll be featuring natural Beauty and Fitness products and services at the Top of the Market, between State and Union. What a great way to spend Superbowl Saturday – shop the Mercato for Sunday big-game snacks, then indulge yourself with a facial or a yoga workout.

HOLY GUACAMOLE, BATMAN!

Courtesy of Little Italy Mercado
Photos by Tim Stahl and April Gillette

With Comic-Con 2008 in full swing, don't be surprised if you find yourself sharing the Little Italy Mercato with costumed Caped Crusaders or Alien Hominids. Hey, superheroes gotta eat too, and where better to shop for ripe farm fresh avocados and heirloom tomatoes, green onions and juicy limes ready to be smushed into a perfect guacamole than at the Mercato? Pick up a few rotisserie chickens from Grill Masters, Chi Cuisine dips or Baba Foods hummus and pita chips, Burning Sensations salsa and you've got a meal perfect for eating in your hotel room or on a bench at the Embarcadero. Or in the comfort of your own home, of course.

AND FOR DESSERT
We're partial to sweet, ripe nectarines, strawberries and watermelon from our farm stands. Pair a perfect piece of fruit with a chewy oatmeal cookie or delicate lemon bar from Montana's, or a brownie from Bread & Cie for a luscious ending to a Mercato meal.

HOW DO YOU GET TO THE MERCATO?
Plenty of our shoppers walk from their homes in Little Italy, the Marina, or Banker's Hill. Biking along the harbor to the Mercato is popular. Others grab the Blue Line trolley from Old Town or Middletown, and folks in the Gaslamp can take that line or pick up the Orange Line at the Convention Center, then switch to Blue or walk from American Station. From the County Center/Little Italy stop, walk just a block East to India and a block North to Date and you're in the heart of the Mercato.

THE MERC-ART-O MOVES UP
Looking for the perfect gift or indulging yourself, you'll find that special something at the top of the market. From State Street to Union, find cutting boards and wine stoppers, jewelry from local designers, handmade cards, soaps and yarn, and the perfect tote from recycled billboards to carry it all home.