Downtown Oceanside’s Brick Hotel has transformed its former Q&A Restaurant and Oyster Bar into the new tropically themed Lobby Tiki Bar & Grill.
Operated by Grind & Prosper Hospitality, the restaurant-bar now has a retro vibe celebrating the post-World War II tiki culture. The cocktail menu by Rob McShea features rum-forward cocktails like the mai tai and zombie, many served in creative tropical glasses and cups.
The menu features American dishes with Hawaiian flair, including crab rangoon mozzarella sticks, nacho volcano, poke inari bombs, kalua tacos, island-style ceviche and Hawaiian doughnuts. There’s a happy hour from 3 to 9 p.m. Mondays, with $7 mai tais and $10 huli huli chicken wings.
The Lobby Tiki Bar & Grill opens at 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (closed Tuesdays) and at 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays at 408 Pier View Way, Suite 101, Oceanside. Visit lobbytikibar.com.
Sammy’s has a heart for Valentine’s Day
Sammy’s and Toasted Gastrobrunch restaurants are offering Valentine’s Day-themed and other promotions this month.
At Sammy’s, customers can pick up a take-home, make-your-own heart-shaped pizza kit for $14. Purchasers who a photo of their homemade pizza will be entered to win a $250 gift card to Sammy’s or Toasted.
On Valentine’s Day, Sammy’s customers can order a dinner for two for $125 that includes a shared Greek or Caesar salad, any two entrees, a shared churro or Messy Sundae for dessert, plus two glasses of house wine. And at Toasted in February, diners can order the prickly pear mimosa cocktail for just $12. For locations, visit sammyspizza.com and toasted.net.
Chocolate and wine fest returns
Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula has announced the date for its 15th Chocolate Decadence & Wine Festival, one of the largest one-day food events in the region.
The 15th annual event at 1 p.m. March 8 draws about 2,000 attendees each year for tastings of more than 100 different wine and accompanying desserts and bites made created by Pechanga’s restaurant chefs. A portion of ticket sales and proceeds from a silent auction at the event will benefit Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley. General ission tickets are $144, and early-entry (11 a.m.) VIP tickets are $175 at pechanga.com/entertain.
New chef at Puesto
San Diego native and Mexican American Raul Casillas has been appointed as Creative Chef for the Puesto, the San Diego-based Mexican restaurant company. Casillas most recently worked at the Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant Valle in Oceanside, as well as at L’Atelier in Las Vegas.
Provisional launches Sunday Supper
Provisional Kitchen at the Pendry Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter has introduced a new weekly dinner series on Sunday evenings featuring contemporary Mediterranean and Italian menus.
Chef Brandon Sloan’s prix-fixe, family-style menu, which includes a bottle of wine, will be available from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday evenings and will change monthly. February’s supper is Lasagna Bolognese with focaccia garlic bread. March’s dinner is roasted pork loin with cannellini bean ragu and honey cornbread. The price is $45 per person. Visit pendry.com/san-diego/dining/provisional/.
