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Asian-infusion Wang's North Park has (soft) opened their doors. Located in the old JC Penny building at 3029 University Avenue at Ray Street, the huge space has been transformed in to a modern and swank restaurant and bar. The motif here is centered around trees (their Palm Springs location is centered on water), with a large metal tree standing as the centerpiece, and individual elements throughout the space echoing tree branches. While there's nary a carpet thread to be found, the high ceilings dissapate the noise level so it's possible to have a conversation without having to scream (as too many other restaurants suffer from).
Most rewarding however is the food itself. Our party of four loved each of the dishes we sampled (with the Korean ribs a particular stand-out). Staff are still working out the kinks, as to be expected with a soft opening, but were stellar in their attitude and attempts to please.
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Hot new retailer Aloha Sunday Supply Company has opened its doors at 3118 University Avenue. The retailer offers a mix of mostly new with some vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories, with a major focus on supporting local based clothing designers and manufacturers.
The store also carries beautiful leather satchels, jewelry, surfboards, and accessories.
There's a well-produced video about how the new interior has largely been constructed using materials reclaimed from Northern Origine over on Vimeo.
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The store also has a robust collection of vinyl records and carries vintage jewelry as well. The shop has a quite the fan club over on Yelp, and should be a hit with the hipster crowd in the neighborhood.
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Located where Drowsy Maggie's once was (3085 University Avenue [MAP]), the completely re-built building sports brick walls, exposed beam ceilings, and the Basic/Urbn Pizza signature 'big-ass fan'. Groovy low-level lighting and two large garage doors that open out to the street create a lively yet relaxing space.
All the better to enjoy Basic/Urbn's fantastic thin-crust pizza, gorgeous and tasty salads, and wide selection of beer, wine, and harder libations.
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The store offers the same mix of products found at all their locations, with a focus on organic and store-brand products outweighing national brands.
Architecturally, the facade is modern-esque and is slightly better than what one typically finds with these new developments. Positively, windows on the North side of the grocery store provide some stunning views of mountains, minimizing any feeling of claustrophobia one might get. Considering the other grocery choices currently available in the neighborhood, one expects this store to do quite well financially.
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Decorated with bamboo, tree cut-outs, and photos of Thailand, the atmosphere is quite pleasant, though typically noisy (as a result of hard floor and ceiling). Service is gracious and attentive. Most importantly, the food we sampled left us happy and excited to return to try other items. Stop by and welcome to the neighborhood.
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A mix of new and restored clothing, shoes, hats and accessories at extremely resonable prices awaits the shopper. Vintage Mickey Mouse t-shirts hang next to plaid from who know which decade...it doesn't really matter, because whomever is doing the stocking has an eye for style.
The space has been transformed from a high-end boutique to a open-beamed, artist-inspired stop, with groovy music and amiable sales assistants ready to help out. This is the second location of Home, with the first store up in Encinitas. Stop by and say hello at 3013 University Avenue.
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Located at 3926 30th Street, the space that once housed Apertivo has been transformed in to an extraordinary space. What once could be described charitably as a drab Denny's now showcases a exposed beam vaulted ceiling that not only creates wonderful atmosphere, but also goes a long way in addressing the bad acoustics that haunted the space previously. The owners have removed any front-facing windows, creating a speakeasy feel, with moody lighting, music, and bar area.
Conceptually the food is Baja-inspired tapas plates, with enough variation to easily satisfy the adventurous diner. Dishes we saw included octopus, rabbit, beef cheek, and chicken spleens, with a fair amount of vegetarian options to boot (see full menu). Beer and wine are available, but no hard liquor.
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ll Postino (by Arrivederci) Yelp* has opened their doors at 3858 30th Street, San Diego, in the La Boheme building.
Il Postino translates to the postman, and the decor of the restaurant reflects imagery from the 1998 film of the same name (bicycles, postal graphics, etc.) It's an interesting mix of industrial, modern, and old-world decor, and it works surprisingly well.
The restaurant offers an extensive menu of appetizers, salads, pastas, and entrees, at reasonable (mid-range) prices. A full-bar inhabits the center space, with a large wine bar area to the right, and main dining area and pizza oven over to the left
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The Smoking Goat Yelp* has opened to the public at 3408 30th Street, San Diego, right next to North Park Fish and Grill.
The interiors of the former Commonwealth Cafe space are gorgeous, designed by local architectural firm Bells and Whistles (who also designed The Starlite Lounge). Warm lighting and rustic French decor create a cozy intimate space.
Dinner options include Steak au Poivre, braised beef short ribs, crab cakes, homemade ravioli, and duckfat truffle fries. Lunch options include pulled chicken sandwiches, burger on a brioche, and assorted salads. Breakfast is available on the weekends and includes typical early day fare.
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West Coast Tavern Yelp* has opened at 2895 University Avenue, San Diego, former home of Hawthorne's.
The new restaurant/bar is warm and inviting, and has done a wonderful job at updating the space. Even better, the new menu, consisting of small plates created by Urban Solace's Yelp* chef Matt Gordon, is quite affordable. Add to the mix an extensive selection of hard liquor, beers, and wines and you've got the makings for a great evening out.
updates
January 31, 2012
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.................. Glenn's Market is moving one block East of their current location, from 29th and University, to Granada and University. They removed their pretty fantastic neon-lit signage this past week and plan on installing it at the new location. .................. January 17, 2012 Wang's North Park has announced their Grand Opening celebration to be held over two days at the end of January. Friday, January 27 will feature an "all-night happy hour", while Saturday, January 28 will feature the "restaurant blessing" and "ceremonial New Year dances". .................. December 29, 2011 Casa de Luz is beginning to show major progress in both the interior and exterior of the new vegan restaurant. See a detailed photo here. .................. The holidays have brought a huge influx of foodies and craft beer fans to North Park, with a walk-by survey showing good sized mid-week crowds at Il Postino, West Coast Tavern, Urbn Pizza, Riki Sushi, Urban Solace, Sipz Vegitarian, Caffe Calabria, Street Side Thai, and North Park Sushi. .................. December 18, 2011 Oprah Winfrey is apparently a big fan of local restaurant/peanut butter haven Spread, featuring them on her website as one of "O's Favorite Things: 2011 Gift Guide". .................. In case you missed the news, Carnita's Snack Shack officially opened, and the reviews on Yelp are good. .................. December 5, 2011
.................. December 3, 2011 Sipz Fusion Cafe opened their doors on December 1st. Offering vegetarian fare, with most dishes also meeting vegan standards, they have a comfortable space at 3930 30th Street, two doors up from Rancho's. They also have quite a delectable display of desserts in the front case! .................. November 27, 2011 We that Carnita's Snack Shack, while behind schedule, is close to opening. They posted on Facebook this week that they're received their final approvals from the city and expect to be open any day. .................. Seven Grand found they had much more work to do before opening so have missed their November opening. While hoping to be open before New Year's, it's looking like mid-January is more likely. .................. November 6, 2011 Clothing retailer Alwayz In has shuttered their doors. Located at 2980 North Park Way in the bottom of the parking garage, this was the former space of Mesh Clothing, and it seems that it's a tough place for a retail because of relatively low-visibility (especially compared to 30th Street or University Avenue). .................. November 1, 2011 The second Community Workshop for the North Park Mini-Park behind the North Park Theater has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 16 at 6:30pm (open house starts at 5:30pm). This second workshop will be held at the Jefferson Elementary School gymnasium at 3770 Utah Street. This is a great opportunity to participate in creating a public space for North Park that will accommodate many functions, and will tie in to the new public-use field being built along Utah Street. .................. October 27, 2011
.................. October 23, 2011 Tiger Tiger, the new restaurant from the owners of Blind Lady Ale House, has opened at 3025 El Cajon Boulevard, the former location of SoHo restaurant. Looks like another place with a decent collection of craft beers. .................. Work continues at a furious pace on Wang's North Park, with the interior looking quite lux. Still, by the looks of things, it won't make the October debut they were hoping for. Work on the whiskey bar Seven Grand also continues, and we'd be shocked if they make their planned November 15th target date. When we last looked inside two weeks ago, the interior was stripped down to the studs and the floor was completely removed. .................. September 30, 2011 This and that... Remington Tattoo has announced a grand opening party on October 8th at 8pm... 30th Street Cafe has re-opened with their larger kitchen and enhanced food offerings... We received a tip that the owner's of Blind Lady Ale House have taken over the old SOHO restaurant space on El Cajon Boulevard and plan to open a new eatery called Tiger! Tiger! .................. September 24, 2011
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.................. We hear that The Smoking Goat is planning on taking over the old North Park Fish Market space to take advantage of the larger dining area, and are considering either a deli or bakery for the existing space once they move. How fabulous would a French patisserie in the neighborhood be? .................. August 31, 2011
.................. The San Diego Reader has an glowing article/review on Caffee Calabria's evening pizza service (which we recently experienced first-hand). We found the food exquisite and the atmosphere charming, as did the reviewer. .................. August 20, 2011 This-n-that... 30th Street Cafe Yelp* will be reopening after their kitchen remodel on September 3-4... HD Tattoo has changed it's name to Saint Hillix Tattoo... Material has announced that they're closing their doors, probably by the first week in September... The North Park Independent Bazar (sic - yes they really misspelled it on their flyer), featuring fashion from local designers and hand crafted jewelry has started up. The Bazaar is open every Saturday from 1-6pm at Queen Bee's, 3925 Ohio Street. .................. August 20, 2011
.................. August 14, 2011 Classic Rock Sandwich Shoppe, located at 3042 North Park Way, will be opening their doors on Tuesday, August 16. We stopped by today and met the owner Cheryl, who shared their extensive menu of sandwiches, salads, and soon-to-come soups. We're especially excited to see that all their breads hail from Bread & Cie; that suggests serious dedication to the art of sandwiches! Current plans call for them to be open until 5:30pm each day (but we secretly hope they'll stay open later for the worker bees who come home to North Park each night and need something delicious). ..................
.................. Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga is scheduled to open on September 7th in the space recently occupied by the dance studio at the corner of 30th and North Park Way. .................. August 3, 2011
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.................. North Park's first bike corral has been approved for Kansas Street next to Claire de Lune. Other prospective bike corral locations are currently being scouted for the neighborhood. .................. July 19, 2011
.................. Riki Sushi, located at 3930 30th Street (where Old World Deli once lived) has opened their doors. .................. July 16, 2011
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STORETIPSThe opinions expressed on this site are those of the owner (except
those expressed on the blog), and have no connection to any city or community entity.