Lesly and David Cohn are turning the old Gaslamp
Quarter Sfuzzi into Flora Café, their sixth restaurant

    David and Lesly Cohn ...do you people ever sleep? Now I can sorta see opening five or 10 restaurants of the same concept-Morton's, The Fishmarket, etc. But five restaurants with five different themes, are you two crazy? Not quite crazy enough, I guess, because ladies and gentlemen, No. 6 is in the oven (so to speak). The newest eatery brought to you by Hard Work Inc. (the Cohns' corporate name) is Flora Café. Described as "Regional American Cuisine," Flora will open on Fifth Avenue in the old Sfuzzi space in early October. Down in the Gaslamp Quarter, Sfuzzi went to chain restaurant heaven a couple of months ago, along with next door neighbor Ruby's Diner , which went about six months before that.

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    Speaking of next door, the Ruby's space also is getting a facelift. Supper Club A-Go-Go (due to open mid- October) is being designed by Perry Jacobs and Associates for partners Lisa Townsend and Gene Stokes. I’ve been told it’s "James Bond meets Las Vegas" theme, whatever that means. House band Biff Chihuahua and the Metropolitans will be singing up songs by who else but Frank Sinatra and Julie London . The restaurant will offer a full dinner and martini menu; maybe some of us in the older set will have a place to go on Fifth Avenue and hang out after dark.

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    And...speaking of dark (Don't worry, I won’t be able to keep tying things in like that. It was a fluke.) Has anyone noticed that the lights went out at Cramer's Bakery and Restaurant , Downtown at the corner of B and Columbia streets? Chef Gunther Emathinger threw in the dish towel for good on May 1. It’s a tough location, I hear, although Karl Strauss's Old Columbia Brewery and Restaurant seems to kick some serious butt next door. The good news is that Gunther is cooking for the folks at Karl Strauss (funny how that worked out) up in Sorrento Mesa at their Brewery Gardens Restaurant located in the Tech Center off Scranton Road.

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    But the lights will soon be coming on again at the Old B Street Bar and Grill space...remember that place? I, for one, sure do. I zipped myself up into a spandex dress many a night slinging cocktails to the music of Hollis Gentry. Rumor has it that Buca di Beppo is looking hard at the space. Buca, a chain of 12 mostly in the Middle West, has just worked its way to California by way of Seattle and last stop Palo Alto. I just happened to be in Palo Alto a few weeks ago and some friends wanted to try it. I struck up a conversation with, of all people, Joe Micatrotto, who happens to be the founder and CEO. I assumed he was a busboy or assistant manager because it seemed his only duty was to run from room to room clapping his hands. When I asked him why he was clapping his hands he told me he was trying to get the energy level up a few notches. Well, I had to laugh because he reminded me of one of those organ grinder monkeys smiling and scurrying around rather jerkily clapping his hands for really no reason at all.
So we started talking and he told me that they are definitely bringing their "Immigrant Family Style Italian" restaurant to San Diego next. Buca di Beppo means by way of the cave.

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    John and Martha Culbertson are back doing what they do best, making wine. Bellefleur Winery and Restaurant is due to open on Oct. 28 in Carlsbad.
    Martha is overseeing all phases of the restaurant which is being designed by Graham Downes Design and Architecture . She has hired Executive Chef Thomas Atkins , formerly sous chef at Bradley Odgen's One Market in San Francisco, to impart the Tuscan style winery and restaurant's menu.

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    The Holiday Inn Harbor View just finished its $4 million renovation last month. The round Downtown hotel located where Interstate 5 ducks under First Avenue has completely updated and refreshed all 202 rooms. The top floor restaurant has been moved to the lobby and is more of a Café style "Grab and Go" concept called Hazelwood's Café . Additional guest rooms will be built on the 16th floor where the restaurant was located.

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    Mary Papas of Athen's Market is giving one of her lucky customers a free trip to Greece. She has introduced happy hour again to her Downtown taverna and as a promotion is having customers drop a business card in a big fishbowl for a weekly Friday drawing. Weekly winners receive a gift certificate and a chance to be entered in the grand prize drawing May 15, 1998. The winner will receive a free trip for one to Greece. I’ll bet if Mary agreed to go along on the trip herself she would find every business card from the Federal Building in that fishbowl. Everybody loves Mary.

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    Six restaurants have signed leases at Café Terrace which is part of the Fashion Valley expansion and renovation project due to be completed in October. Café Terrace offers a bistro ambiance and beautiful landscaping to the group of quick-style cafés, restaurants and a wine bar. Blueberry Hill , out of Toronto, Canada serves gourmet hamburgers, veggie burgers and chicken burgers with 20 different toppings. Paradise Bakery , besides their baked goods, will be offering sandwiches, soups and salads. Olé Café , founded by two of the three partners in the popular Downtown Olé Madrid , will present authentic Spanish and Mediterranean food. Another Mediterranean restaurant will be joining Café Terrace via Sacramento, Café Socrates , featuring classic Greek gyros, chicken gyros as well as an array of salads. China Inn , a privately owned chain of 10, will open its first location in San Diego at the Café Terrace . This Szechuan restaurant uses no MSG and will feature an open display kitchen.

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    Finally, it brings me much pleasure to be the one to announce the opening of....get this...Crabby Bob's Restaurant. Don't ya just love it? Seafood perhaps? They just signed a 10-year lease at Hazard Center in the old Carlos Murphy's space. Soon as it opens I’ll do a review on it...I only hope that there's a guy named Bob running around in a bib clanking together two pair of crab-crackers. I’ll let you know.

    Terryl Gavre spends her entire day thinking about what she is going to have for dinner. Her favorite food is mayonnaise. She is chef/owner of Cafe 222 Downtown.