Kiva, Flemings And Bugs

A hot San Diego restaurant spot is about to get a new steak house; backyard bug zappers can ruin a buffet

As many know, Kiva Grill closed early this year. Now word is out that Flemings Prime Steakhouse has signed a 10-year, $2.1 million lease for the 6,200-square-foot restaurant space at the Aventine in UTC. Flemings is a high-end steak house, sort of in the Morton's, Ruth's Chris league. This will be its second location; the first is at Fashion Island in Orange County. ***     Congrats to Loews Coronado Bay Resort for winning the 1999 Pinnacle Award from Successful Meetings. The hotel will be featured in the August issue of the magazine as well as included in a guide used by meeting planners all over the country. ***     Tupelo Restaurant hosts a Santa Barbara winemakers' dinner July 21. Chef Gerard Viverito will present a five-course dinner featuring specialties such as "Raspberry and Lemongrass Soup" and "Osso Buco of Lamb with Roasted Garlic Demi Glace and Wild Mushroom Risotto." Each course will be complemented by a corresponding red wine from the Byron, Cambria, Foxen and Zaca Mesa wineries. The event begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7. The cost is $70 per person. Call (619) 231-3140 for reservations. ***     Kensington Grill (a restaurant I happen to love) now features live musical entertainment every Saturday night. Have dinner, or just "hang" at the bar and enjoy performances by local musicians of all styles, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ***     Anthony's Fish Grotto has unveiled a new menu at all its restaurants. Anthony's, which has been famous for its hand-battered and fried dishes since first opening in 1946, is lightening things up a bit. While it continues to feature many of its most popular and classic items, such as fish and chips, many new entrées are now offered, such as seasonal mesquite-grilled, char-grilled and flame-broiled catches. Beverly Mascari, an Anthony's co-owner, says that "trends have changed and people are more conscious of healthful eating, so we decided to take a look at our menu and adapt it." ***     Some tidbits: Avenue, a trendy New York bistro on the upper West Side, has started to cater to what may be the most persnickety of palates: babies. Chef Scott Campbell put together a menu of baby food after noticing that many of his customers in the tony neighborhood dine with a stroller at their side. So along with their parents' "Steak Frites and Croque Monsieur," babies can start with creamy Irish oatmeal or Cream of Wheat with bananas and peanut butter. They then can move on to purée of carrots with potato or tomato. Finally, for dessert they can choose from vanilla custard or purée of apples with cream. The baby food is served in small mason jars; prices range from $3.25 to $4.50.     Now before you think that’s too much, let me offer this observation: I recently opened a second food shop in Del Mar, and I personally have been asked in the last few months to: Serve water in bowls to all the dogs seated on the patio. Serve complimentary dog biscuits to all the dogs seated on the patio. And last week I was asked how much I would charge to cook a hamburger for a dog seated on my patio. (I asked if the dog is a good tipper; the dog's owner evidently left her sense of humor at home that day.) ***     And the latest big food story from CNN "Food Interactive" is: Don't eat food near bug zappers. Researchers suggest moving the devices to a remote corner of the yard. James Urban, a microbiologist at Kansas State University, says that zappers and food should be kept apart because while they are killing insects, the devices can spread bacteria or viruses up to six feet away. (I suppose when the insect explodes).     "We should not use those devices in certain areas," Urban says. "It shouldn't be hanging above the condiment tray at your picnic." (Exactly where I hang mine.)     Research on this important subject began three years ago and will continue this summer. (Watch for men in lab jackets at your family reunion - one of them may be Dr. Urban.) Terryl Gavre spends her entire day thinking about what she is going to eat for dinner. She believes the world would be a better place if everyone worked once as a foodserver. She is owner of Café 222, Downtown and Del Mar.

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