Look for the opening this month of Prime 10 Steakhouse, the latest endeavor of local restaurant hero Sami Ladeki. This American steakhouse restaurant is occupying the former Cilantro's site on Via de la Valle in Del Mar. Prime 10 will feature all types of steak, from a New York to salmon to tofu, as well as chops, pork, veal and lamb. Executive Chef Hector Manjuarrez, who spent the past five years at Ruth's Chris, was also with Stuart Anderson's in the early 1990s.

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Sam Ladeki, brother of Sami, has posted for a liquor license at 554 Fourth Ave. and is buying restaurant supplies like crazy for the space formerly known as Island Boy Grill. Molly McNeill's, or so its fictitious name was published, will be an Irish themed restaurant and bar. Does he possess the Midas touch of his handsome older brother?

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Down the block at 500 Fourth Ave., permits are posted and nails are flying at the old Papa Jack's (better known as Sybil's) space. Aubergine (French for eggplant) looks to open late this month with a menu featuring plenty of grilled meats and pizzas. Executive chef will be Matt Orlando, whose résumé includes most recently the Charthouse. Jason Chase, who will serve as operations manager, also did a stint with the Charthouse. The restaurant, which seats 160, is in the throes of a complete renovation while owner Jim Lloyd's plan for the 11,000-square-foot dance club in the back is as yet unannounced. It would take a lot of grilled chickens to pay the rent back there so you can be sure he's going to have to do something quick, something that no doubt will involve dancing and alcohol.

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One block over at 314 Fifth Ave., Chef Taka has taken over the former Palais de Saigon (formerly Indochine, formerly Pachanga) space and opened Octopus Garden. His name rings a bell because he is the namesake of restaurant TAKA, the Japanese restaurant located at the corner of 5th and Market. No longer a partner in TAKA (it was too small, among others things), he opened his new restaurant in late May. This Pacific Continental restaurant and sushi bar is open seven days a week and has two beautiful dining rooms along with a sushi bar that seats 20. Heading north to Hillcrest, we’ve got Hash House A Go-Go going in at 3628 Fifth Ave. The space, which for many years was a wonderful restaurant called Celadon, has been taken over and remodeled by Andy Beardslee who will serve as chef/owner. The cuisine is described as "midwest fusion" and will feature "a little bit of everything" reports Beardslee, who by the way spent many years at Café on Park as executive chef. Johnny Rivera, also a Café on Park alumnus, will serve as g.m. Hash House will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner (and that’s a hard row to hoe). Check it out.

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Over at 530 University we have The Nose, described as a "European wine bar and bistro." The former Roman Villa spot was taken over by Peter Nedley in early June and has been receiving rave reviews. The Nose offers a full dining menu featuring more than 50 wine and 20 beer selections.

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Up the street at 406 University, Kitima, a Thai cuisine restaurant, opened last month as well. Kitima vacated its space in the Del Mar Plaza in March to make the move Downtown.
But — don’t cry for me Del Mar. New and noteworthy is Jimmy O's at 225 15th St. A complete gut and remodel was all that was needed to make the old JJ McGuire's space a swell place to hang out and have a great meal while catching a game. Eight large-screen televisions flank the wall above the bar and folks are invited to slap on a pair of earphones and tune into the game of their choice. Keith Nordling, who has operated Yogi's in Cardiff for the past 12 years, has hired talented Sabine Brown away from Pamplemousse Grille to head up the kitchen. He also brought down Vinnie Antolini from the Cardiff store to act as g.m.

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John Wingate, owner of the infamous En Fuego Mexican Grill and Cantina, also located in Del Mar, is opening a second store, again to be named En Fuego, in La Jolla this summer. Known for a big bar crowd (sometimes referred to as the "posse of perfect people"), this is sure to be a big hit down on Prospect Street where there is never a shortage of the young and attractive.

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Farther down on Prospect, Lila's (next door to George's) has reopened. Remember, I announced that it had closed a few months back. After some restructuring of the management and a reworking of the menu (with the help of Deborah Scott), Lila's is once again open for business and features the fine cuisine called "urban small plates" of Chef Danny Jarvis. Jarvis sounds familiar because he worked with the Cohn Restaurant Group for many years at the now closed Hang Ten Brewery.

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Continuing down the coast to 5509 La Jolla Blvd. in Bird Rock, Sweet Lou's, a barbecue food restaurant owned by Charger Lou Bush, has closed and has been replaced by Bird Rock Bar and Grill. Bush is now playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. Although I’m sure he is devastated at having to close this landmark, his $17 million dollar contract (that’s a lot of beef bones) will no doubt help ease the pain. The space was taken over in late May by Rod Coons, Bill Baker and Sarah Ellis, the folks down the street at Contemporary Catering. You see, Contemporary Catering didn’t have a space of their own, so they had worked for the past two years out of the kitchen of Milligan's located just down the street. Well, Milligan's closed after more than a decade of serving steaks and martinis just about the same time Bush got his sweet deal. Bird Rock Bar and Grill serves traditional American fare and is also home to Contemporary Catering.

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I am proud to announce another Hooters has graced our city, this one in Pacific Beach on Mission Boulevard in what used to be the old Diego’s Two. How apropos. Actually some of you might remember it as the Old P.B. Café where there was a lot of dancin' going on in the early 1980s. Located on the corner of Reed and Mission, Hooters opened in late May.

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P.F. Chang's China Bistro will open its second San Diego restaurant this month in Fashion Valley at 7077 Friars Road. Its UTC location was voted "Best Chinese" this year by the California Restaurant Association, and is one of my favorite restaurants as well. I absolutely love the "Soothing Lettuce Wraps" and the "Orange Peel Chicken." Mission Valley resident Tony Tahmosh will serve as operating manager and Jose Flores is executive chef.

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From the rumor mill: Milligan's in Bird Rock has been purchased by Gateway guy Ted Waite and is to be a private members-only eating and drinking club. Deborah Scott has been seen wandering around Little Italy. Is she looking for a spot to bring back her first love, Indigo Grill? Former Bayou Bar and Grill executive chef Sean Hartigan was recently seen at Park House Eatery and was overheard discussing a new restaurant to be opened in El Cajon with him at the helm. Karl Strauss is heading to Hollywood? Former Pacifica Del Mar Chef Jackie Sloan is heading up north to cook around a bit with Alice Waters, and will then return to San Diego to look for a spot to open her own restaurant.

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 food server. She is owner of Café 222, Downtown and Del Mar.