For those who loved/miss the Bayou Bar and Grill, here’s some good news. Bud Deslatte, who originally opened the Bayou, and his partner Rob Adams, have returned to open Bud’s Louisiana Food Shoppe after several years (and several restaurants) away from San Diego. Located at 2034 Kettner Blvd., this shoebox-sized eatery offers authentic and delicious New Orleans cuisine. The two sold the Bayou in 1995 and went to the Bay area where they opened CreoLa in San Carlos, a dinner house similar to the Bayou. They sold CreoLa in 2000 to the chef de cuisine (it’s still going strong) and went to Portland, Ore., where they opened Arcadia, another dinner house.

Bud’s Louisiana offers items like “Cupa-Cupa-Cupa,” a cup of gumbo, a cup of red beans and a cup of jambalaya, “Shrimp Creole,” “Crawfish Étouffée” and a variety of “Po Boys” for dining in or taking out. Bud is doing most of the cooking so you can be guaranteed that he’s using his beloved Bayou recipes.

A related side note: the Market Street Bar and Grill which had been located in the former Bayou Bar and Grill space on Market Street closed in the middle of November after less than a year of operation. Too bad — they had great wings.

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The delayed and much-anticipated Tesoro Restaurant opened its Downtown doors last month at 548 Fifth Ave. Construction delays were cited as the reason for its much later than originally planned opening. Rossana Hussong, former g.m. at Aqua al 2 and distant relative of the Hussong family of Ensenada, will serve as g.m. and David Salgado as executive chef. Cuisine is upscale authentic regional Mexican.

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Jesse Paul is the new executive chef at Downtown’s Star of the Sea restaurant. He replaces Paul McCabe who left for the same position at L’Auberge Del Mar in February. Paul, a 2000 graduate of The Art Institute of Los Angeles’ School of Culinary Arts, has worked at some of San Diego’s better known restaurants, such as Top of the Cove and L’Auberge Resort and Spa in Del Mar.

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Check out the rooftop bar coming to the new Marriott Gaslamp Quarter Hotel located at Sixth Avenue and K Street. Perched on the 22nd floor of the 306-room hotel that opens Dec. 30, the bar is named Altitude. It opens in January and is another fine concept from the people at Cb5 Restaurant Group.

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Patricia Walsh, former executive director of the San Diego chapter of the California Restaurant Association, has gone solo. Last month Walsh launched Epicurus, a marketing, communications and event-planning service. She began her professional career as a journalist for Pacific Stars and Stripes in Tokyo before moving to San Diego. She served as editor for both the Coronado Journal (1986-1988) and the La Jolla Light (1988-1989). She took off several years to raise her son and then in 1995 she resumed her career as the national director of public relations for the Coronado Visitors Bureau, a post she held until she took the CRA position in 1999. Walsh was an indefatigable crusader and strong fund-raising force for the restaurant association, and there is no doubt her boundless energy will lead her to much success in her new venture. Visit epicuruscommunicationsandevents.com for more.

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Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa has named Jesse Frost as executive chef. “The food will have more organic products and have a lot of thought put into it,” says Frost. “The light fresh cuisine will cleanse the body and rejuvenate the mind.” Frost trained at the California Culinary Academy and most recently worked as chef de cuisine at the Prince of Wales in Coronado and as the sous chef for El Bizcocho at The Rancho Bernardo Inn.

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Speaking of El Bizcocho, the restaurant just lifted the “Jacket Required” rule. Gee, restaurants still do that?

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Fabrice Tissier is the new chef de cuisine at Sally’s Restaurant at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel. Tissier received his formal culinary education at the Centre De Formation Pour Apprentis and trained at the Hotel du Crillon in Paris and most recently served as executive chef at the Market Street Bar and Grill in Washington, D.C.

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Want to get up close and personal with one of San Diego’s top chefs? Beginning early next year, diners will have their chance to “Dine with the Chef” at Arterra Restaurant in Del Mar. Two guests per evening will be able to reserve a seat “on the line,” so close to the kitchen they will literally feel the heat of the flames on their cheeks. Diners will taste their way through the evening’s menu with Executive Chef Carl Schroeder while watching the inner workings of one of the busiest kitchens in the city. Menu (and prices) will vary from night to night. Call (858) 369-6032 for more.

Terryl Gavre believes the world would be a better place if everyone worked once as a foodserver. She is owner of Café 222, Downtown, and can be reached at (619) 233-4060, Ext. 316, or terryl@sandiegometro.com.