Check out Soleil @ K (pronounced soh-lay at K), in the new San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Hotel at Sixth Avenue and K Street, Downtown. The restaurant is another cb5 Restaurant Group concept and is owned and operated by the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter Hotel. Well known and respected as a restaurant consulting and management group, cb5 also is responsible for the concepts of RICE at the Hotel W and China Doll at the Wyndham Hotel. The cuisine is contemporary California blended with Mediterranean influences. Executive Chef Stephen Clickner, a veteran of the cb5 organization, was executive chef at cb5’s restaurant Zoe Bistro, located at the Hotel W New Orleans and most recently held the position of chef de cuisine at RICE in San Diego.

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The Kimpton Group’s Hotel Solamar is slated to open in April at the corner of Sixth and J Street, Downtown. The 235-room hotel will be home to a new restaurant called J Six and a 234-seat bar and pool deck named J Street Bar. J Six will feature California cuisine with a Pacific Rim influence. The executive chef has yet to be named. More to come.

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After months of swirling rumors, the deal finally did get done. In January, Laurel Restaurant and Bar was taken over by Tracy Borkum and her Urban Kitchen Group (CHIVE, Kensington Grill). The name will remain Laurel and changes to the interior will happen slowly. Fabrice Poigin, executive chef for Urban Kitchen Group, will oversee the menu.

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Sage Grill, the casual neighborhood eatery in Encinitas, has added a new seafood bar. Patrons are offered a panoply of seafood cocktail-themed dishes featuring a house specialty, lobster, tiger prawn, shrimp, scallop and watermelon ceviche. It also boasts a large variety of fresh cold-water oysters on the halfshell and oyster shooters as well as typical oyster bar favorites like chili-lime calamari and crab cakes.

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Food service was discontinued for 10 days last month at The University Club while the kitchen underwent a major remodel. The dining room and parts of the lobby underwent a “sprucing up” with new furniture and a new paint job in the main dining room, Chairman’s room and wine cellar. Executive Chef Eric Mauritzen is especially pleased with his new bright red, slip proof (“anything proof”) floor.

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Downtown Carlsbad is welcoming a new gourmet food store, Sonoma Valley Market, which opened at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive in the Village Faire Shopping Center. The store will carry about 2,600 gourmet items. In addition to farm-fresh produce, fine meats, poultry and seafood, SVM will carry local favorites, Bread and Cie breads and pollen-based spices from Bernard Guillas, executive chef at The Marine Room as well as Karen Krasne’s Extraordinary Desserts.

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Have you seen what they’re doing at Sumo Sushi? At this new, funky little sushi bar and restaurant, the ready-made sushi floats by on little “boats” and for diners to grab. Sushi chefs quickly fill empty boats with new items. The concept is not new, but is the first in San Diego and Sumo Sushi has become a very popular lunch spot for the Downtown crowd. It works like this: the items are labeled and plates are different colors, the color of the plate signifies the price of the item. The plates range from $1.25 to $5.25 and you are charged by your stack of plates at the end of your meal (like at dim sum). Rolls come in half sizes, which is fun for sharing or sampling a large variety of items. Sean Le is chef/owner. Sumo Sushi is located at 1041 Fourth Ave.

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For a charming European-style experience, visit Café Chloe at 721 Ninth Ave., at the corner of Ninth Avenue and G Street. This darling neighborhood eatery, which opened in mid-December, is the creation of John Clute, Alison McGrath (who just happen to be husband and wife) and Tami Ratcliffe. The trio is responsible for the interior design and teamed up with executive chef Katie Grebow on the menu. Grebow, a 2001 graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu School in Pasadena, most recently worked at RICE at the Hotel W (where incidentally, McGrath was general manager). The petite seasonal menu offers contemporary versions of bistro favorites like mussels in a saffron broth with pomme frites, chicken vol au vent, and steak frites with sherry butter and gorgonzola greens. Watch for a full review soon.

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Congratulations to Guillas, who was recently named Chef of the Year by Chef Magazine. Chefs from across the country were nominated by their peers based on the chef’s work that distinguishes them in the advancement of the culinary arts, beverage and food service community. The winner was selected from five semifinalists by the magazine’s advisory board and editors.

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.