North County diners are excited about the opening of Paradise Grill, a 240-seat “upscale-casual” eatery at the Flower Hill Mall. Owners Connor and Shana Adair took over two former retail spots in the Via de la Valle mall and with the design help of David Robinson created a “resort style” atmosphere with three levels of dining. It is a bit reminiscent of a Tommy Bahama restaurant with its island feel, grass mat wall coverings, fresh orchids and plenty of warm woods.

The menu features casual fare with dishes like crab cakes, grilled shrimp skewers and guava glazed pork ribs headlining the appetizer selection. The executive chef is Justin Hoehn, who most recently served as chef at Greystone The Steakhouse. The outdoor courtyard is probably the most popular dining area and has special features like a custom designed rock water fountain and a beach glass fire pit dining table. (paradisegrill.com)

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Another North County newbie, Firefly Grill and Wine Bar, opened in late April in Encinitas. Firefly is a “re-concepting” of the former Steakhouse 66 restaurant by the same owner, Jim Barrasso, who took over the former Boll Weevil space at 251 N. El Camino Real in the summer of 2003 and opened Steakhouse 66, a casual, Southwestern-style steak house. After an extensive gut and remodel, this new restaurant now offers “global comfort food with a twist.” The space has been divided into two distinct areas: a 30-seat wine bar and lounge and a separate 75-seat dining room. Thomas Di Mella, who has worked in the kitchens of Japengo, Pamplemousse, Meritage and Americana, has signed on as executive chef. (fireflygrillandwinebar.com)

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Lanna Thai Cuisine opened in February at 4501 Mission Bay Drive in Pacific Beach. Chef/owner Jack Jaroen, a native of northern Thailand, shares dishes he learned from his family. Specialties include “Island Treasures,” a potpourri of scrumptious seafood presented in a coconut, “Tri-licious Salmon,” which combines red, yellow and green curry with salmon and “Tropical Duck,” served crispy with a sweet and tangy mango- pineapple sauce. Also said to be popular is the Lannatini, a martini made with lychee juice. (lannathaicuisine.com)

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Check out Talus Café located at 127 University Ave. in Hillcrest. This shoebox-sized eatery, recently opened by chef/owner Richard Wood, offers “International Cuisine” in a cozy, casual atmosphere. Wood studied cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris then traveled in Italy, Germany and Bosnia sampling cuisine. He served as executive chef at Mosaic in Beverly Hills prior to moving to San Diego to open Talus.

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If you haven’t been to Cavaillon yet, you’re really missing out. This gem of an eatery, operated by chef Phillipe Verpiand and his wife Monica, opened earlier this year in the Santaluz area of Carmel Valley. Some will remember well Verpiand from his stint as executive chef at Tapanade in La Jolla for the seven years prior to opening Cavaillon. The cuisine is fine French, the dining room is charming, the wines are unique and the prices are fabulous. Small plate appetizers start out at $5 and $6. The entrées run $17 to $28 and many of the wines by the glass are just $6 to $7. Cavaillon is located at 14701 Via Bettona. For more information, call (858) 433-0483.

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Full-blown foodies are invited to join A.R. Valentien executive chef Jeff Jackson and his team of chefs for an evening of great company, fine wines and communal dining. Every Thursday night, Jackson and company cook a four-course family-style meal for guests of the Artisan Table. The table seats 10-16 people and is located outside on the deck overlooking the pool, golf course and Pacific Ocean. The menu, which changes weekly, features the very best in locally grown, farm-raised or handmade products available. Jackson takes special care to seek out unique, hard-to-find and seasonal delicacies and then builds his menu around those items. Dinners are $75 per person including wine. For more information or reservations (which are a must) call The Lodge at Torrey Pines at (800) 422-8386.

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Look for Blue Coral Seafood ~ Spirits opening this fall at the Aventine in UTC. Brought to you by the folks who brought us Fleming’s Steakhouse, Roy’s, Outback Steak House and PF Chang, this upscale seafood house will occupy the now vacant space one door down from Fleming’s, a space that previously housed Sophia’s Italian Kitchen. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that a long line of restaurants have tried and failed in that location. Let’s see if Paul Fleming’s magic touch proves to hold even here.

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.