Catania 5-Year Anniversary
When: March 17
Where: Catania, 7863 Girard Ave., La Jolla
Not enough love is given to Catania. Everyone talks about Whisknladle Hospitality’s other two projects—Gravity Heights Brewing and Whisknladle—but poor Catania just sits atop a roof in La Jolla, cranking out excellent pizzas and pastas with each sunset. So this is a rectifying little mention for me, because there are few places with such good, honest food where you can watch the sun die every night. For their five-year anniversary, they’re hosting this limited seating dinner, a multi-course family-style meal on their patio for $49. Even someone who’s terrible at economics (that’s me), this is a stupidly good steal. If you want to be there but not take part in the dinner, you can order a “Best Hits Pasta Tasting”—five of their best pastas from over the years, for $35.
Cost: $35-$49
Breakfast for Dinner
When: March 25, 6:30PM-9:30PM
Where: Morning Glory, 550 W. Date St., Little Italy
I’m not sure if Consortium Holdings makes art or restaurants. Their restaurants look weird, act weird, just kind of explode with design and art like things. And Morning Glory is the explodiest of them all, with pink crushed velvet booths and a giant Georgia O’Keefe-like neon pink flower lording over the main dining room and a Champagne vending machine. If it feels overdone or trying too hard, that’s kind of the point. But it’s a terribly exciting room to dine in, worthy of national acclaim. But it’s not just show, because their group chef Jason McLeod not only has a Michelin star to his name (from his time in Chicago), but is also one of the most active campaigners for sustainable seafood. This dinner will be to celebrate and raise awareness for The Caviar Company, a San Francisco-based company run by two sisters dedicated to sustainable caviar. There’ll be a caviar and Champagne reception followed by a multi-course meal based around their tiny fish eggs.
Cost: $129
Morning Glory
James Tran
