Some Local Food News to Digest: a Roundup

Here’s a round-up of San Diego food news that caught our attention this week:

• KPBS reports on conflicts between brick-and-mortar restaurants and the city’s burgeoning food trucks scene. Restaurateurs in the Gaslamp District say a new weekly food truck market that will shut down a one-block section of J Street every Thursday from April to December should not qualify as a “special event,” and are complaining to the city.

The food truck market organizer, Curbside Bites collected nearly 600 signatures in support of the weekly market; and Carolyn Worsmer, director of special events for the city, said, “If the event is the same week after week in terms of how it’s laid out and what its components are, the city will issue a permit on an annual basis.”

But she added that her department has met with the council president and community members, and it’s something they’re working to address.

• Sprouts Farmers Market (which is really a grocery store and not a Farmers Market at all) in Point Loma drew some protesters after the local management fired a 38-year-old developmentally disabled man who had worked at the store for more than a decade. The employee had accidentally taken home a jacket that didn’t belong to him.

The San Diego Reader reports, “Before he was fired, according to Sunny, Ian was asked to write an “I’m sorry” letter at the behest of a store manager. The letter was sent to the Sprouts corporate office and apparently interpreted as an admission of guilt.” Yikes. So much for common sense.

• While San Diego didn’t take home any prestigious James Beard awards this week — (Sad fact: The city didn’t have a nominee in the bunch — although Addison at the Grand Del Mar was a semi-finalist for Outstanding Wine Program, and Carl Schroeder, chef-owner of Market Restaurant and Bar in Del Mar was a semi-finalist for Best Chef West) — the city is getting some celebrity chef stardust soon. Candice Woo over at Eater San Diego confirms that “Top Chef” winner Richard Blais will be soon opening a place here in San Diego.

And in other excellent (but not so new) news, we’re extremely pleased to hear that San Diego will soon be home to a Pizzeria Mozza, and that notable chefs like Mario Batali are dipping a toe in our local waters.

Clare Leschin-Hoar is a contributor to Voice of San Diego. Follow her on Twitter @c_leschin or email clare@leschin-hoar.com.