San Diego, CA

New Italian Restaurant to Replace Cafe Chloe in East Village

Published

10 months ago

March 24, 2025

New Italian Restaurant to Replace Cafe Chloe in East Village

“We get emotional about good food, good plates, good drinks,” says home cook Giovanni Siracusa. “It’s not just a business for us.” Siracusa is talking about Decore, an Italian restaurant he’s opening with longtime friend and first time business partner Giorgio Corletti. In Roman dialect, Decore means “with heart.”

“Everything is made with heart,” explains Corletti, from made-from-scratch pasta to the homey ambiance they hope people feel when they step through the doors into the tiny-cozy East Village space that was longtime home to one of San Diego’s most beloved bistros, Cafe Chloe.

“People had an attachment to that place,” says Siracusa.

Both partners are from Italy and met working in restaurants in San Francisco, including Nihon Whiskey Lounge and Bar 821. Siracusa prefers working behind the bar, while Corletti says his mother’s cooking inspired him to work in kitchens from a young age. In Italy, he learned to be a chef under famed Michelin-star and Gambero Rosso-winning chef Gianfranco Vissani, who taught him to work only with “the best food, the best ingredients, the best suppliers.”

Currently running the kitchen at Nado Republic in Coronado, Decore will open the second week of April. The menu will feature traditional Italian ingredients and preparation—simple, classic, and elegant. In the meantime, the pair are working on renovating the space that’s sat vacant since Cafe Chloe closed in 2018. Corletti describes it as an Art Deco vibe, with emerald greens and pops of gold—not casual, but not too high-end.

“We are trying to give a middle space, where you can sit for the full dinner, or just sit and have a great dessert and a glass of vermouth,” he says. “In Italy, when there is a bar in the neighborhood, or there is a restaurant, it’s kind of like an anchor point for the community. That’s where you feel at home. That’s what we want to do.”

Cake and charcuterie boards at The Carlsbad Forum's Spring Art & Wine walk event in San Diego — Courtesy of The Forum Carlsbad

Beth’s Bites

Despite its residents making sizable business deals over surf sessions, Cardiff’s food scene has long leaned more casual than Del Mar and La Jolla—which gives it more of an under-the-radar bougie charm. On May 1, you can taste their intentional mellow at the 15th annual Taste of Cardiff with longtime favorites like Besta-Wan Pizza House, Seaside Market, VG Donuts, plus AleSmith, Boochcraft, Local Roots.
One of my absolute favorite San Diego beer events is coming up on March 29—the annual Pucks & Pints charity hockey game. Watch a bunch of brewers and brewery employees face off at Pechanga Arena for the friendly fundraising hockey game at 12:30 p.m., then stroll across the parking lot to Bay City Brewing for a beer and barbecue festival from 2-5 p.m. If you’re so inclined, stay and watch the real deal Gulls take on the Calgary Wranglers. Proceeds go to five different local nonprofits (like the Boys & Girls Club) and it’s always a pucking great time.
Tasting all the way through Little Italy simply isn’t possible in one day, which is why the annual Taste of Little Italy is wisely spread over two days. (Honestly, it could easily be an entire week, but moderation is key, I suppose.) On June 17-18, guests can eat through one of San Diego’s most delicious neighborhoods with 48-square blocks of eateries, coffee shops, bars, and cafes. Tickets always sell out, so if you’re interested at all, snag yours now.
Spring into spring at Carlsbad’s annual Spring Art & Wine Walk on Saturday, April 5 at The Forum Carlsbad. Browse (or buy!) the collection of art, which ranges from paintings to photography, while sipping on wine from places like Sipwell Wine Co. and bites from vendors like Mirabelle Charcuterie and McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams. Bring along the kids for activations at places like Geppetto’s, but note that the wine garden is 21+.

Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

Source link

Click to comment

San Diego, CA

San Diego sues federal government over razor wire fence near U.S.-Mexico border

Published

1 hour ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

San Diego sues federal government over razor wire fence near U.S.-Mexico border

The city of San Diego has filed a lawsuit against the federal government that alleges the construction of a razor wire fence near the U.S.-Mexico border constitutes trespassing on city property and has caused environmental harm to the land.

The complaint filed Monday in San Diego federal court states that razor wire fencing being constructed by U.S. Marines in the Marron Valley area has harmed protected plant and wildlife habitats and that the presence of federal personnel there represents unpermitted trespassing.

The lawsuit, which names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Defense among its defendants, says that city officials first discovered the presence of Marines and federal employees in the area in December.

The fencing under construction has blocked city officials from accessing the property to assess and manage the land, and the construction efforts have” caused and will continue to cause property damage and adverse environmental impacts,” according to the lawsuit.

The suit seeks an injunction ordering the defendants to cease and desist from any further trespass or construction in the area.

“The city of San Diego will not allow federal agencies to disregard the law and damage city property,” City Attorney Heather Ferbert said in a statement. “We are taking decisive action to protect sensitive habitats, uphold environmental commitments and ensure that the rights and resources of our community are respected.”

Source link

San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song

Published

13 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song – San Diego Union-Tribune

SUNG-MUN SONG

Position(s): Third base, second base
Bats / Throws: Left / Right
2026 opening day age: 29
Height / Weight: 6-foot / 194 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in December 2025
Contract status: A four-year, $15 million deal will see Song make $2.5 million in 2026, $3 million in 2027, $3.5 million in 2028 and $4 million in 2029 if he does not opt out of last year; Half of his $1 million signing bonus is due in January 2026 and the other half in 2027; There is a $7 million mutual option for 2030.
fWAR in 2025: N/A
Key 2025 stats (KBO): .315 AVG, .387 OBP, .530 SLG, 26 HRs, 90 RBIs, 103 runs, 68 walks, 96 strikeouts, 25 steals (144 games, 646 plate appearances)

STAT TO NOTE

.214 — Song’s isolated power in 2025, a career high as he prepared for a jump to the majors. Isolated power measures a player’s raw power (extra bases per at-bat) and Song had a .190 OPS in 2018, in his third year as a pro in Korea, before it dropped to .101 in 2019 and then a career-low .095 in 2023. Hitting 19 homers pushed Song’s isolated power to .178 in 2024 and then a career-high 26 homers push it even higher in 2025.

Idle — Drafted by the Heroes in 2014, Song debuted in the KBO the following year but didn’t become a regular until 2019. A drop-off in production — he had an .884 OPS in 78 games in 2018 and a .597 OPS in 103 games in 2019 — was followed by losing the 2020 season and a chunk of the 2021 season to military service obligations. Then three straight sub-.700 OPS seasons forced Song to rethink his approach to professional baseball, especially in the face of the likes of Ha-Seong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee and Hyeseong Kim generating big-league buzz. Song started with weight training and nutrition. A hitting coach also helped him with balance, pull-side power and the ability to catch up with the sort of fastballs that seem to dog Korean players when they arrive in the States. It all added up to a breakthrough year in which Song paired 19 homers, 104 RBIs and 21 steals with a .340/.409/.518 batting line. To prove it was no fluke, Song followed up his 2024 season with another strong effort that solidified his wish to try his hand in the majors. The ensuing, four-year, $15 million deal that Song signed with the Padres in December cost his new employer a $3 million posting fee to be paid to the Kiwoom Heroes.

2026 OUTLOOK

Like Kim before him, Song appears to be joining the Padres as a utility player with the hope that he blossoms into more as he gets comfortable in a new country and league. Song had experience in Korea at third base (500 starts), second base (149 starts) and first base (38 starts). Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller even mentioned outfield reps in passing as he assessed how Song could help the Padres in 2026.

Former KBO player Sung-Mun Song shakes hands with Padres vice president of amateur and international scouting Pete DeYoung after signing a contract with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Saturday. (Photo by Armond Feffer/San Diego Padres)

ROSTER RANKINGS

24. INF Sung-Mun Song
25. RHP Matt Waldron
26. OF Bryce Johnson
27. RHP Ron Marinaccio
28. RHP Bryan Hoeing
29. LHP Kyle Hart
30. RHP Jhony Brito
31. INF Will Wagner
32. OF Tirso Ornelas
33. RHP Garrett Hawkins
34. RHP Miguel Mendez
35. RHP Daison Acosta
36. RHP Ty Adcock
37. RHP Alek Jacob
38. INF Mason McCoy

Source link

San Diego, CA

Poway removes hundreds of trees to make city safer

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Poway removes hundreds of trees to make city safer

Drivers traveling through the city of Poway may have noticed a dramatic change to the landscape. Since September, more than 1,400 trees — many of them eucalyptus — have been removed as part of the city’s hazardous mitigation grant project aimed at reducing wildfire risk and improving public safety.

Poway is spending roughly $3 million on the effort, which focuses on removing trees that are dead, dying or considered dangerous. Much of the cost is being reimbursed by FEMA. Officials say the project is designed to make emergency evacuation routes safer while improving the overall health of trees along major roadways, rights-of-way and open spaces.

“I was relieved that there were some efforts being put into improving our resiliency to wildfire in our community,” said Poway Fire Chief Brian Mitchell.

Mitchell said spacing out trees can slow the spread of a wildfire and prevent roads from becoming blocked during an emergency.

“That certainly has the potential to block our first responders from accessing somebody’s house in the middle of an emergency,” Mitchell said.

City leaders also point to storm safety as a key reason for removing hazardous trees under controlled conditions rather than risking falling limbs or entire trees during severe weather.

“I don’t want to be driving down that street and just a random limb just happened to collapse, you know, just hit me,” said Poway resident Dawn Davis.

Davis said she also worries about the threat the trees pose to nearby homes.

“I don’t want anybody’s homes here to be damaged, either by them or fire,” Davis said.

A Poway spokeswoman said a certified arborist evaluated nearly 6,800 trees in Poway. About 2,800 invasive trees were recommended for removal.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.

Source link