The Dish: Village Kobob, Coco Maya, Carruth Cellars, El Tianguis and more announce restaurant openings

Gaetano Cicciotti, the restaurateur behind Cicciotti Trattorias in Carlsbad and Cardiff and Cocina del Rancho Mexican eatery in Rancho Santa Fe, has recently opened a fourth North County restaurant exploring Mediterranean cuisine.

Cicciotti opened Village Kabob on June 26 in the 2,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by his now-shuttered Café Ground Up Italian coffeehouse in Carlsbad Village. Cicciotti said he decided to reimagine the coffeehouse space last fall because after he opened the café in 2018, eight more coffee spots opened in the vicinity. After surveying the market, he came up with the kabob shop idea because there were no other Mediterranean restaurants serving the area.

Gaetano Cicciotti at newly opened Village Kabob in Carlsbad.

(Pam Kragen/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The menu was created by veteran Lebanese chef Fouad Choker, who is making everything from scratch, including the pita bread, hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki sauce and shawarma rotisserie meats. The kitchen is managed by Berkay Jason Çentinkaya and the restaurant is overseen by Ilayda Maltaci, who are both of Turkish heritage. Specialties of the house are beef, chicken and ground beef brisket shawarma, beef, chicken and shrimp kabobs, falafel, a hummus trio, tabouli, dolma, fattoush salad and desserts including baklava pastry and muhallebi custard. Entrees range from $14 to $25, with a braised lamb shank dish for $30.

Village Kabob is at 550 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Visit village-kabob.com.

A chayote salad at Coco Maya in Little Italy.

(Coco Maya)

Coco Maya opens in Little Italy

Coco Maya by Miss B’s, a rooftop restaurant and bar serving Latin American and Caribbean food, opened earlier this month in Little Italy. Located in the former PrepKitchen space at 1660 India St., Coco Maya is the latest project from San Diego’s Grind & Prosper Hospitality Group. Coco Maya is a Yucatan-inspired spinoff of the company’s Miss B’s Coconut Club restaurant/bar in Mission Beach.

The restaurant serves a daily brunch menu as well as dinner service after 4 p.m. Unique dishes include the bokit sandwich, a stuffed fry bread from the French islands of Guadeloupe, and the cochinita pebil, a Mayan dish of slow-roasted suckling pig dish wrapped in banana leaves and presented in a clay pot that gets cracked tableside. There are also fresh seafood dishes, charcoal-roasted meats, salads, potato tostones and empanadillas. Visit inlovewiththecoco.com.

The new Carruth Cellars Liberty Station Wine Garden.

(Carruth Cellars)

Carruth Cellars opens Liberty Station outlet

Carruth Cellars, an urban winery headquartered in Solana Beach, opened its fourth tasting room location Monday at Liberty Station in Point Loma.

The new 12,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor wine garden location will take the place of the company’s other San Diego location in Little Italy, which recently closed after five years because the lease on the property ended. The new venue joins other Carruth locations in Solana Beach, Carlsbad and Oceanside.

The new location features wines by the glass and bottle, and a menu of shareable appetizers, paninis, salads, charcuterie boards and desserts. There is also a market area selling wines, cheeses, olive oils, tapenades and cured meats. The new location offers 90-minute, five-wine tasting sessions. The new location is at 2710 Historic Decatur Road, Barrack 17, San Diego. Visit carruthcellars.com.

Addison restaurant in Carmel Valley earned its second Michelin star on Sept. 28, 2021.

(Courtesy photo)

Wine Spectator honors local restaurants

Wine Spectator has honored 27 San Diego County restaurants this summer as part of its 2022 Restaurant Awards, which honor venues without outstanding wine lists and service.

Michelin two-star restaurant Addison in Carmel Valley is the only local venue to have won Wine Spectator’s Grand Winner award.

Earning the second-place Best of Award of Excellence are San Diego restaurants Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Island Prime, Stake Chophouse & Bar, the Marine Room, Nine-Ten, the WineSellar & Brasserie, Pony Room in Rancho Santa Fe, and Paon Restaurant & Wine Bar in Carlsbad.

And winning the third-place Award of Excellence are STK San Diego, Fogo de Chão, Morton’s steakhouse, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Juniper and Ivy, Solare Ristorante, JRDN restaurant, the Fishery, Seasons 52, Truluck’s, A.R. Valentien, Avant in Rancho Bernardo, Prime Cut at Jamul Casino, Firenze Trattoria in Encinitas, Barona Oaks Steakhouse in Lakeside, the Grove Steakhouse in Alpine, and the Privateer Coal Fire Pizza in Oceanside.

For details on the winners, visit winespectator.com/restaurants.

Taquitos at El Tianguis, which has three locations in San Diegio County.

(El Tianguis)

New locations alert

Three restaurant chains have announced the opening of new San Diego County locations in recent days.

El Tianguis, a four-year-old San Diego-based taquitos and rolled taco fast food chain better known as “El T,” has opened its fourth location at 7995 Civita Blvd. in Mission Valley. Visit eltianguisrt.com.

Broken Yolk Café, a San Diego-based breakfast restaurant chain, opened its 35th franchised location on July 5 at Santee Trolley Square, 9846 Mission Gorge Road in Santee. Visit thebrokenyolkcafe.com.

Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, a San Francisco chain known for its gourmet Castile and Go Go Goose sandwiches, opened its fifth San Diego outlet July 8 at 9430 Scranton Road, Suite 104, at the Sorrento Court center. Visit ikessandwich.com.

Sandwiches at Ike’s Love & Sandwiches.

(Ike’s Love & Sandwiches)

Kragen writes about restaurants for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Email her at pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com.