A North Park food entrepreneur passes, an 82-year-old restaurant reopens, and more

RIP Brandon Zanavich He sprang onto North Park s culinary scene in with a no-nonsense approach that expeditiously garnered a devoted following Within weeks Brandon Zanavich of The Friendly became known for his thin-crust pizzas and more so his dirty flat top cheeseburgers which never allowed for modifications at his original existing location at th St Sadly Zanavich passed away unexpectedly in early May at the age of We salute the entrepreneur for his steadfast patronage of the local hospitality industry and his clever ability to stay relevant in the face of fierce competition and without a website Zanavich eventually expanded his general concept to the nearby Friendly Tavern and to eateries in Pacific Beach and Kearny Mesa Originally from Detroit he had worked at Pizzeria Luigi and Carnitas Snack Shack before launching The Friendly Hob Nob Hill reopens There are a large number of goners and a minimal newcomers to the menu at Hob Nob Hill the historic -year-old restaurant in Bankers Hill that reopened in May under new ownership The locally based developer Creative House made only minor changes to the dining room with the greater part noticeable being the removal of a large Wizard of Oz mural on the back wall of the main dining room It has been replaced with mirror panels We are going to bring Hob Nob Hill back to its original glory noted Creative House owner Douglas Hamm when we spoke to him in February soon after he acquired the restaurant from former proprietor Tania Warchol And several of the original recipes used over the decades will be kept in place he added To the contrary Hob Nob s long-famous coffee cake now uses a different recipe by a new baker It is no longer included in the bread baskets served with meals The overall daily pie selection has been reduced in lieu of several newly introduced sweets and the nostalgic Waldorf salad was axed along with numerous other dishes across the menu On a new visit we were notified that the corned beef still uses the same brine although the Reuben sandwiches using the meat are now smaller Fresh additions to the lineup include a Mediterranean-style salad and omelet In addition the shortened dinner menu has seen the arrival of beef Stroganoff while established dishes such as chicken-and-dumplings turkey dinners and meatloaf have undergone slight recipe changes First Ave - hobnobhill com Gina Freize bids a fond farewell to Venissimo Cheese After operating for years as San Diego s premier artisan cheese retailer Gina Freize and her husband Roger have passed the torch to longtime employee Rob Graff The sale of Venissimo Cheese to Graff included the company s three shops in Mission Hills North Park inside Bottlecraft and Del Mar at the Flower Hill Promenade Our years in business went by in a blink of eye because every minute of it was fun and delicious revealed Freize adding that we detected a little place in Italy where we will move to later this year Graff plans on maintaining the status quo with the business saying that he will also continue offering classes through Venissimo s Academy of Cheese as well as group visits to European cheesemakers through the company s Veni Voyages W Washington St - venissimo com Pizza kitchens in the spotlight Little Italy and University Heights just now made way for two anticipated pizzerias Slice House burst into Little Italy with a bang in mid-May as eager customers lined up for a taste of its varied pizza styles perfected by celebrity pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani The San Francisco-based chain serves four types of pies Grandma-style with a pan-fried thin crust Detroit-style featuring a deep-dish crust with crispy cheesy edges Sicilian pies using fluffy foccacia and classic New York-style with a thin semi-firm crust Gemignani earned top honors in pizza-making and dough-throwing competitions in Italy and the U S over the years including winning the World Pizza Cup in Naples He also serves a variety of salads and pasta dishes Kettner Blvd - slicehouse com Sonny s Pizza on Madison Ave draws its inspiration from a Brooklyn NY joint called Roberta s Pizza Owners Matt Sieve and Jeff Fink opened the business in an antiquated building that once served as a storage garage for electric trolley cars It later became an auto shop The men also own nearby Madison and Madi restaurants Wood paneling interior picnic tables and photographs of iconic Italians set the stage for -inch pizzas that Sieve describes as a hybrid between Neapolitan and New York style The menu also features dishes such as baked clams spaghetti carbonara pistachio-pesto pasta grilled branzino and more Craft cocktails beer and wine are available as well Madison Ave - letsgetsonnys com Karl Strauss lands a big partnership The downtown-based Karl Strauss Brewing Company was selected to produce a single American-style IPA beer for Disneyland s th anniversary which officially kicked off on May The exclusively crafted brew offers grapefruit aromas with hints of tropical fruit flavors It is the official craft beer in a culinary campaign that features food and beverage items specific to the celebration For the coming months the beer is available on draft and or in cans at various Disney-owned theme parks and restaurants They include Disneyland s Carnation Cafe and Blue Bayou Restaurant California Adventure s Carthay Circle Restaurant and Wine Country Trattoria the Grand California Hotel Spa and at select outdoor vending locations Columbia St - karlstrauss com Henry s Pub closes Fat Tuesday coming Mid-May saw the closing of Henry s Pub a bar and restaurant with Finnish roots that has served visitors to the Gaslamp Quarter for years Gone are the white cheddar curds and famous peach whiskey Red Bull shots as the address makes way for a New Orleans-style party bar known for its frozen cocktails Based in Miami Fat Tuesday is expected to open in the -square-foot space by the middle of summer The national chain founded in brings not only an array of icy fruity libations but also pizzas baked chicken wings and more Fifth Ave fattuesday com Sweet for Cucina Urbana The Bankers Hill hot spot Cucina Urbana will celebrate its th birthday throughout the month of June with select dishes and fine wines by the glass all priced at The deals will be available Sunday through Wednesday until the end of the month at all other Cucina locations throughout San Diego and Orange counties as well The brand is owned by founder Tracy Borkum of the Urban Kitchen Group The Bankers Hill restaurant is where Borkum s venture began with a wine-driven menu of Italian-inspired foods Laurel St - urbankitchengroup com Wiener Wednesdays Now under new ownership Lancers bar in University Heights is slinging free hot dogs with the purchase of any drink between the hours of a m and p m every Wednesday Bartender Robin Chiki who communicated us she has a hot dog fascination helped organize the weekly deal The steamed wieners are available in meat and vegetarian form and include an array of condiment options Lancers is known for its affordable drink prices and dive-bar vibe It has been in operation since and was in recent times purchased from the former owner by three longtime employees Park Blvd -