The Dish: Lumi by Akira Back opens after construction, pandemic delays

After months of delays caused by the pandemic and construction issues, the long-anticipated rooftop restaurant Lumi by Akira Back restaurant has opened at the historic 1887 Grand Pacific Hotel in downtown San Diego.

Opened by San Diego’s RMD hospitalty group, Lumi is the latest in a global collection of 16 eponymous restaurants from the South Korean-born Michelin-starred chef Akira Back. It specializes in innovative Japanese fare with Nikkei and Korean influences. The menu features sushi, nigiri and sashimi as well as specialties like corazon skewers, rock shrimp tempura, salmon ceviche, and Spanish mackerel tiradito.

RMD says Lumi serves the largest selection of top-tier whiskies in San Diego, as well as Back’s name-brand sake and and cocktails. Lumi is at 366 Fifth Ave. Visit lumirooftop.com.

La Puerta taking over ex-Patio space

La Puerta Restaurant & Bar, a longtime full-service Mexican eatery in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, has leased the former Patio on Goldfinch space in Mission Hills for its second location. It should open in four to seven months.

La Puerta owner Merritte Powell said the new, 4,000-square-foot location at 4020 Goldfinch St. will carry on the 12-year-old downtown location’s style as an edgy neighborhood hangout, but the new location will have a more mature, evolved vibe, with a larger menu and nightly specials. It will serve a large selection of Mexican tequila, mezcal and beer with an expanded wine list and three blended cocktails.

Powell had looked at a space in Mission Hills years ago but wanted to live close to wherever he opened his second location. Now he lives in Mission Hills with his wife and two dogs so he can be fully invested in managing the new space, which was one of 12 restaurants closed last fall in the alleged $300 million fraud scheme involving former restaurateur Gina Champion-Cain. Visit lapuertasd.com.

Pacific Del Mar adds walk-up bar

Because many diners have been reticent to return to dining in at restaurants, Pacifica Del Mar in the Del Mar Plaza has installed a walk-up bar, where Plaza visitors can order a cocktail and bites that they can consume on the nearby plaza deck for an ocean view.

The new walk-up bar opens at 1 p.m. daily, serving wine, cocktails and small food items. The restaurant’s dining room opens at 4 p.m. daily at 1555 Camino Del Mar in Del Mar. Visit pacificadelmar.com.

Brothers Josh George, left, and Jeremy George, co-own Smokin J’s BBQ, which opened Nov. 29 near Old Poway Park.

(Pam Kragen/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Smokin J’s set to expand

A week after Smokin J’s BBQ opened its doors in Poway last November, a citywide water contamination problem closed down the fledgling business for several days. Then the pandemic arrived in March, further challenging the quick-service outlet launched by brothers Josh and Jeremy George near Old Poway Park.

Yet despite the two public health crises, the George brothers are expanding. Their business has been so successful that they’ve leased an adjacent commercial space to open a 32-seat indoor dining room and an additional patio to seat 50 more. The expansion will also accommodate a new 20-foot custom-built meat smoker and walk-in fridge to handle a larger inventory of ingredients.

Jeremy is the restaurant’s pitmaster and Josh, a world champion wheelchair racer, is in charge of marketing and customer service. Their takeout-style restaurant and catering business serves brisket, pulled pork, baby back ribs, chicken and pork belly slow-smoked over a red oak fire. There are also sandwiches, burgers, burnt ends, beans, mac ‘n’ cheese, slaw and other sides and a house-made barbecue sauce.

The business is at 14035 Midland Road in Poway. Visit smokinjsrealbbq.com/.

Charles + Dinorah reopens with new look

Charles + Dinorah, the 2-year-old restaurant at the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma, has reopened after a pandemic-related shutdown with a new interior design. As part of a newly completed renovation at the hotel, the seafood-forward, Asian-inspired restaurant underwent its own interior refresh and menu update. Visit charlesanddinorah.com.

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