Corazón Cocina’s Little Heart Cafecito Spinoff Is Open

••• Little Heart Cafecito, the Corazón Cocina spinoff in the Public Market, has soft-opened. The orange flan was delicious.

••• An Independent profile of the Wine Cask and Intermezzo says that “the beloved Gold Room [is] expected to finally reopen this summer.”

••• Your Choice‘s off-menu pop-ups have been such a hit that the restaurant keeps doing them; this Saturday’s menu includes four banh mi sandwiches, one of which is vegan, and must be ordered in advance (today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

••• D. asked me to find out what chef Budi Kazali is up to: “He was the best chef around for so long when he was active at the Gathering Table in Ballard.” Kazali had been slated to be the chef at La Sirena at Cabrillo Pavilion, but then plans changed when it became an outpost of Reunion Kitchen + Drink. A little Googling let me to Ramen Kotori in Solvang, where Kazali is featured on the about page. “Budi is one of our partners,” explained Francisco and Erica Velazquez. “However, he is not involved in the kitchen/cooking. Since selling the Ballard Inn and Restaurant, he is at the moment spending time with family and friends and enjoying some very much needed time off. No plans at the moment of opening anything new, but we never know what opportunities will open up in the future!”

••• “Do you know what’s happening with the Cliff Room on the Mesa?” asked S. The bar has been closed for a while now, but renovations are clearly happening inside. (I didn’t attempt a photo because the workers were right by the window.) I did try finding out when it might reopen, but the proprietors are hard to get hold of. If anyone out there knows them, feel free to mention that my intentions are honorable and all any of us are hoping for is an estimated reopening date (along with bonus info about ways the place might be changing).

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