San Diego's Incoming Little Italy Food Hall Reveals Complete Food Vendor Lineup For Summer 2018 Opening

April 16, 2018

Grain & Grit Collective鈥檚 highly anticipated project the Little Italy Food Hall, slated to open during summer 2018 adjacent to the newly opened Piazza Della Famiglia, has announced the final two food stations joining its locally-driven lineup, which includes Asian and Japanese culinary concepts complimented by the addition of an Italian-inspired cocktail program.

In addition to the already-exciting lineup of vendors going into the Little Italy Food Hall, two new tenants have been announced. Created by the team behind Zen Modern Asian Bistro in Carmel Mountain,听Mein St. Asian Kitchen is a new concept that will offer a variety of Asian cuisine comfort foods with highlights including house made dumplings, succulent wings and refreshing Honey Boba Milk Tea. Also installing within the ambitious food hall is Single Fin Kitchen from Executive Chef Antonio Quindere, who has worked with celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Michelin-starred chef Jeff Ramsey. Single Fin Kitchen will share Chef Quindere's take on traditional Donburi, a Japanese dish of seafood, vegetables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice.

"Japanese Cuisine and seafood is my passion, and where much of my experience lies,鈥� said Chef Quindere. 鈥淚 appreciate the respect and simplicity of the Japanese culture, and after spending time in Japan I saw how simple and elegant Donburi was. By bringing this dish to San Diego, I鈥檓 able to pair the simplicity of Japanese cuisine with our local and responsibly sourced seafood to provide San Diegans a unique culinary experience."

As is the case with these two concepts, the Little Italy Food Hall has selected all food station vendors with the utmost care given to offering a wide range of culinary options. Additional vendors include听, a Milan-style pizzeria that will replicate the paper-thin crust pizzas made popular at its flagship location in North Pacific Beach. The stall will serve high quality Italian cold cuts and cheeses that guests can opt to pair with The Bar at Little Italy Food Hall鈥檚 varied wine selection. Most exciting, possibly, is听. The Emmy-award winning television personality and cookbook author Sam Zien claims that "the last thing San Diego needs is more Mexican inspired tacos, especially from a Jewish guy from Canada," and thus will debut his eclectic mix of "tacos" filled with unexpected ingredients like meatloaf and pastrami.

Also entering the food hall is a new outpost by听, which will introduce new elements for its Little Italy location that will include antibiotic and hormone free rotisserie chickens cooked fresh throughout the day alongside roasted potatoes and vegetables, plus build-your-own Superfood Salads packed with essential nutrients and farm fresh vegetables and herbs.听听will also provide guests with an authentic Maine lobster shack experience, serving such New England delicacies as Maine lobster rolls, lobster mac & cheese, clam bake and shrimp baskets, chowder and more.

At its center, guests will discover The Bar at Little Italy Food Hall, a welcome addition to Little Italy鈥檚 thriving nightlife and cocktail scene. Offerings will include a mix of local draughts, lagers and ales along with an assortment of wines, including an exclusive selection of organic Italian imports. The bar menu will also include local spirits, bitters and liqueurs used to create Italian-inspired craft cocktails emphasizing refreshing, innovative flavors designed to complement available cuisines.

The Little Italy Food Hall is the first project from new San Diego-based hospitality group . The project developer, H.G. Fenton Company, has been providing quality places for San Diegans to live, work, and thrive for more than a century. Once opened, the food hall will include six stations, plus a bar, set amidst a design paying homage to Little Italy鈥檚 maritime past, an adjacent patio in addition to the Piazza della Famiglia鈥檚 11,000-square foot space, and a mobile outdoor chefs鈥� area featuring pop-up cooking demonstrations and opportunities for guests to come, be entertained and learn.

In preparation for its opening, the Little Italy Food Hall has also launched efforts to fill fifty employment positions within the hall, with roles ranging from security and janitorial staff to servers, bartenders and management. Hiring will begin at end of May, and further job details will become available on in the coming weeks.