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Harbor Breakfast to Open This Week

The wait is almost over. Little Italy’s long-anticipated Harbor Breakfast will likely debut this Wednesday at the corner of India and W. Beech.

The tables are set and biscuits are on the oven…literally. When we stopped by this afternoon, chef and operator Eddie Hernandez said he’s been fine-tuning all his new equipment and had a batch of biscuits in the oven to make sure his recipes are perfectly adjusted to all his new tools.

We’ve watched for months as the former home of Harbor Marine Supplies has transformed into an inviting breakfast diner. The interior is warm with rich, dark woods.

Behind the counter, the dishes are stacked and ready for diners.

Doors slide open to allow access to the outdoor booths along W. Beech Street.

The nearly 100% organic Harbor Breakfast menu includes waffles, omelettes, and classic breakfast combos like corned beef hash and biscuits & gravy.

Check back in just a few days for your newest neighborhood breakfast joint.

Oldest House in Little Italy to Become Wine Room

Back in 2008, when San Diego architect Jonathan Segal unveiled plans to develop a tiny 50-by-200-foot lot at India and Fir, there was a chance that it would force Little Italy’s oldest home to move to Sherman Heights. Luckily, that never happened. The A.W. Pray House, a Gothic Victorian built in 1888, stayed on the block after all.

Final plans for The Q, a 7-story mixed-use development, called for the house to be relocated from its original location on the Kettner Blvd side of the block to its current site on India Street. It underwent a massive restoration and was designated a historical landmark.

Local entrepreneur Ruth Melero fell in love with the house and opened her first upscale clothing store, Melero Boutique & Gallery, in December 2009. Since then, you might say that the house has remained one of the cutest landmarks in Little Italy.

Now, the little old house is in for something new once again. Melero plans to relaunch the space as an intimate wine tasting room called M Winehouse. She told Giving Back Magazine that she wants it to be reminiscent of the old cafes she’s seen while traveling around the world, with a classic interior to complement the age of the house.

Look for M Winehouse to open by the end of the year.

Our First Peek at the New Indigo Grill

We’ve been following the renovations at Indigo Grill since it closed for a makeover in April. After a few delays, the doors were finally open for business yesterday evening.

Here’s your first peek at the new bar area. The seats don’t look very comfortable, but we’ll have to try them out for ourselves.

On our first pass by the patio, we actually thought it was still under construction. Indeed, they were still cleaning up and completing some finishing touches, but later we saw diners seated here. There’s also a new fire pit to the right, on the corner of the patio.

Under the neon sign, what used to be the entrance is now a huge window looking out into the expanded patio area. The entrance can now be found on the south side along India Street.

What do you think of the new look? We’ll be back soon to check out the updated menu and see the new decor up close.

Three Weeks Until Pancakes at Harbor Breakfast

Little Italy residents clamoring for another breakfast option will finally be able to check out Harbor Breakfast by the end of the month. The owner says he hopes to open within the next three weeks, pending inspections.

Coffee machines! Chairs! It’s finally almost ready.

In addition to breakfast and lunch hours, they plan to try offering their breakfast menu for dinner on the weekends. That’s something we’ll totally support.

When it opens, they’ll add four tables along India Street to bring the restaurant outside. We also learned that they have room to expand into another small space next door—a narrow room currently being used for storage. If that happens, it’ll be after they settle into their groove in the main restaurant space.

What’s Going On with Hanson’s Market?

It’s still a ghost town at what was supposed to be the home of the new Hanson’s Market in Little Italy. We expected the San Clemente-based grocery store to open by summer, but there hasn’t been much activity in the space at Ariel Suites on Kettner Blvd.

If it still happens, the much-needed neighborhood grocery store will feature natural and organic foods on the first floor and a deli on the second. Their Facebook page hasn’t been updated since February.

Next door, Italian bakery and deli Pan Bon appears to be a little better off, with its windows now covered. No word on when either business will open.