Biscotti anyone? (Photos by Alison DaRosa)

Eat, drink and be Sicilian for a day when Little Italy celebrates its 19th annual Sicilian Festival on Sunday, May 20. India Street – from Ash to Grape – will be closed for the 10 AM to 6 PM celebration.

Costumed dancers and musicians will set the mood, parading in the street at 11:30 AM, carrying flags from the different regions of Italy.  Food booths will sell Sicilian specialties – including Sicilian wines and premium imported Italian beer. Visitors can even test their skill at grape stomping.

Joanna DiBona of Roman Holiday Ensemble

Entertainment, on four stages, will include something for everyone: New York City soprano Cristina Fontanelli will sing Italian opera while the Screamin’ Primas promise to keep the crowd moving.  The Roman Holiday Ensemble, perennial favorites, will perform as will Allesandra Belloni who’s best known for her traditional Italian folk dancing.

The bambini can get their faces painted while mom and dad ogle sidewalk chalk art or slick Italian beauties at a car show featuring Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis . In the Sicilian cultural zone, locals can learn about Italian-Americans’ role in the rich history of San Diego’s tuna industry.  Learn more at SicilianFestival.org.

The 3^rd annual Asian Cultural Festival, free and open to the public, is set for 11 AM – 6 PM at NTC Park. Festivities will include cultural dances, cooking demonstrations, food vendors, martial arts demos, an anime exhibit and cultural booths displaying artifacts and focusing on history.  There will be a crafts tent where children can learn about Asian customs and make a Mother’s Day gift for mom.

Cultural performances will be presented throughout the day on two stages. Among presenters: the San Diego Chinese Folk Dance Ensemble, Rhythm and Sabor Andaloz, the San Diego Korean Pungmul School, the Khmer Arts Academy, Ke Polani Ohana and the Buddhist Temple of San Diego.

Martial arts experts from throughout the region will perform on a specially erected martial arts platform.

Local chefs will demonstrate the arts of Thai, Korean, Indonesian and Filipino fusion cooking.

Asian Americans comprise about 16 percent of San Diego’s population. Countries that will be represented at the festival include Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Samoa, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

Learn more at AsianCulturalFestivalSD.com

Celebrate cinco in Old Town. (Photo by Joanne DiBona

Any time is right for celebrating San Diego’s ethnic diversity. But May presents us with a triptych – a chance to join the city’s Mexican, Italian and Portuguese communities as they celebrate their heritage.

The month kicks off with Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that salutes Mexican culture and commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  For San Diegans, it’s another excuse to celebrate frosty lime-infused margaritas, salted salsa-dipped tortilla chips and strolling mariachis.

Party central is Old Town, where the 28^th annual Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo will kick off at 5 PM Friday, May 4, and continue through 5 PM on Sunday, May 6. Organizers say the bash will be the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration north of the border, with three stages featuring live entertainment, including interactive family friendly fun.  Norteno, Flamenco and traditional mariachi groups have been booked to perform. Between acts, more than 20 Old Town restaurants will be offering sizzling Mexican specialties – including, of course, an array of perfectly chilled margaritas.  Learn more at FiestaOldTown.com.

Stay tuned for more on Little Italy’s Sicilian Festival on May 20 – and the Portuguese Festa set for May 25-27.

Car2go (photos by Alison DaRosa)

Need a set of wheels for a quick run to a Balboa Park museum, or a hot new food truck – or simply to study the sunset at the beach?  How about a car you can rent by the hour, park for free, drop off almost anywhere – and don’t need to gas up?

Car2go may be your answer. It offers a fleet of 300   two-passenger electric Smart cars that users can keep only as long as needed – then drop off pretty much in any legal parking spot within the Car2go service area.

That area spans nearly 30 square miles in the heart of San Diego, stretching from Imperial Avenue on the South to Friars Road and Beryl Street in Pacific Beach in the North and from I-15 eastward. Users can drive outside the service area, but can’t leave a car there.

To play, you’ll need to become a Car2go member.  Join online or at Car2go’s San Diego shop at 633 9^th St. in East Village. There’s a one-time $35 registration fee (look for discount codes online).  You’ll get your membership card in about five business days – so be sure to pre-register if you want to get going sooner than later.

Rental rates are 35 cents a minute, with a $12.99 per-hour maximum – and $65.99 daily max. Rates include insurance, GPS navigation, 24/7 customer support and recharging at approved Electric Vehicle charging stations.

Users can reserve a car 24 hours in advance or check the Car2go website for the nearest available car and agree to use it within 15 minutes.  (You’ll get a text confirming the location and providing the car’s license plate number.)   Hold your membership card up to an electronic reader on the windshield to unlock the car. Enter your PIN on the touch screen, answer a few questions – and you’re off.

When you’re done driving, park in any legal public parking space within the service area (metered parking is free). Check out electronically; fees will be charged to your credit card.

Learn more at  http://sandiego.car2go.com/; phone  (877) 488-4224.

Mission Beach Plunge

Belmont Park’s historic Mission Beach Plunge has reopened. The pool closed nine months ago – a victim of a bitter legal dispute between the park’s operator and the city.

Park leaseholder Tom Lochtefeld, shuttered the pool in May after he said it had become too dangerous – and he could not afford to make repairs.  He had filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy the previous November — after his rent credits from the city expired and park lease payments soared from $70,000 annually to $480,000.

Since then, Lochtefeld’s lender foreclosed on his lease rights – and a court-appointed receiver authorized about $185,000 in short-term repairs to the pool’s roof – so that the plunge can safely be used again.  About $1 million more is needed to keep the pool operating for the long haul.

Belmont Park's Giant Dipper

Lochtefeld is suing the city for $25 million in damages, claiming that the city backed out of a promise to allow him to further develop Belmont Park – so he couldn’t afford the increased rent payments or repairs.  In the meantime, the city is searching for a new park operator.

At least for now, the park and the plunge are open to the public. Park admission is free. The plunge is open to the public from noon until 4 PM and from 8-10  PM weekdays. On weekends it’s open from noon until 8 PM. Adult admission costs $7; swimmers under 18 and over 60 pay $6.

Belmont Park is at 3146 Mission Blvd. in San Diego. Phone 858-488-1549.

The New Children's Museum

February is Museum Month in San Diego – and everybody gets a gift: half-price admission at 40 county museums and cultural attractions.  You’ll need a pass available in February at Macy’s stores throughout the county; they’re free as long as supplies last.

Pass holders get half-price admission for up to four guests per visit at most of San Diego’s top museums – everything from downtown’s New Children’s Museum to the USS Midway aircraft carrier to the historic Marston House.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

It’s a chance for the family to visit La Jolla’s Birch Aquarium, the fascinating ships at the bayfront Maritime Museum and more than a dozen museums in Balboa Park, from The Fleet to the Museum of Photographic Arts to the San Diego Museum of Art – all for half price.

The annual promotion was launched in 1989 by the San Diego Museum Council. Get a full list of participants at SanDiegoMuseumCouncil.org.

Chinese New Year in San Diego

San Diego’s Asian-American community is about to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with parades, cultural performances and a wide variety of Asian foods. The 30^th annual Chinese New Year Food and Cultural Fair is set for 10 AM to 5 PM Jan. 28-29 in the heart of downtown’s Asian Historic District, around 3^rd and J. It’s free and the public is invited.

Chinese New Year in San DIego

Festivities will include lion and dragon dances, martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese music performances, folk dances, taiko drumming and numerous food and craft vendors.  Youngsters are invited to workshops where they’ll make Chinese lanterns and masks, then walk in the afternoon lantern parade.

Chef Marco Nocco celebrates Italy's regional cuisine at Il Fornaio.

Been to Italy and fallen in love with the cuisine of a particular region?

Polenta and tiramisu from Northern Italy’s Veneto region?  Risotto and ossobuco from Lombardy? Agnolotti, taglierini, fine cheeses and wines from the Piedmont area?  Mmmmm. What about thick Tuscan soups and huge Florentine steaks from beef bred in the Chiana Valley?

San Diegans can indulge in authentic regional cuisines of Italy – no packing or passport required. For two weeks each month, Il Fornaio restaurant in Coronado offers a culinary expedition into a particular region of Italy.  “Festa Regionale” patrons get a three-course fixed-price tasting menu for $32.  For $10 more, they can enjoy two half-glasses of regional wine with dinner.

Guests can choose from among three appetizers  (or soup), three pasta dishes and three main courses. Patrons have the option of forgoing the tasting menu to order entrée-size portions of the various regional offerings.

What’s on the itinerary?

Pear ravioli at Il Fornaio.

From Feb. 6-19,  the restaurant will celebrate the cuisine of Rome and the Lazio region. The show moves up north to Trentino from March 5-18. It’s in Calabria, far south in the toe of Italy’s boot, from April 2-15.  From May 7 through the 20^th, the restaurant will explore the cuisines of Puglia, on the heel of Italy’s boot. Veneto, in the northeast, is the star of the show June 4-17.

From July 2-15, Festa will focus on the foods of Sicily. It’ll hop over to Sardinia Aug. 6-19. In September, chefs will celebrate the Parma cheese and Modena olive oils of the rich Emilia-Romagna region. Tuscany is the star in October (1-14). It’s the Northern Italy’s Piedmont region Nov. 5-18.

Celebrating the cuisine of Italy's Lombardy region.

From Dec. 3-16, chefs will present the most popular dishes from each of the regions visited during the Festa Regionale.

Il Fornaio has the upscale feel of new world Italy – with plenty of Carrara marble, trompe l’oeil friezes, vaulted ceilings, terracotta flooring – and massive windows bringing in dazzling views of downtown San Diego. Weather permitting, try to reserve a table on the terrace, just before sunset.

Inside, there’s an open kitchen where meats are cooked on a rotisserie and signature breads are baked to perfection. Regulars go for the pasta, thin-crust pizzas and divine pastries. Seafood, veal – and the regional specialties – are often exceptional.

During Festa off weeks, savvy San Diegans visit during 4-6 PM weekday happy hours for $5 pizzas, appetizers, specialty cocktails, wines and $3 brews.

Weather permitting, ask for a table on the patio.

The restaurant also offers monthly cooking classes ($35, including a three-course lunch with a glass of Prosecco) and Saturday wine tastings from noon until 5 PM ($10 for five wines).  On Tuesday nights bring your own bottle of wine and get free corkage.

Il Fornaio is at 1333 First St. in Coronado.

Cafe Coyote

Mark your calendars now: Jan. 15-20 is prime time for visiting San Diego.

Especially for food lovers.

It’s Restaurant Week here.

The annual January tradition offers deeply discounted fixed-price menus at more than 180 of San Diego County’s top restaurants. This year, participating eateries are offering either two-course lunches for $10, $15 or $20 – or three-course dinner menus for $20, $30 or $40. Some restaurants are participating at both lunch and dinner.

The Prado

Café Coyote in Old Town has a treat for those on a budget – offering $10 lunches and a $20 dinner menu with multiple choices. For $10 more, the restaurant is offering tequila pairings with dinner.

At The Prado in Balboa Park, enjoy a $15 lunch or a three-course $30 dinner with options that include the restaurant’s spicy calamari fries, its yummy dill-crusted Loch Duart salmon, slow-roasted pork prime rib or Thai-style curry chicken with red pepper pappardelle.  For dessert, choose pumpkin crème brulee, cream cheese flan or a chocolate hazelnut mousse bar.

The Marine Room

The week offers a chance to dine at many of the city’s finest restaurants – for a fraction of what one would ordinarily pay.  Among five-star choices: El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn ($40 for a three-course dinner), Flavor Del Mar ($20 lunch and $40 dinner), Island Prime on Harbor Island ($40 dinner),  JRDN in Pacific Beach ($40 dinner),  Nobu at the Hard Rock in Gaslamp Quarter ($40 dinner) and The Marine Room in La Jolla ($40 dinner).

San Diego Restaurant Week is now in its 7^th year. Participating restaurants, throughout the county, offer something for everyone – from seafood to prime beef, fusion, organic and a wide range of ethnic cuisines.

Reservations, highly recommended but not required, should be made directly with the restaurants. Find a list of participating eateries at SanDiegoRestaurantWeek.com.

Pizza Port Ocean Beach (photos by Alison DaRosa)

Any idea where you’ll find the best small brewpub in the country?

It’s right here in San Diego – in Ocean Beach, to be more precise.  Pizza Port OB,  which opened in May 2010, was tapped Small Brewpub of the Year at the .2011 Great American Beer Festival, the nation’s largest most prestigious showcase for brewers and their brews. Head brewer, Yiga Miyashiro, was named Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year.

The OB location is the fourth link in the Pizza Port chain launched in Solana Beach in 1987 by Gina and Vince Marsaglia, a sister/brother team who are not brewers but have the Midas touch for finding top beer-making talent.  (At that 2011 national beer fest, Pizza Port Carlsbad won Large Brewpub of the Year – for the third consecutive year.)

Half & Half Pizza

The chain began has a pizza-only restaurant – and chewy crust designer pizzas are still a hot draw.  (Request the signature wholegrain beer crust.) Salads are fresh, large and tasty.

OB customers order at the counter and sit on benches at long picnic-style tables in the large, often packed, dining area.  Ambiance is informal, friendly, noisy – with a surprisingly strong family vibe (baby strollers are often parked alongside tables). There’s a small indoor bar and a sidewalk patio.

Beer Tasting at Pizza Port OB

Choose from a wide selection of affordable quality beer on tap, including award-winning house-crafted brews as well as other locally crafted offerings. Find a wide range of styles, flavors and punch. Can’t decide? For $4-$8, sample a four-brew tasting.

Pizza Port Ocean Beach is at the corner of Bacon and Santa Monica in OB.  It’s open from 11 AM until 10 PM Sundays through Thursdays, till midnight Fridays and Saturdays.  Pints cost $3-$7; 10” pizzas run $7-$10.