Candice

I have a few 1960's vintages that I'd like to sell online. Does anyone have experience with any good person-to-person auction sites? Has anyone used eBay or WineCommune.com to sell or purchase wine? Or, are classified ads the way to go? Thanks in advance!

Laurel was sold to the group that owns Chive restaurant and Kensington Grill. The decor and menu has been almost completely revamped but I believe the chef is still the same.

Chloe is wonderful, but not for large groups. They only have one large table that seats six or so. I do like the food at Chive(full disclosure: I worked briefly in their kitchen) but the atmosphere is definitely energetic and young. Laurel Restaurant might be a good choice. It's owned by the same group at Chive and has great decor and a nice menu.

I'm in the habit of buying exotic and unfamiliar foods out of curiousity without the slightest idea of what I'm going to do with them. My latest purchase is a bag of cactus pears. I was thinking of pureeing them and using the juice for cocktails. Does anyone have any ideas or recipes? Thanks!

There's a good Argentine grill/steakhouse on Aero Drive, not far from where you'll be. It's called Pampas. Enjoy your stay!

If you don't mind driving up north a bit, I'd consider two restaurants in Del Mar. They are both in hotels but offer some of the best fine dining in the San Diego area. Arterra in the Marriott was founded by Bradley Ogden and A.R. Valentien in the gorgeous Lodge at Torrey Pines are two of my favorite special occasion restaurants.