Need to blow off steam about that rude bartender who kept you waiting 15 minutes for a cold bottle of beer? Or perhaps you’d rather sing praise over last night’s rousing osso bucco and the titillating waiter who served it to you. The Web site www.yelp.com gives everyone a free mouthpiece for writing critiques about bars, restaurants and other commercial operations in more than a dozen cities, including San Diego. The cheers and jeers are uncensored and stay posted for at least a year.

The peninsula long known for its dormant culinary scene and weekend flag days continues blossoming on the wine and food front. A wine tasting room is in the works at the new location of Varietals, located at 3045 Rosecrans St., Suite 214. The store remains a destination for hard-to-find Central Coast Rhones and Pinot Noirs, and features a minor emphasis on small productions originating from Washington State.

Just down the street in Liberty Station, foodies await the arrival of the new 4,000-square-foot SOLARE Ristorante ~ Lounge, featuring a unique commingling of contemporary gourmet Italian cuisine served within a soothing Asian motif. The restaurant is slated to open early next month.

A $30,000 sushi case surrounded by hard-carved mahogany is the focal point at Pearl Restaurant Sushi and Champagne Lounge, launched last month by Robert Dorfman, who formerly owned Beach City Market in Horton Plaza. Dorfman has recruited Chef Makoto Okuwa, a familiar face seen on “Iron Chef America” for the last four years. The restaurant features high-end Japanese fusion, two patios and a lounge serving nine different champagnes by the glass. It is located at 2010 Jimmy Durante Blvd., #100.

The former Capriotti’s sandwich shop at University and Sixth Avenues is making way for Viva Pasta, owned by first-time restaurateur Florian Ritt of Austria. The menu will feature several different types of organic pastas and sauces for mixing and matching, along with salads and homemade dressings. Ritt spent nearly two years traveling throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe researching the organic, fast-food concept before pressing ahead with the venture in San Diego. The eatery’s grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 13.

The dressed-for-success organization, Gentlemen’s Martini Night, will hold a masquerade ball from 6-10 p.m., Oct. 31, at a major downtown hotel. New and existing members must log onto the Web site, gentlemensmartininight.com, to obtain the exact location. The San Diego chapter, headed by Kenn Cross, currently has more than 2,300 members comprised of GLBT individuals and their supporters. Member-ship is free.

Chef Pascal Vignau of Savory in Encinitas has opened ECR Grille in Carlsbad, a casual breakfast-lunch joint named after its street address, El Camino Real. Homemade condiments and natural sodas augment a variety of colorful egg dishes, gourmet burgers and crafty sandwiches consumed on butcher-block tables. And should you forget your bifocals, the menu is displayed on two television flat-screens inside the restaurant. ECR is located at 7740 El Camino Real, Suite F, in the La Costa Towne Center.