Mary Jo Testa and Scott Thomas of downtown’s Salad Style present panninis, gourmet salads and Italian wines at Enoteca Style in Little Italy, scheduled to open Dec. 1. The duo’s chic new wine bar and eatery replaces Global Village Marketplace, and will offer indoor and outdoor seating. Enoteca is located at 1445 India St.

The American Institute of Wine & Food San Diego Chapter (AIWF) will join Chef Colin MacLaggan at Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar at 6 p.m., Dec. 6, for a four-course dinner featuring MacLaggan’s French-inspired American cuisine paired with select German wines from Truly Fine Wine. The dinner costs $95 for AIWF members and $110 for non-members. Courses include seared scallops, rack of lamb and plum tart served with esoteric Riesling, Pinot Noir and high-end dessert wines. Coordinators will provide guests with an educational approach to wine and food through discussions and tastings. The restaurant is located at 2760 Fifth Ave., in Bankers Hill. Reservations must be made by Dec. 4 by calling 619-297-0951.

The hip Guild Restaurant + Lounge in Barrio Logan has debuted “Revival: Brunch Remixed,” every Saturday, featuring Euro-Asian cuisine set to “groovy tunes” spun by a rotating roster of guest DJs. In lieu of the usual pancake-omelet fare, artisan chef Melissa Mayer presents fusion items such as peppered and seared filet carpaccio with arugula and poached egg; Pudong, a savory broth of vermicelli, tofu, chilis and cilantro; Shanghai lumpia; and untraditional bacon and eggs with pepper-crusted pork paté and bacon crème fraiche. The brunch is available weekly between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Guild is located at 1805 Newton Ave. For more information, call 619-564-7584.

Only in a culinary capital such as New York can you find a chocolate sundae priced at $25,000 and prospective customers calling to inquire. The dessert was created by Stephen Bruce, owner of Serendipity 3, in conjunction with luxury jeweler Euphoria New York. It features a blend of 28 cocoas, including 14 of the most expensive and exotic from around the globe. Served with five grams of edible 23-karat gold, the sundae is topped with gold-speckled whipped cream and a side of La Madeline au Truffle from Knipschildt Chocolatier, which reportedly sells for $2,600 a pound. The dessert set a Guinness world record for its lofty price when it was unveiled earlier this month.

The 14,000-square-foot Universal in the heart of Hillcrest is slowly shaping up to include an open-air area called The Garden, plus an uber-chic indoor lounge and a high-design restaurant named Dish, headed by Chef Antonio Friscia of EnDev Enterprises, the company behind the $5 million mega project. The property, located at University Avenue and Vermont Street will also include a New York-style deli and Ciro’s Pizzeria at its east end. Epicures can stay tuned by visiting www.endevllc.com.

‘Tis the season to visit The Marine Room in La Jolla for ringside views of the Pacific Ocean’s seasonal high tides. Executive Chef Bernard Guillas and Chef de Cuisine Ron Oliver have created a special breakfast buffet menu for taking in the tide action from 7 to 10 a.m., on Dec. 22 and 23. Hold on to your Grand Marnier French toast and wild mushroom frittata should Mother Nature toss in a winter storm to boot! The water literally laps at the restaurant’s reinforced windows, affording guests a wildly aquatic dining experience at times. The cost is $32 per person. Reservations are recommended by calling 858-459-7222.