Chicken potpie, Italian meatloaf and butternut squash ravioli are among the new fall meals presented by Dish at Universal. The restaurant also introduces “Dish Unplugged,” featuring live acoustic sets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., on Thursdays. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1091.

Dine at The Shores Restaurant in La Jolla for lunch or dinner between Nov. 28 and Dec. 23, and the staff will gift wrap up to two items for you free of charge. Additional gifts will be wrapped for a nominal fee, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Emilio Nares Foundation to assist families with children who are battling leukemia and other forms of cancer. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1091.

Consumers crimp on dining

In a study conducted last month by The NPD Group Inc., 57 percent of those surveyed said they plan to spend less on dining by either eating out less or frequenting less-expensive restaurants. Cutting back on dining out-ranked over the 54 percent who claimed they will spend less this year on apparel, followed by 50 percent who plan on spending less on entertainment.

The product-consumer group Mintel in Chicago predicts that food manufacturers and restaurants will emphasize exotic fruits to make their products and dishes more interesting next year. The company has zeroed in on seven flavors in particular that it believes will take center stage: persimmon, starfruit, lavender, cactus, chimichurri, peri-peri and masala. If correct, look for those ingredients in things like soda, yogurt, chocolate and cooking sauces.

Zenbu in La Jolla has woven into its happy hour high-end dishes such as the Lily Alexandra hand roll, oyster shooters, fresh-catch grilled skewers, calamari appetizers, and the popular Zenbu “dynamite roll.” House sake, Sapporo Reserve, and well drinks are also available at reduced prices. The happy-hour bargains are available from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and all night on Sundays and Mondays. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1091.

The San Diego Pretzel Company has rolled out its newest product: the “Twisted Traditional,” an old-fashioned, fully baked Bavarian-style pretzel that the company claims took 13 years to perfect. The product features a secret blend of flours to make the dough, which is then cut and twisted and chilled overnight to achieve a savory, Old World flavor. Pass the mustard, please. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1091.