Ken Cassinelli and wife Janie Losli have secured the lease for the outgoing Vo’s Café in North Park to open Apertivo Al Fresco in early July. The restaurant will feature all-outdoor seating on a covered patio, while resuming with its famous menu of affordable Italian tapas and wines that were served for five years on 30th Street before closing in October. Cassinelli says that he might add some smoked meat items to the menu and notes that it will take a couple months before he secures an alcohol license. 2632 University Ave.

Sources are telling us that the new Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant, which opened a couple weeks ago, is off to a ravishing start with polished wait service, kicky cocktails and seductive deviled eggs served from the small-plates menu. The restaurant and lounge arrives under the ownership of Chef Carl Shroeder, who also operates the popular Market Restaurant in Del Mar. In his new venture, the menu reveals a mix of casual and crafty fare, such as braised chicken pappardelle, duck confit, crispy barbecue pork tacos, salmon roasted in cast iron, homemade lemon potato chips, burgers, salads and more. Open daily for dinner, from 4:30 to 10 p.m. 2202 Fourth Ave., 619-231-0222.

A first-ever San Diego expo showcasing gourmet food products, high-end cookware, new kitchen appliances and products geared for entertaining will take place this fall, Oct 9 and 10, in the O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Titled “The Gourmet Experience,” the event is presented by Fast Forward Event Productions, which produces the annual San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival every November. The expo will feature more than 250 exhibitors, a beer and wine pavilion, cooking demos and celebrity chefs. The cost is $25 per day or $45 for a weekend pass. For more information, visit www.thegourmetexpo.com.

Cups in La Jolla, an upscale gourmet cupcake lounge, kicks off a summer series of hands-on baking and cooking classes in its new instructional kitchen, beginning June 5. The Sunday sessions are open to the public and will be headed by expert chefs and cookbook authors. For a complete list of classes, visit Cups’ culinary calendar at www.cupslj.com. 7857 Girard Ave., 858-459-2877.

Terra Restaurant in Hillcrest kicks off its 12th annual “BBQ ‘n Blues” dinners every Thursday evening from 6 to 9 p.m., starting May 27 and continuing through Sept. 16. Guests choose from a rotating selection of main courses, which will include St. Louis-style ribs, jerk-marinated pork loin, chimichurri steak, mustard-glazed salmon and more. The dinners cost $17.95 per person, and also include two side dishes. Various live blues musicians are scheduled each week. 3900 block of Vermont Street in the Uptown District, 619-293-7088.

In honor of runners (and sideliners) taking part in the citywide Rock ‘n Roll Marathon on June 6, BICE in the Gaslamp Quarter is offering a carb-heavy six-course meal the night prior, which will include five small plates of differently prepared pasta ending with a choice of dessert ravioli. The cost is $40 per person, which also includes a bottle of flat or sparkling water. 425 Island Ave., (619) 239-2423.