INCOMING: Roseville Cozinha

New Liberty Station resto to be a collab of big names in local food and wine

by Nate Martins

Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 12:12PM

Chef Michael Alves of Roseville Cozinha

UPDATE: While it started as just a consulting gig for a friend... Craig Jimenez has been named executive chef of Roseville Cozinha.

Michael Alves is casting a line deep into Point Loma’s fishing history as he ditches Joao’s Tin Fish at Liberty Station to become Roseville Cozinha (Portuguese for “kitchen”). Planned to open in mid November, it’ll be anchored to simple, local fishing traditions—executed Portuguese-Italian style.
Since fishing is a grandiose excuse to swill beer—Roseville will boast 22 crafties with an emphasis on locals like Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale and Stone’s Arrogant Bastard. Alves recruited childhood friend and Cohn Restaurant Group sommelier Maurice DiMarino to curate Portuguese and Italian wines, including the Malvasia/Gouveio Blend from Napa’s Ferreira winery. They’ll go with 13 craft cocktails like the Spicy Carrot Martini (Tru Organic lemon vodka, carrot juice, lemon juice, roasted cumin syrup) and Um Beijo (hibiscus-infused gin, Lillet Blanc and Benedictine).
            The menu was designed by two local chefs—Pete Balistreri (Tender Greens) and Craig Jiminez (ex-Craft & Commerce). Roseville will continue the city’s Neapolitan pizza explosion (Buona Forchetta, Bruno’s) with the Wild Mushroom (wild shrooms, Moz, speck, buratta, arugula, truffle oil and piave) and The Fennel (fennel seed sausage, roasted peppers and chili oil). A charcuterie plate will also boast the world-class cures from Balistreri’s about-to-launch P. Balistreri Salumi. Expect a school of seafood, too, like the Ervilhas Stew (a trad Portuguese dish with green peas, potato, linguica, topped with poached egg) and fresh-caught daily specials. Alves is no pizza slouch, having trained with SF’s Tony Gemignani, a nine-time World Pizza Champion and the only American to win the Naples Championship in Italy.
            Everything about Roseville will be provincial—from the clams and muscles (Carlsbad Aquafarm) to precious greenery (Suzie’s Farm, PL Farms, Shoemaker Farms in Ramona and Terra Bella Ranch) and the meats from Natural Angus.
            Nothing says more about Roseville Cozinha than tradition. The cioppino will boast a recipe passed down to Alves from his grandmother. The room will be decked out with black-and-white photos of Point Loma fishermen (from the Portuguese Heritage Center and the area’s first families of fish), old toasters transformed into reclaimed pendant lights, copper pots from Michael’s grandmother’s farm in Central California, and old fishing boat wenches.
            The menu boasts an old mealtime saying: “Mais fica” (“More for me.”)