The Story: There are actually two chefs at Operacaffe. Roberto Bernardoni works during the day; his wife, Patrizia Branchi, rules the kitchen at night. Bernardoni is a native of Florence, where he learned to love local flavors like porcini mushrooms in his grandmother Alba's kitchen. He earned acclaim with his family's restaurant, Ganino, in Florence. Next, Roberto and Patrizia opened another restaurant in Florence called L'Osteria delle Tre Panche. The couple moved to California in 2008 and opened Operacaffe so they could re-create the kind of warm and personal restaurant they loved in Tuscany.

Even though Miguel Patterson owns Lean and Green, an organic restaurant dedicated to healthy fare like goji berry shots and broccoli, teriyaki and brown rice bowls, he loves to eat all kinds of cuisine, from the full Mexican-style brunch at Frida in Otay Ranch to the lobster club sandwich at Red Tracton's in Del Mar. But after the holiday season of eating, drinking and merrymaking, it's time to get back on track. Patterson is training for a triathalon now, so he says he's on the straight and narrow six days a week, sticking close to the Lean and Green menu.

"The best way to speed up your metabolism is to eat five small meals a day," Patterson says. "So I'm combining good complex carbohydrates with organic protein and lots of raw green vegetables." He eats lots of kale, lean chicken, tuna and brown rice. The restaurant has a unique (and popular) way with tuna salad: Instead of mixing it with fatty mayonnaise, they blend it with cottage cheese for a creaminess; carrot and onion add extra crunch and flavor. Sometimes he mixes it up with a Five a Day juice, a vegetable drink with kale, carrot, garlic, beets and ginger that offers the nutritional equivalent of eating a full day's serving of veggies.

Every week, Patterson makes his own super-spicy habanero salsa by stewing 4 to 6 vine-ripe tomatoes, 2 jalapeños, 2 serrano chiles and 2 to 4 habaneros, 1 red onion, 2 cloves garlic and a handful of cilantro for 10 to 12 minutes after it comes to a boil—till the tomatoes start to crack open. Then he drains off the excess liquid and puts everything in a blender to purée (first, check the unblended salsa and remove a chile or two if it seems too spicy). The final step is sautéing the salsa in a pan with a little olive oil, then seasoning it with Knorr tomato chicken-flavored bouillon and salt. The salsa is good on everything from scrambled egg whites to grilled chicken and brown rice.

"Salsa is the healthiest condiment there is," Patterson says. " There's no fat, and you get all the healthy properties from the garlic and tomatoes."

For an occasional treat, he indulges in an açai bowl: a 350-calorie Brazilian fruit parfait layered with strawberries, bananas, granola and soy milk.

"They call açai the beauty berry because it has 10 times the antioxidants of blueberries," he says. "It also helps the skin retain its elasticity."

Lean and Green, 7825 Fay Avenue, Suite 180, La Jolla, 858-459-LEAN, leanandgreen.com

Recession? What recession? There are tons of new restaurants opening around San Diego this year. A new Urban Coal Fired pizza from the same guys behind downtown's Basic is slated to open this April in North Park, and James Brennan of The Stingaree and Brian Malarkey (late of Top Chef and The Oceanaire Seafood Room) are collaborating on a mega-restaurant and lounge, called Searsucker, in the former Z Gallerie space at 611 Fifth Avenue, to open sometime in 2010. Here's where you'll want to be making reservations this spring:

• Take the comfortable atmosphere and friendly service of your favorite dive bar and marry it with a swank setting and high-end cuisine, and the result is Quality Social Club. Slated to open next month in the old EXY space, Quality Social promises to offer a luxe dive-bar experience with a menu by chef Jared Van Camp built around in-house charcuterie and seasonal ingredients, a wine cellar stocked with everything from Pabst to Bordeaux, and no dress code or cover charge. Some twists include a champagne bar in the ladies' lounge and live art installations. Local partner Chris Guimond is behind downtown's Spa Velia, while Chicago-based partner Chris Dexter spent five years opening properties for Rande Gerber. These guys will definitely be able to deliver. Quality Social, 789 Sixth Avenue, qualitysocial.com.
• Isabel Cruz—who already has a mini restaurant empire, with Coffee Cup in La Jolla and Isabel's Cantina in Pacific Beach—is at work on her latest, Barrio Star. She's partnering with up-and-coming chef Todd Camburn to put a fresh, distinctive and rather refined spin on classic Mexican fare, starting in March. In this airy Bankers Hill space done in brights, feast on grilled sweet corn slathered in spicy lime butter, a Caesar salad with cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds, slow-roasted pork carnitas tacos with house-made tortillas and flourless Mexican chocolate cake and Latin-inspired cocktails like a blackberry-jalapeño martini. Barrio Star, 2706 Fifth Avenue, 619-501-STAR, isabelscantina.com.
• Finally, people who live nowhere near the 805-5 merge will be able to enjoy Carl Schroeder's always-creative seasonal and local cuisine without a long drive. Schroeder and Terryl Gavre, his partner from Market Restaurant + Bar, are opening Bankers Hill, a modern bar and grill in the former Modus space. The affordable eatery will feature open beamed ceilings, a zinc bar, cozy patio and a living wall of succulents. Expect upscale comfort dishes like housemade potato chips and dip, buttermilk fried chicken, roasted mussels and steak frites paired with eclectic wines and cocktails. Bankers Hill, 2201 Fourth Avenue.

Operacaffe's Patrizia Branchi shares this recipe for her version of what is usually a summery pasta sauce made from ripe uncooked tomatoes, minced garlic and shredded basil.

1 pound spaghetti, boiled al dente with 2 tablespoons salt, drained
4 to 5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced into large pieces
4 to 5 leaves fresh basil
salt and pepper
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste

San Diego Restaurant Week
When: Jan. 17-22
Where: 180 restaurants all over San Diego County
Why Go: To enjoy some delicious three-course dinners for $20, 30 or $40.
Info: For the full list of participating restaurants, visit sandiegorestaurantweek.com.

All People's Breakfast, 22nd annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When: Jan. 18, 7:30 a.m.
Where: Golden Hall, 202 C Street, downtown San Diego
Why Go: Yes, we can keep the dream alive.
Info: Breakfast tickets, $35. Call 619-209-8241 or visit allpeoplesbreakfastsd.org.

Bubbly & Facials!
When: Jan. 20, 6 to 7 p.m.
Where: Wine Styles, 12045 Carmel Mountain Road, San Diego 858 451-2200
Why Go: Madame de Pompadour said champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it. Make that a guarantee with a mini-facial as you sip several kinds of bubbly.
Info: Call to make a mini-facial appointment; wine tasting is $12 per person. winestyles.net/carmelmountain