People and places in restaurant news

Award-winning brewers on the move, a AAA Five Diamond Rating and the launch of a new beverage product top the news around San Diego’s dining scene.

Chef Brian Redzikowski of Kettner Exchange — one of five chefs and the only one from San Diego — will participate in the Los Angeles Cochon555 competition in Santa Monica on March 11. One week before the event, each of the chefs will receive a sustainably sourced 200-pound heritage-bred pig to create a maximum of six dishes for the competition. Twenty celebrity judges will score the dishes based on utilization, technique and overall flavor. The dish must also be voted “best bite of the day” by guests. The winner of the competition will advance to the national finale in Chicago on Sept. 30. For more information, visit cochon555.com.

AAA announced Addison Restaurant at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar was again among the recipients of its AAA Five Diamond Rating. It is the only restaurant in San Diego to have received the honor. Adding to its award lineup, Forbes Travel Guide for Lodging unveiled its 2018 star award winners, which also included Addison as a five-star restaurant. This is the 10th straight year that Addison has received this honor. “Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond rankings set the industry standard, and earning them year after year firmly establishes us as a top world-class destination,” said Dennis Clark, managing director of Fairmont Grand Del Mar. “These rankings provide us with credibility and cachet with world travelers seeking the very finest in accommodations and amenities.” 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, San Diego, 858.314.1900 or addisondelmar.com

San Diego brewpub The Bell Marker welcomes award-winning brewer Ignacio “Nacho” Cervantes to its brewmaster team. Cervantes, who previously oversaw Pizza Port’s Carlsbad and Ocean Beach brewpubs, will work alongside brewmaster Noah Regnery to produce seasonal beers for the pub. 602 Broadway, downtown. 619.756.7598 or thebellmarker.com

Jeff Josenhans, certified sommelier and cicerone at The Grant Grill and Michael Terrien of Union Vineyard, have launched a new beverage product, General Grant Pinot Noir. Terrien implemented an approach in which the pinot is made with no additives and no manipulations. Pumps and filters are not engaged in the cellar, while chemicals, tilling and irrigation are prohibited in the vineyard set in a redwood glade overlooking the Monterey Bay. The bespoke wine honors the general and president and connects to the winery’s original owner and patriot John Jarvis. The vineyard was planted during the Civil War — the first original vineyard — in the Santa Cruz mountains. 326 Broadway, downtown. 619.744.2077 or grantgrill.com