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Chef Alves' Cioppino |
November 10, 2012
This November, Point Loma’s Liberty Station Promenade will welcome a fresh culinary concept, Roseville Cozinha, a “fish-to-fork” eatery inspired by the seaside community’s rich history as a popular fishing peninsula settled by Portuguese and Italian immigrants over 100 years ago. Owner/Chef Michael Alves, a Point Loma native of Portuguese ancestry, will serve flavorful traditional Portuguese and Italian dishes with a contemporary twist, focused on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and fresh off the line seafood.
Alves, a former Georgia Southern University football player and graduate of San Diego State University, comes from a tight-knit Portuguese family where hearty food and fine drink was at the heart of every gathering. As the youngest in a family of 10, Alves spent much of his childhood and adolescence immersed in the flavors of his mother’s, grandmothers’ and aunts’ kitchens, developing an earnest appreciation for traditional Portuguese cuisine and honing his culinary skills.
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Chef Michael Alves |
Inspired by the Da Kine’s concept, Alves set out to pay homage to Point Loma’s Portuguese and Italian fishing community with Roseville Cozinha.
“Few San Diegans know that Point Loma was built on the tuna fishing industry by Portuguese and Italian immigrants— in fact, San Diego was once America’s tuna fishing capital,” says Alves, “I want to educate people and honor our community’s legacy.”
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Chef Alves with catch of the day yellowtail |
While originally Chef Alves was going to run the kitchen, it was recently announced that Craig Jimenez (formerly of Craft & Commerce) is joining the Roseville Cozinha team full-time as the Executive Chef. He will helm the impressive menu that will emphasize seasonal cuisine from local farms including, Suzie’s Farm, PL Farms, Shoemaker Farms (Ramona) and Terra Bella Ranch, as well as freshly caught shellfish from Carlsbad Aquafarms, and grass-fed meats from Natural Angus.
"I am thrilled to announce that my close friend and culinary consultant Craig Jimenez has expressed an interest in deepening his partnership with the Roseville Cozinha team," says Alves. "Jimenez will take over the position of Executive Chef at Roseville Cozinha to allow me to shift focus to my true passion of cultivating local partnerships with purveyors and overseeing the overall success of this passion project."
Menu standouts include the Ervilhas Stew, a traditional Portuguese dish made from green peas, potato, linguica, and topped with a poached egg, and the Fish Monger, a selection of the day’s seafood, pickled onions and wood oven roasted vegetable. Balistreri has also lent his skill at making exceptional salumi to Roseville Conzinha’s menu with the Local Salumi Board, featuring hand crafted P. Balistreri Salumi, house-made pickles, marinated olives, Dijon mustard, nuts and pate.
A custom-made wood fired oven will be turning out hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven Neapolitan-style pizzas with a variety of fresh meats, seafood and cheeses. Alves was schooled in the fine art of pizza making by nine-time World Pizza Champion and the only American to win the Naples Championship in Italy, Tony Gemignani. Pies include the Wild Mushroom, topped with a variety of wild mushrooms, mozzarella, speck, buratta, arugula, truffle oil and piave, and The Fennel, topped with fennel seed sausage, roasted peppers and chili oil. Traditional Portuguese desserts are not forgotten. The stand out sweet selections include, Malasadas, Portuguese sweet dough, fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar and Portuguese Sweet Bread Pudding, Portuguese sweet bread made by Con Pane Rustic Breads served with a scoop of gelato.
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Roasted Chicken |
Rustic design elements are combined with familial comfort for a welcoming, relaxed ambiance. Point Loma’s fishing history is celebrated in black and white framed images along the walls, the day’s catch and specials are prominently displayed on a large chalkboard and vintage items like an antique typewriter, milk basket and copper pots (from Alves’ grandmother’s farm and central California) and reclaimed pendant lights made from old farm toasters and wenches from old tuna boats add an air of nostalgia. Wine bottles are housed inside an exposed wood grain case that lines the entryway with the focal point being the custom wood-fired pizza oven. A large, outdoor patio encourages guests and their canine friends to enjoy the San Diego sunshine and cool Bay breeze. Roseville Cozinha’s authentic design captures Point Loma’s history as the hub of San Diego’s tuna fishing industry and haven for Portuguese and Italian immigrants.
Roseville Cozinha will be open seven days a week, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, Sunday – Thursday, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm, Friday and Saturday. Roseville Cozinha is located at 2750 Dewey Road #104 in Point Loma’s Liberty Station Promenade, formerly Joao’s Tin Fish Bar & Eatery.
Follow the eatery’s Facebook and Twitter feeds (@rosecozinha) for more opening news. For more information on Roseville Cozinha, Michael Alves, the food menu and wine, beer and craft cocktail list, hours of operation, and special events, please visit rosevillecozinha.com.