Wine bar opens in Ocean Beach with fine dining menu

OCEAN BEACH – There’s a new restaurant in Ocean Beach on Newport Avenue, and its name is Latin for its function.

Vinum Locus (literally “wine place”) is owned by native Italian Luigi Agostini, who also owns Pizzeria Luigi, recently opened at 5017 Newport Ave. in a space formerly inhabited by a tattoo parlor.

The new establishment is filling a gap left by the departure of Gianni Buonomo Vintners, which has moved to the Midway District.

“We knew with Gianni Buonomo leaving, there was going to be a little bit of a vacuum, and we wanted to open a wine bar on Newport that was also serving food that is a little higher end,” said executive chef Nicholas Vassari. “So we stepped into that niche.”

Vassari graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, a private culinary school with its main campus in Hyde Park, N.Y. He was also chef de cuisine at Nobu Hospitality.

The executive chef of Vinum Locus said their wine list is top-notch.

“We have a diverse list of Old World wines with a nice smattering of California wines, as well as some wines from South America and South Africa,” Vassari said, adding they have a rotating list changing every 10 days.

Of their food menu, Vassari noted it changes monthly. Speaking of their culinary concept, he referred to it as “California cuisine,” using locally sourced ingredients, like seafood supplied by Tunaville in Point Loma.

“We try to support local companies with products from local sources as much as we can,” Vassari said, adding the menu is spiced with Japanese and Mediterranean influences, a nod to his ingrained French culinary techniques combined with an Asian concept.

The chef spoke highly of their menu’s prime New York strip steak. “It’s the most popular entree, along with the charcuterie boards with a choice of different items, including meats and cheeses, and numerous sides, as well as our breads baked in-house,” noted Vassari.

Of their wine stewards, Vassari said: “Our staff really has phenomenal wine knowledge. They do all their homework. You come in and ask them about the wine list, and they will guide you through it.

“A lot of people fear that, when they talk to a sommelier about the wine, they will have trouble understanding it. Our staff makes the wine list very relatable, makes it very easy.”

The new upscale wine bar and restaurant got a big thumbs up from one of its new patrons, Larry Zeiger, a retired cinema and musical theater teacher at Point Loma High School.

“It is one of the best restaurants I’ve dined at in a long time, with reasonable prices considering the gourmet dishes that are served,” Zeiger said. “Last night, I had an incredible sea bass dinner cooked in a pumpkin puree with roasted broccoli, and it was amazing.”

“Another night, I had an incredible salad served with salmon, and it was fantastic,” Zieger added. “The charcuterie boards are huge and reasonably priced. Everything I’ve had there is terrific.”