North Park’s Getting a New Chef-Powered Restaurant | Eater San Diego

"Planned to open by the end of June, this 55-seat restaurant, Verbena Kitchen, occupies University Avenue’s former Splash Wine Lounge and will operate Wednesday through Saturday for happy hour and dinner plus Sunday brunch. I learned the super-seasonal menu will revolve around the North Park Farmer’s Market and the relationships chef Ronnie Schwandt has cultivated with local purveyors; the project was accelerated by the stresses of the pandemic and driven by his desire for better work/life balance and more time with his young daughter. Schwandt hopes Verbena Kitchen will encourage more chef-focused projects in the neighborhood, and his wife Laura and restaurant partner Jillian Ziska—who run an event business—will use the Normal Heights Adams Avenue Theater to host chef’s dinners and special events on evenings when the restaurant is closed." - Candice Woo