SAN DIEGO -- Sponsored by the San Diego chapter of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), the City’s biannual Restaurant Week returns this month. For one week, Jan. 13-18, over 140,000 people are expected to participate by visiting numerous restaurants, including several in Uptown.

Restaurants will be offering three-course prix-fixe dinner menus for $20, $30 or $40 per person. There are over 180 eateries scheduled to offer the special prices. In addition, several restaurants will be offering two-course lunch menus, starting at $10 per person.

Rob Thompson, the popular and diversely-talented organic chemist/SDPIX and Rich’s cover model/go-go boy, will be having his big going away night this Saturday at Rich’s. Rob, aka Robsicle, aka Mr. Universal, is leaving us for a new life in Chicago. Naturally, we are sad … but we wish him all the best!

The theme for the night at Rich’s will be Popsicle, appropriately enough, with DJ Taj at the turntables.

Arrested opening night at Spin

Happy New Year everyone!

Now that 2012 is in the books, I thought it might be a good idea to reflect, take a look back and count down the Top 5 most popular Out & About columns from last year, based on the number of Internet “hits” they got. Starting with …

Number 5: “Huge gay guide to Halloween happenings”

San Diego Gay & Lesbian News has a regular dining-out column written by The Taste Buds, SDGLN's resident foodies. Today's review is by Sweet, one of our staffers who plan to keep his/her identity the best-kept secret in San Diego, and guest foodie Umami.

AKINORI SUSHI
* 1417 University Ave. in Hillcrest.
* 619-220-4888
* Website: Akinori sushi
* Open for dinner: 5:30 to 10 pm Sunday through Thursday; 5:30 to 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday