SAN DIEGO

• Coronado coronation. Matthew Van Marter has been promoted to executive chef of the Crown Room at the Hotel del Coronado from his previous position as executive sous-chef of Marius Restaurant. Former Marius chef Rene Herbeck, meanwhile, is now executive chef of downtown's Westgate Hotel.

• Ron Oliver has joined La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club as chef de cuisine of The Marine Room, under executive chef Bernard Guillas. Oliver comes from Tux at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

• 150 Grand Cafe in Escondido celebrated its fifth year with a trip down memory lane. Executive chef Riko Bartolome created a special appetizer menu featuring favorites from past chefs, including grilled poblano chile with Havarti and tomatillos, and baked Brie in phyllo with caramelized apples.

• Popular North County eatery Trattoria Positano has opened a second location in Hillcrest under Di Luccia sisters Laura and Amelia.

• In a recent San Diego Magazine restaurant poll, readers and critics differed in their choices for best restaurant and best chef. Readers chose Rancho Santa Fe's Mille Fleurs as best restaurant, while the critics chose Anthony's Star of the Sea, WineSellar & Brasserie, and Azzura Point. In the best chef category, readers gave the nod to James Boyce, executive chef at Loews Coronado Bay Resort, while critics crowned Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse, Chris Walsh of California Cuisine, and Bernard Guillas of The Marine Room.