Chula Vista’s long-awaited waterfront development is expected to get final approval in the next three months and possibly have Nashville-based Gaylord Entertainment head development of a hotel and convention center once again.

Last week Punxsutawney Phil made it official – San Diego businesses have to cope with six more weeks of winter. In the coming week there are numerous speakers and activities that will help us make it through the dreary days ahead.

San Diego’s craft brewing industry has seen unmitigated growth through the recession. Breweries all over the county are expanding, new entrants are constantly emerging and national press has showered the community in hype paralleled only by its success at recent industry-wide competitions.

There are two sides to every coin, and in San Diego, it might be difficult to imagine the two sides of the travel coin — one marked by air arrivals and the other by sea — looking more different than they did in 2011. Crippled by circumstances largely out of its control, the Port of San Diego is reporting some rather deflated leisure cruise statistics, while the airport is experiencing some relative stability.

Assiduous entrepreneur James Brennan — co-owner of San Diego exclusive nightclub Stingaree, as well as restaurants Searsucker, Burlap and Gingham — is planning on opening 15 restaurants in the next few years.

Foie gras draws oohs and ahs from those that delight in its rich, full flavor and eeks and shrieks from others, offended by the process that exponentially plumps a duck's or goose’s liver.

Amaya

San Diego has built a reputation for being the craft beer capital of the United States, which is no surprise to locals.

J Public Relations recently announced it has added five more hotel properties to its portfolio, including L'Auberge de Sedona and Tanque Verde Ranch in Arizona; La Jolla's La Valencia Hotel and two properties in Canada -- the Opus Montreal and Opus Vancouver.

The San Diego Convention Center’s proposed expansion just took another step forward.

The graph compares the total number of flights and passengers arriving and departing from San Diego's Lindbergh Field.

Beginning Feb. 1, St. Germain's Bistro & Cafe in Encinitas is set to launch Lady Chef, a quarterly guest chef series featuring San Diego’s top female chefs.

The gaming corporation of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, owners of the Valley View Casino & Hotel, has closed on a refinancing of its $215 million in outstanding high-yield bonds, due September 2013 to bankroll the casino and hotel businesses.

A total of $18 million in funding has been provided by GE Capital Finance to bankroll the acquisition of 51 Jack in the Box restaurants in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

San Diego County experienced the largest number of foreclosed hotels in California, with 27 going back to their lenders in 2011.

The 124-year-old Hotel del Coronado has just emerged from an $8 million renovation.

Gayle Covner, New York City native and Blueprint Café founder, brings a synergy of culture and cuisine to Barrio Logan. Covner also runs In Good Taste, a thriving catering business.

From the pending death of redevelopment agencies to Internet retailers dealing a blow to bricks-and mortar-bookstores, 2011 was anything but a typical year.

In spite of economic uncertainty, San Diegans supported the region’s nonprofits with generous giving in 2011, welcomed an old favorite back to the stage, and launched the world’s first Center for Surf Research while an optimistic hospitality industry looked to the future as it announced expansion plans, hotel projects and new restaurants set to open or get under way in 2012.