Iconic restaurant remains open after fire on Garden Center Café patio

The Garden Center Café, a popular local restaurant known for its iconic back patio, had an unexpected scare on Christmas Eve when a fire broke out under the patio cover.

"The gas patio heaters mounted under the wood patio caught the patio cover, the shade cloth, and leaves on top of it, on fire. The fire spread to a nearby ceiling fan and burned an umbrella," according to Capt. John Choi, public information officer for the North County Fire Protection District.

No one was hurt in the incident.

"Customers and restaurant workers made an initial fire knockdown, and fire crews fully extinguished i...