Each month brings a slate of exciting new restaurants to San Diego, whether it’s a splashy new restaurant helmed by an iconic chef, a low-key neighborhood spot, or a pop-up settling into a permanent location. Consider this monthly rundown a go-to guide for the newest and boldest debuts across San Diego.
Encinitas— Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and chef Andrew Bachelier (who’s launched Michelin-recognized restaurants such as Atelier Manna, Jeune et Jolie, Campfire) open their long-awaited skateboard-themed restaurant, Chick and Hawk. Slinging fried chicken sandwiches, caviar, seafood, and low-intervention wines, the laid-back all-day restaurant serves fast-fine dishes in a nostalgic dining room with skateboarding and music videos running on a continuous loop. Be sure to try The Birdman, a spicy chicken sandwich that alludes to Hawk’s nickname; spice levels have been named after skateboarding moves, from 180 degrees to 900 degrees. For salad options, the Kona Bowl features a salanova mix studded with birdseed furikake and mint. Pair with bubbly, beer, or cocktails such as the Neon Bell, made with lime aperitif, Thai basil, and lemongrass.
The Birdman. Kimberly Motos
La Jolla— After the 2019 launch of Trattoria Cori Pastificio in North Park, chef Accursio Lota and his wife, Cori Goria, opened their second restaurant, Dora, on November 21. The maximalist nonna-chic restaurant is the dining centerpiece of the new 8.5-acre Theater District Living and Learning Neighborhood that anchors a newly built dormitory tower at the University of California-San Diego campus. Lota, the former Barilla World Pasta Competition champion, features dishes from his native Sicily, including arancini studded with black truffle; ravioli stuffed with spinach, cheese, and foraged mushrooms; crispy-skinned branzino; pizzas topped with prosciutto; and artisanal gelatos made on premise. Themed three-course pre-theater prix fixe menus run in conjunction with La Jolla Playhouse’s theater production, located within easy walking distance. Italian wines are on offer, as well as cocktails such as the Dora Fashion made with bitters, bergamot, and bourbon.
Dora. Kimberly Motos
Mira Mesa— Kim Phan, owner of Michelin-recognized Kingfisher and Crab Hut, has launched a take-out pop-up, called Phở Gà Go, featuring her own family recipe for phở gà, a chicken pho noodle soup. Simmered with chicken bones over 12 hours, the fragrant broth is clean and nearly clear. Ingredients include thick rice noodles, Christopher Ranch garlic, bean sprouts, and organic ginger. Choose dark or white meat options: leg and thigh or breast and wing. Don’t skip on the chả giò, stuffed with pork, shrimp, taro, carrot, wood ear mushroom, and mung bean noodles. The nước chấm is made with Red Boat fish sauce, comprised of anchovies and sea salt, barrel-aged for 12 months in Vietnam. For now, pre-orders are available for pick-ups Sunday through Tuesday inside the Mira Mesa location of Crab Hut.
Pho Go Gao. Pho Go Gao
Little Italy— San Diego hospitality group, RMD (Lumi, Huntress, Rustic Root) has opened Canvas Café and Lounge in the lobby of Carte Hotel in Little Italy. Located on the corner of West Ash and State Street, the bright all-day restaurant features Turkish eggs with labneh cream and chili crunch, farmers market carpaccio with heirloom tomatoes, Mishima American wagyu steak lightly touched with chimichurri, Hamachi crudo, and a spicy fried chicken sandwich dressed in a cabbage and cilantro coleslaw. From the bar, try drinks like the Stay Classy, made with spiced rum, passion fruit, and prosecco.
La Jolla— After the operation of a successful micro-kitchen from his La Jolla home during the pandemic, chef Sebastian “Sebi” Becerra (Eleven Madison Park, Herb and Wood, COI) finds a permanent home for his casual Peruvian-California cafe and bakehouse on Fay Street. A native La Jollan, Becerra grew up surfing in Windandsea Beach and Peru, where his parents were raised. There, he also worked in Peruvian kitchens before he attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York City. The restaurant takes its name from Becerra’s grandfather, Pepino, which also means “cucumber” in Spanish. Partner Marissa Williams (Herb and Sea) is the sous chef in the kitchen. Pastries include pumpkin spice coffee cake and Peruvian specialties, such as pionono, a version of a jelly roll made with dulce de leche based on a family recipe. The casual bistro menu features a lomo saltado breakfast burrito and pan con chicharron sandwich filled with marinated pork belly, pickled onion, and salsa verde. Don’t skip sides like the yuca fries and huancaina cheese sauce or cheese tequenos. While Talitha coffee is on tap, wines and beers from California and South America are also options. Becerra says he “plans on extending hours to host happy hours and dinner service.”
Pepino. Chris Tran
Pacific Beach— After years of operating Dockside Fish, a Saturday pop-up at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, cooking what local fisherfolk bring in, chef Marcus Twilegar now leads his own kitchen at Cherryfish. (He’ll still man Dockside Fish on Saturday mornings.) The splashy American izakaya features sushi rolls, kimchi flatbread topped with shoyu-braised beef cheek, spiny lobster gyoza, kanpachi sashimi nestled in blood orange aguachile, charcoal-grilled swordfish belly skewers, and uni Okinawa potato dumpling served in a spiky shell. Expect cocktails like the Satsuma Mandarin, made with Sabe sake with blanco tequila, yuzu, and satsuma, and the Lychee, served in a glass fish. For something bolder, try the Nigoreo, a riff on an espresso cocktail made with Oreo-washed nigori sake.
Little Italy— After opening the first Taco Centro in the Gaslamp Quarter in 2022, owner Adrian Gutierrez takes over the former Bun and Patti space for his second outpost in Little Italy. The taquería features 13 tacos, the most popular of which may be the Sonoran taco with grilled Angus steak and whole pinto beans on a freshly formed flour tortilla. Expect birria on tacos, pizza, and in ramen at this casual spot; churros con tres leches and buñuelos complete the picture. The drinks span micheladas, margaritas, palomas, and Mexican and local beers on tap.
La Jolla— An all-star team from New York City’s Michelin-starred restaurants just opened an ambitious tasting-menu restaurant in the coastal city. Lucien opened in mid-October in La Jolla, led by chef Elijah Arizmendi (l’abeille, Per Se, Daniel), Brian Hung (Per Se), Bella Alicea (Per Se, Le Bernardin), and James Meringer (l’abeille, Sushi Ichimura). The hyper-seasonal tasting menu showcases California cuisine using French and Japanese techniques — all anchored by local farms, like Chino Farms. Dishes that may appear include an Amber Eden ancient grain bread accompanied by aged cultured butter, Masami Ranch wagyu, egg custard topped with N25 Oscietra caviar, seasonal California seafood, and multiple desserts, including truffles. Don’t skip the $245 drink pairing that includes a surprise dish paired with Château d’Yquem.
A beef dish being prepared at Lucien. Kimberly Motos