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.
East Village— What started as a pandemic pop-up out of a North Park apartment and transitioned into a Miramar ghost kitchen has finally evolved into a permanent cafe in East Village. On October 14, Relic Bakery opened as a sunny cafe lined with expansive windows and an outdoor patio. Co-owners Samantha Bird and Derek Hadden met when they both worked at Herb and Wood. Popular wood-fired sourdough and focaccia loaves, alongside flaky pastries such as the double pain au chocolat, baklava Danish, and honey cake, are displayed in the enticing pastry case. Eventually, Bird says, she wants a bread wall with more varieties, including dark rye. Bird spent time in bakeries in the Czech Republic, France, and Denmark, and led the bread program at Juniper and Ivy. Hadden, who calls himself more of a “savory chef,” added dishes like Mary’s chicken thigh roulade glossed with red wine chicken demi-glace, lamb rillette intertwined in a swirly pastry, and shrimp terrine with a boiled egg. He’s working on a pate en croute, leaning into French techniques he picked up at his time at three-Michelin-starred Addison, and fermenting habanero sauce for a planned “wings and wine” happy hour later down the line.
While the team primarily operates out of their East Village location from Wednesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., they plan to expand their hours and may host pop-ups at their Miramar ghost kitchen again. “This will probably be the hours for a month or two until we establish the normal here,” Bird says.
Relic. Helen Hwang
Gaslamp Quarter— Landing in the bustling downtown neighborhood packed with bars and nightclubs, the second U.S. outpost of the Michelin-recognized taqueria from Tijuana has opened its doors. Famous for its mesquite-grilled steak street tacos, adobada, asada, tripa, and suadero, Tacos El Franc serves its specialties on tortillas made to order and toasted on a charcoal grill. The Gaslamp location offers late-night hours and counter pickup, while the Plaza Bonita branch provides table service. The beef tallow fries topped with proteins are only available on the U.S. side. Pair the dishes with agua frescas, like horchata and Jamaica, or a 32-ounce Caguama—a large Mexican beer bottle meant to be shared with the table. Co-owner Roberto Kelly says he plans to open more Tacos El Franc concepts in San Diego and other regions.
Pacific Beach— Well-loved Normal Heights breakfast and lunch spot Madi’s expands northward to the coastal community with a second location. The 2,600-square-foot space encompasses ample indoor dining and two outdoor patios; its interior comes from Dave and Anna Sindelar, the husband-and-wife design team who also oversaw Madi’s sister restaurants (Madison on Park, Madi on Adams, Sonny’s Pizza). In addition to popular brunch favorites, such as the Mediterranean breakfast and the G.O.A.T. breakfast sandwich stuffed with hefty portions of ham, egg, arugula, two types of cheese, and apricot habanero jam, the Pacific Beach branch offers a few unique items available only at this spot. The new location slings crispy Baja fish tacos, made with battered mahi mahi and mango mint salsa, and the Surf Shack Poke Bowl, a deconstructed plate of sesame-speckled ahi tuna dressed in a light poke sauce, avocado, tangy pickled onion, and mango-mint salsa; both pair well with the watermelon mimosa.
Carmel Valley— Located in the vibey Sky Deck food hall in Del Mar Highlands Town Center, Zen Modern Asian Bistro takes over a 2,225-square-foot space, slinging Asian diasporic favorites. Ethan Yang, who also owns the Sky Deck’s sushi restaurant Glass Box, opened the restaurant as a tribute to his 70-year-old father, Henry Yang, who trained him in his San Diego restaurants, the original Zen Modern Asian Bistro in Carmel Mountain, which opened in 2016, and Mr. Charlie’s Fortune Cookie in Rancho Bernardo. Menu highlights include slow-braised Taiwanese beef noodle soup, Sichuan dumplings dressed in sesame butter in a pool of chile broth, juicy soup dumplings, Kurobuta pork char siu blanketed in a sweet soy and honey glaze, and Taiwanese beef noodle soup. Don’t skip the cocktails: the ube drink is comprised of dark rum, taro, lime, and pineapple, while Old Fashioneds come in four versions, including one infused with oolong tea.
Zen. Zen
Ocean Beach— Five years ago, brothers Michael and Paul Azakie opened Mary’s Salads, a popular gourmet salad spot in La Jolla named after their mother. “We couldn’t find any good salad spots in San Diego, and we figured, why not do it ourselves?” Michael says. On October 10, they opened a second location in Ocean Beach. Find salads like the Kale Caesar salad with avocado and imported Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano and the Santa Fe salad, built on a foundation of spring mix and cut romaine, and studded with sliced avocado, corn, black beans, and tortilla chips. The menu also features a build-your-own-salad option; most of the dressings are vegan and created in the compact kitchen. Expect grain bowls like the Mediterranean, made with brown rice, house-roasted chicken, and yogurt garlic sauce, punched with Aleppo spice. Don’t skip the hearty Gold Coast soup — chickpeas stewed in coconut milk and turmeric.
La Jolla— Nestled among towering office blocks in the La Jolla Commons, Daffodil Café opened on the ground floor for breakfast and lunch dining. Owner Lauren Passero-Brookes (Kensington Cafe, the Haven Pizzeria) brought in chef Sarah Palomares, who’s worked in the kitchens of Nobu in the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Lion Cafe in Point Loma. The kitchen team slings inventive dishes like coconut chia pudding with toasted coconut; a veggie sando with sauteed zucchini and eggplant; a Commons smash burger punched up with Hatch chile cheddar and an herbaceous aioli; and a chicken tikka masala Frankie, an Indian street-food naan wrap.
La Mesa— A Sonoran-style Mexican restaurant opened in the former Por Favor space, which closed after 50 years in La Mesa, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Hacienda Cazadores offers regional dishes, such as enchiladas Sonorenses with chicken tinga, spiny lobster in a mojo de ajo, and parrillada Sonora for two, which includes generous portions of beef rib, Spanish chorizo, chicken, and grilled cactus. Other dishes include a broad selection of dry-aged steaks as well as fajita-style chicken or adobo-marinated spicy pork. For a bit of showmanship, chefs arrive tableside to grind tomatoes, chiles, and spices in a volcanic stone mortar for fresh salsas molcajetes.
Bay Park— Replacing the former La Pastaia Italian-American restaurant is Romanello Cucina Romana, which slings central and northern Italian dishes such as cacio e pepe and pappardelle Bolognese. Warm Italian bread lands on the table as diners are seated; the custom Italian oven bakes pinsa, a Roman-style oblong flatbread hand-pressed with fermented Caputo flour and topped with tomato sauce or mozzarella. A native of Rome, co-owner James Pasquali says he wants to “introduce true Italian dishes from his hometown to the neighborhood.”
Mira Mesa— Nick the Greek, a fast-casual Greek counter-service restaurant, opened in Mira Mesa on September 30. With nearly 100 locations across the county, this street food outpost marks the second location in San Diego. Husband-and-wife team Gary and Mirna Tully purchased the J Street location and plan to open more stores, including one in 4S Ranch, replacing Joyee’s Dumpling House on Craftsman Way. Must-tries include the chargrilled beef and lamb gyro pita stuffed with fries and tomatoes, Greek salad with crunchy cucumbers in tangy red wine vinaigrette, and a souvlaki plate with a choice of chicken or steak. While no liquor is served in the Mira Mesa location, beer is available at the downtown location near Petco Park.