{"id":796819,"date":"2026-05-14T22:49:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/796819\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T22:49:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:49:21","slug":"team-behind-same-same-launching-amor-y-magia-this-june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/796819\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Behind Same Same Launching Amor Y Magia This June"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Lennon believed all you need is love, but one restaurant team wants to provide guests with love and magic. This June, Shawn Seaman, Mike Mayaudon, and Ryan Mencik will open Amor y Magia<\/a> (\u201clove and magic\u201d) next to Little Victory Wine Bar<\/a> in Carlsbad.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The group has been working on the concept for two years, building a Latin American\u2013inspired menu that takes cues from Mencik\u2019s Filipino and Mayaudon\u2019s Venezuelan heritages, as well as San Diego\u2019s proximity to Mexico.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spain colonized the Philippines from 1565 to 1898 and Mexico from 1521 to 1821, leaving a deep influence throughout both countries\u2019 cuisines. \u201cI want to balance tradition with creativity by honoring the roots of Latin America and Latin cuisine, but also pushing the boundaries with experimentation,\u201d says Mencik, Amor y Magia\u2019s executive chef.<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s past projects, Same Same<\/a> in Carlsbad and Good Enough Cocktail Club<\/a> in Little Italy, give a taste of that boundary-pushing ideology. (One is a proudly irreverent technicolor Thai-fusion extravaganza, while the other is a listening bar<\/a> cosplaying as a tattoo studio and pleasantly affordable cocktail lounge. Both are worth a visit.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo Credit: Maya Seaman<\/p>\n

Amor Y Magia\u2019s menu will include a rotating raw bar with fish crudo and ceviche caught by local fishermen<\/a>, as well as a few salads and sides like elote, pao de queijo (small Brazilian cheese rolls made with Oaxacan cheese, garlic aioli, and chives), and tajadas (fried plantains with nata, a sweet dairy cream, and queso llanero, or \u201ccowboy cheese.)\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since most Latin American cultures prize the ritual of gathering together as much as the food itself, Mencik says the menu will lean on shareable plates\u2014around seven or eight starters and entrees, a few of which come directly from his and Mayaudon\u2019s childhoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dish that I\u2019m most excited about is a dish that I grew up eating when I was a kid\u2014and you don\u2019t really find it anywhere around here. It\u2019s called a cachapa,\u201d says managing partner Mayaudon. \u201cA cachapa is like a corn savory pancake, usually topped with queso de mano.\u201d Queso de mano is a soft, fresh cheese from Venezuela with a mild flavor similar to mozzarella.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the past two decades or so, people have begun folding the cheese in the middle, but he prefers it the more traditional style\u2014the pancake served flat, with butter and cheese on top. \u201cWe\u2019re still working out whether or not we want to add the pork to it, but for me, that\u2019s a great core item.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo Credit: Maya Seaman<\/p>\n

Mencik points to the grilled half chicken dish as one of his highlights, served with pickled mango, jalape\u00f1o, bell pepper, lime, Merk\u00e9n (a traditional Chilean spice blend with salt, toasted coriander, and smoked cacho de cabra chili peppers) and humita (an Argentinian corn pur\u00e9e). Despite Merk\u00e9n\u2019s popularity in Chile, the team hasn\u2019t been able to source the chili peppers in the US. So, they\u2019re currently growing their own\u2014around a 100-day process, he estimates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Amor Y Magia\u2019s beverage program falls under a similar fusion theme, with plays on traditional cocktails<\/a> like Jaguar\u2019s Milk, which riffs off a Brazilian Batida de Coco, or house-made Peruvian chicha morada,\u00a0 with purple corn, fruit, spices, and Oaxacan whiskey. Seaman, who will be the general manager as well as a managing partner with Mayaudon, adds they also plan to have a global wine list<\/a> that extends beyond Spanish and Latin American wines, with selections from California, France, and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most of the tables in the gothic, Spanish Revival-inspired restaurant are on the covered patio, which seats 60 guests. Inside, there\u2019s a 12-person bar and four-person chef\u2019s counter. Amor y Magia will feel different from their other projects\u2014intentionally, Seaman says. \u201cOur goal is to open a bunch of different places with different vibes and different settings,\u201d he says. With some luck, and maybe some magic, this is just the start for the team.<\/p>\n

Amor Y Magia<\/a> opens at 505 Oak Avenue, Suite C in mid-June 2026. Initial operating hours will be Monday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (subject to change).<\/p>\n

PARTNER CONTENT<\/p>\n


\n \"Elevating
\n Elevating an Icon: Inside the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Clu…
\n <\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Chef
\n Chef Aidan Owens Thinks Your Fish is Boring
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego\u2019s Food and Drink Scene<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city\u2019s food scene? Send your pitches to\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t