La Puerta taking over ex-Patio space in Mission Hills

La Puerta Mexican restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter will soon have a sister location in Mission Hills.

July 4, 2020 6 AM PT

La Puerta Restaurant & Bar, a longtime full-service Mexican eatery in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, has leased the former Patio on Goldfinch space in Mission Hills for its second location. It should open in four to seven months.

La Puerta owner Merritte Powell said the new, 4,000-square-foot location at 4020 Goldfinch St. will carry on the 12-year-old downtown location’s style as an edgy neighborhood hangout, but the new location will have a more mature, evolved vibe, with a larger menu and nightly specials. It will serve a large selection of Mexican tequila, mezcal and beer with an expanded wine list and three blended cocktails.

Powell had looked at a space in Mission Hills years ago but wanted to live close to wherever he opened his second location. Now he lives in Mission Hills with his wife and two dogs so he can be fully invested in managing the new space, which was one of 12 restaurants closed last fall in the alleged $300 million fraud scheme involving former restaurateur Gina Champion-Cain. Visit lapuertasd.com.

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Pam Kragen

Pam Kragen is a feature writer who specializes in writing human interest, dining, theater and opera stories. She joined The San Diego Union-Tribune staff in October 2012 after 27 years at the North County Times, where she served as the Arts & Features Editor, as well as the paper’s longtime arts writer and theater/opera critic. She is the president and co-founder of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from San Diego State University and completed fellowships in theater criticism at the University of Southern California and opera/classical music criticism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She reports from the U-T’s North County office in San Marcos.