Now open: 15 new restaurants and bars from Coronado to Carlsbad
New spots range from a casual churro shop in Mira Mesa to a new fine-dining restaurant at the Hotel Del
It’s hard to keep up with the blazing pace of new restaurant openings around the county. Here’s a look at 15 new places to eat and drink that have opened around the county from Coronado to Carlsbad in recent months.
Breakfast Bitch, Hillcrest
On July 13, this in-your-face café opened in the former Guild Theatre in Hillcrest. The local breakfast/lunch eatery is owned by Derrell and Tracii Hutson, who own a luxury travel concierge business. The dual-purpose venue serves a booze-forward breakfast/lunch menu where visitors can make their own pancakes on table griddles. It will also soon operate as a late-night speakeasy/live music space on weekend nights. 3825 Fifth Ave., San Diego. (877) 732-4824. eatbreakfastbitch.com
Candor, La Jolla
Restaurateur and caterer Giuseppe Ciuffa opened this 55-seat Italian bistro and wine bar on July 10 in the former location where he launched his La Jolla culinary empire in 1998. Candor serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Ciuffa’s goal is to serve the freshest ingredients from the market and sea, sometimes taking deliveries from fish purveyors as often as three times a day. The menu, featuring locally sourced ingredients, is inspired by the food Ciuffa grew up on near Rome, Italy. Specialties include spicy shrimp bucatini, whole loup de mer, Petaluma chicken liver pate, fisherman stew and vegetarian tagliatelle. Italian sommelier Sandro Mezzetti serves more than 50 wines by the bottle. 1030 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. (858) 246-7818. dinecandor.com
The Carté Hotel, Little Italy
In June, Hilton opened this 16-floor, 246-room hotel in Little Italy as part of its luxury Curio collection. The hotel has two dining venues. Watercolors is a full-service, all-day sea-to-table restaurant featuring locally caught seafood and produce from farms in the San Diego region. Above Ash is a rooftop bar, serving craft cocktails and locally inspired cuisine served under a handcrafted copper roof. 401 West Ash St., San Diego. (619) 546-9600. hilton.com/en/curio/
Casero Taqueria, Carlsbad
On July 4, Encinitas business partners Craig Applegate and Clayton Wheeler opened this first-of-its-kind, fast-casual Baja-inspired taco restaurant and bar in the new Square at Bressi Ranch shopping center. The 5,000-square-foot, 155-seat restaurant and bar specializes in tacos served a la carte or in family-style platters that serves three to four people. Tortillas are made in-house all day in the exhibition kitchen and the bar serves a variety of tequila and mezcal cocktails. 2675 Gateway Drive, Suite 195, Carlsbad. (760) 405-4195. caserotaqueria.com
Ciccia Osteria, Barrio Logan
Married Italian chefs Francesca Penoncelli and Mario Cassineri, former partners in the now-closed Bice in the Gaslamp Quarter, opened their own “mom and pop” seasonal Italian bistro in Barrio Logan in June. The fast-casual location serves housemade pastas, meat and fish dishes, antipasti, salads and appetizers that change with what’s available at the markets daily. Mostly Italian wines are sold by the glass, carafe or bottle. 2233 Logan Ave., San Diego. (619) 674-4069. cicciasandiego.com
Feast & Fareway, Coronado
A joint endeavor between Rise & Shine Restaurant Group owner/founder Johan Engman, John Rudolph of Harry’s Coffee Shop and Tom Penn of Real Restaurant Solutions, Feast & Fareway is the new all-day restaurant at the Coronado Golf Course. The menu features breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus grab-and-go and catering options for both golfers and locals. Specialties include duck confit mac ‘n’ cheese and meat braised pork shank with smoked peach sauce. 2000 Visalia Row, Coronado. (619) 996-3322. feastandfarewaycoronado.com/
The Holding Company, Ocean Beach
On July 4, the owners of the Original OB Noodle House opened this three-story entertainment and restaurant venue in the former Gallagher’s Irish Pub space. The former pub space on the ground floor is a music venue and bar presenting live music three to five nights a week. The second floor is a restaurant, with patio and another bar. There’s also a rooftop lounge. 5046 Newport Ave., San Diego. (619) 341-5898. thcob.com
International Smoke, Del Mar
Famed Bay Area chef Michael Mina and cookbook author and Food Network star Ayesha Curry opened the fourth location of this globally inspired restaurant on July 19 at the One Paseo mixed-use community in Del Mar. The menu at the 350-seat restaurant and bar features foods prepared with fire, grilling and smoking techniques. Dishes include falafel, curry cornbread, chicken karaage, Wagyu shaking beef and St. Louis-style smoked pork ribs. 3387 Del Mar Heights Road, San Diego. (619) 331-4528. internationalsmoke.com
Live Culture Café, Leucadia
Open since March in the former Yocadia Creamery space, owner Michael ZonFrilli’s restaurant specializes in food and drinks prepared with live bacteria cultures, like ZonFrilli’s own Bambucha Kombucha on tap, sandwiches with sourdough bread and live culture frozen yogurt and vegan-cultured coconut milk soft-serve. The 25-seat restaurants is open all day and presents live music on the patio on the weekends. 1076 N. Coast Highway, Leucadia. (760) 274-7215. liveculturecafe.com
The Modern Vegan, North Park
This Las Vegas-born vegan mecca, known for serving a menu with more than 100 items, opened its second location June 8 in North Park. Owner Gia Schultz said on Instagram that she decided to open the 3,200-square-foot San Diego location because so many of the customers at her Las Vegas flagship restaurant were driving in from San Diego. Specialties include chick’n and waffles, Canadian poutine and a deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 4332 30th St., San Diego. (619) 310-5712. tmvrestaurants.com/
Orfila Vineyards and Winery Tasting Room, Oceanside
Escondido’s Orfila Vineyards and Winery opened a luxurious tasting room and restaurant in January near Oceanside Pier. Orfila’s award-winning wines are paired with dishes by chef Luke Morganstern that include small and medium-size shared plates, tortilla flatbreads, charcuterie and cheese plates and sweets. 221 N. Cleveland St., Oceanside. (760) 755-7040. orfila.com/Oceanside-tasting-room
The Original 40 Brewing Company, North Park
The founders of U-31 Bar in North Park, Steve and Patricia Billings, and partner Sarah Devine opened this neighborhood brewpub in June just across the street from U-31. The name comes from the original 40 acres that were purchased to develop North Park in 1893. The 4,000-square-foot property features a brewery headed by former Groundswell and Pizza Port brewer Chris Gillogly and an 85-seat restaurant with 26 beers on tap. The limited menu includes salads, snacks, shared plates, a burger, crisped salmon and bavette steak. 3117 University Ave., San Diego. (619) 255-7380. original40brewing.com
Seréa, Coronado
The former 1500 Ocean restaurant at the Hotel Del Coronado reopened July 1 as Seréa, a “seafood-to-table” concept overseen by executive chef JoJo Ruiz. Seréa specializes in serving whole, locally caught seafood from the region’s fishermen and aquafarms. Menu highlights include lobster croquettes with caviar, Pacific shrimp al ajillo, charcoal-grilled octopus, local halibut ceviche, San Diego sea urchin and glazed California black cod. Hotel Del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado. (619) 435-6611. sereasandiego.com
Sign of the Whale, Gaslamp Quarter
This new American comfort food restaurant opened in June in the space formerly occupied by Florent and Old City Hall. Chef Anthony Bruno’s seafood-centric menu offers a mix of small plates, soups, salads, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches and plated entrees such as seafood saffron risotto, lobster and shrimp ravioli, peppercorn-crusted New York strip steak and Frenched pork chop. 672 Fifth Ave., San Diego. (619) 756-7333. signofthewhaleca.com
3TEN Churro Bar, Mira Mesa
On July 1, restaurateurs Barry tu, McKenzie Cox and Randy Corriganopened this dessert bar in the Mira Mesa West shopping center. The trio now operate several Broken Yolk Café restaurants in Southern California and Las Vegas. Corrigan’s mom hails from Mexico City and this restaurant is his homage to eating churros growing up. Churros, with flavors like chocolate Oreo, white chocolate coconut and caramel chocolate peanut butter cup, start at $1.45 and range up to $11.95 for a flight of six. The churros are also available in ice cream sundaes an in bite-size form. 8111 Mira Mesa Blvd., San Diego. (858) 800-1068. churrobar.com
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