Restaurant Openings

Salvucci’s openedin May 2016, near Petco Park in the downtown East Village neighborhood. The Italian concept from RMD Group, the team behind Rustic Root, Don Chido and FLUXX, features home-style Italian dishes inspired by family recipes like hand-made gnocchi, pasta bolognese, eggplant involtini and pollo alla parmigiana. Every Sunday night the restaurant offers “Supper with Salvucci’s,” a prix fixe meal served family style, evoking big family dinners set around the kitchen table.

A new casual, all-outdoor eatery has arrived in La Jolla, one of San Diego’s most prestigious communities. Shore Rider opened in May 2016, and features a surf and beach-themed 2,300 sq. ft. dining patio. Foodies, surfers and beach goers can choose between $3 tacos, ceviche, poke, salads, burgers or sandwiches. The bar program offers 16 beers on tap, draft wine, soju-based drinks, sangrias and micheladas.

In May 2016, Cucina Sorella opened its doors in the charming community of Kensington. The 3,500 sq. ft. space combines a bohemian-chic design with pops of color and floral prints. The kitchen is helmed by executive chef de cuisine Daniel Wolinsky, formerly from Italy’s three-star Michelin restaurant Oteria Francescana. The menu specializes in hand-crafted pastas, antipasti, and polenta boards, offering small and large plates. The beverage program includes an extensive list of Italian and regional wines, seasonal cocktails and craft beer on tap. Plans for a takeout program and interactive classes are projected for the near future. 

Little Italy’s former Po Pazzo will re-open as Barbusa, a modern Sicilian restaurant. The 4,200 sq. ft. space will include indoor and outdoor dining options and a prominent bar area. Design highlights include a hanging charcuterie and house-made pasta display, a crudo and carpaccio bar, an eight-person chef’s table, pop art décor and an outdoor space with a living wall. The menu will be a mix of updated traditional dishes inspired from Sicily and Mediterranean plates like pizza, pasta and seafood. The new concept will open in June 2016.

Opened in June 2016 along bustling Adams Avenue, Beerfish is a new seafood-focused eatery situated inside a transformed neighborhood house. The casual venue offers an all-day menu that includes a raw bar, starters, salads, sandwiches and plates like the beer steamers: mussels and clams with herb butter, shallots and lemon. The indoor and outdoor fish shop offer 30 beers and five wines on tap.

A former Naval Training Center now home to numerous restaurants, art galleries, fitness centers and a public market, Liberty Station is San Diego’s newest and hottest neighborhood hub. In June 2016, Moniker General started serving coffee from local producers and beer from a joint 9-tap bar managed by 32 North Brewing Co. Also, slated to open July 2016, North Park’s bustling breakfast joint Breakfast Republic will be serving its creative menu, and the European-inspired bistro Café Chloe will open Chloe at Scout, a new café and event venue.

Former Top Chef contestant Giselle Wellman will be leading the kitchen at Little Italy’s Pacific Standard – Coastal Kitchen to open in July 2016. The San Diego native who has worked alongside renowned chefs including Thomas Keller, Jean George and Mario Batali, will create a locally sourced coastal-inspired menu. Set two blocks away from the bay with an art deco inspired exterior and a modern interior, the restaurant will feature two expansive outdoor patios boasting views of the San Diego bay and harbor. Pacific Standard – Coastal Kitchen will operate as a stand-alone restaurant but will be connected to the new Hilton San Diego Bayside Campus, a joint project featuring a new Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites.

Brew, Wine and Cocktail News

In April 2016, Miss B’s Coconut Club opened in Mission Beach, joining the new surge of tiki-inspired projects currently booming in San Diego. The indoor and outdoor 2,300 sq. ft. space features tropical inspired designs with colorful accents. The drink menu includes fruit-infused cocktails, shareable tiki punches and bowls, 17 beers on draft and non-alcoholic drinks like fresh coconut water harvested in-house. The kitchen will serve brunch, lunch and dinner dishes inspired by Caribbean and Cuban flavors and ingredients.

Scheduled to open June 2016 in the uptown neighborhood of Bankers Hill, The Corner Drafthouse is a new gastropub that will feature more than 70 taps of SoCal beer, plus offerings of craft cocktails and wine. Besides serving their own take on fish and chips, the West Coast-influenced menu will specialize in hand-crafted food. The design of the 2,700 sq. ft. space will include bar seating, booths, community tables and three dining patios. The Corner Drafthouse will open daily for lunch and dinner and will offer brunch on weekends.  

A new craft beer and wine bar in San Diego’s North County opened in June 2016. The Tasting Room Del Mar offers an extensive wine list curated by wine director and sommelier Rusti Gilbert, formerly of Addison. The 2,500 sq. ft. outdoor and indoor space features a selection of locally sourced small plates to complement the revolving wine and beer offerings. A retail component is in the works, along with a user-friendly app that will give guests an opportunity to place their order from their cell phone. 

This summer Midnight Jack Brewing Company will officially begin serving brews in the beach town of Oceanside. The 15-barrel, 6,000 sq. ft. brewery has been operating in soft opening mode since March but will officially open in July 2016. The family and pet-friendly brewery sits atop a bluff with views of the coast and features a long bar, picnic-tables and skylights. The 14 beer taps, including three nitro offerings, will include wheat beers, pale ales, IPAs and porters, among some creative concoctions.

A new tiki bar will start serving exotic drinks in August 2016. Hidden inside Little Italy’s Craft & Commerce restaurant, the Polynesian pop-inspired False Idol is the brain child of Martin Cate, a rum expert and owner of the acclaimed Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco. The beverage program will feature exotic cocktails and tiki classic recipes, alongside an extensive selection of rare rum. The venue’s design is still a mystery, but it’s expected to reflect tropical accents.   

Makeovers and Expansions

The pork-centric Carnita’s Snack Shack has a new spot on the waterfront. In May 2016, the eatery opened its third location at San Diego’s Embarcadero Marina. The new restaurant boasts nearly 10,000 sq. ft. and offers craft cocktails, weekend live music and new menu items like line caught Mahi Mahi fish tacos. Happy hour specials like $5 margaritas are offered Monday - Friday and a brunch menu is available on weekends.

In June 2016, the AAA Five Diamond hotel The Lodge at Torrey Pines will re-open the doors of The Grill after undergoing an extensive remodel. The updated design includes a new patio layout and a revamped kitchen that accompanies a menu overhaul from the property’s acclaimed executive chef Jeff Jackson. Highlights include a six-foot tall wood-fired grill surrounded by boulders, two rotisseries, a six-foot oven and a fireplace for guests.

East Village’s Knotty Barrel has undergone an expansion to include a game room and new outdoor backyard area. The game room includes a shuffle board table, backgammon table, darts, hook and ring games and a giant Jenga set, with more seating options and open air windows. The 2,300 sq. ft. pet-friendly backyard area now includes a full bar, big screen TVs and a cornhole game area. The pub will continue to offer 100 local, domestic and imported beers, including 24 craft beers on tap. Also, in July 2016 Knotty Brewing Co. will start brewing its own beer next door, focusing on traditional British and European-style beers.

In July 2016, Little Italy’s Craft & Commerce will unveil its revamped 2,500 sq. ft. space designed by Paul Basile of BASILE Studio. The overhaul includes a refresh of the interior design, an expanded outdoor patio with custom fire-pit tables and a complete kitchen remodel. The new menu will revolve around the restaurant’s new custom-made wood-fired grill and will be under the direction of a new executive chef.

The Hake Kitchen & Bar in La Jolla will re-open in summer 2016 with a new fresh look. The seafood-centric restaurant is in the process of a renovation that will add 2,000 sq. ft., 60 seats and an ocean view. The new space is being designed by Mexico City-based Jorge Campos, who plans to create two separate dining experiences within the restaurant: a modern lounge and a relaxed fine dining area. The kitchen will also undergo several changes including the addition a new oyster raw bar. The Latin inspired menu will continue to offer the restaurant’s signature dishes.

Culinary, Brew and Other Events

The Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego will be the new venue of this year’s Heroes Brew Craft Beer Festival, returning on Saturday, July 23, 2016. Held every year during Comic-Con International, the event welcomes beer fans dressed in their favorite comic and superhero costumes. The comic-themed event features more than 100 craft beers from more than 40 breweries along with food trucks and vendors. Other highlights include a costume contest with prizes, raffles, live art demonstrations, DJs and live bands. Tickets are $39 for general admission, $49 for VIP and $20 for designated drivers.

The annual Farm to Bay Food and Wine Classic returns for its 7th year on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. Taking place at Chula Vista’s Living Coast Discovery Center, a wildlife refuge, the event will give guests an opportunity to sample fine culinary delights from some of the most popular restaurants, breweries and wineries in San Diego. The event will also feature up-close animal encounters, live music and a silent auction. The zero-waste event supports coastal wildlife, education and sustainability. 

The 4th annual bacon-themed San Diego Bacon Fest returns to Preble Field in NTC Park at Liberty Station on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. Local chefs, restaurants, distilleries and brewers will participate in this one-day event celebrating international bacon day with bacon-based cuisine and beverages. Admission includes live music performances and unlimited samples from every participating eatery, distillery and brewery. Tickets start at $65 for general admission and $85 for VIP. Attendees must be at least 21 years of age. 

From downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter to the beaches of La Jolla and Coronado and beyond, visitors to San Diego can find amazing deals at top restaurants during San Diego Restaurant Week, from Sept. 25–Oct. 2, 2016. The six-day celebration provides food lovers the opportunity to experience the region’s evolving dining scene for a fraction of the normal cost with special three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for just $20, $30, $40 or $50 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included) at more than 180 participating restaurants. Lunch menus are also available for just $10, $15 or $20 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included) at participating restaurants. Tickets or special passes are not required; however, reservations are recommended.

Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego’s offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority’s website at www.sandiego.org.