INCOMING: Salt & Cleaver

Tokyo unquestionably holds the title as one of the best, if not the best, food cities of the world. But despite the plethora of Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurants and hole-in-the-wall ramen joints, you’d be remiss in walking past glowing signs beckoning you to enter one of the 56,000-plus konbini across the country.

Konbini cafes like Lawson’s, FamilyMart, and 7-Eleven may look like run-of-the-mill convenience stores, but convenience store culture is a completely different animal there. Absent are the sad, floppy hot dogs sizzling sweatily on a rotating wheel of misery. Instead, konbini are stocked with a bevy of hot and cold drinks in every imaginable flavor, meals like tamago sandos (Japanese egg salad sandwiches) and prepacked bento boxes, snacks like onigiri (handheld triangles of rice and seaweed, often filled with fish or pickled plum), and even limited-edition merchandise (not unlike Wawa’s line of merch). 

Soon, Hillcrest will get a taste of konbibi culture. Hako Hako opens in front of Uptown Inn by Vantaggio, next to Ramen Ryoma, in early 2027.

Kenji Blouin-Ito, a half-Japanese, half-French San Diego native grew up eating Japanese food at home and during trips across the Pacific. “I remember looking forward to eating bentos on the train,” he says, grabbing quick items to munch on without sacrificing quality or succumbing to cost. When in France, he saw a rise of appreciation for casual Japanese cuisine, “long before it happened here.” 

So he decided to bring it here. After AB 626 passed in 2018 to allow different jurisdictions to permit Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs), Blouin-Ito launched Foodnome, the first legal marketplace for homemade food in the US. Eventually, the national nonprofit The Cook Alliance took over the project, leaving him open to the next new idea but with the experience of running a food-based business. 

“That experience changed how I think about food, not just what makes it good but what makes it work,” he explains. Bento boxes felt affordable in a time of inflation, convenient in a bustling world, and versatile to a variety of palates. When he got the chance to open a konbini himself, he went for it. 

His family runs Uptown Inn, a mix of apartments and hotel rooms that’s seen increased food traffic over the past few years. “We had a small space in front of the building that wasn’t being used, and it just made sense,” he says. Hako means “box” in Japanese, a reference to both bentos and small space from where he’ll sling freshly made bentos, coffee, drinks, pastries, snacks, and a small retail selection.

Hako Hako will initially open for morning and afternoon hours, but you don’t have to wait until next year to get a taste of Japanese culture. Blouin-Ito’s concept is popping up at various coffee shops around San Diego, with a few coming up: Easy Does It on September 19 and Cafe Moto on October 17. Until then, practice the art of gaman: patience with grace. 

Hako Hako opens at 819 University Avenue in Hillcrest in early 2027.

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San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Beth’s Bites

• Sushi Tadokoro held on to its Michelin star for three years—no mean feat for anyone. But now, the Old Town restaurant is changing things up, eliminating lunch and à la carte service at the end of September before transforming into an omakase-only experience in October. The dining room will close from October 1 through October 22 to make the change, but promises it will be “more intimate. More personal. More focused on each guest and every piece we serve.” Sounds worth the wait.
• Bock brought new life to South Park when the German-inspired beer bar opened after a long construction process by owner Brian Jensen (Vino Carta, Bottlecraft). Now, Bock is getting its own shot in the arm with a new in-house kitchen from the people behind Majorette, Love Letters Pizza, and Scrimshaw Coffee. Kurz, or “quick” in German, is already open, serving European-inspired bites like the requisite currywurst, Bavarian pretzel, and schnitzel, along with some newcomers like a pierogi and famous “Majorette burger.” (I can confirm it’s a damn good burger.) Reminder: Bock and Kurz are 21+, so leave the kinders at home.
• The popular Japanese dessert chain Warabimochi Kamakura already has 70-plus locations in Japan, Australia, China, Thailand, and the U.K. (to name a few), but is finally opening a location in Convoy District at 8322 Clairemont Blvd. After a successful pop-up test run at Asa Bakery, Warabimochi Kamakura will bring its signature warabimochi (a traditional simple, jelly-like dessert), plus tea like matcha and hojicha, as well as soft serve as soon as October, but possibly November. (Although warabimochi is sometimes considered a summer treat, I’m pretty sure I can make an exception for autumn.)

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Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

San Diego has lost a number of ambitious concepts lately—Vulture and Dreamboat in University Heights, Wildflour Delicatessen in Liberty Station, Deckman’s in North Park, Matsu in Oceanside. All have different reasons for closing (some outgrew their space, some overshot their costs), but none of them suffered for quality. Ditto for the next casualty. On July 19, Cellar Hand in Hillcrest will close its doors. 

Unlike the other closures, there’s actually a silver lining. The Perr family, who owns both Cellar Hand and Pali Wine Co., announced they will relocate Pali’s tasting room from Little Italy to take over the vacated Cellar Hand space.

Cellar Hand opened just over two years ago with a promise to source 100 percent of their produce locally. Ambitious, but admirable. Logan Kendall, the original executive chef, launched with a menu centered around lots of funky fermentation, tinned fish preserved in-house, a bevy of fun dips like labneh and whipped tahini, and a ridiculously fantastic pork chop from Thompson Heritage Farms. Wine Enthusiast named the 120-seat eatery one of the top 50 wine-focused restaurants in the country in 2025—not a shock, considering the mega wine chops behind the project. 

Following Kendall’s tenure, chefs Ashley McBrady and then Sable-Tanya Wentwoord took over the reins, keeping things rolling with expanded brunch offerings, chef’s dinners, and all the usual accoutrements of a hyped spot. Before joining the Pali Wine/Cellar Hand team, Wentwoord worked and staged at multiple James Beard Award–recognized and Michelin-starred restaurants in Boulder, Colorado (Frasca Food and Wine); San Francisco, CA (Coi, Che Fico); Providence, Rhode Island (Persimmon); and Fredericksburg, Tex. (Southold Farm + Cellar). She will continue to head the food program at Pali Wine Co. 

Bad luck or bad timing, the reasons behind closing Cellar Hand don’t really matter. But I, for one, will really miss that pork chop.

Still, Cellar Hand’s loss is Pali Wine Co.’s gain, or at least a small balm on the sting of closure. The tasting room in Little Italy opened 10 years ago, bringing its Central Coast wine and vibes to an area smack in the middle of a craft beer boom. When it came time to renew the lease, the Perrs say the landlord did the landlord-y thing and tried to nearly double the rent. (Tale as old as time—just ask Wildwood Flour.) 

Rather than suffer a double-whammy, the Perr family instead decided to shift their focus (and finances) to the heart of their businesses: wine. And despite losing a very cool rooftop patio in one sizzling hot neighborhood, they are gaining a pretty prime spot in a different sizzling hot neighborhood with a not-too-shabby patio of its own accord. (One more silver lining: no more jet noise from the airport!)

By moving Pali Wine Co. to where Cellar Hand used to be, they could at least keep a toehold in San Diego, says Nick Perr, managing partner. His family has made wine in Santa Barbara county for over two decades, with 10 of those years in the San Diego market—an investment they refused to lose. “That’s why it’s impossible to separate our winery from our San Diego community,” he explains, adding that the new location will allow Pali Wine Co. to offer programming designed around the nearby Hillcrest farmers market.

Guests can expect the same wine selection, wine club perks, private tastings, and similar food offerings Pali Wine Co. offers in Little Italy to transfer to Hillcrest. And maybe, if we’re lucky, they’ll bring back the pork chop (please?) 

“We are extremely proud of what we accomplished at Cellar Hand,” said Perr in a statement. “Running an independent restaurant with real values is hard, and we gave it everything we had.”

Cellar Hand will permanently close on July 19. Pali Wine Co. will cease operations at 2130 India Street on July 19 and will move to 1440 University Avenue.

Pali’s new location in Hillcrest will soft open on August 12 with a grand opening on August 22. Operating hours will be Wednesday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Happy hour will run Wednesday through Sunday (hours to be determined).

Is craft beer dead? Not according to Justin Philips and Patrick Woolum. “I don’t think craft beer is going anywhere,” says Philips. “People still go out. People still go to those breweries, they go to bars. People are still out there.” 

He would know. He’s spent the last four-and-a-half years working at Mike Hess Brewing, plus he earned a Professional Certificate in the Business of Craft Beer from San Diego State University in 2024. Woolum worked as a bar manager at a steakhouse for nearly two decades. From their front-row seats, they kept their eyes open and waited for the right location, so when the opportunity arose, they could open their own spot. And early next year, they will—Rocko’s Modern Taproom, in the heart of Hillcrest. 

Even though craft beer isn’t as dominant as it was in, say, 2015, Hillcrest hardly suffers from a lack of places to down a couple of drafts or slurp down some shots. But besides Hillcrest Brewing Company, Philips says he didn’t see a ton of other beer-centric places in the area and saw it as an opportunity to fill a void.

Rocko’s, named for their dog, will be an all-ages, dog-friendly place with lots of games and entertainment options like pool tables, dart boards, old school arcades, live music, karaoke, comedy shows, open mic nights—basically, fun for everyone, he says. 

“We’re trying to make it a fun, bright place to hang out,” he explains, with a vibrant palette inspired by the ’90s cartoon Rocko’s Modern Life. (Rocko’s Modern Life, Rocko’s Modern Taphouse… get it?) They hope to open by January or February, pending permits, with plenty of craft beer and wine, cider, kombucha, hard seltzers, and non-alcoholic options to drink. The food menu leans towards hand-helds (easier to play games that way, Philips explains), with items like paninis, burgers, and other bar food staples. 

Initially, they plan to open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, plus weekend brunch, depending on demand. But with Scripps Mercy Hospital across the street, plus plenty of other offices and businesses, Philips thinks they’ll probably add lunch hours by summertime. “People are going to need a place to take their break,” he says. But in true Hillcrest fashion, he welcomes everyone to come check it out. “We’re going to be open to all,” he promises. 

Rocko’s Modern Taphouse opens at 3940 Fourth Avenue, Suite 200 (second floor) in early 2026. 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Restaurants Look To Social Clubs To Bring In Some More Warm Bodies

Restaurants are struggling right now. The silver lining is the creativity and adaptations that come through the dip. To that end, a lot of restaurants are turning to social clubs—who bring in different crowds. Adams Run Club does a social run at 7 a.m. every Friday and a 5-mile run at 6 p.m. every Monday, both starting at Bica in Normal Heights. It gives the coffee shop a regular gaggle of runners who are probably pretty hungry when they’re done. For the more literary minded, book clubs meeting at bars has a storied history (pun apologies).

Madelyne Wagner launched Reading Not Required in 2021 as a way to connect with other women readers after Covid lockdowns. Attendees never have to read the book, she stresses. It’s much more about getting to know new folks in a very casual environment—in this club’s case, at The Ould Sod in Normal Heights. “It’s just like getting a drink with friends, and obviously you don’t have to drink,” she says. But on the last Tuesday of every month, around 30-50 people gather to talk books, trade books, or just have a drink with some new (and old) friends. It’s a win for attendees and a nice boost for the bar.

Restaurants and bars have never just been places to eat; they’re third spaces, nice-smelling gathering spots. If you’ve got a group of folks who, say, enjoy board games or bike rides, why not see if your favorite local spot will section off a space for you and your social pals every once in a while? Win-win.

Beth’s Bites

• Puesto keeps pushing boundaries. It received its first Michelin Plate honor in the 2019 All-California Michelin guide for its from-scratch Mexican-American cuisine, won gold at the Great American Beer Festival in 2024 for brewmaster Doug Hasker’s Negra dark lager, and announced plans to expand to Nashville next year. The newest move is all eight locations have now gone completely seed oil free. The group had already moved to additive-free tequilas and non-GMO tortillas, so the move to alternatives like olive oil, avocado oil, and RSPO-certified palm oil carries that good-ingredients ethos a bit further.
• Listening bar and lounge Kiku Room just opened, bringing low-key vibes and low-priced cocktails to Little Italy. I think everyone is ready for a dose of both.
• Maybe only food industry nerds will be interested, but since I solidly relate to that title, here we go. The Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Winter FancyFaire* (WFF)—yes, the asterisk is weirdly part of the official event name—is coming to San Diego for the first time ever this January from its longtime home in Las Vegas. “Why should I care?” you may be asking. Well, it’s only one of the biggest and most cutting-edge trade shows in the foodservice industry anywhere. It’s basically a showcase of all the latest kitchen gadgets and doo-dads, a bellwether of what flavors and ingredients are likely to be the Next Big Thing on menus over the next year, and a veritable Who’s Who of bigwigs behind the scenes. These are the decision-makers, the movers and shakers, the Miranda Priestlys of hospitality, and they picked San Diego over every other place they could have moved to. I think that’s worth a pat on our collective culinary back.

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Local food culture has finally, mercifully accepted that Mexican food goes far deeper than the albeit almighty taco. Baja seafood is world-class (if you haven’t yet enjoyed fresh lobster in Puerto Vallarta, remedy that as soon as possible). Oh, the lamb barbacoa of Hidalgo. Oaxacan mole tradition stretches back centuries, and the Caribbean influence across the Yucatán Peninsula manifests in fresh fruit accompanying things like cochinita pibil. Heck, just do a quick google search of “restaurants” + “ Mexico City” and you’ll get a glimpse of how wide the wings of Mexican food spread. 

That variety is what Origen hopes to show off and proliferate when it opens in Hillcrest this week. It’s the first collaboration between co-founders Franco Mestre and Sebastian Berho who previously launched a number of concepts (like Trattoria Da Sofia in Kensington).

“Origen, in English, is where everything starts,” Mestre explains. 

For Mestre, whose family came to San Diego from Mexico City (his father helped open a number of restaurants in San Diego, including the beloved Candela’s), it’s long been a dream to open a place that would redefine people’s notions of what Mexican food can be. 

Chef Tomás Fernández has created a minimalist menu of shared plates that’ll change daily. Expect plenty of fresh seafood, a Mexican-seasoned short rib, a Peruvian-inspired ceviche with leche de tigre (tiger’s milk) with lots of fresh citrus, and tuna tartare—all served on custom plates made by a ceramicist in Guadalajara. Brandon MacLyman (Noble Experiment, Trattoria Da Sofia) will head the beverage program, focusing on organic ingredients and housemade accoutrements. Expect around seven house cocktails—plus wines from around the world, including natural options. “They’re fun, they’re funky, it’s something different and fresh,” Mestre says. 

The 3,000-square-foot space seats 90 guests, with a design that expresses the laid-back, Baja beach vibe. “A lot of tans, a lot of beiges, very calming,” explains Mestre, who says he and Berho were inspired by surf trips to the area fueled by fresh seafood at unfussy restaurants. “It’s just the art from the local people that live there, and the community that it creates in those spaces. It’s fantastic… we wanted to replicate something from down there and bring it up here.”

Origen opens Sunday, March 2 and will be open for dinner service Tuesdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., although Mestre says they may quietly soft open this week to work out any kinks. He hopes that with a constantly rotating menu, people will feel enticed to keep coming back.

Origen opens its doors next month at 3831 Park Blvd, Hillcrest.

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Marisi Hosts Michelin-Starred Chefs For One Night Only

However you choose to celebrate 311 Day, there’s one place that will very likely be the most delicious destination in town. Marisi in La Jolla will host chefs Rodrigo Rivera-Rio (Michelin-starred KOLI in Monterrey) and Luis Ronzón (Ixi’im at the Chablé Yucatán, named a “50 Best” hotel in 2024) on March 11 for one night of Mexican-American wizard food. Expect course after course of housemade pastas, hearth-prepared meats, and other surprises (plus an optional wine pairing). Amber might be the color of my energy that day, but hungry will definitely be the state of my being.

Beth’s Bites

• After some company shakeups and major real estate moves, The Lost Abbey’s iconic Duck Duck Gooze release opens to the public this Friday, giving beer fans the chance to get their mitts on the oak-aged sour ale that only comes out every three years. Who said craft beer was dead?
• Not all hotel breakfasts are created equal. Take Gooseberries Kafe in Hillcrest, for instance. The bakery and restaurant on the ground floor of The Аврóра Hillcrest serves coffee, pastries, and other simple eats for breakfast and lunch, and is definitely a step up from run-of-the-mill continental fare. As of next month, it’ll do the same in Little Italy when they open a standalone location at 1502 India Street. 
• San Diego is an ice cream city—I said what I said. Now that San Marco-based Wynston’s Ice Cream took home two first place ribbons from the National Ice Cream Association Awards, more people than ever are going to know about it. (It begs the question—are scoops the new fish taco?)

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Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

If you look up “restaurant lifer” in the dictionary, Michael Simpson’s picture will probably pop up. 

He waited tables at the iconic French Gourmet in Pacific Beach. He was sommelier at Croce’s Park West in Bankers Hill for 11 years. He was the director of operations at Barrio Star for another six. He’s currently the GM at Town and Country Resort. The man cut his teeth at Disneyland Paris in his native France, for Pete’s sake. He’s been around. 

But come March, he’ll do something he’s never done before—open his own restaurant. That restaurant is Frenchy’s Hideout, coming to University Avenue in Hillcrest.

“My whole life is based on creating experiences in hospitality,” he says.

At The French Gourmet, he saw how diners reacted to the alchemical magic of wine dinners—meeting winemakers, talking about regions and soils and varieties, and how and why certain wines paired so well with certain foods. Since then, he kept his eye open for the right spot at the right time. When he saw the former Crème de la Crêpe space for sale, “it was just a coincidence, but perfect timing.”

Frenchy’s Hideout will have a regular dinner menu, but focus primarily on multi-course wine dinners. Simpson will run the wine program to pair with food from chef Eric Radoc, who was chef de cuisine at ARLO at Town and Country Resort, plus California Native in Del Mar, and sous chef at 20|Twenty in Carlsbad. 

Expect traditional French dishes with a twist. “We don’t want to just be a French bistro,” Simpson says.

So, there’ll be classic seafood towers and beef Bourguignon, but also fresh pastas and some vintage dining-room theatricality. “We have a lot of things that are flambéed,” he promises, like a crepes suzette with Grand Marnier, set aflame tableside. A majority of wines will come from France, but wine dinners will focus on domestic so winemakers from, say, Napa, can attend and guide the experience. 

The vibe will be moody—navy blue walls, dark wood paneling, gold accents—and the space somewhat small (Simpson calls it “exclusive”) with 42 dining seats and five bar seats. He’s enclosing the patio and adding some fire pit tables for a more intimate, social experience. “My goal is not just to have food and wine and good service, but to have people’s minds blown away,” he says. “The ambiance is more of a social place to meet people and travel the world, while enjoying food and wine together.”

The name Frenchy’s Hideout comes from his early days in the United States when “every single person called me Frenchy.” And “Hideout” because it’s intimate, “a hidden gem kind of thing. It’s my dream come true.” 

Frenchy’s Hideout opens at 142 W University Ave Ste C in Hillcrest this March. Open Tue-Sun, 4 p.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat, 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Coffee & Beer Day at AleSmith Brewing Co.

Two of my favorite beverages unite at AleSmith’s second annual Coffee & Beer event on Feb. 22, with a tap list of coffee beers from around the country. The event-exclusive six-pack includes six breweries—Firestone Walker, North Park Beer Co., Arizona Wilderness, Fort George, Masthead, and Reuben’s Brews—and their collaborative beers with different roasters, including local darling Dark Horse Coffee Roasters. It’s free, there’s coffee, there’s beer, it ends at 3 p.m., and families are always welcome at AleSmith. 

Beth’s Bites

• Speaking of coffee, Talitha Coffee, the Barrio Logan-based coffee roaster with a mission to employ, empower, and support survivors of human trafficking, recently partnered with the San Diego Convention Center. 
• The coffee news keeps coming—Public Square Coffee surprised-opened its second location at 550 West C Street on Tuesday with promises of more food and full service once they get their feet under them. Promisingly, Wavy Burgers—the concept started by top chef Phillip Esteban (White Rice, Wildflour), and sold to current owners—is handling food. 
• San Diego lost one of the great beer bars when Toronado closed in 2020, and now San Francisco is feeling our pain. The original Toronado in Lower Height is for sale, and the end of an era with it.

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Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].