The Big Open this week is Coco Maya. For being the throbbing heart muscle of San Diego’s culinary scene, Little Italy sure doesn’t have many rooftop restaurants/bars/playpens. So Maya just kind of wins with sun worshippers out the gates. It’s also prettier than we are. Gives off both Bad Bunny dance party vibes and “episode of Golden Girls” vavoom. We feel sexier just writing this.
But it’s not just a pretty face. The chef is Ricardo Heredia, who’s been a creative force since his days back at Alchemy in South Park and spent the last couple years at Salted Pig BBQ in Arizona. A true talent. His menu is inspired by the Mexican food of the Riviera Maya/Yucatan Peninsula, and they’re using local fish from Tuna Harbor Dockside Market (where boats sell whatever they catch). Think seafood, big meat, char, and smoke. They’ll have large-format proteins cooked over coals in a Josper oven, a daily brunch menu, a snack menu, some plant-based small plates—and a full bar with fancy drinks.
It’s from Grind and Prosper, the same group who brought alligator cheesecake to North Park with Louisiana Purchase, and a taste of the Caribbean to Mission Beach with Miss B’s Coconut Club.
