San Diego Magazine’s 2025 food and drink predictions put all eyes on La Jolla and it hasn’t made an idiot out of us yet. Even with the glut of gourmet eateries on the way (Lucien, RoseAcre, Fleurette, etc.), I’m looking forward to this one—Daffodil Cafe, coming from the same owner of beloved neighborhood joints Kensington Cafe and The Haven Pizzeria in Kensington.
Lauren Passero-Brookes originally planned to open a health-conscious cafe concept in North Park a few years ago, but the pandemic disrupted… well, everything. “Everyone lost funding incentives, no one knew what was going to happen,” she says. She pulled out of the project, but never let go of the idea. Then one of her customers who leased a space in La Jolla Commons made a good case.
“I’m a neighborhood person, and I’m not sure how this would work in an office park,” she says, initially hesitant. But then she realized the hole she could fill—a daytime escape.
Daffodil Cafe is aiming for a June open (4747 Executive Drive), if the permit and construction gods are kind. Passero-Brookes says her goal is to be “a really fun, total opposite of what the office environment tends to be like”—splashy colors and a bright retro vibe, a joy-sparking kind of place.
Serving weekdays from 7:30 a.m to around 3 p.m., there will be healthy, fresh breakfast and lunch—sandwiches, bowls, salads, you get it. The menu will feel similar to Kensington Cafe with counter service rather than a sit-down dining room. She’ll have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, plus coffee, smoothies, and some ready-made grab-and-go items (including to-go beer and wine). She’ll rotate the menu often to keep things fresh.
“[We want] to give people a chance to just take a break from their desk and come in and relax,” says Passero-Brookes.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Dine Lakeside at the 4th Annual Lakehouse Food & Wine Fest
I’m biased because it’s my birth month, but I find April to be the absolute best month—warmer than chilly March, sunnier than May Gray, and there are always a ton of events. One that I’ve got on my radar is the 4th Annual Lakehouse Food & Wine Festival at Lakehouse Resort on Lake San Marcos on Saturday, April 26. The 30+ vendors include local talent from Brickman’s, Cannonball, Boochcraft, and more. Early bird ticket sales end on March 31, so you still have a couple of weeks to clear your schedule.
Beth’s Bites
- After a full renovation, Frenchy’s Hideout is just about ready to open in Hillcrest. Owner Michael Simpson says he’s ready to introduce his lifelong dream to San Diego starting on Friday, March 21, with plenty of wine, food, wine, ambiance, and did I mention wine?
- What did I say, Zzang Hot Dog? Anyone but you! Apparently my favorite Korean hot dog stand is in danger of losing its spot in the Balboa H-Mart, and I’m not happy about it.
- If there’s one thing that cheers me up, however, it’s a five-course wine dinner at Lionfish which takes place on Thursday, March 20. When the amuse bouche is Kusshi oysters, followed by dishes like kampachi crudo, a Wagyu New York strip, and plenty of libations to pair… yeah. I’m in.
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