San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Guide 2019

It’s August. Corn season—that hallowed dental flossian time—is upon us. Peak summer means the fruits from local farms are downright NC-17. It’s also hot-adjacent, so we search out top-notch sashimi and interesting fruit punches. And because we’re contrarians, we also find ourselves tucking into a warm lobster roll in North Park, vying for a father’s love. Anyway, these are the stories behind the best things we found this month—things we’d recommend to friends who didn’t owe us money. Salamat.

Glass Box

Sesame-Torched Albacore

Chef Ethan Yang grew up folding dumplings in his dad’s San Diego restaurants—such as the former Fortune Cookie in Rancho Bernardo, which drew on the family’s Taiwanese and Chinese roots. So the Taiwanese beef noodle soup on the menu at Glass Box (a lovely glass-enclosed sushi and pan-Asian spot at Sky Deck in Del Mar) is a family pride—the result of Ethan, dad, and his brother tinkering endlessly with various bones (they finally found the perfect bone, only sold by one butcher in LA).

But the dish that shows off his raw fish skills is the albacore—lightly cured in soy, mirin, and toasted sesame oil, flame-torched to caramelize, and finished with smoked shoyu, chive oil, shiso oil, house-pickled sweet peppers, and crispy rice pearls. —Troy Johnson

Luce Bar & Kitchen

Double-Cut Duroc Pork Chop

“Wait, where is it?” I hear this a lot when suggesting Luce for drinks or a bite. The Bay Park restaurant is smack dab in a part of the city that isn’t conventionally attractive: on the side of the 5 freeway, next to a bevy of service-looking storefronts. To be in this area, you either live here (homes here are fairly excellent with that bay view) or are getting a muffler fixed. A better reason to be in Bay Park: An evening at Luce, a locals’ haunt. Get the Duroc pork chop (the chefs’ chop, with darker meat, higher fat content, better marbling) with collard greens, toasted grits (toasting anything results in a better version of that anything), and a mustard glaze that makes you feel like you’re in the South enjoying sweet tea with friends. —Nicolle Monico

Sipwell Wine Co.

Tiny Victories

Ever walk into your kitchen during the afternoon feeling recklessly free and decide the time is exactly right for a glass of Champagne? Maybe you crushed a work project or navigated a 4-year-old’s meltdown with the elegance of a global diplomat. You ever then pour that glass and are immediately pulled away by other demanding life errata—and by the time you eventually return to celebrating being alive, you find the remaining victory-juice sits in the popped bottle, losing its steam, and serving you a metaphor for your day?

Hilary Cocalis solved this for me with Carlsbad-based Sipwell. Tiny Victories is a Champagne-style sparkling white in a 250ml can (a glass and a half—the correct amount), the first can-conditioned sparkling wine on the market, fermented with true Champagne yeast. Crisp apple, a little citrus, that biscuity thing good bubbles do, zero sugar. It’s also the first canned wine to crack Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100, so now there’s no excuse not to celebrate all of life’s tiny victories. —Claire Johnson

Pete’s Seafood and Sandwich

Warmed Lobster Roll

If my dad were to rank his favorite things, I think I’d make the podium, but there’s no way I’m outperforming this lobster roll. And why would I? We went to Pete’s on Father’s Day, and Peter DeCoste brought out 5 ounces of Maine lobster smothered in warm butter, tucked haphazardly into a grilled New England–style roll, served with a simple coleslaw and basic fries (no need to overshadow the star). Pete’s has a cold version with mayo, too, but there’s something about warm lobster that really wins over dads and their lobster-jealous daughters. –Lili Kim

Valerio’s 1979

Turon

Valerio’s 1979 is a quintessential San Diego family story. In the 1950s, the grandparents opened their first bakery in the historic Philippines city, Cavite. Their son, Jimmy, would bake and sell bread before school. After enlisting in the Navy and being stationed in San Diego, Jimmy and his wife, Gloria, opened his own version of the family bakery in National City in 1979—a huge hit and home-away-from-home spot for the city’s massive Filipino community.

Four-plus decades later, with four locations across SoCal, it’s on the third-gen of Valerios. The new blood is reviving the name and place with all kinds of Filipino comfort food, and the turon is a star. The classic Filipino treat is a ripe, sweet saba banana and jackfruit, rolled in lumpia wrapper, deep-fried, and covered in sticky, caramelized brown sugar. “Dessert lumpia” is a phrase to live a life by. —Troy Johnson

Kimochi

Cantaloupe Mochi

For years, writers (even me, I’ll admit) have spilled gallons of ink lauding San Diego’s up-and-coming dining scene. No, we’re not Los Angeles’ little sibling. Yes, we’re more than fish tacos—and have been for a while. We hosted this year’s California Michelin Guide ceremony. Southern California’s first three Michelin-starred restaurant (Addison by William Bradley) calls San Diego home. I think it’s safe to say we’re not on the way—we’ve arrived.

If anyone needs more proof that San Diego has truly made it to the world’s stage, all you need to do is look toward downtown’s newest arrival: Zuma, the globally-acclaimed contemporary Japanese restaurant and izakaya. 

Located inside The Guild Hotel, Zuma San Diego is the sixth US outpost of the London-born brand, which now includes restaurants in destinations like Bangkok, Thailand; Ibiza, Spain; and Cannes, France. And there are on the way, including Saint Barth in the Caribbean; Los Cabos, and Mexico.

Each Zuma outpost has its own local flair, but share a few key elements no matter where it is in the world: a large, energetic bar area; an open sushi counter; and Zuma’s signature robata grill. 

Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney founded Zuma in Knightsbridge, London, in 2002 after Becker spent six years cooking in Tokyo, connecting Japanese elegance with vibrant design. After opening locations in Miami, New York City, Las Vegas, Boston, and Vail, vice president of operations Nick Fielding says San Diego felt like a natural fit.

“There’s something uniquely special about San Diego in terms of energy and culture,” he says. “You’ve got a city that is extremely, extremely well versed in culture, in food, in hospitality, in luxury. It’s a quiet luxury, which is very much in keeping with what we believe in.”

The Guild Hotel makes sense as the host location. The historic Italian Renaissance property dates back to 1924, featuring a European-style courtyard, plush lobby, and an abundance of restored original details, like 1920s-era tilework. 

One important note: while guests can access Zuma via the hotel lobby, the restaurant has its own dedicated entrance located on  Columbia Street. And if you want the full Zuma experience, that’s where you’ll want to start, promises Fielding.

“The entrance is a big part of the arrival experience,” he says. Upon entry, guests walk through an elongated tunnel made from solid teak before arriving at an oversized boulder wall. Each stone has been hand-cut and carved by a team of artisans in Mexico, with a design meant to reflect the rugged California coastline. Next steps guide you across a Japanese garden–style walkway among a Zen pebble garden (inspired in part by the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park) straight to the indoor-outdoor bar made with hand-cast resin panels designed to emulate the sunset over the ocean. 

As for the patio, it’s a jungle out there—literally. Luscious greenery and towering palms drape across the space to create a secret tropical garden framed by hand-carved, uplit teak screens from Indonesia. By design, there’s no question it’s a Zuma restaurant, but the San Diego location’s style rotates around five pillars, according to the restaurant group’s head of design, Lucy Robinson.

One: embracing a sense of understated luxury. Two: highlighting the year-round climate with a 50/50 indoor/outdoor split of the space. Three: blending local architectural details (like the botanical garden references) with Japanese aesthetics. Four: creating a bespoke palette of bold pinks, oranges, and yellows inspired by minerals found in coastal stones along the coast. Five: Creating a vibrantly energetic space (a goal for every Zuma location).

Inside, the robata grills crowns the center of the dining room, featuring a Japanese paper hood and fire element-inspired resin wainscot base to create a striking tower of red, yellow, and orange. “We always try to bring the four elements into our projects, which are fire, water, wind, and earth,” explains Robinson. San Diego also features Zuma’s first ice box centered on the sushi counter. “It’s almost like on an island—a big lit-up ice block, which will be chipped down to make the base of our sushi platters.”

The 6,600-square-foot dining space seats 221 guests, with a natural flow between the two—another nod to the nearby coast. From hand-woven details by an artist in Germany to the granite tiles on the walls, scale, pattern, texture, and color are everywhere. 

That’s true for the plates as well. Head chef Briant Arciniega says to recognize all Zuma’s big hits—spicy beef tenderloin, saikyo miso-marinated black cod, barley miso-marinated baby chicken, as well as signature sushi and sashimi options, and robata dishes like grilled scallop skewers, beef with shishito pepper and smoked chili soy, jumbo tiger prawn with yuzu pepper, and ribeye with wafu sauce and garlic crisps.

Beverage-wise, the menu follows the same diversity of flavors and price points to offer high-end staples, but remain approachable, says Fielding. Expect concoctions like a Japanese margarita made with Mijenta blanco tequila, mezcal, yuzu, orange, and yuzu koshu, opt for an easy-drinking Sapporo pale lager, ask the lead bartender Eric Howell for a wine recommendation, or explore the sake selection.

At minimum, expect vibes. Robinson says the Zuma team has watched certain San Diego restaurant groups go all-in on experiential, eye-popping, energetically-designed spaces. “We wanted to make sure we stood out when coming into the area,” she says. When you have to compete with things like speakeasies-within-speakeasies and man-made barside beaches of imported Turkish sand, you better bring it. 

Zuma San Diego opens at The Guild Hotel (500 West Broadway) on August 10. Initial operating hours are seven days a week for dinner service. Reservations are now open. 

William Wordsworth’s 1807 poem “By The Sea” paints a glorious picture of a coastal sunset, elegantly describing the serenity that can only be found upon an ocean’s sandy shores.

It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
The holy time is quiet as a Nun
Breathless with adoration; the broad sun
Is sinking down in its tranquility

And as a San Diegan, I often have to pinch myself. We’re spoiled by this breathtaking beauty each day. Come August 12, Coronado will have a new place from which to soak in the Pacific’s peacefulness: By The Sea. Created by the team at Black Swan Hospitality (Nolita Hall), Doug and Lara Hamm brought to life a Mediterranean-meets-San Diego oasis influenced by their travels through the French Riviera, Italy’s Amalfi Coast, and the Greek Isles. (It’s not the first time the couple drew inspiration from the Mediterranean coast—their wedding took place on the island of Capri, their daughter’s namesake.)

Opening the 6,500-square-foot, second-story restaurant took longer than expected. First announced three years ago, the Hamms worked with Loren Wynn and Mellissa Ramos—their own in-house design studio (Creative House)—alongside Tecture (Lucien, Anigma Encinitas, Bivouac Ciderworks, George’s at the Cove) to create a space that feels more like a coastal villa than spartan dining room. 

Guests enter via a cobblestone staircase to a light-drenched dining room and outdoor patio shaded by a eucalyptus wood trellis. Windows dot nearly every wall below the high ceiling of hand-stained willow reed thatching and exposed wood beams. “We have a beautiful lounge area with some textures such as velvet and marble,” says Lara. Everywhere feels organic, with materials like white oak and Italian limestone flowing throughout the open concept and semi-private dining areas.

The curvaceous travertine bar seats 24, while the 11 outdoor tables and 44 indoor tables and banquettes hold an additional 254 guests. It’s not quite oceanfront, but the peekaboo water view and floor-to-ceiling glass pocket doors allow the nearby sea breeze to drift across the dining room. (And if you’re the type of perpetually cold person once the mercury falls below 72, never fear—the outdoor fireplace and built-in heaters will keep you comfortable all year round.) 

With a name like By The Sea, one can safely assume seafood features heavily on the menu. Executive chef Alex Carpio utilizes plenty of local produce and catches, with starters like scallop crudo, tuna tartare, octopus with crispy potatoes, and calamari fritti. The rest of the menu is broken into salads, vegetables, pastas, and mains, with standouts like a beet salad with feta, kale, orange, and charred lemon vinaigrette; Moroccan-spiced carrots served with lemon yogurt, mint, and parsley; classic linguine and clams with garlic, tomato, and parsley; a lamb cavatelli with fennel, chives, and breadcrumbs; grilled branzino with tahini and Castelvetrano olive tapenade; grilled half chicken with celery, cucumber, and a Calabrian chile vinaigrette; steak frites; and pan seared scallops with pickled peppers, basil, dill, and aioli. 

Lara says there was one non-negotiable item for the menu: a dramatic seafood tower. Built for 2-4 guests or 4-6, each option comes with a collection of fresh oysters, shrimp, tuna tartare, scallop crudo, and caviar, with lobster and crab claws available on the larger size. 

And if you’re curious about exploring the world of caviar, you’re in luck. Doug says they’re building a tasting menu of different spirits to pair with various caviars under bar manager Andrew Phillips’ purview. 

Phillips’ drinks menu uses housemade syrups and fresh-squeezed juices, encapsulating both classic cocktails as well as signature inventions like All That Glitters with Cazadores Reposado, Xila Licor de Agave, Chinola Passionfruit liqueur, vanilla, and lime; Sea Glass with Dewar’s scotch, Haku yuzu vodka, green tea, vanilla, lemongrass, apple, lime, and clarified milk; and The Mariner with Appleton Signature & Reserve Rums, Ron Zacapa 23, Chinola Passionfruit, Aperol, pineapple, lemon and orgeat. Wine pairings are curated by the directors of operations Daniela DiGregorio and Gina Martinez, spotlighting small, organic producers from around the world as well as a selection of high-end Champagnes.

Lara describes By The Sea as “a place to linger together,” with director of hospitality and general manager Heather Roberto overseeing every aspect of the low-key feeling of the space. The restaurant may be European-inspired, but the Hamms say it’s wholly Coronado.

The Hamms moved to the Crown City at the end of the pandemic after years in bustling Little Italy. “Within a few weeks of moving here, we felt the magic,” says Doug. Now, they get to be a part of building it up—CH Projects’ Baby Grand hotel is across the street and the Hotel del Coronado sits just down the block. “We’re happy to be part of the scene, and we hope it continues to grow,” he says. “That’s what makes Coronado so special.”

By The Sea opens August 12 at 1300 Orange Avenue, Coronado. Initial hours of operation are Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Sunday and Monday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; closed Tuesday. Weekend brunch and extended hours to come soon. (Subject to change.) 

Photos Credit: Kimberly Motos

Play is underrated. Somewhere along the way, someone decided it was something we should outgrow. That you A good song comes on, and they dance. A game appears, and they’re in. Someone hands them a melting ice cream cone, and somehow it’s the best part of the day.

Adults tend to need a reason. Or maybe just the right setting.

That’s part of what makes the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival feel different. Yes, the week revolves around food and wine, with celebrated chefs, winemakers, and restaurants drawing crowds from across the region. But what lingers afterward is the conversations that stretch a little longer than expected, the strangers who become dinner companions, the live music that pulls people out of their seats, and the rare chance to spend a few hours simply enjoying yourself without much of an agenda.

The Grand Tasting is the festival’s centerpiece, bringing thousands of guests together over two days for hundreds of bites and pours. But some of the week’s most memorable experiences happen on a smaller scale. In the days leading up to the main event, intimate dinners, chef collaborations, and guided tastings create opportunities for guests to interact more closely with the people behind the food and wine and with each other.

Here’s your guide to the 2026 Del Mar Wine & Food Festival happening September 30–October 4.

Wednesday, September 30

Signature San Diego Opening Night Party at Monarch Ocean Pub

Start festival week the San Diego way: ocean views, Baja-inspired bites, and a drink in hand as the sun goes down. The Signature San Diego Opening Night Party at Monarch Ocean Pub sets the tone for the week ahead with a walk-around tasting experience celebrating the flavors that make this city impossible to replicate. It’s an evening of fresh coastal cuisine, bold Mexican flavors, Baja seafood, and plenty of local favorites—all served against one of Del Mar’s most iconic backdrops. Consider it your first official toast to the weekend ahead…

• Monarch Ocean Pub | 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar
• 5–9 p.m.
• Get Tickets 

Friday, October 2

Celebrity Pickleball Tournament Presented by Justin Vineyards & Winery

Wine and competition make an unexpectedly perfect pair. You can join Drew Brees and celebrity players at Barnes Tennis Center for a pickleball tournament benefiting Feeding San Diego, where the sidelines are just as exciting as the court. Grab a paddle, cheer from the sidelines, or simply enjoy a glass of wine while the action unfolds. The day blends friendly competition with an all-inclusive tasting experience.

Since year one, Del Mar Wine & Food Festival has partnered with Feeding San Diego to raise $100,000 in support of the organization’s mission to fight hunger across the region. Every serve, sip, and bite helps give back to the community that makes this festival possible.

Remember that pickleball paddle you swore you’d use? Time to put it to work.

• Barnes Tennis Center | 4490 W Point Loma Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107
• 11 a.m.—3 p.m.
• Get Tickets

Thursday, October 1

Rioja Uncorked at Rancho Valencia

This is essentially a passport to Spain with no airport required. Set among the lush grounds of Rancho Valencia, Rioja Uncorked celebrates one of Spain’s most iconic wine regions with an evening of exceptional pours and thoughtfully paired bites. Guests will sip their way through Rioja wines while enjoying a menu featuring everything from Hiramasa crudo and uni toast to duck rillette, birria mini tacos, Cardiff Crack tri-tip sandwiches, and a sweet finale from Karen Krasne of Extraordinary Desserts (date night plans, solved).

• Rancho Valencia | 5921 Valencia Cir, Rancho Santa Fe
• 6–9 p.m.
• Get Tickets

Friday, October 2

Justin Wine Dinner with Chefs Kaitlyn Weber, Buddha Lo & Jackson Kalb

Justin Wine Dinner sounds simple: three chefs, one unforgettable table. But chefs Kaitlyn Weber (Estancia La Jolla), Buddha Lo (Top Chef), and Jackson Kalb (Top Chef) are taking you on a one-night-only culinary ride where three styles collide over a multi-course menu paired with exceptional pours from Justin Vineyards & Winery. Set in Estancia’s coastal estate, the evening unfolds course by course with pairings from Justin wines as each chef brings their own style to a menu focused on craft, connection, and a bit of friendly culinary overlap. It’s the kind of culinary conversation that only happens when very, very talented people cook together. 

• Estancia – Olive Lawn | 9700 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 
• 6–9:30 p.m
• Get Tickets

Saturday, October 3

Official After Party at Guesthouse La Valle

“Are you sure this isn’t a dating thing?” asked my husband as I headed out the door.  Fair question, considering we’ve been happily, monogamously married for 15 years. But where I was headed—a Dinner With Strangers Co. collaborative dinner with Rasa Table—is a curated culinary experience emphasizing conversation and encouraging connection with whoever the universe decides to seat at your table. 

Okay, I can see how that might sound like a blind date-type of matchmaking app. While I happen to love dining solo or with friends and loved ones, the idea of getting trapped at a table with a bunch of randos rockets me past my comfort zone somewhere in the realm of Neptune. Still, I’m nothing if not motivated by a good meal, and the duo’s Nigerian-meets-Malaysian collaborative menu this July at Millport in Imperial Beach ranged from the semi-familiar (savory jollof rice) to the completely new-to-me, like egusi, a rich West African stew made from melon seeds, palm wine, spices, assorted greens, and a mix of meats like beef and crayfish, along with a dollop of starch like yams or cassava to mop up every absolutely spectacular morsel.

(Quick note: if anyone has a rec on where to get good egusi in San Diego, please let me know immediately.) 

Founder/chef Onyinyechukwu “Onyi” Akpa launched Dinner With Strangers in Houston before returning to her hometown of San Diego a little over a year ago. Not only did she see a widespread need for opportunities to meet new people, she says San Diego lacks some diverse cuisines. “One thing that made me move back is the actual lack of West African food,” she points out. 

As a first-generation Nigerian-American and San Diego native, Akpa draws a lot of influence from Mexican, West African, and Black American culinary traditions, all of which were on full display alongside Vanishaa Doshi’s Southeast Asian fare from Rasa Table. (Think slow-braised oxtail meets coconut curry.)

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It felt surprisingly easy to chit-chat with my fellow diners, most (but not all) of which came alone. Turns out when everyone is there to meet people, there’s no such thing as a cold shoulder. Long before the end of the night, the woman I ended up sitting next to captivated me with pictures of her recent travels to the brutalist Casa To boutique hotel in Puerto Escondido, Mexico and the ruins of La Recolección convent and church in Antigua, Guatemala.

We live our lives largely online, directed by the whims of The Invisible Algorithm and paid ads. A 2023 U.S. Surgeon General report categorizes loneliness and isolation as an epidemic, so cultivating opportunities for human connection has spawned a movement of supper clubs like these, each designed around the idea of making friends rather than networking opportunities or blind dates. 

For some, there’s also an element of surprise. Local pop-up Cow by Bear is a 20-person, five-course dinner party series every Friday and Saturday at a secret location only revealed the day before. Another is The Blank Table, a pop-up dining series by Alexandria Ott and chef Frederick Keller centered around “cuisine, cocktails, and creativity,” which takes place six times a year. Details like the location and menu don’t get announced until the night before, and Ott says she tends to select venues that feel unexpected or off-the-beaten-path.

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That’s how I found myself wandering around the lower floor of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Balboa Park, checking out Cat Gunn’s installation while sipping a cocktail created by Kiku Room and munching on an amuse bouche by chef Kassandra De Leon of Two Ducks. I cheated a tiny bit and brought a friend, but did manage to make small talk with some other attendees in the spirit of socializing with strangers. None of us knew what we were eating until we arrived, so there’s a level of trust required—not unlike prix fixe or omakase menus.

Rising demand for experiential dining alongside San Diego’s creative renaissance make it the perfect time to embrace these sorts of low-risk, high-reward types of endeavors. It’s less pressure than a blind date—everyone’s already paid and no one has to awkwardly browse the menu while also trying to keep the conversation going—and there’s no expectation of seeing each other again. That is, unless you really want to. 

“Most people don’t think they’re gonna meet somebody they will like,” says Akpa. At both The Blank Table and Dining With Strangers, that proved true for this adventurous-in-food, introverted-by-nature, once skeptical, now convinced San Diegan. 

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