New Restaurants in San Diego
The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe Opens Lilian’s Restaurant & Bing’s Bar
After a multi-million dollar renovation, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is now home to two new spaces—a California cuisine-inspired restaurant and bar—ahead of the its 100-year anniversary in 2024.
“You want to feel like you entered the resort as it was found almost 100 years ago,” said Andy Masi, founder of Clique Hospitality. Lilian’s will be run by San Diego chef Moira Hill, formerly of George’s at the Cove, Campfire and Juniper & Ivy, who is focused on connecting with farmers for fresh ingredients, along with using sustainable meats and seafood. Produce will come from local farms like Sage Hill Ranch Gardens, Chino Farms and Girl & Dug Farm.
On the menu, you’ll find specialty dishes like a Peking duck tostada with pickled house cucumbers, masa, carrot, Tokyo negi and a kale cavatelli with lamb sausage, arrabiatta, house burrata and basil. Lilian’s is also open for breakfast and lunch.
At Bing’s Bar, named after the movie star and Rancho Santa Fe resident, the bar will be “reminiscent of a speakeasy” in the old Hollywood era with cocktails like the La Paz using a solento blanco tequila, aloe, cucumber and lime or the Dixie Lee with Champagne, peach and raspberry. Along with cocktails, the bar will also feature a large wine list and quick bites like their mini lobster rolls with butter, truffle bearnaise, chives and lemon.
Brazilian Steakhouse Opens in the Seaport Village Area
Inspired by the culture and cuisine of the Brazilian cowboy, or gaucho, Galpão Gaucho is bringing a traditional rodizio menu to San Diego with 17 different cuts of meat from beef to lamb and an all-you-can-eat salad and sides bar. On the meat side of things, try a signature cut of sirloin like the Picanha or a pork loin with parmesan. To balance out the meat, 40 different salad items are on display from artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, imported cheeses and also sides like garlic mashed potatoes and a homemade chimichurri sauce. This is Galpão Gaucho’s seventh location and its first in Southern California.
Restaurant News & Food Events
Cucina Urbana and Cucina Enoteca are taking a spin on the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes, which is served on Christmas Eve in Italian homes, by serving seven different seafood dishes over seven days leading to Christmas Eve (December 18-24). December 19 will be a special halibut dish and on Christmas Eve, the chefs will play with prawn dishes.
Through Thanksgiving, RustiCucina is donating $1 for each serving of their Cheese Wheel Pasta to Father Joe’s Village. The Hillcrest restaurant is also a site for Toys for Tots donation drop-offs until December 15. If you donate a toy, you’ll get a choice of one of their desserts like tiramisu or limoncello cake for free.
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