How to Spend Fourth of July in San Diego 2021

Baker Ashley del Rosario estimates she makes five people cry every day. It’s not because she’s some salty old grump. In fact, del Rosario is such a delight to talk to that we ended up chatting in the sunshine for 20 minutes after my two-hour parking meter ran out. (I got lucky—no ticket!) It’s because her baking philosophy, which centers around spotlighting her culture as a Filipina-American and using some of her mom’s recipes as inspiration, seems to uniquely touch a nerve in her community.  

“People message me every day saying… ‘Oh my God, my mom loves your stuff. Oh my God, this made me so emotional. This reminds me of my childhood,’” she says. “I must be doing something right.”

We’re sitting outside at Michi Michi in Bankers Hill, where she finished up a two-month residency as the in-house guest baker on June 30. Her menu of Filipino-inspired pastries feature ingredients like mango, ube, pandan, calamansi, and taro leaves in items like French croissants and Italian maritozzos. But she’s also pushing flavor boundaries with pastries like a champorado tart, a Filipino chocolate rice pudding topped with a dollop of anchovy paste. 

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Love it or hate it, to del Rosario, the point is that she introduced champorado to a new audience. “If you don’t like Filipino food, or you’re not interested in it, or you don’t even get it… you [still] came into this bakery and you saw Filipino desserts,” she says. So the next time you come across champorado, your brain will already recognize it and hey, maybe you’ll give it a try. 

San Diego is home to the fifth-largest Filipino population in the United States, with enclaves in Mira Mesa, National City, southeast San Diego, and Chula Vista. That’s led to a rise in popularity of Filipino food in San Diego, as well as across the country. 

In 2021, Phillip Esteban—San Diego Magazine’s “Chef of the Year” in 2020—opened the first location of his fast-casual Filipino concept White Rice, which now has locations in Normal Heights and Sorrento Valley. Kristin Cleavinger’s coffee and matcha pop-up One of One draws inspiration from her own Filipina-American heritage. Tara Monsod, executive chef at Animae and Le Coq, is a three-time semifinalist for Best Chef in California by the James Beard Awards and one of the leading champions of Filipino-American cuisine. She was also del Rosario’s boss at her first kitchen job, which was doing pastries at Animae. (Nothing like jumping straight into the fire!)

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Del Rosario says Monsod became a cultural and culinary mentor, pushing her to explore new and bigger opportunities. When she got the chance to study at the illustrious Italian Culinary Institute in Calabria, Italy, Monsod encouraged her to go. It changed del Rosario’s life—so much so, she’s moving to Italy later this year to continue honing her pastry skills. 

In the future, she says she hopes to split her time between Italy and San Diego, continuing collaborations and pop-ups while developing what she sees as an entirely new lane within pastry: Italian pastry technique with distinctly Filipino flavors. 

Italian pastry technique is different from classic French. Take croissants, for example. The Italian version, called cornetto, is often filled with creams, jams, or savory fillings, and tends to feel softer than its buttery, flakier French counterpart. They’re also more regionally driven, with different areas utilizing local specialties like citrus for the filling—an ideal vehicle for launching a Filipino-fusion creation. 

There are plenty of globally-inspired bakeries in San Diego with their own specialties—Azúcar in Ocean Beach is Cuban, Su Pan offers traditional Mexican pastries, and Asa Bakery is modeled after Japanese kissaten cafés. There are even a number of local Filipino bakeries like Valerio’s 1979 (formerly Valerio’s City Bakery), Kababayan Bakery, and Starbread Bakery. But a Filipino-Italian bakery? Not yet. And even if there were, del Rosario says the more, the merrier. 

“There is no competition,” she says. “It’s just showing our culture.”

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San Diego Restaurant News & Events

Beth’s Bites

I’m sitting in a slab of concrete under a freeway, eating a ceviche black as eyeliner.

There might be seven seats in this restaurant. Or maybe it’s 12 minus five. That area under the stairs might also be a couple seats, or it might just be a very inviting storage area with a flower vase. The restaurant is so small your core instinct is to count seats and tabulate if Alchemy – Choose Thy Poison is a real place with a sane business plan or if it’s a social art project designed to question the reality of restaurants and business plans.

There’s a large, floor-to-human-height window near our table. Through it, I notice someone didn’t make their bed this morning. It’s a decision I deeply empathize with. It’s moments like this that make you acutely aware that Alchemy is also technically the courtyard of a six-room micro-hotel called Narcissus. Not the kind of massagey boutique hotel you’re thinking of with soft woods, obscene amounts of linen, and opinions on bonsai therapy. It’s a near-Brutalist cube of base industrial materials—concrete and acrylics bent and molded into a series of alcoves, with pods to sleep in. Sculptures lie behind glass like Tilda Swinton circa 2013.

The window to the unmade bed forcibly crams light voyeurism into the dining experience. The hotel and Alchemy feel like the parts of Mexico I love the most. Although Mexico has its multimillion-dollar restaurants, a vast majority of the best street-level places feel like you’re temporarily recreating in a very lovely construction project.

Alchemy’s location is what most people comment on (“I can’t believe a place like this exists on a block like this.”)—jammed at the bottom of the freeway embankment on the northeast side of Barrio Logan. But that makes it distinctly Barrio, the historic cradle of San Diego’s Hispanic and Chicano culture. The I-5 freeway was built through Barrio in 1963—a fairly traumatic gashing of the neighborhood—and residents responded by painting epic murals on the ugly concrete belly of eminent domain. Where some would’ve just accepted the industrial blight, locals saw shade for a park. There is a deep history here of turning concrete into art, and Alchemy carries that on.

The vision for the property came from owner Benjamin Longwell, whose company—The Society of Master Craftsmen—sounds like it wears a monocle. Longwell is part of the new guard of developers who focus on urban infill. Instead of adding to the city sprawl, they find unused or underutilized parcels of land in established neighborhoods, then build creative mixed-use spaces that, in perfect scenarios, add something of value for locals.

I’m not making a case for architectural sainthood, but there isn’t a huge list of developers who would look at the line of cars exiting the freeway in front of Alchemy and think, “We must build here.” So in that sense, Narcissus and Alchemy feel additive to the community, not extractive.

It is fantastic—acidic but with a whole world of toasted, warm flavors, like ceviche that’s seen some things.

The menu from Cortes—a home cook his whole life, only having taken it professional a few years ago with his popular pop-up, Barracruda—is really a tour of specialties from various states in Mexico.

A crema de poblano has the blended ghost of rajas at its core: an emulsion of roasted poblanos with butter-sautéed onions and garlic, plus a touch of milk that’s topped with queso fresco, chile ancho, and morita oil. Morita—a smoky Mexican condiment made from dried and smoked red jalapeños for a less intense, fruitier cousin of chipotle—is the key here. It specializes in spiking fats (guacamole, fried eggs, burritos). Sop up the crema with house-baked garlic-rosemary sourdough, blackened from the ash of a corn husk.

Smoked tuna is a Baja gift that’s become an anchor for most San Diego taco shops, and Alchemy combines mesquite-smoked yellowtail with caramelized onions, sweet peppers, and Chihuahua cheese (the OG quesadilla filling), then stuffs it in a perfectly baked masa empanada. The result is somewhere between a TJ Oyster Bar taco, a calzone, and a tamale—but with extra flavor and more black hue from cuttlefish ink.

Alchemy’s huaraches de res is Cortes’ ode to where he’s from. Huaraches are the New Haven–style pizza of Mexican food—thick, oblong masa flatbread layered with refried beans and a payload inspired by the Mexico City markets the chef grew up roaming with his dad: braised beef (braseado), avocado salsa, pickled vegetables, salsa macha, and jocoque (Mexico’s fermented dairy product, like a cross between crema and labneh).

Alchemy’s seared tuna crudo gets a tad abused by the riot of big flavors: charred hibiscus salsa, avocado salsa, pickled grapes, pomegranate salsa macha, and chipotle aioli. It’s a fate that also tempers the joy of the zarandeado, with the adobo marinade on the shrimp fighting a bit with recado negro and chipotle crema. Sticking with curmudgeonly food critic notes, flies are a part of the Alchemy experience, at least during our visit. They’re fairly hard to evict from the outside world, but more measures could be taken to discourage their participation.

The oxtail tetelas—like a Mexican pupusa—are a diary note from Cortes’ travels to Tlaquepaque, where they famously superboost their salsa with a touch of instant coffee. First, Cortes braises the oxtail with beer and Mexican spices. Then he blends that braising liquid into a salsa with beef tallow, guajillo, charred onions, tomatoes, and black garlic. Keeping with the goth food theme, the oxtail goes into masa negra infused with squid ink.

Desserts are where you realize just how deeply Alchemy is committed to the art bit. Rarely do you see a neighborhood bistro trying to pull off trompe l’œil—the French specialty of making pastries and other desserts look like fruit or other everyday objects. (The phrase means “to deceive the eye” and is the historical precedent for the Is It Cake? phenomenon.) Pastry chef Catherinne Avila does, though. A “Naranja” comes out in the form of a mandarin, but inside is orange blossom mousse, apricot jelly, and sablée (a delicate, crumbly shortcrust). A “Philosopher’s Stone” comes in the form of a brick of gold with a serpent on top; inside are mango mousse, mango-Tajín jelly, and a coconut dacquoise.

As Barrio Logan enters an apprehensive phase—its creative culture and restaurant scene growing rapidly, bringing economic promise face-to-face with the need to protect the Chicano way of life—this concrete tuckaway from a Mexico City kid feels like a good step. The Barrio has a long history of making art in unexpected places, and Alchemy carries that a little further.

Photos Credit: Dee Sandoval

There’s a saying in business that if you’re not evolving, you’re dying. I personally have a saying that if you’re not eating ice cream, you’re also probably dying, but of sadness.

Scoopy Scoopy doesn’t have either of those problems. The premium ice cream pop-up launched last year with the idea of setting up in coffee shops after hours, helping those businesses maximize their profitability while also avoiding the costs of a brick and mortar. But it turns out, a lot of people in Leucadia really like ice cream—so much so that Scoopy Scoopy decided to open their own scoop shop in the same building as Moto Deli and Cadence Cyclery (in the former Queenstage Coffee House space) on July 8.

Evolving doesn’t mean leaving the old ways behind. Zach Zien, who runs Scoopy with his partner Steven Segal and wife Sophia, says they will continue to pursue the shared space model on weekends at Coffee Coffee in Leucadia through the summer and are still open to popping up at other venues. “That’s still a core part of our business,” he says. But with steady demand in the Encinitas area, it gave them the confidence to put down roots of their own. 

“People have really welcomed us and we’ve been well-received,” he explains. “We think this is the market to succeed in.”

The super-premium ice cream is still sourced from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream in Wisconsin, but instead of the eight flavors they’re limited to for popups, the permanent storefront will be able to offer 12. “There will be three or four that regularly rotate, with probably eight staples that are our best sellers,” says Zien, pointing to flavors like peanut butter, oatmeal cookie, and the alternating vegan options. They’ll also be able to fill pints to order, something they haven’t been able to do in the past. 

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Currently, Moto Deli closes at 4 p.m. daily, but once Scoopy Scoopy is up and running, it will offer beer and wine until 8 p.m. for a shared drinks-and-dessert Happy Hour. “We’re hoping to get a food truck vendor on regular rotation to have food options available after hours as well,” says Zien. 

The spontaneity of pop-ups can be as exciting as it is efficient. But when it comes to ice cream, I like knowing exactly when and where I can get a scoop—before the sadness kicks in. 

Scoopy Scoopy soft opens on July 8 at 190 N. Coast Hwy 101 in Encinitas. Initial operating hours are Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.; and Friday through Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. (subject to change). 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Cold Smoke BBQ Is San Diego’s Newest Meat-Centric MEHKO

Speaking of pop-ups, San Diego’s culinary entrepreneurs keep ramping things up with more concepts launching every week. But after a parade of pastry prodigies and brilliant breadmakers, it might be nice to sink your teeth into something with a bit of protein. (Shoutout to all my carboholic brethren out there.) 

Jim Adamski is joining the ever-swelling ranks of MEHKO (Micro Enterprise Home Kitchen) businesses alongside the likes of The Hidden Gazebo Eatery in Lemon Grove and Warung RieRie in Serra Mesa with his new venture, Cold Smoke BBQ. He’s not following a specific regional barbecue style like Central Texas, Kansas City, or St. Louis—he’s driven by whatever inspires him at the time (or, whatever he’s craving). He’s also not following a specific schedule. “My loose plans are weekends… then eventually maybe during the week,” he says. His menu and pick-up schedule get updated regularly, with pre-orders available to pick up from his house in 4S Ranch. So far, he says the dry-rubbed ribs and rib tips have been the best-sellers. But if you absolutely can’t resist adding a bread-adjacent item, you’re still in luck—he’s got cornbread.   

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Beth’s Bites

Growing up in Carlsbad, I never quite understood why people vacationed there. What, so you want to check out the field where I have soccer practice? Pay my orthodontist a visit? Carlsbad just felt like a town by the beach, no better or worse than any other in the country. It took going to college out of state for me to actually understand just how rare a place like Carlsbad is.

Thanksgiving break my freshman year, my first time coming home after three months in the Midwest, my shoulders dropped. I rolled down the windows and drove to lifeguard tower 37—the hangout magnet for Carlsbad’s youths (and, in the summer, tourists)—and the smells of the ocean woke me right up like smelling salts do. I finally got it.

Carlsbad isn’t just a stopover town on your way to something better. It is the destination. Travel + Leisure named Carlsbad one of the top 50 places around the world to travel in 2026. From the whole globe, the travel magazine picked my home. Sure, we’ve got the Flower Fields and Legoland—but now it’s the smaller ships and indier dreams that are giving it street-level character.

It’s not just Carlsbad, either. People have talked about the “North County bubble” for decades—a force field that prevents its residents from traveling south of the 56. It’s often used derogatorily, and it’s a fairly accurate burn.

For decades, living up in North County meant giving up on culture, or at least culture within close proximity. But now, the main expansion of San Diego culture is happening up north. Central San Diego restaurants have started taking notice and are expanding into the area—spurred no doubt by Oceanside’s food boom and the Jeune et Jolie–Campfire–Wildland–Lilo constellation in Carlsbad. City Heights burger joint Key & Cleaver opened a new spot in Oceanside; the owners of Parc Bistro-Brasserie in Bankers Hill opened Parc Lounge in Rancho Santa Fe. Possibly the strongest market indicator is that Sam Fox—one of the most successful restaurateurs west of the Rockies—has started focusing on North County for his concepts. In 2025, he opened both The Henry in Carlsbad and Culinary Dropout in Del Mar.

For the ultimate insider guide, we found a handful of inspiring people who live and create and truly know six North County neighborhoods—San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside, Leucadia, Rancho Santa Fe, and Vista—and asked them how they’d spend a dream day out and about in their town.

San Marcos

San Marcos is in full renaissance mode. The biggest story is that the grand North City vision is starting to peek through the scaffolding. It’s essentially the North County Downtown that’s been written in the tea leaves and discussed whenever someone gets stuck in traffic at the 5/805 merge: a 200-acre, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use face-changer that’s slated for 2,600 homes, 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 250 hotel rooms, and about a million square feet of offices and labs. Its most recent manifestation is 222 North City—a 12-story residential tower with over 450 residences, rooftop garden, pool cabanas, art installations, and almost 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail (Necessity Coffee, Buona Forchetta, Draft Republic, Milonga Empanadas, and a grocery store anchor on its way).

Which means Restaurant Row is no longer burdened with being the primary caregiver for the hungry or the socially inclined. Patricia Prado-Olmos has watched the city morph during her nearly three-decade tenure at CSUSM, having spent the past six years as the school’s chief community engagement officer. She also just announced her forthcoming retirement at the end of the 2026–2027 school year, so she’ll have even more time to haunt local haunts.

Meet the Local: Patricia Prado-Olmos

Those in the know call the university “Cal State StairMaster” from the Sisyphean amount of stairs on the hillside campus. So, any day at or around CSUSM should start with a homestyle carbo-load (biscuits and gravy) from Mama Kat’s.

Rull, a Michelin-trained pastry chef who’s done stints on Netflix (Bake Squad) and Food Network (Super Mega Cakes, Halloween Wars), opened his patisserie last fall. The hype hasn’t cooled off yet: Get there early because the crowds do.

It’s happening, San Diego. The pre–Comic-Con excitement jitters begin to creep in as soon as July hits the calendar. But for those who forgot to set an alarm on registration day, whose batteries died or whose luck ran out in the virtual waiting room, or who simply prefer to soak up the fandom frenzy from the outside, we’ve got the best ways to experience Comic-Con weekend—no badge required.

Ready Party One: The Final Level 2026 SDCC Kickoff Party

Ain’t no party like an after-hours party, and XLE Productions’ Ready Party One is definitely one for comic book fans. Kick-start your convention weekend at Parq Nightclub and enjoy music by fan-favorite ’80s tribute band The Flux Capacitors, along with enough fandom fun, cosplay, retro gaming and pop-culture nostalgia to satisfy your inner geek. At least for the night.

Date & Time: Wednesday, July 22, 8 p.m.
Location: Parq Nightclub, 615 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Tickets start at $34

Interactive Zone at Petco Park and Gallagher Square Events

With more than a dozen activities and brand activations, Petco Park’s Interactive Zone is a badgeless fan’s playground, bringing together brands, games, celebrity appearances and immersive experiences all in one place. On Friday, July 24, Funko’s beloved annual party, hosted by Funko founder Mike Becker, returns to Gallagher Square. This year’s “Quest for the Grail” event will take guests on a journey to the sunken city of Atlantis. Expect themed décor, food, drinks, games and special guest appearances.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 23–Sunday, July 26 (times TBD)
Location: Lexus Premier Lot across from Petco Park
Price: Free; Funko Funday event is ticketed

Chuck Jones Gallery Pop-up Meet-and-Greets

Cartoon and art lovers can celebrate the work of Chuck Jones, creator of some of animation’s most iconic characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote and Pepé Le Pew, at Seaport Village’s Chuck Jones Gallery. During Comic-Con weekend, the showroom will also host meet-and-greets with talented artists including Disney artist and seascape painter Steve Barton, The Simpsons animator Stephen Reis, and licensed Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera and Disney fine artist Ben Olson.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 23–Saturday, July 25, 2026 (times TBD)
Location: Chuck Jones Gallery, 809 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA
Price: Free

PAWmicon Pet Cosplay

Get your pup’s—and your own—cosplay game ready because Helen Woodward Animal Center’s PAWmicon is back. Enjoy a Comic-Con-themed outing with the whole family while raising awareness for orphaned pets in San Diego. Divided into three categories—Flying Solo, Dynamic Duos & Trios & More, and Fantastic Floats—the event is a paw-fect way to jump-start the festivities.

Date & Time: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 4:30–7 p.m.
Location: Presidents Way Lawn at Balboa Park
Price: Free

Comic-Con-Themed Bar Crawl

Why leave all the fun, mischief and mayhem to badge holders when you can join more than 300 partygoers and crawl through some of downtown San Diego’s top bars and nightclubs? Whether you’re called to save the universe or have an allegiance to the dark side, the annual Comic-Con Bar Crawl gives attendees exclusive access to more than 20 venues throughout the Gaslamp Quarter, with free welcome shots, exclusive drink discounts and complimentary entry along the way. This event for ages 21 and older is a fun way to celebrate your fandom outside the convention center.

Date & Time: Friday, July 24–Sunday, July 26, 2026, 8 p.m.–2 a.m.
Location: Check-in at Toro, 672 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101, from 8–9 p.m.
Price: $13–$30

Her Universe Fashion Show

Geek out over couture at the annual Her Universe Fashion Show at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Hosted by founder and Star Wars: The Clone Wars actress Ashley Eckstein and presented by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, this year’s show will feature a selection of designers showcasing one-of-a-kind DC-inspired creations as they compete for a $2,000 cash prize.

Note: Wristbands are traditionally distributed the morning of the event on a first-come, first-served basis, but official details have not yet been announced.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 23, 6 p.m.
Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Seaport Ballroom, 1 Market Place, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Free

Comic-Con Museum

A destination for all things fandom, Balboa Park’s Comic-Con Museum brings world-premiere and exclusive exhibits and events to the heart of San Diego, giving fans a place to geek out all year long. The museum is currently featuring the U.S. debut of Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder, showcasing 17 of the Doctor’s most iconic costumes, a full-size TARDIS and a collection of original sonic screwdrivers used on-screen. Visitors can also explore Sangre, Sudor y Mito: The Art and Tradition of Mexican Lucha Libre, featuring rare collectibles and authentic masks and costumes worn by legendary luchadores.

Date & Time: Open Thursday through Tuesday (closed Wednesdays), 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: $15–$30; free for children younger than 6

Comic-Con Art Show

Browse an extensive collection of original drawings, paintings, jewelry and other whimsical creations from more than 100 professional and amateur artists at the Comic-Con Art Show. Many pieces will be available for purchase through the silent auction or Quick Sale, giving fans the chance to take home a one-of-a-kind Comic-Con souvenir while supporting talented artists.

Dates & Times:

• Thursday, July 23: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Friday, July 24: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 25: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Sunday, July 26: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Grand Hall CD, 1 Market Place, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Free

Hello Kitty Café Truck

Looking for a supercute way to fuel your Comic-Con adventures? Swing by the Hello Kitty Café Truck. This traveling pink café on wheels will be parked at Petco Park’s Interactive Zone, serving up tasty treats and exclusive merchandise. From limited-edition tote bags and hats to mugs and T-shirts, it’s the perfect stop to grab a snack and a little extra kawaii cuteness.

Date & Time:

• Thursday, July 23–Saturday, July 25: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Sunday, July 26: 10 a.m. (closing time TBD)

Location: Petco Park Interactive Zone, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Menu items vary

PopUp Bagels, Spider-Man and Donut Bar Activations at Pendry San Diego

Get ready to fuel up and hype up. Whether you’re a plain-bagel purist or an everything-bagel fan, don’t miss your chance to grab breakfast or recharge at PopUp Bagels’ Volkswagen bus parked outside Pendry San Diego. Then satisfy your sweet tooth at Provisional with a rotating selection of character-themed doughnuts from Donut Bar. Both are available throughout the weekend beginning at 7 a.m. until sold out.

On Saturday, July 25, from noon to 3 p.m., head to Nason’s Beer Hall to celebrate Sony Pictures’ upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Guests can sample Tom Holland’s nonalcoholic beer brand, BERO, served in limited-edition themed cans available exclusively during the event.