As we reported a while back, master fermenter Rey Knight was closing a deal on a San Diego location for his Butcher’s Brewing Company. And now he’s locked up Manzanita Brewing’s original space in Santee (9962 Prospect Ave.) for his first nano-brewery and tasting room. Already with the city’s top Thai food and Phil’s BBQ, Santee’s mouths are increasingly less torporific. Knight first made his name with Knight Salumi Company (his finnochiona was fantastic), then moved onto beer with the successful Butcher’s. Some high-profile spots—from Downtown’s Cowboy Star to Sprouts markets—carry the original line as well as the spinoff, Mucho Aloha. Landing this 4,000 square-foot space will allow him to produce and distribute up to 1,400 kegs of the seven Butcher’s Brewing beers—six IPAs and a barleywine—all over the San Diego market.
“It’ll also give me a place to tinker and create eclectic, one-off beers that are very high-quality, small-batch and only for a few taps,” he says. “I’m not going to lie. I like all the beers I’ve made so far. But just making them over and over again is humdrum. I want to get creative with something a local farmer brings me. This allows me to do that.”
Butcher’s Brewing looks to open by March. After that, Knight says he’s looking to open five more locations—in Orange County, L.A., Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Hawaii. To talk with Knight personally about the plans, he’ll be at Solace & The Moonlight Lounge—owned by his brother-in-law Matt Gordon—on Feb. 5 with tastes of Mucho Aloha beers.
There’s a new sort of cattle call coming to Santee. Come late summer, East County’s first homage to the classic New York steakhouse experience, The Heritage Steakhouse, opens to the public at the Lantern Crest Senior Living resort community. With it comes prime cuts of beef, an Art Deco ambiance, and a modern twist on an old-school tradition with killer sunset views from the sixth floor dining room.
Michael Grant, founder of both the residential community and restaurant, was born and raised in East County, so he knows firsthand the lack of high-end dining options in the area. “If you want to go to a nice five star-type restaurant, you go downtown or to La Jolla, Del Mar, Little Italy, and so forth because that’s where the options are,” he says.
So he decided to bring the options to the people by building a destination that’s not only open to the public, but also located on resort property—much like The Marine Room at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.
The premise behind The Heritage is an updated take on the traditional steakhouse experience (think tableside Caesar salads, oysters Rockefeller, and of course, a focus on the meat). The Heritage will have all that, but expect a few twists as well. For example, Hasselback potatoes are a steakhouse staple—thinly sliced and roasted for crispy edges and tender interior, then finished with various toppings like butter, sour cream, or herbs. Heritage’s take will be a Hasselback sweet potato, seasoned slightly differently.
Courtesy of The Heritage Steakhouse
But steak lovers can be sure of one thing: Nobody is messing with the beef. “Steaks are the main event,” promises Scott Barnett, a veteran hospitality consultant. The menu centers around hand-cut, USDA-certified Prime Angus, and Wagyu steaks aged a minimum of 28 days, with options like filet mignon, New York strip, ribeye, a 48-ounce Tomahawk, and a classic Delmonico steak, plus pork chops, racks of lamb, and other proteins.
Each steak is prepared in a radiant heat broiler for a top-and-bottom sear, ensuring a perfect outer crust and tender interior every time. Desserts will be made daily in-house, and the full bar will specialize in craft cocktails of the Art Deco era, as well as wines sourced from Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Valle de Guadalupe, and other regions around the world.
Upon first arrival, guests can take advantage of the free valet parking (not something you’ll get in Little Italy!) before a doorman opens the entryway and ushers you to the glass elevator that will ferry you to the top floor of the tallest building in Santee. (The panoramic views speak for themselves.) Once you arrive in the lobby, seating and cocktails await if needed; otherwise, the Art Deco-inspired dining room with seating for 125 uses dark wood and pops of gold to emulate an old-school New York vibe, complete with a chandelier and terraced ceiling that feels like a grandiose throwback to a glamorous flapper ballroom.
Keep an eye out for custom artwork decorating the 4,000-square-foot space, including the lobby. Designer and artist Nancy Robinson created all the gold and black silhouette designs in the lobby, as well as the one-of-a-kind artworks around the space. However, the aesthetic is not a complete throwback to a previous era, insists Clifford Grant, vice president of operations and development.
“There aren’t any steakhouses, at least in San Diego, that are really doing this modern homage on the classic style,” he says. “That’s what we’re really trying to define ourselves with in doing this project.” And for as much as the team believes guests will be dazzled by the views and the vibe (not to mention the lack of comparable options in the area), Barnett believes the quality steaks and the high-end service will be what keeps people coming back again and again.
“The guest has to leave with an emotional souvenir that says, ‘That was something unique, that was different, I need to come back,’” he says. “That’s our real goal.”
The Heritage Steakhouse opens late summer 2026 at 200 Lantern Crest Way in Santee. Initial opening hours will be Sunday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Iconic Dudley's Bakery to open deli in Kearny Mesa
By Troy Johnson
San Diego has some solid bakeries now, from Bread & Cie to Con Pane and Sadie Rose. But ask any local for their first memory of lust-worthy, high-quality bread?
The answer is almost always Dudley’s Bakery—where for the last 50 years, every San Diegan with an operable sense of smell has stopped for some potato bread on their way to “see snow” in Julian.
Now San Diegans won’t have to drive so far for their fix. Evan Brunye, son of Dudley’s owners Barry and Laurie Brunye, is opening Dudley’s Deli in Kearny Mesa (9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.) in the former Chick-A-Deli. Brunye opened the first offshoot of the bakery last year in Santee. This location, which he hopes to open within three weeks, will be the first that isn’t a hell of a drive for us city folk.
Menu standouts include the Strawberry Turkey (that famed potato sheepherder bread with a layer of fresh strawberries and strawberry preserves), the TBA (turkey, bacon and avo on their Western Wheat Bread), and California Roast Beef on jalapeño-cheddar loaf. You can also build your own starting with your favorite Dudley’s bread, then meats and some inventive condiments (cilantro-garlic mayo, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, crab apple jelly, pico de gallo, peanut butter, etc.). Open from 6AM to 4PM, Dudley’s Deli will bake its own pastries. The bread will be delivered from the mother ship every other day.
“We tried to bake the bread onsite in Santee, and it’s just so much bread,” explains Brunye. “The ovens in Santa Ysabel you can fit 20 people in. We don’t have that kind of space.”
Evan, a mechanical engineer by trade, raised the money for the delis the hard way. Walking at night in Mission Beach in 2011, he was attacked from behind and ultimately stabbed in the leg four times. The police didn’t arrest the attacker, because Brunye had defended himself pretty well and given the attacker a black eye. “So I had to sue the guy, and won enough to start my own business,” explains Brunye, who made a full recovery after a year of rehabilitation. “If it wasn’t for that, I’d probably still be an engineer.”
Iconic Dudley's Bakery to open deli in Kearny Mesa
By Troy Johnson
San Diego has some solid bakeries now, from Bread & Cie to Con Pane and Sadie Rose. But ask any local for their first memory of lust-worthy, high-quality bread?
The answer is almost always Dudley’s Bakery—where for the last 50 years, every San Diegan with an operable sense of smell has stopped for some potato bread on their way to “see snow” in Julian.
Now San Diegans won’t have to drive so far for their fix. Evan Brunye, son of Dudley’s owners Barry and Laurie Brunye, is opening Dudley’s Deli in Kearny Mesa (9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.) in the former Chick-A-Deli. Brunye opened the first offshoot of the bakery last year in Santee. This location, which he hopes to open within three weeks, will be the first that isn’t a hell of a drive for us city folk.
Menu standouts include the Strawberry Turkey (that famed potato sheepherder bread with a layer of fresh strawberries and strawberry preserves), the TBA (turkey, bacon and avo on their Western Wheat Bread), and California Roast Beef on jalapeño-cheddar loaf. You can also build your own starting with your favorite Dudley’s bread, then meats and some inventive condiments (cilantro-garlic mayo, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, crab apple jelly, pico de gallo, peanut butter, etc.). Open from 6AM to 4PM, Dudley’s Deli will bake its own pastries. The bread will be delivered from the mother ship every other day.
“We tried to bake the bread onsite in Santee, and it’s just so much bread,” explains Brunye. “The ovens in Santa Ysabel you can fit 20 people in. We don’t have that kind of space.”
Evan, a mechanical engineer by trade, raised the money for the delis the hard way. Walking at night in Mission Beach in 2011, he was attacked from behind and ultimately stabbed in the leg four times. The police didn’t arrest the attacker, because Brunye had defended himself pretty well and given the attacker a black eye. “So I had to sue the guy, and won enough to start my own business,” explains Brunye, who made a full recovery after a year of rehabilitation. “If it wasn’t for that, I’d probably still be an engineer.”
Stake Chophouse & Bar isn’t your average steakhouse. Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Coronado outpost is a modern interpretation of a big-city steakhouse nestled in the heart of the small coastal community. The team at Stake has reimagined the whole steakhouse experience. By prioritizing a seasonal farm-to-table sourcing philosophy, a personalized guest experience, and unique service touches, like a formal steak presentation and a bespoke knife selection process, Stake distinguishes itself in a sea of steakhouses.
Exceptional steaks, including Wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the U.S., and fresh seafood flown in daily form the core of Stake’s culinary identity. The menu features a five-course omakase-style steak experience highlighting house favorites, plus an array of cuts, and classic steakhouse staples—think a wedge salad, baked potato, or pasta carbonara—refined for a contemporary palate without losing their traditional appeal. Stake focuses on seasonal sourcing from the region’s best family farms and specialty purveyors, and incorporates intentionally unexpected touches to create something truly unique.
“I challenge our chefs and myself to take it a step further in sourcing,” says Chef Ronnie Schwandt. “It’s important to us to highlight different farms, unique one-off farms—whether it’s cattle, strawberries, a local fisherman or from anywhere in the United States, we’re always trying to find that niche.”
Beyond the menu, Stake emphasizes outstanding service, says Vinny Spatafore, Director of Hospitality Operations. Staff maintains detailed notes, allowing them to remember guests by name, recall previous orders such as a favorite martini (also memorable for the customer since it’s served in an extra tall, distinctly-shaped glass), and celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
“When you have those points of topic that you remember about a guest, they appreciate that,” he says. “Our servers are really good with that—we have a couple servers who have been here since the beginning and they’ll remember somebody from years ago, their name, their kids’ names, where they live. I’m really thankful to have a great front of house staff.”
Award-winning wines, rare whiskeys, special events, and a complementary black car service that provides transportation for guests throughout Coronado add to Stake’s appeal.
Schwandt stresses that Stake offers more than a meal; they aim to give patrons something unforgettable.
“It starts when you walk up the stairs and are greeted by the hostess—that sets the tone for the night. Then you’re greeted by a server, who may know you by name, and can guide you through the menu and curate as they get to know you,” says Schwandt. “Most people leave kind of blown away; they leave feeling like they just had an experience. That’s the goal, right? Whether you’re serving smash burgers or high-end steak, you want somebody to leave thinking, Wow, that was awesome.”
Most of us think cow when we think of milk—or most non-cheese dairy products. That’s what is most common in the U.S. But there’s a whole world of people who adore both goat’s and sheep’s milk, and we’re seeing more of it in the markets. For those who can’t tolerate cow’s milk, goat’s milk—with its different fats and proteins and lower levels of lactose can make dairy more tolerable. Sheep milk, on the other hand is higher in lactose than either cow’s or goat’s milk, so it’s not recommended to those who are severely lactose intolerant, but it is richer in protein. And while it has about double the fat content of the others, it contains higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid, which may promote fat loss, improve blood lipid levels, and possibly help prevent diabetes.
Okay, enough of the dietary talk. Check with your doctor if you have medical issues. Let’s talk flavor, cooking, and all the good stuff. I decided to make a Brousse cheese—a simple soft goat/cow cheese that uses lemon and salt to get a curd and add a touch of flavor. I had remembered seeing goat milk at Sprouts, so off I went. The full fat version I needed wasn’t on the shelf so I asked an employee if they had any in the back. While waiting I perused the yogurt section and found goat’s milk and then sheep’s milk yogurt. I somehow had missed these so in went several containers into my cart—and now to you.
yogurt and milk
Meyenberg Goat Milk
I’ll cut to the chase. I got the wrong milk for making cheese. Meyenberg, based in California’s Central Valley, makes ultra-pasteurized whole and low-fat milk. Perfectly good for drinking and cooking. Not at all good for making cheese. But, the milk is delicious—like drinking liquid goat cheese. If you don’t want to drink it, add it to soup or pudding, make gelato, add to quiche or a custard. Basically, anything you’d add milk to, but know the taste is going to be more distinctive than cow’s milk. $3.99 a quart
Skyhill Farms Goat Yogurt
Skyhill Farms, of Napa Valley, started out as an organic produce farm but they began acquiring a herd of goats and started selling goat cheese in 1991. I am now cooing over their yogurt. There are at least six varieties at Sprouts—plain, peach, blueberry, vanilla, strawberry, and raspberry. They’re thick and creamy with a good amount of tang. If you want to take it to another level, strain the plain yogurt overnight in cheesecloth to make a soft goat’s milk cheese. You could marinate the cheese in olive oil and herbs, then have a spread for crackers. $1.99 for a 6-ounce container
Bellwether Farms Sheep Milk Yogurt
I’ve long been an acolyte of the Bellwether Farms cheese folks, especially their cow’s milk Carmody and Crescenza. But now I’m adding the sheep’s milk yogurt to my list of must enjoys. The yogurt from the pastured goats at the family-owned Sonoma farm is rich and sweet. I enjoyed both the plain and vanilla flavors, but they also sell strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and spiced apple (I didn’t see the latter two at Sprouts, but it may be a seasonal thing). Like the goat yogurt, you can drain the plain variety to make a soft cheese—perhaps to spread on a toasted bagel. How about adding it to cheesecake, making panna cotta, or making a sheep’s yogurt tzaziki? $2.29 for a 6-ounce container
Food is a notorious diva to photograph. The wrong lighting can make José Andrés’ paella look like a jaundiced grain bowl. You could be staring at the best sandwich of your life, but shoot it from above and—hey, congrats on that abandoned piece of lettuce bread. A cottage meme industry has been built around the hilariously bad photos on review sites that make Michelin-star food look like Michelin tires.
Especially in a visual modern media world, food culture depends on great photographers capturing the painstaking work in equally deserving ways. We asked four of San Diego’s top food photographers for their favorite shot from another year of documenting what we eat.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
Kimberly Motos
Birdman Sandwich at Chick & Hawk
Getting this kind of shot takes a bit of yoga. Asana yourself into the corner, hold your breath, pray that a chef on the move doesn’t back into your light stand.
“You’re stepping into someone’s workspace during their busiest moments, so it’s a balance of being present to get the shot and being invisible to not slow anything down,” Kimberly Motos says.
The subject here is the Birdman sandwich from Chick & Hawk—hot fried chicken thigh, tangy slaw, kimchi comeback sauce, sweet and spicy pickles, potato brioche bun—getting a hearty dousing of its difference-maker seasoning. Motos captures the parts of the process that diners don’t usually see: the chaos behind something that looks so simple.
Photo Credit: Lucianna McIntosh
Lucianna McIntosh
Oysters + Jewel of the Sea Martini at The Fishery
“I love this image because it feels like a moment you want to step into,” says Lucianna McIntosh. A warm, sunny day at The Fishery in PB with oysters, caviar, and martinis. Yes, please.
The little details—the glass sweating a little, the direct afternoon light creating stark shadows, the oyster glistening on the tray—are the main characters. Instead of trying to overly control the setup, McIntosh “followed the light and lines that draw you in more,” she says. “This was one of those moments where everything lined up on its own for a second. I love it when the shadows end up being just as important as the food itself.”
Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger
Eric Wolfinger
Herb-Roasted Golden Chicken at Fleurette
La Jolla native Eric Wolfinger—who won a James Beard Award for Tartine Bread, one of the most stunning bread books of all time—says he doesn’t have a signature style. His style is a conduit.
“I see my job is to translate the chef’s point of view into something you can feel,” he says.
For this shot, Fleurette chef Travis Swikard had one directive: cuisine du soleil (“cuisine of the sun”). With a spread of leeks vinaigrette, herb-roasted golden chicken, and beets, Wolfinger wanted to create a scene that felt straight out of the French Riviera, relaying the light, bright style of Swikard’s new spot.
Some bonus additions here: Extra lights—to add lots of warmth—and a clipping from an olive tree.
Photo Credit: Dee Sandoval
Dee Sandoval
Espresso Ice Cream at Lucien
Timing and light are everything in food photography. In Lucien—La Jolla’s tasting-menu-only restaurant with moody ambiance—a single strobe flash creates the ideal spotlight.
Dee Sandoval says she uses the “natural, just-plated energy” of the dish to “create a portrait of moment and craft.” That’s why this Mostra Ghost Bear espresso ice cream—with San José dark chocolate mousse, soy-miso caramel, and koji shoyu chocolate sauce—looks like it might dissolve halfway to your mouth.
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
While glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agents have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years, their recent emergence as weight-loss wonder drugs marked a new frontier in medicine. But their effectiveness has left some patients wondering what to do once they’ve reached their goal. Stopping the medication could mean regaining some, if not all, of the weight. A Scripps Clinic internal medicine physician recently conducted a small study of whether GLP-1 patients who had reached their goal weight could maintain that weight by taking their regularly prescribed injection every other week instead of weekly. Spoiler alert: 30 of 34 patients did. Read more about the study here and what that may mean as pharmaceutical companies roll out oral GLP-1s.
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