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Michelin-trained sushi chefs open an omakase-driven sushi bar in Linda Vista
Sushi Ichifuji, San Diego
Courtesy of Sushi Ichifuji
Last week Hiroshi Ichikawa and Masato Fujita combined their four decades of sushi experience to open Sushi Ichifuji—a name created by fusing their surnames. Their 10-seater ode to Japan is slightly off the beaten track in Linda Vista, the ideal locale for the duo who spent nearly a year scouting it. Only being able to serve a few dozen guests nightly is intentional. For those lucky enough to get a reservation, that will mean you’ll have the undivided, meticulous attention of two of the city’s best.
For Ichikawa, he sought inspiration and opportunity when leaving home in the Gifu Prefecture region of Japan. He flew to New York City to work in sushi restaurants, where the allure of the city satiated his appetite for adventure. But a decade of braving east coast winters had him reevaluate his long-term plans. “I love surfing,” he says with a smile. “My mind was always on California.” So he packed up and moved to San Diego, landing a job downtown at Taka Sushi, where he met his future business partner Masato Fujita.
Fujita has collected experience at many of the county’s premiere sushi houses, including Soichi (University Heights) and Sushi Tadokoro (Old Town)—both of which hold one Michelin star. His career was foreshadowed by the days he spent hanging around his family’s century-old sushi spot in Osaka. He never actually worked at their restaurant, but proximity to the craft proved invaluable.
Sushi Ichifuji, exterior San Diego
Courtesy of Sushi Ichifuji
Ichifuji’s menu presents diners with two options: an eight-course omakase or a nigiri course. Both include sakizuke (a three-dish seasonal appetizer), shirumono (dark red miso soup), three-day miso-marinated Alaskan black cod, a selection of nigiri, and dessert. The omakase course offers a few more bites like sashimi and chawanmushi (a traditional Japanese savory custard, one of life’s greatest treats). Ichikawa teases an a la carte menu once they’ve found their rhythm, but insists the omakase concept is how they’ll get their start.
Their sakes are sourced almost exclusively from Japan, where premium water quality and well-tended rice fields produce an unbeatable product, Ichikawa says.
The interior design attempts to recreate the tranquility felt in many traditional Japanese homes. “We don’t have any design experience, but we painted everything ourselves, for like three months,” Ichikawa says. “I want people who come in to feel like they are in a small town Japanese house.” Ichikawa and Fujita achieve this with small but intentional touches: bamboo water features, wood features, and traditional plates brought back from Japan.
There are two seatings a night each consisting of groups of 10. The first seating occurs from 5-5:30 p.m., the second from 7:30-8 p.m. The 30-minute time window allows guests to trickle in at various times, further curating an individualized experience.
Ichikawa says the plan is to continue to build slowly. With warmer weather and increased demand, you may see a dozen or so seats pop-up on the covered patio this summer.
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Have breaking-news, exciting scoops, or great stories about San Diego’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Jared Cross is a writer who grew up near the US-Mexico border in San Diego. He credits this experience with refining his appetite for food and culture.
San Diego’s biggest food and drink festival is back for a week-long celebration of SoCal’s best restaurants, chefs, and wineries from Sept. 30–Oct. 4
Maybe it was when Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul drank mezcal with chefs from San Diego and Food Network on the cliffs over Blacks Beach. Or the dinner outside under lights with Alex Morgan, celebrating some of the country’s most badass women chefs. Or the celebrity pickleball tournament hosted by NFL Hall of Famer Drew Brees, where the star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia made thwacking sounds with locals. Or when Iron Chef winner Beau MacMillan commandeered (some say “stole”) a golf cart and delivered drinks and ice to chefs.
Whatever it is, Del Mar Wine & Food seems to have become the food and wine festival for people who don’t usually like food and wine festivals. The most San Diego thing.
Two years ago, Thrillist named it one of the best food festivals in the country. Last year, 10,000 people came out to experience it, including Guy Fieri. Afterward, the founders spent a couple days trying to put their finger on why it felt so special. They had to name it, lean into whatever that was.
“It all came back to play,” says one of those founders, SDM co-owner Troy Johnson, a longtime San Diego food writer and Food Network judge. “Making world-class bread is serious, but breaking bread shouldn’t be. We gather all these incredibly talented people who take their craft very, very seriously—work their butts off all year to make some of the best food and drink in the country—and then we all just kinda play in the grass. We believe it’s possible to create something of incredible value and make the experience of that thing a laidback, easygoing, unpretentious experience. That’s what this is, and who we are in San Diego. The whole reason we did this was to shine a national spotlight on the people who make our food and drink culture hum.”
The festival dropped its 2026 lineup today.
Headlining the fest are Food Network chefs Jet Tila, Maneet Chauhan, and Aarti Sequeira; Top Chef winner and Michelin-starred Buddha Lo; Iron Chef alum Beau MacMillan; MasterChef winner Kelsey Murphy; MasterChef Latinos winner Michelle Mathelin, chef and Guy’s Grocery Games judge Catherine McCord, chef and former Masterchef Mexico judge Benito Molina, Top Chef alum Jackson Kalb, Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman, Michelin-starred chef Javier Plascencia, James Beard award-winning chef Brady Ishiwata Williams, and James Beard-nominated chef Mawa McQueen.
The party kicks off on Wednesday, September 30 at Monarch Ocean Pub with Signature San Diego, a walk-around tasting of the city’s greatest bites, from Baja seafood to bold Mexican flavors. From there, the energy carries into a celebrity pickleball tournament hosted by Drew Brees at Barnes Tennis Center on October 2, pairing friendly competition with an all-inclusive tasting experience in support of Feeding San Diego.
The main event is the two-day Grand Tasting at Surf Sports Park on Oct. 3 and 4. The city’s top chefs, food people from TV lands, and local tastemakers gather on the weirdly perfect grass to serve up everything from juicy Wagyu burgers and beef tallow fries to yellowtail tuna tostadas and veggies dressed up in their Sunday best. Wine and cocktail pairings are designed to round out the whole experience, including activations from Aperol Spritz, Hendrick’s Gin, Tequila Ocho, Mezcal Vago, Rioja wines, and Temecula producers.
A VIP lounge offers exclusive access to curated small plates from Michelin-level chefs and pour from some of SoCal and Napa’s finest wineries and drink makers. The Official After Party at Guesthouse La Valle on October 3, a spirited walk-around tasting just steps from the Grand Tasting, where cocktails take center stage through imaginative bites inspired by the smoky, citrus-forward, and bittersweet flavors of classic drinks.
Zones return with activations including the Big Queer Food Fest celebrating queer chefs and queer-owned businesses; the Wellness Zone led by Novo Dia offering a built-in reset with non-alcoholic mocktails, movement-driven activations, and wellness-forward moments. Coastal lifestyle and locally made brands are also integrated throughout the festival.
“We are excited for the fourth edition of the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival this fall, which has quickly become one of the largest food and wine experiences on the West Coast,” says co-founder Chris Finn. “As the festival continues to grow, we are constantly looking to add events, experiences, and partners that will resonate with our San Diego community, and embody the Southern California way of life.”
Returning as the festival’s partner is local nonprofit Feeding San Diego. To date, Del Mar Wine & Food has raised $100,000 to support their ongoing fight against hunger across the region.
Stay tuned for additional events hosted by festival partners including Rob Machado, San Diego Wave, San Diego FC, Town & Country, and San Diego Mojo.
The 2026 Del Mar Wine & Food Festival will take place September 30–October 4 throughout San Diego County.
The week culminates with the Grand Tasting at Surf Sports Park (formerly the Del Mar Polo Fields) at 14989 Via De La Valle, Del Mar.
A wide variety of exclusive dinners, drink tastings, and other lifestyle events will be announced soon and available for purchase individually on Del Mar Wine & Food Festival’s website. These festivities include chef-curated dining experiences across San Diego’s hottest restaurants, a celebrity pickleball tournament, wine tastings, and more.
The Grand Tasting takes place this year on Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4.
General admission for the single-day Grand Tasting starts at $185. An Early Access option is also available at $235, which includes an extra four hours before general admission to meet, mingle, and feast. For a two-day pass, General Admission starts at $275, while Early Access is $375.
VIP tickets begin at $425 for a single day, offering access to pre-festival experiences, exclusive food vendors, a dedicated VIP area, and more. For the full weekend in VIP, passes are priced at $765.
Buy tickets today at DelMar.Wine.
Unfortunately, only service animals are allowed at the venue. All attendees must be 21 years or older.
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
The specialty coffee and dessert shop will open in late June to early July
Hospitality-centric businesses are starting to work smarter, not harder. Some are leaning into experiential concepts, like Harland Brewing’s golf course taproom. Some are joining up with other businesses to share space and costs, like Scoopy Scoopy. Then there’s the multi-hyphenate approach, using food and drink as a jumping-off point for bigger aspirations—like Infusion Lab, a specialty dessert and coffee shop opening in Pacific Beach this summer.
The name is strategically vague, explains co-founder and finance director Baran Aydin. Initially, the space will offer a menu of specialty coffee—traditional espresso-based drinks, plus matcha and signature ube beverages alongside breakfast, lunch sammies and desserts like cookies made in-house and European-inspired desserts.
Aydin and co-founder/coffee director Aselin Bay plan to expand into a lifestyle brand with streetwear-inspired merch—shirts, hats, bags, socks, and more that are “designed to reflect the lifestyle and culture behind Infusion Lab,” he explains.
“The goal is to create a space where people can work, socialize, create content, and become part of a growing community,” says Aydin.
Pacific Beach is growing, with major residential expansions like AVA Pacific Beach adding units to a market that’s tightened nearly 30 percent over the last year, according to the Whissel Beer Group real estate team. Currently, there are fewer than 20 coffee shops in Pacific Beach for a population of around 41,000—plus 10,000 to 20,000 more people visiting during summer and weekends.
Infusion Labs’ design is elemental white-and-maroon, with line drawing art. Their space, next to the now-closed Copper Top Coffee & Donuts, will feature some Chesterfield-style seating (deep button sofas) and a dedicated social media area.
Holy Matcha may have helped start the “camera eats first” coffee shop experience with its explosive pink floral wall backdrop, but between Saya Brasserie’s entire social media-centric business strategy, S3 Coffee Bar’s over-the-top coffee concoctions, and Infusion Labs’ online oasis, it seems San Diego coffee shops are still making sure they feed your body and your follower count.
Infusion Lab opens at 4638 Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach in late June or early July.
The owners behind Hermosa Surf in Bird Rock soft-launched their new cafe, Sungold Point—right next door at 5632 La Jolla Blvd. It’s a modern take on an old-school diner, explains Stirling, with seating for around 35 people and lots of pink, burgundy, turquoise, checkerboard, and terrazzo to feast your eyes on. Owners Stirling and Benny Walter designed the breakfast and lunch menu to use organic ingredients whenever possible and make everything from scratch, including breakfast sandwiches, salads, bowls, and a full espresso menu.
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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.
Enjoy the holiday with the city’s best restaurants offering seasonal brunch buffets, prix-fixe menus, and à la carte specials
Consider this your annual reminder that Mother’s Day is not the time to improvise. What’s in: roses, peonies, and a card attempting to summarize a year’s worth of gratitude in three paragraphs or less. What’s out: pretending you “didn’t know it was this weekend.” In a city currently operating at full brunch capacity, San Diego responds as it always does—oceanfront tables, excessive buffet spreads, and sparkling wine refills. Whether it’s waffle stacks, chilled seafood displays, or carving stations doing the most, these San Diego restaurants have you covered.
Brunch Buffets | Mother’s Day Specials & Prix Fixe Menus | À La Carte Brunch
All moms deserve elegance on Mother’s Day. Celebrate a beachfront with a beautifully timeless and tasteful brunch at the Crown Room in Hotel del Coronado. Indulge in options like lemon vanilla pancakes with berry compote paired with crispy bacon, made-to-order omelets or your very own egg benedict station, shucked oysters, whole in-house smoked brisket, Peach Melba Verrine, and more. Guests over 21 can enjoy a complimentary glass of Champagne.
Price: $235 per adult | $125 per child (6 – 10) | Ages 5 and under are free
Hours: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Address: 1500 Orange Ave, Coronado
Reservations: Hotel del Coronado
Mimosas, marina views, and a Mother’s Day where the only thing on the agenda is enjoying it? We’ll cheers to that. Located at the Catamaran Resort, this Mother’s Day brunch literally has it all, from sushi rolls and nigiri to a charcuterie spread stacked with salumi, prosciutto, cornichons, pepperoncini, cherry peppers, and grainy mustard, plus waffle and omelet stations, cedar-planked salmon, and panko and herb-crusted mac and cheese. Kids can also create a bouquet for Mom that’s just chaotic enough to be adorable.
Price: $120+ per adult | $60+ per child (5 – 12) | Ages 4 and under are free
Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (last seating at 2 p.m.)
Address: 3999 Mission Boulevard, San Diego
Reservations: Oceana Coastal Kitchen
Mother’s Day at Arlo transforms into an enchanted garden that’s equal parts lush and indulgent: a raw bar, fresh salads, delicate pastries, 12-hour braised short ribs, roasted prime rib, and Szechuan pepper–crusted swordfish from the Santa Maria grill. Spoil moms, grandmas, aunts, and every beloved mother figure with live music, a roaming mimosa cart, floral bouquets, and of course, a little retail therapy courtesy of the Kendra Scott trunk show—necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or, let’s be real, all of the above.
Price: $99 per adult | $40 per child (5 – 12) | Ages 4 and under are free
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Address: 500 Hotel Circle N, San Diego
Reservations: OpenTable
Forget the CVS roses (respectfully). Rumorosa’s Mother’s Day brunch is back for its third year, pairing complimentary flowers with sun-drenched marina views. It’s coastal-modern meets Baja soul, where the food is bright and very much not an afterthought. Last year’s spread leans into Carrot Cake Waffles, a made-to-order omelet station, Café de la Olla French Toast, Roasted Lamb Tostadas, and other “yes, I’ll have everything” moments.
Price: $90 per adult | $40 per child (5 – 12)
Hours: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Address: 1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego
Reservations: OpenTable
A boozy brunch overlooking Mission Bay with Mom? Say less. Celebrated at Tidal with a lavish spread of cheeses and charcuterie, a seafood bar stacked with oysters, shrimp, crab legs, and ahi specialties, and chef-attended carving stations with slow-roasted prime rib. Made-to-order omelets and pancakes, maple-glazed pork belly, roasted Baja grouper, vibrant seasonal salads, and brunch classics round it out, finishing with an abundant mini dessert selection.
Price: $125 per adult | $50 per child (5–12) | Ages 5 and under are free
Hours: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Address: 1404 West Vacation Road, San Diego
Reservations: OpenTable
Mother’s Day at Animae is anything but expected. Tucked into the Marina District, this world-class steakhouse leans West Coast with a playful Asian twist. This year, treat Mom to a dim sum–style experience: a slightly more elevated, endlessly flowing take on the buffet, where indulgent small plates arrive tableside, perfectly complementing the Art Deco interiors and designed to be picked at, shared, and fully obsessed over. It’s less set menu, more choose-your-own flavor adventure.
Price: $104 per person
Hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Address: 969 Pacific Hwy, San Diego
Reservations: OpenTable
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
The annual event honors middle market companies creating jobs, scaling up, and investing in the region
San Diego is known for its startup culture and innovation economy, but what happens when the company moves beyond its early-stage years? The San Diego Business Impact Awards aim to answer that question, spotlighting the middle market businesses helping drive the region’s economy.
Hosted by San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and JPMorganChase, the second annual awards celebration takes place on Thursday, July 23, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Scripps Research Auditorium. More than 200 executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders are expected to attend the networking and cocktail event honoring some of San Diego County’s fastest-growing companies.
Businesses headquartered in San Diego County that have operated for at least two years are encouraged to submit their nomination by Thursday, June 18 at 4 p.m. Companies across industries—from technology and life sciences to tourism and consumer products, as well as pre-revenue startups—are eligible for recognition.
For EDC President and CEO Mark Cafferty, the event is as much about building connections as celebrating success. “We’ve had a longtime partnership with JPMorganChase; their work aligns with our efforts to support underserved communities and drive talent development,” says Cafferty. “And the networking was invaluable last year. I’m still in touch with people I met at last year’s awards.”
EDC is an independently-funded nonprofit that works directly with San Diego companies to help them grow the local economy, make the region as a whole more competitive, and attract and retain top-tier talent with quality jobs. Through EDC, companies can get help starting or expanding their business with support for things like site selection, permit navigation, and regulatory guidance, plus connections to local resources and potential business collaborators.
The San Diego Business Impact Awards began as an idea with one of EDC’s longtime strategic partners, JPMorganChase. The two organizations share a commitment to San Diego and are dedicated to bolstering middle market businesses.
“We’re blessed with a robust innovation economy and startup community,” says Aaron Ryan, San Diego Region Manager for JPMorgan’s Commercial and Investment Bank and vice chair of the firm’s’ San Diego Market Leadership Team. “But one of the segments of the business community we felt was overlooked was emerging middle market companies—the businesses that are no longer small but not yet large.”
Ryan says supporting those companies is critical as they scale and decide where to invest, hire, and grow.
San Diego’s high cost of living remains one of the region’s biggest business challenges, making talent recruitment and retention increasingly competitive. But local leaders point to the region’s quality of life, climate, and collaborative business community as advantages that continue to attract employers and workers.
“In order to support thriving households, there has to be enough high-quality jobs for people to be able to afford to live here,” Cafferty says. “Once a company grows and excels past that middle market point in their growth cycle, they become much more likely to pay higher wages and compete globally.”
Both Cafferty and Ryan proudly tout the unique collaboration that exists among San Diego County businesses. Bringing together top universities producing high-quality talent, cutting-edge research institutions, a robust military and defense presence, leading ocean science and environmental organizations, and a binational, cross-border identity creates a distinct business ecosystem that defines and strengthens the San Diego region.
Last year’s San Diego Business Impact Awards celebrated nearly 60 honorees from 49 industries, representing a total of 8,232 jobs across eight sectors, including: software and technology, healthcare and life sciences, consumer goods, professional services, finance, construction and manufacturing, defense, and hospitality and tourism. On average, honoree companies doubled their revenues over the previous year, employed more than 145 San Diegans each, and offered an average annual compensation of $192,415.
Top honorees included defense contractor Innoflight, environmental consulting firm Bancroft Construction Services, life sciences startup Element Biosciences, defense technology contractor GALT Aerospace, organic grocery store chain Jimbo’s, and biopharmaceutical company LENZ Therapeutics. During the event, Innoflight Founder and CEO Jeff Janicik held a fireside chat offering his insights on investing in the community and embracing San Diego culture.
This year, organizers hope to continue highlighting the middle market players driving economic impact across the region. Nominations are now open through June 18 at 4 p.m. Get your tickets to the San Diego Business Impact Awards celebration to enjoy drinks by Snake Oil Cocktail Co., light bites, live music, and networking.
For nearly 100 years, the restaurant has been the city’s not-so-secret spot at the Balboa Park Clubhouse
An ancient man walks across the back patio like he doesn’t want to break his own merchandise. His are bones made of heirloom calcium and galvanized steel by an older god who didn’t cut corners or outsource the work to Taskrabbit gods. There’s an unofficial mayoralness to his arrival. You can tell he’s come here through many iterations of America, many presidents and their varying levels of sanity and impulse control. By now, the sacrament of his body is at least 10 percent Tobey’s corned beef hash, his DNA a genetic Slinky of skillet bacon.
He appears to have been military, probably served in the Vietnam War or the Civil War. The young woman patiently helping him to his table (she’s at least 60) loudly tells the server—and all of us—that he is 102 years old. We nod and smile in respect. He successfully sits (hero knee bones do it again!) and looks happy as a man who outlived his enemies. My 4-year-old son throws something on the floor—a toy, a pancake, my will to go on—and playfully barks something managerial (“Dad! Pick it up!”—which he always says with a Brooklyn patois, I have no idea why or how). The man smiles and laughs at our little scene like it’s the best 37,254th day of his life.
Perched on a mesa, Tobey’s 19th Hole is his kinda place. From here, the grass spills forever until it collides with distant trees and frames San Diego’s majestic, underfunded Downtown skyline. A jumbo jet slows on descent directly overhead, like a movie scene that’s trying too hard. This place—his place—with its unmatched view is one of the last affordable eateries in one of the least affordable cities in America.
To understand Tobey’s, you have to understand the historic everyperson charm of Balboa Golf Course. World War I ended in 1919. Flappers were dipping the chiffon of gender norms in kerosene. Jazz was carbonating the culture’s bloodstream. The war’s need for better machines funded the assembly lines of the auto industry, so horses’ time on roads came to a rapid end. With new car-based freedom came the untethering of Americans to their homes. Exploring the city and returning at a reasonable time was no longer a huge pain in the ass. Day trips were not only easier, but a new hobby. And so we got the rise and feasibility of large places to gather as a group (parks, museums, concert halls, auditoriums, golf courses). More than anything, though, after four years of war we had some pent-up play in us.
Professional sports weren’t really a thing in the US yet, but they were teeing up. The first dreams of “going pro” were being hatched. And golf, at least back then, was a sport for people of a more common musculature. A sport where drinking highballs and smoking Chesterfields and socializing about Amos ’n’ Andy and “commies” were part of the rule book. The PGA was formed in 1916, and the postwar economic boom funded golf courses all over the US. Between 1920 and 1930, the number of golfers in the country doubled to 500,000.
By the time Balboa opened in 1919, San Diego had three courses: San Diego Country Club (founded in 1897, near the modern-day site of the Old Globe), Coronado Country Club (1906), and Point Loma Golf Club (1914). Balboa, however, was the first city-owned, municipal course open to the public. Built for $1,845 (about $35,000 in today’s money), it wasn’t pretty to start—called “the rock pile,” the fairways were made of dirt, and greens were oiled sand. But it broke open the local floodgates on the sport. Slammin’ Sam Snead, renowned for the most technically perfect golf swing in history, would eventually set the course record here in 1943: a 60 (12 under par), which still stands.
He probably celebrated with a beer and a club sandwich at Tobey’s.
In 1934, the city granted its first food concession permit to Chester and Lois Tobey, who opened a hot dog stand here on top of the mesa, about 100 feet above the course’s two most crucial holes—the first and the 18th. Ninety-two years later, the place looks and feels like it’s been here that long.
The adjacent clubhouse, lined with photos of club champions and icons, wooden curios filled with old trophies, has a historical ghost-townness to it. Through the double doors lies Tobey’s—now owned by the fourth generation family member, Chris Tobey, a great grandson. The day-to-day soul of the place is Dalia Parsley, who’s worked here for 30 years and runs the joint.
Tobey’s is not a diner, but it’s got big diner energy. Diners are open all hours of the day and night, whereas Tobey’s is only open for breakfast and lunch. It closes somewhere between 5 and 6 p.m. (the city requires they close when the golf course does)—which is a light crime against humanity. With that epic view—the sun setting over the skyline—I propose a city charter requiring Tobey’s stay open for an hour after sundown. And that we’re all mandated to gather here at designated intervals.
The tables here are formica. No artisan was burdened in the making of them. The décor wasn’t made by a designer who studied under the designer who designed that famous restaurant with the emu-feathered lamp and tables made of recycled Priuses. The chairs are the metal-boned, vinyl- cushioned stalwarts of every illicit card room and bingo hall. Any modernization efforts seem to stop at adding a couple TVs. Tendrils of a plant wind their way across the overhang between the bar counter and the dining room. A wall of framed photos depicts generations of Tobeys through the ages.
A round of golf at Balboa is only $39.50 for locals with a resident card ($29 for seniors), which makes it one of the most affordable and accessible courses in history. And so the crowd at Tobey’s tends to be a grand mix of people who have not yet upended the earth and shaken all its money free—college kids, entry-level workers, people from industries not properly appreciated (teachers, nonprofiters, off-duty cooks, military, childcare heroes), people who are smart with their money, and long-timers navigating the disbursement of their life savings while trying to have a little fun.
People like those at the table near us, who give off a hard days’ work vibe as they share a decent amount of light beer—served in police siren-blue Bud Light pitchers (Tobey’s does have some local craft beers like Stone and AleSmith). People like the elderly couple by the window sharing a Suntide mimosa, staring at the view, giving the impression that a good portion of their love was conjured in those seats. Tobey’s also has cocktails, like a bloody mary and a vodka cran.
For breakfast, the corned beef hash and eggs is a good choice, the cured meat minced and crisped and tossed with the tater shreds—next to the ever-dependable two eggs over easy. White-bread toast arrives with that perfect light-brown sandpaper crisp. No one knows how to toast white bread like a diner (or diner relative). It’s not house baked rye or ciabatta or brioche evenly spread with a compound butter of thyme, citrus zest, and activated charcoal that’s been blessed by Nancy Silverton. It’s the thin supermarket toast that built America, with the delicious yellow stain where a pre-cut pad of butter clearly lived its utilitarian life before it melted and left a shadow, like a butter beauty mark.
Chicken-fried steak, and biscuits and gravy are breakfast staples. The chili has those large-format shredded cheddar pieces grated and hermetically sealed before arrival at the place of business. For lunch, the club sandwich is just about perfect. I’d argue that artisanal bread has no place in the club sandwich arts; the architecture requires thin-sliced white bread with ample squish for proper mouth-cramming. No one wants your rosemary sourdough in this.
Is there some wrongheaded instinct in us that looks at Tobey’s and thinks, “Oh, man, if only we could add some badass wallpaper and tassels and statement art, and turn that patio into a fern circus listening bar with fire features and negronis—something to do justice to that view?” Or, “If only they had central air conditioning or the desire to use it, or a fan or two?” Or, “Maybe just some mood lighting and a single negroni?”
There is. And that would ruin everything. The magic of Tobey’s is the family, the Dalia, the socioeconomic welcome mat of an honest club sandwich on humble white bread and the only reasonably priced drink within 600 miles. A place where an ancient man can feel at home and enjoy the view.
Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.
The specialty coffee shop will open this fall next to The Observatory with the same minimalist-modern aesthetic as the Convoy location
San Diego matcha craze initially sparked when San Diego’s first dedicated matcha cafe, Holy Matcha, opened in North Park in 2017, followed by specialty retailers like Paru, shops like Matcha Cafe Maiko and Asa Bakery, and pop-up concepts like Hey Midori. But unlike specialty coffee shops, matcha is still far from hitting a saturation point in the local beverage market.
That’s why Lauren Thiemthath, Bao Doan, and Phat Lu launched Labora Cafe last fall in Convoy District. “We saw a gap in the market,” explains Thiemthath. The San Diego natives also operate Urban Bubble, a cafe specializing in Taiwanese snacks and drinks, so they have a good sense of what people are thirsty for.
Apparently, it’s matcha, because after only having been open for around six months, Labora is already poised to open a second location in the heart of North Park this fall—hopefully by September, if all goes well, says Thiemthath. “North Park felt like a natural next step,” she says, pointing to the plethora of cafes, but relative dearth of matcha-focused outlets (Holy Matcha excluded, of course), especially ceremonial-grade matcha.
The 1,800-square-foot corner suite at 2899 University Avenue next to The Observatory will emulate the same minimalist-modern aesthetic as the Convoy location and offer the same core drinks like the signature Banana 53 matcha and Vienna latte, but will expand to include some new menu items, seasonal specials, some location-specific exclusives, and hopefully some collaborations with local pastry chefs. The North Park location may also focus more on espresso and Vietnamese coffee offerings, but it’ll all depend on what the community asks for, says Thiemthath.
But matcha fever is just getting hotter. Thiemthath says that ultimately, Labora hopes to open five more locations in San Diego before expanding to Orange County. It seems that matcha mania is just getting started.
Labora Cafe will open at 2899 University Avenue in fall 2026.
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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.
The 53rd Annual National Philanthropy Day Takes Place on November 21. Join us from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the new Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center!
Once yearly, AFP San Diego joins with others worldwide to celebrate National Philanthropy Day (NPD), a special day set aside to recognize the great contributions of donors and nonprofits that enrich of our community and the world. San Diego’s NPD is one of the largest and most successful in the U.S., attracting nearly 900 participants, including philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, CEOs, board members, development professionals, and business, community, and civic leaders.
Sponsorship proceeds from National Philanthropy Day are reinvested in education, training, scholarships, career development, and the advancement of fundraising professionals throughout San Diego. These resources and training provide fundraising professionals with the tools necessary to support our region’s diverse array of nonprofit organizations, which rely on charitable giving for close to half of their annual revenues.
The National Philanthropy Day Honorees are selected by the NPD Honorary Committee, a group of highly respected, diverse nonprofit and business leaders. Our 2025 Honorees include:
National Philanthropy Day San Diego provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of giving and to celebrate the selfless contributions of individuals and organizations across the region. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are available. Please visit www.afpsd.org for more information.
