Let These 17 Local Restaurants Do the Cooking This Thanksgiving

Nowadays, it’s not enough to just be a brewery. You’ve got to be a brewery and be willing to offer more than just beer if you want to stay in business. It wasn’t that way when Harland Brewing started in 2018—the good old days when you could get by on just beer. In the years since, the company has expanded to multiple taprooms, tasting rooms, and a full service restaurant in 4S Ranch. It seems to be working out for them. Or at least, they haven’t fallen prey to the harsh economic forces the hospitality industry currently faces.

But president Anthony Levas says the company has been actively looking for an opportunity to launch a more experiential concept, both for the economic stability and yes, for the fun of it. So when Harland’s chief of staff Naomi Marron heard through her local golf club that the Mission Bay Golf Course and Practice Center was looking for a tenant to take over the newly built, 2,000-square-foot restaurant on the property, it felt like kismet.

Harland submitted its proposal, which unanimously passed the first San Diego city council vote this month. Pending the final city council vote on April 7, and assuming there are no construction or permitting delays (which, admittedly, is an optimistic assumption), Harland Clubhouse is slated to open mid-May.

Harland Clubhouse will operate in line with the 18-hole public course hours, opening around 7 a.m. to provide coffee and breakfast items like the breakfast burrito and bodega breakfast sandwich. Lunch and dinner will run until around 10 p.m., with some items carrying over from the South Park menu like the best-selling smash burger and fries. Because of the clubhouse vibe with counter service, Levas says they plan to offer more handheld and deli items that “chef Scott Cannon will put a nice spin on and make it more elevated, but still approachable from a price perspective,” he says. 

It’s not Harland’s first brush with sports, or even golf. Previously, Harland collaborated with TaylorMade Golf on Transfusion Sour, a 6 percent ABV fruited sour beer, as well as an American lager with TrottieGolf. More recently, Harland dropped a Jake Cronenworth collection featuring the Padres star infielder with his Crone Zone lager. But even before that, much of the brewery’s leadership team came from St. Archer, a surf-and-skate lifestyle brand that (seemingly tangentially) also brewed beer before it sold to Molson Coors in 2015. 

I couldn’t help but ask: Moving from the counter-culture skateboarding lifestyle to golfing, essentially the polar opposite of edgy, was this the inevitable progression of time and aging?

“You are so right,” Levas laughs. “I used to skateboard every single day of my life, from the time I was probably 12 years old to the time I was like, 25, and now I’m like, ‘Nah, I’m good.’ I’ll go swing the wrenches though, at the golf course, and have a couple of cold ones.”

But times change, as does beer and even golf itself. No longer is it exclusively for wealthy snobs. “Now everyone’s golfing… and we want to make it fun,” says Levas. The Clubhouse will be family-friendly, and will host activations like live music, youth golf tournaments, team building events, anything people can think of. And pretty soon, they’ll even take it on the road. 

“We can have a cart [at the driving range] on the weekends and be selling beers,” says Levas. “Maybe one day we’ll get a golf cart, and then we’ll be popping around there, slinging some suds too.” Now that’s an activation I can get behind. 

Harland Clubhouse is slated to open in mid-May at 2702 N. Mission Bay Drive. Initial operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (subject to change)

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Beth’s Bites

• For just $20, Project New Village’s Spring Solidarity Mixer on Tuesday, March 31 is a phenomenal way to shine a light on the hardworking farmworkers keeping us fed as well as celebrate the legacy of labor activism within the movement. Considering the recent controversy surrounding now-disgraced labor leader César Chávez and the brave testimony of United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, it’s more important than ever to reflect on the legacy of other labor heroes like Huerta, Maria Moreno, Larry Itliong, Gilbert Padilla, Phillip Vera Cruz, and Mack Lyons. (Plus, there will be food, drink, and live music, all at the Mt. Hope Community Garden.) ¡Sí se puede!
• The Marine Room may get packed with people watching every sunset, but now that chef de cuisine Derek Dupree has launched a new late night menu, you might be inclined to stick around after dark. On Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (yes, that’s late night for La Jolla), the seaside icon will offer specials like raw oysters, beef cheek ragu, local bluefin tataki, and specialty cocktails for between $12 and $40 per dish or drink. If you’ve been hankering to check out the elegant eatery but haven’t quite had the coin, this is actually a pretty good deal. 
• Hotel del Coronado is ready for spring break and summer vacation, already bringing back the popular Movies on the Beach series with showings of Hook on March 27, followed by Spellbound on March 28, Lilo & Stitch on April 3, Peter Rabbit on April 4, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on April 10, Frozen 2 on April 11, and so on. How does this relate to food news, you might ask? I personally don’t go to the movies without mega-planning my snacks, and the Hotel del’s got you covered with an upgrade package that includes a bonfire and unlimited s’mores. It doesn’t get much more San Diego picture-perfect than that. 

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Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

For two-and-a-half years, one of California’s most promising culinary talents has remained surprisingly off-the-radar, working as executive chef in a uniquely named restaurant tucked inside a Serra Mesa office building. He hasn’t gone completely unnoticed though—food critic Troy Johnson calls BoujieMana a “hidden gem with an all-star team.” And that team? Led by said promising chef, Dante Cecchini.

A San Francisco transplant with a resume as long as a CVS receipt and as star-studded at the Andromeda Galaxy, first cut his teeth under chef Elizabeth Falkner at the Bay Area pastry shop Citizen Cake before moving to Big Night Restaurant Group, where he rose through the ranks to become chef de cuisine at places like Marlowe, Park Tavern, and The Cavalier under the tutelage of restaurateurs Anna Weinberg and chef Jennifer Puccio.

He also worked at Morris with chef Gavin Schmidt (from the three Michelin-starred Coi), cooked at the James Beard House twice, was named a Rising Star Chef by the San Francisco Chronicle, and one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30,” among his other accolades. So it’s surprising that he hasn’t had the chance to make a bigger impression in San Diego yet. 

But he’s ready to do so as the new executive chef at Communion. 

Opened in 2024, the Mission Hills restaurants offers a sky-high view from its top floor perch of The Sasan building at the corner of Washington and Goldfinch Streets. Guests enter through Paradis, the ground floor cafe on the way to the elevator, where a sanctuary-meets-sensuality vibe and strong cocktail program have gleaned generally positive reviews over the past year-and-a-half. But Cecchini wants to bring an infusion of new ideas to the kitchen. 

Not too many all at once though, he says. To ensure loyal regulars will get the chance to get used to his approach to fine dining, he’s phasing out former chef Mike Moritz’s menu in stages, but says by the end of February the transition will be complete. 

He’ll keep the tasting menu in some form or another, but at the very least expect twists on some of Communion’s signature dishes, like the za’atar-crusted lamb lollipops and the Spanish octopus. “[They’re] still going to be really approachable. It’s just going to be super flavorful, very colorful, but super seasonal,” he says.

Emphasizing seasonality much more will be a major part of Cecchini’s ethos at Communion. “You’ll never see strawberries on the menu in winter,” he promises. Tomatoes in February? Not on his watch. But there will more attention to plating presentation and dry-aging proteins like fish and duck. He’ll also incorporate some of his Italian heritage and training into the menu, like introducing Sardinian dumplings and using ingredients like bottarga, a salt-cured piece of roe that’s either grated or thinly sliced (like Parmesan) with an intense umami profile.

With Cecchini’s years of level experience, expectations are as high as Communion’s rooftop location. He has three words: bring it on. 

“I want to invite everyone in for them to experience what’s different. I promise that everything that they come in and eat will be great,” he says. “I know that’s a big thing to say, but I’m feeling very confident.”

Communion is located at 901 W. Washington Street in Mission Hills.

If Cardellino tells a story of fire and Italian bravado, Carlo is its soft, sensual counterpart. The cream to the cookie. Sophia Loren to Sylvester Stallone. According to owner and executive chef Brad Wise, it’s exactly the balance Cardellino needed.

Carlo’s story begins this weekend when it opens inside Cardellino. It’s not really a speakeasy. More a hidden cocktail bar within the restaurant, tucked behind a wine wall that wasn’t there a few months ago. The newly constructed, intimate space fits 32 guests at a time. Wise says the time was ripe for adding a new layer to the Cardellino experience. That particular part of the building never quite had the right feng shui.

“Where you walked in the front door previously, there was always a 750-square-foot, rectangular-shaped portion of the restaurant that I was just never in love with,” he explains. After seeing the huge success of sister restaurant Fort Oak’s “Snowed In” experiential holiday bar, he wondered if something similar would work. 

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“If you’re not figuring out how to create a different experience for people to come back multiple times over and over, the food and service these days is only going to do that so much,” he adds.

The idea is that guests can pop in for a drink before dinner at Cardellino or after they dine at Communion or Fort Oak. It’s designed to be a local’s spot and an arena for beverage director Jess Stewart and her team to flex their cocktail muscles in a smaller, more obsessive setting.

Carlo is reservation-only and specifically designed to be a bit more chic than Cardellino’s brick and bulbs. “It’s reds, mauve, purples—there’s a really beautiful flower installation hanging from the ceiling,” Stewart says. “Walk through a curtain, and we really want it to transport you.”

Stewart adds that it’s a traditional cocktail menu, so patrons can request a dealer’s choice. But she’s confident that the drinks she and lead bartender Marina Ferreira have concocted will blow your socks off. The menu has two themes: The Fates (whimsical house creations) and The Legends (elevated takes on classics). One example of a Fate cocktail is The Prophet, with bourbon, cognac, dates, palo santo, and bitters, while a Legend is Carlo’s spin on a negroni, starring a Schwarzwald dry gin with 47 different botanicals, Barolo chinato instead of sweet vermouth, Campari, and a pinch of salt to counter the bitterness. 

Wise says his team is already working on another hidden bar that will open in the next two to three months (he wants to keep the details close to his chest), but now that he’s back in the bar world, it’s game on. Carlo may just be the start. 

Reservations for Carlo are available on Resy. For more information, visit ciaocarlosd.com. 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Nómada to Debut in Early 2026

Chef Alex Carballo has helped launch ambitious concepts like Haven Farm + Table at Fox Point Farms in Encinitas, managed huge kitchens like Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido, and made an appearance on San Diego Magazine’s 2025 cover featuring the biggest and brightest food stars in San Diego. The man’s a talent, gives a damn, and is a rock of the scene when it comes to launching new concepts that actually run. And come January, he’s opening Nómada in Carlsbad as the newest partner of Grand Restaurant Group (GRG). 

Carballo’s menu will feature different regional cuisines from around Mexico. The group’s new beverage director, Sean Ward (Lumi, Huntress, Nolita Hall, Duck Dive), will focus on agave spirits from producers in Mexico and California. It may be the first time Carballo is at the helm as a partner, but considering he has over two decades of restaurant management, operations, and chef consulting under his belt, it sounds like GRG made an AJ Preller–level genius acquisition. 

Beth’s Bites

• Do you love Portuguese wine? Are you unsure if you love Portuguese wine? Well, either way, this weekend you have the chance to go try a bunch of it at Bica with a free wine tasting by The Vinho. The local small-batch Portuguese wine importer will be pouring on Bica’s patio on Saturday, December 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
• Khachapuri finally opened at the corner of Park Boulevard and Monroe Avenue in University Heights, with a pretty awesome-looking menu of Georgian (the country, not the state) delicacies like chanakhi (a spicy eggplant and lamb stew); tabaka (pan-fried chicken); and of course, khachapuri, which is basically a bread boat filled with gooey cheese and topped with a runny egg. I literally can’t think of a better combination of things I like to eat.
• Only one of the iconic Pernicano’s restaurants remains in El Cajon, but a former location at 9932 Mercy Road, Unit 109 has been revived as Amuri Italian Cuisine. The Sicilian-style Italian restaurant is now open for lunch and dinner every day, and, yes, there’s a cheese wheel.

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Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The small, coastal community of Solana Beach just north of Del Mar is best known for its arts scene with the Cedros Design District along with local boutiques, beautiful art galleries, and beachside restaurants all sitting along 1.7 miles of coastline. The walkable neighborhood is filled with plenty to do whether you’re interested in spending all day surfing at Fletcher Cove or are hitting up Pizza Port before a show at The Belly Up.

Here’s our guide to the best restaurants, shops, activities, and experiences in Solana Beach. 

Restaurants | Things to Do | Shops

Solana Beach Restaurants, Bars, and Coffee Shops

Pamplemousse Grille

Once a chef to high-profile celebs, chef Jeffrey Strauss has been cooking up French-inspired meat and seafood dishes at Pamplemousse Grille for nearly 30 years. Located across from Del Mar Racetrack, its dining room is adorned with touches of the French countryside, where guests savor entrees like lobster ravioli and juicy steaks.

Address: 514 Via De La Valle, Suite 100 
Hours: Closed Monday; Tuesday–Friday, 4:30 p.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 5 p.m.–9 p.m
Phone: (858) 792-9090

Ranch 45

Part butcher shop, part specialty grocery store, and part counter-service restaurant, Ranch 45 is the perfect spot to order a breakfast burrito and grab some steaks and wine to enjoy at home later that night. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this casual eatery is all about the meat, with specialties like burgers, steaks, hot dogs, pastrami, carne asada, and tri-tip on the menu.

Address: 512 Via De La Valle, Suite 102 
Hours: Thursday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday–Wednesday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m
Phone: (858) 461-0092

Rudy’s Taco Shop

Get your fix of California burritos, street tacos, and other Mexican staples at family-owned joint. Rudy’s Taco Shop also recently remodeled its dining area which includes a full bar for tequila and mezcal cocktails and a self-serve salsa bar.

Address: 524 Stevens Ave., Suite 1 
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Phone: (858) 755-0788

T’s Cafe

No-frills homestyle restaurant T’s Cafe has been a Solana Beach fixture since 1978, known for its many egg benedict options and housemade bloody mary’s. Occasional live music draws a crowd in the evenings, where dinner is served in the form of patty melts, Reubens, and chicken & waffles.

Address: 271 S. Coast Hwy 101 
Hours: Monday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; Tuesday closed; Wednesday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5 p.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
Phone: (858) 755-7642

Lana

The newest addition to Solana Beach’s dining scene, Lana has a neighborhood restaurant feel with upscale California cuisine. The region’s bounty is on full display here with locally sourced produce and proteins found in dishes like its seabass agua chile, blue mussels, and wild mushroom pasta and pizza (cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven). Lana’s recently launched brunch service has favorites like huevos rancheros, steak & eggs, and French toast.

Address: 437 S. Highway 101 
Hours: Wednesday–Friday, 4 p.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5 p.m.–9 p.m.; Monday–Tuesday closed.
Phone: (858) 286-1211

The Naked Cafe

Choose healthy California cuisine for breakfast and lunch at The Naked Cafe, where coconut French toast and breakfast burritos star alongside draft kombucha and turmeric lattes. Salads, bowls, tacos, and wraps dominate the lunch menu, and vegetarian options are always plentiful.

Address: 106 S. Sierra Ave. 
Hours: Daily, 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Phone: (858) 259-7866

The Fish Market

Seafood restaurant The Fish Market offers sandwiches, pasta dishes, fish & chips, chilled seafood, and seasonal fresh catch plates. The menu changes according to availability, but its clam chowders—both Manhattan (red) and New England (white) styles—remain best-sellers year-round. Stop by the retail counter to buy fresh seafood to go.

Address: 640 Via De La Valle 
Hours: Monday–Thursday & Sunday, 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Phone: (858) 755-2277

Rare Society

Helmed by chef Brad Wise, modern steakhouse Rare Society’s menu features shareable meat boards with a selection of cuts like Wagyu and dry-aged steaks that are cooked on a wood-fired grill. Other specialties include oysters Rockefeller, seafood towers, and parker house rolls.

Address: 330 S. Cedros Ave. 
Hours: Monday, Wednesday–Thursday & Sunday, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Tuesday closed.
Phone: (858) 771-0181

Rustic Root

Long as I can remember, Solana Beach has been better known for the mild waves at Fletcher Cove and a few blocks of high-end design shopping on Cedros Ave. But despite the glacial pace of change, the beachside enclave is gearing up to add lots of goodies to the local dining roster.

Over the past few years a few openings have brought attention (Rare Society, Rustic Root), with some more anticipated on the way (like Mia’s coming later this year). And, on June 20, some serious power will unveil Lana—in the marquee spot along Pacific Coast Highway that once housed the California Pizza Kitchen. 

The Lana trio is wine guy Mark Wheadon, operator Travis LeGrand, and chef David McIntyre. Wheadon is a level 2 sommelier who’s worked for Robert Redford and Ruth’s Chris; LeGrand has been a manager at Marine Room, Herringbone, and Urban Kitchen Group (Cucina Urbana, et al); and McIntyre, who’s back stateside after 20 years working abroad for Wolfgang Puck, spent the last 14 overseeing Cut Steakhouse in London. He’s opened restaurants all over the world (Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, New York, Los Angeles, Bahrain). 

He and Wheadon worked together previously to open Crescent Heights Kitchen & Lounge in downtown San Diego in 2008, so Lana feels like a bit of a homecoming. “It’s nice to come back to help old friends and be a part of the team and help launch a restaurant,” says McIntyre.

Lana’s concept is simple: seasonal, West Coast bounty with ridiculously high-quality service—occupying that very San Diego space between laid back and big night out. 

“The design impetus came from vintage California, being casual and comfortable but elegant,” explains Wheadon. But don’t expect the typical teal and turquoise tropes. They brought on designer Megan Power at Workind Studio (formerly of Basile Studio, she designed Le Coq and 31ThirtyOne). It’s a 2,500-square-foot, indoor-outdoor space that fits 187, including 20 at the keyhole-shaped bar, and 45 or so outside. 

The menu from McIntyre and chef de cuisine Matt Martinez (Cowboy Star, Avant) strongly emphasizes seasonal produce, local ingredients, and top-notch seafood. 

“My concept of cooking is to put five or six ingredients on the plate and let them shine,” McIntyre says. Depending on the season, the chefs will serve locally caught spot prawns, or simple classics like roasted chicken, a few different cuts of steak (he does have the chops for it, after all), and rotating flatbreads. The beverage program, helmed by The Lion’s Share alum Brandon Curry, leans heavily on California wines from small producers from Napa, Sonoma, and the Central Coast, as well as a few from around the world. 

Curry’s cocktails will be a direct line from the kitchen to the bar to both minimize waste and spark creativity. Like a gimlet, but with cucumber and pink peppercorns; or an Old Fashioned made with vanilla bitters and toasted sesame oil. 

Wheadon hopes to bring a little bit of nighttime energy to that stretch of the 101, which boasts a number of early morning coffee shops, but not a ton of dinner options (yet). During the construction process, he says people constantly poked their heads in with excitement.

“Once a day, [people] would be like, ‘Oh my gosh, Solana Beach needs this so badly,’” he laughs. “This whole area is just starting to blossom.”

Lana opens June 20 at 437 South Highway 101. Operating hours are Wednesdays through Sundays for dinner, plus brunch Saturdays and Sundays.