Over 18 years of eating through the city as a food writer—a profession that feels like it needs an “ahem” attached to it—I’ve kept a list of the dishes and drinks and places that floored me. The ones I yammer on about to strangers, or share with people I love who don’t owe me money. For Comic-Con, I picked through that list to share 50 of my favorites within striking distance of the comic core: Gaslamp, Barrio Logan, Little Italy, Mission Hills, Coronado (one simple ferry ride away), Golden Hill, and a wild place in North Park. Remember, even if you just ate and you’re a little full, the week is about role playing. Role play still being hungry.
Here are the best restaurants, and what to order, near downtown San Diego.
Photo Credit: James Tran
Callie
What to Order: Aleppo Chicken
Callie will bring home San Diego’s next Michelin star, or I will lose all faith in the system. The fermented and pickled carrots with dukkah. The Aleppo chicken. The everything. Chef Travis Swikard is on another level.
This place is so charming it hurts. If an alpaca were a restaurant. Like you’re dining in an ADU built for someone who is loved. Wolf in the Woods is a passion project for Johnny Rivera (Hash House A Go Go) and chef Carmine Lopez, and you can feel that passion. It snuggles you with Spanish wine. The sweet corn and piñon soup might be the best bowl of hot liquid in the city.
1920 Fort Stockton Dr Suite C, Mission Hills
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
Kingfisher
What to Order: Wild Mushrooms and Chino Farms Corn Congee
This is where you want to go for a Vietnamese-centric but pan-Asian exploration of fish sauce. Get the beef tartare, the whole fried rockfish in ginger sweet-and-sour sauce, and the congee with wild mushrooms.
2469 Broadway, Golden Hill
Top of the Hyatt
What to Order: Cocktails
It’s the view from the top and edge of our world—a glass box of emotion, 40 floors up, looking down on all that water and sunset. Pick a cocktail, any cocktail.
1 Market Pl, Embarcadero
Courtesy of Mister A’s Restaurant
Mister A’s
What to Order: Maple Leaf Farm Duck Breast
Mister A’s started as a Scorsese-type place where people enjoyed the fruits of some gray-area capitalism with a holy **** view of the entire urban core. Wave at planes as they land at eye-level and the sun sets over the watery cliff in the distance. Two years ago, longtime owner Bertrand Hug handed the reins to longtime GM (and damn good human) Ryan Thorsen. He’s breathed new life into the place with some key renovations. It’s a bucket worthy of the list. The duck with huckleberry gastrique is chef Stephane Voitzwinkler’s specialty.
An F.-Scott-Fitzgerald-meets-Busta-Rhymes steakhouse from the weirdos of CH Projects. A magic room that feels both alive and haunted. Bone marrow’s a pretty fantastic fat, but it needs flavor. B&R serves it with Burgundy escargot on toasted bread, and the garlic is fantastic.
1909 India St, Little Italy
Courtesy of Old Town San Diego
El Sueño
What to Order: Elote & Cocktails
A hell of a patio in Old Town, run by Pietro Busalacchi, one of the better drinks people in San Diego. The elote is fantastic—half a corn cob grilled; soaked in veggie broth; and seasoned with mayo, melted butter, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, a touch of sugar, garlic and onion powder, Cotija cheese, and chives. Every drink here is good.
2836 Juan St, Old Town
Cowboy Star
What to Order: A5 Japanese Omi Gyu
There are three main names when it comes to the best Japanese Wagyu. Most people who love the melting beef know two of them (Kobe and Matsusaka). The third type is omi gyu, the original Wagyu that was served to shoguns 400-plus years ago. Compared to the other two, it’s still got that high fat content that makes the Wagyu magic, but it’s lighter, more delicate, cleaner tasting. And Cowboy Star—the beloved local steakhouse run by chef/partner Victor Jimenez—is the only place I know of in San Diego that serves it. You’re not coming to Comic-Con looking for small experiences.
640 Tenth Ave, East Village
Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
Las Cuatros Milpas
What to Order: Tacos
Yes, there are designer-ier tacos. But this family’s been serving homemade tacos with fried-before-your-eyes tortillas since the dawn of time. Cash only.
1857 Logan Ave, Barrio Logan
J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse
What to Order: Negroni
There’s a massive Godzilla made of sticky notes (that doesn’t sound very impressive written out, but it’s kind of dazzling). There’s Ronald McDonald, arm outstretched, inviting friends and lawsuits. And J + Tony’s has the best damn Negronis and streetside Adirondack sunbathing area. This is where CH Projects dreams.
631 Ninth Ave, East Village
Courtesy of OpenTable
Kindred
What to Order: Vegan Snacks
While everyone was trying to cast vegan food in ultra-pure white halos and rooms with hemp furniture and virtue signals, longtime vegan and metal fan Kory Stetina went and built a vegan restaurant that felt like sin. The absolute best spot.
1503 30th St, South Park
Lia’s Lumpia
What to Order: Ribeye Bistec
Of course, you should get the lumpia—the traditional one, and then whatever creative concoction they’re filling it with that day. But the humble mother-and-son Filipino restaurant in an old house (the duo are pure joy, and they finished second on The Great Food Truck Race) serves a 12-ounce boneless ribeye with caramelized onions in calamansi soy for dinner that knocks socks.
2219 Logan Ave, Barrio Logan
Courtesy of Fort Oak
Fort Oak
What to Order: Hearth Roasted Carrots
Fort Oak turned an old Ford dealership into one of the best restaurants in SD, piling firewood where the old Furlaines used to be. Brad Wise and his team sit over the burning embers and smoke and char various things into submission. Get the roasted carrots with smoked yogurt.
1011 Fort Stockton Dr, Mission Hills
Puesto
What to Order: Filet Mignon Taco
Group restaurants don’t often get better as they grow—scaling an operation usually means quality dips or even tanks. Not so with San Diego’s family-run Mexican empire Puesto. The last time I had this taco, I had to recognize that it’s one of the best in the city. It’s made with an organic corn tortilla, crispy melted cheese, slices of filet, avocado, and spicy pistachio-serrano salsa.
789 W Harbor Dr Unit 155, Seaport Village
Photo Credit: James Tran
Kinme/Azuki Sushi
What to Order: Omakase
Kinme is my sushi restaurant of the year. A 10-seat omakase-only spot in Bankers Hill from the people who’ve long run one of the most beloved (and high-quality) sushi spots (Azuki Sushi). Kinme’s gonna be booked, but Azuki’s a couple doors down.
Kinme – 2505 Fifth Ave, Bankers Hill | Azuki Sushi – 2321 Fifth Ave, Bankers Hill
Fish Guts
What to Order: De Espada
Pablo Becker’s fish shop. Pablo was born and raised here, and he traveled across the world opening restaurants for his cousin, famed Mexican chef Richard Sandoval. He opened his own in San Diego, and lost it about six years ago. Lowest point of his life. So he went to Chicago and spent five years as a line cook, then came back to open this. They’ve got tacos, yeah, but it’s 90 percent sustainable seafood from fishermen down the street, cooked to order. Get the De Espada, blackened swordfish with jalapeño slaw and spicy aioli.
2222 Logan Ave, Barrio Logan
Courtesy of The Lion’s Share
The Lion’s Share
What to Order: Salt & Pepper Frog Legs + Federal Buffalo Stamp
There’s an instinct to call it a hidden gem because it’s tucked behind a railroad on a little condo street. But The Lion’s Share is a local legend. A dark hobbit hole of world-class cocktails and a hell of a chef in Dante Romero (ex-Wormwood) for a menu that revolves around indie food animals (frog, bison, venison, liver, elk, boar). The tempura-battered frog legs with fried garlic in a chili sauce are yes.
All due respect for Italian tradition and the entire Emilia-Romagna people, but this is the best damn chef version of two latchkey kid classics: Tostino’s pizza rolls and Hot Pockets. Go to Juniper & Ivy (one of the city’s best). Sit at the bar at exactly 5 p.m. This is its new concept—a bar lounge area called Juni with five-star chef snacks, priced like inflation hasn’t been invented yet. The gnocco frito is the famed Italian puffed fry bread that chef Alex Penkin stuffs with a mousse of goat cheese-ricotta-nduja (Calabria’s addictive, spreadable pork sausage), tops with a paper-thin, spicy Calabrese salami, adds a little lemon zest, light Parmesan snow, and then the kicker–EVOO spiced with oregano and peppers for that pizza-joint perfume.
2228 Kettner Blvd, Little Italy
Courtesy of OpenTable
Roma Norte
What to Order: Tamarind Old Fashioned
This year’s “Bar of the Year” for our 2025 Best Restaurants issue. Two of the city’s top drinksmen got a dark, cozy room of their own: the former beverage director for three-star Michelin The Restaurant at Meadowood (Beau DuBois) and a guy (Derek Cram) whose track record went from NYC’s famed Momofuku and PDT (Please Don’t Tell). The Tamarind Old Fashioned show off how extreme they calibrate what goes into your mouth: Buffalo Trace bourbon, Mars Iwai Japanese whisky, tamarind justino (tamarind blended with Buffalo Trace, then centrifuged to clarify), touch of cane sugar, two types of bitters, and exactly six drops of Lagavulin 16-Year Single Malt Scotch.
789 W Harbor Dr Unit 155, Seaport Village
Ciccia Osteria
What to Order: Mushroom Flan
This dish is why I could go vegetarian, but never vegan. Because cheese and cream are capable of unsurmountable joys. Chef Mario Cassineri soaks porcini mushrooms in milk for 24 hours to make the base for a mornay sauce. It’s solidified into a custard-like texture, given a pecorino butter crust, baked to order, and then—delicious, in a nihilistic way—placed in a small pool of gorgonzola cheese fonduta with a single mint leaf up top (which makes it a salad in creative circles).
San Diego chef JoJo Ruiz got a James Beard nod for being one of the most sustainable seafood chefs in the country. There are two things you should get here: The king salmon sashimi with white truffle honey ponzu, chili garlic, and Japanese rice crackers, and the whole grilled snapper with Thai Basil, fermented chili, garlic butter sauce, and bread.
435 Fifth Ave, Gaslamp Quarter
Courtesy of The Kebab Shop
The Kebab Shop
What to Order: Lamb and Rice Plate
A grab-and-go spot for those who’re tired of pizza, burgers, and fried chicken sammies. The döner (lathered in all the sauces) is great for a walk-and-chew. But I’m starting to prefer just ordering the lamb kebab meat with saffron rice and then mixing all the sauces in there. You won’t smell right for days, but happiness has a cost.
630 Ninth Ave, East Village
Civico 1845
What to Order: Vegan Italian
Italian brothers moved here a decade ago and opened this little trattoria. The brown butter ravioli are always dangerous, but it was one of the first Italian restaurants in California to have an all-vegan menu.
1845 India St, Little Italy
Courtesy of Animae
Animae
What to Order: Short Rib Kare Kare
Chef Tara Monsod and her staff are apexing Filipino food right now (it’s her roots, but not the only part of Asia she explores here). A heavy-curtained, big-dollar spot with soft surfaces that make insider trading secrets disappear. Order pretty much anything, but especially the short rib kare kare with green beans, eggplant, peanut sauce, and bagoong oil.
969 Pacific Hwy, Embarcadero
Herb & Wood
What to Order: Gnocchi
Gnocchi has been on the menu here since day one, because if you took it off, the people would revolt. Oxtail is the MSG of the butcher shop.
2210 Kettner Blvd, Little Italy
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
Pali Wine Co.
What to Order: Natty Wines & Smoked Jr. Farms Squash
Sit in the back—it’s a massive shaded patio with more laidback barnyard chill than the average Little Italy spot. Pali’s a family-run winery out of Lompoc (Pinot land) specializing in low-intervention and natural wines. Get the smoked burrata with sun gold vinegar, sorrel, and salsa macha.
2130 India St, Little Italy
Morning Glory
What to Order: Souffle Pancakes
The epicenter of all things brunch in Little Italy. Yes, they’re worth the wait. Ask your server if the bartender has any special syrups to put on ’em (the team has been known to send out a ramekin of coconut syrup that is incredible).
550 W Date St Suite #C, Little Italy
Courtesy of Ironside
Ironside
What to Order: Lobster Roll
Gloopy lobster rolls are a leading cause of not liking lobster rolls. Ironside treats its knuckle meat with respect, lightly tossing in brown butter mayo, crispy shallots, and chives. One of the best in the city.
1654 India St, Little Italy
Craft & Commerce
What to Order: Fried Chicken in a Bucket
In all of us, there is a part that loves fried chicken in a bucket and there is a part that loves caviar. Old jeans and silk. United these warring factions of yourself with this platter at the place that kicked off Little Italy’s craft cocktail scene. A Champagne bucket is brimmed with craggy fried poultry, served with pickled beech mushrooms, fermented cucumbers, broccoli slaw, sauces, and trout roe, creme fraiche. Upgrade to caviar. It’s like KFC of the Colonel had some silver polish and Negronis on his breath.
675 W Beech St, Little Italy
Courtesy of Sushi Gaga
Sushi Gaga
What to Order: Hot-Cold Omakase
Beshock Ramen owner Ayaka Ito has three sister concepts a block away: Asa, an Asian bakery, Bar Kamon, and Sushi Gaga, an omakase-only sushi experience hidden behind a clandestine door among the breads. Gaga’s the real deal, with chef Shinnosuke Otsuka having worked at Michelins in Osaka. Ten seats only, 2-3 hours, 12 or so courses, starting with zensai (apps), warm dishes like sukiyaki (hot pot) and chuwanmashi (mind blowing egg custard), nigiri, sushi, maybe some ramen. Changes all the time. Find the door and trust.
634 14th St #110, East Village
Cafe Sevilla
What to Order: Spicy Octopus + Sangria Royal
Few things on the planet get you even the most dance-averse ass moving as live Latin music. Almost 40 years now, Cafe Sevilla has been the open-late spot for it in San Diego with tapas and sangrias. When a restaurant that long, you get a great mix of musicians, longtime regulars, newbies, rituals, traditions. Order the Sangria Royal (traditional red sangria with Licor 43 and orange brandy) and get the spicy octopus ceviche with mango and habañero. Let loose.
353 Fifth Ave, Gaslamp Quarter
Courtesy of Cocina 35
Cocina 35
What to Order: La Bomba Chilaquiles
Welcome to San Diego, where chilaquiles are our “all-American breakfast” (due respect to the burrito). The reigning champs of chilaquiles (call them “breakfast nachos” if you’d like to have a strongly-worded internet exchange with purists) are the brother and sister Paulia and Cesar Chaidez who own Cocina 35. Close your eyes and point, they’re all pretty great, though the La Bomba especially with creamy habañero salsa, cochinita pibil and pickled onions. There are few locations near city center, but take the ferry over to its Coronado location, rent some bikes, and toodle around our idyllic Smallville beach island with its wide, smooth streets and the smell of successful IPOs.
1201 1st St, Coronado
Choi’s
What to Order: Octopus + Hotteak
This is what happens when a kid grows up on home-cooked Korean food from his parents and San Diego’s taco shop culture in the streets. Chef-owner Jiwoo Choi’s octopus is a perfect expression of that hybrid—charred-and-tender, over a pretty killer gochujang crema. The dessert here is a rare taste of a South Korean street-food staple, hotteak—a dead-delicious sweet pancake made with wheat flour, makgeolli (Korean rice wine), brown sugar, demerara, and cinnamon. It’s a warm, gooey-centered cake with vanilla ice cream and berry compote.
100 Park Plz #161, East Village
Courtesy of STK Steakhouse
STK
What to Order: Spicy Yellowtail Crispy Rice Cakes
STK is the steakhouse that slid into America’s DMs 21 years ago and took its sweet-ass time to make it here but that’s OK. It’s here now and brought its DJs and nightlife feels to the big-night-out carnivore experience. Obviously get the prime cuts (order all the sauces), but also the spicy yellowtail crispy rice is a fantastic riff on the raw-and-fried standard, served with unagi sauce.
600 F St, Gaslamp Quarter
Sushi Maru
What to Order: Omakase
Sushi Maru is my “Sushi of the Year.” For years, Tsuyoshi “Maru” Maruyama was the chef behind the counter at the top sushi spot in downtown (Taka). After leaving to take care of family in Japan for a while, he returned to open this 20-seat, 20-course, omakase-only experience last year. Fantastic, tiny, Jiro Dreams-minimalist, the fish on the plate, the chef, and the company you brought the only place you need to put your attention.
1345 Third Ave, Downtown
Courtesy of Meze Greek Fusion
Meze Greek Fusion
What to Order: Lamb Chops
Meze is what happens when Greek food meets the well-lit sins of nightclub life. If you’re choosing Greek food and you don’t choose lamb, grandmas in Crete weep. Don’t make grandmas cry. Chef Aleko Achtipes’ chops are a star here, mostly because they obey all the spiritual laws of chops and lean heavy on the lemon sauce. While you’re there, keep in mind a watermelon feta salad never ruined a summer, either.
345 Sixth Ave, Gaslamp Quarter
BeShock Ramen
What to Order: Spicy Miso Ramen
Unless you’re one of those weirdos who only eat gazpachos and smoothies in the summer, BeShock is one of the best ramen shops in the city. Its spicy miso, especially. Sad that the U.S. market first experienced miso as the watery commercial afterthoughts in sushi soups; but now the good miso has arrived at places like BeShock. Also be sure to try its sake—owner Ayaka Ito is a sake master (essentially a top sommelier, but of sake) and her junmais are unmatched.
1288 Market St, Gaslamp Quarter
Courtesy of Pendry Hotels
Nason’s Beer Hall
What to Order: Birria Grilled Cheese
Didn’t expect this one. Nason’s Beer Hall is a sports bar with roll-up walls to watch the Gaslamp’s uniquely human parade strut and fumble. But it just went under the hood of its food menu and it paid off, in a real sinful way. My wife’ll tell you the star is the Wagyu beef corn dog with miso mustard. Wives are often correct. But the birria grilled cheese really picks the lock on the storage closet of endorphins inside of me: a layer of cheese griddled brown and crispy on the outside of the bread, gooey layer inside, tufts of birria, pickled onions, and a pepper-heavy consommé to dunk. Due respect to the French Dip. This is the San Diego Dip. And it’s better.
570 J St, Gaslamp Quarter
Hotel Del
What to Order: Miso Black Cod
The Del is our Statue of Liberty, our Hearst Castle. The iconic, historic thing. And with the original blueprints and an in-house historian, it just finished one of the largest restoration projects of a hotel ever done in the U.S. Six years, $550 million. Gotta see it. The hotel sanded the ornate wood down to the studs, restained it the same deep hue it was when it opened in 1888. Among its renovations are its famed porch, a new lobby, stained glass that was there when it opened, and recovered art that had been lost along the way. And, Nobu just opened overlooking the lawn which overlooks the sand which overlooks the water which overlooks thoughts of Hawaii out there somewhere. Sure, most of the food world has been there, eaten that. But at a recent tasting, dear god, that miso black cod still tastes like it could start the legend of chef Nobu Matsuhisa all over again. Get the spicy tuna crispy rice and the Matsuhisa Martini (vodka, sake, ginger).
1500 Orange Ave, Coronado
Courtesy of Coronado Visitor Center
Little Frenchie
What to Order: Cassoulet w/ Duck Confit
Little Frenchie is a charming as heck sidewalk French bistro. For the cassoulet, exec chef Matt Sramek cures duck legs overnight, slow cooks it in its own fat, and sears it for a crispy bite. The restaurant makes stock from the leftover bones, then uses that to simmer the white beans with pork belly, Toulouse sausage, thyme, and citrus. Its topped with breadcrumbs (made from leftover baguettes) and persillade (an herby-acid legend with garlic and cornichons and parsley).
1166 Orange Ave, Coronado
Provisional Kitchen
What to Order: Hamachi Crudo
Pendry is one of the most solid restaurant options in downtown hotel/resort world. Provisional is its all-day joint with huge, airy, central train station vibes and chef Brandon Sloan. His team’s squid ink fettuccini with sungold sauce is excellent, as is the yellowtail crudo with pickled fennel, sungolds, citrus vinaigrette, green onion, and chile oil.
425 Fifth Ave, Gaslamp Quarter
Courtesy of The Crack Shack
Crack Shack
What to Order: Señor Croque
The fried chicken sandwich wars in San Diego were hard-fought. Everyone with access to a sack of flour and an Instgram account was scrapping for some of that fried chicken power. Crack Shack won—no surprise. It’s in the parking lot of one of the top restaurants in the city (Juniper & Ivy), designed by its exec chef Jon Sloan. It serves Jidori chicken, properly brined with sauces scratch-made daily (sriracha thousand island, ranch, kimchi bbq, Baja hot sauce, etc.). The Croque is fried Jidori breast, bacon, fried egg, cheddar, miso-maple butter and brioche. Breakfast is served all day.
2266 Kettner Blvd, Little Italy
The Henry
What to Order: Short Rib Potstickers
Sam Fox is the Danny Meyer of the West, or maybe at this point, Danny Meyer is the Sam Fox of the East. Either way, both have been wildly successful because no matter how many restaurants they build (and it’s a shit ton), they’re consistently good. At The Henry in Coronado, the dish is those potstickers. Dumplings made fresh daily, stuffed with braised short rib, swimming in aged soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, scallions.
1031 Orange Ave, Coronado
Photo Credit: Rex Yuasa
Grant Grill
What to Order: La Traviata Cocktail
The classic hotel, stately and grand. Ghosts of mock turtle soup and diamond heists. The bar has always been a star, where some of the city’s top drinks people have started citywide trends (the first barrel-aged cocktail) and taken on wildly ambitious projects (making its own chartreuse, etc.). So it makes sense that head drinksman Rex Yuasa’s favorite creation is a glass-based adaptation of Verdi’s most famous opera. The spirit is Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto (bergamot liqueur), with chianti (Verdi’s favorite drink) and hard apple cider. He even drowns a flower to represent the opera’s tragic lead, Violetta. Get front row seats.
326 Broadway, Gaslamp Quarter
Lola 55
What to Order: Fish Taco
Coming to San Diego and not getting a fish taco is some real disrespecting-ancestors behavior. You wouldn’t go pizza-sober in the Bronx. And Lola55 is the place for them downtown. A Michelin Bib joint. Its crispy Baja-style battered fish taco gets a remoulade, a killer chorizo vinaigrette, and pickled serranos.
1290 F St, East Village
Cucina Urbana
What to Order: Mascarpone Polenta
A stone’s throw away from Balboa Park, Cucina Urbana, serves up Italian in style. From house-made pastas and wood-fired pizzas to a bountiful antipasti spread that would make any Italian grandmother proud, the menu delivers on every craving. Pair your meal with one of 200+ global wine labels, thanks to Cucina’s status as one of Southern California’s first restaurant-wine shop hybrids. Don’t miss the rigatoni Bolognese or classic margherita and pepperoni pies’
Courtesy of Door Dash
TNT Pizza
What to Order: House Classic Detroit-Style
TNT’s the call for pizza in downtown. It does just about everything right. TNT uses the sauce made by famed James Beard pizzaiola Chris Bianco (who uses organic California tomatoes) and ferments its dough for four-ish days. The restaurant can also make anything vegan, veg, gluten-free, or create around whatever food thing haunts or hurts. The Detroit style—rectangle-thick, crispy frico of cheese on the outside and chewy dough on the inside, a real loaf of pizza—has pinched fennel sausage, roasted peppers, onion, and pepperoncinis. It’s fantastic. (People also adore the pickle pizza; I’m just not those people and I feel somehow culturally less relevant due to this).
550 14th St #116, Gaslamp Quarter
Parfait Paris
What to Order: Macarons
A husband and wife from Paris run this real-deal French bakery with a fantastic almond croissant. Parfait Paris made its name with macarons, and it hasn’t crimped ingredients or quality (in fact, it went the opposite way and signed a pastry chef who worked at a Michelin star place and baked for the royal family).
555 G St, Gaslamp Quarter
Havana 1920
Just a 10-minute stroll from the Convention Center, brings the cuisine of Cuba to the. Voted San Diego’s Best Caribbean Restaurant of 2025, it’s a prohibition-era hideaway serving Cuban classics and rum-soaked cocktails. Grab empanadas or ropa vieja to-go, and if it’s Wednesday through Sunday, follow the sound of spilling onto the street. You might just dance your way to dinner.
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.
Before, during, and after the Fourth of July, San Diegans can commemorate America’s 250th anniversary with an abundance of stars, stripes and local celebrations. America The Beautiful: 250 at The Rady Shell and Lamb’s Players Theatre’s revival of American Rhythm will look back at the many songs which define our country. Liberty Station’s Anchored in Freedom celebration and the Independence Day Carnival offer community-centered fun and loads of family-friendly activities. And who can possibly forget the Big Bay Boom, which will resume its reign over San Diego Bay as the state’s biggest fireworks show. Outside of the holiday festivities, this week brings the yearly return of Little Italy’s Summer Sera and the Athenaeum Summer Festival, as well as a slate of championship matches for All Elite Wrestling.
Sip on refreshing beverages and savor a panoramic rooftop view this Friday from 6-8 p.m. during the 21-plus Sunset & Spritz at Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar. There will be a live DJ (until 9 p.m.), appetizers, pool and cabana access, a photo booth, and a cash bar (until 11 p.m.). To accentuate the summer theme, guests are invited to dress in white, pink, and orange attire. Tickets are $29 and come with a welcome aperol spritz.
616 J Street, Gaslamp
The 250 Grand Tasting Menu at Amaya
July 3 & 4
Bring a patriotic palette to the Fairmont Grand Del Mar for The 250 Grand Tasting Menu at Amaya this Friday and Saturday from 5-8:30 p.m. Patrons will be treated to a five-course tasting menu, curated to exhibit a selection of standout regional flavors and culinary concepts that have shaped our country’s distinct food heritage. The meal will also include beverage pairings with each course, such as wine, cocktails, and artisanal drinks. Reservations are $330 per person (with tax and 20% gratuity) on OpenTable.
Don Toliver thrives at being the life of the party (and the “After Party”). His fifth album Octane, released in February, is indicative of his thrill-seeking nature. As with his earlier releases, Octane sees Toliver operating in the space between hip-hop and R&B, with warbling vocals and blaring beats that are best heard at a high volume. This Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Toliver will play at Pechanga Arena, with rappers SoFaygo, Chase B and SahBabii—who had a guest verse on Octane standout “K9”—as special guests. Tickets start at $156 for this concert.
What makes musicals like Wicked, Cats, Chicago, and Jersey Boys so timeless is the legion of excellent songs that makes fans out of those who’ve never even watched the show. This Friday at 7:30 p.m. during Blockbuster Broadway! at The Rady Shell, conductor Evan Roider, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and veteran vocalists Alex Getlin, Jessica Hendy, Scott Coulter, and John Boswell (also on piano) will perform an all-star theater soundtrack. In addition to the shows named above, audiences can expect songs from A Chorus Line, The Phantom of the Opera, Annie,and more. Tickets range from $57 to $129 for this concert.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
America The Beautiful: 250 at The Rady Shell
July 4
One night after recognizing the brilliance of Broadway, The Rady Shell will ring in the United States’ landmark anniversary with America The Beautiful: 250 this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Conductor Byron Stripling, joined by a five-performer ensemble and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, will lead a night of ballads that best resemble the red, white, and blue, including songs sourced from the Great American Songbook. After the show, concertgoers are invited to watch the nearby Big Bay Boom from their seats. Tickets range from $71 to $139 for this concert.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
Athenaeum Summer Festival at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
If you’ve ever squeezed yourself into a pair of black skinny jeans with a studded belt, sported a track jacket under a band t-shirt, or swept your Manic Panic-hued hair so far to the side that your part got caught in your cartilage earring, I have good news: Ocean Beach will get a shot of emo and pop-punk nostalgia when Drink 182 opens this July.
The pop-punk bar and pizza spot comes with bonafide scene points. Co-founder Jay Nightride runs the music production studio Nightride Visuals, has worked with artists like Steve Aoki, Lil Jon, and Fall Out Boy, and also plays in Death Cab for Karaoke, a live karaoke band that performs every month at Soda Bar (among other venues). His partner Tony Jaw is easier to spot—he’s the guy with the sky-high mohawk manning the karaoke booth at Redwing Bar & Grill who’s been in the local bar and hospitality business for over a decade.
Nightride says he’s had the idea for an emo enclave for years, but it wasn’t until after Covid that he partnered with Jaw and got the funding to move forward. “What I was looking to build was a place that I would want to be, where would I want to go to remember these nostalgic songs,” he says.
Pending permits and final inspections, Drink 182 is slated to open the second half of July. The vibe will be dive bar meets emo night, with memorabilia from different bands who have supported the project splashed across the walls, plus a few arcade games, TVs, and (I assume) a decent sound system. The hours are still undetermined, but Nightride says they tentatively plan to be open until 2 a.m. on weekends and Wednesdays for the OB Farmers Market. In the mornings, they’ll serve fresh pastries and coffee from the similarly music-aligned James Coffee Company (whose co-owner David Kennedy is a member of Angels & Airwaves with blink-182’s Tom DeLonge).
But it’ll be the pizza that really stands out—or at least, they hope. “We’re doing New England beach pizza… a really niche pizza that not a lot of people would know about, unless you’re from North Shore, Massachusetts,” says Nightride, a former Bostonian. “It’s a thin crust, very sweet sauce, very simple, fast, go-to-the-beach kind of thing.”
“Beach pizza” is characterized by its rectangular shape, very thin crust, sweet tomato sauce, and slices of Provolone cheese with minimal toppings. Drink 182’s version will feature homemade dough and sauce, as well as freshly sliced Boar’s Head Provolone. And yes, they are aware there are already a lot of pizza options in the area. It won’t be the same, Nightride promises.
“Everybody’s first reaction when they hear ‘pizza’ is like, ‘Oh great, another pizza place in OB,’” he laughs. “But we’re trying to do something different, just enough to differentiate it and give people another option.” If you’re not keen on the style, try one of their “drunkables,” another nostalgic riff they hope the pop-punk and emo crowd will appreciate. And if you still need a reason to give Drink 182 a try, I have more good news—you don’t actually have to break out your old skinny jeans. (In fact, please don’t.)
Drink 182 opens July 2026 at 5049 Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach.
Courtesy of Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
If the steak hype wasn’t hot enough already, The Heritage Steakhouse in Santee just announced Meredith Manée will serve as executive chef of the New York-style steakhouse when it opens in August. Her star-studded kitchen resume spans over 25 years, with stints at the Hotel del Coronado, the Four Seasons, and The Ritz-Carlton Maui, so I think it’s safe to assume we’ll be in good hands.
Rather than waste away in Margaritaville, you have the chance to support the San Diego Music Foundation at the annual Jimmy Buffett-inspired Day of Service at Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. On September 4 starting at 5 p.m., the rooftop bar will be rocking with live music and plenty of flowing cocktails, plus a silent auction and other activations to raise money for the local music education organization. I’ll drink to that.
The early bird gets the worm and you can get the early ticket to Celebrate the Craft, the annual culinary festival that takes place at The Lodge at Torrey Pines on October 18. If you snag your ticket before the end of June, you can save $50 (which is nothing to sneeze at), plus you’ll be helping support the San Diego Food Bank.
Mani e Grani, the pizza spot from the same people behind Ciccia Osteria, seems to be inching ever closer to opening its doors in Barrio Logan. I know I’m not the only one anxiously awaiting sinking my teeth into some wood-fired, chewy but crispy, hot-from-the-oven, authentic Italian pizza.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
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].
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.
If absence makes hearts (and stomachs) grow fonder, then shuttered restaurants quickly become the hottest tickets in town—something a number of iconic institutions found out after taking very public hiatuses after historically long runs. For instance, following a lengthy (and extremely flip-floppy) closing process after 92 years in business, Las Cuatro Milpas reopened two blocks away in Mercado del Barrio. Similarly, Carlsbad butcher shop Tip Top Meats reopened in the same location (albeit a smaller space) after the death of founder Joachim “Big John” Haedrich in 2023. Finally, after a whopping decade out of business, Sami Ladeki and chef Alfie Szeprethy brought back Roppongi to its original Prospect Street space, where it was the talk of the town in the late ’90s. All came back under the same proprietors, so they weren’t third-party nostalgia-licensing deals. The algorithm may have ravaged our attention spans away from all but the newest and shiniest, but this proves there’s still hope for our collective prefrontal cortex.
Other local eateries honored their pasts by bringing in new perspectives. The Lion’s Share in Embarcadero, Milton’s Deli in Del Mar, Dudley’s Bakery in Santa Ysabel, and J-K’s Greek Cafe in La Mesa handed over the keys to new owners willing to take on a big task: maintain the soul of icons through particularly rough economic circumstances for restaurants, navigate big feelings from longtime regulars (who often don’t take kindly to change), and make some necessary changes to keep going for another few decades. Taking over a project in process can be a lot harder than starting from scratch. But building that feel-good nostalgia doesn’t happen overnight, so it sure helps to have a well-established playbook of success passed down from those who came before.
Courtesy of Sugarfish
The Expansion Class Arrives
It wasn’t just restaurant groups from Los Angeles that decided to put down roots en masse, although San Diego saw plenty of LA transplants recently (Sugarfish, Mr. Charlie’s, For the Win, Katsuya Ko, Bacari). Global brands like Chef Fei, Zuma, and Pepper Lunch have locations of their own on the way, and upscale Canadian eatery Joey joined to the inescapable gravitational pull of Westfield UTC’s culinary cosmos for its first spot in America’s Finest City. Good to see the rest of the world is catching up with what we’ve been seeing the last few years—San Diego is a dining destination already on the rise.
Choosing To Not Choose
Between the never-ending news cycle of doom and perimenopause brain fog, I’m at the stage in life where I’m more than happy to let someone else make a decision for me, especially when it comes to what’s for dinner. And based on the way a lot of menus look right now, I’m not alone. It seems like half the places I visit offer some version of a prix fixe, omakase, or tasting menu. Restaurants are embracing the curated experience to solve the problem of affordability (a fixed menu reduces food and labor costs, guarantees an acceptable check average, etc.) and critical thinking in one fell swoop. Omakase (meaning “I leave it up to you”) is far from a new concept in high-end Japanese sushi culture, but now that it’s popping up everywhere from coffee experiences to grab-and-go sushi and sandwiches, it’s gone from somewhat niche to nearly omnipresent.
Courtesy of Rikka Fika
Local Coffee Hit the World Stage
The world got an up-close look at San Diego’s coffee industry when we hosted the premier specialty coffee expo World of Coffee for the first time this April. San Diego’s long and rich coffee history stretches back to the late 19th century. Things percolated fairly quietly for around a century before really picking up steam. Today, there are nearly 200 specialty roasters and cafes across the county, with many earning national accolades like the Good Food Award (Steady State Roasting, 2020; Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2017, 2016), Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine (Mostra Coffee, 2020; Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, 2012), and the Specialty Coffee Association Coffee Design Award for packaging (Rikka Fika, 2026). Now that we’ve moved past the comically insufferable coffee snob era of the early 2000s, even java newbies can feel comfortable walking into pretty much any coffee shop in San Diego, asking questions, trying a few things, and feeling confident they’re going to get great service and a great beverage.
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.
Implementing a farm-to-table model hardly deserves acknowledgement these days. It’s not a stretch. It’s not innovative. “It’s the bare f**king minimum,” says Herb & Sea‘s executive chef Aidan Owens.
When I arrive at the Encinitas restaurant, I’m ready to talk sustainability, farm-to-table stuff, with Owens. “Did you see the chin on that?” he says of the extra big jiggly chin on the sheephead that just arrived with the day’s fresh catch. I did. It was Jay Leno adjacent.
I learn quickly that he somehow oozes both charm and stone-cold honesty. Maybe he could construct a new dish with chin goo, like he did when he had a bunch of tuna scraps and voila’d it into a smooth and crowd-pleasing ‘nduja. “I want to know what’s in there,” he says.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
The instinct to look closer, to dig into what others might discard, says a lot about the chef’s approach. I guide him back to our topic, but he has something else on his mind. “We’re overcomplicating food—what happened to just cooking good food and having fun with it?”
Owens grew up on a farm in Byron Bay, Australia, where sustainability wasn’t a concept you chat about so much as a way of life. Think dirt roads, backyard chickens, pulling vegetables straight from the ground, and a mother who believed that if you couldn’t pronounce the ingredients on a package, you shouldn’t eat what was inside.
Food wasn’t precious or performative. Making it was what you did because you were hungry and that’s still what inspires Owens today. “I like to cook good food because I like to eat good food,” he says.
His approach to sustainability at Herb & Sea began so naturally that it felt just like instinct. “I was just like, ‘Let’s order food from the people who live and work here,’” he says.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
And why wouldn’t he when lives in San Diego? Cities all over the world vie for our goods. Our tuna is sent overseas. Our spiny lobsters hit dinner plates in China and Japan. Not to mention California’s producing a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts.
“Why would we outsource when it’s all here?” Owens asks.
Sustainability, in this context, is about cooking what exists in abundance, nearby, right now. “I love the local fish here. It’s f**king delicious and San Diego citrus, I mean, it is so f**ing good,” he says.
Instead of importing ingredients, Owens also looks for nearby alternatives. “You can find really cool things in the local waters,” he says, pointing out that stingray cheeks taste similar to scallops.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
Whatever he finds in that sheephead chin might just be the next substitute for marrow. But to make this work, it means getting diners amped up about the slightly unfamiliar.
Tasting menus, where diners are completely in his hands, become an opportunity to gently push boundaries. “I’ll serve mackerel, because people think they hate it,” Owens says, noting that the abundant local fish can have some fishiness. “But when it’s fresh, it’s arguably one of the best fish in the ocean.”
He also tweaks the language on the menu so people might feel more compelled to give dishes a try without preconceived notions. He might use “lengua” instead of “tongue.” “Whelk” instead of “snail.” When he puts “stingray throat” on the menu, he disarmingly calls it “skate.”
To reduce waste, scraps aren’t always discarded but rather turned into something new. Sometimes they’re smoked, cured or fermented. Apples going bad turn into apple ponzu. Lemons turn to marmalade, which stretches their usefulness far beyond peak season. “And it’s super tasty on our pizza,” he says.
What makes the food even richer, is the relationships he’s built with farmers. Though it didn’t always feel natural, Owens sought personal connection first. He recalls approaching a fisherman at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. “I was awkward,” he says. “I went up to him and said, ‘I like your fish.’”
Owen’s is now so close to his suppliers—like fishermen Ryan Sebo and Joe Daly—that he gets texted pictures of fresh catches right as they flop on the boat. The messages always ask if he wants first dibs. “I say yes to a lot of fish,” Owens says, noting that Herb & Sea can go through 2,000 pounds of seafood a week.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
The next evolution of sustainability, in his view, will be chefs working directly with producers such as his alliance with Sebo, cutting out middlemen and purveyors where possible. “It will put more money in the pockets of the people doing the work,” he says.
It will mean that chefs can’t just know their local farmers and producers, but they’ll choose to work with the ones who have the best practices. Dining and sustainability will become much less about the final plate. “It will be more about the impact that plate has on the Earth,” he says.
Ultimately, he believes sustainability doesn’t need to be loud. It doesn’t need hashtags. It just needs to be honest.
“We aren’t saving lives. We’re feeding people good food,” he says.
And yet, in feeding people well—simply, thoughtfully, responsibly—something meaningful happens. Guests leave satisfied. Ingredients are respected. Local ecosystems are supported and food returns to what it has always been at its core: nourishment, pleasure, and a quiet reflection of the place it comes from.
Summer has officially kicked off, and San Diego is celebrating the sunny season with a myriad of fun events. From San Diego Pride week and a fairytale performance at Civic Theatre to a Santigold concert and Comic-Con, there are dozens of opportunities to make memories worth adding to your scrapbook. Here are all the best things to do in San Diego this July:
Divine inspirations, operatic ballads, and symphonic pop production elevate Rosalía’s Lux to heavenly levels. Hear angelic vocals ascend—in up to 13 languages—during her performance at Pechanga Arena.
Enjoy a night of feel-good indie rock and sing-along anthems at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre courtesy of Young the Giant and special guest Cold War Kids.
29
Santigold collects genres like gold stars: musical accouterments that brighten her uniquely alternative sound. See her live in concert with dancehall producer Troy Baker Sound at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay.
Two male government workers pursue a secret romance amid the Lavender Scare in the San Diego Opera’s production of “Fellow Travelers” at the Balboa Theatre.
Audrey Hepburn. Marlon Brando. Salvador Dalí. What do these icons have in common? Each was the enigmatic focus of a Cecil Beaton portrait. Step inside Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World, an alluring showcase of 20th-century style at San Diego Museum of Art.
Courtesy of San Diego Pride
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month
1
The Little Italy Mercato will trade morning rays for golden-hour glow through its free Summer Sera, an expansion of the neighborhood’s farmers market with live music, artisanal finds, and a fetching amount of pet activities.
11–19
San Diego Pride week starts with a Dyke March and ends with the two-day “Pride Shines On” festival. The days in between? Run a 5K, march in the parade, visit the rainbow-lit St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, and more.
19
Dress up for a Mediterranean-themed tea time at the Estancia La Jolla, a laid-back yet refined afternoon planned for the resort’s monthly Tea in the Garden series.
23–26
Nerd culture’s biggest gathering returns to the Convention Center. San Diego Comic-Con welcomes fans of everything from comic book cinema to ultra-rare collectibles for panels, exhibits, sneak peeks, and much more.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
Omakase and fixed-price menus are one way hospitality businesses are addressing our collective food decision-making fatigue. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, some restaurateurs are offering a bonanza of totally unrelated options for people ordering on a whim. Why not pair a lobster grilled cheese sandwich, açaí bowl, and ridiculously loaded hot dog?
Starting June 27, diners can satisfy their spur-of-the-moment appetites at Global Fork in Little Italy, the latest food hall from Southern California-based Tiger Hospitality.
Six different food concepts will be featured in the 4,685-square-foot, indoor-outdoor space along the Piazza della Famiglia promenade. The space’s inaugural lineup includes a mix of Tiger Hospitality-owned concepts (Cosmos Burger, La Vida, Lobster Lab, and Prik Ki Nu Thai) and outside operators (Seattle-based Moto Pizza and Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream). The space next door, Good Enough Cocktail Club, is another Tiger-backed brand, operated by the team behind Same Same and Amor y Magia in Carlsbad.
Cosmos Burger serves smashburgers stacked with classic toppings, while Lobster Lab focuses on seafood favorites including lobster rolls, shrimp rolls, and lobster mac n’ cheese. Prik Ki Nu Thai adds Thai street food to the mix, with traditional noodle, rice, and stir-fry dishes. And for those looking for something on the lighter side, La Vida offers things like smoothies, salads, and wraps.
Courtesy of Global Fork Food Hall
Moto Pizza focuses on Detroit-style square pizza with Filipino influences and, despite the name, is not affiliated with Mr. Moto Pizza. Handel’s, which began in Ohio in 1945, will offer dozens of flavors ranging from staples like chocolate and vanilla to rotating specialties packed with candies, cookies, and other mix-ins. (Handel’s already has a number of locations across San Diego, with a La Mesa store coming later this year.)
Some of these vendors already operate at Miramar Food Hall, the other Tiger-owned food hall in San Clemente. And some of them will also appear in Station8, the next food hall slated to open in UC San Diego’s Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood later this fall. But if you ask me, reviving the space that housed the Little Italy Food Hall before its closure last February is a far better outcome than leaving empty suites smack in the middle of an area saturated with fantastic food options. Plus, where else can you order a slice of beef adobo pizza alongside squares of caviar toast and a banana split?
Global Fork opens June 27 at 550 W. Date Street, Suite B, in Little Italy. Initial operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, but vendor hours may differ.
Courtesy of Holland Partner Group
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
La Jolla is reviving one of its own shuttered spaces this August with Tacos & Jarros, coming to the space on Wall Street that formerly housedComedor Nishi and Coffee Cup. The all-day Mexican restaurant is the latest project from the family behind Cazadores Mexican Grill in Santee and Cotija’s Taco Shop, and will offer wine, beer, tacos, traditional breakfast dishes, as well as lunch and dinner. Some concepts may have hit their ceiling (craft beer, anyone?), but thankfully, it seems that Mexican food still has a long way to go before that.
In the latest hilariously-named collaboration, on June 9, The Lion’s Share will host executive chef Tara Monsod from Animae for a one-night event called Animaeniacs. (Millennials who know, know.) The three-time James Beard Award Semifinalist Monsod will work with Lion’s Share executive chef and co-owner Dante Romero to create a multi-course, family-style dinner inspired by Romero’s Mexican background and Monsod’s Filipino heritage. Tickets get you a seat at the table, plus access to an afterparty in the Marina neighborhood hotspot’s loft, with seatings at 5 p.m. for the early birds and 8:30 p.m. for the night owls.
Thanks to my son’s lifelong obsession with boba, I’m always on the lookout for the latest bubble tea place to check out. Next on my list is Tera Tea House, a boba, matcha, and fruit tea joint coming this month (maybe?) to City Heights near the Copley-Price YMCA. Will I go because their logo is a cartoon dinosaur sipping on boba tea? No, but it sure doesn’t hurt.
After opening their latest outpost in North Park, Moniker Group announced plans to open their third Moniker General later this year inside West, a 37-story mixed use building coming to downtown at 1011 Union Street. The space will continue the group’s signature menu of coffee, cold brew, matcha, small bites, wine, and beer, and founder Ryan Sisson says they identified downtown for their next location due to the area’s “tremendous amount of momentum.” I’ve never lived in a building with a built-in coffee shop, but I’ve got to admit, it does sound like a pretty nice perk.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
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].
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.
National Philanthropy Day, presented by PNC Bank, Celebrates the Best of Philanthropy in San Diego
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:
Outstanding Development Emerging Leader – Taylor Thompson Self-Nominated
Outstanding Development Professional – Sharyn Goodson Nominated by: AJ Steinberg & Jeanne Schmelzer
Outstanding Organization for IDEA – Accessity Self-Nominated
Outstanding Philanthropic Institution – Life Science Cares San Diego Nominated by: Blair Search Partners
Outstanding Philanthropist – Dan & Phyllis Epstein Nominated by: CSU San Marcos & KPBS
Outstanding Student Volunteer – Camden Hall Nominated by: Curebound
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.
