That feeling after you’ve put down your fork for the last time, sighed because of the delight of a good meal and equally good company… that moment when you realize this is what life is all about… and you linger in the afterglow as long as you can?
Spanish has a word for that experience: sobremesa.
Sobremesa literally translates to “over the table,” and it’s that time spent lingering in each other’s company that Andrea Carbonaro hopes to cultivate at Sobremesa, his latest restaurant in the former Pioneer BBQ space in San Carlos opening December 5.
Carbonaro has been on a restaurant opening spree the past few years, opening Aromi Italian Cuisine and Pizza by Aromi in La Mesa (2023, 2024), Trattoria da Sofia in Kensington in 2024, and the fast-casual concept Carbonaro’s at SDSU in 2025. And in true Italian fashion, Carbonaro tends to keep business in the family. His cousin Mariano Liga is a partner at Trattoria da Sofia, another cousin Francesco Mancino is a partner/chef at Aromi and Pizza by Aromi, and all of them, along with his brother Dario Carbonaro, are coming together for Sobremesa.
With four Italian concepts, Carbonaro knows how to translate his Sicilian roots into San Diego food. But for Sobremesa’s menu—which travels freely across Latin America, from Mexico to Peru—he tapped one of the best chefs in the game—executive chef Oscar Torres from Animalón, Javier Plascencia’s one Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant in Valle de Guadalupe (and San Diego Magazine’s Critic’s Pick for Best Restaurant in Baja 2025). Torres helped shepherd Animalon into one of the most prestigious destinations in the world, and was named one of the 10 Best New Chefs by Food & Wine Mexico in 2023, as well as the Chef Promesa del Año 2023 award by MexBest.
His menu at Sobremesa leans heavily on seafood and Mexican cuisine. There’ll be Ensenada-style fish tacos, Peruvian leche de tigre, and pescado a la talla inspired by the Mexican state of Guerrero on the country’s southwestern coast. Sharable plates range from guacamole de Guadalupe with crispy lentils, chickpeas, purslane, zahtar, and totopos to a Central American-style pork belly salpicón with heirloom beans, cucumber, tomatillos, and a fish sauce vinaigrette. Desserts will include a chamoyada de yaca made with jackfruit and a plum chamoy, sorrel granita, and hibiscus crystals wrap it all up.
Courtesy of Animalón Chef Oscar Torres
Carbonaro says Torres will be on-site for about two months to make sure everything is running smoothly in the kitchen and make any necessary menu tweaks before heading back to Animalón. Then he’ll come back from time to time. He thinks the nearby neighborhoods are ready for a concept like this—for all Carbonaro’s restaurant ambitions, he hasn’t opened anything west of the 15 interstate.
“In order to go get this kind of food, people have to drive from La Mesa to Little Italy—a 15, 20 minute drive,” he explains. “I can put this cuisine—great quality with a more affordable price—in their neighborhood.”
Sobremesa will be a family-friendly restaurant in the early evening, with a lounge type of vibe as the night goes on—something he says the San Carlos/Lake Murray/La Mesa areas lack. After a full makeover, the 5,000-square-foot space seats around 130 guests, and gives a Southwestern-style minimalist design, with a modern, Sonoran Desert-esque feel (think lots of arches and warm neutrals). They’ll have craft cocktails, wine, sake, and beer, plus some top-notch food that Carbonaro thinks people this side of San Diego will be glad is a little closer to home.
Sobremesa opens at 8622 Lake Murray Blvd. on December 5. Open Sun-Thur, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fri-Sat, 3 p.m. to midnight. Follow @sobremesasandiego for more.
Photo Credit: Alex Malik Little Fawn
Beth’s Bites
Callie’s superstud chef Travis Swikard has been working on Fleurette, his sophomore project in La Jolla, for two years, and its opening is so close I can practically taste the bouillabaisse. The restaurant quietly opened up reservations this week for its first month (December), and if you didn’t snag a table already, it’s very possible you’re S.O.L for now. But keep your eyes peeled (and your browser window open) and you never know what could happen…
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen started as a food cart in San Francisco in 2008 and has since expanded its take on Japanese rice balls, bowls, and other sides to six locations in Northern California. Now they’re setting sights on San Diego, with the first confirmed location at Westfield UTC mall (as so many eateries are nowadays).
Little Fox held the title for Cutest Name for a Restaurant for a while, but I think Little Fawn might be the new champ. The new Oceanside restaurant and cocktail bar inside the Fin Hotel is a mid-century gem with a California-Mediterranean menu from executive chef Seth Tuma (La Valencia, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Échalé). They serve brunch and dinner (I’m eyeing those steak frites), and are doing a Thanksgiving prix fixe for $60, which I feel like is a pretty reasonable price for the spread. Throw on an olive oil martini or two and you’ve really got something to be thankful for.
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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.
