TASTE IT: Regents Pizzeria

Where to Eat in San Diego: New Restaurant Openings

White-Hot Tanner’s Burgers Readying First San Diego Location

Tanner’s Burgers is going to be very, very big. Possibly Crack Shack big. And they’re about to open their first brick and mortar in San Diego—in South Oceanside at the Freeman Collective. Chef/partner Brandon Rogers worked at French Laundry, then was chef de cuisine at Benu when it earned its three-star Michelin. But he cut his teeth in San Diego, and came back to partner with family-run good-meat company Brandt Beef for this project.

The burger was the runaway hit of last year’s Del Mar Wine + Food Festival, winning the culinary competition. The debut spot is set to open March-ish. Listen to the podcast where Rogers and Brandt co-owner Eric Brandt explain the whole project to food critic Troy Johnson.  

Hotel Indigo in Gaslamp Getting a Redesigned Rooftop Restaurant 

Hotel Indigo San Diego – Gaslamp Quarter’s Borrego Kitchen and Cocktails Rooftop Restaurant is in the middle of a revamp and is expected to open in May, just before the summer rooftop season kicks off. The ninth floor rooftop restaurant will focus on American Southwest flavors like yucca, prickly pear, and candied desert flowers. As for the cocktails and mocktails on the menu, the bar will carry the same desert theme and blend ingredients like aloe, sage, cacti, and even frybread. 

Next Big UTC Thing: Live-Fire Restaurant with Patagonia & Mediterranean Bend

The Amalfi Llama is debuting its first San Diego location at The Collection at UTC (second location after Miami) in March and adds to the live-fire scene (using wood instead of gas, a la Fort Oak, Sandpiper, Herb & Wood, etc.). Menu and ingredients are inspired by coastal cuisine from Patagonia to the Mediterranean. The large 7,000-square-foot space, with an outdoor patio, will let guests see their food cooked in real-time as the chefs use a live-fire grill and a wood-burning oven.

Choose your meat to cook over the wood fire, like a Wagyu tomahawk or a Patagonian roasted chicken. Or, try one of their wood-fired pizzas like the Positano using soppressata, finocchiona and hot honey. They’ll also have some woodsy cocktails (along with lighter options)—like  Woodland Place using a Buffalo Trace palo santo-infused bourbon, amaro nonino, cacao, bitters and smoke. 

Where to Eat in San Diego: Restaurant News & Food Events

Cardiff Farmer’s Market is celebrating its one year anniversary on Saturday, March 2 with a special birthday celebration between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The first 150 people will get a free sweet from Chaupain Bakery and each purchase you make will give you a chance to win $100 in “Market Bucks” to use at the farmer’s market. 

Rise and Shine Hospitality Group’s (Breakfast Company, Breakfast Republic) handle added a coffee roaster to their roster—Ox Coffee opened in Mission Valley. The idea behind the name is the coffee’s as strong as an ox.

After 15 years of top-shelf Manhattans, tuxedo service and gratis Philly cheesesteaks at happy hour (one of the best happier hour deals in the country), Donovan’s Steakhouse is leaving its spot across from the Westfield UTC mall.

“Donovan’s did not come to terms with the Irvine Company, our landlord,” says spokesperson Alberto Mancero. “For this reason, we will be moving the store to another location. We cannot provide further details about the new location at the moment. We expect the move to happen early in 2015.”

People close to Donovan’s speculate that the San Diego-based concept will relocate into the Prospect area of La Jolla.

The UTC location couldn’t have been easy in the last few years. It wasn’t long ago that mall food was so mediocre and overpriced that top-quality restaurants like Donovan’s could do well setting up shop nearby. But then online retail started draining customers away from brick-and-mortar retail. To counteract that, malls like Fashion Valley, Del Mar Highlands, Flower Hill Promenade and UTC joined the national trend of upgrading their food programs to attract customers.

Over the last few years, UTC has added multiple anchor restaurants like Tender Greens, Seasons 52, Eureka! and Veggie Grill. As malls continue to pull the dining action back to the food court, adjacent restaurants like Donovan’s (and nearby PF Chang’s) will no doubt feel the pinch.

Steak houses, especially, are having a hell of a time. First the economy leapt out the window, grabbing steakhouses on its way out. Then Americans continued to eat less meat. Couple those two with the fact that beef prices are on a vertical climb, and it’s no breeze to sell slabs of elite protein.

Donovan’s still has their locations in Downtown San Diego and Phoenix.

“We thank Donovan’s for their time at The Plaza and wish them continued success in a new location and at their downtown restaurant,” says Michael Lyster, VP of Communications at Irvine Company. “We are working to bring in a fresh, new restaurant that we think will create a buzz with office customers and the community and look forward to sharing details as they come available.”

OUTGOING: Donovan’s UTC

After 15 years of top-shelf Manhattans, tuxedo service and gratis Philly cheesesteaks at happy hour (one of the best happier hour deals in the country), Donovan’s Steakhouse is leaving its spot across from the Westfield UTC mall.

“Donovan’s did not come to terms with the Irvine Company, our landlord,” says spokesperson Alberto Mancero. “For this reason, we will be moving the store to another location. We cannot provide further details about the new location at the moment. We expect the move to happen early in 2015.”

People close to Donovan’s speculate that the San Diego-based concept will relocate into the Prospect area of La Jolla.

The UTC location couldn’t have been easy in the last few years. It wasn’t long ago that mall food was so mediocre and overpriced that top-quality restaurants like Donovan’s could do well setting up shop nearby. But then online retail started draining customers away from brick-and-mortar retail. To counteract that, malls like Fashion Valley, Del Mar Highlands, Flower Hill Promenade and UTC joined the national trend of upgrading their food programs to attract customers.

Over the last few years, UTC has added multiple anchor restaurants like Tender Greens, Seasons 52, Eureka! and Veggie Grill. As malls continue to pull the dining action back to the food court, adjacent restaurants like Donovan’s (and nearby PF Chang’s) will no doubt feel the pinch.

Steak houses, especially, are having a hell of a time. First the economy leapt out the window, grabbing steakhouses on its way out. Then Americans continued to eat less meat. Couple those two with the fact that beef prices are on a vertical climb, and it’s no breeze to sell slabs of elite protein.

Donovan’s still has their locations in Downtown San Diego and Phoenix.

“We thank Donovan’s for their time at The Plaza and wish them continued success in a new location and at their downtown restaurant,” says Michael Lyster, VP of Communications at Irvine Company. “We are working to bring in a fresh, new restaurant that we think will create a buzz with office customers and the community and look forward to sharing details as they come available.”

OUTGOING: Donovan’s UTC

As a child, Chantal Partolan never considered cooking as a viable job route. Rather, it was a passion she could turn to as a way to flex her creative muscle, from the time she was in school all the way into adulthood working in a corporate space.

“I never felt like [cooking] was a chore, like some other people feel,” she says. To feed that passion, she started hosting supper clubs in 2022, creating menus and full tablescapes to bring together friends and family. With each successful gathering, she wondered: Could she take this further?

September 23, 2026

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In 2024, she did. Officially launching as Bik-Lun, she began small, hosting baking pop-ups in Long Beach before moving back to her hometown of San Diego in 2025. Now, Partolan still mostly pops up at small local businesses like Moniker General and Joon Shoppe, but now also offers small batch catering and private chef services, all centered around her father’s Filipino and her mother’s Chinese heritages.

Bik-Lun (pronounced bik-LUHN, like “fun”) is named for her mother. “When she migrated to America when she was younger with all her siblings, they all got American names,” Partolan says. She doesn’t strictly adhere to rigid culinary rules—instead, she lets memories drive her creations. 

“Now that my grandparents are no longer here, trying to revisit those memories and share them with others has been a really important part of this journey for me,” she explains. Ingredients like red bean and black sesame reflect her Chinese roots, while more savory items like sinigang (a sour and savory Filipino soup) pay homage to her father’s family. 

Collaborating with other children of immigrants is another way she experiences flavors through a fresh lens. There are so many Filipino-run small businesses willing to share their own familial memories and inspiration, she says. “Hearing their experiences sometimes helps me recount my own.”

You can next catch Bik-Lun on September 27 at Home Ec + Best Bud with Magnaye (formerly One of One), October 3 at Patine’s new location in Bankers Hill, and October 10-11 at the Mingei Museum for Merkado Kultura, a makers market for Filipino producers. Partolan says since most customers are familiar with her sweet products, she’s planning to offer more savory items—like a breakfast sandwich—at the Home Ec event to give people a taste of her creative versatility. 

Eventually, she hopes to add some permanent residencies to Bik-Lun’s schedule—a few are already in the works, so stay tuned—while also looking for ways to combine her food and photography expertise. (A cookbook? Maybe, she says.) But in the meantime, Partolan will remain curious about where she comes from—and how it can take her to where she’s going. 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Beth’s Bites

• Izola Bakery has long discussed its expansion plans, and at long last, there’s finally some traction. The award-winning East Village bakery will officially move into its second location at the former California English space in Sorrento Valley, hopefully by the end of the year, according to owner Jeffrey Brown. In the meantime, the downtown location will continue to churn out plenty of buns, croissants, sourdough, and more to keep your carb cravings at bay. 
• Why settle for beer at Oktoberfest when you can have cider? Bivouac Ciderworks is throwing their version of Septemberfest, on Saturday, September 26 from noon to 5 p.m. at their North Park taproom and restaurant. Entry is free, and there will be plenty of German-inspired bites and eats to enjoy. I’m particularly eyeing the apple strudel cider float and Bavarian cider-kraut, but in all likelihood will also be getting a soft pretzel or two as well. 
• San Diego’s coffee scene is still on a roll—local roaster Talitha Coffee took home a gold medal at the 2026 Global Coffee Awards for their Sunset Serenade decaf espresso. Not too shabby for our not-so-small town!

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].

As a kid, Jacob Chen scrounged up whatever odd jobs he could—running lemonade stands, organizing garage sales, reselling appliances on Facebook Marketplace. But there was something about cooking that kept him coming back to the kitchen. “It started as a way for me to spend time with my mom,” he says. “In a way, I think it was inevitable that I would begin a food-based business.”

September 17, 2026

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That business ended up being Made for MeiMei, a line of low-sugar, high protein and fiber mochi flavors like ube, matcha, red bean, black sesame, peanut butter and jelly, and chocolate hazelnut. “‘Mochi’ is derived from ‘mochigome,’ which is the special type of short grain rice that gives mochi its stretchy, chewy texture,” he explains. Traditionally served in Japan as a dessert to celebrate the new year (similar to bibingka in the Philippines and nian gao in China), American-style mochi tends to taste sweeter and often comes as mochi ice cream. However, Chen points out that wasn’t always the case.

“Before mochi was synonymous with ice cream and refined sugar, it was simply a rice based snack filled with whole food ingredients,” he says. “That’s the version of mochi we’re trying to bring back.”

Made for MeiMei’s primary ingredients are rice flour and coconut milk, plus the featured ingredient for each flavor. But rather than using refined sugar, Chen sweetens his mochi with monk fruit and uses organic pumpkin seed protein and chicory root fiber to create what he calls “the first better-for-you mochi.” 

Recent collaborations include a mochi-wrapped gelato with An’s Dry Cleaning, strawberry daifuku cream puff with Mon Chourie, and a funfetti chantilly cream dip mochi with The Clovery, but Chen has his sights set on retail expansion. Currently, Made for MeiMei products are available online, locally at Easy Does It Cafe, Bodega Market, or at upcoming events like Embolden Beer Company’s Taste of Shogun on September 27 (admission is free!) and a pop-up with Organic Oren on October 5. 

Besides being better for you nutritionally, Chen’s goal for the business is to also be better for the world. He’s worked in rehabilitation clinics and volunteered at San Quentin when he lived in Berkeley—experiences that transformed his worldview. “It really doesn’t take much to be on the other side of the fence,” he says. That’s why he donates portions of proceeds to organizations like Second Chance San Diego (which helps formerly incarcerated people find steady employment), Immigrant Defenders Law Center (a nonprofit deportation defense law firm), and Border Angels, an advocacy group working to reduce fatalities of people crossing the United States and Mexico border.

Chen has his sights aimed high, hoping to bring Made for MeiMei to more local grocery stores and cafes before hitting national retail shelves. Will he stop at mochi? Maybe not.

“There are so many childhood treats that could use an ingredient upgrade,” he says. “Mochi is just the beginning!”

San Diego Restaurant News & Events

Leave It Up To The Chefs at Roppongi 

There’s no such thing as too much omakase, and we’re leaning in. On September 24, chef Davin Waite (The Plot, Wrench & Rodent) will join chef Mark Correa at Roppongi Restaurant & Lounge for a one-night-only, eight-course omakase experience with an optional (but personally recommended) beverage pairing curated by sommelier Humberto Ramirez. You definitely need to snap up a reservation for this one before they’re gone—and with a dream team like this, they will be gone. 

Beth’s Bites

• Another weekend, another food festival—not that I’m complaining! On October 3, the 15th annual Taste of North Park hits the streets with over 50 tastings and 15 beverage stops awaiting your arrival. The event sells out every year (for real), thanks to participants like the newly opened One of Us, Falafel Heights, Finca, and many, many more. (Leave the parking stress at home—this is the ideal time to take advantage of the not-utilized-enough North Park parking garage.)
• Swells Sourdough Bakery is movin’ on up—to Little Italy, that is. The farmers market favorite officially opens at 2254 India Street on October 1, but eager patrons can stop by during the soft opening starting September 26. Swimsuit season is over, people. It’s time to get our bagel on. 
• Longtime Point Loma watering hole Paradise Lounge & Grill is closing its doors, but only temporarily. I’m keeping an eye out for an official opening date, but the business has posted they hope by the end of September. Hopefully, it’ll be in time for the Padres to make the playoffs—manifestation!

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].