Food critic Troy Johnson finally admitted it—San Diego is a brunch town.
The city’s early-to-mid morning dining scene is, to use a technical term, redonkulous. We’ve got killer breakfast sandwiches. Our Bloody Mary game is next-level. Even hotels are leaving sad breakfast buffets behind and bringing the heat to brunch. And next month, Encinitas will add another jewel to its brunch crown, when Tijuana-based Quimérico Café brings their brand of breakfast decadence to the United States for the first time.
Diego González opened Quimérico in Tijuana in 2019, expanding to two locations in the Marrón and Palmas neighborhoods. Both specialize in coffee and breakfast items like chilaquiles, matcha pancakes, avocado toast, and breakfast burritos, plus some more lunch-leaning items like soups, salads, and sandwiches.
González points to its banana bacon French toast as a particular favorite that’s “smoky, sticky, sweet, and indulgent, yet balanced with a savory edge,” as well as the three versions of chilaquiles—red, green, and mole, “each one telling a different story of Mexican heritage with a contemporary twist.”
The name Quimérico comes from the word “quimera,” which he defines as “that which only exists in the imagination.” It’s that same sort of playful twist that he says exists at the heart of the cafe’s intention, and what they hope to bring to Encinitas. “We chose Encinitas not just for its coastal beauty, but because of its values [of] community, creativity, and consciousness,” he says.
The cafe is working with a San Diego-based consulting company, Tyche Food & Beverage Consulting, to navigate the cross-border expansion—not an easy task, especially in today’s political climate. But it’s one Tyche co-founder Renata Vázquez is confident they can translate to a US audience.
“At Quimérico, the food looks like art, but it’s made to nourish,” she promises. “Every flavor tells a story—of roots, of reinvention, of what happens when we let imagination lead the kitchen.”
Quimérico Café opens mid-July at 345 S, Coast Hwy 101, Suite J in Encinitas.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Another Orange County Brewery Eyes San Diego
For years, San Diego’s bulging-at-the-seams beer scene hardly had room for more homegrown breweries, much less newcomers from outside the county. But as the industry’s trajectory has self-corrected (meaning, slowed to a sustainable pace), a few out-of-towners have quietly begun to put down roots in the Capital of Craft. Green Cheek Beer Company from Orange took over the former Bagby Beer location, Brewjeria Company from Pico Rivera opened in Chula Vista, Villains Brewing from Anaheim bought Half Door Brewing Company’s two-story building in East Village this year, and it looks like another Anaheim brewery is on the way.
Asylum Brewing applied for a license at 2899 University Avenue, which housed both Rouleur Brewing and Black Plague Brewing, the latter of which closed the North Park taproom earlier this year. It’s an interesting phenomenon (and one that San Diego Beer News recently mused about as well), and considering this is the first tiptoe into North Park’s especially saturated scene, something to keep an eye on.
Beth’s Bites
- It’s Michelin time! San Diego has had an up-and-down showing over the past few years (mostly up), and I feel safe exclaiming that 2025 is a banner year for our local food scene. Lilo in Carlsbad nabbed a star after opening only two months ago, but when you’re backed by the team behind Jeune et Jolie (which has its own star) and Campfire (also recognized by the guide), it’s hardly a surprise. Huge congrats to the Lilo team, Atelier Manna for its Bib Gourmand, and all of those who’ve kept their stars, including three-star Addison. Valle chef Roberto Alcocer already declared that after three years with one star, he’s eyeing number two for next year. Having eaten there a number of times, I say it’s well within grasp.
- Despite a year-round dedication to ice cream, I always especially look forward to summer scoop season. What is summer without capping off hot days and late sunsets by racing against the drip of a rapidly melting scoop of locally crafted ice cream? My preference is fruit flavors, and I’m eyeing the new Stella Jean’s yuzu and poppyseed cake seasonal flavor (and yes, it’s vegan!).
- With a number of locations on the outskirts of the county, it looks like Raising Cane’s is finally making moves into central San Diego. The chicken chain is set to open their next spot at 3720 Camino del Rio West near Sports Arena, and with the whole Midway area redevelopment vision already in the planning stages, it’s probably a smart idea to get in sooner rather than later.
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