What We’re Craving, Sipping, and Talking About in February

It’s never taken so much green to eat red meat. The price of beef has doubled since 2020, and once you add a few drinks (the cost of wine rose 11 percent in 2025) and tack on the rising price of labor (up 23 percent in 2025 and 33 percent in 2024 and 2023), before you know it, a night out at the steakhouse costs as much as the monthly payment for a brand-new Mercedes G-Wagon.

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At Grandson Steaks, Roger Cañez wants to change that. He only serves USDA Prime and Choice Brandt Beef from the family-owned ranch in the Imperial Valley, known for its high-quality, hormone-free, vegetarian-raised Holstein cattle with signature marbling and top-notch taste. But as the Brandt Beef distributor in Mexico, Cañez gets wholesale volume pricing that other smaller restaurateurs can’t access. 

Those savings get passed to the consumer: At Grandson, a 12-oz. house-cut (Choice) ribeye costs $34, while Prime goes up to $44. Comparatively, a 14-oz. Prime ribeye at a competing high-end local steakhouse runs around $66.

“There are a lot of people in San Diego who really love steaks, but they can’t afford it—that’s reality,” says Cañez. “So we decided to kind of cut all the fine dining rules and put everything into the quality.”

Cañez has tried the “steak-for-less” model before. He opened Brasa Norte in Market on 8th in National City, offering plates like a Tomahawk steak with bone marrow, four quesadillas, and a side of beans for $44.99. He also operates Roger’s Mariscos inside the market, and he brought some of those stall’s best sellers (like the Baja shrimp cocktail and yellowfin tuna tostada) to Grandson Steaks for a surf n’ turf menu plus tacos, salads, and desserts meant for the family-friendly Liberty Station crowd.

It’s the second concept for the fully built-out corner suite, which formerly housed the ambitious California deli concept Wildflour Delicatessen from chef Phillip Esteban, the mastermind behind White Rice and Base Kamp Meals. Not much changed design-wise, other than adding some more booths, moodier lighting, and a couple of guitars for that modern Mexican flair. Most of the 130 seats are outside (98, to be precise), with 20 seats inside and an additional 12 at the bar. 

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But after you choose where to sit, you’ll be able to also choose how much to spend. “If you want to have a casual afternoon with tacos and margaritas, or if you want to have a full steakhouse [experience] with bottles of wine, we can do both,” says Cañez. 

Grandson Steaks is now open at 2690 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 102. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed Monday).

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Beth’s Bites

• At the rate all the “Taste Of” festivals are proliferating, we’re going to have an event for every block in the county by 2035. (This is not a complaint!) The next one is coming up fast on Thursday, May 7, when the 16th annual Taste of Cardiff hits S. Coast Highway 101 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. And yes, before you ask, I’m sure there will be plenty of Cardiff Crack to chow down on from one of the 60+ vendors. Be sure to come hungry, though, because the food and beverage list is mega-stacked with goodies. Pro tip: This “Taste Of” is always especially hard to find parking, so I strongly recommend riding the Coaster in or grabbing a rideshare.
• I’ve watched the movie Crazy Rich Asians a dozen times, but I’ve never tried my hand at mahjong (yet). But now that Zen Modern Asian Bistro is introducing a weekly Friday night mahjong game from 9 p.m. to midnight, it might be time for me to finally give the tile game a go. 

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There’s a certain strangely yellow-tinted lightbulb in a certain bathroom in a certain bar on Main Street in Richmond, Virginia that I used to frequent when I was in college. (IYKYK) To locals, we knew that if you wanted to look super hot, or at least feel super hot, it was the lightbulb-mirror combo worth waiting in line for. That tiny one-stall room became the perfect place for selfies, surreptitious makeout sessions—pretty much anything but actually going to the bathroom.

Color theory is science, not magic. Yellow light is less harsh on the eyes than white or blue, and can promote a feeling of relaxation and happiness. A little color can go a long way to change a mood—and that’s exactly what visual artist Ben Guerrette hopes to accomplish when he drenches Chapel at Liberty Station with an immersive light installation synchronized to pair with chef Flor Franco’s four-course menu exploring the four elements of earth, fire, air, and water from March 20 through 22 for the latest An Artist @ the Table dinner series. 

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The series is part of local nonprofit Vanguard Culture’s 10th anniversary programming, marking a decade of advancing San Diego’s creative industries through professional development opportunities, events, collaborations, and other resources. Executive director Susanna Peredo Swap says previous An Artist @ the Table dinner series have featured artwork from a variety of artists ranging from the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat to British fashion icon Zandra Rhodes, and chefs like Ron Oliver (former chef de cuisine of Marine Room) and Carlos SanMartano (Salt & Cleaver, Herb & Wood).

“[But] this is the first time that we’ve done something so large-scale and so immersive,” she says. Over three nights with room for 30 guests each night, each dinner begins with an hour-long silent auction to raise money for Vanguard Culture’s nonprofit support of the local arts, after which Swap will introduce Guerrette, Franco, and explain the run of the show. “Then the experience will happen, which is about a three-to-five minute immersive sound and light experience, and then the food will come out, and then we’ll repeat that three more times after that,” Swap says, at which point the space will open for time for guests to unwind and absorb the experience. 

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That time to unwind with one another, she stresses, is crucial. “I think that’s part of why the arts—and the culinary arts in particular—are so important now. It’s that ability to just remember our humanity and come back to the joy of living, the joy of this moment, the joy of art, the joy of sound, the joy of food, the joy of gathering,” says Swap. “And so even though big things are happening, we get to kind of disconnect for just one moment and sit together in community and find joy and share together.”

During the conversation with Franco, Swap, Guerrette, and myself, I wondered: If eating together is an inherently communal act, but emotional reaction to art is a personal experience, how do the two coexist?

Franco believes they go hand-in-hand. “I think in this particular dinner, people are going to take home both the experience of community, but also it’s going to be very personal for every single one,” she says. She could be watching a play with friends and find herself crying, but the person sitting next to her will be dry-eyed. “The senses are different for each person.”

The meal itself, inspired by the four elements, will remain a surprise for the guests, but Franco did provide a few hints of the framework. “There will be plenty of seafood, you know, for the water part,” she promises, as well as a red meat entree for land and a few other tricks up her sleeve. But to coincide with the artistic vision, “the plating is going to have to do a lot,” she says. Despite her long experience as a chef in Baja California and San Diego (as well as the first female chef inducted to the prestigious gastronomic society Disciples Escoffier International in 2018), it’s her first time working in tandem with light design. 

For Guerrette, he hopes people leave both feeling moved and inspired. “I’m hoping that this becomes something that maybe inspires more people, other artists to maybe make big, grandiose ideas like this,” he says. “If you have big ideas, go for it.” (Pro tip: be sure to turn on some blue or green light to help boost your creative process. Like I said, it’s science.)

Tickets to An Artist @ the Table with artist Ben Guerrette and chef Flor Franco on March 20 through 22 are now available.

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].

For more than 80 years, the North Chapel has been one of Liberty Station’s defining silhouettes. Opened in 1942, the multi-faith chapel  has hosted Navy services, weddings, memorials, and countless community milestones during wartime years. Its story stretches from religious services for military men and women to cultural anchor.

Then came a stalemate. In 2018, a new tenant, 828 Events, proposed a modernization of the building’s interior, sparking fierce pushback from preservationists and neighbors. The San Diego Union Tribune reported that the online leasing opportunity boasted the chapel would be “perfect for a restaurant or retail tenant.” The suggestion that the historic chapel may become a restaurant caused uproar from local community members. According to Congressman Scott Peters’ official website, his office requested an investigation by the City Attorney. The plan was halted, but what remained was a structure in limbo. 

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In the years following, Liberty Station reshaped itself; breweries opened, restaurants buzzed with crowds, and gelato melted on children’s hands in sunny courtyards. The chapel remained unopened in a district otherwise reborn—until now, when Snake Oil Venue Company became its new stewards.

If you’re wondering why a company known for cocktails is reopening a historic chapel, the answer is simple: they’re no longer just a cocktail company. In 2019, after a decade crafting cocktails, Snake Oil launched its first venue, Julep, and pivoted into full-service events. Growth snowballed from there. This April, it opened Bramble Bay in Imperial Beach, followed quickly by Vesper at Liberty Station. In just one year, its footprint jumped from 32,000 square feet of event space to more than half a million.

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But, even as experienced venue operators, the chapel was a unique endeavor. “This wasn’t acquisition; it was responsibility,” says Snake Oil’s CEO Michael Esposito.

The first time he walked inside, the neglect was unmistakable. “Here was a sacred San Diego landmark sitting quietly in a deteriorated state,” he recalls. Curtains were stained, corners layered with dust, and the once-ornate woodwork was overshadowed by a red carpet that “smelled like damp newspapers.” 

The chapel had sat unoccupied since 2019, according to Joe Haeussler, executive vice president of Pendulum Properties Partners, which acquired the leasehold to the chapel and several other Liberty Station properties in 2018. After considering several proposals for the dormant space, Pendulum brought Snake Oil on in 2023 to reopen and steward the building. “We felt their plans were the most respectful of the historic asset and would open the building to the public in the right way,” Haeussler explained.

Rather than impose a new vision, Snake Oil chose preservation. While it’s now an events space, it has retained its original intent as a gathering place for the community. Restoration, in this case, meant listening to the building. When the team began pulling up the carpeting, they uncovered exquisite, period-specific 1940s Douglas Fir flooring. They refinished the planks rather than replace them, breathing life back into the chapel’s historic foundation. Even the stained glass windows, which were not part of the original Navy design, remained. The earlier plans featured frosted panes that brought in soft, controlled daylight, but the stained glass had become part of the chapel’s collective memory. The restoration cost nearly $1.2 million.

Beyond sentiment and preservation, the North Chapel’s renewed functionality includes a main hall which offers 4,000 square feet of flexible space and seats roughly 425 guests, with additional pew seating on a mezzanine. An adjacent side chapel adds another 600 square feet for more intimate gatherings. Outside, three connected exterior zones (over 3,000 square feet total) provide ample room for receptions, cocktail hours, or garden-style events.The venue will have a preferred-vendor list, with some flexibility for outside vendors. Beverage and cocktail service is handled exclusively by Snake Oil Cocktail Company.

Christopher Bittner at OBr Architecture, Tim Wright of Wright Management, and Andre Childers with Pacific Building Group Construction led the improvement process, while Melissa Strukel of We are Human Kind designed the interiors and furnishings. Bittner says the project was shaped less by reinvention than by attention to what was already there.

“The building itself was the inspiration,” he says. Rather than dramatic alteration, the work focused on careful adjustment. “The building needed small, yet thoughtful, modifications to allow the building to be used for the new use. We worked through many options for how the building would function and at each stage thought through the potential historical ramifications.” 

As word spread of the restoration, the stories came streaming in, carried by people whose most meaningful life moments unfolded within its walls. “For some, it was a grandfather who found a moment of resolve here before leaving to serve in World War II,” says Esposito. “For others, a bride who walked down the aisle as a young woman, or the loved one of a first responder whose life was honored within these walls.” The stories varied, but the sentiment was shared: the chapel’s legacy matters.

Quality and speed don’t always go together, but Lola 55 is growing— fast. Soon, owner Frank Vizcarra is set to open the newest location of his Michelin Bib Gourmand taco spot, bringing the East Village–born concept to Liberty Station, where it’s taking over an expansive 8,800-square-foot corner lot.

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To help reimagine the space, Vizcarra tapped JSa architects, the acclaimed Mexico City firm behind Enrique Olvera’s two-Michelin-starred Pujol in CDMX. The goal? To give Mexico’s laid-back yet deeply soulful dining culture a lively place to shine, featuring Lola 55’s signature fast-casual tacos alongside new wood-fired dishes cooked on an outdoor grill.

“There are just so many things you can do with wood and fire,” says Vizcarra, who’s been sending his chefs across Mexico to fine-tune their craft.

Meanwhile, back in East Village, Lola 55’s original location is undergoing a full-service transformation—complete with a taco omakase and multi-course tasting menus. It’s part of Vizcarra’s plan to evolve Lola 55 into something bigger: a neighborhood anchor with deep roots in Mexican culinary heritage and San Diego culture.

Despite early uncertainties and a pandemic-era pivot, Lola 55 has found its stride and is growing with purpose. “Lola belongs to San Diego,” Vizcarra says. “We want people to come in and be transported into a Mexican ancestral artisan experience.”

After 11 years, two locations, and myriad construction delays, chef Phillip Esteban’s dream is finally coming true. San Diego Mag’s “Chef of the Year, 2020” is soft-opening his California-style deli Wildflour Delicatessen at the end of the month with the grand opening planned for March 7.

The San Diego born-and-raised chef has pedigree—starting at David Chang’s Momofuku in NYC, then coming home at Cork & Craft, then R&D chef of CH Projects. He opened his own thing with casual Filipino spot White Rice during the pandemic, dabbled in Japanese with Weapon Ramen. But he’s been sketching this full-service, big-dream restaurant for over a decade.

Esteban always envisioned creating an all-day escape—basically, where he would want to hang out at any given point during the day. Wildflour is that, but with the luxury (and inconvenience) of being 11 years in the making. So his vision has matured and adapted to current food culture (tinned fish is having a moment, to be sure.) 

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Plus, it gave him time to assemble an A-team. Esteban is exec chef, with chef de cuisine Kareine Elecanal (former pastry chef at Animae and Herringbone), beverage director Will Pidd (ex-Bottlecraft and Stone Brewing), bar manager Johnny Alejo as bar manager, Jocelyn Farinas on coffee service, and Paco Sanchez as GM. 

All-day means breakfast, so they’ll start with a full coffee program from Provecho Coffee in Barrio Logan, fresh-baked breads, pastries, and small plates like steak tartare and eggs on toast. Lunch is cheese boards, cured meats, and sandwiches (classics like mortadella on focaccia, but Esteban will lean into coastal Spain, approachable lunch wines, and bites to share). All the menus, especially dinner, are plant heavy. “I love vegetables—we should eat healthy!” says Esteban.

Seafood and meat will be from local and sustainable producers such as Thompson Heritage Ranch—like braised octopus with confit fingerling potatoes, olive oil, and Espelette pepper; Thompson’s famous pork; whole grilled fish with chermoula; and spatchcock chicken with za’atar and piri-piri sauce. Most plates are meant to be shared. And kids aren’t just welcomed, but catered to.

“We do actually have a children’s menu that’s not just haphazardly put together,” he assures me. “Someone like myself that has a family, I want to see kids in there all the time.” 

At a reasonable 4,200-square-feet, Wildflour feels massive with most of the seating outdoors on the front patio (fits 72), an indoor banquette dining area (48), the bar (another 12), plus a deli counter for to-go options, coffee bar, small shop, and shared courtyard with Carruth Cellars. It’s designed by Arch5 Design Studio (Glass Box in Del Mar, Cherryfish in Pacific Beach). The small shop sells a collection of their curated goods and provisions—tinned fish, salt cures, jams, herbs, small snacks.

Esteban’s particularly geeked about their pine needle picnic baskets made in Tijuana, which guests can bring to refill with the rotating meal of the week, plus wine, plates, and cutlery for two. Liberty Station is one giant picnic and park space on the water, so getting a roast chicken and bottle of natural wine on a Saturday feels right.

Back to the vibes. The airy and contemporary design nods to the rich history of the location, utilizing different shades of blue as an homage to Liberty Station’s naval history. Formerly the Naval Training Center (NTC), the area was the jumping-off point for thousands of Navy recruits from 1923 until closing in 1997. His own father went to boot camp there, and Esteban himself went through ROTC on-site as well. Being able to fulfill his longtime dream at this particular location led him to look back at his own chef’s journey. 

“[In my] 20s, it was really about just learning as much as I can,” says Esteban. “Thirties were about building myself as a chef. Now, in my 40s, it’s like you’ve, quote-unquote, attained these goals. What are the next benchmarks?”

It’s been a lot to bite off, he admits. But worth it, he says. “It’s a long time coming. I want to create this and have this space be here for future generations.”

Wildflour Delicatessen opens February 2025 (2690 Historic Decatur Rd., Liberty Station) and will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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].