Crafted Culture
Feeling Crafty
It’s no secret that San Diego loves all things “craft,” since we have more than 150 breweries and even more locally owned restaurants. In Sabre Springs, newbie Crafted Culture joins San Diego’s skilled food and beverage scene with an ever-changing menu of craft beer, cocktails, and food. It serves as a test kitchen for sister restaurants Death by Tequila and Wokou, so dishes here marry a variety of cuisines, like jalapeño deviled eggs, edamame hummus, and manchego corn fritters. As for cocktails, the choices are just as unique. Looking for something to post on your Instagram feed? Get the Glitz N’ Glam, poured with Empress gin, blood orange liqueur, and edible glitter. The Japanese Forest is a smoky concoction made with Suntory whiskey, nocino (walnut liqueur), and bitters. If liquor isn’t your thing, there are plenty of local beer and wine options ready for you to sip. Get your weekend started right with live music, cornhole, a bocce ball setup, and plenty of outdoor seating.
13480 Evening Creek Drive North, Sabre Springs
Elizabethan Desserts
Autumn a la Mode
’Tis the season of spiced scents, baked goods, and a sweet slice of pie. This year, put away your store-bought crust and head to Elizabethan Desserts. At this Southern-style shop in Encinitas—home to the formerly separate brand Betty’s Pie Whole—Elizabeth “Betty” Harris sells pies and other sweet cakes and pastries. The choices go beyond apple and pumpkin (but she has them too, for the traditionalists). Try the chocolate cookie dough pie, filled with toffee bits and two kinds of chocolate chips. Or the Mississippi mud pie, baked with Belgian chocolate pudding, housemade marshmallow, brownie chunks, and butterscotch swirls. The banana cream pie is made with vanilla custard and banana graham cracker crust. Prefer savory over sweet? The shop offers classics to take home, like chicken pot pie, or Harris’s popular Thanksgiving pie, which essentially has an entire classic Thanksgiving meal stuffed inside. There are individual-size options if you’re buying for yourself, but we won’t judge you if you go for the full-size pies—leftovers are a classic part of the holidays, after all!
114 North El Camino Real, Encinitas
Brews With a View
As you make your way to Julian for cider and pie, be sure to set aside some time to take the scenic route and stop at The Pub at Lake Cuyamaca. This new venture, led by the pros behind O’Brien’s Pub and Nickel Beer Company, is opening up shop in the former Lake Cuyamaca Restaurant and Store, which sits right along the lakeshore. The new establishment will open in late November, stocking the original storefront with wine and beer options, plus some quick grab-and-go breakfast and lunch for those on their way to hit the trails, head into town, or enjoy some time on the lake. Cheers to making a good thing greater!
15027 CA-79, Julian
