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The Story of San Diego’s Young Rising Star Chef, Aidan Owens

The Little Italy landmark that helped put San Diego on the national dining map is entering a new era under 27-year-old Aidan Owens

By Jackie Bryant August 21, 2025

NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES Know the Neighborhood Where to eat, where to drink, and what it's like to live there. EXPLORE THE GUIDES

Herb & Wood changed the city’s dining culture when chef Brian Malarkey and Chris Puffer opened it in Little Italy 10 years ago. In restaurant culture, 10 years is 100 years. A feat. But how do you stay relevant in the new-new-new social-media restaurant craze? You hire a “kid” like Aidan Owens, who’s one of the fastest-rising young chefs we’ve seen in the city in a long time. He started cooking at an early age to pay his way through teen years. Now he’s got a rep for whole-animal butchery, fermentation projects, and amiably stalking fishermen and farmers. He’s rehabbing the menu at Herb & Wood, basing it completely on ingredients. This is his story.

About Jackie Bryant

Jackie is a long-time freelance journalist covering cannabis, food/restaurants, travel, labor, wine, spirits, arts & culture, design, and other topics. Her work has been selected twice for Best American Travel Writing, and she has won a variety of national and local awards for her writing and reporting.

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