In 2014, Guillaume and Ludivine Ryon opened the first Le Parfait Paris in Gaslamp, followed by Del Mar, Coronado, Anaheim, Liberty Public Market, and Fashion Valley. But by the end of this year, they’ll add three more locations—at Westfield UTC in the old Häagen-Dazs suite (by October 15), in La Jolla Village at the old Beard Papa’s space (by November 15), and a bakery store attached to their brand-new baking headquarters (by December 15). 

Oh, did I not mention that? They’re also shifting operations from their production facility in Mission Gorge to the former Meals on Wheels space between Old Town and Mission Hills. Guillaume says they’re vacating their old, smaller space while moving to the 10,000-square-foot San Diego Avenue location to avoid any interruption of service and plan to be fully operational in the new space by October 1. In the new year, they’ll also open the production facility partly for the public so guests can watch bakers in motion all day long. 

“It’s gonna be quite a show,” promises Ryon. “It’s going to be really cool to watch.”

Ryon emphasizes that despite their growth, Le Parfait Paris is still a family-owned local business run solely by him and his wife. And neither of them is slowing down, even with a hugely busy fourth quarter ahead of them. “The last store that we’re going to open is going to be at Terminal One,” he says. “That’s going to be whenever the airport is ready… I think it’s going to be Q1 or Q2 2025.”

He laughs when he recalls the last decade of growth, while also trying to keep all their upcoming openings in order. “The only thing that reminds me it’s been 10 years are the grays in my beard,” he jokes. “It’s not flour that is stuck in there!”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Eppig Brewing Teams Up With Kona Kai For A Bayside Beer Dinner

Smoked quail? Mexican lager? All the yes. On Thursday, October 3, Kona Kai San Diego and Eppig Brewing will host the Dockside Brews & Bites beer pairing dinner, with six courses paired with Eppig beers, including their collaboration with the resort. It’s one of the most reasonably priced pairings I’ve seen in a while (tickets are $60), and who doesn’t like a bay view?

Beth’s Bites

• Knead Bakery is open at Symphony Towers. Downtowners can now get baked goods from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. Congrats to Adrian Mendoza and the whole team.
• I always say the more birria, the better, and San Diego is getting some more… eventually? Abuelita’s Birria has locations across Los Angeles, Orange County, and Miami but says San Diego is “coming soon.” The people want to know when, Abuelita! Call me back!
• Craft Coast and Visit Oceanside have teamed up to create a limited-edition version of O’riginal, Craft Coast’s pilsner. The new label celebrates the city with tacos, the Oceanside pier, and other local landmarks. It is available at both Craft Coast’s taprooms, as well as Oside Flavor and Taste of Oceanside. 

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].

The post Le Parfait Paris Expanding Their Bakery Empire appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Julian Hakim and Aram Baloyan run Shōwa Hospitality, the group behind other local concepts such as The Taco Stand, Convoy Music Bar, Himitsu, and Showa Ramen, and are intimately familiar with the space. 

“We used to go there all the time for breakfast,” explains Hakim. “We know how good that little spot is, then it became available… We thought, ‘Wow, this could be a super good fit.’”

He says they plan to keep the same 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours as Coffee Cup before them and will emulate (but not replicate) the breakfast and lunch concept. “We’re hoping in the future, six months or so, to start doing dinner as well,” he says. 

In the meantime, their menu will focus on Mexican-Japanese fusion without leaning too far in either direction. “It’s not going to be extreme one way or another,” promises Hakim, adding they plan to offer simple dishes with twists from chef Pancho Ibañez, former chef de cuisine at Pujol in Mexico City (which earned two Michelin stars in the first Michelin Guide to Mexico). 

“Eggs, a version of his French toast, maybe Japanese pancakes, probably a version of chilaquiles and enchiladas…” he says, adding the menu is still in progress, but hopefully one that will fill the void Coffee Cup left behind. “It’s keeping what was there—same hours, breakfast and lunch—and doing our take on that.” Hakim adds that while chef Ibañez mainly works on The Taco Stand, after setting up Comedor Nishi’s menu, he’ll hand the reins to a sous chef who is also coming from Mexico.

“‘Comedor’ is basically a dining hall in Mexico… and ‘Nishi’ is a Japanese word that means ‘west,’ like West Coast,” says Hakim. “We always have some sort of a tie to Japan, and in this case, keeping a very simplistic approach to the menu and just letting the ingredients speak for themselves.”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

SD Beer Weekend Returns June 21–23

Launched in 2022 by the San Diego Brewers Guild, SD Beer Weekend is a pint-sized party to tide over beer lovers until San Diego Beer Week every November. Starting on Friday and running through Sunday, beer lovers can bop around town to find new favorites and rediscover old friends. There are no tickets or RSVPs for this low-key event—just an appreciation for fresh, local craft beer made in the Capital of Craft. 

Beth’s Bites

• As of today, Punta Mar is soft open at 345 S. Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas, serving mariscos, micheladas, and more. I’m all about ceviche, but I have my eye on their “pizza birria” and whatever this is.
• Belmont Park has made some significant improvements getting ready for its Centennial celebration next summer, adding new food options like Pizza Port, rebranding Belmonty’s Burgers (which uses Brandt beef for their burgers), and Cannonball’s first menu refresh since opening in 2015. Lily Williams, director of food & beverage for Belmont Park, says sourcing as local as possible will remain a cornerstone of the park’s future. “We want to be known as the gateway to San Diego,” she says, offering everyone value and fun. “Come here and feel like you’re having the ultimate San Diego day.” Sign me up for a ride this summer on the Giant Dipper.
• Calling all crab heads! Duck Dive in Pacific Beach is hosting a crab boil on Thursday, June 20, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. For $42, you can get 1.5 lbs. of snow crab prepared Cajun style, plus the requisite Andouille sausage, corn on the cob, shrimp, and potatoes. For a little extra, you can also get drink specials from Humboldt Distillery. Snag a ticket ahead of time right here. 

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].

The post Mexican-Japanese Breakfast Spot Coming to La Jolla appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

But at the end of the 2024 baseball season, Basic Pizza will vacate its longtime home at 410 Tenth Avenue. The mashed potato pizza-loving masses need not fret too much—Mangini plans to reopen Basic as part of the Park 12 development in time for next baseball season, if not slightly earlier. 

“We’re done after this baseball season, and then I just want to be open before next baseball season,” he says. “If I had to guess, it’s probably going to be in the December-ish area… if there’s any way possible to get it built, we will.” (In the in-between time after closing and reopening the new space, he invites pizza lovers to visit one of the locations of his other pizza project, URBN Pizza.)

Even though the space at 100 Park Plaza is just on the other side of Petco, it’s a bittersweet move. Basic had been in the same spot for 18 years, and Mangini had no notions of leaving. When he heard his landlord would not renew his lease, he knew he wanted to stay in the immediate area.

“That was the big thing—we really did lay down roots there, and we don’t want to leave,” he says. But once open, he hopes to replicate the same revitalization on the “sleepier side” of East Village and bring their loyal fans with them. 

The new space will have the same menu and team but slightly new look by Avent Design, construction by CLTVT (who also designed the One Paseo location of URBN), and the deal was facilitated by Michael Burton, founder of Urban Strategies Group, division of Flocke & Avoyer.

At just under 5,000 square feet, the Park 12 space is similar to Basic’s current location, but Mangini says he plans to lean into more concrete and steel rather than try to recreate the same industrial brick aesthetic.

Thanks to a sublease agreement with the new tenants, Basic Pizza will remain at its current location until the end of this year’s Padres season (Mangini hopes for a long one). “As long as the Padres are playing, we’re going to be staying,” he says. “We’re rooting for the Padres to go all the way so we can stay as long as we possibly can.”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

8 Courses, 2 Chefs, 4-Hands, 1 Night

When two Michelin-starred chefs cook together, culinary magic tends to follow. On Tuesday, April 30, at Ambrogio by Acquerello, chef Silvio Salmoraghi of Acquerello (Milan, Italy) and chef Fabio Ugoletti of Mar’Sel at Terranea Resort (Rancho Palos Verdes, California) will serve eight courses of Italian-inspired seasonal cuisine. Two seatings are available—one at 5 p.m. and one at 8 p.m.—and reservations are available here. Part of the proceeds will benefit Labs and More Dog Rescue.

But the magic doesn’t stop there. The next day, Wednesday, May 1, Kinme Omakase (2505 5th Avenue, Banker’s Hill) will host the Ambrogio by Acquerello team for another 4-hands dinner to spotlight the best of Italian and Japanese Kaiseki. Like the night before, two seatings at 5 pm and 8 pm are available, and you can make reservations at Kinme’s website.

Beth’s Bites

Two Ducks co-founder Dante Romero is now the executive chef at The Lion’s Share and is expanding the Two Ducks pop-up residency within the space. A dozen years of moving up has paid off for the industry, darling!

Happy first birthday to Majorette! Please never take the burger off the menu again. 

It’s tea time at La Valencia Hotel’s Mediterranean Room—at least every Friday through May 11. Make your reservation for the award-winning tea service right here, and remember your complimentary glass of bubbles before the fun begins.

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].

The post Basic Pizza Closing in East Village appeared first on San Diego Magazine.