IN TIME FOR SUMMER!
GUEST BLOG / By Holden DeMayo, PillartoPost.org Restaurant Writer--Last week, Axios San Diego gave its readers the appetizer. Let's have PillartoPost.org online magazine serve the entrée. Axios list named the newcomers. Here's the kind of information a reader wants before deciding to make the trip. No slam just detail journalism with photo PillartoPost.org style:
Coronado
• Nighthawk (See image above)
Location: 1315 Orange Avenue, Coronado CA at the Baby Grand Hotel.
Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar
Hours: 11:30 am to 10 pm; brunch 10 am to 3 pm weekends
Phone: 619-853-2229
Website: https://www.thebabygrandcoronado.com/
Owners: Consortium Holdings
Coolness Factor: 9/10. The same creative minds behind the Lafayette.
Location: Baby Grand Hotel, Coronado (see above).
Cuisine: Champagne, oysters, caviar
Owners: Consortium Holdings
Coolness Factor: 10/10. Speakeasy access, luxury bubbles and seafood. Probably the most "special occasion" opening on the Axios list.
***
Little Italy
• Sugarfish
Cuisine: Sushi by Nozawa
Address: 2100 Kettner Blvd., Suite 1100, San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (858) 326-1294 Cuisine: Japanese sushi and omakase-inspired fixed menus
Hours: Daily 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Website: https://sugarfishsushi.com/
Owners: Sushi Nozawa restaurant group, founded by chef Kazunori Nozawa.
Coolness Factor: 9/10. A LA cult favorite finally lands in San Diego. Expect long waits and Instagram sightings.
***
Gaslamp Quarter
• Saya Brasserie
Location: 901 Fifth Ave. (inside the Gaslamp district)
Cuisine: Middle Eastern-influenced café and brasserie fare
Phone: (954-716-9217
Website: https://www.opentable.com/r/saya-brasserie-san-diego?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Owners: Dubai hospitality group
Coolness Factor: 8.5/10. The design alone has people talking.
Coolness factor: One of the more visually ambitious openings of the year.
***
Barrio Logan
Location: 1985 National Avenue, Unit 1131 in the Mercado del Barrio, National Avenue, Barrio Logan next door to Northgate Market
Cuisine: Legendary Mexican comfort food
Phone: 619-234-4460
Hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
Menu/website: places.singleplatform.com
Owners: Estudillo family
Coolness Factor: 10/10. Not new, but reborn. Few restaurants possess this much San Diego history and neighborhood.
***
Del Mar
• Queenstown Public House
Location: 1435 Camino Del Mar suite D, Del Mar CA
Cuisine: New Zealand-inspired comfort food, brunch and burgers
Phone: 858-925-5771
Website: https://queenstowndelmar.com/
Hours: Mon thru Thurs: 11 am to 9 pm; Fri. 11 am thru 10 pm; Sat & Sun 9 am thru 9 pm
Owners: Queenstown restaurant group: Phillip Lamont and Matt Baker
Coolness Factor: 8/10. New Zealand themes remain rare enough to feel fresh in Southern California.
***
La Jolla
• Cala La Jolla Café (out dated photo)
Location: 7910 Girard Avenue, Historic Arcade Building, La Jolla Village
Cuisine: Café fare, pastries, coffee and brunch items
Phone: 858-333-8610
Website: https://calalajolla.com
Owner: Amy de Leon
Hours: 6 am thru 6 pm
Coolness Factor: 8/10. Historic setting gives it a built-in advantage with architecture and history buffs.
Coming Soon
Location: Westfield UTC La Jolla. Popular Barcelona-inspired California chain
Cuisine: Spanish tapas and paella Origin
Coolness Factor: 9/10. This one may become the most talked-about coming soon opening still to come.
***
Chula Vista
• TNT Pizza
Location: 550 14th St., Chula Vista
Cuisine: Pizza
Phone: 619 915-92101
Web: https://www.toasttab.com/
Hours: Daily 11 am to 10 pm
Coolness Factor: 7.5/10. Detroit-style pizza, New York-style slices, Sicilian pizza, vegan options, salads, wings, beer and wine. The restaurant is known for its retro 1980s arcade atmosphere.
***
Encinitas
• Arcana
Cuisine: Speakeasy-style cocktail lounge featuring craft cocktails, tapas, small plates, and an intimate, hidden-bar atmosphere rather than a traditional full-service restaurant.
Location: 517 S Coast Hiway 101, Encinitas
Phone: 760-492-7444
Hours: 5 pm to 10:30 pn, Closed Sun. & Mon.
Owners: The project was developed by the owners of The Roxy Theatre, Encinitas, one of Encinitas' best-known restaurant and nightlife venues. Public reports identify Arcana as a sister concept to The Roxy.
***
• Mon Cheri Café & Bistro [coming soon]
Location: 947 S Coast Hiway 101, Encinitas CA
Cuisine: French-inspired café and Mediterranean bistro menu
Phone: 619 694-5791
Website: https://moncheriencinitas.com/
Owners: Independent family-operated cafe. Names not available at press time.
Coolness Factor: 8/10. A little Paris or a Riviera Cafe by the Pacific. Call for opening date.
***
Oceanside
• PopUp Bagels
Location: 510 Vista Way, Oceanside CA The shop occupies the former Black Market Bakery space in the Freeman Collective development, one of Oceanside's more interesting food-and-retail projects near South Oceanside.
Cuisine: New York-style bagels served hot and whole, accompanied by rotating flavored schmears (cream cheeses). Their signature approach is "Grip, Rip and Dip," encouraging customers to tear apart fresh bagels and share them.
Owners: The Oceanside franchise is operated by local partners Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall, known in San Diego food circles as "The Bagel Boyz." They also launched the successful La Jolla location before expanding into Oceanside.
Phone: 855-747-6347
Website: https://www.popupbagels.com/
Hours: Daily 7 am to 3 pm
Coolness Factor: 8.5/10. East Coast transplants are already lining up.
***
* Koakai Brewing Company
Location: 559 Greenbrier Dr. Oceanside CA
Cuisine: Brewery with sushi and barbecue components
Phone: Unavailable at press time.
Owners: Mike and Tomomi Aubuchon
Website: Instagram
Coolness Factor: 8/10. The combination sounds odd until you realize San Diegans love beer and experimentation.
***
Vista
• Black Bear Diner
Location: 605 West Vista Way, Vista CA
Cuisine: Classic American diner; breakfast served all day; comfort food
Phone: 760-249-2327
Website: https://blackbeardiner.com/
Owners: Black Bear Diner chain, founded by Bruce Dean and Bob & Laurie Manley. Vista is a corporate-operated location.
Hours: Daily 6 am to 10 pm
Coolness Factor: 7.5/10. Big portions, mountain-lodge décor, and comfort-food nostalgia.
***
• Carmel Valley
• Addison Champagne Lounge within the Fairmont Grand Del Mar
Address: 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, Del Mar CA
Cuisine: Champagne, luxury bites and pre-dinner experiences
Phone: 858-314-1900
Website: https://www.addisondelmar.com/
Owner/Chef: William Bradley
Hours: Tues. thru Sat. 5 pm to final seating approx. 8:30 pm
Coolness Factor: 10/10. Attached to San Diego's most decorated fine-dining address. The only three-Michelin-star restaurant in Southern California
***
NOTE: If you're reading this in PillartoPost.org, let's go one step further and rank them by "Most Likely to Still Matter in Five Years."
Our early top five would be:
--Las Cuatro Milpas
--Addison Champagne Lounge
--Sugarfish
--Nighthawk
--Telefèric Barcelona
Why? Great concept, reputation, deep pockets.
That's the long list PillartoPost.org editors put their money on hang around.
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