By Allison Mitchell By Allison Mitchell | October 3, 2024 | Food & Drink, Feature, Best of The Best, New Restaurants, Eat, Date Night, Resto to Socialize, Brunch, Date Place, Cocktails, Drink, Features, Food & Drink, Featured, Food & Drink Feature, food, Apple News, City Life, Restaurants, Guides, The Latest, Food and Drink Feature, Food & Drink News Latest,
Whether you’re craving American comfort food or an expertly crafted cocktail, San Diego’s newest restaurants offer exquisite tastes for all.
Haven Farm + Table's beautiful interiors; PHOTO BY JORDAN ALLEN
The Farmer’s Pasta at Haven Farm + Table includes potato gnocchi, cremini mushrooms, summer squash, corn and basil. PHOTO BY JIM SULLIVAN
Farm-to-table takes on a whole new meaning at Haven Farm + Table, a zero-waste restaurant where ingredients are sourced on-site. Located at Fox Point Farms, the new 21-acre mixed-use community in Encinitas, the restaurant embraces bounty from the three-acre regenerative farm featuring more than 50 vegetable, herb and flower varieties, 30 varieties of fruit trees, a microgreens and mushroom room, and much more. Culinary director Alex Carballo is joined by chef de cuisine Kelston Moore and general manager and beverage director Ricardo Zarate Jr. in sharing vegetable-forward dishes with meats and fish from local ranchers and fishermen. After strolling the farm, sit down to enjoy the uber-fresh Foxy Greens Salad, filled with seven different lettuces; steak and eggs paired with bitter collard greens, cured egg and caviar; jerk pork belly mole; and salted caramel plantain cake with coconut caviar and mascarpone mousse. Stop by for dinner Wednesday through Sunday.
Your next happy hour awaits at the sleek Roma Norte at The Headquarters at Seaport Village. PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS
The minds behind Puesto and Marisi are raising a glass at Roma Norte, a new bar concept at The Headquarters at Seaport Village that celebrates Mexico City’s cocktail culture. Step inside the urban space blooming with lush greenery to enjoy sips by Beau du Bois (vice president of bar and spirits) and Derek Cram (director of bar logistics) infused with Latin American spices, botanicals and spirits. The Maduro Highball includes Brazilian cachaça and plantains, while the Another Word cocktail highlights eucalyptus-infused mezcal poured tableside over soft shaved ice from a Japanese Kakigōri ice shaver. When hunger strikes, chef Erik Aronow answers the call with flamin’ hot corn nuts, a scallop tostada, yellowfin tuna, carne crudo and torta de milanesa.
The Lion’s Mane mushroom barbacoa bowl from L55 Tacos & More; PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS
Taco aficionados already know and love Lola 55, San Diego’s only Michelin Bib Gourmand taqueria. Now, founder and CEO Frank Vizcarra has opened L55 Tacos & More at Westfield UTC, a next-gen spinoff celebrating Lola’s bold and innovative Mexican flavors with a more casual approach and expanded menu. “With L55, we are distilling the essence of Lola 55 into a more accessible and adaptable format,” says Vizcarra. “Our goal is to build a concept that is well-positioned for future growth yet unwavering in the high standards our guests have come to expect.” Chef Daniel Soto, an alum of the two Michelin-starred Pujol in Mexico City, has been tapped to develop the menu, which includes burritos, bowls, salads and new tacos crafted exclusively for L55. Seasonal agua fresca and low-proof cocktails by beverage director Gareth Moore will round out the menu offered during lunch and dinner daily.
The Pink Squirrel cocktail from Ponyboy at The Pearl Hotel; PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS
Embrace an endless summer at Point Loma’s midcentury jewel, The Pearl Hotel, where the new Ponyboy restaurant offers poolside dining. Opened by Service Animals, a new hospitality group from Addison alums Ian Ward and Danny Romero, the 1960s-inspired concept takes its name from the protagonist in S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and celebrates traditional American comfort foods with a twist. Start the meal with Fondue for Two, a dish featuring vintage fondue sets filled with artisanal cheese, local produce and Companion Bread Co. rye cubes. Mains include The Ponyboy Tuna Casserole—potato-crusted local bluefin tuna—and the Juicy Lucy Burger, stacked with beefsteak tomatoes, little gem and red onion on potato brioche with optional fondue cheese. On the cocktail side, Ward brings his skills from his three-starred Michelin predecessor to Ponyboy’s mid-century-era cocktail menu, offering everything from mint juleps to frozen grasshoppers. Cheers!
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