FOOD + DRINK
studio, lowering loaves out the window to customers. Now, the studio is the bakery—a bright creative space with floor-to-ceiling windows that’s home to croissants, Tahitian vanilla knots, morning buns, local musicians, speakers, and poets. izolabakery.com Reclamation of an Iconic SD Spot ARLO Mission Valley is shedding its car salesmen-and-Costcos rep. And Town & Country Resort is finally able to show off its $70 million renovation (finished in 2020 but, well). Their signature restaurant has chef Joshua Mouzakes, who staged at French Laundry and served as chef de cuisine at Hotel Del, doing things like bison tenderloin in ginger-soy. arlosandiego.com Revamp of the Old-Timey Butcher Shop WISE OX If chef Brad Wise bumps into you, you turn to gold. The lines for his Solana Beach steakhouse Rare Society seem to start before dawn. But with Wise Ox, he’s resuscitating the art of the American butcher shop, with pasture- raised meats, hand-cut proteins, all kinds of marinated meat creations, and sandwiches. No. 2 just opened in Carlsbad. thewiseoxsd.com
Solution to the Omnivore-Vegan Beef GRAND OLE BBQ Y ASADO The North Park flagship with the city’s best brisket laid shuttered for 35 years (it was three, but this is a feelings exercise). Now reopened, it’s been redesigned with nicer tables, a real kitchen, and a wine program. But the most notable thing is the vegan menu. This’ll either bring peace between the omnivores and vegans, or exacerbate the hair-pulling. grandolebbq.com Restaurant That’s Not a Restaurant ANGKORIAN PIKESTAFF Socheath Sun is the best chef in San Diego you haven’t heard of—yet. Inspired by her Cambodian heritage, Sun’s Southeast Asian-inspired plates range from vegan lechon kawali sisig burritos to Singapore chili crab noodles and can only be pre-ordered through her Instagram every other week or so. IYKYK. angkorianpikestaff.com Coffee with a Side of Social Justice CAFE X Black mother-daughter team Khea Pollard and Cynthia Ajani recently re- opened Cafe X—whose mission is to build community wealth, especially among underserved women and youth. It’s the place for live music, spoken word, pop-up soul food, and financial literacy “Money Talk” sessions on their spacious outdoor patio. byanybeans.com
Place to Whisper into Your New Friend, Mezcal CAMINO RIVIERA
The team behind Kettner Exchange took over El Camino in the Casbah District (far as we’re concerned, that’s an official part of town). With chef Brian Redzikowski (Le Cirque, Joel Robuchon) overseeing, food was a no-doubter. But it’s the design (we’re going with “moody Caribbean love nest”) and the collectors-quality mezcal flights that seal it. caminoriviera.com
Eating as a Welcome MAKE CAFE
Created to help lower-literacy refugee women learn English and acquire culinary skills, MAKE (Merging Agriculture, Kitchens and Employment) Projects now has its own cafe. Every Saturday, stop by for brunch inspired by flavors from refugees’ home countries (Somali street corn, Syrian fatteh, etc.) using seasonal produce, and take home small-batch farm stand products. sdmake.org
Taste of the Local Poles TUNAVILLE
Tommy Gomes is a fifth-generation San Diego fisherman, and one of the country’s foremost experts on sustainable seafood. He and partner Mitch Conniff (Mitch’s Seafood) opened this fish market at Driscoll’s Wharf, selling fresh catch straight from local boats. Seabass, opah, rockfish, bigeye tuna—all fresh, all here (if it was caught that day). tunavillemarketandgrocery.com
Fast-Casual Gluten-Free EL TIANGUIS
Corn tortillas made on-site form the base of this lively spot’s specialty: perfectly crunchy rolled tacos. Everything on menu is gluten-free, which makes it especially delightful and stress-free for those with wheat allergies and celiac. eltianguisrt.com
Bakery as Cultural Hub IZOLA
During shutdowns, local couple Jenny Chen and Jeffrey Brown created a bakery above their photography
97 SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE
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