The ownership team behind the restaurant Madison on Park in University Heights have opened a “little sister” restaurant this month in Normal Heights named Madi.
Located in the former Pachamama space at Adams Avenue and East Mountain View Drive, Madi serves an all-day breakfast-lunch menu from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, along with mimosas, wine and grab-and-go pastries and coffee. Specialty dishes include waffle churro sticks, blackberry and goat cheese pancakes, chilaquiles, a Mediterranean breakfast plate, shakshouka, breakfast sandwiches, tacos and more.
The 60-seat restaurant, designed by Madison on Park Dave and Anna Sindelar, is owned by partners Jeffrey Fink and Matthiew Sieve, who runMadison on Park and designed the Madi menu. Madi is at 3737 Adams Ave., San Diego. Visit brunchlikemadi.com.
After hosting the weekly pop-up sci-fi-themed tropical drink night, “Permanent Vacation,” for the past six years at his Kindred restaurant in South Park, Kory Steina has given the other-worldly concept its own home.
Mothership, an escapist bar and restaurant experience, opened this month at 2310 30th St. in South Park. Designed and built by famed tiki bar creator Ignacio “Notch” Gonzalez, Mothership is designed to look like a spaceship in a cave-like environment under a night sky with shooting stars. Like Kindred, Mothership is co-owned by Steina and Arsalun Tafazoli, who is the founder of CH Projects.
Mothership’s spacey cocktails, developed by David Kinsey, and mix tiki classic drinks with retro space-age designs and themes. The vegan “Earth Food” menu includes tofu, rice, noodle and potato dishes. Visit mothershiptrip.com.
The Cottage, a 30-year-old café on Fay Avenue in La Jolla, now has a sister eatery in North County. Cottage owners Jason Peaslee and Bernardo Kanarek opened the 3,500-square-foot location in June in the Encinitas Village shopping center.
Under the culinary leadership of chef Paolo Chan, the Cottage is known for its stuffed French toast, capellini crab cakes and avocado smash toast. The Encinitas location also has several unique dishes, including crab and prosciutto Benedict, leg of lamb sandwich, charred octopus salad and tofu “huevos” rancheros. The new location also has a retail counter with fresh-baked pastries, house-made granola and coffee, which is roasted in-house. The new Cottage location is open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily at 127 N. El Camino Real, Suite H, Encinitas. Visit cottageencinitas.com.
San Diego’s Karina’s Group of restaurants has opened a new concept, Karina’s Ceviche Bar ‘N Tacos, in Barrio Logan this month.
Located in the former South Bay Fishery space, the restaurant includes a full-service, 20-foot seafood counter and market and indoor and outdoor dining on dishes that include ceviche plates, bacon-wrapped shrimp tacos, surf-and-turf burritos and ahi poke tostadas. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at 1852 National Ave., San Diego. Visit karinasseafood.com/barriologan.
Grossmont College’s Culinary Arts program is celebrating the success of its chef-instructors on a number of national TV cooking competitions.
Baking and pastry instructor James Foran won Food Network’s “Chopped” season 45 episode “Chock Full of Chocolate.” Chef-instructors Marianne Daquino and Holly Simms won Netflix’s “Sugar Rush” season 3 “Blackout” episode and Daquino competed on three episodes of Food Network’s “Holiday Wars.” And pastry instructors Alvin Nguyen and Dani Hanna competed on Hulu’s first season of “Baker’s Dozen.”
Also, program graduate Charity George now works as the behind-the-scenes cake designer for Netflix’s “Nailed It” cooking series. Details are at instagram.com/grossmontcollegeculinaryarts.
JoJo Ruiz, executive chef of five-year-old Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine in the Gaslamp Quarter, has given his menu a major refresh this month. One of the highlights is the Bad Bunny, a caviar and blini “art to table” dish served in a one-of-a-kind ceramic bunny hand-painted by local artist DyseOne. Other new menu items include a 36-ounce Prime tomahawk chop steak, broiled Big Glory Bay salmon, seaweed potato gnocchi, grilled green beans Almondine, coal-grilled local swordfish and baked Alaska dessert. Lionfish at the Pendry Hotel, 435 Fifth Ave., San Diego. (619) 738-7200. lionfishsd.com
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club hosts this food and music festival featuring booths serving gumbo, po’boys, beignets, red beans and rice and jambalaya with live Cajun music. 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. Seaside Cabana, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. $29 and up (ticket includes four 5-ounce beer tasters and free track admission). dmtc.com/calendar/allevents
Alila Marea Beach Resort in Leucadia has teamed up with the Belly Up Tavern to host a new dinner and concert series that will benefit the Rob Machado Foundation. The first dinner next week will feature a pre-show, reception-style dinner, cocktail and tasting from Templeton Rye with full bar and concert by folk artist Brett Dennen. 8:30 p.m. Sept. 4. 2100 N. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas. $179. bellyupsolanabeach.frontgatetickets.com
Carlsbad’s wood-fire-focused restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred chef Eric Bost features several new seasonal dishes. They include fire-roasted ancient grains with green shakshouka, farro, tomatoes and tofu labneh; Snake River Farms smoked Wagyu brisket with Steady State Coffee rub; and summer heirloom Chino Farms tomatoes with grilled peaches and fennel. 2725 State St., Carlsbad. (760) 637-5121. thisiscampfire.com
Sweetgreen, a fast-casual salad-centric restaurant chain with one location in Carlsbad, has brought back several seasonal dishes this month. The Elote Bowl features Mexican-style grilled corn, tomatoes, cabbage, goat cheese and quinoa; the Summer BBQ salad with hot seasoned chicken, watermelon and corn; and the roasted corn and peppers side dish is also back. Also this month, cold brew coffee from Rise Brewing Co. have been added to the beverage menu. 7750 El Camino Real, Suite A, Carlsbad. sweetgreen.com
Charles + Dinorah restaurant at the Pearl Hotel brought back its weekend brunch service with a new menu. C+D’s new American fusion menu features a full-scratch kitchen. Dishes include chilaquiles, PB&J French toast with fermented blueberry jam, breakfast fried rice, a brunch burger with bacon jam on a brioche bun, bloody mary salmon crudo and tofu Benedict with kale, eggplant and chile oil. Brunch hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 1410 Rosecrans St., San Diego. (619) 226-6100. charlesanddinorah.com
Several chain restaurants have opened new locations around San Diego County this month.
Dunkin’ opened two new doughnut and coffee shops at 1906 Oceanside Blvd. in Oceanside, and at 7514 Girard Ave. in La Jolla.
The Mendocino Farms sandwich, bowl and salad chain opened its sixth San Diego County location on Tuesday at 268 N. El Camino Real in Encinitas, and will open its seventh next year at 4S Commons Town Center in San Diego’s 4S Ranch.
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream opened its seventh county outlet Aug. 9 at 228 N. Coast Highway in Oceanside.
Main Chick Hot Chicken opened its third area location Aug. 13 at 2675 Gateway Drive in Carlsbad.
And Everytable healthy bowls and salads opened its third county location Aug. 8 at 6083 El Cajon Blvd., Suite B1, in the Rolando area of San Diego.
Pam Kragen writes about restaurants for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Email her at pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com.
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