Art and design have always been a huge part of Consortium’s appeal. Local designer Paul Basile is on the case once again, as he was with Craft & Commerce. And SDM got a private first-peek at his new space. We could blather on about our impressions, but make your own.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: person gets laid off during the pandemic. Bored at home, they turn to baking. A passing interest turns into a passion, and before you know it, they’re launching a full-fledged bakery.
Yes, that’s the story of how Mi Pan Bakery started, and yes, 10,000 other aspirational bakeries began the exact same way. But the difference is that Mi Pan’s baker and owner Alejandro Gomez didn’t stop at making a few loaves of sourdough for his friends and family.
He’s spent the last five years building a beloved local business whose bread and pastries are now sought out at three different farmers markets, was nominated for both Best Bread and Best Farmers Market Food Vendor in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Reader’s Choice Awards for 2025, and only decided to finally move from baking in his garage to their first brick-and-mortar location in order to keep up with sheer demand.
“I talked to my wife, and I said ‘Listen, if we’re not going to move out of the garage, I don’t think I can keep doing this, because I’m baking pretty much 10 to 12 hours a day,’” Gomez laughs. “I think it’s time.”
After a year of looking for the right location—where Gomez and his wife and business partner Alejandra Ruelas could open Mi Pan with enough space for an expanded commercial kitchen, an area for hosting workshops, and an onsite retail store—they found it. Mi Pan Bakery’s first brick-and-mortar location will open in the first half of 2026 at 6435 Mission Gorge Road in Grantville.
Once open, Mi Pan will still remain at all of the farmers markets: Tuesdays in Pacific Beach, Saturdays in Little Italy, and Sundays in Chula Vista. They hope to add one more to their rotation once they have the ability to increase production. Gomez says he also plans to launch a wholesale side of the bakery, something he says multiple businesses have approached him about, but he hasn’t been able to take on with his small operation. And then, maybe one day, maybe even a second location in North County.
Gomez also didn’t work as a baker previously, unlike other pandemic-launched operations like Companion Bread Company and Relic Bakery. But in the past five years, he’s taught himself the craft and traveled across the world to places like France, Spain, and Mexico City to both take and teach various baking classes, something he also plans to offer at the new space.
Mi Pan’s menu will remain small, offering its signature sourdough and pastries—especially medialunas, an Argentinian pastry that’s a cross between a flaky croissant and soft brioche with a light glaze on top. “If you haven’t tried it, you should,” he promises. “They’re amazing.” They’ll also add sandwiches using its own bread, as well as coffee. (Most of this will be intended to-go, but it’ll have a few tables onsite if people wish to enjoy their goodies right away.) But above all, Gomez says what they’re building is meant to last, modeled after the family-owned neighborhood cafes of his native Mexico and across Europe.
“It’s not about being the kind of trendy bakery that’s hyped for six, seven months, or a year, and then after that, they disappear,” he says. “We want an atmosphere that feels like home, and then when you come back… you’re greeted by name. I think that’s what we want—a warm, reliable, everyday bakery where the community feels welcome and you always find exceptional bread and pastries.”
Mi Pan Bakery will open at 6435 Mission Gorge Road in Grantville in mid-2026.
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Even if you haven’t gotten your Real ID yet—which you should really do, like, yesterday—you can travel by proxy through food. To take a vacation to Turkey, head over to Normal Heights, where chef Seckin Sage Anlasbay is opening Bosforo, his modern meyhane-style Turkish restaurant in the former El Zarape location.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos Seckin Sage
Seckin first launched Bosforo a few years ago as a wood-fired pizza catering concept, showcasing flavors from his childhood home in southern Turkey near the Mediterranean, alongside influences from places like Spain and Italy. But for his first brick-and-mortar, he’s focusing far heavier on Turkish culture with dashes of Mediterranean, Mesopotamian, and Anatiolian.
“You’re going to feel like you’re having dinner in [an Istanbul] meyhane, [a traditional Turkish restaurant],” he promises, down to the kebabs and Turkish ice cream and décor.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
He kept El Zarape’s open dining room to ensure everyone can see everyone else and peer into the kitchen with the fire of the pizza oven. “The layout fosters openness and connection, echoing the communal spirit of traditional meyhanes while reimagining it for a contemporary audience,” he explains. The space seats 90 guests over 2,500 square feet, with lots of warm lighting and a homey feel across four different areas: the dining room, bar, kitchen, and pizza bar.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
Bosforo’s menu centers around a family-style feast of hot and cold mezes (Turkish for “snacks” or “appetizers”) like olive piyaz (olive salad dressed in herbs and a vinaigrette), girit (cheese and pistachio spread), spicy ezme (vegetable-based chopped salad with tomatoes, peppers, and onions), and Albanian liver (a tender side of lamb or veal liver seasoned with hot peppers).
All of the kebabs are made with hand-ground meat cooked in the same wood-fired oven that cranks out pizzas like the “Anatolian” (Kayseri pastrami, Turkish sausages, aged Kaskaval cheese). Desserts are simple, including gelato and sutlac (Turkish rice pudding).
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
Seckin says a small menu is the point. Even if you’ve never tried Turkish food before, you can try everything. “And after, like, two hours, you’re going to find out what’s Turkish food,” he laughs. “So, I want to show San Diego Turkish hospitality [and] Turkish culture.”
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
All the cocktails have a Turkish twist—think gin, lemon, and Aperol, but with rose water—and a variety of Turkish spirits like the country’s national drink, raki, an anise-forward spirit made with grapes and raisins. After dinner service, Seckin says he’s hatching plans for nightlife with DJs or live music until midnight or 1 a.m., plus weekend brunch.
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Juan Carlos Gomez opened El Agave Restaurant & Tequileria in Old Town almost 30 years ago. He’s dabbled in other eateries since then—a second El Agave in Del Mar and a Spanish restaurant in La Jolla—but never found the next big thing for him to throw himself behind.
Now he has.
“Nómade” unsurprisingly translates to nomad—a restless wanderer, picking up bits and pieces of community and culture wherever they roam. That idea inspired Gomez, who wanted to blend Spanish tapas with European-style wine bars, mid-century and Scandinavian design, and a splash of Japanese listening bar culture—add a dash of Italian, French, and Peruvian influence.
The all-day menu starts with breakfast dishes like avocado toast (it’s still San Diego, after all), tortilla española, and an Italian focaccia sandwich. Snacks and appetizers range from French croquettes to Spanish patatas bravas, while main courses range a bit more continental (like smashburgers and a fried chicken sandwich). The menu will always be in a state of flux, always nomading.
One thing will remain the same—there will always be plenty of wine—old world, new world, plus some natural orange wines and biodynamics. For cocktails, Nómade will lean flavor over strength, using things like infusions and other housemade ingredients to create a number of lower ABV options. Since the restaurant will be open at 10 a.m. daily, it’ll have coffee, matcha tea, and other AM options.
But after dark, Gomez wants to lean into the experiential nature of listening bars. Inspired by travels through Japan, he’s building a sound system for audiophiles. “It’s going to be more of a chill vibe—no nightclub, no loud music,” he promises. “It’s going to be ambience more than anything.”
Befitting the listening bar vibe, Nómade will be open ’til 11 p.m. on weekdays, and 1 a.m. on weekends. For now, the intimate seating (50 people) is inside, but he’s looking to expand to an outdoor area.
Nómade is slated to open by the end of March at 3027 Adams Avenue, just a few feet away from Hawthorn Coffee, An’s Dry Cleaning, and the intersection of Adams and 30th Street. Wanderers welcome.
Photo Credit: Kailee Winslow
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
A Night To Help End Hunger
In the past, local author and writer Madhushree Ghosh has used words to make change. Now, she’s using food through her supper club series about food equity, access, and social justice. KhabaarCo Conversations with Changemakers series brings together the community for conversations about the deeper issues in the food world and how they relate to San Diego. Her next one is on Tuesday, March 11 with Kate Garrett from Feeding San Diego, who’ll talk about local foodways and how the average person can do to reduce food waste and improve equity in neighborhoods.
Courtesy of Trattoria Cori Pastificio
Beth’s Bites
Congrats to Accursio Lota of Cori Pastificio Trattoria for earning yet another accolade to his already long list of awards. Only 18 restaurants in the world received the acclaimed Three Forks (Tre Forchette) distinction from Italian magazine Gambero Rosso this year, and only five of them are in the US. Of course, we expect nothing less from the Best Pasta in San Diego winner. Next up: a Michelin nod?
Liberty Station is a bastion of brand-new restaurants like Wildflour, as well as longtime favorites like the Corvette Diner. But on March 6, another familiar name will open in the already traffic-congested destination—Chick-fil-A. It won’t have a drive-thru, so if you find parking a tad or incredibly harder soon, that’d be why.
This week marks one year of Green Cheek Beer Co. in Oceanside, and while I still miss Bagby Beer Co. terribly, it’s fantastic to know that the sprawling indoor/outdoor venue at 601 South Coast Highway got new tenants and fresh life. It’s where I know I’ll always have a Vienna Lager waiting for me.
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].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
The Best Gym in San Diego Isn’t Really a Gym Anymore
Earlier this year, Fit quietly dropped "athletic" from its brand, from Fit Athletic Clubs to simply Fit, and started calling itself something new: a social wellness club.
There’s a version of San Diego that lives in two extremes. On one side, the 5 a.m. crowd: biohackers, marathoners, people who’ve already logged a cold plunge before your alarm goes off. On the other, the after-dark crowd, the ones chasing sunset happy hours and late dinners with friends. Everyone seems to be either optimizing or unwinding, and most of us feel like we’re failing at both.
Fit, San Diego’s reigning Best Gym for the third year running, has built its entire identity around erasing that divide.
Walk into one of Fit’s three San Diego locations on a Tuesday afternoon and the lines blur fast. Someone’s mid-set on the squat rack. Someone else has a laptop open at a café table a few feet away, half-working, half-people-watching. A group is trading plans for the weekend’s event by the recovery lounge. Nobody’s in a rush to leave.
“We’re not competing for the same people,” says Emily Waybright, Public Relations Manager at Fit, addressing the arrival of a national luxury gym chain in San Diego this year. “We don’t really feel like we’re in the gym category. It’s this unique thing.”
That unique thing has a name now. Earlier this year, Fit quietly dropped “athletic” from its brand, from Fit Athletic Clubs to simply Fit, and started calling itself something new: a social wellness club.
It’s a small wording change with a bigger idea behind it. Fit was never built around escaping the workday. It was built around the people who genuinely like what they do, and who want workouts, work, and friendships to happen in the same place instead of three separate ones. Because sometimes red light therapy with a stranger turns into weekend plans.
Fit’s philosophy traces back to its founder, who started the brand nearly two decades ago after failing to find a gym he actually wanted to belong to. He looked instead to the old-school country club, where people came for a shared interest and stayed for the community. His version was made for a younger generation, minus the golf, plus the loud music.
Which makes it a little ironic that the very award putting Fit back in the spotlight this year is Best Gym.
What does the best traditional gym look like when the definition of a gym is becoming less traditional? It’s a fair question, and Fit’s answer is that the fitness industry itself is shifting. The 45-minutes-in, 45-minutes-out model is giving way to something closer to a genuine third space, the kind of role the office and the bar used to play before remote work and changing nightlife habits rearranged how people spend their time
For Fit, community isn’t a marketing add-on to fitness. It’s the through-line. Members aren’t just paying for a treadmill; they’re paying for an entire day of social wellness that’s built on performance, recovery, connection, and a plan for the next event on the calendar. That’s a much harder membership to walk away from.
Ambition and ease aren’t opposites here, they exist side by side, where passion and play share the same morning. On September 12, Fit is hosting Sol, a full day wellness festival at Fit Social. The morning focuses on wellness classes and vendors and then the evening is a full party with multiple DJ sets and an open bar. Think of it as a kick-off to locals’ summer in San Diego.
Ready to see what a social wellness club actually looks like? Visit fitclubs.com, or follow along at @thefitclubs on Instagram.
Will Remsbottom is the type of guy who, when he sees a void in the market, just opens his own business. So far, it’s worked out well for him—he launched Scrimshaw Coffee in 2017, Field Trip Coffee Roasters in 2020, and Majorette in 2023. Next up, Somewhere Pizza is coming this December, right next door to Scrimshaw in El Cerrito.
Somewhere Pizza aims to be a true-blue neighborhood pizza joint, with a few other bread and bread-adjacent things on the menu. “Slices and Italian sandwiches for lunch, small seasonal plates, and a menu that is borderline classic ‘red sauce’ spots, but without the kitsch,” Remsbottom says. Sienna Walters of Companion Bread is consulting on how to launch an in-house bakery element, working alongside Scrimshaw chef Jeannette Silva (Pujol in Mexico City, Verlaine in Los Angeles, Communal Coffee in San Diego, and her pop-up La Selva).
Somewhere Pizza founder Will Remsbottom and his family outside Scrimshaw Coffee. Courtesy Somewhere Pizza
Remsbottom wants Somewhere to meet a need the neighborhood didn’t even realize they had. “Think checkered floors, comfy booths, and an aesthetic that is either brand new nor has been there for decades,” he says.
It won’t be pretentious or clubby, he promises. “I think the SD ‘scene,’ where every new spot is trying to be Disneyland, is forgetting about the neighborhood restaurant at a rapid clip,” he says. “So that’s what we’re going to aim to be.”
Somewhere Pizza, located at 5540 El Cajon Boulevard, should start serving Brooklyn-style pizzas, natural wines, housemade sodas, and more sometime in December. A crowdfunding campaign is live; you can follow their progress on Instagram at @somewherepizza_sd.
Courtesy of German-American Societies of San Diego
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
It’s Oktoberfest Season, Y’all
My favorite season is upon us—the time of marzens, dirndls, pretzels, and oom-pah bands. It’s Oktoberfest time across San Diego, and there are more than ever to choose from. I recommend checking out whatever local party is closest to you, but let’s not ignore the German granddaddies of San Diego Oktoberfests: I’m always partial to the German-American Societies of San Diego’s two-weekend bash in El Cajon (September 27–29 and October 4–6), but the county’s largest party comes back to La Mesa on October 4–6 and the beachy Bavarian bacchanal returns to Ocean Beach on October 11–12. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of them, so find your favorite Oktoberfest destination and remember to prost responsibly.
Courtesy of San Diego Cooks
Beth’s Bites
New restaurant alert: A Mexican eatery is headed to 4566 30th Street in North Park. Smoky Habanero Mexican Cuisine is poised to take over the former Living Tea space along the same delicious block as Chris’ Ono Grinds, The Friendly, and Fall Brewing.
Coronado Brewing is getting into the fall spirit with its new cider release, a small-batch cranberry cinnamon apple cider with a refreshing 5.8 percent ABV. If this heat wave ever breaks, I’ll be ready to pair this with a slice of apple pie and my cable-knit sweater.
San Diego Cooks, from San Diego writer Ligaya Malones and photographer Deanna Sandoval, releases this month. The hardcover cookbook features 70 recipes from local chefs and restaurants, including 24 Suns, TJ Oyster Bar, Ambrogio by Acquerello, Valle, and many more. Head to Ponto Lago at Park Hyatt Aviara on Tuesday, September 24, for a cooking demonstration and book signing with executive chef Pierre Albaladejo.
Have breaking-news, exciting scoops, or great stories about San Diego’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Grassroots collectives, pop-ups, cottage kitchens, and other types of indie endeavors don’t usually get the mainstream recognition of splashy concepts tailor-made for Instagram or with enormous PR budgets. But their permeating influence and unbridled creativity arguably define local gastronomic economies more than any glossy magazine spread featuring the hot chef of the month ever truly could.
A bunch of San Diego’s most innovative Latina bakers and other makers have banded together to form a culinary collective called La Tiendita, throwing pop-up events at places like Home Ec and Friends of Friends (two business which also operate in shared spaces—I’m sensing a pattern here). Organizer Veronica Enriquez says she first got the idea in 2022, when Carynn Pinckney, owner of Home Ec, invited her to provide baked goods to a fundraiser for abortion access.
“The vibe of all these people getting together and doing something that was important to all of us—it was like a high,” Enriquez says. She’s worked in restaurants and kitchens for years, currently as the pastry lead at Born & Raised. But she didn’t have an outlet for her own creations, and she knew plenty of other Latinas in the same situation. So, riding that high of the first event, she asked Pinckney to provide space for her and eight other Latinas to showcase their stuff. La Tiendita was born in 2023.
The goal of La Tiendita is to cultivate community and connect like-minded Latinas who tend to be outnumbered in male-dominated kitchens. Even the name reflects the tight-knit nature of the group. “It literally translates to the little shop … but it also means your family-owned neighborhood corner store,” she explains. “Everyone goes to that corner store to pick up their milk for the day. It’s very family-oriented, community-oriented.”
And the family is definitely growing. “Every single time, it gets bigger and bigger,” Enriquez laughs. Makers like Vanessa Corrales (SPLIT Bakehouse Vegan Bakery), Arely Chavez (Michimichi), Helena Quesada (Hell Yeah Helena), and Yajaira Cody (Badu Eats) make up the current roster of 14 creators who now have five events under their belts. The next one isn’t slated until October, but Enriquez they’ll do them as often as they can squeeze them in between their full-time jobs. But for now, her goal is twofold: keep growing and keep inspiring.
“I just want to keep giving Latinas a space and the opportunity to showcase what they can do,” she says. “It can usually be a male-dominated industry, [so] I just want to keep putting it out there and show women, You have the support. You can join in if you want. You can do this, too.”
Ponyboy Photo credit: Jeremy Sazon
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Vino Carta To Host J. Brix Wines on Thursday, August 29
Can’t wait for local winemakers Jody and Emily Towe to open their forthcoming wine tasting room? You don’t have to—just head to Vino Carta (2161 India Street) this Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. for a Winemaker Tasting with J. Brix. Twenty dollars gets you four wines and sparkling (okay, at least bubbling) conversation. The next day is Vino Carta’s weekly Friday pizza night, with OMG-F Pizza as this week’s featured pizzeria. (It’s gluten-free. Get it?)
Ponyboy at The Pearl Hotel Launches Dive-In Movie Nights
Every Wednesday, hop in The Pearl’s pool for themed drink and bite specials from onsite restaurant Ponyboy to go with the throwback movie of the night. (Think Blue Hawaiians during The Endless Summer.) Upcoming movies include The Graduate, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Godzilla, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon—which, hilariously, will feature a “killer seafood” special of linguini and clams. Check out all the hotel happenings right here.
Two San Diegans are finalists in the 2024 Next Wave Awards, hosted by drinks industry media company VinePair. Erick Castro (Gilly’s House of Cocktails) is up for Drinks Professional of the Year, while Derek Gallanosa (GOAL Brewing) is in the running for Brewer of the Year. Best of luck to them both!
I love Korean food more than any other type of cuisine—in fact, I’m eating some tonight—so I’m very much looking forward to Solsot’s arrival at 8657 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite 103. It’s hot pot, not Korean barbecue, a nice addition to the already stellar lineup of Korean restaurants we’re spoiled with here in SD.
Two new restaurants are coming to Westfield UTC. Coconut-centric dessert shop Melo Melo will join the mall munchie roster in October, while we’ll have to wait until November for Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. (I’m quite content making do with SomiSomi until then.)
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].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
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