The Craving: San Diego Food + Drink News – Week of August 31, 2026

The Craving is ThereSanDiego's weekly guide to what's worth eating and drinking in San Diego right now. Every Tuesday, we surface new restaurant openings, standout happy hours, limited-time menu specials, and upcoming food events across the city - so you know what's happening before everyone else does.
Stella Jean's Ice Cream x Summer Fridays Collaboration
Stella Jean’s Ice Cream and Summer Fridays Just Dropped a Collab
Stella Jean’s Ice Cream is teaming up with Summer Fridays for a three-day collaboration that turns the beauty brand’s new Sweet Summer Minis collection into...
Families Enjoying Shark Summer at Birch Aquarium
Shark Summer is Back at Birch Aquarium and it’s Worth the Trip to La Jolla
Shark Summer is back at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, running from early July through early August. The month-long program dives into the...
Moonshine Flats Cassie B
All Summer Long: Live Music at Moonshine Flats and Moonshine Beach
Check out the exciting moonshine flats moonshine beach summer lineup featuring diverse live music and entertainment throughout the season.
Community Gathering at the Switchfoot Bro-Am Beach Fest
Switchfoot Bro-Am is Back and Bigger Than Ever
Twenty-two years in, the Switchfoot Bro-Am has earned its place as one of Southern California’s most meaningful annual traditions. What started as a grassroots local...
Taste of Eastlake
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Eat, Drink, and Give Back at Taste of EastLake 2026
If you’re looking for a summer night out that means something, this one’s worth circling. The EastLake Educational Foundation is hosting its annual Taste of...
Organica: Flora to Fauna Opens at the Granger Hotel
The Granger Hotel has a new exhibition worth seeking out. Organica: Flora to Fauna brings together fourteen regional artists from Southern California and across the...
Pear Plum is Bringing Specialty Coffee and a Serious Wine Bar to Downtown San Diego
Downtown San Diego is getting exactly the kind of neighborhood spot it deserves. Pear Plum is an all-day café, specialty coffee shop, and wine bar...
burger
Queenstown Hospitality Group Opens a New Del Mar Location – and it’s a Good One
San Diego’s dining scene just got a new addition, and this one’s up north in Del Mar. Queenstown Hospitality Group – the collective behind some...
anigma cocktail bar encinitas
Find Your Way Into Anigma, Encinitas’s New Hidden Cocktail Den
Something genuinely intriguing opened along the 101 in Encinitas, and it’s not giving much away. Anigma is a new hidden cocktail bar from the owners...
Harvest for Heroes community fundraiser at Fox Point Farms
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Harvest for Heroes Brings Together Great Food and a Great Cause at Fox Point Farms
Shelter to Soldier is teaming up with Fox Point Farms and Dija Mara for Harvest for Heroes, a community fundraising event in Encinitas that brings...
Saya Woolfalk installation new children's museum
Step Inside Saya Woolfalk’s Whimsical World at The New Children’s Museum
The New Children’s Museum is about to open something really special. Woodswoman: Earthseed is a large-scale immersive installation by New York-based multidisciplinary artist Saya Woolfalk,...
Sugarfish Little Italy
Nozawa-Style Sushi Has Landed in Little Italy
Explore SUGARFISH San Diego for a unique sushi experience. Enjoy the simplicity and quality in every dish served.
Taste Of Little Italy and Taste Passport
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Little Italy is Your Dinner Table for the Night – and it’s One You Won’t Want to Leave
  • Piazza della Famiglia
Prepare you tastebuds and Taste Passport for a day full of fresh, authentic Italian cuisine at the annual Taste of Little Italy.
Neighborhood Food Tour
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Explore 45 Local Spots at the Taste of Adams Avenue’s Silver Anniversary
  • Adams Avenue
The Taste of Adams Avenue is back for its 25th year, and the lineup of 45 local spots spread across one of San Diego's most characterful corridors makes a pretty strong case for blocking off your Sunday.
san diego museum of art centennial exhibition
San Diego Museum of Art is Celebrating 100 Years With its Most Ambitious Exhibition Yet
One hundred years in, and the San Diego Museum of Art is putting it all on the table. Forging a Legacy: 15 Years of Landmark...
Verbatim Books in the Park Til Dark
Showing
Verbatim Books is Taking Reading Outside – and it’s Free
One of North Park’s favorite community traditions is back for its third year, and it’s exactly the kind of evening San Diego was made for....
Tracy Borkum and Tim Kolanko of Urban Kitchen Group
Urban Kitchen Group is Bringing a New Restaurant to Bankers Hill
Tracy Borkum and chef-partner Tim Kolanko of Urban Kitchen Group are bringing a new all-day restaurant concept to Bankers Hill. The approximately 5,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor space...
Crowds enjoying the Scoop San Diego Ice Cream Festival in North Park
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Discover 30+ Local Ice Cream Makers at North Park’s Scoop San Diego
The 8th Annual Scoop San Diego Ice Cream Festival returns to North Park for an afternoon of frozen treats, community, and a genuinely good cause....
See What East Village Has in Store for This Summer
East Village is Having a Moment This Summer and Here’s Where to Be
East Village has always had good energy, but this summer the neighborhood’s best venues are bringing their A-game with a lineup of recurring events, themed...
MCASD EXPO Design Market
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EXPO Design Market Returns to MCASD With a Full Weekend of Art, Design, and Music
  • Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Discover innovative ideas at the EXPO Design Market MCASD while enjoying special discounts on gallery admission all weekend.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is Opening in Mission Valley – and it Comes With Robots
Discover Kura Revolving Sushi Bar's second location in San Diego! Join us for the grand opening and enjoy the revolving sushi experience.
Candyland Cafe
Candy Land is Becoming a Real Café – and it’s Opening in San Diego
Bucket Listers and Hasbro are turning the classic board game into a full-blown dining experience, and San Diego is where it’s making its world debut....
Estancia La Jolla
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Tequila, Tacos, and Palm Trees: Agave Fest Returns to La Jolla
  • Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
When we need a reason to celebrate the end of June, Estancia La Jolla delivers. Agave Fest’s fifth year means three hours of unlimited premium...
Paul Simon Concert: A Quiet Celebration Tour
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Paul Simon’s Quiet Celebration Tour Stops at The Rady Shell
  • The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
Paul Simon is bringing his “A Quiet Celebration Tour” to The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park this summer. After a strong US run last year,...
Upcoming Events
George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Catch George Thorogood’s Baddest Show on Earth at Humphreys
August 12, 2026
7:30 pm
  • Humphreys Concerts by the bay
Discover the legacy of George Thorogood & The Destroyers as they tour with classic anthems and electrifying live performances.
Cast performing in Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen on Broadway
Feel the Fire of Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen at San Diego Civic Theatre
August 11, 2026
7:00 pm
  • San Diego Civic Theatre
Alicia Keys is bringing her story to the stage, and honestly, this is a big one. Broadway’s Hell’s Kitchen is making its way to San...
Gipsy Kings
Spend a Bayfront Sunday With the Gipsy Kings at The Rady Shell
August 9, 2026
7:30 pm
  • The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
Get ready for an amazing night at the Gipsy Kings Rady Shell Concert and enjoy timeless hits that resonate with everyone.
FNGRS CRSSD x Cross Pollination
Catch Lane 8, Yotto, Kasbo, and More at FNGRS CRSSD x Cross Pollination
August 9, 2026
3:00 pm
  • Waterfront Park
Discover the unique concept of Cross Pollination in San Diego with FNGRS CRSSD, showcasing eight artists in collaborative sets.
Rooftop brunch experience at The Nat
Make Your Museum Day a Brunch Day at The Nat
August 9, 2026
10:00 am
  • San Diego Natural History Museum
The Nat just leveled up your Sunday plans. Between the galleries and a rooftop brunch with sweeping Balboa Park views, this is quickly becoming the...