The Craving: San Diego Food + Drink News – Week of October 12, 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.

San Diego Symphony's Midday Music series

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Spend Your Lunch Break With Free Chamber Music at the Top of the Central Library

San Diego Central Library

Free chamber music, city views from the top floor, and a standing invitation to bring your lunch. The San Diego Symphony’s Midday Music series is...

Explore The Valley’s New Wave of Openings – From Vietnamese Coffee to Milanese Gelato

Remember when Mission Valley Mall was just… there? Those days are gone. The Valley has already brought in Kura Sushi and Box Lunch this summer,...

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa Whiskey & Wine Party

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Sip Bourbon By the Bonfire at Estancia La Jolla’s Whiskey & Wine Party

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa

Savor the Whiskey & Wine Estancia La Jolla experience with delicious food, exceptional drinks, and a vibrant atmosphere this fall.

Coronado

Eat Like You’re on the Amalfi Coast at By The Sea in Coronado

Doug and Lara Hamm spent years traveling through the French Riviera, Greek Isles, and Amalfi Coast. By The Sea is what happened when they decided...

KPBS San Diego Book Festival at the University of San Diego

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Dive Into a Day of Books at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival

University of San DIego

The second annual KPBS San Diego Book Festival, presented by the University of San Diego, is back, and it’s shaping up to be a full...

Soft Power exhibition at Oceanside Museum of Art

Showing

Explore Identity and Power at OMA’s Newest Exhibition

Oceanside Museum of Art

Oceanside Museum of Art is hosting the 2026 San Diego Art Prize exhibition for the first time ever, and this one’s a must-see. Soft Power:...

San Diego Food + Wine Festival's 22nd annual celebration

Upcoming

San Diego Food + Wine Festival Returns for Its 22nd Year

Embarcadero Marina Park North

The San Diego Food + Wine Festival is turning 22 and shaking things up in a big way. One of the nation’s top cross-border culinary...

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Play Mahjong and Sip Moët at Provisional Kitchen at Pendry San Diego

Provisional Kitchen, Cafe & Mercantile

Someone at Pendry San Diego had a very good idea. Provisional Kitchen is running a Mahjong & Moët mini-series – a 90-minute guided session led...

Bayside Bands, Brew & BBQ at SeaWorld San Diego

Close Out Summer With Skillet, Saliva, and 60 Craft Beers at SeaWorld

Bayside Brews & BBQ Festival is back! Experience live music and a delicious menu at SeaWorld San Diego this summer.

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Spend a Smooth Saturday at the San Diego Yacht Rock Festival

Ingram Plaza

Experience the San Diego Yacht Rock Festival, featuring top artists and local food at Liberty Station. Embrace the yacht rock vibes.

The Best Dinner in San Diego Won’t Tell You Where it is Until the Night Before

The email arrives the day before the event with the location, but the menu isn’t known until you arrive. You are not booking a restaurant....

The Del Mar Wine & Food Festival at Surf Sports Park

Your Ultimate Guide to The Del Mar Wine + Food Festival

The Del Mar Wine + Food Festival is back, and it’s coming in hot after being named one of America’s best food festivals by Thrillist....

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Treat Yourself to 60+ Spirits Brands Above the La Jolla Coast

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

San Diego Spirits Festival will be held at the newly-renovated Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla.

Oceanside Museum of Art Changing Terrain: Regional Artists Interpret Our Landscape

See Southern California and Baja Through 60 Artists’ Eyes in Oceanside

Experience the Changing Terrain exhibition featuring diverse voices from regional artists discussing the evolution of our landscape.

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Catch Laura Peek, Dan Donohue, and Dean Delray at Comedy After Dark

Pendry San Diego

Camden Hall at Pendry San Diego is pulling off something very fun: a proper comedy night with a lineup that actually delivers. Laura Peek, Dan...

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Wander the Island One Bite at a Time at Taste of Coronado

Coronado Ferry Landing
Coronado Island

The Coronado Junior Woman’s Club is bringing back the 17th Annual A Taste of Coronado, and this year, it’s about a lot more than just...

Cheer on the Oceanside Shock at Frontwave Arena This Fall

North County is getting a pro hockey team, and their mascot is a jellyfish. An extremely determined jellyfish. Gripping a hockey stick. Frontwave Arena just...

San Diego Symphony performing Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert

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Hear Zimmer’s Pirates Score Live on the Bay

The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

The San Diego Symphony Orchestra is bringing Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to the big screen while performing Klaus Badelt...

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Watch Tchaikovsky’s Greatest Hits Come to Life at The Rady Shell

The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

An audience favorite is back at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, and this time it’s going all in on one composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,...

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Spend a Sunday Night With Toad the Wet Sprocket at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

Humphreys Concerts by the bay

See Toad the Wet Sprocket at Humphreys as they blend their past with present, delivering heartfelt songs about life's challenges.

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Head Back to Hogwarts With the San Diego Symphony at The Rady Shell

The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

Join the San Diego Symphony Orchestra for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Concert. Enjoy a cinematic experience like no other.

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Experience Filipino Culture Up Close at SamaFest 2026

Balboa Park

Samahan Arts is bringing back its 39th Annual Philippine Cultural Arts Festival, and this year it’s going big: a full two days of Filipino food,...

Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean sharing the stage together

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Watch Two Country Legends Share the Stage at Petco Park

PETCO Park

Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean are bringing their co-headlining Double Down Tour 2026 to Petco Park, and this is the kind of lineup that doesn’t...

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Make Your Museum Day a Brunch Day at The Nat

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...

The Bonnie Raitt San Diego concert brings slide guitar and soulful vocals to the bayfront

Catch Bonnie Raitt Live Under the Stars at The Rady Shell

October 17, 2026

7:00 pm

The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

Slide guitar, soulful vocals, and a bayfront setting: that’s the recipe for a great night out. Bonnie Raitt is bringing her Live 2026 tour to...

San Diego

Sip for a Cause at Hallo-Wine’s Fall Festival in Point Loma

October 17, 2026

3:00 pm

Experience the Hallo-Wine Fall Festival featuring local wineries, breweries, and delicious food against a scenic backdrop.

San Diego

Mission Bayfest Returns to Mariner’s Point Park With Rebelution, Kolohe Kai & The Offspring

October 16, 2026

3:00 pm

Mariners Point

Mission Bayfest is heading back to the waterfront this fall, bringing three days of reggae, rock, and SoCal vibes to Mariner’s Point Park along the...

San Diego

Explore 15+ Art Stops – and a Brand-New Mural – at North Park Gallery Night

October 15, 2026

5:00 pm

North Park

North Park already has one of the more creative stretches in the city, and once a month, the whole neighborhood makes it official. North Park...

North Park

Celebrate 25 Years of the San Diego International Film Festival

October 13, 2026

5:30 pm

Belly Up Tavern
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
THE LOT La Jolla
Westfield UTC

Discover the prestigious San Diego International Film Festival, known for highlighting Oscar-winning films and emerging talent.