The Craving: San Diego Food + Drink News – Week of October 5, 2026
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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.
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This Week’s Feature
A First Look at The Heritage Steakhouse’s Debut Menu
The Heritage Steakhouse is bringing East County its first true five-star steakhouse, and the debut menu is here!
Executive Chef Meredith Manée, a veteran of the Four Seasons, Hotel del Coronado, and The Ritz-Carlton Maui, leads a lineup of USDA Prime, Angus, and Wagyu steaks aged 28 days or more, including a 36-ounce Tomahawk made for sharing.
Start with tableside searing on a volcanic stone, a Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Cake, or a seafood tower for two. Pan-roasted diver scallops and a double-cut Iberico pork chop keep the menu going beyond steak.
Finish with a “Death by Chocolate” dessert, all on the sixth floor of The Legacy Building at Lantern Crest Resort Community in Santee.
Reservations open soon, so stay tuned.
📆 Opening this November
📍 200 Lantern Crst Wy 6th Floor, Santee
Insider Move
Nómada is Running a Six-Taco Flight for National Taco Day
National Taco Day falls on a Tuesday this year, and Nómada is ready for it. Out in Carlsbad, they’re running a $20 flight of six tacos, with your pick of up to three varieties from the full menu. It’s the kind of deal that makes sense to send to your group chat, bring some people along, and turn into an event.
Pick your lineup and see what Nómada’s all about.
📆 Tuesday, October 6
🎟️ Book on OpenTable
New This Week
Black Radish is Back! With a Refreshed Room and Three New Menus
Six weeks is a long time to wait, but Black Radish used it well. The University Avenue spot returns with a refreshed dining room and three new ways to eat: a Prix Fixe Menu, a Chef’s Tasting Menu, and an updated Bar Menu loaded with new small bites and seasonal cocktails.
If this place was on your regular rotation, now’s the time to pick it back up. If you’ve never been, treat yourself now. It’s one of our favorites, and will be yours too!
Reservations are open for Friday and Saturday evenings.
📍 2591 University Ave, San Diego
ℹ️ See the full menu
Spill the Beans is Running a $5 Coffee Happy Hour in the Gaslamp
The afternoon slump has a $5 solution. Every weekday at the Gaslamp location on Market Street, Spill the Beans drops the price on 16-oz. iced drinks, with a lineup that runs from a Cinna-Bee (honey, cinnamon, espresso, milk) to a Blondie Mocha built on white chocolate, brown sugar, and macadamia, to cold brew, matcha, and chai.
Check the hours – the end time is not coincidental!
📆 Monday – Friday | October 1 – October 30 | 2 PM – 4:20 PM
📍 555 Market St, Gaslamp Quarter
ARLO’s October Wine Dinner is a Five-Course Case for Napa Valley
Hess Persson Estates is one of Napa Valley’s better names, and ARLO is using that to anchor one serious dinner: five courses, each paired with a wine from the collection.
The menu moves from Diver Scallop Crudo to Butter Poached Maine Lobster to Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Beef Tenderloin, finishing with a Toasted Mocha Cake. It’s the kind of dinner that earns its place on the calendar well in advance. Space is limited so don’t wait on it.
📆 Thursday, October 15 | 6 PM
🎟️ Book your table
New Restaurants Opening in San Diego in 2026
31 new spots landed in our 2026 Openings Guide: Goop Kitchen (Del Mar), Chef Fei (La Jolla), Station8 (La Jolla), Swells Sourdough Bakery (Little Italy), El Punto (Liberty Station), The Garten (La Mesa), Mi Pan Bakery (Mission George), Maranello (Little Italy), Sun Gold Point (Bird Rock), Rei do Gado (Gaslamp), Tierra y Mar (Funner), By The Sea (Coronado), CHAGEE Modern Teahouse (La Jolla), Candy Land Café (San Diego), MAKE Café (Normal Heights), Drums Beatstro Jawn (East Village), Board & Brew (Midway District), The Polished Pigeon (East Village), Moniker General (Downtown), Coffee Dose (Encinitas), SunLife Organics (Coronado), Silver Hoof Creamery (Old Town), Sugarfish (Little Italy), Anigma (Encinitas), Verise (Carlsbad), Georgette’s (North Park), Queenstown (Del Mar), An’s Gelato Gate D5 (Oceanside), Telefèric Barcelona (UTC), The Heritage Steakhouse (Santee), and Black Mizu Café (Little Italy) all got added to the running tracker.
Bookmark the post. It’s the master list of every notable opening, organized by month, updated at the start of each month so you always know what’s new and what’s coming.
Quick Bites & Special Offers
goop kitchen updated the menu for fall. Goop is off to a fast start in San Diego – there seems to be a line at their One Paseo restaurant at all times of the day. But they aren’t resting on their laurels. New this season: a Fall Classic Pizza topped with thinly shaved Delicata squash, fontina, rosemary, and wildflower honey; a tikka masala-spiced curry cauliflower soup with lime crema; and a Blackened Salmon Bowl for when you want something hearty. View the full menu.
Ace Porter just launched a menu worth exploring. The cocktail bar located in the Gaslamp Omni released American Alchemy, a new drink menu that spans American cocktail history from pre-Prohibition classics to a Bootlegger’s Boulevardier with Woodford Reserve and banana, then into the modern era. It’s National Bourbon Heritage Month, and this is a fine way to celebrate. Reserve your spot.
Pali Wine Co introduced a happy hour. The San Diego tasting room is pouring $5 wines and beers on tap Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 6 PM, with deals on bites including their signature charcuterie. Trivia’s back on Thursdays and live music runs every weekend. Book a table.
Wormwood in North Park is turning dinner into a whole ritual with La Nuit Verte, a four-course group dining experience inspired by absinthe, French tradition, and the ritual of gathering around the table. This one’s exclusively for groups of eight or more, with curated pairings and absinthe-inspired moments woven throughout the night. Expect a slower, more intentional pace than a typical night out, with each table set with a printed card prompting you to share something personal with your group over the course of the meal. Make reservations.
Mastro’s Ocean Club has a new Social Hour. The restaurant is running a bar and lounge special Monday through Friday from 4:30 PM to 6 PM, and the menu hits the right notes: oysters ($9), Wagyu smash sliders ($12), Parmesan truffle fries ($8), and cocktails starting at $10. They also have a new Cinnamon & Pecan Butter Cake ($21) October 1 through December 31 – warm layers of brown sugar and cinnamon swirl with toasted pecans, crème anglaise, vanilla bean ice cream, and sea salt toffee caramel sauce 😮. Book on OpenTable.
North Italia introduces a weekday happy hour. Bar deals, Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 PM, include Italian bites like White Truffle Garlic Bread and Double Pepperoni Flatbread for $10-12, plus $10 spritzes and $12 craft cocktails. View the happy hour menu.
The stein is yours to keep. Karl Strauss is pouring its 38th annual Oktoberfest Märzen Lager at all four San Diego County brewpubs through October or while supplies last – grab a 0.5-liter stein and fill for $15 or go a full liter for $25, with same-day refills running just $6. Follow along on Instagram for updates.
The Sunday scaries don’t stand a chance here. Every week, Finca North Park does Oyster Sunday – a dozen fresh oysters and a cold bottle of bubbles for $40. It’s the kind of deal that makes a slow afternoon feel like a plan. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar, but it fills up faster than you’d expect. Reserve a good spot.
Tea in the Garden at Estancia La Jolla has one date left. The Curious Mad Hatter Tea Party on October 18 is the one worth dressing for. $75 per person, per event. Secure your spot.
Bivouac Ciderworks just beat pumpkin spice season to the punch. Cat’s Paw, the brewery’s best-selling seasonal cider, is back with notes of fall spices, pumpkin, and pear at 6% ABV. Grab it on draft or in to-go 4-packs at both North Park locations, or find it around the region. Follow along on Instagram for updates.
Mark Your Calendar & Make Reservations Now
A Taste of Coronado is Back and Bigger Than Ever
Coronado Junior Woman’s Club is back with the 17th Annual A Taste of Coronado, and this year, every bite comes with a bigger purpose.
Grab your friends and wander the island on foot, bike, or trolley, joining 900-plus food lovers for a night of inventive dishes, drinks, live music, and local shops.
This year’s proceeds go toward Promises2Kids’ Guardian Scholars program, helping foster youth pursue college and vocational training, and the impact is real: 63% of Guardian Scholars have graduated college over the last five years, compared to just 8 to 12% nationally for former foster youth.
VIP Experience tickets are already up for grabs, with general admission dropping soon, so don’t wait too long to snag a spot.
📆 Wednesday, October 7 | 5 PM – 9 PM
📍 1201 1st St, Coronado
ℹ️ Read the full story
Amuri Italian Cuisine is Hosting Its First Wine Dinner This October
Five courses of Italian food, each paired with Italian wines, all for $99 a head – Amuri Italian Cuisine in Mira Mesa is hosting its very first wine dinner, keeping the room intimate and the focus squarely on the pairing.
Think of it as the kind of dinner where the food and the wine are in conversation all night long. Seats are limited, and this one is worth booking well ahead.
📆 Wednesday, October 7 | 6 PM
📍 9932 Mercy Rd, UNIT 109, San Diego
🎟️ Book a table
The San Diego Coffee Festival Takes Over Broadway Pier
Broadway Pier has hosted plenty over the years. The San Diego Coffee Festival, back for a third year, turns it into the best-smelling room in the city, and the setup is simple. Buy a ticket, walk in, and the pours are included.
Modern Times Coffee, Ryan Bros Coffee, Cafe Moto, Parakeet Café, and Klatch Coffee are pouring, alongside smaller operations like Tyne Coffee Co. and 18 Cities Coffee Roasters. Tea and other non-coffee options are on hand too.
Tickets go by session, and early admission gets you in an hour ahead of everyone else. Live music runs straight through, food trucks park outside, and the break between sessions is when the roasters have time to talk. Bring your travel mug.
📆 October 10 – 11 | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
📍 1000 North Harbor Drive, San Diego
ℹ️ Read the full story
Busalacchi’s Celebrate 40 Years With a Brand-New Street Feast for Charity
Busalacchi Restaurants is turning 40, and they’re marking it with a brand-new tradition: The Feast, a massive street dinner debuting this October. Proceeds benefit The Positive Movement Foundation, supporting San Diego youth through local schools.
India Street closes from Fir to Grape, filling with long banquet tables and string lights for a night inspired by the Italian ritual of gathering around the table.
It celebrates 40 years of Busalacchi Restaurants shaping Little Italy. A reception hour brings grazing stations and live music, then a four-course family-style dinner by Barbusa takes over, wine included.
Want to go all in? VIP and Founder’s Table tickets add perks like an Aperol Spritz welcome, wine tastings, and reserved seating for eight – all for a good cause. Stasera si mangia, si beve e si fa festa! 🇮🇹🍷
📆 Sunday, October 11 | 5 PM – 10 PM
📍 1917 India St, San Diego
ℹ️ Read the full story
LandShark Goes Haunted for Halloween
LandShark Bar & Grill at Margaritaville Hotel San Diego is going full haunted jungle this October. Lost Temple Tavern transforms the space into an abandoned tropical outpost overtaken by twisted vines, tropical skeletons, cursed castaways, and ancient relics.
Spooky cocktail and island-inspired food specials set the mood, and immersive details and photo-worthy moments are scattered around every corner – give yourself time to explore the whole space. It all runs daily, but comes especially alive after dark, when a live DJ kicks off Friday and Saturday nights. Come dressed in costume.
📆 October 10 – 31 | Daily from 7 AM | Live DJ Fri & Sat from 7:30 PM
📍 616 J St, San Diego
Chefs Tim Kolanko and Tony Coito Bring Northeastern Italy to Mingei
Friuli-Venezia Giulia doesn’t get enough credit. The northeastern Italian region sits where the Alps meet the Adriatic, and its food and wine reflect a mix of cultures and landscapes that Tuscany-centric Italian dining rarely captures.
Chefs Tim Kolanko and Tony Coito are putting it at the center of October’s ARTIFACT at Night dinner at Mingei, digging into the flavors of one of Italy’s most interesting corners. If you’ve been following this series, you already know the drill.
📆 Thursday, October 15 | 5 PM – 8 PM
🎟️ Reserve your spot
Five Courses, One Seating, Napa in the Glass
ARLO San Diego is turning over one night on Hotel Circle to Napa Valley. Five courses, one seating, a Hess Persson Estates pour with every plate.
Seafood opens, duck and beef tenderloin do the heavy lifting, and a Toasted Mocha cake closes it out. $120 per person before tax and gratuity, parking free with validation. Spots are limited.
📆 Thursday, October 15 | 6 PM
🎟️ Reserve your spot
ℹ️ See the full menu
A New Chapter for Celebrate the Craft
Celebrate the Craft is back for year 23, and it’s not slowing down.
Set on The Lodge at Torrey Pines’ grounds overlooking the golf course and the Pacific, this outdoor festival brings together chefs, farmers, ranchers, vintners, and artisans for an afternoon built around California’s food and drink scene.
Fresh leadership from Executive Chef Eric Sakai and A.R. Valentien’s Owen Beatty headlines a lineup pulling from top Southern California and Baja restaurants, alongside pours from Chateau Montelena, DAOU, Ridge Vineyards, and more.
Storyhouse Spirits is even debuting a Torrey pines-infused gin for the occasion. New this year: a VIP add-on with wine blending, private tastings, and a floral station, plus a first-time partnership with the San Diego Food Bank, so every bite gives back too.
📆 Sunday, October 18 | 11:30 AM – 3 PM
📍 11480 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla
ℹ️ Read the full story
San Diego Food + Wine Festival’s Biggest Year Yet
San Diego Food + Wine Festival is turning 22, celebrating with the biggest shake-up in two decades. Grab your appetite, because this year’s Grand Weekend is going bigger than ever.
Over eight days, more than 11,000 food and wine lovers descend on a reimagined Grand Weekend presented by Southwest Airlines, complete with a new Icons + Legends opening night, fresh culinary districts like Smoke + Fire and Sweet Street, and Grand Tasting and Grand Fiesta joining forces for the first time on one waterfront weekend.
The lineup is stacked with Michelin and James Beard talent, from Suzette Gresham to Javier Plascencia, pouring alongside more than 800 wines and spirits, plus crowd favorites like “Chef of the Fest” and “Taco TKO.”
Beyond the tastings, standalone dinners honor everyone from Chef José Andrés to San Diego’s small farms, and the festival’s food recovery program keeps giving back through it all.
📆 Sunday, November 1 – Sunday, November 8 | 11 AM – 3 PM
📍 Multiple venues across San Diego
ℹ️ Read the full story
Unlimited Tacos in SDMA’s Sculpture Garden for Día de los Muertos
SDMA is turning its sculpture garden into a taco party for Día de los Muertos, and it’s a good one.
Local vendors – Blanco Cocina + Cantina, El Indio, Panama 66, La Puerta, The Craft Taco, and more – set up stations throughout the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court, with every ticket covering unlimited tastings plus a Panama 66 margarita, Mujeres Brew House beer, or agua fresca.
Both museums are free and open all day. Tickets go fast.
📆 Sunday, November 1 | 12 PM – 4 PM
ℹ️ Read the full story
Little Italy’s Pink Holiday Takeover Returns
Lala transforms into Lala-Land for the holidays – its annual takeover that swaps the usual restaurant look for bold pink Christmas décor, twinkling lights, and a photo-op around every corner.
The Italian-inspired menu and holiday cocktails are still there, making it an easy call for date nights, festive dinners, or just a very good drink with friends.
📆 Starting late November
🎟️ Book your table
ℹ️ See the menu
Del Mar’s Holiday Food-and-Drink Crawl is Back
Del Mar Village Winter Taste & Sip is exactly what it sounds like: a festive afternoon stroll through downtown Del Mar’s beautifully decorated streets, with bites from local restaurants, drinks at Sip Stops tucked inside neighborhood businesses, and live music around every corner.
Every ticket comes with a commemorative GoVino tasting glass to keep as a souvenir. It’s all part of the bigger North Pole by the Sea holiday festivities, and presale tickets are live right now – which is great news, because this one has a habit of selling out early.
📆 Sunday, December 6 | 1 PM – 4 PM
📍 Downtown Del Mar Village
🎟️ Get tickets
Looking Ahead
The Team Behind City Tacos is Opening El Punto at Liberty Station
Gerry Torres, the owner of City Tacos, is bringing a new restaurant to Liberty Station this October. El Punto takes over an 8,800-square-foot space at 2885 Perry Road – indoor dining, covered outdoor seating, an enclosed off-leash dog park, and life-size lawn games, the kind of setup made for a long afternoon.
Executive Chef Eduardo Baeza, who has been cooking alongside Torres for 25 years, is leading the kitchen with a coastal Mexican menu: ceviche, oysters, tiraditos, full entrées, and the five standout tacos from the City Tacos lineup. Bar Director Rudy Corona is running a michelada bar. Brunch and a kids menu are in the mix, too.
📆 Opening October 2026
ℹ️ Read the full story
IZOLA Bakeshop is Bringing Its 96-Layer Croissants to Sorrento Valley
Jeffrey Brown and Jenny Chen started IZOLA in 2020 with no professional ovens and no storefront, lowering their first croissants down to customers in a basket from a third-floor East Village studio.
Six years later, their croissants – 96 laminated layers, four days in the making – are heading to a new home at Biovista in Sorrento Valley. The flavors are the other story: Bibimbap, SoCal Date Shake, a Ramen Croissant in development.
📆 Opening later this year
ℹ️ Read the full story
A Mission Hills Wine Bar Worth the Wait
Serafino, the all-day café and wine bar from husband-and-wife founders David and Rebeca Cross, is opening late this year. The team just named San Diego wine veteran Rob Blair – formerly of Kensington’s Village Vino – as Wine Director and released a first look inside its 3,100-square-foot space.
Designed with craftsman millwork, mosaic tile, and terrazzo, the restaurant is also built from the ground up as an inclusive workplace for neurodivergent individuals and others historically excluded from hospitality.
While you wait, Word of Mouth Wine Club is open now: two bottles a month with tasting notes, food pairings, and music suggestions for $70.
📆 Opening late 2026
📍 301 W. Washington Street, Mission Hills
ℹ️ Follow along on Instagram for udpates
Coffee to Cocktails Under One La Mesa Roof at The Garten
Billy and Suzanna Beltz, the couple behind Oddish Wine and Lost Cause Meadery, are turning a 5,000-square-foot building between La Mesa Village and MacArthur Park into a wine and beer bar, coffee shop, all-day cafe, wine shop, and restaurant, with Bica running the restaurant and coffee program.
Coffee and light breakfast roll into lunch and dinner off a wood-fired oven and rotisserie. The bar pours Oddish and Lost Cause next to other local wines, beers, and ciders, plus aperitivo, low-ABV cocktails, and spritzes.
The 1940s building keeps its barrel-shaped wooden roof and big front windows, with outdoor seating and a kid-friendly area. No name yet. Community is the whole point.
📆 Projected to open by the end of 2027
📍 8495 La Mesa Blvd
See you there, San Diego!
