After a more than seven month closure, Buona Forchetta's Italian-inspired GP Diner has reopened in San Diego's North County city of Encinitas.
Native Italian Matteo Cattaneo opened his award-winning Buona Forchetta in San Diego's South Park neighborhood in 2011 and has been expanding his restaurant empire ever since. In March 2017, the company opened an offshoot dubbed Officine Buona Forchetta in Liberty Station, which coincided with the announcement of an Encinitas Buona Forchetta that debuted in October 2018. The team also operates Enoteca Buona Forchetta, an Italian bodega and bistro that sits two doors down from the company's flagship South Park restaurant.In early 2020, Buona Forchetta ownership opened Matteo, a non-profit breakfast-centric restaurant in South Park, as well as Garage Buona Forchetta in Coronado and Roman pizzeria Gelati & Peccati in North Park. Last year, Cattaneo also opened a Buona Forchetta branch in the 3,000 square-foot space that last housed a location of the now-defunct PrepKitchen chain within Block C at the North City mixed use residential and retail development in San Marcos, with another branch opening in San Clemente, CA later in 2022. In order to host private events, the Buona Forchetta team took over the former Moose Lodge at 1648 30th Street in South Park and is in the process of constructing an event venue and restaurant dubbed Meraki. Last February, Cattaneo opened casual, NYC-style pizzeria concept Forchettabouddit in Encinitas's El Camino Promenade that previously housed Pizza@Portafoglio and also opened a Texas-style barbecue restaurant called Carbón in South Park.
Last July, GP Diner opened in the 2,138 square-foot building that long housed a location of Angelo's Burgers on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas. But before the end of the month, the restaurant had reported it would be temporarily closing without citing a reason. It is believed the establishment was paid a visit by the City of Encinitas code enforcement and forced to shut down.
A short seven and a half months later, GP Diner has reopened, offering a menu of Roman-style rectangular pizza from Luca Zamboni and homemade gelato by Giovanni Bonomi from one side of the building. The other half of the space will be outfitted like a 1950s diner with retro pinball games and classic dishes with an Italian flair designed by Chef Hanis Cavin, all available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also a full coffee menu with a selection of pastries, croissants and more baked goods.
GP Diner is now open Sunday through Thursday from 6am to 9pm and Friday & Saturday from 6am to 10pm at 608 South Coast Highway 101 in San Diego's North County community of Encinitas. For more information, follow GP Diner on Instagram.
GP Diner is now open Sunday through Thursday from 6am to 9pm and Friday & Saturday from 6am to 10pm at 608 South Coast Highway 101 in San Diego's North County community of Encinitas. For more information, follow GP Diner on Instagram.
