SanDiegoVille

Dîner En Blanc Is Returning To San Diego - And With It, The Spectacle Of Manufactured Meaning

This December, Dîner en Blanc returns to San Diego. Once again, a caravan of the willing will don compulsory white, drag folding tables and wine glasses through city streets, and gather in a “secret” location for what organizers call elegance and surprise. On the surface, it is billed as an elegant pop-up dinner picnic. In truth, it is a ritual of boredom - an event that exists not to nourish but to distract, to manufacture struggle where none remains, and to sell back to us the feeling of having earned an experience.

San Diego's beloved reggae-themed sushi bar is finally making its comeback. Zen 5 Sushi, which has been closed since a devastating fire in May 2024, will hold a soft reopening on October 10, nearly a year and a half after the blaze shuttered the Pacific Beach neighborhood spot.

A fast-casual breakfast and brunch concept known for scratch-made sandwiches, EggBred is pushing into the San Diego market with a new location planned for North Park.

The long-awaited Boatyard project planned for the former Fiddler's Green property on San Diego's Shelter Island continues to push forward, with its team announcing key leadership hires, construction approvals, and operational planning as the $4.5 million nautical-themed steakhouse and speakeasy prepares for its debut in 2026.

A massive resort development with San Diego County’s first-ever surf lagoon is officially on the horizon for North County. The long-awaited Ocean Kamp project will bring a 3.5-acre wave pool, a 300-room hotel, shops, dining, office space, and nearly 670 homes, with developers aiming to have the lagoon ready in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters in La Jolla Shores will serve its last meals on November 1, ending a four-year run that never quite found its rhythm. The restaurant, from George Hauer and chef-partner Trey Foshee of San Diego’s iconic George’s at the Cove, was itself a reinvention after Galaxy Taco faltered in the same space.

One of Tijuana’s most acclaimed taquerías is officially bringing its legendary flavors to the heart of downtown San Diego. Tacos El Franc, the Michelin-recognized institution revered on both sides of the border, will open its Gaslamp Quarter outpost on October 8.

A fresh round of Reddit pile-ons has further painted San Diego's Consortium Holdings (CH Projects) as little more than influencer-fueled fodder, a chain of restaurants built for Instagram rather than for the table. The critique is catchy; the reality is more complex.

Fred’s Mexican Cafe, also known as Casa de Fred’s, has permanently closed in Old Town San Diego after 25 years of business. The decision, announced on social media and confirmed by a notice posted on the restaurant’s door, marks the end of one of the neighborhood’s most familiar dining institutions.

San Diego has a new brunch destination as the team behind Madison on Park and Madi in Normal Heights has opened Madi Pacific Beach, bringing creative breakfast and lunch dishes, cocktails, and coffee to the former Rubio's location.

Camino Riviera, the Riviera Maya–inspired bar and restaurant that brought a nightlife-driven energy to San Diego's Little Italy, has permanently closed. The surprise announcement came Monday with ownership revealing on social media that the venue had already hosted its final service.

Black Plague Brewing, the North County San Diego-based brewery known for its dark aesthetic and inventive branding, has permanently closed after eight years in business. The company shut down its 13,000-square-foot Oceanside brewery and its Escondido taproom over the weekend, bringing an abrupt end to a run that once included multiple locations and a devoted following.

The Shoppes at Carlsbad, a long-standing North County retail landmark, has been sold in a $71.5 million transaction to a joint venture between Steerpoint Capital and SteelWave. The deal, announced September 23, marks the second acquisition completed by the partners under their growing platform targeting major retail and mixed-use properties across the western United States.

Flap Your Jacks, the do-it-yourself pancake restaurant that became a brunch staple in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, has permanently closed after more than five years in business. The announcement was made on social media Monday night, with owners thanking customers for their support since the restaurant’s opening in March 2020.

Spitz Mediterranean Street Food has unveiled on Garnet Avenue, bringing back döner kebabs, falafel, Berliner Fries and more. The LA-born chain returns to San Diego in the former Crushed space with a sunny patio, art-driven vibes, and a killer lineup of craft beer, hard seltzer, sangria and wine.

Starbucks is shuttering at least 12 locations across San Diego County as part of a sweeping turnaround plan aimed at cutting underperforming stores in North America. The closures come as the coffee giant grapples with declining sales, increased competition, and efforts to refocus its brand under CEO Brian Niccol.

San Diego’s Civic Center is about to look a little different this fall. On Thursday, October 9, the second annual Downtown Dreamin’: Spaces Reimagined will turn Civic Center Plaza into an all-day, 21+ celebration of food, music, art, and community in the heart of downtown.

Another wave of change is hitting Del Mar’s One Paseo complex as Harland Brewing prepares to close its tasting room there this October after six years in business. The move comes amid a period of transition for the high-profile Carmel Valley development, which has seen a steady mix of closures, arrivals, and retools since it first debuted in 2019.