Well, he’s at it again – and again. Local celebrity chef Brian Malarkey has debuted two more restaurants: one is a fancy seafood and pizza spot in Encinitas, while the other is a casual café in downtown San Diego. Eater San Diego shares the scoop on both, plus other tasty top stories from our city’s food and drink scene.
Brian Malarkey Lands Herb & Sea in Encinitas
On the heels of opening his new Asian restaurant, Animae, celebrity chef Brian Malarkey brings an offshoot of Little Italy's popular Herb & Wood to North County. Herb & Sea – in partnership with Chris Puffer, joined by investors like skateboarding icon Tony Hawk and Malarkey’s mom – is a 6,500-square-foot restaurant on West D Street. The menu here is focused on seafood and wood-fired cookery that includes a variety of pizza and homemade pasta. The restaurant’s coastal-inspired design features an open kitchen and an oyster bar, too. Check out the menu here.
Malarkey Debuts Casual Café Next to Animae
Malarkey’s splashy special-occasion Animae restaurant has launched NIMA Café right next door, which offers a daytime menu of coffee and tea, and an Asian-inspired menu at breakfast and lunch. Fresh baked pastries include matcha croissants and five-spice snickerdoodles while plates range from poke-filled spring rolls and pour-over ramen to homemade SPAM musubi.
Trust Restaurant Goes All-In on Park Boulevard Steakhouse
The team behind Trust and Fort Oak has unveiled a new retro-modern steakhouse in the spot that used to house Hundred Proof. Shifting the space from a bar to a full-fledged restaurant, Rare Society is serving a menu of classic steakhouse dishes and drinks, from wood-fired, dry-aged meat and lobster bisque, to whiskey sours and espresso martinis.
19 Vegan Tacos to Try in San Diego
Tacos have long been king in San Diego but, today, many of the city's top taco specialists also happen to feature meatless variations that are just as tasty and satisfying as their meat-centered counterparts. From battered tempeh that mimic fish to chili-braised mushrooms and spiced meat alternative, vegan taco fillings and toppings are becoming increasingly creative in America’s Finest City.
Japan's Largest Curry Rice Chain Expands to Convoy
With more than 1,400 locations all over the world, CoCo Ichibanya is Japan's most famous brand of eateries that specialize in Japanese curry. The mega-chain has announced that it will be coming to Convoy Street next spring, bringing its popular menu which allows diners to customize their curry's spice level and choose from varying portion sizes of rice.
Candice Woo is the founding editor of Eater San Diego, a leading source for news about San Diego’s restaurant and bar scene. Keep up with the latest Eater San Diego content via Facebook or Twitter, and sign up for Eater San Diego’s newsletter here.
