With the stay-at-home order lifted this week, San Diego’s restaurants are back to offering outdoor dining. What else is new and good in our local food scene? Well, there’s a new “ghost kitchen” in town, great taco spots, and more craft beer brewing. Eater San Diego shares the top stories of this week from our local food and drink scene.
San Diego Restaurants Restart On-Site Dining
The regional stay-at-home order that San Diego County had been under since Dec. 6 was lifted on Jan. 25 when the state returned to its color-coded, county-by-county system. Now categorized in the purple tier, San Diego restaurants are, once again, allowed to reopen for outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery. Indoor dining is still not allowed under COVID-19 public health rules.
Gourmet Burger ‘Ghost Kitchen’ Expands to San Diego
Remember that time we explored the pandemic-era trend of “ghost kitchens” on our Scene in San Diego podcast? Well, there’s another new “ghost kitchen” in town, this time from celebrity chef Michael Mina. The chef has brought Bourbon Burger Bar to San Diego, where the ghost kitchen is operating out of this International Smoke restaurant at One Paseo. The virtual eatery is offering a takeout and delivery menu inspired by the steakhouse experience, with gourmet takes on burgers and fries. You can listen to our podcast episode about the rise of ghost kitchens, featuring Sam "The Cooking Guy" Zien, here or below (Episode 9):
Listen/subscribe to the Scene in San Diego podcast to get the latest local lifestyle stories and news from our local food and drink scene. As we continue to adjust to life (back and forth, back and forth) in these times of the coronavirus pandemic, the way we enjoy our city has changed. We’ll keep you up to speed on how those changes impact the things you love to do in our city. Tap here to find Scene in San Diego wherever you listen to podcasts.
Pure Project Scores Huge New Brewery Headquarters in Vista Miramar-based Pure Project, which also operates tasting rooms in Bankers Hill and Carlsbad, is expanding to Vista where it's moving into the former home of Iron Fist Brewing. The 13,850-square-foot space, which will house a larger brewing system and tasting room, should start selling beer to-go in March.
The Scene
San Diego's Top Drive-Thru Taco Shops
Drive-thru eateries are the ultimate in convenience, and with takeout more popular than ever during the pandemic, it’s a good time to highlight truly good drive-thru spots in San Diego. Eater looks at San Diego's drive-thru taco shop contingent and recommends 12 of the best spots to cruise through for late-night or anytime Mexican food cravings.
38 Standout Restaurants in San Diego
Even during the pandemic, local restaurants are still putting great food on a plate. Eater's quarterly guide to the 38 essential eateries in San Diego has returned, with a list of top spots around the county that spans an array of cuisines, neighborhoods, and price points.
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.
