San Diego Padres Head To Trial Over Animal Cruelty Allegations Days Before Rodeo Returns To Petco Park

Just days before Petco Park is set to host the third annual San Diego Rodeo, the San Diego Padres are heading to trial in San Diego Superior Court over allegations that rodeo events staged at the ballpark constitute unlawful animal cruelty under California law.

Slater’s 50/50 Disappears From San Diego's Liberty Station After More Than 14 Years As New Concept “The Mixer” Takes Over

After more than a decade as one of the most visible anchors of Liberty Station’s commercial revival, Slater’s 50/50 has quietly vanished from the San Diego dining landscape, at least in name.

Junior League Of San Diego Brings Carnival Fun And Community Impact To Liberty Station On February 7

The Junior League of San Diego is inviting San Diegans to step into a whimsical winter celebration with its annual fundraising event, Winter Wins: Carnival & Live Auction, set for Saturday, February 7, at Stone Brewing Liberty Station.

LA's Venetian-Inspired Bacari Expanding San Diego Footprint With Planned Carlsbad Village Location

A Los Angeles-based restaurant group is doubling down on its San Diego expansion. In addition to a previously announced North Park outpost set to open later this year, Venetian-inspired Bacari Bar & Restaurant is planning a second San Diego County location in Carlsbad Village, according to newly filed public records.

San Diego Restaurants Closures & Downgrades This Week (January 2 - 9) Due To County Health Department Inspections

This is the weekly list of San Diego County restaurants and food facilities that have faced temporary closures and downgraded status due to health inspections from January 2 - 6, 2026.

Isola Pizza Bar Targets Encinitas For Third San Diego Location, Taking Over Former Death By Tequila Space

A well-known San Diego Italian restaurant is preparing to make its North County debut. Isola Pizza Bar is opening a new location in Encinitas, taking over the space most recently home to Death By Tequila. 

San Diego Health Inspectors Temporarily Shut Down Brigantine Restaurant Location Over Vermin And Multiple Violations

A branch of San Diego-born seafood chain Brigantine Restaurant was forced to temporarily close after an inspection by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality uncovered multiple violations, including a “major” vermin issue.

California’s New Food Delivery Refund Law Takes Effect, Raising Concerns For San Diego Restaurants Already Under Pressure

A sweeping new California consumer protection law governing food delivery apps officially took effect January 1, 2026, dramatically changing how platforms like DoorDash, Postmates and Uber Eats must handle refunds for missing, incorrect, or undelivered orders. While consumer advocates are celebrating the changes, some San Diego restaurant operators warn the law could introduce new risks, abuse, and financial strain for an industry already operating on razor-thin margins.

San Diego's Birch Aquarium Brings Back Oceans At Night, Launches New Evening Series For All Ages In 2026

San Diego’s oceanfront science destination is inviting guests to stay out after dark in 2026. Birch Aquarium at Scripps, perched above the Pacific in La Jolla, is relaunching its popular adults-only Oceans at Night series later this month while also debuting an entirely new evening program designed for guests of all ages.

San Diego–Based Chefs Life Cooking Oils, Founded By Celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey, Is Shutting Down After Nearly Five-Year Run

San Diego–based cooking oil brand Chefs Life, founded by celebrity chef Brian Malarkey in 2021, is shutting down operations, bringing an end to a consumer food venture born during the pandemic and built around simplifying how home cooks use oil in the kitchen.

Paul Dobson, Founder of Downtown San Diego Institution Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant, Has Died

Paul Dobson, the founder and longtime proprietor of Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant, one of downtown San Diego’s most enduring and beloved dining institutions, has died. News of Dobson’s passing was shared this week by friends and colleagues, prompting an outpouring of condolences from the city’s legal, business, and hospitality communities, many of whom spent decades gathering inside the clubby, wood-paneled restaurant that bore his name.

A New Live Webcam Is Giving A Real-Time Window Into Daily Life In San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter

Downtown San Diego’s most recognizable neighborhood just got a digital front row seat. A newly launched live webcam is now streaming continuous footage of the Gaslamp Quarter, offering residents, visitors, and business owners an unfiltered look at one of the city’s busiest and most dynamic areas.

French Master Patrick Ponsaty Named Executive Chef At The Inn At Rancho Santa Fe As Historic Property Enters New Culinary Era

San Diego's The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe has appointed acclaimed French master chef Patrick Ponsaty as its new Executive Chef, a move that reshapes the culinary direction of the century-old property as it undergoes a major transformation.

America’s Pizza Slowdown Is Real. In San Diego, The Price Tag Is Part of the Story

In San Diego, a city that still reveres great pizza, the highly-publicized national pizza slowdown isn’t about losing appetite so much as losing the sense that pizza is the obvious, affordable choice when a single pie can now cost as much as an entire night of takeout.

From The Pit To The Press: A Year Of Becoming A Culture & Music Reporter In San Diego - 2025 In Review

In 2025, I turned a lifetime of attending live performances into a deliberate practice of cultural reporting, using concerts and theater not just as entertainment, but as a way to understand what truly resonates and why. What follows is my recap of the 50 concerts, comedy shows, plays, and musical theater productions I attended in 2025, alongside the moments that reshaped my taste and sharpened my instincts.

Maiden Coronado Set To Debut As Long-Awaited Waterfront Restaurant At Ferry Landing

After more than 17 years of delays, revisions, and unrealized plans, a new waterfront restaurant is finally taking shape at Coronado’s iconic Ferry Landing. Construction is now underway on Maiden Coronado, a large-scale, indoor-outdoor dining destination that will occupy the long-vacant parcel next to Il Fornaio, delivering on a promise first envisioned by the Port of San Diego nearly two decades ago.

What Are Those Giant Tumbleweeds Taking Over San Diego's Mission Bay? Here’s What’s Behind The Post-Storm Phenomenon

Following the first significant rainstorms of 2026, residents walking along San Diego's Mission Bay and surrounding shoreline paths have been greeted by an unusual sight: massive, tangled tumbleweeds scattered across the sand, bike paths, and bay edges, in some cases piled several feet high. Photos shared across social media show the dry, spiky masses clustered near storm drains, trash cans, and low-lying shoreline areas, prompting confusion and speculation about where they came from and whether they pose an environmental concern.

Are Paint Chips From Filippi’s Pacific Beach Location Ending Up In San Diego Storm Drains? Reddit Post Sparks Environmental Questions

A viral Reddit post accusing the Filippi’s Pizza Grotto Pacific Beach location of washing paint chips into San Diego storm drains, and potentially toward the ocean, has ignited a heated online debate, raising broader questions about stormwater regulations, contractor practices, and how quickly public outrage can outpace verified facts.

Owner Of San Diego's Decades-Old La Playa Taco Shop Deported Following ICE Detention

The owner of La Playa Taco Shop, a decades-old Mexican food institution in San Diego's Pacific Beach, has reportedly been deported following his detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, marking a devastating turn in a case that sparked widespread community concern and support late last year.