The Dish: North County’s Vegan Food Popup expands to San Diego

After three years as an exclusively North County event, the Vegan Food Popup expanded Nov. 12 to include its first San Diego location at the North Park Mini Park at 3812 29th St.

Seva Foods founder Michelle May launched the Vegan Food Popup in Encinitas as a seasonal monthly event in 2019. It quickly grew from 20 to nearly 50 vendors, and its frequency grew to a weekly event that today draws as many as 50 plant-based food products at locations in Encinitas and Vista.

The new North Park popup event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month. The Vista popup is from 5 to 9 p.m. on the third Friday of each month at Local Roots Boochyard at 1430 Vantage Court in Vista. The original location is at the San Dieguito Heritage Museum, from noon to 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month. For details, visit veganfoodpopup.com.

The original Randy’s Donuts shop in Los Angeles. A San Diego entrepreneur plans to open as many as 10 Randy’s outlets locally beginning in January 2023.

(Courtesy of Randy’s Donuts)

Randy’s Donuts shops coming to San Diego

Randy’s Donuts, the Los Angeles-based chain known for the gigantic doughnut sculpture on its shop rooftops, will expand into San Diego next year with the first of 10 locations owned by San Diego restaurateur Emilio Tamez.

The first location will open around January at 3425 Murphy Canyon Road in Serra Mesa. As in Los Angeles, not every location will have a big doughnut on its roof.

Founded in 1952 at 805 W. Manchester Blvd. in Inglewood, Randy’s Donuts has 21 locations in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern and Riverside counties, as well as a 24-hour drive-thru shop in Las Vegas. Randy’s Donuts owner Mark Kelegian, who purchased the company in 2015, announced plans in 2019 to begin selling franchise rights nationwide.

Although Randy’s is best known for its shops’ appearances in numerous films, TV shows and music videos, its menu features more than 60 moderately priced, never-frozen classic and contemporary doughnut varieties. Raised, cake and filled options share the menu with premium varieties with toppings that include matcha tea, Nutella spread, churros, bacon and breakfast cereals. Visit randysdonuts.com.

Jamul Casino will host chef Sean Sherman for two dinners of modern indigenous food on Nov. 19.

(Courtesy of Nancy Bundt )

‘Sioux Chef’ cooking dinners at Jamul Casino

Jamul Casino will host chef Sean Sherman, also known as “The Sioux Chef,” for a pair of three-course prix fixe meals of modern Indigenous cuisine at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at its Rooftop restaurant. Sherman is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and in June, his Minneapolis restaurant Owanmiwas named the best new restaurant in the U.S. at the 2022 James Beard Awards. The dinners, which will include a culinary demonstration, are $85, at 14145 Campo Road, Jamul. Tickets can be purchased at jamulcasinosd.com/chefsherman

Outback Steakhouse reopens in El Cajon

Following a five-month closure for an extensive renovation, the Outback Steakhouse at 722 Jamacha Road in El Cajon reopened on Nov. 9.

The El Cajon location was the first Outback Steakhouse to open in Southern California in 1994, so the building was long overdue for an overhaul. The renovations included new flooring, furniture, bar top, lighting and remodeled restrooms, a new exterior facade, upgraded patio furniture and new outdoor lighting.

A Forever Oceans kampachi fish farm off the coast of Panama.

(Courtesy of Forever Oceans)

La Jolla’s Pacific Catch serving deep-water farmed fish

Pacific Catch, a San Francisco-based seafood restaurant chain with one location at Westfield UTC mall, is among the first in the country to serve the new sustainably raised Forever Oceans kampachi fish.

The farmed kampachi, also known as amberjack, is raised in net-lined farms 10 miles off the coast of Panama that are up to 330 feet deep. The farms are tended by satellite-controlled robotics, cameras, sensors and feed management software. The goal of this new fish-farming method is to grow sashimi-grade fish that will take some of the pressure off wild fish stocks that are in danger of overfishing.

The Forever Oceans kampachi is being featured at Pacific Catch locations in a dish with tomato confit, miso butter broccolini and crab mashed potatoes. The chain’s only Southern California location is at Westfield UTC, 4575 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 1160, in San Diego. Visit pacificcatch.com/locations/la-jolla.

New brunch dishes at Common Stock in Hillcrest.

(Courtesy of Josh Bianco)

Common Stock launches new brunch menu

This Hillcrest neighborhood restaurant rolled out a new brunch menu Nov. 12. Developed by the all-female culinary team of Janet Mayoral, Kennedy Hardy and Reyna Ortiz, with supervision by chef Sam Deckman, the new menu mixes fall ingredients with hearty stick-to-the-ribs cuisine. New dishes include shrimp and grits with wild shrimp, Creole tomato ragout and Carolina white corn grits. Pumpkin pie French toast muffins are made with pumpkin butter cannoli cream. And the shakshuka features braised eggs, rustic tomato stew, chermoula and charred bread. Two new fall brunch cocktails are the Pumpkintini, made with house clove-infused vodka, Jackie’s Jams pumpkin butter and coconut milk, and the Princess and the Pea, with butterfly pea flower gin, pear shrub and grapefruit cordial. Brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 3805 Fifth Ave., San Diego. (619) 310-5298. instagram.com/eatcommonstock

Farmer & The Seahorse unveils fall dishes

This Torrey Pines restaurant has introduced several a seasonal menu with dishes that include a smoked turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, Swiss cheese and onion relish; crispy chicken thigh cassoulet with chicken sausage, white beans and broth; butternut squash ravioli with brown butter-sage butter, squash and carrot; and a mushroom dish with Creole herbs and ricotta dumplings. Fall cocktails include the Baby Yoda with vodka, matcha, oat milk and clove; the Sour Granny with Mercantile Irish whiskey and Amaro Angeleno, and the Hot Monk Toddy with local You & Yours Provisional Gin, Green Chartreuse and green tea. The menu is served during lunch hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. 10996 Torreyana Road, Suite 240, San Diego. (858) 260-5400. farmerandtheseahorse.com

Bleu Bohème debuts autumn plates

This French restaurant in Kensington helmed by chef Ken Irvine introduced several fall dishes this month. New appetizers include a house rum-cured cold-smoked salmon tartare on goat cheese crêpe; farro salad with roasted butternut squash and braised apple; roasted Spanish octopus with Yukon Gold potatoes and green sauce; and Camembert fondue. New entrees include seafood cassoulet with local rockfish and Mexican shrimp; a Faroe Island salmon dish; duck confit; and roast chicken. 4090 Adams Ave., San Diego. (619) 255-4167. bleuboheme.com

Tender Greens introduces fall items

Now available through December, local Tender Greens locations are offering the Holiday steak plate, a grilled top sirloin steak with red wine reduction sauce, mashed potatoes, mushrooms and wedge salad for under $20. There are also three new sandwiches served on grilled sourdough with kale and sunflower seed pesto: the Salumi and Provolone with mortadella, the Chicken Pesto with preserved tomatoes and the Di Stefano Mozz with mozzarella cheese and preserved tomatoes. Tender Greens has locations in Del Mar, La Jolla-UTC, Downtown San Diego, Mission Valley and Point Loma. tendergreens.com/locations

Kragen writes about restaurants for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Email her at pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com.