Pepino Eatery & Bakeshop

Hot San Diego Restaurant Openings You May Have Missed, November 2025 | Eater San Diego

"After running a successful La Jolla micro-kitchen during the pandemic, chef Sebastian "Sebi" Becerra (Eleven Madison Park, Herb and Wood, COI) gives his casual Peruvian-California cafe and bakehouse a permanent home, named for his grandfather and nodding to the Spanish word for cucumber. With partner Marissa Williams (Herb and Sea) as sous chef, I’m stopping for pastries like pumpkin spice coffee cake and pionono—a dulce de leche jelly roll based on a family recipe—alongside a bistro menu featuring a lomo saltado breakfast burrito and a pan con chicharron stuffed with marinated pork belly, pickled onion, and salsa verde. Don’t miss sides such as yuca fries with huancaina cheese sauce or cheese tequenos, and while Talitha coffee is on tap, there are also California and South American wines and beers; Becerra says he plans to extend hours for happy hour and dinner." - Helen I. Hwang