Food Media On The Saddest Restaurant Closures of 2016

Michele Parente, San Diego Union-Tribune: Bake Sale Bakery, in the East Village. I’m still crying in my cookie dough over the loss of Terryl Gavre’s comfort food bread and sweet shop. R.I.P. oh glorious, towering homemade English muffin.

Candice Woo, Eater: Carnitas’ Snack Shack in Del Mar, which closes at the end of this month. Great people and a great eatery, just not the right fit. A bit of a cautionary tale for rapidly-growing concepts.

Frank Sabatini, Jr., San Diego Community News Network: D Bar in Hillcrest. I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but I’ll forever miss Chef Keegan Gerhard’s triple-layer chocolate cake, which contained sour cream in both the crumb and frosting. His Coca-Cola short ribs were pretty devilish too.

Michael Gardiner, San Diego CityBeat: One of the first restaurant closings of 2016 was, for me, one of the saddest: Acqua Al 2. Chef Martin Gonzales sold his outpost of the Florentine original after a fifteen year run – success in just about anyone’s book – and only three months after closing his other restaurant, East Village’s Toast Enoteca. The only thing good to come out of it has yet to drop: his next restaurant.

Keri Bridgwater, Eater: Bake Sale Bakery.

Troy Johnson, San Diego Magazine: Rancho’s in Ocean Beach. Vegan and vegetarian-friendly Mexican food that had been a staple for the community for 30 years. Salsa that renewed my faith in life. Its closing is a sure sign of the Armageddon and bistrofication of San Diego’s last affordable beach town. Hopefully Cheesecake Factory will take its place so that I can finally throw myself off Sunset Cliffs with confidence.

Josh Kopelman, DiningOut: Salt & Cleaver.

Michelle Dederko, PACIFIC Magazine: S&M (Sausage & Meat) broke my little meaty heart with the announcement of their closure. The eatery had become somewhat of a staple for me, and it distressed me to see they couldn’t make it through a tough spell.