Deep Dish Specialists From San Francisco Plan North County Pizzeria

Brothers Brett and Cole Herring are channeling a combined 20 years of experience in the Bay Area pizza scene into The Shop: Pizza + Cocktails, a new restaurant and bar that should be opening in the Rancho Bernardo Plaza by next month. Before moving to San Diego, the Herrings each spent a decade working at Little Star Pizza, a San Francisco standout and longtime member of Eater SF’s list of essential pies. Known as the top spot in the city to find Chicago-style deep dish pizza, Little Star reportedly sold its signature dough recipe to a St. Louis pizzeria that was named a favorite by a very famous Chicagoan, former President Barack Obama.

Brett Herring told Eater that The Shop will be featuring a deep dish pizza made with a twist on that celebrated cornmeal crust, with specialty pies ranging from Where’s the Meat with pepperoni, house-made beef meatballs, sausage, and crispy bacon to The Veg topped with zucchini, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, roasted garlic, red bell peppers, and onions. The menu will also feature traditional thin crust pizzas and build-your-own options as well as starters, salads, and sandwiches.

Aiming to bring more full-service dining options to Rancho Bernardo by operating daily for lunch and dinner, The Shop will be a family-friendly spot that offers a progressive cocktail, wine, and beer program. The 2,363-square-foot space has its own 800-square-foot patio, but the restaurant will be able to use an adjacent plaza for even more outdoor seating. The eatery plans to offer seated dining, takeout with curbside pickup, and delivery.