Chef Roberto Alcocer of the Valle de Guadalupe’s acclaimed Malva Cocina de Baja California has transported a taste of the region to Oceanside where his first stateside restaurant has opened at the Mission Pacific hotel. Offering a four-course tasting menu as well as an a la carte option, the fine-dining restaurant features dishes straight from Malva’s menu, made with ingredients from Baja and Southern California.

Acclaimed chef Claudette Zepeda’s latest, deeply personal restaurant project is Vaga at the Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas. Though Zepeda originally gained notice for dishes that explored and celebrated her Mexican heritage, this menu reflects the diversity of food the chef has discovered while living and cooking in her hometown of San Diego such as crispy dan dan pastry and lamb shank in pasilla curry.

The first North County project for the group behind nighttime hot spots Kettner Exchange and the Grass Skirt, Waverly is a more relaxed restaurant that gives chef Brian Redizkowski the chance to create a daytime-focused menu that includes brunch plates, rice bowls, salads, and sandwiches.

Del Mar Highlands Town Center’s multi-restaurant collective is still filling in, but there’s plenty to eat and drink right now. The Sky Deck spans a beer deck and central craft cocktail bar called Understory, plus other self-contained outposts from local favorites like Ambrogio15 (which introduced new pizzas and other dishes from a Michein-starred chef), KiinThai, and Le Parfait Paris as well as Bay Area transplant Marufuku Ramen.

Convoy Street has a new Chinese restaurant that specializes in Cantonese cuisine with an extensive menu highlighted by barbecue meats, including roast duck and crispy skinned pork as well as fresh, live seafood ranging from whole steamed fish to lobster with ginger and scallion.

This European-style cafe’s in-house bakery produces fresh-baked pastries and artisan breads that provide the foundation for an expanded menu that includes tartines, omelettes, salads and more in a charming, open-air atmosphere.

Chef Steve Brown has landed his wagyu beef butcher shop and burger combo in an expansive space in Pacific Beach. The restaurant and bar also offers brunch and a casual, you-call-it steakhouse experience based on its extensive meat counter.

CH Projects transformed Soda & Swine on Adams Avenue into a takeout-tailored Chinese American eatery serving up chef Tony Guan’s rendition of classic Americanized Chinese cuisine, including egg foo young, crab rangoon, and General Tso’s chicken.

After shuttering her original San Ysidro shop in October, chef Priscilla Curiel is now cooking up her acclaimed birria in the new Old Town Urban Market. With ample patio seating, the counter-service spot is serving up the spiced, slow-stewed beef in quesadillas, tortas, and her acclaimed birria tacos topped with roasted bone marrow.

Ramen master Takashi Endo’s latest noodle shop is the fresh spot for items like shio tonkotsu ajitama ramen, and Nagoya-style karaage. The Hillcrest location is also the only spot to feature his latest vegan versions of shio and miso ramen.

Veteran local chef Ronnie Schwandt’s first solo restaurant serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday as well as Sunday brunch. The cozy North Park spot recently released its fall menus, which include fall squash hummus and Moroccan-spiced lamb loin and libations like the Autumn Feels with fall spice vodka, carrot juice, cardamom bitters, lemon and egg whites.

The stunning renovation of the Mingei Museum includes sleek and modern new restaurant from well-established hospitality group behind Cucina Urbana. Situated among the museum’s collection, Artifact offers a transportive menu that spans the globe, with beautifully-presented dishes and accomplished cocktails.

Located at the edge of Fault Line Park in the East Village, this Asian restaurant brings attention to Issan cuisine, the traditional food of the Thailand’s northeastern region. With partners that include alums of Thai Papaya and Sab-E-Lee, two local Thai standouts, its menu includes lesser-seen dishes like Thai-style fried chicken as well as curries, noodles, and more.