{"id":271548,"date":"2026-04-16T23:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T23:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/271548\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T23:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T23:00:12","slug":"isola-pizza-bar-opening-in-encinitas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/271548\/","title":{"rendered":"Isola Pizza Bar Opening In Encinitas"},"content":{"rendered":"

The maxim is \u201ceverything in moderation,\u201d but I make an exception for pizza joints, especially when they\u2019re run by an Italian native known for his mastery of wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. Later this month, Encinitas<\/a> will be the home of Isola Pizza Bar<\/a>\u2019s third location when it opens at 569 South Coast Highway 101.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chef\/owner Massimo Tenino hails from the Liguria and Piedmont regions in northwestern Italy, where his nonna taught him the art of cooking and set him and his brother Paolo Carlo down similar tracks (him in the kitchen, his brother as a winemaker for Pietro Rinaldi Winery in Alba, Piedmont). He opened the first Isola in Little Italy in 2012, followed by La Jolla in 2016<\/a>, so it hasn\u2019t been a rapid-fire expansion plan\u2014but rushing has never really been the Italian way.<\/p>\n

Like the other Isolas, food will center around the wood-fired oven. It\u2019s used for everything from pizza to roasting vegetables, firing seafood, finishing meat, calzones, and goes along with housemade items like cheese, from-scratch pasta and sauces. As an added brother bonus, the wine program features Pietro Rinaldi wines produced exclusively to pair with Isola\u2019s menu. Along with core menu items, Tenino says he plans to introduce some location-specific specials, like a seafood risotto, gnocchi pasta with eggplant and smoked mozzarella, and housemade ravioli with ricotta and spinach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Courtesy of Isola Pizza Bar<\/p>\n

Pizza is still the star of the show, made with double-zero flour imported from Naples, which gives the dough the ability to stretch without tearing for that signature Neapolitan airiness. It\u2019s fermented for 48 hours to develop a deeper flavor and allow for a better gluten structure, then fired at 900 degrees in the fiery oven for char and chew. Then it\u2019s topped with things like smoked mozzarella, parma prosciutto, or chile calabrese.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Tenino says the Isola team plans to open a guest house and cooking school in the Piedmont wine region of Italy, to teach guests how to prepare local dishes and learn about the local wine scene. Whenever this pizza-wine pilgrimage from San Diego to Italy happens, I humbly volunteer as tribute.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Isola Pizza Bar will open at 569 South Coast Highway 101 on April 30, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Courtesy of GoodBar<\/p>\n

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events<\/p>\n

New Blood Behind The Bar At GoodBar<\/p>\n

At one point or another, every regular at every bar at least wonders what it would be like to run the place. But for Fonda and Todd Erwin and Kayla Kersey, they don\u2019t have to wonder anymore. The former regulars at GoodBar<\/a> are now running the show at the Point Loma<\/a> watering hole.<\/p>\n

Both born and raised in Point Loma, they raised their family in Temecula until 2017 when they decided to come home\u2014landing about two minutes away from GoodBar. Needless to say, they were frequent visitors, Fonda laughs. Buying a bar wasn\u2019t exactly part of their retirement plan, especially after the pandemic. But one night, she and Kersey discussed the possibility of buying a place (Fonda\u2019s an event planner, and Kersey has bar and hospitality experience).\u00a0<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t plan on making many changes\u2014especially not the Philly cheesesteaks, Fonda promises. They\u2019ll start showing more Padres games as well as Phillies and Eagles games, and maybe expand the hours. But for the most part, the trio is enjoying the YOLO lifestyle of non-retirement. \u201cI don\u2019t have any reason to be sitting at home,\u201d says Fonda. \u201cThis was never in the plan, ever\u2026 [but] it is an absolute perfect fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Courtesy of Tony\u2019s Jacal<\/p>\n

Beth\u2019s Bites<\/p>\n

Speaking of mo\u2019 pizza mo\u2019 happiness, Pizza Cassette is now open in Pacific Beach<\/a>! Jimmy Terwilliger\u2019s New York-meets-Italian style of pizza is not trying to be authentic Neapolitan, but if you\u2019ve had the chance to swing by their permanent pop-up at The G\u00e4rten, you\u2019ll know it\u2019s authentically delicious.\u00a0<\/p>\n

80 years of Tony\u2019s Jacal in Solana Beach<\/a> is a mega-milestone to celebrate! All the way back in 1946, Tony and Catalina Gonzales opened the Mexican restaurant in the quiet beach community. Today, the family carries on the tradition with the same recipes (plus a few more). I\u2019ll raise a margarita to the next 80 years.<\/p>\n

Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego\u2019s Food and Drink Scene<\/p>\n

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Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city\u2019s food scene? Send your pitches to\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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