After four years and a few left turns, the acclaimed Izola Bakery has finally found its feet with a soft-opening at 1429 Island Street in June. Moving two blocks from 13th Street to the new flagship location took “seven months, three weeks, and five days,” laughs Jeffrey Brown, who launched Izola with his partner Jenny Chen in 2020. But who’s counting when it’s only the first step in building a bread empire?
The 7,211-square-foot space next to Fault Line Park includes nearly 3,000 square feet of an interior ground-level dining room with its finishing ovens, a 1,546-square-foot patio, and almost 1,900 square feet of basement area, where Izola’s dough kitchen now resides. Brown walked me through the facility last week during a surprisingly uncrowded morning.
“This is a step towards building what we envision, or really to deliver on our stated mission, which is to change the way people think about croissants and sourdough,” he explains, which he hopes to accomplish by building a state-of-the-art, zero-emission factory at Fairmount Avenue and Thorn Street in City Heights sometime next year.
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Once operational, the City Heights Dough Factory would allow Izola to increase its production 20x, potentially launch wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels, and eventually open more bakeshops across San Diego. Brown says they’ve already got eyes on location in La Jolla and aspirations for North County, Orange County, and Los Angeles. Still, they’d most likely start with one attached to the Dough Factory to help build community in the neighborhood.
“City Heights has some amazing food and a whole bunch of amazing stuff. But in terms of investment in the community, it’s under-invested,” he explains. Izola will focus on hiring from within the immediate community and the Second Chance program, which helps pair formerly incarcerated employees with employers. It’s part of Izola’s five social justice principles: economic, gender, LGBTQIA, racial, and environmental.
Courtesy of Izola Bakery
But expansion at the cost of quality would be a “deal killer,” explains Brown. He and Chen scoured the world to find equipment that could increase output and quality, looking everywhere from Germany to the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, and the United States. He thinks they’ll have it dialed for the buildout, but in the meantime, they’re full steam ahead in East Village. Izola is only available Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., but Brown assures me they’re “moving mountains” to open on Sundays.
“We’re growing production at somewhere between four and six percent a day,” he says, a slow ramp-up to get his primarily brand-new team of employees up to speed without pushing too hard. But he says in about a month, they’ll likely be able to double their inventory, which will get them closer to his goal of “having a hot croissant for everyone who wants one.”
Photo Credit: Sylvie Coulange
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Every Sunday in August is a Pepino Pop-Up
Suppose you can’t wait for Chef Sebastian Becerra (Eleven Madison Park, Herb & Wood, COI) to open Pepino, his Peruvian eatery and bakeshop coming to La Jolla next year. In that case, I have good news for you. Every Sunday in August, he’ll be on hand at Michele Coulon Dessertier (7556 Fay Avenue) from 8 a.m. through noon (or whenever he sells out), slinging some of his signature menu items as well as some works-in-progress, like shakshuka on toast, Peruvian-inspired sandwiches and burritos, and pastries like dulce de leche-stuffed chocolate muffins. Keep an eye out for his menu every week on Instagram, and for more support, check out Pepino’s Kickstarter, which launches August 1.
Chef Obi Comes to Matsu For One Night Only
On Tuesday, August 6, chef Saransh Oberoi (a.k.a. chef Obi, a.k.a. the guy who beat Bobby Flay on Food Network) joins chef William Eick at Matsu for a seven-course dining experience that promises to play on Obi’s modern Indian cuisine expertise, as well as a few surprises. Book your reservation for August 6, or live with regret.
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Courtesy of Fox Point Brewing
Beth’s Bites
Troy made the touchdown when he announced Travis Swikward would be opening a new restaurant in UTC, but here I come with the extra point—the name of said restaurant. Fleurette will open sometime next year with modern French cuisine and one hell of a lot of pressure to follow up Callie.
Fox Point Brewing Company is Encinitas’ latest brewery. Situated at Fox Point Farms—an agriculturally-centric planned community with a cafe, farmstand, the city’s first new brewing operation in 30 years.
I’m all in for Java Joe Musgrove. I’ll drink his coffee, cheer his strikeouts, and definitely eat the taco he created with Puesto to benefit the local animal shelter, The Animal Pad. Can I have it with one of Doug Hasker’s famous Puesto lagers?
Rancher Hat Bar, out of Scottsdale, Arizona, is making a California appearance on Sunday, July 28, from 2 pm to 6 pm at The Original 40 Brewing Company in North Park. Gobble a Western Cheeseburger, slam a Mexican lager, and enjoy some country tunes while you craft your very own cowboy or trucker hat for keepsies.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Nebraska’s defensive line overhaul under new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich is already appearing to create potential landing spots for veteran defenders across the country.
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Less than a week after news broke that Aurich would be Nebraska’s next defensive coordinator, San Diego State junior and former three-star edge August Salvati announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens in January.
While it instantly creates a potential connection between the soon-to-be senior and his former coach, Salvati becomes a name to watch for a Nebraska program that is believed to be taking an aggressive approach to shoring up both lines of scrimmage over the offseason.
For the veteran defender, the move comes after his most productive collegiate season to date. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about the Clearwater, FL native
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In 2025, Salvati totaled six tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one interception during the regular season while helping Aurich boast the nation’s No. 7 total defense for the year. His snap count was modest, but the production still stands, as Salvati’s sack total would instantly become a team-high on Nebraska’s squad during the same timeframe.
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To put in the context the stark contrast between the Husker’s and Aztec’s ability to affect the passer, Salvati’s 3.5 sacks raked fifth highest on his team this fall. Three other San Diego State defenders totaled more than 6.5 sacks alone.
With that in mind, Salvati’s role under Aurich in the Golden State was situational, and he appears to be looking to parlay his success this year into a more impactful one in 2026. For a Nebraska program that needs all the help they can get, the veteran defender likely becomes attractive to Matt Rhule’s staff.
Salvati’s career mirrors that of many players in the modern era of college football. Out of high school, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender took his talents to Kilgore College in Texas. There, his first season of collegiate ball became a resounding success. Salvati totaled 29 tackles, 7.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery on his way to earning SWJCFC honors.
He then transferred to Florida Atlantic in 2024. In his lone season in Boca Raton, Salvati appeared in one game without recording any stats. After the season, that is where his timeline connects him to Aurich. Entering the transfer portal around this time last year, the, at the time, junior moved across the country to join Aurich’s Aztec squad, and the rest is history.
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Rob Aurich has coached at Bemidji State, Idaho, South Dakota, and SDSU. | San Diego State Athletics
Under Aurich, San Diego State took a tremendous jump. In a season that saw the Aztecs go 9-3, Aurich oversaw a defense that allowed just 266.7 yards per game while holding opponents to 12.6 points on average.
His group slashed its yardage allowed by more than 154 yards per game en route to shutting out three different opponents on the year. The Aztecs also excelled in the area that Nebraska’s defense struggled in this fall. The Huskers totaled 19 sacks in 12 regular-season games, compared to the Aztecs’ 32. San Diego State also recorded the best red zone defense in all of college football, whereas Nebraska was slotted second-to-last.
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On paper, the hire appears to be one in which Rhule struck gold. Every stop that Aurich has been, his teams have improved, and players have developed into all-conference level athletes. That’s yet another area the Huskers have struggled at in recent years. But from Aurich’s addition and impending announcements regarding Nebraska’s defensive line coaching position, the Huskers seem to be attempting to turn the page in that regard.
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Whether Salvati does indeed end up in Lincoln next fall, or is just another name potentially linked to the Huskers’ program, Nebraska’s defense seems to be in good hands moving forward. Aurich has repeatedly proved himself to be resourceful and now has the resources needed to make an even bigger jump. Believe it or not, the Huskers are significantly more aligned in the NIL and revenue-sharing era of college football than any of their new defensive coordinator’s previous stops.
While that doesn’t mean the Huskers now have an unlimited budget, it does mean Aurich will not be limited while making additions over the coming months. He’s shown he can turn role players into NFL Draft picks, and now he’ll be asked to do the same at Nebraska.
For now, Aurich gets himself adjusted to Lincoln, but before you know it, he’ll be adding his first wave of reinforcements to his squad. The transfer portal opening date is just under three weeks away; expect more news to be had as soon as it hits.
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Two labor unions and a child care advocacy group on Friday filed a proposed countywide sales-tax hike they’ve dubbed the Protect San Diego County’s Health & Safety Act with the county Registrar of Voters in hopes of making the November 2026 ballot.
The proposed half-cent sales tax measure – which would raise a projected $360 million annually – aims to fund health care, child care, solutions to the Tijuana River sewage crisis and public safety.
The Service Employees International Union Local 221, child care advocacy group Children First San Diego and Cal Fire Local 2881 expect to start collecting signatures next month.
“We’re taking urgent action on the biggest health and safety threats San Diego County is facing – Tijuana River toxic sewage, strained 911 response, working families losing healthcare, childcare, and even the basic food they need to survive,” SEIU 221 President Crystal Irving wrote in a statement. “Our coalition is determined to give voters the power to choose a safer, healthier future and starting soon we’ll be out in every community gathering signatures and working with neighbors to protect San Diego County families.”
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Proposed ballot language submitted to the Registrar of Voters Friday describes a slew of causes that proponents aim to support with a half-cent sales-tax increase. Up to 60 percent of funding – the equivalent of $261 million annually – could back child care and health services for children, health care for uninsured or underinsured people, food aid including staffing for CalFresh eligibility workers in the county, in-home health services and affordable health care.
Nearly 23 percent – or roughly $81 million annually – would go toward combating the Tijuana sewage crisis, with at least 20 percent of this share of funds directed toward infrastructure projects to “stop sewage flows from Tijuana into the United States or through the Tijuana River Valley.” The measure says the funding could also address related health issues and protect local waters from pollution.
Nearly 18 percent – or almost $63 million annually – could back public safety services, wildfire prevention and crisis response.
Proponents also capped administrative costs at 1.5 percent, or about $5 million annually.
The proposed measure also calls for an 11-member citizens oversight committee to conduct annual audits and bars spending on politicians’ salaries, lobbyist contracts or government office renovations.
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The citizen-backed effort is separate from the subcommittee work that county Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe are queuing up to hash out ways the county might bring in. The county faces an estimated $300 million annual budget hit tied to federal cuts. The county is set to hire and pay consultants up to $500,000 as part of that effort to conduct polling and research on potential measures to raise taxes and other possible ways to increase revenues that may require changes to other policies.
In a Friday statement, Lawson-Remer lauded the proposed citizen measure.
“This San Diego County Health & Safety citizens initiative offers a key tool that voters could choose to support in order to defend our community and our values: to keep our water clean, to keep our hospitals open, and to make sure firefighters and first responders have the resources they need when the next wildfire hits,” Lawson-Remer wrote. “When Washington walks away, our community refuses to look the other way.”
The decision to proceed with a citizens’ measure doesn’t rule out a potential future measure pushed by county supervisors. Yet Lawson-Remer’s quick endorsement shows she’s eager to see a citizens’ group push a measure forward that only requires a simple majority for a ballot victory.
The coalition behind it will face an uphill battle to persuade skeptical voters already facing an avalanche of rising costs – and to get on the ballot in the first place.
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Courtney Baltiyskyy of Children First San Diego said the coalition expects to hit the streets in January to try to collect at least 140,000 signatures. They’ll need to deliver at least 102,923 valid signatures to get on next November’s ballot.
The county coalition also expects to have some competition next November.
The coalition that includes Laborers Local Union 89, Carpenters Union Local 619, and Rebuild SoCal are rallying behind a one-cent sales tax hike for city of San Diego for infrastructure repairs, wildfire prevention, pipe repairs for clean water and more.
Both coalitions have recently circulated polls testing voters’ appetite for separate city and county measures and shared some intel.
Their intel-sharing follows the November 2024 demise of Measures E and G, separate city and countywide sales-tax proposals. San Diego politicos are skeptical voters would support two sales-tax hikes.
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The results of an initial poll of city voters conducted around Labor Day on the city measure suggested both city and county measures suggested a challenging climate for proposed tax increases.
Results obtained by Voice of San Diego show 57 percent of the 776 voters polled said they thought the county was on the wrong track and 60 percent said the same of the city.
Baltiyskyy said Friday the countywide coalition believes it has a path to victory – and that support for it will grow as voters and local organizations learn more.
Four suspects were behind bars Friday for allegedly beating a man to death two months ago during a fight at Linda Vista Park.
Arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder in connection with the violent death of 59-year-old Ruben Rimorin were Juan Garcia Alavez, 21, Juan Manuel Lopez, 26, Brian Reyes, 20, and Franklin Joseph Tuell, 21, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Rimorin was found gravely injured about 3:45 a.m. Oct. 18 on a sidewalk in the 6800 block of Osler Street, just west of the park, SDPD Lt. Chris Tivanian said. Paramedics tried in vain to revive the victim before pronouncing him dead at the scene.
It remains unclear what sparked the deadly fight.
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The suspects were being held at San Diego Central Jail without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday afternoon.
