Schmackary’s, the New York City cookie store featured in a key season 3 plot point of Hulu’s popular streaming series “Only Murders in the Building,” will soon debut a satellite shop in San Diego.
Opened by Zach Schmahl in 2012 in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood — an 8- to 10-minute walk from the Broadway theater district — Schmackary’s has been best known for its association with Broadway and its ever-evolving variety of oversize fresh-baked cookies. In an episode of the Steve Martin-Martin Short comedy series last fall, a tainted box of Schmackary’s cookies was used in the attempted murder of a pompous Broadway actor played by Paul Rudd.
The Hell’s Kitchen cookie shop Schmackary’s. A Schmackary’s franchise is headed to San Diego.
(Courtesy of Michaela Dowd )
Franchisee Sharian Lott of San Diego is now negotiating a lease for the local cookie store. Location and opening details are still in the works. Lott is the daughter of the late Dorothy L.W. Smith, who served on the San Diego Unified School District Board from 1981-1988 and was a longtime board member for San Diego’s Black-identified Common Ground Theatre. Sharian Lott’s daughter, Loren, is also a stage performer, with credits in two Broadway musicals: “Once on This Island” and “Motown the Musical.”
“You know, I’ve supported my mom for so long. I’m proudly known as Dorothy’s daughter, or Loren’s mother,” Sharian Lott said. “Now, it’s my time to venture out on my own merits and serve my community. When I went to Schmackary’s, it reminded me of a neighborhood bakery in the small town where my mom grew up. It was an experience like no other. I’m excited for all the possibilities that Schmackary’s brings to San Diego.”
Schmah launched a franchising operation for Schmackary’s in 2023 and said in a recent statement: “The San Diego food scene is one we’re ready to make our mark on.”
For more, visit schmackarys.com.
Kanafeh, a Middle Eastern-inspired sweet breakfast dish, is a specialty of the house at Toasted Gastrobrunch, which opens its fourth San Diego County location May 23 in Del Mar.
(Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune)
Toasted expands to Del Mar, earns national honor
Toasted Gastrobrunch, the San Diego-born breakfast-to-dinner concept owned by Ladeki Restaurant Group, will open its fourth San Diego County location May 23 in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center at 12925 El Camino Real in Carmel Valley. It joins Toasted locations in Oceanside, Imperial Beach and La Mesa.
The fast-growing Toasted chain was launched in 2019 by Sami Ladeki, who founded the Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and Grill chain in 1989. Ladeki now splits his time between homes in La Jolla and Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, the Toasted Gastrobrunch location at 9516 W. Flamingo Road in Las Vegas was recently named No. 1 on Yelp’s Top 100 Brunch Spots 2024. To arrive at this year’s list, Yelp officials studied the number reviews on its website mentioning “brunch” and “Mother’s Day” as well as the total volume and rankings of reviews over the past 3 years.
Toasted Gastrobrunch was praised by Yelp diners in Las Vegas for its creative and international approach to brunch cuisine, like the kanafeh French toast, with toasted phyllo dough, ricotta, orange blossom syrup and pistachios, and its shakshuka-like Eggs in Purgatory, which were both inspired by Ladeki’s Middle Eastern heritage.
Also named on Yelp’s top 100 brunch spots list were Werewolf in the Gaslamp Quarter, at No. 18, and Sugar & Scribe bakery in La Jolla, at No. 20. For more, visit yelp.com/article/top-100-brunch-spots-2024.
Sebastian Becerra and Marissa Williams with some of the dishes they’re planning for their all-day cafe and bake shop Pepino, opening in La Jolla in 2024.
(Courtesy of Sylvie Coulange)
Pepino to rise in La Jolla
Local chef Sebastian Becerra has signed a lease for an all-day cafe and bake shop he plans to open next year in La Jolla’s Sycamore Court center at 7556 Fay Ave.
The idea for Pepino — the Spanish nickname for Becerra’s grandfather, meaning “cucumber” — was born during the pandemic, when Becerra launched a weekly “breakfast speakeasy” takeout service from his backyard and other pop-up locations.
Working with sous chef Marissa Williams, who he met when they both worked at Herb & Wood in Little Italy, Becerra will create a seasonal menu with a subtle Peruvian influence featuring sandwiches, salads and fresh pastries. Pepino won’t open until 2025, but in the meantime, Becerra and Williams are planning a series of pop-ups to introduce themselves to the community. Visit pepinosd.com for updates.
New eatery planned in North Park
Pete Cich, owner and CEO of the Grind and Prosper Hospitality restaurant group, has signed a lease for the 2,800-square-foot retail space on Niima Outpost, a sustainable mixed-use development now under construction at 2519 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park.
The name and opening date for the restaurant has not been announced, but Grind and Prosper’s other eateries include Louisiana Purchase and Miss B’s Coconut Club. The lease was negotiated by Alexis Couch and Hannah Sierpina of Location Matters.