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Pepino, Viral La Jolla Cafe & Popup, Hosting Grand Opening This Weekend

Pepino, a new eatery and bake shop that started as a viral popup by a local chef, is getting a permanent home in La Jolla.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Pepino started as a pop-up La Jolla cafe that went viral last year. The brainchild of San Diego chef Sebastian Becerra, Pepino is now opening a permanent location in downtown La Jolla and is commemorating the launch by throwing a Grand Opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2.

The menu at Pepino is thoroughly hybrid. The restaurant itself is part cafe and part bakeshop, while the menu is part homage to Becerra’s Peruvian heritage and part tribute to his many years spent as a chef in New York City.

Anchored by an initial focus on breakfast and lunch, the Pepino menu will include options like:

• Lomo Saltado–inspired Breakfast Burrito
• Cafe con Leche” Overnight Oats
• The New Yorker, a heart breakfast sandwich
• Sweet Potato Bowl with Peruvian roast chicken
• Pan Con Chicharron sandwich with pickled onion and salsa verde

The menu also includes house-baked pastries and sweets using recipes from Becerra’s mother and godmother.

Many ingredients are local, like eggs from a farm in Ramona and bread from San Diego bakery Sadie Rose. The menu will also include many gluten-free and vegan or vegetarian substitution options, so there will be something for everyone.

The Pepino location in La Jolla itself will also be a nod to Becerra’s pedigree. The interior design is loosely inspired by Peru and incorporating natural materials, textures and colors.

Along with the opportunity to try the delicious food, the grand opening celebration will also include a live DJ set, Pepino’s market offerings, and the chance to nab some coveted Pepino merch.

Media credit: Images courtesy of pepinosd.com