San Diego's East Village has welcomed two tested and celebrated culinary concepts to the neighborhood.
The modern coffeehouse and cocktail lounge, Halcyon, and its sister restaurant, the local ingredient driven, wood-fired pizza eatery and craft beer tap room, Stella Public House, have opened their doors to the public just in time for the holidays.
Located at 1429 Island Ave., the food and drink establishments share a gorgeous 3,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor space and a 1,500 square foot patio overlooking downtown’s newest, as-yet-unnamed public park. Stella Public House and Halcyon, which debuted in tandem to rave reviews in San Antonio last year, now arrive in San Diego under the guidance of the Austin-based investment group Zebo.
First opened in downtown Austin, Texas, more than a decade ago, Halcyon is an urban hot spot that combines the comfort and convenience of a chic coffeehouse by day with a laid back bar and lounge atmosphere by night.
Stella Public House, which first opened its doors to San Antonio’s hip Southtown neighborhood in the spring of 2013 beside an Alamo City Halcyon location, is known for its artisan wood-fired pizzas with seasonal ingredients and a rotating selection of craft beer and wine. Italian for star, Stella was named both best new restaurant and best bar by San Antonio Magazine.
The San Diego Stella Public House and Halcyon locations have airy, modern interiors highlighted by a sleek, light industrial aesthetic incorporating salvaged materials, distressed brick, simple metal fittings, and natural lighting.
The shared, yet separate, space showcases giant roll-up garage doors that allow patrons to enjoy the beautiful Southern California weather while enjoying Halcyon’s signature espresso-based concoctions such as the Chocolate Espresso Martini ($11) or Long Island Iced Coffee ($9) and Stella’s award-winning signature small plates like Wild Mushroom Mac & Cheese ($10) and Lamb Meatballs ($10).