Happy Thursday, Encinitas! If you love to eat like I do, you’re gonna be stoked. This weekend starts with Taste of Cardiff and then it’s time for brunch on Sunday! More on that below.
First though, to kick things off, shout out to all the Encinitas moms who will be spending their Mother’s Day weekend on the sidelines of a soccer field for the Encinitas Express Cup. And good luck to all the kids playing their hardest out there on the pitch. Go Express!
This is our Mother's Day weekend issue, which means we've got a lot to cover: brunches, garden tours, Mama Mia! on the big screen, flower bouquets on the farm. We put together a whole dedicated section for it below. Scroll down, bookmark it, forward it to someone looking to make plans.
Moms, close your ears for a second. OK, Dads and kids…our favorite local spot for fresh cut flowers is Franco’s at the corner of Leucadia Blvd and Saxony. Head over to their walk in flower cooler on Saturday morning before noon and pick out some fresh cut locally grown flowers!
🏄 The weekend at a glance
Weather. Mid-60s across the board: highs of 65–66°F Thursday through Sunday. Classic Encinitas May — go outside.
Surf. Swami's is sitting at 2–3 ft, fair conditions. SSW swell with light morning winds before onshores pick up in the afternoon. Best sessions early. Get the latest from Surfline.
Tides. Morning low tides through the weekend make Cardiff Reef good for an early tide-pooling session — Grab a breakfast burrito from Pipes and then check NOAA's tide chart or Surfline for exact times before you head out.
Sunset. Saturday ~7:47 PM. Sunday ~7:48 PM. Post up at the Moonlight Parking Lot — both nights are going to be beautiful.
🌟 Featured
16th Annual Taste of Cardiff Thursday, May 7 · 5:30–8:30 PM · Downtown Cardiff-by-the-Sea & Restaurant Row
Cardiff's biggest night out is tonight. For the 16th year, Cardiff 101 takes over the stretch of the 101 for a strolling tasting walk: 20+ tastes from local restaurants, 20+ sip stops pouring craft beer, wine, hard kombucha, and spirits, and 10 live bands scattered throughout. You just wander and eat. It's genuinely one of the most fun evenings in North County, and it benefits the organization that keeps Cardiff's main street thriving. (Photo credit @visitsandiego)
📍 Ticket pickup at the LIVV parking lot, 2027 Newcastle Ave, Cardiff
💵 $57.25 Taste Only / $62.25 Taste & Sip
🚲 Strongly encouraged: bike, walk, or rideshare — event parking is not available at Cardiff Town Center
Mother's Day Weekend Art, Garden & Studio Tour Saturday–Sunday, May 9–10 · 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM · Various artist studios, Encinitas
The San Dieguito Art Guild's annual tour opens 8 working studios and private gardens across Encinitas and South Carlsbad for a self-guided Mother's Day weekend drive. Thirty-plus exhibits — paintings, ceramics, photography, jewelry, fiber arts, gourd art — and every stop has free refreshments. One ticket covers both days, and you can revisit any home. This is the tour's 29th year. It's a tradition.
📍 Map and participating homes at sandieguitoartguild.com/mothers-day-tour 💵 ~$40 per person
🗓️ Day by day
Thursday, May 7 (tonight)
16th Annual Taste of Cardiff — Eat and drink your way through Cardiff. Grab your tickets now if you haven't. $57.25 Taste only/$62.25 with Sip Stops. 5:30–8:30 PM.
Meet the Winemaker: Zodiac Pours in the Garden — Fox Point Farms — Winemaker Kate Webb of Sun Moon Rising Wine pours her zodiac-themed natural wines in the Fox Point garden. Wine flights, light bites, come-and-go-as-you-please energy. A nice way to start the Mother's Day weekend early. 5–8 PM. Tickets $35 via Fox Point's site. 📍 1150 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas
Friday, May 8
Atomic Groove — Mother's Day Happy Hour — Belly Up kicks off the Mother's Day weekend with a "Mother of a Dance Party" happy hour from Atomic Groove — the R&B and funk band that basically has a standing residency here. The Fly Girlz will be doing their thing. This is your weekend warm-up. 5–8 PM. $12 adv / $14 door. 📍 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach
Jay Cain — Duck Foot Leucadia — Local guitarist and longtime Mr. Peabody's open-mic host Jay Cain plays a low-key Friday set at Duck Foot's Leucadia tasting room. Twenty taps, no cover, good vibes on the 101. 6:30–8:30 PM. Free. 📍 978 N Coast Hwy 101, Leucadia
Saturday, May 9
Cardiff Farmers Market — Every Saturday rain or shine at MiraCosta College San Elijo Campus, 10 AM–2 PM. Certified California farmers market with local produce — a solid way to start Mother's Day weekend. Free to attend. 📍 3333 Manchester Ave, Cardiff
Mother's Day Art & Garden Tour — Day 1 — See the featured section above. 10 AM–5 PM, self-guided drive, 8 studios open across Encinitas and South Carlsbad.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — La Paloma Theatre — The ABBA-stuffed sequel on the big screen at La Paloma. Saturday night at 7:30 PM. (Also Sunday at 3 PM — the Mother's Day matinee.) $12 cash at the door. 📍 471 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas
Desperado (Eagles Tribute) + Never Die Young (James Taylor Tribute) — Belly Up — Two tribute acts, one big Saturday night: note-for-note Eagles classics with an opener of the gentle warmth of James Taylor. The Belly Up does these tribute nights well. 8 PM. $24 in adv, $28 at the door 📍 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach
Sunday, May 10 (Mother's Day!)
Mother's Day Art & Garden Tour — Day 2 — Studios open again, 10 AM–5 PM.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — La Paloma Theatre — The Sunday matinee at 3 PM is practically designed for Mother's Day. $12 cash. 📍 471 S Coast Hwy 101
Orchids in the Wild — San Diego Botanic Garden — The Garden's annual orchid showcase fills the 8,000 sq ft conservatory with hundreds of wild-inspired specimens. It's genuinely stunning. 9 AM–5 PM. $20/adult, $12/kids (under 3 are free); members free. 📍 300 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas
➡️ For brunches, bouquets, and everything else for Mom — see the section below.
💐 Mother's Day Weekend
What are we doing Sunday? Glad you asked. Here's the rundown — from casual to special occasion.
🌸 Brunches!
Breakers Café — Hawaiian-Inspired Patio Brunch | Sunday 9 AM–2 PM, live music 11 AM–1 PM | Pricing TBD — call ahead | The most come-as-you-are option on this list. Outdoor patio, no fuss, live music with your eggs. This is Encinitas. 📍 481 Santa Fe Dr, Encinitas
Pacific Coast Grill | Sunday, special Mother’s Day menu | Two levels of oceanfront seating right on Cardiff Reef. You can literally watch the lineup while you eat. Hard to beat for a special occasion that still feels local. 📍 2526 S Coast Hwy 101, Cardiff
Punta Mar — Lobster, Oysters & Bottomless Mimosas | Sunday, all day | $75/person | Lobster Puerto Nuevo-style, fresh oysters, bottomless mimosas. One of the more memorable options on the 101. Reserve on OpenTable. 📍 485 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas
Herb & Sea | Sunday 10 AM–2 PM | $72/adult, $38/child (3-course prix fixe) | Three courses, steps from the Pacific, and steps from the Coaster station if you want to skip driving. One of the best rooms in town. 📍 131 W D Street, Encinitas
Haven Farm + Table at Fox Point Farms | Sunday 10 AM–1:30 PM | Pricing TBD — book on OpenTable | Farm-to-table brunch where the ingredients come from the fields out back. Outdoor tables, garden views, zero-waste seasonal plates. 📍 1150 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas
Fancy hotel brunches: VAGA at Alila Marea Beach Resort (Carlsbad, $165/adult, Santa Maria grill + Pacific views), Chandler's at Cape Rey (Carlsbad, $85/adult, oceanfront), Ember & Rye at Park Hyatt Aviara (Carlsbad, brunch buffet overlooking the 18th green).
🌷 Make the bouquet yourself Bouquet Making at Fox Point Farms — Mother's Day morning workshop where you make a fresh floral arrangement with seasonal blooms straight from the farm. Perfect before brunch. 10-11am, ~$50 📍 1150 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas
🎬 Take Mom to the movies Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — La Paloma — Sunday 3 PM. $12 cash at the door. If there's a more appropriate Mother's Day movie to see at our landmark local theater, I can't think of it. 📍 471 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas
🔜 On the horizon
Cyclovia Encinitas — Open Streets on the 101 — May 17. The 101 shuts down for bikes, scooters, skates, and feet. Always one of the best days of the year. More details coming.
Steely Dead at Belly Up — May 13. A Steely Dan / Grateful Dead sonic fusion. Weird and wonderful. 🤘
Surfer's Code: Shaun Tomson — California Surf — May 13, Oceanside. Surfing legend Shaun Tomson speaking on surf culture, community, and the Code. Worth a Coaster ride north.
🤝 One ask
If this edition helped you plan your Mother's Day weekend, forward it to a friend or neighbor who'd appreciate knowing what’s up. And if you've got a tip for a great local spot — a happy hour, a pop-up, a first Friday, whatever — just hit reply! We love hearing from you! 🤙
A quick mea culpa from last week — the Temaki Bar listing was supposed to be a Cinco margarita special, not bingo. If you went expecting bingo, sorry about that! Hope you still had a great margarita!
This week brought to you by __(maybe you?)__. (Do you want to reach a great group of out and about locals? I'm opening a handful of Founding Sponsor spots. Reply and let's talk.)