The new spot from chef and La Jolla native Sebastian Becerra offers all-day fare with a Peruvian-influenced menu designed for approachability.
With balloons, a DJ, crowds and lines from open to close, chef Sebastian Becerra and team celebrated the grand opening of Becerra’s new restaurant Pepino Nov 2.
The all-day cafe, open from 8 am to 4 pm Thursdays through Mondays at 7556 Fay Ave, serves breakfast, pastries and coffees all day and lunch starting at 11 am, all with a nod to Becerra’s Peruvian heritage and family (“pepino” means cucumber in Spanish and is also his grandfather’s nickname).
The grand opening, which followed a 10-day soft opening, showcased Pepino’s “warm and welcoming space,” Becerra said Nov 3. “I’m really proud of the team.”
Becerra, a La Jolla native, now looks to recreate the energy at the grand opening, he said, with the popular lomo saltado burritos (beef, egg and more), salads and bowls heading out the door nonstop.
People praised the food and atmosphere at the Nov 2 event, calling Pepino a success.
The feedback is rewarding for Becerra, who has been “dreaming about this for some time,” he said, “to create a space that people want to frequent,” with service based on “approachability and kindness.”
The current menu will run at least through 2025, he said, with rotating pastries and eventual specials.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone in,” he said.
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