Your New Favorite Boozy Brunch Just Launched in San Diego

Recently the first full-service restaurant venture by the Perr Family—the family behind Pali Wine Co. —opened in San Diego's bustling Hillcrest neighborhood. Since the first dish was served and first glass of wine was poured back in June, they've been welcoming locals and diners from all over Southern California to enjoy an "uncompromising hyper-local experience, spotlighting sustainable seafood and locally-sourced produce." Given this restaurant is the brainchild of a well-known wine family based in Santa Barbara County, you know they are going to bring the rain and the wine will be damn good as well.

With the Hillcrest Farmers Market just beyond Cellar Hand’s doors and San Diego County boasting more local farms than any other county in the country, each vibrant dish at Cellar Hand reflects California’s bounty. The menu begins with crudos and conservas, boasting rotating varieties of both fresh and preserved local seafood including rockfish, bluefin tuna, scallops, mussels and more. A “For Dipping” section features dishes infused with Mediterranean influence, perfectly paired with housemade 24-hour fermented pita. Leveraging personal relationships with local farms including Chino, Dasquito, Hakuma, Valdivia, and Cyclops farms, Cellar Hand features vegetable-centric dishes determined by our farmers’ seasonal crop. The mains section features local pork and beef sourced from Thompson Heritage Ranch and seafood from local sources, with dishes like Grilled Whole Rockfish with labne, cucumber, radish, and red ruby grapefruit, and Thompson Heritage Berkshire Pork with bulgarian feta mousse and radishes.

Cellar Hand is a passion project for the Perr family. With a proven track record in the wine industry, Nick and Carmen bring a second generation of energy committed to sustainability, craftsmanship, and community. Drawing on their extensive experience, the team has thoughtfully curated a wine list from friends and like-minded winemakers, as well as from their own cellar. This selection spans ancient vines, zippy naturals, lesser-known varieties, and crowd-pleasing favorites, ensuring a diverse offering for every palate.

Weekend brunch is now available Sundays from 11am to 3pm. Reservations can be made here via OpenTable. Cellar Hand also recently launched Happy Hour offered 4pm-5pm, Wednesday through Friday, with deals like 50% off all wines by the glass, beers and sangria, house made pita and dips, and discounted dishes including House Conserva with scratch made ‘Ritz’ crackers and the fan favorite Thompson Chicken Liver Mousse with orange wine jello shots on house made sesame toast.

Brunch mimosas are made with a sparkling Albariño from Carboniste in Northern California, paired with freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice, or their house-made watermelon kosho. They also launched a new spritz featuring the same sparkling Albariño and amaro from Oddish Wines, a local San Diego winery. Lastly, their sangria made with their natural Chardonnay, botanicals, and added citrus juice.

Designed by San Diego based architectural design firm Tecscape Design, the space features a 960 square foot dining room that seats 60 anchored by a central indoor-outdoor bar, with a 1,100 square foot outdoor patio that seats 60. Guests can observe Chef Kendall and his team firing pita through the exposed kitchen, enjoy beverages around outdoor fire pits, and admire artwork created by Nick Perr who also designs the wine labels for their second label, the natural wine brand Neighborhood Wines .

Cellar Hand is located at 1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Cellar Hand's Instagram or Website to learn more.