At 8 a.m. on a weekday, the counter at 6110 El Tordo is already serving breakfast. At noon, a gelato case opens a block away on Paseo Delicias. On a Friday or Saturday night, the restaurant in that same building stays open until midnight. A year ago, none of those three places was open in the village.
Most of the new activity is packed into one building. Paseo, Paseo Pizza and Gelato, and the Make Me Up RSF beauty bar all list 6024 Paseo Delicias as their address, in suites C, D and I. Between them and Rancho Sandwich and Creamery on El Tordo, the village has gained a breakfast counter, an afternoon and evening pizza stop, and a late-weekend restaurant. These new places now cover the whole day. That helps explain why Nick & G's, the village's longest-running restaurant on its corner of Paseo Delicias and La Granada, has announced plans to close this fall for a full redesign.
One building, three arrivals
Paseo came first. Jennifer Fields took ownership of a longtime village eatery at 6024 Paseo Delicias, Suite C, on Nov. 1, 2025, and the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that it opened as Paseo that same month. It is the latest-running room in the village. Paseo's posted hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. on weeknights and 9:45 p.m. on weekends, and the restaurant is closed Sunday.
Make Me Up RSF opened in Suite I with a soft launch this summer, and its grand opening was Aug. 27, according to the Union-Tribune. It's the one non-food arrival in the group. It also means a village errand can now include an appointment along with a meal.
Paseo Pizza and Gelato in unit D is the newest of the three. It was already serving when it held its grand-opening weekend on Sept. 25 and 26, and it lists hours of noon to 9 p.m. every day. That makes it the only new village spot on this list that is open on Sunday evening.
Rancho Sandwich and Creamery covers the morning
Around the corner at 6110 El Tordo, Rancho Sandwich and Creamery opened in late June. The Union-Tribune covered its soft opening in a June 30 story. The menu runs to sandwiches, wraps, breakfast options and soft-serve ice cream. Its own menu page adds salads, sides, drinks and kids' items. It is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Here's how the three new restaurants and Nick & G's line up across the day:
| Place | Address | Posted hours |
|---|---|---|
| Rancho Sandwich and Creamery | 6110 El Tordo | Mon–Sat, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Paseo | 6024 Paseo Delicias, Suite C | Mon–Thu, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fri–Sat, 11 a.m.–midnight; closed Sun |
| Paseo Pizza and Gelato | 6024 Paseo Delicias, unit D | Daily, noon–9 p.m. |
| Nick & G's | 6106 Paseo Delicias | Closing mid-October for renovation; reopening planned for November |
These additions sit alongside places the village already had. When the Union-Tribune listed the village's dining in late September, it named Mille Fleurs, Lilian's, the cafe at The Inn, Thyme in the Ranch, Caffe Positano and Rancho Roasters, along with the newcomers.
Why Nick & G's is closing to start over
Nick & G's opened in 2017, and it nears its 10th anniversary with plans for a complete renovation and a new menu. In a Sept. 29 Union-Tribune story, the restaurant said it would close in mid-October and reopen in November. No exact reopening date was given. Before planning a dinner around it this month, check nickandgs.com for current status.
The building has its own history. It's a Lilian Rice building from the 1920s that was originally home to the Millar family, one of Rancho Santa Fe's earliest families. Before Nick & G's, it housed Delicias for 24 years and then, briefly, Ponsaty's.
The plan, as the Union-Tribune described it:
- The room. A redesigned dining room and bar, with new private event and patio spaces. The design takes its cues from the Amalfi Coast, with yellows, oranges and blues. A large olive tree will stand at the center of the dining room, with new custom banquettes.
- The sightlines. A new wine cellar opens a view through to a lighter bar and lounge, and diners will be able to see into the kitchen.
- Outside. A planted patio under a new wave-shaped shade canopy, and a back courtyard with more greenery and water features.
- The menu. California-Italian and coastal Italian-Americana cooking, with handmade pasta, pizza, seafood and seasonal shared plates. The menu will be smaller, and some current favorites will stay.
Chef and partner Alex Carballo is leading the work. He previously cooked at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens and Fox Point Farms, and he was the opening chef at The Crosby Club. In the same Union-Tribune story, he described what more neighbors on the street mean for the corner:
"I like the energy when there's more…it gives people a little more variety and a reason to go into Rancho Santa Fe, and we're in the heart of it."
Its website lists hours of 4 to 9 p.m. daily. Once it reopens, the evening options on Paseo Delicias will run from a pizza counter to a full dinner room to a late weekend bar, all within a short walk.
On the Covenant's other side, the Golf Club is also rebuilding
The village is not the only place where a dining room is closed for renovation. At the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, the Association lists the Ranch Clubhouse Restaurant at 5827 Via De La Cumbre as currently closed for renovations. The clubhouse is open to Association members. In early October, the Union-Tribune reported that the work had reached the finish stage, with wood flooring, wall finishes and restroom tile going in. The new kitchen had received a temporary certificate of occupancy so staff could start prep and training ahead of a fall opening.
Until then, the snack bar is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The snack bar is being renovated too. Plans call for an upgraded kitchen and restrooms and a larger patio with a small upper deck, and the club aims to finish by the end of the year.
Another project will tie the pieces together. On Oct. 1, the Association board approved $850,000 for a paver plaza at the club entrance, paid for entirely by the golf club. The new welcome area will be about 10 to 12 feet wider than the old one. It will connect the clubhouse and restaurant, the players' clubhouse and pro shop, and the expanded snack bar, framed by two new oak trees. Director of agronomy Tom Huesgen is aiming to finish by the first week of February 2027 and expects some access challenges during construction. Chief Administrative Officer Dominique Albrecht said much of the work is required by county stormwater rules.
Where the village gathers this fall
While Nick & G's plans its pause, the coming weeks still give plenty of reasons to be in the village, starting this weekend.
- Fandango Street Party, Saturday, Oct. 24, 5 to 8 p.m. The Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society hosts food and live music at La Flecha House, 6036 La Flecha. Tickets are required.
- Inn After Dark, Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m. The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe hosts an adults-only Halloween evening with free admission, cocktails for purchase and a costume contest.
- "Cityscape Scenes" reception, Thursday, Nov. 12, 5:30 p.m. The Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild's exhibit hangs at the RSF Library, 17040 Avenida de Acacias.
There's also something new to see a short walk from the library. On Oct. 13, the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club and the Association planted a California oak at North Village Park beside the Lilian Rice statue, as part of the club's centennial tree-planting ceremony. The Union-Tribune's preview of the event gives the park's address as 17025 Avenida de Acacias. The Garden Club's 2026–27 grant applications are also open through Dec. 15. San Diego County nonprofits and K–12 public and charter schools can request up to $10,000.
Sometime in November, the Lilian Rice building at Paseo Delicias and La Granada should reopen with an olive tree in its dining room, joining a street that now stays open from breakfast to midnight on weekends.
Changes like these, from a new corner restaurant to a wider entrance at the Golf Club, shape how a part of the Covenant feels to live in. I follow them closely for that reason. If you'd like to talk through what the village's new rhythm means for your own plans in Rancho Santa Fe, Cynthia Monaco would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
