Exploring San Diego County one restaurant at a time

The Plot

A gourmet, plant-based restaurant in downtown Oceanside

The Plot – Menu link here
Hours:
Lunch: Wed. – Fri. 11:30 AM-2:30 PM
Dinner: Wed. – Thurs. and Sun. 4-8:30 PM
Brunch: Sat. – Sun. 11 AM-2:30 PM
Location: 1733 S Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054

Matthew bites into a breakfast burrito. He has a small white plate with a fork in front of him. Off to the left is a mug of Sweet n' Shroomy and off to the right is a bottle of water.

There are hundreds of great restaurants all over San Diego County, but The Plot is the only one committed to zero waste by serving gourmet, plant-based food. It was opened in 2020 by accomplished local restauranteurs Jessica and Davin Waite. Jessica designed the restaurant concept and Davin the menu. 

The Plot is a fixture as you pass it along the 101 coast highway. The half white, half slanted wood façade draws out a sense of intrigue. The name in big white letters above the doors is curiously cryptic yet inviting.

Before going to The Plot, I had never been to a plant-based restaurant. The chefs are magicians, making delicious dishes you find at high-end restaurants by extracting lots of flavor from plant-based substitutes. The casual atmosphere and fantastic outdoor space are perfect for a night out.

Even if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, it’s a great place to try. Read more to learn about The Plot.

The Food

The sloppy waffle with vanilla cream and berry sauce. There are blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. The waffle made from regular and oat flour sits on a white plate.

The menu at The Plot can be deceiving. I have been here once for dinner and, more recently, brunch. Brunch looks like any traditional brunch menu with waffles, breakfast burrito, sausage and biscuits, frittata, chilaquiles and sandwiches. Dinner is an eclectic menu of sushi, New American, hints of Latin and Asian cooking with fresh salads. 

The question I thought to myself when I first saw the menu was, “Can they cook all this with just plants?” and then my next question was, “How do they cook all this with plants?”

The answer, of course, is yes. Davin Waite is a regenerative chef known for using all parts of the fish and produce for delicacies like bone marrow shots and beet stem relish at his celebrated restaurant Wrench and Rodent. The menu at The Plot is no less ingenious. These are well-crafted, beautifully made dishes that bring out pops of flavor with spice that you wish vegetables and meat substitutes could always have.

When I went for dinner, I had the meatless loaf made of wild rice and lentils beautifully baked and charred. They top it with a mushroom and beet demi that provides a tangy, rich zing to the earthy, deep flavors of the loaf. The cooked chard adds a nice bite of bitterness next to the hearty flavors.

The breakfast burrito with a mild green salsa. There is a frittata made from a special flour mixture with chorizo made from wild rice and lentils and beans. The tortilla is crisped and served handsomely on a white plate.

Brunch was better than dinner. Jennifer and I had kale salad, a sloppy waffle, and a breakfast burrito. To drink, I had a Sweet n’ Shroomy, a latte with oat milk and OM Chaga Mushroom powder. It had an outstanding balance of bitter and sweet that made for an excellent addition to the meal.

The kale salad had a perfectly cooked farro that added a nice crunch next to the citrus of the Cara Cara in the rice dressing. It gave brightness to the fresh greens. 

The waffle is light and fluffy. It is a decadent but perfect brunch item with vanilla cream and a berry sauce over a lovely fruit mixture. These waffles are not too doughy, not too crunchy, and they have a texture better than Belgian Waffles. If going for dinner, I recommend the chicken and waffles, with the chicken made from local, organic tofu.

A kale salad with farro, pickled red onion, apples and cara cara rice dressing. The colors of yellow from the apple, red from the pickled onion and green kale looks bright and beautiful. There is my coffee mug and Jennifer's green drink on the right.

Atmosphere

The cafe portion of The Plot. There are high and low wooden tables. There is a long barista counter with many glasses on wooden shelves behind. There is a large photograph of mushrooms on the back wall with beer taps and a barista making station in front. There are registers and a small glass display case for to-go drinks.

When I first walked into The Plot, I noticed its spaciousness. The ceilings are tall. A cute, white European-style motorbike with The Plot written on the side is propped up near the entrance.

There’s a café to the right with large wooden tables and a roomy barista counter where customers can order coffee and drinks. On the left is an indoor seating area and outside is a lovely patio that reminds you more of a winery than being in the center of town. Edible plants are growing all along the property and across the alley is a small cottage with a large vegetable garden. The Plot is committed to using the produce they grow and local produce from farmers with regenerative farming practices.

Our server Devin was relaxed, answered our questions about different dishes and recommended we pick plates to share. Parking is available in the back of the restaurant, or if full, there’s public parking on the street.

The design of The Plot is a simple, rustic chic that wants to welcome you into the space. A large mural at the right of the host’s table is a hand pulling out a plant root with the words, “The Future is Inwritten.” The back wall towards the restrooms has a neon sign that reads, “All of this belongs to you.” The Plot wants you to feel at home and know that eating here supports a local business, local farmers, the environment and healthy eating.

The patio outside The Plot with people eating and enjoying their meal. Tan-colored woodchips cover the area with edible plants bordering the perimeter. There are light beige umbrellas around black tables for shade and heaters for cooler weather at dinner service. There is a brown picket that surrounds the spacious property and blue skies.

Zero Waste

A distance shot of The Plot community garden. They have many raised beds and a shed for gardening equipment. Everything is green and looks healthy. There is a patio table in the front of the image with different colors of corrugated, bendable metal for making the raised beds. There are blue skies.

What makes The Plot distinct in San Diego is its goal to get to zero waste. Zero waste means eliminating 90-95% of things that are usually thrown out at restaurants and go to landfills.

According to the NRDC, restaurants waste 22 to 33 billion pounds of food annually.

In addition, for every $1 invested in reducing food waste, a restaurant saves an average of $7.

Few restaurants do zero waste, but it is a growing trend. There’s an uncanny ability for The Plot, even as an established restaurant, to be a creative, fun experience you won’t forget anytime soon.

To read more about zero waste, check out this Smithsonian article.

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Matthew at The Plot smiling into the camera grabbing his coffee. The motorbike is behind with the propped open entrance door. There are empty tables and chairs behind and across the room is a mural of an arm pulling out a plant root with the words, "The Future is Unwritten." I am dressed in a long sleeve, white shirt.

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Be sure to check back next week for another, more personal post about a family recipe my mom loves and watching Masterchef: Back to Win.

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