Exploring San Diego County one restaurant at a time

Wolf in the Woods

On our table are French clams for two and Corn Pinon soup. The French clams are in a black Staub pot as they were cooked with fennel, onion and garlic in white wine. They're garnished with parsley and shaved chorizo. On the side are three slices of bread spread with farm butter. The sweet corn and pinon soup is served with wildflowers, hatch chile corn fritter, hatch chile dust and crushed pine nuts presented artfully.

A cozy gem with New Mexican flair in historic Mission Hills

The entrance to the restaurant Wolf in the Woods in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego, CA. Outside is a beige building with a white border on the edge of the roof. The restaurant has an outdoor patio area and a black metal storefront with large windows people can view from the street. There are cars parked out front.

Location: 1920 Fort Stockton Dr., Mission Hills, CA
Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 4-9 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 4-9:30 PM

Me and Jennifer posing together at the restaurant. I'm in jeans and a v-neck light and navy blue striped center. Jennifer is to my left with a blue flower dress and jean jacket leaning into me.

Wolf in the Woods, tucked away among homes in Mission Hills, is an unassuming delight of flavor and atmosphere. There isn’t a sign for the restaurant but a vintage black door with the words “Viva El Lobo” [Long Live the Wolf] above surrounded by compact, square glass windows. The patio is perfect for a quiet dinner or date on a warm spring or summer evening

We went with our friends Heather and Kurt on a Saturday Evening, and to our surprise it was the restaurant’s first anniversary. It is owned by chef and restauranteur Johnny Rivera, who started Hash House a Go Go and Great Maple (another fantastic restaurant). The executive chef is Carmine Lopez, who also worked at Great Maple.  

Wolf in the Woods is a quieter, more intimate space than Rivera’s other restaurants that brings to mind a European café. Dining tables line the quiet street on the patio, and an elegant bar looks out at you from the windows. We were seated at a table in the back of the restaurant that overlooked a canyon.

The New Mexico feel

The decor on the wall above where our table was for dinner. There are seven pieces of art. The central piece is a picture of the artist Frida Kahlo. On one side of her is a portrait of a Latina women and other side a Latino man. Above her are deer antlers, to the upper left is wooden box with a votive candle and to the upper right a painting of a small figure emerging from a broom.

In the restaurant, you’ll get a distinct taste and vibe of a fine dining restaurant or hotel from Santa Fe or Taos. There are spices hung along a peg board as if they were jackets. Overlooking our meal was a photograph of the artist Frida Kahlo and deer antlers. There was a beautifully painted mural of horses, coyotes and hunters in a forest. In a review of the restaurant for San Diego Magazine by Troy Johnson, he spotted Taos artist Jackson Ballard.

Inspired New Mexican Dishes include:

  • State fair ribbon potato chips
  • Sweet corn and pinon soup (A must-try, beautiful balance of sweet and spicy)
  • N.M. skillet burger with hatch chiles and hatch chile crema
  • A chocolate cake infused w/ hatch chile and with a raspberry coulis

The Food

On our two white marble tables is a cheese board on a black marble/charcoal slab with a cup beside it with small slices of baguette and cracker bread. The cheese board has pickles, apricot chutney, soft and hard cheeses with rich flavor notes. They are chosen on a seasonal basis.

Wolf in the Woods menu is a spicy mix of this New Mexico flavor with more traditional European dishes. A snacks and tapas menu makes the meal an adventure that entices you to try a variety of items.

There is a freshness to the ingredients and a balance to the flavors that make every dish a treat. The cheese board struck an outstanding balance between sharp, savory, creamy, and hard textures that paired well with a recommended Spanish wine and apricot jam on crackers. Pickles added a sour note that gave a refreshing tang to the residue of cheese stuck to my mouth. If I were to go back, I can only imagine how good the Jamon Iberico de Bellota board is.

On our marble table in the foreground is a small appetizer bite given to us at the beginning of dinner. On our plate is a slice of delicious French baguette with whipped cheese, apricot chutney and chives on top. It is framed in a small paper carton. In the background is a pitcher of water. Off to the left are a white candle and a wine glass.

For tapas, we ordered citrus cured salmon and yellowtail aqua chile. Both were incredible dishes. The thin slices of the fish, combined with the acidity and sweetness of the fruit and peppers, were like well-crafted pop songs that hit with strong flavors and silky finishes. Other highlights included the thin slices of watermelon radish and a great labneh.

The garden salad seems deceptively simple, but a beautiful variety of greens mixed with goat cheese and dusted with fennel pollen adds a distinctive “oomph” you’ll find in nearly every dish here.

My favorite: the French clam pot for two

On our table are French clams for two and Corn Pinon soup. The French clams are in a black Staub pot as they were cooked with fennel, onion and garlic in white wine. They're garnished with parsley and shaved chorizo. On the side are three slices of bread spread with farm butter. The sweet corn and pinon soup is served with wildflowers, hatch chile corn fritter, hatch chile dust and crushed pine nuts presented artfully.

My favorite dish of the evening was one of the three main courses they offer, the French clam pot for two. The fresh clams simmered in white wine with onion, garlic and fennel give a delightful savoriness to their soft, meaty texture. For garnish, there is parsley and shaved chorizo with three crunchy, hearty pieces of baguette with farm butter. 

I loved the presentation served in a compact black Staub pot to scoop out clams and dip your bread to soak up the broth. It was the perfect meal in the celebratory atmosphere of the restaurant to share great conversation with friends.    

Thanks for Reading!

A picture of Heather Sweeney and Kurt Lindemann smiling. Heather is wearing a black and white tulip flower dress. Kurt is in glasses wearing a black t-shirt and light brown, suede blazer.

Wolf in the Woods is a special restaurant for its gourmet New Mexico and French fusion in an intimate, café-like setting. Above is a photo of our friends Heather and Kurt. Kurt is the one who recommended the restaurant and heard about it from a colleague of his.

I hope you’ll make a reservation to support this local gem!

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I’ll be writing about a fabulous spot here in Oceanside. Till next time!

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