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Come taste O’side like never before with our 2nd annual Swell Plates Series. From January 14 to February 11, 2026, grab a passport and dig into a whole menu of limited time, locally sourced dishes that celebrate the city’s unique flavors. Let our only-in-O’side creations tell you our story on a tour of participating restaurants, and even make a stay of it so you can savor every seasonal bite.
24 Suns: When Pigs Swim
Inspired by the Oceanside Museum of Art’s Future Rituals exhibition, this dish pairs smoked pork rib with local wahoo shaped into a T-bone form. A fermented fennel “souherb” made from foraged coastal herbs ties the elements together, creating a reflection on balance, ecology, and Oceanside’s natural landscape.
333 Pacific:
Spring Lamb Gnocchi
This dish highlights Oceanside’s spring produce, with lamb folded into soft gnocchi alongside farmers-market peas, mushrooms, and black garlic. It blends comfort with fresh, seasonal brightness, celebrating the region’s agricultural richness.
allmine:
Porchetta Appetizer
House-roasted porchetta is paired with mustard, pickles, and fresh focaccia, all crafted in-house using ingredients from local partners like D’Acquisto Farm and Thompson Heritage Ranch. The dish reflects allmine’s commitment to regional sourcing and Oceanside’s community-driven food culture.
Dija Mara:
Persimmon Dessert
This seasonal dessert pairs locally grown persimmon with Dija Mara’s Southeast Asian influences. Created in collaboration with neighboring chef Roxana Pavel, it showcases Oceanside’s culinary spirit—creative, connected, and rooted in both global inspiration and regional harvests.
Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen:
Fried Chicken Sando
Flying Pig’s sandwich layers crispy fried chicken with mustard aioli, arugula, and spicy beer pickles on a milk bun. It blends Southern comfort with Oceanside’s fresh, local ingredients, capturing the restaurant’s balance of tradition and California creativity.
Frankie’s:
Espresso Martini (Cocktail)
Frankie’s Espresso Martini mixes vodka, Mr. Black, and fresh espresso with a hint of smoked sea salt. The defining touch comes from locally roasted beans delivered daily by Interim Coffee, reflecting Oceanside’s craft-driven, community-minded beverage culture.
Jitters Coffee Pub: Cross Current Wrap & Green Room Matcha
This plant-forward wrap features coconut “chicken,” BBQ sauce made with Jitters’ spent coffee grounds, and herbs from Mraz Family Farms. Paired with house-sweetened Green Room Matcha, the duo highlights Oceanside’s collaborative, sustainability-focused food community.
Lighthouse Oyster Bar & Grill: Lighthouse Halibut
Wild halibut from Oceanside Harbor is rolled and stuffed with shrimp and crab, then topped with lobster cream sauce. Chef Luis Lopez Sr. showcases decades of seafood expertise and the restaurant’s deep connection to local waters.
Market At Hill Street:
Winter Bounty & Cheese Trio
Winter citrus, apples, and root vegetables pair with artisan cheeses from the restaurant’s new Cheesemonger’s Case. With produce from Sand & Straw Farms and a vegan version created with Chef Liz Murphy, the plate highlights Oceanside’s collaborative, farm-centered ethos.
Mangia e Bevi:
Linguine al Riccio di Mare
Squid ink linguine is tossed with saffron, white wine, and garlic butter, then finished with fresh local sea urchin roe. Minimalist and expressive, the dish reflects the purity of Oceanside’s seafood and the restaurant’s belief in coastal well-being.
Matsu:
Sheepshead Tartare
Live sheepshead from Oceanside Harbor is ike-jime processed and dry-aged before becoming a refined tartare accented with raspberry ponzu and marigold. The dish reflects Chef William Eick’s precision and Oceanside’s deep connection to local seafood.
Merenda Wine Bar:
Jambon-Beurre & Grüner Veltliner
Merenda serves a classic jambon-beurre paired with a responsibly made Grüner Veltliner. Inspired by everyday rituals highlighted in Oceanside Museum of Art’s Future Rituals, the pairing celebrates simple ingredients and Oceanside’s creative community traditions.
Odie’s Pizza Co:
Best Coast
This taco-meets-pizza collaboration layers Craft Coast’s birria with mozzarella, onions, and cilantro, served with consommé for dipping. It playfully represents Oceanside’s neighborly partnerships and bold, cross-cultural flavors.
Piper:
Braised Lamb
Inspired by Chef Marvin Maldonado’s barbacoa memories, this dish features lamb with blue-corn polenta, local legumes, and kumquat. Served on Lydia Kardos ceramics, it blends artistry, heritage, and Oceanside’s local agriculture.
Rose Café:
Seaside Sesame Tuna Toast
Sesame-crusted tuna is paired with avocado, crispy shallots, spicy mayo, and microgreens from Katie’s Produce. The dish nods to the chef’s early seafood roots and reflects Oceanside’s fresh, coastal culinary identity.
The Plot:
Banana Peel Torta
This zero-waste torta transforms banana peels into carnitas and incorporates BBQ sauce made from Jitters’ spent coffee grounds. With avocado seed mole, it embodies Oceanside’s innovative, sustainability-minded culinary community.
The Privateer:
The Captain’s Anchorage (Cocktail)
This rum-forward cocktail honors three generations of the Anderson family, whose restaurant legacy spans from The Captain’s Anchorage to today’s Privateer. It’s a tribute to Oceanside’s deep-rooted hospitality and family tradition.
Valle:
Quesataco and Tuna Tostada
The quesataco features wagyu and melted cheese, while the tuna tostada highlights fresh local seafood sourced through Pelican Harbor. Together, they reflect Chef Roberto Alcocer’s Baja heritage and Oceanside’s coastal creativity.
Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub:
Harbor to Plate
This evolving dish showcases the week’s freshest local catch, paired with simple accents like pickled peppers and passionfruit fish sauce. Ingredients from The Plot Garden Project reinforce the restaurant’s hyperlocal, fisherman-supported approach rooted in Oceanside’s harbor community.
Dine and get stamped:
Collect stamps in your passport by dining at participating restaurants and ordering their Swell Plate.
Enter to win:
Once you have 3+ or more stamps, drop off your passport at the California Welcome Center or take a photo of both inside pages (showing your contact info and stamps) and email it to swell@visitoceanside.org for a chance to win a $50 restaurant gift card.
You can also follow @VisitOceanside and tag your plate pic for another way to win at the end of the series.
This year, Swell Plates is introducing a new way to give back. When you enjoy a featured dish at participating restaurants, you’ll have the option to round up or donate $1 per plate to WILDCOAST—an international nonprofit dedicated to protecting coastal and marine ecosystems in the U.S. and Mexico. Based in San Diego, WILDCOAST helps preserve vital habitats like mangroves, wetlands, and coral reefs, and leads meaningful conservation and climate-action efforts through community engagement and on-the-ground restoration.
Funds raised through the Swell Plates Series will further support local sand renourishment initiatives — so every delicious bite helps keep Oceanside’s coastline thriving.
This year, the weekends are for eating your way through O’side. Every Saturday and Sunday from Jan 14 – Feb 11, Swell Plates Food Tours will dish out four tasty stops, chef meet-and-greets, and an O’side crash course from the locals themselves—all the more reason to call it “research.”
So pack your appetites! Tickets are $99 per person and include a Swell Plate dish at each location. Reservations are available now at shoesandchews.com
