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09/24/2026
The beef brought a plus-one.
Surf and turf is on this week at Yanni's: ternderloin medallions, cooked the way you like it, sharing the plate with sautéed shrimp in a garlicky scampi sauce.
We're pouring a 2017 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass with it. It comes from hillside vineyards on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley: black currant, a little mint and sage, and a silky finish. The Cab has the backbone a filet wants, and those herbal notes get along very well with garlic. Shrimp usually asks for a white. This time it made an exception.
Call ahead to reserve your table! 858-527-0011
Your neighborhood. Your restaurant.
09/19/2026
In March, at a restaurant in Agios Nikolaos, I had a glass of a young red I could not stop thinking about. A Syrah and Kotsifali blend, half and half. I asked the waiter where it was from. Then I asked the next waiter. I asked most of Crete.
This month Denise and I finally found the family. Karapidakis, in the village of Alagni, outside Heraklion. We drove out for a tasting and arrived in the middle of harvest. The whole village was bringing grapes. Nobody had slept much. They sat us down anyway and poured all three wines. Somehow every one was better than the one before it.
They also make raki. They distill it themselves. Of course we bought the raki.
We are hoping there is a way to get these wines to San Diego, because a bottle that tastes this good should not have to stay on the other side of the ocean. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime the lasagna's on and the Cretan red we already pour is waiting for it.
The photos, including the one where I stop taking notes and just drink, are in the journal: https://yannis-sardinia-wine-mission.vercel.app/crete/karapidakis/
Yanni
09/18/2026
That was a rough one, Scripps Ranch.
Four days in a row over 90, and up here we ran hotter than the coast. For about a week the patio was a place you looked at through the window. You came in anyway. You sat inside, ordered the cold things, and told us it was hotter at your house. We noticed, and we're grateful.
So here's your reward: the marine layer is back, the evenings have that first little chill, and all three patios are open. The oven's back on too. Beef lasagna is on the dinner menu this week. (858) 527-0011.
Question for the neighborhood: what's the first thing you order on the first cool night of the year? Wrong answers accepted. Baklava à la mode is not a wrong answer.
09/09/2026
You know how Yanni meets you at the door like you're family? Last week, somebody did that to him.
He and Denise drove into the hills of Crete to visit Fragospito, a little family winery that makes one of the reds on our list. They got there at 1 p.m. It was harvest. Nikos Gavalas and his daughter Christina had been picking grapes until 5:30 that morning.
They opened the doors anyway. Walked them through the vines. Poured everything. And then, because apparently that wasn't enough, they made lunch: an omelette on the spot, a salad from their own garden, and a plate of watermelon. In the busiest week of their year.
Denise called it "a very special day." Yanni came home with a bottle he could not carry by himself (photo 4) and a car packed in a way we're not going to describe (photo 5).
The wine they were pouring is the same Fragospito Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah we've had on the list at Yanni's. This week it's on the table next to the new Chicken Eggplant Parm, by the bottle, at dinner.
Scripps Ranch, be honest: who in this neighborhood would feed you lunch on four hours of sleep?
09/03/2026
Yanni and Denise sent us this from Greece on Sunday.
That's a table full of cousins and a lamb shank that had clearly been cooking since noon. No caption. In this family a photo is an instruction, so the kitchen ordered lamb.
Lamb Osso Bucco is on all week, starting this evening for dinner: braised low and slow until it slides off the bone, bone-in, in a rich sauce over linguine so nothing goes to waste. Pour the Donum Pinot Noir from Carneros with it, or the new Oktoberfest draft if you'd rather have something cold.
One heads-up. We're closed Sunday and Monday for Labor Day so our own team can sit at a long table too. That leaves Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, then Tuesday when we're back. Call ahead if you want one held: (858) 527-0011.
Now, the question we're collecting for Yanni to read on the flight home: what's the one dish your family cannot get through a holiday without?
08/27/2026
Here's a thing you might not know about restaurants: most wine lists get built in about an hour, from a distributor's sample case.
Ours doesn't. Yanni books a flight. 🍷✈️
He and Denise just spent time in Sardinia, visiting two family wineries: Vike Vike, up in a mountain village with more sheep than people, and Vigne Surrau on the granite coast. There was a hillside tour before a single glass got poured. There was a lunch that would not end. There were goodbyes that took another hour.
The Vermentino from that coast is pouring at the restaurant this week, next to the Niçoise salad, and the Italian Sausage Rotini pasta back by request.
Come share what they’re enjoying in their travels.
And tell us in the comments: best wine you've ever had while traveling? 👇
📞 (858) 527-0011 · 12015 Scripps Highlands Dr, San Diego
08/20/2026
You usually only get this one in December. 🦀
Our crab cake special — the one we roll out with the holiday coursed menus, the one people ask us about all year long — is on this week. In August. Golden and crisp outside, sweet and tender inside, the kind of crab cake that quietly ruins other crab cakes for you.
We're pairing it with the Ceretto Langhe Arneis from Piedmont, and it's a gorgeous match. Ceretto is a legendary Barolo house, and they're also among the winemakers who rescued Arneis — a native white grape that had nearly gone extinct. Their Blangé bottling is named, as legend has it, for the spot where Napoleon's bakers once camped. Crisp and mineral, with ripe pear, green apple, apple blossom and a subtle almond note that plays beautifully against sweet crab.
No need to wait for December. This one's here now.
(There are also three new red wines on the list, because Yanni went wine shopping and Yanni has never once come back with a sensible quantity. Ask your server. The storage room needs the help.)
12015 Scripps Highlands Dr, Scripps Ranch · (858) 527-0011
08/14/2026
Old-location heads, this is your weekend. 🦑
The Calamari Steak with Mussels in a Saffron Sauce is back — the coastal, golden, slightly nostalgic dish some of you never stopped talking about. We're pouring a Spanish Muga Rosé by the glass alongside it.
Did you used to order this one? Tell us your favorite memory of the old spot in the comments — we'd love to read them. 💙
08/05/2026
We're about to get in trouble. 🎂
It's Denise's birthday this week, and she is going to be furious that we're telling all of you — she doesn't like the attention. So we're doing what any smart team does: blaming Yanni. (His idea. Obviously.)
Here's the thing about Denise: she's the heart and soul of this place — the quiet force who keeps the whole restaurant running and never wants a shred of credit. If you see her around this week, wish her a happy birthday.
It's a big week for another reason, too: San Diego, you voted us Best Greek Restaurant in the Union-Tribune Readers Poll. We didn't campaign — we just cooked for the neighborhood we love, and you showed up. Thank you, truly.
And because someone always asks: this week's special keeps the great potato debate going. Our Pihas-family moussaka skips the potatoes entirely — all eggplant, spiced meat sauce, golden béchamel. (Sorry, Yiayia.)
Two ways to make our week: drop a happy birthday for Denise in the comments 👇 — and if you've dined with us and never left a Google review, an honest one would be the loveliest gift for her birthday. Only if you've visited, only if it's genuine, nothing in return. 💛
07/30/2026
Okay, Scripps Ranch. we need you to settle something. 🍅
It's been so hot we did the unthinkable and made this week's special a salad. But not a boring one: the Niçoise, quite possibly the most controversial salad on earth. The purists in Nice, France insist it's a raw salad — tomatoes, olives, anchovies — and treat cooked potatoes, green beans, and lettuce as very nearly a crime. One former mayor even wrote a whole cookbook lamenting "the crimes committed in the name of this pure, fresh salad."
So, naturally, Denise committed a few. 😇 Her Greek-Californian version has yellowfin tuna, Kalamata olives, new potatoes, green beans, egg, a garlicky Dijon-lemon vinaigrette, and — because we're in California — avocado. Yanni's asked for it on repeat.
Here's the debate, and we mean it: potatoes in the Niçoise, or no potatoes? Drop your verdict in the comments and we'll share where the neighborhood lands next week.
(P.S. — we recently hosted a gorgeous engagement party on the garden patio. More on that soon. 💍)
07/23/2026
Some specials come and go. This one comes back because you won't let it leave. 🐑
Lamb Osso Bucco is back — and honestly, we can't keep it off the menu for long without risking a full-blown riot. Slow-braised until the lamb surrenders right off the bone, rich and deep, the kind of dish that makes a whole table go quiet.
We're pairing it with the Bryn Mawr Pinot Noir 2022 from Oregon's Willamette Valley — black cherry, baking spice, and an earthy finish that wraps around braised lamb like they were made for each other.
Come get it before the next uprising. 📞 (858) 527-0011 · 12015 Scripps Highlands Dr, San Diego
07/16/2026
We need to talk about this week's special, because it caused a scene in the kitchen. 🐙
Lemon Garlic Risotto with Octopus — octopus sautéed in garlic over creamy, lemony risotto — had our own staff ambushing the photographer for a bite before the photo was even finished. That's the kind of dish this is.
Two ways to pair it: bright, with The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand passionfruit and citrus that dances with the garlic), or rich, with ZD Chardonnay (buttery Carneros oak — founded, fun fact, by two ex–rocket scientists). Bright or rich, you can't lose.
Come get it in the AC or out on the patio. 📞 (858) 527-0011 · 12015 Scripps Highlands Dr, San Diego
Address
12015 Scripps Highland Drive
San Diego, CA
92131
To get to the restaurant on Scripps Highland Drive in San Diego by public transport, take bus route [ROUTE NUMBER] and get off at the [NEAREST BUS STOP NAME] stop. The restaurant is a short walk from the bus stop.
If driving, head north on Interstate 15 and take exit [EXIT NUMBER] for Miramar Road. Turn left onto Scripps Ranch Blvd, then take another left onto Scripps Highland Drive. Look for parking options near the restaurant, such as street parking or a nearby parking lot/garage.
Opening Hours
| Monday |
11:30am - 8pm |
| Tuesday |
11:30am - 8pm |
| Wednesday |
11:30am - 8pm |
| Thursday |
11:30am - 8pm |
| Friday |
11:30am - 9pm |
| Saturday |
11:30am - 9pm |
| Sunday |
11:30am - 8pm |
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What people say
Mediterranean restaurants are known for their delicious and healthy cuisine, and Yanni's Bar & Grill in Scripps Highland Drive, San Diego is no exception. This mediterranean restaurant has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike, drawing in a loyal following from nearby areas such as Rancho Bernardo, Ramona, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, Julian and Point Loma.
What sets Yanni's Bar & Grill apart is its focus on simplicity. The proprietors Yanni & Denise Pihas have years of experience in the hospitality industry and it shows in the elegant yet comfortable atmosphere they have created. The restaurant is spotlessly clean and the food is served with attention to detail.
The menu at Yanni's Bar & Grill offers a wide variety of Mediterranean dishes that are both flavorful and healthy. From classic Greek salads to succulent lamb chops, every dish is made with fresh ingredients that are sure to satisfy any palate. And don't forget to try their famous hummus - it's simply delicious!
Overall, Yanni's Bar & Grill is a must-visit for anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience in San Diego. Whether you're looking for a romantic dinner or a casual lunch with friends, this mediterranean restaurant will not disappoint.
