Atelier Manna — Restaurant in Encinitas

This was one of the most delightful restaurant experiences I have ever had! From the food, to the service, to the overall atmosphere, to the little details one might not even notice- This restaurant is clearly run by a Michelin star chef. I have always wanted to go to a Michelin star restaurant, and after having gone here I have learned a new hack: find the restaurants with the Michelin star chefs, and you're at an unofficial Michelin star restaurant!

The beautifully curated atmosphere featured a wood burning fire pit, & delightfully shaded patios (where a walk from one to the other gave you a tour of the kitchen in passing).

My partner and I did not have a reservation, but we got to sit down anyway (a surprise neither of us were expecting). Our server was a delightful man, whose name I'm sorry to say I don't remember. He was very kind, and recommended the most popular dishes, as well as one of his personal favorites. My partner got a coffee, and I got a rosemary pomegranate mocktail (If you're looking for alcohol in the morning, this will not be your place. They are big on infusions, and wellness shots). We also ordered the Breakfast Sandwich, and their ever so popular French Toast. These may sound like mundane items you can find on any menu, but the chef and staff go to great lengths to make sure that they create standouts with regards to these particular options. The breakfast sandwich had gourmet ham, a soft cheese spread, arugula, an egg, and green garlic. All of it was sandwiched between one of the most delightful and crispy croissants I have ever had the pleasure to dine upon. The flavor combination of this was nothing less than exceptional, and I would most definitely order this again.

The French Toast was something otherworldly all together. It was a 3-in thick piece of homemade sourdough bread that had been soaked in an egg and raspberry puree mixture overnight. It was cooked in their oven, so the crust was crispy and caramelized. The inside (as a result of the overnight sit) was like bread custard. I won't be able to do justice to it through this description, but on top it had bits of granola, a delightful honey glaze of some sort, fresh raspberries, goat cheese, and decorative flowers. I will never "go wanting" for an amazing french toast experience because I have had this one!

The last bit of terrific I would like to highlight is an unusual one, as I don't mention the restrooms of many locations. What was special about this one is that appeared to be an altar in the corner. This altar had a lit candle, various forms of incense, crystals including selenite, sage, and a huge portrait that had been taken of Anthony Bourdain and framed. Underneath was a quote of his that I had never read before (and I have read some of his books, and seen his shows)... I'm not going to write the quote here. I want you to go and experience this restaurant. Meet the staff, enjoy the environment, sip on an infusion, delight in the food, find solace in your company, and enjoy having a culinary experience.

From my heart to yours,...

CONGLOMERATION OF DELICIOUSNESS (5 stars + meteor shower + starlink satellites)

What a gem of a discovery! This is a "Pop-up installation" serving brunch food in a "farm-to-farmers.market-to-table" concept. I hope they set roots down and become a permanent fixture to the neighborhood because the food and drinks are something special. It truly is... A Modern Day Atelier.

BITES/SIPPIES absolutely a-m-a-z-i-n-g PRICE: pay for quality SERVICE: excellent AMBIANCE: covered outdoor and cute but limited

:: SIPPIES :: BOOGIE BEAN PUNCH ($9) - clarified coffee, berries, citrus. What is clarified coffee? From my understanding they use the clarifying milk punch process with coffee, berries and citrus. It is a true modern day work of art!!! The coffee is transparent without cloudiness, color is clear and diluted but not tasteless. The coffee itself had a very clean taste... kind of like extra light/waterdown (but delicious) cold brew with light notes of berries and citrus topped with a tiny sprinkle of cinnamon. First time having a clarified beverage and this place has set the standard for all future encounters. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

FLAMINGO ($9) - lacto-fermented guava, pandan, yuzu. Sweet and tart all together but in a good way yet not overpowering. Great for a breakfast beverage. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

:: BITES :: CILBIR - TURKISH EGG ($20) + add-on STEAK ($12) - soft poached eggs, herbed yogurt, chili garlic butter, torn herbs, toast. Their version was a fancy upscale version of a Cilbir... a conglomeration of deliciousness. The ingredients are bought from farm/famers markets and is the freshest in taste. Presentation was visually captivating and execution for consumption was mind and palette blowing! Double down on the creamy element with yogurt and delicate poached eggs, refreshing herbaceous flavor throughout, and a very subtle spicy, sweet, and salty from the chili-garlic butter (which i felt was a mix of chili sauce/oil/butter) garnished with fried garlic fragments. Mix all these profiles of flavors together and you get an explosion of amazingness. The toast itself was very delicious and pairs well with dipping that into the sauce on the plate. Do add the steak for some savor protein. I asked if my steak could be prepared "medium-well" and it came out medium, not a big deal but wish it came a tad bit more cooked. I've gone and ate at many great places this year but this dish (Cilbir by itself) was one of my favorites. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Everyone was ordering this dish, so I followed suite, and it did not disappoint one bit. It is the star item at this restaurant. You cannot go wrong with anything that is ordered from here.

Excited to come back and try new things on the menu. OR come back and re-order...

I grew up in San Diego, so I have been coming to all of the restaurants in this small stretch of the 101 in Leucadia for decades, so I was extremely excited to hear that there was a new Michelin bib gourmand spot opening up by the chef who was at Campfire and Jeune et Jolie before. Both of those are some of my favorite restaurants in all of San Diego and I can say that this new breakfast spot mirrors a lot of their similar flavors. It’s very close to Le Papagayo on the west side of the 101 in Encinitas. Parking is extremely easy, I prefer to park in the dirt lot across the street, which I have been doing since high school for all the restaurants in the area, or you can park on the actual 101 or on one of the side streets behind the restaurant. Inside is quite small, they have indoor and outdoor seating, but we were sat outside today, which was very nice because it was covered and there was a cool summer breeze. Our server was also very polite and everything that we ordered came out pretty fast. The menu itself is pretty small, but has a lot of unique items on it. Pricing is a little bit more expensive than traditional breakfast restaurants, but it is worth it.

We had a big dinner planned that evening so I didn’t want to fill up too much at breakfast so we both chose two of our favorite items to order. We started off with the Cold Brew, which was very nice and not too bitter and followed that up with the Turkish Eggs and the Breakfast Sandwich. The Turkish Eggs were fantastic, some of the best I’ve ever had. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the sauce inside was fabulous. I also chose to add steak, which was a bit expensive for $14 but it was cooked perfectly and had tremendous flavor. The Breakfast Sandwich came on an extremely fresh croissant and was probably one of the best croissant breakfast sandwiches that I’ve had in a very long time, if not ever. The portion sizes are not very large, but they are packed with flavor and I felt that it was the perfect amount of food. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in San Diego or to anyone visiting. It’s never a bad day when you can have a wonderful breakfast on beautiful 101 Highway super close...