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Foodies will savor Zepeda's bonafides, having earned accolades at restaurants like Vaga, El Jardín, and Bracero. e formula for success here is simple: erect a homey hideaway with velvet curtains, bric-a-brac, and saloon chairs. e design is by Design 4 Corners. A highlight: the groovy patio replete with a disco- ball tree and atmospheric lighting. It was dreamt up by co-owner Jason Janecek, a landscaper and managing partner of Corner Pizza. "We wanted to create a space… where it feels like you're in one of your most interesting friends' living rooms," says co-owner Brittany Corrales, a Leucadia native and event planner. e wine list is decidedly female and the Little Fox ice cream sundaes are all grown-up. e Stay Gold, Ponyboy is made with turmeric, makrut lime leaves, and miso tahini cookie crumble. e cherry on top? You scored the reservation. leuleuleucadia.com W hen it comes to nightlife, North County isn't exactly racy. Nightly DJs and "Super Sexy Sundaes" served in vintage goblets is an attempt to change all that. Dip your spoon. Explore the vinyl. "Let your freak flags fly," says Chef Claudette Zepeda. "It's my love letter to San Diego's diverse food culture and its incredible people. It's unlike anything I've done before," says the S.D. native and Top Chef alum, who is a Food Network regular. "It's indie, it's fun, and it's personal." Personal indeed. e off-beat menu explores Zepeda's monchoso, craveable bites. ere's a Duck Confit with mole, a Baja Yellowtail Crudo with lemongrass coconut sauce, and Jamie's Masa Ball Soup, a Mexican spin on the Jewish classic. e royal treatment: A Fabergé Egg, deep-fried, hard-boiled, and glazed in sweet & sour. Behind a fake fortune teller door, the new Leu Leu in Leucadia conjures a keep-it–funky culinary lounge electrified by Chef Claudette Zepeda BY GILLIAN FLYNN | PHOTO BY VINCENT KNAKAL Ooh Leu Leu Chef Claudette Zepeda ranchandcoast.com 54 APRIL 2025 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE