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Parker House Rolls Parker House rolls are showing up on a lot of local menus these days, and I have yet to come across a batch I didn't like. Steak 48, Rare Society, Born and Raised, and Lana all come to mind. Each offers piping-hot casseroles bubbling with butter and a half-dozen or so soft, milky-white rolls. ey are the kind of rolls that make you say, "I'll just have one," and then realize you've eaten three before your appetizer arrives. Fabulous Focaccia Focaccia, taking shape in many forms, is slowly stealing the bread scene. Individual, loaf-like versions at Marisi and Dora Ristorante are delicate and dainty, often served with olive oil or tomato sauce, and make a lovely formal presentation. en there are the mountains of sheet-pan focaccia at Pastaria Vivi. is slabby, pillowy version is informal, rustic, and deeply satisfying. It's perfect for soaking up sauce and olive oil — or for building a hefty Italian-style sandwich. e Little Loaf Let's not forget the little loaf. Fort Oak offers a sourdough boule that takes three days to make from a 10-year-old starter fed with apples and grapes. e result has added depth and color and is served with whipped butter and Maldon sea salt. Juniper and Ivy bakes a pretty little house sourdough loaf served hot with honey butter and salt. Both are proof that sometimes the simplest presentation is the most irresistible: warm bread, good butter and salt, no added fluff or distraction. Fougasse at Fleurette Fleurette bakes fougasse for service each day. e current version is rosemary sourdough served with olives and tapenade. Although fougasse is traditionally a rustic French flatbread — similar to focaccia in Italy — there is nothing rustic about the presentation at Fleurette. It's almost too pretty to tear apart. Almost. Pain d'épi at A L'Ouest Finally, for fancier fare, there's the pain d'épi at the recently opened A L'Ouest. is wheat- stalk-shaped loaf is designed to be broken by hand and shared. It boasts a shatteringly crisp crunch and is served with butter imported from Brittany, France. Crack off a piece and soak up that brown butter sauce, dunk it into onion soup, or enjoy it with a swipe of creamy pâté. Lucky for us, chefs and restaurateurs are leaning into bread more than ever, hiring talented bakers and giving bread the starring role it deserves. And really, it makes perfect sense. Because when bread is made well, it isn't filler. It isn't an afterthought. It isn't something tossed into a basket because the table looks naked without it. And the dining public — you and I — get to enjoy all the glorious bread San Diego has to offer. at sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Now please pass the butter. Rare Society Pastaria Vivi Fleurette Dora Ristorante Fort Oak A L'Ouest FLEURETTE: PHOTO BY ERIC WOLFINGER DORA RISTORANTE: PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS ALL OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY PHOTOGRAPHY @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2026 73