Under the clock tower at El Tordo and La Granada, there's a corner room with a tile floor and a mural that reads "Ice cream fixes everything." Until this year it was an underused conference room in a bank building. Now it sells breakfast burritos at 8 a.m. and pineapple Dole Whip that, according to its owner, sells out every couple of days.
That room is one of four Village changes since last November. Each one involves a local owner or a long-running local operator reworking a building the town already knew. Together they have stretched the hours you can get food in the Village core. Eating there no longer means planning around a lunch window and a dinner reservation. On a Friday you can get breakfast under the clock tower at 8 a.m., eat lunch at 3 p.m. without hunting for an open kitchen, and still order dinner on Paseo Delicias at 9:30 p.m.
Where the longer day began
The first change came in November 2025. Jennifer Fields took over the former Rancho Santa Fe Bistro, which was once the Pantry, and reopened it as Paseo. The Rancho Santa Fe Review reported that she had been one of the Bistro's most loyal regulars, often stopping in after local tennis matches. She brought 24 years in hospitality, including 10 years at the Bellagio, and officially took ownership on Nov. 1.
The building at 6024 Paseo Delicias is a local landmark. It was the first Rancho Santa Fe School, and its first graduation in 1924 had one student. Fields put more than $800,000 into the interior. Her plan kept the building's brick and exposed wood beams and took out the Bistro's wine racks to make room for more tables. Plantology owner Roxy Najafian redesigned the patio landscaping using the historic pots already on site.
The schedule shows how much Paseo has grown. In December 2025 it served lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Paseo's contact page now lists 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. It is closed Sunday. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9:45 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so weekend kitchen hours now run 45 minutes later, and the bar stays open well past that. The bigger change is that the afternoon gap is gone. The menu has also grown beyond pastas, seafood and steak. It now includes pinsa, sushi and omakase.
A sandwich counter for the morning and the walk home from school
The second change filled the morning. Rancho Sandwich and Creamery opened in June 2026 at 6110 El Tordo. Its owner, Rancho Santa Fe resident Chris Miller, owns the building and saw the empty corner conference room as a chance. In the Rancho Santa Fe Review's account, permits from six county and state agencies took a year, including a new plumbing system. Friends and family helped build out the space with materials left over from building the Millers' own home.
The menu has the most local detail of any new spot in the Village:
- Sandwiches named for family. Anne Marie's Vegetarian, Chloe's Chicken Chipotle and AK's Special, with pastrami and provolone, are named for Miller's daughters.
- The East County Native. An early top seller, named for Miller's Fallbrook roots. It's turkey, provolone, bacon, avocado, mustard, mayo, oil and vinegar on a French roll.
- The Sweeney Panini. Firesmith grilled chicken, named for former MLB player Mike Sweeney, a fellow member of the Church of the Nativity.
- Breakfast. Avocado toast, breakfast burritos, muffins and bagels.
- Bread and meats. Local O'Brien's bread and Boar's Head meats.
It's open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's also within walking distance of R. Roger Rowe School, and Miller told the Review he expected a busy fall once the school year began. "We needed this for so long," he said. You can order ahead through the shop's online menu.
Pizza fills the Sundays and the hours between meals
The third change came from Fields again, one door over. Paseo Pizza and Gelato at 6024 Paseo Delicias, Unit D, held its grand opening Sept. 25 and 26. It serves build-your-own pizzas and 18 signature pies, including the namesake Paseo with Grande mozzarella, imported burrata, crispy prosciutto, arugula and balsamic glaze. Gelato flavors rotate, and the shop brews its own craft beer.
Paseo Pizza's hours fill the Village's two weakest spots on the old schedule. It's open seven days a week from noon to 9 p.m. That covers the mid-afternoon stretch when sit-down lunch kitchens wind down. It also covers Sunday, when Paseo itself is closed. Details and online ordering are at paseopizzarsf.com.
Nick & G's is closed for its tenth-year redesign
The fourth change is still underway. Nick & G's at 6106 Paseo Delicias was scheduled to close in mid-October for a full renovation and menu refresh, with a reopening planned for November. No exact reopening date had been announced by mid-October. The restaurant posts updates at nickandgs.com and on Instagram at @nickandgs.
The building has its own history. It's a 1920s Lilian Rice building at Paseo Delicias and La Granada, originally the Millar family home and then Delicias restaurant for 24 years. Local resident Sandra DiCicco-Bonar of the Grand Restaurant Group opened Nick & G's there in 2017 and named it for her children, Nicolas and Gianina. Gianina Pickens, the "G," now runs the group as chief operating officer.
According to the Rancho Santa Fe Review, Chef/Partner Alex Carballo is planning these changes:
- A smaller California-Italian menu built on coastal Italian-Americana dishes, handmade pasta, local produce and seafood. Some current favorites will stay.
- A brighter, Amalfi Coast-inspired dining room in yellows, oranges and blues, with a large olive tree in the center and new custom banquettes.
- A new wine cellar that diners can see through to a lighter bar and lounge, plus a view into the kitchen.
- A planted patio under a new wave-shaped shade canopy, and a back courtyard with a garden feel and water features.
Carballo's résumé includes Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens and Fox Point Farms, and he was the opening chef at The Crosby Club. He told the Review that more choice helps the whole Village: "I like the energy when there's more…it gives people a little more variety and a reason to go into Rancho Santa Fe."
The Village day, hour by hour
The four changes overlap with the places that have anchored the Village for years. These include Mille Fleurs at 6009 Paseo Delicias, Lilian's at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe at 5951 Linea Del Cielo, and Thyme in the Ranch. Here's how a full day looks, based on each restaurant's own posted hours as of October 2026:
| Time of day | Open in the Village |
|---|---|
| Early morning | Thyme in the Ranch, from 7:30 a.m. Tue–Fri and 7 a.m. Sat; Rancho Sandwich and Creamery, from 8 a.m. Mon–Sat; Lilian's breakfast, 8–11 a.m. Mon–Fri |
| Weekend morning | Lilian's brunch, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.; Mille Fleurs Sunday brunch service, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. |
| Lunch | Paseo, from 11 a.m. Mon–Sat; Lilian's lunch, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Mon–Fri; Mille Fleurs Friday lunch, 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Mid-afternoon | Paseo Pizza and Gelato, from noon daily; Paseo, open straight through; Rancho Sandwich soft serve until 4 p.m. |
| Dinner | Paseo; Paseo Pizza until 9 p.m.; Lilian's, 5–9 p.m. nightly; Mille Fleurs, Tue–Sun evenings |
| Late | Paseo, open until 10 p.m. Mon–Thu and midnight Fri–Sat, with the kitchen closing at 9 p.m. weekdays and 9:45 p.m. weekends |
Each place has its own gaps. Thyme in the Ranch closes Sunday and Monday. Mille Fleurs lists no Monday hours. Paseo closes Sunday. On a Monday you'll still find Rancho Sandwich, Paseo, Paseo Pizza and Lilian's open. On a Sunday, Lilian's, Mille Fleurs and Paseo Pizza cover the day. Hours change, especially around holidays, so check each restaurant's site before you go.
Mille Fleurs describes its menu as French and California cuisine built on seasonal ingredients. Lilian's serves updated Coastal California food with sustainable seafood and local ingredients. Thyme in the Ranch is a café and bakery for breakfast, brunch, lunch and baked goods. Caffe Positano and Rancho Roasters also appear on Carballo's list of current Village dining spots.
What's next on Paseo Delicias
Two things are still coming. The first is the Nick & G's reopening, now targeted for November. The second was part of Fields' original plan. In December 2025 she said Paseo would eventually serve breakfast on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Paseo's posted hours don't include breakfast yet, and it still closes Sundays. If either changes, weekend mornings will have one more option.
If a Nick & G's reopening dinner or Friday pizza on Paseo Delicias has you thinking about living closer to the Village, I can tell you which streets put the clock tower within walking distance. Reach out to Home by Baris and we'll start there.
