A journey that feeds the spirit
“Vaga” is an affectionate nickname I’ve had since I was a child, my family’s lovingly teasing way of acknowledging my wanderlust. My abue (grandmother), who shared my affinity for adventure, always began our phone calls with “Dónde andas? Andas de vaga?” (“Where are you now? Being a wanderer?), to which I would laugh and confirm “Siempre” (“Always”).
For a true “vaga,” the journey is never-ending; the spirit and palate, always curious.
Drawing ingredients and inspiration from near and far, VAGA explores San Diego’s ever-changing confluence of culture through the cuisine of native Chef Claudette Zepeda. VAGA is a love letter to her hometown; victual poetry penned in the tongue of local growers. From its perch on a coastal bluff in Encinitas, California, VAGA keeps one hand in the ocean, one hand in the farm, and both eyes on the horizon.