Entre Sueños: Pop-Up Dinner Series Inspired by Baja Med Cuisine

Kicking off Thursday, August 5, former Leña Brava Executive Chef Stephen Sandoval will launch Entre Sueños—a weekly, pop-up dinner series hosted at RLM Studio (4042 N Pulaski Rd). Inspired by Baja Med cuisine—a new-age culinary style integrating Mediterranean and Asian influences with Mexican cuisine—Entre Sueños will be a playful yet intimate 14-seat ticketed dining experience featuring creative small plates, dramatic shared entrees, thoughtful beverage pairings, and an interactive seafood cart.

Showcasing the spirit of Baja’s wine country, the Valle de Guadalupe, the menu will highlight local and seasonal ingredients, impactful Latin flavors, fresh seafood, whole animal preparations, and open-flame cooking techniques. Each dinner will begin with an interactive seafood cart—emulating the food stands commonly found in the streets of Ensenada—composed of fresh oysters, ceviches, and rotating offerings. Tickets for the dinner are $225 and will be available for purchase via Tock https://www.exploretock.com/entresuenos/.
“I’ve found a home in Baja cuisine because I’m able to tell a personal story about myself through my dishes, why still respecting the cuisine I’ve come to love,” says Sandoval. “‘Entre Sueños’ translates to ‘in between dreams’ and represents my journey as I move towards opening my own restaurant.”

The pop-up series will take place weekly, beginning Thursday, August 5 through the end of November. Dinners will start at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Future pop-ups in the series will include a collaboration dinner with Bar Sotano’s Chef Rish Kuma and Rick Bayless at his lush Bayless Garden. In addition to the ticketed prix fixe dinners, Sandoval will be hosting Tostada Tuesday at Blind Barber beginning Tuesday, July 20th from 5 p.m. until supplies last. Tostada Tuesday will showcase street food staples typically found in San Diego’s border towns.

About Chef Stephen Sandoval
Chef Stephen was raised in San Diego, California where he was influenced by the bountifulness of local produce and sustainable seafood. Stephen was drawn to the robust flavors that originated across the bordering town of Tijuana. In Baja Mexico a new age style was emerging, chefs were cooking with a sense of freedom, integrating diverse cultural and personal influences that go beyond the border. Chef Stephen's style not only reflects his love for Baja Mexican cuisine but also showcases his time spent working in Spain, San Francisco, New Orleans and Argentina. Stephen puts emphasis on locally sourced, sustainable products and creating a dining experience that tells the story of a traveling Chef. Chef Stephen has worked for highly acclaimed, Michelin-starred and James Beard awarded restaurants in San Francisco, Argentina, Mexico and New Orleans.