- Jeffrey Lamont Brown
- 6 days ago
SOMETHING WARM FOR WINTER MORNINGS
Winter asks us to slow down when the mornings are quieter and the air a little cooler. At IZOLA, this season always nudges us toward warmth and toward flavors that feel familiar, grounding, and just a little indulgent.
This week, we’re introducing a new pastry that captures that feeling, our new Wine Poached Pear Croissant...I'm especially excited about this one because it has literally stopped people in their tracks AND when they taste it?? They are even more blown away.
Freshly baked and served hot from the oven, our Wine Poached Pear Croissant begins with our signature croissant dough, made with butter from Normandy and baked until crisp, deeply layered, and golden. Inside, chilled mascarpone is whipped just until soft, creating a cool, creamy center. On top, a Bosc pear, slowly poached in Cabernet Sauvignon with gentle winter spices arrives warm, fragrant, and jewel-toned.
Bosc pears are at their best this time of year: naturally sweet, aromatic, and firm enough to hold their shape through slow cooking. Finished with a light drizzle of reduced Cabernet syrup, the pastry balances warmth and freshness, richness and restraint.
It’s the kind of pastry meant for winter mornings and unhurried afternoons...something to enjoy while it’s still warm, with an espresso, and nowhere else to be.
Available starting Thursday morning and for a limited time only.
HOURS: Open every day, 7a–2p
A WELL-EARNED STEP FORWARD
I’m thrilled to share the promotion of Front of House team member Elon to Front of House Lead. He joins Narra, Alik, and Dani in helping lead our Front of House team — a role that touches everything from coaching and mentoring, to leveling up training, to the very real, very nitty-gritty work of running a busy bakery day in and day out.
That includes things like getting everyone out for lunches and breaks when the line is out the door, keeping the space clean, calm, and welcoming (and keeping it that way all day), and making sure we’re delivering on our hot-from-the-oven promise alongside warm, genuine hospitality. On a busy Saturday, if you pause and take a look around the dining room, you’ll get a glimpse of just how much coordination and communication it takes to have the right people in the right place at the right time. It’s no small effort — and strong leadership makes all the difference.
Elon began his journey with us at IZOLA as a guest first. Inspired by his experiences here, he decided to join us for this wild ride. From day one, it was clear that hospitality comes naturally to him — welcoming people in like they’re family, with care and intention. As he’s learned our (very detailed!) processes, it’s been a joy to watch how deeply he cares about this space and the people in it.
Congratulations, Chef Elon! We’re honored to be on this journey with you.
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday, we host live music at the bakeshop from 8a-1p. Come on by to see how talented our local San Diego musicians are! Follow us on Instagram to see the lineup each week.
NATE LUCIER
8-9a
Nate Lucier of Nate Lucier's Rock N' Roll Orchestra. Playing original songs that have a rock n' roll vibe, but with a modern feel.
KAHLIL NASH
9-10a
Emerging from the elite San Diego music scene in California, San Diego Music Award winner Kahlil Nash is a Funk/Rock and R&B recording artist/producer who is a multi-instrumentalist. Influenced by artists Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince, Kahlil Nash thrives to entertain his audience.
MADDIE DENISON
10-11a
Madeleine Denison is a songwriter and musician currently obsessing over her debut album, Etherlines. This project takes influences from the moments in life that cause time to stop, speed, or cease to exist entirely. With a mixture of folk, indie, and alt rock genres, Madeleine’s music seeks to inspire and restore us to a more beautiful vision of life.
STARTING THE NEW YEAR TOGETHER
I just cannot believe that we're nearing the end of the year. So much of me feels like it has passed in the blink of an eye, but other parts of me feel like it has been a very...long...year.
I’ll be honest, because that’s the only way I know how to be...it’s been a challenging year. And I know we weren’t alone in it with many businesses and teams navigating the same headwinds, uncertainty and just pure craziness. There have been plenty of moments that tested us and our team members. And we still have big challenges (and big dreams) that continue to test us each and every day. There have been more than a few days that we've asked a lot of the people behind the scenes - especially this holiday season.
Still, we kept baking. And our team kept showing up - often tired, sometimes injured, yet when they walk through IZOLA's doors, they are focused on one thing....how to create a delightful experience for our community. Warm smiles, kind words, hot pastries, attentive service...striving to improve daily.
We keep putting one step in front of the other because of YOU. Because of the guests who take the time to reach out to me when we've made a misstep (and we make many) and you give us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. And the guests who take the time out of their busy days to send us notes like Joyce did, who said "Thanks to you, your family and your staff for what you give us all tirelessly everyday. I really admire you and wish you the very best in the new year." THANK YOU. Thank you for believing in us, for spending your precious time with us, for sharing IZOLA with your friends and family - we are beyond grateful for your love, your support and your graciousness.
Let's celebrate this beautiful community together!
We’ll be open our regular hours all week long, and we’d truly love to see you — whether you stop by on New Year’s Eve or choose to start the year with us on New Year’s Day. (I'm super excited to open New Year's day for the 1st time ever...)
We’ll be baking hot from the oven each and every day this week from 7a–2p.
Please be patient with us if you encounter longer wait times or limited inventory and know that we have been working for weeks to prepare and we simply can not make/bake/serve any more or any faster.
To celebrate, enjoy a glass of sparkling California wine for $2.50 all day....all week! There’s really no better pairing with a hot-from-the-oven croissant.
Let's cheers to good bread, even better company and stepping into the new year together. We are incredibly fortunate to live in this time and this place together.
HOLIDAY HOURSOpen every day, 7a–2pOpen New Year’s Day
LAST DAY: JANUARY 1!
The last day for Blue Cheese and Walnut Sourdough is this Thursday, January 1st. It's the sourdough that even people who say "I don't like blue cheese" end up loving....handfuls of California walnuts paired with melty Wisconsin blue cheese - a slice is a meal in itself!
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday, we host live music at the bakeshop from 8a-1p. Come on by to see how talented our local San Diego musicians are! Follow us on Instagram to see the lineup each week.
LEATEA
8-9a
Leatea (San Diego native Dylann Jelden) has been a musician all her life, beginning with classical violin at age 4. She began writing songs and incorporating guitar in high school. She performs regularly in San Diego.
ROBERT CHAN
9-10a
Based in San Diego and inspired by personal life experiences, singer-songwriter Robert Chan writes music that focuses on storytelling. With just three years of experience, he's recently created a new album about a magical love story called "I Promise Cafe."
MAYBEAR
10-11a
Maybear is a singer-songwriter and indie rock musician based in San Diego. Some of her influences are Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers and Raveena.
AARON BOWEN
11a-12p
Aaron Bowen is a local San Diego musician, guitar builder, and well practiced recording artist. Bowen has recorded and produced many local musicians, he has truly lifted the music community in San Diego. His musical style encompasses many genres fused into a unique, well sculpted tone, that encapsulates the listener into a trance. Aaron plays at Izola often, we are lucky to have him.
- Jeffrey Lamont Brown
- Dec 22, 2025
SHARING THE IZOLA LOVE
If you’re looking for a thoughtful last-minute gift, sharing the IZOLA love is easy. DIGITAL GIFT CARDS are available and make a perfect way to treat friends, family, hosts, teachers — or anyone who appreciates beautiful bread and hot croissants. You can set it to deliver instantly, or at the future date/time of your choosing or print it out and include in a card or giant wrapped box (I love these!). No fuss required....just happy eating....and they never expire.
THERE'S STILL TIME!
There’s still time to place your pre-order for Christmas Eve. We’ll be open and baking hot from the oven from 7a–2p, and while pre-orders are always the easiest way to skip the line, walk-ins are absolutely welcome. Whether you’re picking up a show-stopping loaf for the holiday table or a box of croissants for the drive home, we’ve got you covered. Our croissants and sourdough freeze beautifully, so you can warm and serve them hot-from-the-oven whenever it suits you.
HOLIDAY HOURS Open every day, 7a–2p Closed Christmas Day Open New Year’s Day
SLICED BREAD IS BACK!
What’s the best thing since sliced bread?Sliced bread returning to IZOLA. Yes, it’s really happening.
We now have frozen, pre-sliced sourdough loaves available online. Just select “Frozen (Sliced)” when adding your favorite sourdough to your cart, and future-you will be very grateful.
If you’ve ever wondered why sliced bread has been such a challenge for us, here’s the behind-the-scenes truth: our loaves are built with a deeply rustic, crackly crust and a soft, custardy interior. Slicing them cleanly requires real power — and just as much finesse. Our previous slicer couldn’t quite pull off that balancing act, and the machines that can are priced like a small car.
So… we leveled up.
Huge thanks to our team for tracking down the right machine and making a road trip to LA to bring it home. Colin, Adrian, and Alik — you’re the best. Because of you, sliced bread is back on the menu!!
Availability is limited, so grab one while you can.
SATURDAY LIVE MUSIC
Every Saturday, we host live music at the bakeshop from 8a-1p. Come on by to see how talented our local San Diego musicians are! Follow us on Instagram to see the lineup each week.