A Maximalist Nonna-Chic Restaurant Is Landing in the La Jolla Theater District

Eater

a day ago

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Growing up in Sicily, chef Accursio Lota spent his childhood running around family gardens, olive groves, and fishing ports, developing his passion for food from his nonna. Since relocating to San Diego, Lota has poured the same love for food that he learned from his grandmother into his restaurants In 2019, he opened his North Park restaurant, Trattoria Cori Pastificio, named after his wife and business partner, Corinne Goria. The word 'cori' also means 'love' in Sicilian. Now, as he's readying to open his second restaurant this fall, Lota is paying homage to another important woman in his life: his nonna.
The namesake restaurant, Dora, is slated to open in the La Jolla Theater District in late September or early October. The restaurant will showcase his love of Southern Italian and Southern California cuisine with its a maximalist seafood-centric menu. All dishes will be made in house, including the bread, pasta, and gelato. As theater shows run at the nearby La Jolla Playhouse, rotating prix fixe pre-theater menus will present playful, special themes based on the productions.
Lota's been recognized for his culinary talents since he was a teenager: By age 14, he had already enrolled in culinary school. At age 18, he was chosen to represent his culinary school in Italy's National Culinary Competition. In 2017, he was crowned the winner of the Barilla World Pasta Competition. He went on to train under chef Sergio Mei at the Four Seasons in Milan. From there, he moved to the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara, where, at only 22 years old and new to the country, he cooked for notable guests, including Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama. He returned to Sicily, spending time in the kitchen in the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Ristorante La Madia. Lota then relocated to San Diego, where he brought his culinary skills to the Marine Room in La Jolla and Solare Ristorante in Point Loma, which received recognition in the Michelin Guide.
In 2019, Lota and his wife opened Cori (also what the locals lovingly call their first restaurant), establishing their business as part of the rich fabric of the eclectic city neighborhood. Three years later, in 2022, the couple moved their family to La Jolla. They hope their second restaurant, Dora, will also become a must-try restaurant in their adopted hometown. 'Dora is about more than food — it's about creating a space that honors tradition, encourages connection, and celebrates the cultural richness of our neighborhood,' says Goria, a San Diego native.
Designed by interior design firm Bells and Whistles (Starlite, Jeune et Jolie, and Animae), the restaurant will showcase a Campari-toned oval bar with custom chestnut-stained oak, hand-applied plaster walls, and unlacquered brass accents, all set within a 3,800-square-foot space. Italian mosaic tiles, reminiscent of grand Mediterranean estates, will be a mix of recycled glass and marble. Other Old World elements include plush, velvet banquettes with Sicilian-style furnishings and custom lighting. Up to 100 people can be seated at Dora. The 2,600-square-foot interior footprint features an open kitchen and a 1,200-square-foot patio space for outdoor dining. A private dining space accommodating up to 16 guests will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, evoking an intimate supper club vibe. CLTVT, whose signature style has appeared in San Diego restaurants such as the Lafayette Hotel and Kingfisher, is handling the build-out.
Anchoring a newly built residential tower at the University of California–San Diego campus, Dora will be the dining centerpiece of the new 8.5-acre Theater District Living and Learning Neighborhood. Theatergoers, college students, neighborhood residents, and gourmands can dine at the sophisticated, nonna-chic restaurant or drop in for drinks at the elegant bar. Another dining establishment, James Place, an Asian fusion and steakhouse restaurant, has been on campus near La Jolla Playhouse since 2015.
Lota adds, 'At Cori, we found so much joy in building something within the community we called home,' says Lota. 'Now we're excited to do the same in La Jolla.'
9165 S Scholars Drive, South La Jolla, CA, 92037 See More: San Diego Restaurant Openings