Kory Stetina is committed to providing San Diego diners with some of the best, most innovative plant-based experiences money can buy.
Take Mothership, his space-themed bar that’s been serving out-of-this-world cocktails and inventive vegan fare (or “Earth Food,” as the menu calls it) since 2022. Or Kindred, once described by Eater as a “death metal lair-meets-Victorian salon,” where drinks like the Thrashy Martini, Blood Trance, and Palace of Certainty pair with hearty, expertly crafted dishes such as the Eggroll Burger, Hot Potatoes, and carbonara.
So it’s safe to say that before you even step inside Dreamboat and Vulture, Stetina’s two newest concepts, expectations are sky-high. Both were created alongside Arsalun Tafazoli, owner of Consortium Holdings (and Stetina’s collaborator on Mothership and Kindred), and both are linked together in San Diego’s University Heights neighborhood.
And when we say “linked,” we mean literally. To get to Vulture—a moody, brooding cocktail bar and restaurant—guests first walk through Dreamboat, a playful, California-style, 1950s-inspired micro diner dishing up modern spins on comfort food favorites like the Crackling Tofu Sandwich and the Braised Yuba Hoagie. On the other side, Vulture reveals itself as a darker, more theatrical experience with a French-leaning, fine-dining menu that includes hand-cut tartare, caviar service, and Steak Diane made with wood-grilled lion’s mane steak.
Both restaurants opened earlier this summer, but if you need one more reason to check them out, read on for our conversation with Stetina.
Layered, theatrical, audacious: Kory Stetina’s on San Diego’s new vegan dining duo
Dreamboat
VegNews: Let’s talk about Dreamboat. What inspired the idea of a “micro-diner”?
Kory Stetina: We aimed to create a bit of a clubhouse for us and the neighborhood, inspired by our favorite coffee shops and burger joints. Though the space is small and the menu is brief, the attention to each item is extensive.
VN: Did you lean into retro diner culture, or did you want something different?
KS: It’s not as retro-focussed as one might assume, and we take pride in presenting a more modern and eclectic twist on a diner with just 10 seats, takeout, and no rules for today or the future.
VN: Vulture feels dramatic and grand, while Dreamboat is intimate and playful. How did that contrast come about?
KS: A lot of our design and concepting was driven by the architecture of the older building itself. We based a lot of the decisions on the “arrival” into Vulture. Midway through the building, the ceilings expand to dramatic heights. We wanted that to be the first step into Vulture, after some bewilderment walking through another, seemingly disconnected space.
Dreamboat
VN: So with Vulture specifically, what made it feel new for you?
KS: In the case of Vulture, we’re exploring mid-century American continental-style dining that we felt was fun, theatrical, but also a little elevated from some of our previous restaurants. Table-side preparations and kitschy vintage drama felt fresh and exciting, even without the plant-based focus. Add that to the mix, and it feels especially fascinating, for us at least.
VN: So Vulture is not quite a speakeasy, but you wanted an element of surprise?
KS: It’s not quite meant to be a speakeasy, but stepping through something more understated and simple like a diner to arrive at such a grand and over-the-top bar/lobby, added some intentional confusion that makes the arrival into Vulture all the more hair-raising and special.
VN: And Dreamboat’s concept flowed out of that arrival moment?
KS: Our intentions for Vulture’s guest experience were already in place, so from there, the ideas for Dreamboat started flowing.
Vulture
VN: Both spaces are layered with detail. What’s one element you’re especially proud of?
KS: Surprises and details are layered and layered in each space, especially Vulture, so there is always something new to tune in to and notice at each visit. I’m partial to celebrating our house martini right now, which we fussed over for a year.
VN: What makes that martini special?
KS: A blend of three gins and four vermouths, served at an obsessively cold and exact temperature. I’m proud that in a city where refreshing cocktails reign, our best-selling drink is a classic, formidably direct cocktail like the Martini.
Vulture
VN: And you’ve created different versions of it, right?
KS: We serve it three ways, including in mini form but also as “The Works,” which is a larger pour served alongside pickled accoutrements and its own potato pavé topped with horseradish crème fraîche and truffle caviar, all plated on a large, ornate vintage tray. It’s indulgently over-the-top and a ton of fun.
VN: How do you see your restaurants contributing to San Diego’s evolving food scene?
KS: We’d like to think that all of our restaurants, Kindred and Mothership included, with Vulture and Dreamboat, add something audaciously unique to the restaurant landscape in our city, even before you get to the vegan part. While vegan food is central and crucial to who we are, it’s almost the cherry we put on top of what is hopefully already a thrilling addition to the food scene.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
