Encinitas – October 16, 2026 -- Blank Slate, the restaurant near Moonlight Beach run by chef Aron Schwartz and co-owner Pam Schwartz, now serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
The restaurant sits at 101 N. Coast Highway 101, next to Encinitas Surfboards. Reservations are available through the restaurant's website or by phone at 760-454-9991, and a reservation calendar shows availability and special events.
Local columnist called his dinner 'a perfect meal'
David Boylan, longtime host of Lick the Plate and a culinary columnist for The Coast News, reviewed Blank Slate in a May 20 feature titled "So much to love about Blank Slate in Encinitas." He has since named it one of the best new restaurants in Encinitas. He credited the owners' combined culinary talent, their wine pairings and the frequency of their menu updates based on fresh ingredients.
His meal included a wedge salad, pan-seared ocean trout with roasted potatoes, local vegetables and charred lemon, and a mixed berry crisp with vanilla ice cream. Menus change, so the restaurant advises checking the current menu when booking.
Both owners trained at the Culinary Institute of America
Aron Schwartz has worked at L'Auberge Del Mar, Lutèce in Las Vegas and the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. He spent nearly 15 years at the Marriott Marquis, eight of them as executive chef, and became known for cooking built around local farms and quality ingredients.
Pam Schwartz's résumé includes Nobu in Las Vegas, Pamplemousse Grille in Del Mar and Arterra. She was general manager at Hello Betty Fish House, co-founded Ranch 45 and served as culinary director at Sur La Table in Carlsbad. She has worked as a sommelier and as a director of food and beverage, and her culinary career includes a dinner at the James Beard House. The couple formed APS Hospitality Group and created Blank Slate.
Wine dinners and private events fill the calendar
The space also hosts private dining and events. Wine dinners, community nights and visiting culinary collaborations add to the schedule, and the owners' connections to growers and purveyors shape the cooking.