Crest Cafe Honored as Part of 20-Year Dining Out for Life Legacy at The Center’s Luminaries Luncheon

By Cesar A Reyes

This year, the Catalyst Award honors the participating restaurants of Dining Out for Life San Diego that, for 20 years, have opened their doors and donated a portion of their sales during a special day when food and community come together to raise critical funds supporting The Center’s health and wellness programs.

Throughout the years, The Word has had the privilege of sitting down with restaurant and bar owners who have continuously stepped up to support Dining Out for Life San Diego and the community it serves. Representing those longtime partners, we spoke with Enrique Medina of Crest Café about a true neighborhood institution that has proudly participated in the event for two decades while also helping shape and support the growth of the Hillcrest community.

On any given morning in Hillcrest, Crest Cafe feels less like a restaurant and more like part of the neighborhood’s daily rhythm. Coffee cups land softly on tables, regulars are greeted by name before they even sit down, and conversations stretch easily from breakfast into late morning. For owner Enrique Medina, that atmosphere is the result of a family legacy built on hospitality, visibility, and community care.

Crest Cafe has never just been about food. It has always been about people.

That long-standing commitment is part of why Crest Cafe is being recognized this year at The Center’s Luminaries Luncheon with the Luminary Catalyst Award, honoring all participating Dining Out For Life restaurants that have supported the annual fundraiser over the past 20 years. For Medina, the recognition is less about a single event and more about honoring decades of collective effort from restaurants across San Diego who have consistently shown up for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Being named one of The Center’s Luminaries this year is incredibly meaningful to me,” Medina says. “It reflects the importance of showing up for the community, supporting one another, and helping create inclusive spaces where everyone feels seen and valued.”

At Crest Cafe, that idea has been passed down through three generations of Medina’s family. What began as a neighborhood restaurant has grown into a Hillcrest institution, shaped by decades of relationships, history, and a shared belief that businesses should actively contribute to the communities they serve.

Keeping that legacy alive is something Medina carries with deep pride.

“My background has always been rooted in hospitality and community,” he says. “San Diego has shaped so much of who I am personally and professionally, and being part of a neighborhood as diverse and connected as Hillcrest has given me the opportunity to build relationships with people from every walk of life.”

Over the years, the Medina family and Crest Cafe have played a consistent role in supporting Hillcrest’s growth and identity. Long before LGBTQ+ visibility became widely embraced, they were already helping fund and support community landmarks, including contributing to the first Pride flag on Normal Street and supporting the iconic Hillcrest sign. Their involvement has never been symbolic; it has been hands-on, steady, and rooted in long-term commitment.

That same spirit continues today through Dining Out For Life, where Crest Cafe joins restaurants across San Diego in partnering with The San Diego LGBT Community Center to raise critical funds for HIV services and community programs. For Medina, it’s a natural extension of what the restaurant has always stood for.

“The Center is one of the most important organizations in our region because it provides real support, real advocacy, and real hope for so many people,” he says. “For many people, especially LGBTQ+ youth and individuals facing hardship, The Center becomes a lifeline and a place where they know they belong.”

“Visibility is especially important right now because representation creates understanding, protection, and progress,” he says. “When people are visible — whether as business owners, leaders, families, or community members — it reminds others that the LGBTQ+ community is part of every neighborhood, every workplace, and every industry.”

The Luminaries’s recognition for Dining Out For Life participating restaurants reflects that broader impact. It honors not just individual businesses, but two decades of collective participation from restaurants that have kept showing up year after year, turning everyday dining into meaningful support for community programs that continue long after the event ends.

“These efforts shine a light on individuals and businesses committed to making San Diego more inclusive,” Medina says, “while also raising awareness and support for programs that continue throughout the year. The impact continues long after the luncheon ends because it helps sustain work that changes lives every day.”

When asked to describe his work within the LGBTQ+ community in one word, Medina doesn’t hesitate.

“The WORD is Community.”

“Community is about showing up for one another,” he says. “Creating spaces where people feel safe and welcomed, and understanding that success means very little unless you use it to lift others up too.”

At Crest Cafe, that belief is a practice lived out daily, across generations, and across a neighborhood that continues to grow because people like the Medina family chose to invest in it.