In Bankers Hill, the iconic Bertrand at Mister A’s is celebrating 50 years. John Alessio, aka Mister A, opened the penthouse restaurant on June 1, 1965. At the time, the average dinner entrée price was $7. Some of those classic dishes are returning to the menu this month, with retro offerings that include the Mint Julep, Steak Diane, and Baked Alaska.
Walter Broderick and Associates, a La Mesa interior design firm, conceived the establishment’s original Mediterranean villa-style interior with walnut paneling and deep red upholstery.
Restaurateur Bertrand Hug, of Rancho Santa Fe’s Mille Fleurs, purchased and renovated the restaurant in 2000 after Alessio’s passing. A reproduction of the Mona Lisa, originally gifted to Alessio by his wife, hangs in the entryway. It is now inscribed with a message from Alessio himself, “Dear Bertrand, Take care of Mister A’s.”
In June, Mister A’s will serve a three-course tasting menu from the original 1965 menu for $65. And on the restaurant’s original opening date (June 1), Mister A’s will host a gala dinner, benefitting the Old Globe Theatre, in conjunction with another iconic anniversary—Balboa Park’s centennial.
By the Numbers
July 8, 1965
Governor Pat Brown and John Alessio appear on the front page of the Evening Tribune for the $6 million Fifth Avenue Financial Center ribbon-cutting
$100,000
Estimated cost of decorating the restaurant complex in 1964
60
Seats in the original restaurant’s men’s-only dining room
350
Feet above sea level, which puts diners at eye level with incoming planes
239-1377
The phone number, which hasn’t changed since the restaurant opened in 1965
4
Levels of servers, and each level wears a different uniform
Vintage San Diego: Fifty and Fab
