If you look up “restaurant lifer” in the dictionary, Michael Simpson’s picture will probably pop up.
He waited tables at the iconic French Gourmet in Pacific Beach. He was sommelier at Croce’s Park West in Bankers Hill for 11 years. He was the director of operations at Barrio Star for another six. He’s currently the GM at Town and Country Resort. The man cut his teeth at Disneyland Paris in his native France, for Pete’s sake. He’s been around.
But come March, he’ll do something he’s never done before—open his own restaurant. That restaurant is Frenchy’s Hideout, coming to University Avenue in Hillcrest.
“My whole life is based on creating experiences in hospitality,” he says.
At The French Gourmet, he saw how diners reacted to the alchemical magic of wine dinners—meeting winemakers, talking about regions and soils and varieties, and how and why certain wines paired so well with certain foods. Since then, he kept his eye open for the right spot at the right time. When he saw the former crème de la crêpe space for sale, “it was just a coincidence, but perfect timing.”
Frenchy’s Hideout will have a regular dinner menu, but focus primarily on multi-course wine dinners. Simpson will run the wine program to pair with food from chef Eric Radoc, who was chef de cuisine at ARLO at Town and Country Resort, plus California Native in Del Mar, and sous chef at 20|Twenty in Carlsbad.
Expect traditional French dishes with a twist. “We don’t want to just be a French bistro,” Simpson says.
So, there’ll be classic seafood towers and beef Bourguignon, but also fresh pastas and some vintage dining-room theatricality. “We have a lot of things that are flambéed,” he promises, like a crepes suzette with Grand Marnier, set aflame tableside. A majority of wines will come from France, but wine dinners will focus on domestic so winemakers from, say, Napa, can attend and guide the experience.
The vibe will be moody—navy blue walls, dark wood paneling, gold accents—and the space somewhat small (Simpson calls it “exclusive”) with 42 dining seats and five bar seats. He’s enclosing the patio and adding some fire pit tables for a more intimate, social experience. “My goal is not just to have food and wine and good service, but to have people’s minds blown away,” he says. “The ambiance is more of a social place to meet people and travel the world, while enjoying food and wine together.”
The name Frenchy’s Hideout comes from his early days in the United States when “every single person called me Frenchy.” And “Hideout” because it’s intimate, “a hidden gem kind of thing. It’s my dream come true.”
Frenchy’s Hideout opens in March. Open Tue-Sun, 4 p.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat, 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Coffee & Beer Day at AleSmith Brewing Co.
Two of my favorite beverages unite at AleSmith’s second annual Coffee & Beer event on Feb. 22, with a tap list of coffee beers from around the country. The event-exclusive six-pack includes six breweries—Firestone Walker, North Park Beer Co., Arizona Wilderness, Fort George, Masthead, and Reuben’s Brews—and their collaborative beers with different roasters, including local darling Dark Horse Coffee Roasters. It’s free, there’s coffee, there’s beer, it ends at 3 p.m., and families are always welcome at AleSmith.
Beth’s Bites
- Speaking of coffee, Talitha Coffee, the Barrio Logan-based coffee roaster with a mission to employ, empower, and support survivors of human trafficking, recently partnered with the San Diego Convention Center.
- The coffee news keeps coming—Public Square Coffee surprised-opened its second location at 550 West C Street on Tuesday with promises of more food and full service once they get their feet under them. Promisingly, Wavy Burgers—the concept started by top chef Phillip Esteban (White Rice, Wildflour), and sold to current owners—is handling food.
- San Diego lost one of the great beer bars when Toronado closed in 2020, and now San Francisco is feeling our pain. The original Toronado in Lower Height is for sale, and the end of an era with it.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
