It’s two-for-one at The Sasan, Mission Hills’ newest eye-catching addition at 901 West Washington Street, on the corner of Washington and Goldfinch Street. The 54-unit residential building, draped in ferns and soft, undulating curves, is home to two new restaurants: Paradis on the ground floor (which opened early this month) and Communion on the rooftop.
Restaurant owner Jacquee Renna Downing has been a familiar name in Southern California dining for years as owner of La Quinta Cliffhouse and Pacifica Seafood in the Coachella Valley. She also previously owned Pacifica Del Mar with her late husband, Kipp Downing. Downing is a Carlsbad native and says she and her husband strived to return to San Diego before he passed away.
“We wanted to bring our roots back to San Diego,” she adds, noting that, while she loved her time in the desert, there’s just no place like home. Plus, her daughter may want the keys to the kingdom one day—or so Downing hopes. “We needed to get ourselves a foothold before she’s ready to take over the restaurants,” she laughs. “We just believe that it’s the place for us.”
The team she assembled for both concepts brings decades of experience: Executive chef Mike Moritz (Mille Fleurs, Mister A’s) helms Communion and chef Jon Hawkins (Common Theory, George’s at the Cove) leads Paradis. There’s overlap between the two as well, with Aly Lyng (George’s at the Cove) assuming the pastry chef position alongside lead bartender Eliza Woodman (Camino Riviera) and bar consultant Marina Ferreira (Botanica).
Paradis
Paradis is the building’s daytime café, offering coffee, pastries, and small bites through the afternoon, when it transforms into a European-style pintxo bar. Pintxo (pronounced pin-cho) is a type of small snack popular in the Basque region of Spain, meant to be casually enjoyed in a group. The indoor and outdoor space, designed by local group Design Perspectives, covers 1,500 square feet with seating for 50 guests.
Downing says she hopes to create a European sidewalk café vibe, where people can work, relax, or meet up with friends. At night, she adds, “we’re going to bring in some DJs that are really good to spin vinyl, so the vibe will change in the evening time.”
Breakfast and brunch items at Paradis include stracciatella toast with persimmon spread and mixed nut chutney over walnut raisin sourdough; egg bites with Calabrian chili, Gruyere cheese, and chorizo; and Lyng’s baked goods, like a tangerine croissant; plus plenty of drinks from the coffee bar, such as a corn milk and blueberry matcha latte. The afternoon menu leans small and shareable, with items like ricotta and caviar with Asian pear and pistachios or chorizo-fried portabella hush puppies with confit garlic butter and pickled shimeji mushrooms. All menus will include vegetarian and vegan options, as well.
Communion
Above Paradis sits Communion. Downing says she hopes people feel as though they’re up in the clouds—relaxed and happy, yet awed. The building’s corner location allows for a nearly 360-degree panorama of San Diego, which pushed her and the design team to keep the interior décor slightly more subtle to not take away from the vistas. “Yes, it is gorgeous inside, but it’s the view… The view is stunning,” Downing adds.
The 2,500-square-foot space seats 120 and is anchored by an Impressionist-inspired mural by local artists Katya Beatty and David Gil. A fabric installation along the ceiling creates a sense of movement, Downing says. A preserved butterfly installation adds a final touch. Cathedral-shaped shelving cutouts and other décor choices reflect the “communion” name.
Communion’s menu features many fish-heavy dishes, like a local bluefin toro with ají amarillo leche de tigre, finger lime, radish, and jalapeño pepper; ahi poke on a crispy rice cake with ponzu sauce, serrano peppers, and caviar; a roasted fish bone marrow made from the discarded ahi bones and served with garlic herb butter and fresh sourdough; and a locally caught yellowtail crudo with confit garlic, crispy leeks, cherry tomato, and basil. One vegan highlight is a beet “filet,” a braised and grilled beet with a vegan bordelaise sauce, harissa carrots, and cauliflower.
Downing calls the cocktail program a “super key element” to the Communion experience—it’s specifically designed to pair with chef Moritz’s menu. “One bite creates the desire for a sip, but one sip creates a desire for a bite,” she says.
She tapped her wide network of wine contacts to build a globally sourced list that that will change depending on seasonality. The main criteria? “What tastes good,” Downing says. “I’ve personally walked in a lot of these vineyards across the world, and we’re bringing in those things where hopefully our servers can tell the story to the guest of why this food is important to us, why the wine is chosen for the wine list, and why this cocktail is going to go perfectly with what they chose to eat.”
Paradis is now open. Communion will open on November 21. Hours of operation at Communion will be 4 to 10 p.m. daily. Paradis is open 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch and 2 to 8 p.m. for pintxos.
