Incoming: Gastropub Craft House

Head to Craft House at the Sky Deck in Del Mar and point to anything on the menu, and chef and co-owner Caesar Huerta can tell you exactly how many scratch-made elements will be resting on your plate. Caesar and his brother Jose have run the joint for the past two years—and now they’re launching one more. The second Craft House location is slated to open by the end of next month in Fashion Valley, nestled in the 2,000-square-foot space that last housed The Counter Burger. The brick-and-mortar features an 800-square-foot patio; a jungled-out, Tulum-themed interior (courtesy of design agency Tecture); and live music Thursday through Sunday.

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Caesar’s kitchen experience predates the founding of Craft House, dating back to his childhood when he spent his days in the kitchen with his mom and grandmother. As an adult, he founded a from-scratch, burger-centric food truck called Monster Crafts that he’d later convert into the Craft House chain.“I’m a huge foodie and a burger fanatic,” Caesar says. “When we opened Craft House Sky Deck, I created a menu that featured our burgers, but I also wanted to elevate our menu.” He focused on a New American style of cooking, but “added my Mexican twist,” he continues. Items available at Craft House include seafood dishes like ahi-tuna tostadas, charred octopus with a rich pistachio pesto, steamed mussels with longaniza (a Spanish sausage) and Fresno chile butter, and pan-seared salmon smothered in a lemongrass beurre-blanc. There are dishes for carnivores, too, including steak frites and a decadent short-rib poutine.

Crafthouse’s Fashion Valley locale will serve all the bites available at Sky Deck Del Mar, as well as a broader selection of sandwiches, salads, and seafood-forward entrées.The chain’s former lead bartender, Jeff Mackay, will assume his new roles as general manager and beverage director, where he will curate a bar program centered around house-made syrups and freshly squeezed juices.”We felt that it was time we gave San Diego another location that is more centrally located,” Caesar says. “I think that location is everything, and Fashion Valley Mall—being one of the biggest and busiest malls in San Diego—felt like a no-brainer.”

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Quick Bites

Chef Zhu, a Chinese restaurant serving Shanghainese cuisine, just opened in Torrey Highlands. It’s the latest project from Shi-Liang Zhu, who founded Shanghai City on Convoy in the late ’90s. Along the crimson red-walls you’ll spot throwback photos of Shanghai. Zhu is serving lion’s head meatballs, braised pork knuckle, bean curd, and pan-fried rice cakes.