My apologies for the recent lag in SD Food News blog posts. I just got back from two months of filming “Guys Grocery Games” for Food Network. It’s a phenomenal show to shoot. They built a grocery store in the middle of Santa Rosa—literally a gigantic warehouse full of five-star ingredients (duck confit, caviar, etc.). The crew is a family. One prone to every kind of practical joke. Santa Rosa’s the real, blue-collar town at the foothills of the Sonoma wine country.
But it’s good to be home. Now I’m re-energized and ready to dive into San Diego’s food and restaurant culture anew. Let’s catch up on some news, with perspective:
1. SAN DIEGO WILL GET A JAMES BEARD AWARD THIS YEAR
For the third time, Addison chef William Bradley has been nominated as a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards. No San Diego chef has ever won a Beard. That’s largely because San Francisco, Vegas and L.A. are lumped into the same region (the West), so San Diego has been like the expansion team in a league with the Red Sox and Yankees of food. Still, it’s a bit of a crime that one of San Diego’s long-established talents (Bernard Guillas, Trey Foshee, Jason Knibb, Patrick Ponsaty, Jeff Jackson, Carl Schroeder, Bradley, or one of the younger chefs) have not pulled home a single award. I won’t say anything derogatory about the James Beard Foundation or its voting contingent. It’s a good organization raising awareness about Americans who make good food. But San Diego is no longer an “up and coming” food scene. It’s up. World-class cuisine has been here for a long while; now there’s more of it. I predict this is the year Bradley wins the first JBA for San Diego. Bradley has been handpicked by Thomas Keller as one of the best chefs in the United States. I’ve been lucky to eat in a few of the country’s best restaurants, and Bradley’s work at Addison is every bit as phenomenal. The focus on our region (thanks, in part, to Baja’s ascent) is at an all-time high. The timing feels right. Bradley takes home the Beard Award. It’ll be announced on March 24. Feel free to gloat if I’m wrong.
Speaking of Bradley, he’s joining a good tradition of having guest chefs come and cook in his kitchen. With Bradley’s pedigree, the talent for his “Collections” series is unsurprisingly elite: including Josiah Citrin (Melisse, Lemon Moon Café), Justin Cogley (ex-Charlie Trotter, current Aubergine in Carmel), Barbara Lynch (No. 9 Park, and the only female Relaix & Chateaux Grand Chef in North America), and Patrick O’Connell (the legendary Inn at Little Washington). For tickets, go to addisondelmar.com.
2. PHIL’S BBQ TAKES OVER ELEPHANT BAR
Phil’s BBQ has finalized a new location in Rancho Bernardo. They’ll take over the former Elephant Bar space, just east of 1-15.
3. HARNEY DOWNTOWN?
Rumor has it one of the principals of Harney Sushi is working on a concept in Downtown, near or associated with the Keating Hotel space that’s really struggled to keep a decent restaurant concept in there. Harney’s a rock solid operation, so if it or a spinoff from one of its owners does surface it stands a chance of beating those odds.
4. LADEKI’S TINKERING AGAIN.
Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza & Grill has launched a new fast-casual concept in Vegas called Table 89—a counter-service soup-sandwich-pasta joint. Owner Sami Ladeki is known for being a savvy restaurateur. He had dipped his toes into the fast-casual waters before with an express version of Sammy’s. This is how the restaurant world is trending now. Fast-casual joints with counter service (meaning you order there, and the restaurant doesn’t need to hire servers). If the concept works, insiders think he’ll bring it to San Diego.
5. BANKERS HILL GETS IN THE DAY PARTY GAME
Banker’s Hill Bar & Restaurant—the casual offshoot of Market in Del Mar—will launch Sunday brunch starting March 29. Expect dishes like French toast (made fancy with Meyer lemon curd), chicken schnitzel with béarnaise, a Black Angus hash, house-cured gravlax, and cocktails from Christian Siglin. Example: Milk Punch Out, with bourbon, blackstrap rum, vanilla, milk, cinnamon and a purple orchid. Sounds like a horchata with a prison record.
6. GO SHAVE YOUR HEAD
It’s nearly St. Patrick’s Day. That means the annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation is hosting its nationwide Shave-A-Thon to fund research for children’s cancer research. The Commons in Downtown has become the epicenter of the event. Go shave your head on March 7 for a good cause.
William Bradley of Addison Del Mar.
