Even as Robert Ledesma worked his way across Thomas Keller’s portfolio of world-class restaurants in Yountville, California—like the three-Michelin-starred The French Laundry, Regiis Ova, Ad Hoc, and formerly one-Michelin-starred Bouchon—San Diego beckoned.
“It’s a place that I knew I always wanted to live,” he says, pointing to all the usual reasons why: great weather, burgeoning culture, and as of the past few years, the rapidly improving food scene. He’d trained in the best kitchens under the best chefs, including chef Jeffrey Hayashi, who represented the United States in the 2023 Bocuse d’Or (basically the culinary Olympics). When it came time for him to launch his own business, it could only be in America’s Finest City.
That business, Ode Cafe & Bakery, popped up for the first time this June.
Originally from Rancho Cucamonga, Ledesma studied culinary arts at Chaffey College. However, cooking was already in his blood. His grandparents owned a deli, and between their influence, culinary school, and the tutelage of world renowned chefs, he learned the art of cooking as well as the business end of running a restaurant. “Cooking was the easy part,” he laughs.
“Easy” doesn’t seem quite like the right adjective to describe Ode’s approach to food. Elegant? Nostalgic? Comforting? Whatever it is, it’s not supposed to be scary. Just refined.
“When you go into a fine dining restaurant, it [can feel] a bit intimidating,” he says. So while roasted carrots are meant to feel like a familiar home-cooked side, his version is made with white miso, coriander, and cucamelon (a Central American fruit that looks like a tiny watermelon, but tastes like a cucumber) served on fresh sourdough. Ode’s sticky toffee pudding comes as a cookie rather than on a dessert plate. His strawberry shortcake, which is based on his grandmother’s recipe, uses chiffon cake in place of angel food cake with jasmine cream, chamomile, and macerated strawberries from Chino Farms.
Ledesma says he wants Ode to feel polished in technique, but familiar in flavor—a literal ode to his family. “Ode is the reflection of that idea of taking the past and past memories and changing it to refined and intentional food, with that respect to the past.”
As his colleague and Wayfarer baker Justin Biendara helps him build Ode’s pastry program, Ledesma focuses more on developing savory items, like tarts made with shiitake mushrooms or dates and cheese. For now, Ode pops up around once a month at Moniker General in either Liberty Station or North Park, but he hopes to pop-up more starting next year, schedule sit-down lunches and dinners, and ultimately open his own restaurant space in either Mid-City or near the coast.
And no matter what form Ode takes, Ledesma says his aim will remain the same. “Although this business will have a few iterations, from pop-ups to dinners and collaborations, the idea of it with the intentionality of the food, will always be the same.”
Catch Ode Cafe’s next “spooktacular” pop-up at Moniker General (2860 Sims Rd.) on Saturday, October 31. Check Ode’s Instagram page for the upcoming schedule.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
- Spooky season is upon us, and what better venue to peek through the veil than at The Chapel at Liberty Station? On Friday, October 23, Ten Six Pines and Snake Oil Cocktails will convene to host the next event in the “Ritual” series: Ritual Seance. From 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., guests will experience an immersive, real-time reactive light show in sync with live music by Jesus Gonzalez, with drinks provided, ceremonial attire encouraged, and otherworldly contact a strong possibility.
- If you prefer treats over tricks, consider The Hidden Gazebo’s Egyptian-themed Halloween extravaganza as an alternative to handing out (or consuming, no judgement) buckets of candy. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., chef Noura will showcase a new seven-course tasting menu with your choice of vegetarian, fish, or meat-forward entrees, along with Egyptian music, drinks, and dessert. The Bangles may encourage you to walk like an Egyptian, but The Hidden Gazebo will definitely introduce you to eating like one.
- Love it or hate it, seasonal creep is real and that means yes, Christmas stuff is already seeping into stores and bars before Halloween even occurs. However, as an unabashed superfan of the seminal holiday album Merry Christmas by Mariah Carey, I am pleased to share that the Queen of Christmas will debut “Mariah Carey’s Holiday Bar” on November 19 at The Beau Hotel in Gaslamp Quarter. Her signature Black Irish cream liqueur is sure to play a central role in the liquid festivities, but I’d wager there will also be plenty of over-the-top costumes, singalongs, and selfies galore. If all you want for Christmas is a ticket, the waitlist is open now.
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