San Diego home cooks, prepare your tongs and spatulas. Chef Marcos Seville, the culinary maestro behind the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina’s $100 million makeover—including its crown jewel, Rumorosa—joined the Happy Half Hour podcast to talk Thanksgiving tips, culinary rants, and his newest restaurant. Spoiler: His tamale class might change your life.
Seville grew up as a self-proclaimed picky eater in Coronado, learning to cook to escape his dinner plate despair. Fast-forward through Hyde Park training and stints at some of the country’s top hotels, and now he’s the chef leading the reinvention of a San Diego classic. Rumorosa is all about Baja influences and seasonal ingredients—you’ll find dishes like prime New York steak, Veracruz-style sea bass, and creamy hominy mash.
On the pod, Seville shares advice for elevating your turkey game. His number one tip? Brine it. Whether you go with a classic wet brine (salt, sugar, water, and ice) or get creative with honey or agave, this step is non-negotiable if you want moist, flavorful meat. And for the love of leftovers, he’s team “cook two turkeys”—one for dinner and one purely for the next-day sandwiches.
But if you’d prefer not to cook at all, Rumorosa is offering a special prix fixe Friendsgiving menu ($65/person) throughout November, with proceeds benefiting the Berry Good Food Foundation. And, on Thanksgiving Eve, the restaurant will lay out a buffet-style Friendsgiving feast ($20/person) with live music (and mezcal-flambéed flan).
Seville is also hosting a tamale-making class on December 12. For $125, you’ll learn his family recipe, prepare masa and fillings from scratch, and walk away with a dozen tamales. A family-style dinner follows. It’s the perfect way to connect with San Diego’s best culinary traditions.
