Sure, when starting any venture—business, family, cult—many would prefer a lovingly restored Victorian home, nuzzled between always-blooming jacarandas and a pint-sized lending library. We want our dream restaurant in a structure that makes people say, “I can’t believe this is a restaurant and not the home of a great person (possibly Tom Hanks) who teaches kids to read.” It’s preferable if the house is as old as possible without triggering the “historical building” designation, which causes all kinds of permitting snafus (your proposal of adding a patio will require approval from all active and former presidents of the historical preservation society and at least two Jesuses).

Or we want the opposite: a hole in the wall that turns us into a Rudy-level inspirational story, people slow-clapping and fighting back single tears with each dish we manage to serve (see Little Lion Cafe or Banh Thai). Or an industrial warehouse whose years as an auto shop or meth lab gives it a “once gritty, now liver-moussed” je nes sais quoi (Juniper and Ivy, Ironside Fish & Oyster).

What few of us put on our dream boards is the middle ground—the largely uniform pockets of micro-retail that harbor America’s vital nail salons and burner-phone entrepreneurs. Yet, as commercial space in San Diego becomes scarce and gougey, strip malls are the future and saving grace of our restaurant culture. Fresh out of investor war chests or a strong WhatsApp connection with gods, most of us are going to find a reasonable box and put some oomph into it.

For fans, strip-mall restaurants have a few advantages over those perched on stilts overlooking famed surf breaks, or old barns retrofitted into charcuterie journeys. And that is: For a few months after opening, a strip mall gem will be ours and only ours. The buzz tends to be slow-burn. The first people who discover it will be a more desirable brand of food seekers, immune to the virus of glitz. Less-shiny roads bring better travelers.

Though we associate strip malls with Quiznos-tier culinary might, San Diego has a more optimistic history. Convoy District is the paragon. Mira Mesa’s Indian and Middle Eastern food scene, too. There is the mighty Sushi Ota in Pacific Beach and, now, Cellar Hand in Hillcrest.

Adjacent the DMV and across from the 7-Eleven, Cellar Hand is the new concept from family-owned, Lompoc-based Pali Wine Co. and chef Logan Kendall. There is something poetic about a restaurant next to a chiropractor’s office, since the human back is no match for kitchen work.

Cellar Hand is not unsexy. They blew out the walls on this corner of University Avenue, added woods and metal, and cordoned the indoor-outdoor patio experience off from the parking lot with planters.

As for the food, I haven’t come across something this good since Callie opened. It blew away my expectations, but I’m not shocked—Kendall’s got a deft hand with herby sauces and has been stalking farmers and local boats and bakers in San Diego for a good while now. Though people go to Pali’s first tasting room in Little Italy for low-intervention wines, his small, simple bites there were always better than they needed to be.

But Cellar Hand is something more. And that more is ingredients. At this point the “farm-to-table” movement has been co-opted, mocked, pantsed, and wet-willied. I often wonder if some of the restaurants claiming “farm” think the back of every commercial-food semi truck is filled with a biodynamic greenhouse tilled by Wendell Berry.

But I’ve been around this food scene long enough to know that most of Kendall’s friends smell like vines and hot soil. He shadows them, riding around in their ATVs, and they reward his loitering. Sure, he and sous chef Ashley McBrady are cooking at Cellar Hand. But they mostly get the best damn ingredients you’re going to find—the apple you ate off a tree that blew your mind, the tomato you grew that tasted like every “tomato” before was a sham—and build them an A-list supporting cast.

It’s farm-to-table as an extreme sport or benevolent obsession, possibly a reaction to all the half-assing and straight-up fraud. The apex of this movement was when Alice Waters served a single raw peach as a dessert at Chez Panisse. Esoteric, sure. And I’d be a little pissed if I ponied up Panisse money to be offered a piece of fruit. But her point was made: When you start with food grown in healthy soil, picked ripe in the season it was supposed to be picked in, its base charms are pretty incredible. If we look at a great dish as a 100-yard dash, using the best ingredients is like beginning that race on the 60-yard line.

Start a meal at Cellar Hand with the bluefin nduja toast. Instead of cured pork, it’s cubes of raw bluefin caught in San Diego, tossed in nduja spices (usually sweet smoked paprika and Calabrian chiles), white soy, and Meyer lemon. A hillock of it comes piled on charred housemade toast with dill aioli and local chives.

From the dipping section of the menu, get the baba ganoush, eggplants from Chino and D’Acquisto Farms charred in the pita oven then blended with tahini and spiked with Meyer lemon. It’s the lemon balm harissa— pulverized with arugula and cilantro (Hukama Produce), then topped with pomegranate seeds and dukkah (toasted sesame, cumin, and smoky coriander)—that sets it off. The whipped tahini is decent, but high acid bullies the seedy, nutty depth—although the warm, airy, house-fermented and wood-fired pita makes anything taste better.

The chicken liver pate looks like a frat trick: a fluffy, creamy pile of mousse topped with Jell-O shots. Hillcrest has a formidable and enduring Jell-O shot tradition, so this feels like a sign of respect—except these ’80s jiggle-party cubes are made of Pali’s orange wine (a tannic white that gets its Cointreau-bottle hue from resting the wine with skins). Put on sesame bread cooked in brown butter and topped with sumac and local grapefruit oil, it’s a fairly incredible, Gatsbian bite.

Kendall and McBrady’s favorite thing seems to be Simon & Garfunkeling local dirt candy. Farm duets. The tomato dish pairs D’Acquisto tomatoes with R&L Farms stone fruit (white peaches and plums).

They’re dressed in a simple, intoxicant sauce made of arugula and fermented red wine and garnished with Chino Farm radish greens and salt.

For the phenomenal melon dish, they use Weiser Family Farms’ Rocky Sweet melons, JR Organics’ watermelon, and Chino Farm cucumbers (compressed with lemon juice and cinnamon basil). It’s tossed in urfa biber (a complex, moody Turkish chile that’s got a hint of dark raisin and gives the dish a rarely tasted flavor profile). They ferment cantaloupe in salt and Beylik Family Farms chiles, blend it into a gel-like kosho, and drizzle it atop the whole deal, then add Bulgarian feta and melon seeds they dehydrate and puff. The star is the cool, sweetened lemon-basil broth at the bottom (left over from compressing the cukes).

The Chino Farm squash is a meal in itself: trimmed and vacuum-sealed with dill, then charred with balm harissa and fattened up with herbed ricotta made from Thompson Heritage Ranch milk. The team makes their own za’atar (thyme, sesame, urfa biber, aleppo, sumac), then pours hot oil over it for a riff on salsa macha.

I try two entrees, one hit and one miss. The miss is the whole local rockfish, which gets overwhelmed in a too-acidic housemade labneh. The hit is the Berkshire pork—from the rapidly chef-famous Thompson Heritage Ranch in Ramona—that is simply seared in its own fat, basted in brown butter and pineapple sage, deglazed in Pali’s Tower 15 “Swell” wine (a mix of Bordeaux reds), and garnished with candy grapes from R&L Farms, toasted almonds, and jus. This pork redefines the genre.

It makes sense that winemakers would go this obsessive about peak agriculture—especially in San Diego, with its obscenely fertile soils (Waters would come to Chino Farm in Rancho Santa Fe for her produce), nearly year-round growing climate, and the most small farms per capita of any county in the US. Our produce is land caviar. Not all restaurant operators can afford to use it this extensively, and there’s no shame in that. But Kendall and McBrady get to, and they do it with just the right balance of tweak and restraint.

You don’t fingerpaint on Picassos.

The post Restaurant Review: Cellar Hand appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

If you’d like to join in on this year’s festivities, here is everything you need to know about the 2024 San Diego Pride Festival.

When is the 2024 San Diego Pride Festival?

The San Diego Pride Festival 2024 will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, July 21, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Where is the San Diego Pride Festival?

The festival will be held at Marston Point in Balboa Park, located at 6th Avenue and Laurel Street, San Diego, CA, 92101.

How much are San Diego Pride Festival tickets?

San Diego Pride Festival 2024 tickets are available for purchase online. VIP tickets cost $219 plus service fees and include two-day access, better stage views, four free drinks, and an exclusive entrance, restrooms, and lounge (with free food). Two-day general admission tickets are $38 plus service fees until July 19. 

If you buy tickets at the box office during Pride weekend, expect prices to increase ($239 for VIP and $42 for GA). High-school-aged youth and younger and volunteers who have completed a five-hour shift get in free (though children under 14 need to be accompanied by an adult), while seniors aged 65 and up can get $15 passes at the box office.

What to expect at the festival?

The San Diego Pride Festival is a celebration of diversity, inclusion, and the LGBTQ community. The festival features five stages of live entertainment, including music, dance, and drag performances. Hundreds of vendors will be at the event, selling food, apparel, and other products. There are also community resources and booths, where you can learn more about local LGBTQ organizations, services, and support.

How can I get involved?

If you’re interested in volunteering at the San Diego Pride Festival 2024, you can sign up on the San Diego Pride website. Volunteers are needed for a variety of roles—you might serve as a member of the stage crew or security team or work as an information booth attendant. If you can’t attend or volunteer, donations are accepted here.

Where is the San Diego Pride Parade?

The San Diego Pride Parade starts west along University Avenue at Normal Street. The 1.5-mile course turns south onto Sixth Avenue and continues left onto Balboa Drive, ending at Quince Drive.

Who is featured on the 2024 San Diego Pride Festival lineup?

• Todrick Hall
• Rico Nasty
• Sheila E.
• Slayyyter
• J. Worra
• Tommy Genesis
• Kaleena Zanders
• Nymphia Wind
• For the Girls ft. Lady Camden, Bosco & Daya Betty

See full lineup here

What are pride donations used for?

Donations help provide virtual youth programming (including Pride’s Youth Leadership Academy) to more than 4,000 LGBTQ children and young adults. They also support groups like the QAPIMEDA Coalition, Black LGBTQ Coalition, and Latinx Coalition, as well as more than 30 LGBTQ programs and events throughout the year.

What items are prohibited at the San Diego Pride Festival?

• Alcohol (though alcoholic drinks are available for purchase onsite)
• Bicycles, skates, scooters, or skateboards (though the festival provides free bike storage)
• Drones or remote-control aircraft, cars, or toys
• Illegal drugs
• Laser pointers
• Outside food & beverages (excepting unopened disposable water bottles & empty reusable water bottles)
• Weapons

See full list here

The post San Diego Pride Festival 2024: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

“We think the ‘farm-to-table’ moniker has gotten a little played out,” explains Carmen Perr, Cellar Hand’s managing partner, along with her husband Nick (Pali Wine Co.) and executive chef Logan Kendall (Freshman Year, Pali Wine Co. Little Italy). To achieve a hyper-local menu and stay sustainable, Kendall says they’re committed to using 100 percent local produce, which is “a really tough feat.”

“But it’s available,” adds Nick. “There are an abundance of incredible people in San Diego who are farmers or fishermen or ranchers… It feels like a wasted opportunity not to take advantage of that.”

Local sourcing isn’t a new concept—especially considering San Diego’s year-round growing season—but Cellar Hand pushes it as far as they can, getting fish from Tommy “The Fishmonger” Gomes, pork and beef from Thompson Heritage Ranch, and produce from Chino Farms, Cyclops Farms, Stehly Family Farms, Hakuma Produce, and more. With such an emphasis on seasonal sourcing, Logan says they utilize lots of fermentation in the kitchen to minimize food waste, going so far as to hire a dedicated fermentation chef, Chris Ruhl (Trust). Even their food scraps get collected for compost—the ones they aren’t using for other experiments.

“Chris is turning our egg whites into liquid aminos, fermenting them for three weeks,” laughs Kendall. “It’s getting really weird back there.”

Considering the Perrs hail from the family behind Pali Wine Company, fermentation already falls well within their wheelhouse. “Fermentation is important to us, and we feel comfortable around it. So it only makes sense that our food should also reflect that,” says Carmen. They broke the menu into four sections: Raw, Conserva, For Dipping, and Dinner. Kendall says conservas, which means tinned seafood, has been getting more popular than ever, showing up on menus at Mabel’s Gone Fishing and Oslo’s Sardine Bar pop-ups. Still he hadn’t seen a fully San Diego-sourced seafood preservation program, so he decided to build one himself. 

“I wondered why nobody was doing their own conservas and own tinning,” explains Kendall. Then, he tried it for himself. “The process for processing [fish like] mackerel and sardines is insane. We have to have a team of seven people to [do it],” he laughs. 

The For Dipping section centers around head baker Max Sun’s specialty—house-fermented and wood-fired rye-based pita, which Carmen calls a focal point of the menu. “It’s between a 24- and 48-hour ferment,” says Kendall, adding that Wildwood Flour Bakery in Pacific Beach is grinding the grains for all their bread. Dips accompanying the soft, chewy, delectable pita (seriously, it’s that good) currently include a whipped tahini, Chino Farms tomato and fennel matbucha, and housemade labneh. 

Keeping things local on the menu sounds like a lot of work. But Carmen says every detail is kept as close to home as possible, from the artwork made by Nick to the wine list centered solely around California wine. “We go to farm-to-table or ‘local’ restaurants and it seems like it stops at the food,” she points out. “There might be two California wines. Why is it stopping there?”

The wine list reads as a Who’s Who in California winemaking, with bottles from Pali Wine and Lady of the Sunshine, Auteur, Lo-Fi, and more. Even the artwork stays close to home, with the paintings and cyanotypes made by Nick himself. But despite the constraints they’ve put on themselves, keeping it hyper-local hasn’t been a burden. Instead, Kendall says, it’s a rare opportunity that isn’t available anywhere.

“I’ve had the best of the best in Michelin restaurants in New York. And I really, honestly, truly believe that San Diego produces the best,” he says. Our arugula is spicier, our tomatoes are brighter, cleaner… I think the complexity of California produce—especially the citrus and everything out here—makes it a lot easier to cook this style of food. If I were in Montana, we’d have a lot harder time.”

Cellar Hand officially opens on June 6 in Hillcrest and will launch a brunch program in July. Reservations are available on OpenTable.

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Bahn Thai Shares New Details On Upcoming New Location

Bahn Thai has been a culinary cornerstone in University Heights for 12 years, dishing out tons of delicious Thai favorites from a tiny storefront on Park Boulevard. But owner Paul Srimuang is really looking forward to moving, even if it is just a few doors down. The family-run restaurant purchased 4628 Park Blvd., formerly Small Bar and Johnston’s, and is working to rebuild and expand the much larger space. Srimuang estimates they’ll be able to move over in eight or nine months (putting the timeline into early 2025) while keeping the original location at 4646 Park Blvd. open until then. 

In the meantime, Srimuang says they’ve been waiting almost a year for the proper permits to rebuild their other location in Hillcrest, which has been closed since May 2023 due to a fire. He hopes to reopen in August.

Beth’s Bites

Ramen just tastes better on a drizzly day, so I wasn’t too bummed when I had to dodge raindrops on my way to Ramen Nagi at Westfield UTC to try a bowl of their Genki Curry King. The huge bowl of rich curry blended with their signature tonkatsu broth and topped with crispy onions, minced pork, bell peppers, and a yogurt drizzle is part of their Limited King series and may be gone before you get a chance to try it. But don’t fret—they keep rolling out new releases for the series, and I plan to keep my eyes open for the next iteration before June Gloom lifts. 

I have thoughts on tip culture, hidden surcharges, and other hospitality industry standards that we, as Americans (inexplicably), think are normal and acceptable. But starting July 1, at least one of these will change. All surcharges that unavoidably appear on your bill (like service fees or local mandate fees) will now simply be bundled into the menu price rather than be added later, a move that has restaurateurs worried and consumer transparency activists cheering. Times are tough for small businesses, that’s for sure. But having a clear idea of what your final bill will be before it comes seems like a step towards clarity, albeit somewhat painful for business owners. 

A strange little building next to The Salvation Army Kroc Center has sat vacant for quite some time but may be getting new life as a new Señor Taquero. If they play their cards right and open once the dispensary at the end of the block is complete, I’m betting it’ll be a smash hit.

Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post New Hillcrest Restaurant Jumps on the Hyper-Local Trend appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Good thing he didn’t. Instead, Schwob and Wise teamed up to form one of the city’s most impressive new eateries in Trust, named San Diego Magazine’s Best New Restaurant for 2017.

And now they’re parlaying the success down the street with a new cocktail bar, Hundred Proof. Taking over the space vacated by S&M Sausage and Meat (4130 Park Blvd.), they’re going to be focusing on elevated bar food (duck confit poutine, chicken oysters, baked crab dip, banana split for four, etc.) and boilermakers (shots with beers), while bartender Juan Sanchez will do craft cocktails and slushies. You can order unstuffy bottle service (six-pack of Miller High Life with a 475 ml of Makers Mark) or even a boozy milkshake that’s served with house-baked donuts.

JEL Design helped them gut and redesign the space, which had a funky, multi-level layout when S&M was in it. It’s got raw woods and metals, indoor-outdoor seating for 120 people, and jackalope wallpaper.

Hundred Proof opens June 27. Take a look at the first known photos in the universe.

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

First Look: Hundred Proof

The post First Look: Hundred Proof appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

When this issue is released, my inbox starts to swell with people’s opinions on it. They range from “THANK YOU!” to “YOU’RE AN IDIOT!” to “AMAZING!” to “IT’S RIGGED!” to “YOU’RE AN IDIOT!”

So this year, I figured I would answer a few of the questions I usually get, to hopefully clarify things ahead of time.

Q: Do advertisers pay to win categories? Is it rigged?

A: No. Absolutely not. Nyet. The Best Restaurants list is divided into two sections: Readers’ Pick and Critic’s Pick. The readers make their votes, and those votes are tabulated using a non-subjective tool called math. We do not insert advertisers in there, or give them extra votes, or help them in any way. This list is as pure as we can make it. The only thing that could change the readers’ pick is bad math or if it looks like a restaurant stuffed the ballot box (see below).

The Critic’s Choice is simply me and the hamster in my brain. I keep a list throughout the year of the best things I’ve been lucky enough to put in my mouth. It’s my little black book of San Diego’s most amazing food. In seven years as San Diego Magazine’s food critic, I have never, ever been asked by someone from the magazine to include an advertiser. I just fill out my ballot like the readers, based on my personal experience. A few restaurants have, however, offered upwards of a couple thousand dollars to name them a winner. I declined, which may explain my current living situation.

Q: Are Readers’ Picks a popularity contest? Can’t restaurants stuff the ballot box?

A: They can, and they do. But we have ways of sniffing out shenanigans. One way is that we can look at IP addresses and see if one was used hundreds of times. We also notice when a voter names the same restaurant in every category, e.g. an Indian restaurant wins every field, including “Best Mexican” and “Best Restaurant That’s Anything But Indian.” We don’t allow spam, and we account for that, but restaurants are allowed to promote and campaign.

Q: How the hell did readers pick XX Restaurant as Best XX?

A: The readers like what they like. I learned a while ago that my aesthetic tastes are not universal. My palate was not dipped in the River Styx. And therefore I will not begrudge the readers their favorites. After all, I named William Bradley my favorite chef in town, but I’ve been known to crush a rotisserie chicken in my car on the way home from Sprouts. And Thomas Keller, a very fine world-famous French chef, famously purchased In N Out for a staff party.

Q: Why isn’t my restaurant included?

A: To be honest, I don’t like naming restaurants “best.” Restaurant culture isn’t a tennis match. And because, with any category, there are usually a handful of restaurants that could “win” a category for me. For instance, with “Best New Restaurant,” I was hemming and hawing between Trust in Hillcrest and Herb & Wood in Little Italy. The ultimate deciding factor for me was that the team at Trust didn’t have the “name” going into this project that chef Brian Malarkey does at Herb & Wood. Malarkey’s restaurant is excellent, and beautiful, and deserving. But he also had more resources and momentum. The fact that Trust pulled off what they did with fewer resources inspired me. They MacGyvered a really great restaurant.

Also, every year I forget restaurants, or fail to get restaurants into the list. Last year, I completely spaced on Kindred, winner of this year’s “Best Vegetarian/Vegan.” This year, I’m ticked off that Flying Pig (Oceanside and Vista) and Land & Water Co. (Carlsbad) aren’t included in my picks. Those are two of my favorite restaurants in town that somehow didn’t fit the puzzle. And that’s what a list like this is—a puzzle.

Q: How is Sushi Ota not your Best Sushi Restaurant? Is your mouth injured? Everyone knows Master Ota is untouchable!

A: For those of you who still don’t know about Master Ota, do yourself a favor and find his restaurant. It’s in Pacific Beach, next to a 7/11 and a freeway. Ota has, and will be during his time on earth, the apex of sushi in San Diego. Local fishermen literally make all other restaurants wait at the docks until Master Ota has had his pick of the day’s very best catch.

That said, our sushi scene has evolved, and there are very excellent sushi chefs who deserve a nod. For me as a critic, sustainability plays a huge part. Our oceans have been looted, and they’re in danger of collapsing. Sushi is a major contributor to that plundering. That’s why, last year, I gave the award to Land & Water Co.—whose chef-owner, Rob Ruiz, is now one of the country’s top sustainable seafood experts, and runs his restaurant as such.

And this year, I picked another sustainable sushi chef who’s got major chops: Davin Waite of Wrench & Rodent in Oceanside. First of all, Davin’s a punk and has built a little skate-zen place that’s fun to hang out in. Second, he’s a really good, respectful, obsessive sushi chef. Third, he’s as sustainable as it gets. Ota will always be the yoda of the scene, but younger jedis deserve credit for helping in saving the universe.

Q: Hey, Critic! You chose Kettner Exchange as “Best of the Best, Casual”? That’s a fancy restaurant whose chef has cooked at the James Beard House!

A: You’re right. That’s odd. And not quite right on my part. Here’s what happened. There was no ignoring George’s California Modern this year as “Best of the Best, Fancy.” Trey Foshee has been one of the country’s top chefs for decades. This year they underwent a massive renovation of their bar area, and bartender Stephen Kurpinsky has become a real inspiration and innovator for the city’s cocktail scene. It was the year to honor one of the country’s best restaurants.

I had actually considered Kettner Exchange for that award, since it’s a beautifully designed spot and Brian Redzikowski’s food absolutely blew me away over the last year. So, I reasoned—Kettner has two very active bars, which makes it a social scene as much as a dining one, and aren’t bar areas, even nicer ones like theirs, casual? It may be flawed reasoning, but it was mine. And I wanted to shine as much light on KEX and Redzikowski and bartender Steven Tuttle as possible.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below and I will answer as many as possible. Thanks, guys. Hope you enjoy the issue.

Behind the Best Restaurants Issue

Critic’s Pick for Best Caterer 2017: Miho. | Photo: Sam Wells

The post Behind the Best Restaurants Issue appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Not saying the need for renewal was what drove Cohn Restaurant Group (CRG) to re-brand 100 Wines in Hillcrest, but re-brand they have. And ambitiously. With the help of their designer Philippe Beltran, the spot (1027 University Ave.) has been recast in three different ways. It almost echoes the multi-concept trend diners have come to love at places like Eataly (New York) or Liberty Public Market (Point Loma).

The first part of the reinvention isn’t new, per se. It’s arguably CRG’s most beloved concept, Bo-Beau Kitchen, a California-French bistro built on knock-out brussels sprouts and sepia-toned mood lighting. It’s next door where CRG is really spreading its wings.

The major news is Libertad, San Diego’s first not-for-profit taco shop. The joke, of course, knowing the industry’s notoriously small margins, is: Aren’t all restaurants non-profits?

The for-charity restaurant is actually a trend that’s been slowly emerging across America, from Portland’s Oregon Public House to Troop Café in Milwaukee. At Libertad, 100 percent of the profits will go to charities. An advisory committee of five San Diegans will choose the charities, which will rotate every month. No advisory committee members will be part of CRG, and CRG will not have a role in choosing the charities. Even if Tacos Libertad loses money, CRG is guaranteeing at least $3,000 to that charity. When it comes to “profits,” CRG is just accounting day-to-day operations of the restaurant (food costs, employee wages, etc.) before paying out the charities. They’re not trying to recoup any of the build-out costs, cost of home office support or marketing from CRG, or designer Philippe Beltran’s work.

Seems to be a big win-win for Hillcrest and CRG. The company is accepting applications from charities online. If chosen, the charities are encouraged to promote in every which way they can, naturally, and sell as many tacos as they can. The customers buying a taco benefit from giving back and getting a meal. The Cohns have lived in Hillcrest for years, so they’re giving back to their own neighborhood. And as these charities promote and drive traffic every month, Libertad customers will no doubt see Bo-Beau Hillcrest. They may even decide to get a drink at the third part of this remodel—a “speakeasy” called caché.

Caché will be a small, 19^th century-inspired Parisian craft cocktail and wine bar hidden behind Libertad, with vintage chandeliers, a Toulouse Lautrec-era mural, wax paper-lined walls, living trees, etc.

Enough with the talk. The concepts open doors in Hillcrest this week. Take a look at the first known photos in the universe.

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest

The post FIRST LOOK: Bo-Beau Hillcrest appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Everyone’s favorite pork joint, Carnitas Snack Shack, is finally looking ready to open at the Embarcadero this spring. This space (1004 N. Harbor Dr.) will have cocktails from San Diego’s RMD Group (Fluxx, Sidebar, Rusted Root) and tons of outdoor waterside seating….

Hey, Del Mar. New chef in town for you guys this spring. Steven Lona is relocating from the L.A. area, the former exec chef of Bistro 45 (Pasadena) and worked under James Boyce and Craig Strong at Montage in Laguna Beach. He’s part of the team opening Tasting Room Del Mar (next to the Starbucks at 15^th Street and Camino Del Mar) with a talented wine connoisseur in Rusti Gilbert, formerly of Addison at Grand Del Mar, which is like the Coachella of sommeliers…

I love Carlsbad. But its food and drink scene has needed to wake up and smell the decade for a while. It’s got some standouts, like Land & Water Co. (one of the best sustainable seafood chefs in San Diego in Rob Ruiz). But the most exciting opening-to-be is Campfire—creator John Resnick was one of the main faces and brains that helped Consortium Holdings (Craft & Commerce, Ironside) develop into a top-notch food and drink company. He’s hired Bells and Whistles to design his new 6,000 square-foot space, which will include a Quonset hut, for that post-WWII barracks drinking vibe. Carlsbad will be better off for this one, slated for sometime mid-2016…

I was mixed on my review of The Hake on Prospect Street a couple years ago, but have since returned and had some seriously good dishes (their ahi taco with jicama tortilla is pretty fantastic). And not a week goes by if someone asks proudly if I’ve tried the place. Well, now they’re adding 2,000 square feet to their subterranean semi-ocean perch, which means they’ll have a new outdoor dining space and an ocean view. Trying to do business on Prospect without an ocean view is like trying to do business on Morena Boulevard without a stripper pole…

Pizzeria Mozza’s sad and not terribly surprising demise at The Headquarters was big news. Now its replacement is nearly ready for business (early March). Flour & Barley is a concept from our bedazzled brethren in Vegas that does brick oven pizzas, plus Italian apps and over 150 draft, bottle and canned beers….

Westgate Hotel is one of my favorite hotels in Downtown San Diego. Looks like a fossilized doily, in a good way. They just announced their second annual Spirit of Baja Dinner, which’ll take place on April 15—inviting chef Javier Plascencia (Bracero, and new James Beard nominee) to collaborate with Westgate’s talented chef, Fabrice Hardel on a meal. Mezcal reception, Baja wines. You can buy tickets here. …

Now that the craft beer movement is into its 30s, its expanding its horizons. No longer is it “just a lot of hops plus fermentation and a beard.” We’re seeing lighter beers, sour beers, and now, especially, citrus beers like Grapefruit Sculpin. Now one of my favorite breweries in San Diego, Green Flash, just announced its new lineup under new brewer Erik Jensen, and he’s got a Passionfruit Kicker (American Wheat Ale with passion fruit), a “Soul Style” (tangerine India pale ale). They’re also releasing “Cosmic Ristretto” this Friday, a Baltic Porter with espresso and Candico, a caramelized Belgian candy sugar. For more on the new lineup, click here…

The other release of note is from the ever-awesome Lost Abbey. They’ve partnered with North Carolina’s Wicked Weed Brewing and tomorrow (Feb. 24) will release the finished product—Ad Idem, a French oak-aged golden sour ale with peaches and brett. It’s a blend, between a brettanomyces blond ale and a sour blond ale, aged in neutral wine barrels with whole, local peaches…

Everyone likes a free meal. And Leap Year babies (those of you born on Feb. 29, feeling like you don’t exist every three out of four years) get a free one from the Hard Rock Café on Feb. 29….

I love pairing dinners, mostly because I like food and drink. But I also like poking fun of pairing dinners. And that’s what San Diego band Splavender will do on March 18 at Mike Hess Brewing. Instead of pairing the beers with food, the beers will be paired with original Splavender songs written for the beer. For example, the Honeysuckle & Sho’Nuff Beer, a rye imperial stout, will be paired with a deep, contemplative groovy synth song. Sounds absolutely ridiculous. I like ridiculous…

San Diego Magazine’s cocktail feature is coming out in the March issue. In there, I express extreme admiration for Grant Grill and mad-scientist cocktail guy Jeff Josenhans, who has ushered a slew of “firsts” into San Diego’s cocktail scene. However, more needs to be said about the Grill’s “chef de bar,” Cory Alberto. Well, now’s the chance to see his work. He just released a menu of cocktails inspired by his favorite musicians, including Howlin’ Wolf (Johnny Walker Red, cane sugar, chocolate, bitters and cigar foam), Ella Fitzgerald (Remy Martin 1738, Crème Yvette, rose water, tangerine, prosecco), Dick Dale (Mt. Gay Black Barrel US Grant Blend Rum, El Silencio mezcal, La Gitana sherry, tarragon orgeat, lime, pineapple, tiki bitters and a splash of absinthe), plus boozy odes to B.B. King, Ali Farka and Preservation Hall (the legendary venue in N’Awlins)…

Info Tapas

The Howlin’ Wolf cocktail, part of Grant Grill’s new menu dedicated to music legends.

The post Info Tapas appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The original Patio in Pacific Beach—lead by owner Gina Champion-Cain and chef John Medall—was a breakout success in taking over the beloved Lamont Street Grill.

Their second act—which takes over the long-abandoned construction started by restaurateur Philippe Beltran (who’s since joined the Cohn Restaurant Group)—is real modern, real eco, real nifty. Designed by Lahaina Architects, guests walk into the open-air front room (just like P.B.) with a fireplace. At the long bar on the right, GM and certified catador Chris Simmons, formery of Rancho Valencia’s Pony Room, will focus on tequila (over 60 varieties) and barrel-aged cocktails. Certified cicerone Kelly Legan will curate the fancy beer.

But everyone is naturally drawn to the huge, gorgeous plant wall in the back of the room, designed by The Patio’s on-staff decorator Bea Arrues.

The plant wall is libidinously lush. It looks like vegetarian taxidermy, as if Champion-Cain and Ted Nugent went down to Brazil, shot the rainforest and had it stuffed. Plant walls are now the modern version of 1970s fern bars. They add oxygen and life to all the strikingly dead-dead-dead design materials that are en vogue these days (concrete, steel, barn wood). There’s another plant wall on the al fresco patio.

Patio ownership is going for LEED Platinum certification with the restaurant (as eco-friendly as you can get), but should at least hit LEED Gold.

They’ve got a cheese “cave” here (a glass box full of wondrously stinky fromage, aging and become better cheeses right before your eyes) that local mongers Venissimo are helping curate. In about a month, they’ll also open their retail concept called Front Porch around the corner. It’ll serve all sorts of gourmet foodstuff, plus some to-go lunch and dessert options from chef Medall.

The Patio’s citywide domination seems imminent. Sources say they’ll open another retail-heavy concept soon at Liberty Station (a wine-centric thing at the former Sol Market spot). And one person close to them says they’re “already moving on from Liberty Station—they’re two concepts down the road,” including a potential new Patio in North County.

While waiting for your Patio colonization, please enjoy the first known good photos in the universe of POG.

The Patio’s lovely plant wall. Like rainforest taxidermy.

Sam Wells (samwellsphoto.com)

The post FIRST LOOK: The Patio on Goldfinch appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The original Patio in Pacific Beach—lead by owner Gina Champion-Cain and chef John Medall—was a breakout success in taking over the beloved Lamont Street Grill.

Their second act—which takes over the long-abandoned construction started by restaurateur Philippe Beltran (who’s since joined the Cohn Restaurant Group)—is real modern, real eco, real nifty. Designed by Lahaina Architects, guests walk into the open-air front room (just like P.B.) with a fireplace. At the long bar on the right, GM and certified catador Chris Simmons, formery of Rancho Valencia’s Pony Room, will focus on tequila (over 60 varieties) and barrel-aged cocktails. Certified cicerone Kelly Legan will curate the fancy beer.

But everyone is naturally drawn to the huge, gorgeous plant wall in the back of the room, designed by The Patio’s on-staff decorator Bea Arrues.

The plant wall is libidinously lush. It looks like vegetarian taxidermy, as if Champion-Cain and Ted Nugent went down to Brazil, shot the rainforest and had it stuffed. Plant walls are now the modern version of 1970s fern bars. They add oxygen and life to all the strikingly dead-dead-dead design materials that are en vogue these days (concrete, steel, barn wood). There’s another plant wall on the al fresco patio.

Patio ownership is going for LEED Platinum certification with the restaurant (as eco-friendly as you can get), but should at least hit LEED Gold.

They’ve got a cheese “cave” here (a glass box full of wondrously stinky fromage, aging and become better cheeses right before your eyes) that local mongers Venissimo are helping curate. In about a month, they’ll also open their retail concept called Front Porch around the corner. It’ll serve all sorts of gourmet foodstuff, plus some to-go lunch and dessert options from chef Medall.

The Patio’s citywide domination seems imminent. Sources say they’ll open another retail-heavy concept soon at Liberty Station (a wine-centric thing at the former Sol Market spot). And one person close to them says they’re “already moving on from Liberty Station—they’re two concepts down the road,” including a potential new Patio in North County.

While waiting for your Patio colonization, please enjoy the first known good photos in the universe of POG.

The Patio’s lovely plant wall. Like rainforest taxidermy.

Sam Wells (samwellsphoto.com)

The post FIRST LOOK: The Patio on Goldfinch appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Hillcrest sign

University & Fifth Avenue

• 1. NEW
  Salt & Cleaver
  House-made sausage and veggie sandwiches pair well with cocktails and beer. 3805 Fifth Avenue

• 2. NEW
  Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen
  Artisan handmade pasta and Italian food are served in a dim, romantic atmosphere. 530 University Avenue

• 3. NEW
  Commonwealth Ultra Lounge
  This historic, modern building houses an opulent interior, craft cocktails, beer, and bites. 1263 University Avenue

•  

• 4. NEW
  Project Pie
  Build your own pizza at this new, fast-casual custom pizza joint. 3888 Fourth Avenue

• 5. NEW
  Harvey Milk’s American Diner
  This new diner donates a percentage of every tab to the Harvey Milk Foundation. 535 University Avenue

• 6. NEW
  establish.
  This boutique offers an electic, stylish mix of home décor and hostess gifts. 1029 University Avenue

• This Month in Hillcrest

  • Sundays:
    Hillcrest Farmers Market

  • Decmeber 10:
    Hillcrest Town Council

  • December 12:
    Taste n’ Tinis

• 7. Hash House a Go Go
  Classic yet twisted fare loads up giant platters for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 3628 Fifth Avenue

• 8. Snooze
  Get in line early for unique pancakes, Benedicts, and Bloody Marys. 3940 Fifth Avenue

• 9. D Bar
  Savor elegant desserts, from soufflés to macarons, as well as brunch, lunch, and dinner. 3930 Fifth Avenue

•  

• 10. Gossip Grill
  This bar hosting generous happy hours caters primarily to the ladies. 1440 University Avenue

• 11. Hillcrest Brewing Company and Uptown Tavern
  These spots tap the hops that other gay bars are lacking. HBC: 1458 University Avenue Uptown Tavern: 1236 University Avenue

• 12. Edith Ernestine
  Shop a variety of styles and eras in this vintage clothing hotspot. 3775 Park Boulevard

•  

13. Before I Die Wall

Grab some chalk and reflect on life at Candy Chang’s famous, interactive public art wall, outside Alibi.

1403 University Avenue

The post Neighborhood Guide: Hillcrest appeared first on San Diego Magazine.