Here’s your first look at the newest San Diego spot from restaurateur Sam Fox (True Food Kitchen, Flower Child, North Italia, you name it). The first California location of Culinary Dropout. Opens on Wednesday in Del Mar Highlands.
How does one of the most prolific restaurateurs in the country choose where to open his next thing? Simple: wherever he wants to spend more time. The semi-local–he’s owned a house in Coronado for decades–opened his first SD spot in 2012 (True Food). Flower Child, Blanco Cocina + Cantina, and The Henry followed.
He started Culinary Dropout 12 years ago in AZ—a chef-driven gastropub and live music hangout with all the culinary chops, none of the gazillion-dollar props. (Instead of gold-laden statement pieces, they made an art wall out of Converse shoes.) They’ll be open til midnight on weekends, with music Thursday through Sunday.
Everything at Culinary Dropout is made from scratch: 36-hour marinated pork ribs, Korean-style ribeye cap, a soft pretzel with provolone fondue. And because Fox can read the room, the Del Mar Culinary Dropout will be the first to offer a sushi program.
