Somewhere Pizza aims to be a true-blue neighborhood pizza joint, with a few other bread and bread-adjacent things on the menu. “Slices and Italian sandwiches for lunch, small seasonal plates, and a menu that is borderline classic ‘red sauce’ spots, but without the kitsch,” Remsbottom says. Sienna Walters of Companion Bread is consulting on how to launch an in-house bakery element, working alongside Scrimshaw chef Jeannette Silva (Pujol in Mexico City, Verlaine in Los Angeles, Communal Coffee in San Diego, and her pop-up La Selva). 

Remsbottom wants Somewhere to meet a need the neighborhood didn’t even realize they had. “Think checkered floors, comfy booths, and an aesthetic that is either brand new nor has been there for decades,” he says. 

It won’t be pretentious or clubby, he promises. “I think the SD ‘scene,’ where every new spot is trying to be Disneyland, is forgetting about the neighborhood restaurant at a rapid clip,” he says. “So that’s what we’re going to aim to be.”

Somewhere Pizza, located at 5540 El Cajon Boulevard, should start serving Brooklyn-style pizzas, natural wines, housemade sodas, and more sometime in December. A crowdfunding campaign is live; you can follow their progress on Instagram at @somewherepizza_sd.

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

It’s Oktoberfest Season, Y’all

My favorite season is upon us—the time of marzens, dirndls, pretzels, and oom-pah bands. It’s Oktoberfest time across San Diego, and there are more than ever to choose from. I recommend checking out whatever local party is closest to you, but let’s not ignore the German granddaddies of San Diego Oktoberfests: I’m always partial to the German-American Societies of San Diego’s two-weekend bash in El Cajon (September 27–29 and October 4–6), but the county’s largest party comes back to La Mesa on October 4–6 and the beachy Bavarian bacchanal returns to Ocean Beach on October 11–12. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of them, so find your favorite Oktoberfest destination and remember to prost responsibly. 

Beth’s Bites

• New restaurant alert: A Mexican eatery is headed to 4566 30th Street in North Park. Smoky Habanero Mexican Cuisine is poised to take over the former Living Tea space along the same delicious block as Chris’ Ono Grinds, The Friendly, and Fall Brewing.  
• Coronado Brewing is getting into the fall spirit with its new cider release, a small-batch cranberry cinnamon apple cider with a refreshing 5.8 percent ABV. If this heat wave ever breaks, I’ll be ready to pair this with a slice of apple pie and my cable-knit sweater. 
• San Diego Cooks, from San Diego writer Ligaya Malones and photographer Deanna Sandoval, releases this month. The hardcover cookbook features 70 recipes from local chefs and restaurants, including 24 Suns, TJ Oyster Bar, Ambrogio by Acquerello, Valle, and many more. Head to Ponto Lago at Park Hyatt Aviara on Tuesday, September 24, for a cooking demonstration and book signing with executive chef Pierre Albaladejo.

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

The post Somewhere Pizza is Coming This December to El Cerrito appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

A bunch of San Diego’s most innovative Latina bakers and other makers have banded together to form a culinary collective called La Tiendita, throwing pop-up events at places like Home Ec and Friends of Friends (two business which also operate in shared spaces—I’m sensing a pattern here). Organizer Veronica Enriquez says she first got the idea in 2022, when Carynn Pinckney, owner of Home Ec, invited her to provide baked goods to a fundraiser for abortion access. 

“The vibe of all these people getting together and doing something that was important to all of us—it was like a high,” Enriquez says. She’s worked in restaurants and kitchens for years, currently as the pastry lead at Born & Raised. But she didn’t have an outlet for her own creations, and she knew plenty of other Latinas in the same situation. So, riding that high of the first event, she asked Pinckney to provide space for her and eight other Latinas to showcase their stuff. La Tiendita was born in 2023.

The goal of La Tiendita is to cultivate community and connect like-minded Latinas who tend to be outnumbered in male-dominated kitchens. Even the name reflects the tight-knit nature of the group. “It literally translates to the little shop … but it also means your family-owned neighborhood corner store,” she explains. “Everyone goes to that corner store to pick up their milk for the day. It’s very family-oriented, community-oriented.” 

And the family is definitely growing. “Every single time, it gets bigger and bigger,” Enriquez laughs. Makers like Vanessa Corrales (SPLIT Bakehouse Vegan Bakery), Arely Chavez (Michimichi), Helena Quesada (Hell Yeah Helena), and Yajaira Cody (Badu Eats) make up the current roster of 14 creators who now have five events under their belts. The next one isn’t slated until October, but Enriquez they’ll do them as often as they can squeeze them in between their full-time jobs. But for now, her goal is twofold: keep growing and keep inspiring.

“I just want to keep giving Latinas a space and the opportunity to showcase what they can do,” she says. “It can usually be a male-dominated industry, [so] I just want to keep putting it out there and show women, You have the support. You can join in if you want. You can do this, too.”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Vino Carta To Host J. Brix Wines on Thursday, August 29

Can’t wait for local winemakers Jody and Emily Towe to open their forthcoming wine tasting room? You don’t have to—just head to Vino Carta (2161 India Street) this Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. for a Winemaker Tasting with J. Brix. Twenty dollars gets you four wines and sparkling (okay, at least bubbling) conversation. The next day is Vino Carta’s weekly Friday pizza night, with OMG-F Pizza as this week’s featured pizzeria. (It’s gluten-free. Get it?)

Ponyboy at The Pearl Hotel Launches Dive-In Movie Nights

Every Wednesday, hop in The Pearl’s pool for themed drink and bite specials from onsite restaurant Ponyboy to go with the throwback movie of the night. (Think Blue Hawaiians during The Endless Summer.) Upcoming movies include The Graduate, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Godzilla, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon—which, hilariously, will feature a “killer seafood” special of linguini and clams. Check out all the hotel happenings right here.

Beth’s Bites

• Two San Diegans are finalists in the 2024 Next Wave Awards, hosted by drinks industry media company VinePair. Erick Castro (Gilly’s House of Cocktails) is up for Drinks Professional of the Year, while Derek Gallanosa (GOAL Brewing) is in the running for Brewer of the Year. Best of luck to them both!
• I love Korean food more than any other type of cuisine—in fact, I’m eating some tonight—so I’m very much looking forward to Solsot’s arrival at 8657 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite 103. It’s hot pot, not Korean barbecue, a nice addition to the already stellar lineup of Korean restaurants we’re spoiled with here in SD.
• Two new restaurants are coming to Westfield UTC. Coconut-centric dessert shop Melo Melo will join the mall munchie roster in October, while we’ll have to wait until November for Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. (I’m quite content making do with SomiSomi until then.)

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 La Tiendita Highlights Latina Chefs & Bakers Through Pop-Ups appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

That’s exactly why Beau du Bois looked to CDMX’s culinary capital—the Roma Norte neighborhood—for the name and inspiration behind Roma Norte, Puesto’s brand-new 21+ bar concept at The Headquarters at Seaport Village, which officially opens Friday, July 26.  

Roma Norte’s sprawling interior spans 2,000 square feet, anchored with a moody dark brown marble bar and seating for 60. The vibe feels mysterious, yet charming, utilizing elements like rich velvet furniture, bronze accents, and antique mirrors for an ambiance inspired by Mexico City’s iconic architecture and melded with a modern San Diego feel.

It’s luxe. It’s intriguing. It’s super sexy, no doubt about it, and best experienced sans sunlight. “The meat and potatoes of its personality is after dark,” du Bois promises. From the moment you step inside, he wants you to feel immersed in the experience, starting with an oshibori hot towel service to start fresh, literally and figuratively. 

The superstar bar director is already the vice president of bar & spirits at Puesto and Marisi and has created award-winning cocktail programs at places like The Restaurant at Meadowood, the three Michelin-starred restaurant at the Meadowood Napa Valley resort. But he says he’s never created anything like Roma Norte before.

Working alongside director of bar logistics, Derek Cram, the final cocktail menu reads like the pages of a well-stamped passport. Nearly 70 unique drinks are divided between what they refer to as “Technique Driven” and “House,” plus four additional mocktails. Du Bois is already known for his Taco Truck cocktail, a riff on a Negroni using mezcal with Campari infused with cinnamon and pineapple. “For the opening of Roma Norte, we did an NA version of that which is really, surprisingly, very, very good,” he promises. 

Developing world-class cocktails with, and especially without alcohol, can be “an extreme challenge,” he says, but one that only helps hone the team’s skills and caters to the growing demand for equally balanced alcohol-free creations. “The tagline for Roma Norte is ‘every day is a school day,’ because we’re just constantly learning.”

Technique-driven dominates the menu, with selections like a Nitro Punch with mango, nitro-muddled hoja santa, lime and lemon juice, Champagne cordial, Park Pineau des Charentes, Macchu Pisco, and singani; or du Bois’ arguably most unexpected addition—his take on a rum and coke that’s perfectly clear. Made with milk-washed Bacardi 8 and Banks 7 rum, house-made cola, clarified lime cordial, and an ice spear, it’s definitely one that’ll use your eyes to fool your tongue. 

Even the House cocktails are anything but basic. From a banana daiquiri clarified using a centrifuge “the size of a Xerox printer” to the Rosetta with unaged apple brandy, milk cordial, and a whole bunch of other amazing sounding things, it’s clear that scientists and spirit lovers alike have something to look forward to. 

That emphasis on innovation in flavor, technique, execution, service, and even technology and equipment is something du Bois says will set his small team apart from anywhere else in San Diego. He admits he’s asking a lot of them, constantly pushing them to evolve, hone their understanding of chemistry, and experiment with unexpected tools (like said centrifuges). But after training at Roma Norte, “they’ll be in the top five percent of bartenders in the country, easily,” he claims. “These things have to be learned. They have to be demonstrated and shown, and it’s just not happening at this level, [with] this many cocktails, at any bar in San Diego.”

Although Roma Norte is a Puesto-adjacent project, don’t expect any overlap from the menu. Alongside du Bois’ concoctions are chef Erik Aronow’s creations, a collection of small plates specifically designed to go along with the star of the show—the drinks. Expect a few heartier plates like a carne crudo, a prime diced hanger steak with birria-spiced aioli, shimeji mushroom, and radish sprout, or the torta de Milanesa that features veal on a potato roll and topped with spicy cabbage, avocado, cilantro green chile aioli, and pickled onions. There’s plenty of seafood, too, like tostadas with scallops or yellowfin tuna specifically designed to be shared.

For the late-night crowd, Aronow has a few lighthearted bites like Flamin’ Hot Corn Nuts served with housemade crunchy hominy and a cheesy spice blend. Du Bois says that appealing to dinner and late-night crowds, as well as industry folks who get off work late at night is something he believes San Diego’s bar scene lacks, especially compared to Los Angeles, New York, and yes, Mexico City. “It’s just not a cocktail bar if you’re not open later in the evening,” he says. “That’s the DNA of a cocktail bar.” Is Roma Norte the answer? du Bois says yes. 

“From the moment you’re seated at Roma Norte, we’re taking you off the streets of San Diego and into the vibrant culture of Roma Norte,” he says. “We want Roma Norte to be a consistent option for people in San Diego to trust that it will be open until two in the morning.”

Roma Norte opens Friday, July 26 at 789 W Harbor Drive, Unit 155 in The Headquarters. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Reservations are available on Roma Norte’s website, OpenTable, and Sevenrooms. Adults 21 years old and up only.

The post First Look: Roma Norte Opening at Seaport Village appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

But look for other cultural cuisines—Laotian, Basque, or Hawaiian, for instance—and the city offers few choices. Luckily, lovers of the latter will add one more option to the roster this summer: The Haole Shack opens at 707 Grand Avenue in Pacific Beach in early August. 

The Haole Shack is located directly adjacent to PB Shore Club at the corner of Grand Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. Grind & Prosper Hospitality (Louisiana Purchase, Coco Maya) operates both businesses. The Haole Shack’s director of operations, Ben Carroccio, says the restaurant’s menu of Hawaiian-inspired eats will be available all day through late night onsite and at PB Shore Club once its own kitchen closes.

“We’re hoping to introduce a great, quick-service option for burgers, teriyaki bowls, and shaved ice, whether you’re off to the beach, waiting in line at PB Shore Club, or looking for late-night grub,” Carroccio explains. He says the group aims to create a retro, ’80s-esque Hawaiian beach shack inspired by the founder’s recent trips to the island state. 

The menu will focus on smashburgers (single and double), teriyaki bowls, and shaved ice. Diners will also find black bean burgers and “Double Shaka” dirty fries with tri-tip, chicken, kook sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds over french fries. Teriyaki bowls include chicken, tofu, or tri-tip with steamed vegetables, kimchi-seasoned fried rice, togarashi, teriyaki, and kook sauce. Food will be available to go from the counter, but the space also offers patio parklet seating for 16 people. However, I recommend bringing a blanket and enjoying your bites only a few feet away on the sand. 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Ember & Rye Reopens With Two Interactive Events

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Ember & Rye is back. It’s celebrating a grand re-opening inside the Park Hyatt Aviara with two events this week. The first, “BBQ with Blais,” takes place Sunday, July 14, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Chef Richard Blais will demonstrate how to hone some serious grill skills. Then, on Thursday, July 18, he’ll guide guests through a four-course meal with cocktails from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets for both events and reservations for regular dining are available on Ember & Rye’s website. 

Beth’s Bites

North Park’s Vegan Market returns this Saturday, July 13, from noon to 4 p.m. at 3812 29th Street. You’ll find more than just vegan goodies—the event is also a vinyl record fair, brought to you by Chakasonica Fronterizx Vinyl Collective. Come hungry and ready to dig through thousands of LPs and 45s for the perfect score.

Happy birthday, Bica! The Adams Avenue eatery turns one on Sunday, July 14, and it’s throwing an all-day party to celebrate. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., expect vendors, giveaways, and live music, followed by DJs, tapas, and tattoos in the evening.

The post The Haole Shack Bringing Hawaiian Eats to Pacific Beach appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Katsuya Ko at Westfield UTC will be the first outpost of the iconic Katsuya restaurant brand from hospitality group Sbe and chef Katsuya Uechi, which currently has locations in California, New York, Florida, Dubai, and the Bahamas. Ko means “child” in Japanese, and Katsuya Ko is what Sbe founder Sam Nazarian describes as a vision of what as a vision of what Katsuya’s child would be—a more approachable experience that aims to appeal to a more Gen Z and Millennial clientele versus Katsuya’s higher-end brand. 

Slated to open this fall, the 3,000-square-foot restaurant is across from Alo Yoga near True Food Kitchen and will seat 80 inside and 32 on the outside patio. Studio Murnane handled the design to create an elegant but comfortable vibe where all guests, including families, can feel at home. 

Chef Uechi is still behind the menu development, which will mix traditional Japanese cuisine with California comfort with shareable items like miso cod bites, pork and kimchi gyoza, and chicken yakitori. Katsuya Ko will also offer Katsuya classics such as sushi and sashimi and baked crab hand rolls, plus some new items like the Ko burger with special bulldog sauce and corn croquettes, where corn gets roasted on a robata (a Japanese charcoal grill), then cut from the cob, mixed with a miso-potato mixture, doused in panko, and served with taberu rayu (similar to Chinese chile oil) aioli, bonito, and pickled ginger.

The team behind Katsuya Ko says this is just the first concept to launch, with their eyes already fixed on global expansion. Sbe’s hotel division recently partnered with Wyndham and lifestyle brand HQ, which will allow the Ko concept to enter strategic Wyndham hotel locations worldwide quickly. UTC is just the beginning.

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

George’s at the Cove Celebrates 40 Years With Series of Chef Alumni Dinners

Homecomings are always nostalgic affairs, and chefs returning to kitchens they previously worked in is a great way to revisit the days of yore (and get a great meal out of it). On Tuesday, May 7, chefs Jon Bautista (most recently of The Fishery), Brad Chance (Hotel La Jolla’s Sea & Sky), and Lori Sauer (Café Monarch in Scottsdale, Arizona) will return to George’s at the Cove to dish out an eight course prix fixe menu for $200 per person. Reservations are required, and you can view more Alumni Dinners coming up here. 

ARTIFACT at Mingei Launches New Programming

Eating at the mall is great, as evidenced above. Eating at a museum can be just as tasty, especially if said museum happens to be Balboa Park’s Mingei International Museum, which completed a $55 million renovation in 2021 and is launching several new initiatives at ARTIFACT by at Mingei by Urban Kitchen Group to attract hungry arts and culture lovers.

Every second and fourth Friday of each month from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. is now Dine & Vibe, a partnership with San Diego’s Winyl Club. Expect a listening experience paired with a four-course prix fixe or a standard dinner menu. Culinary director and partner Tim Kolanko also announced the spring and summer Regional Dinner series, exploring the cuisines of Colombia (April 18), Pacific Northwest (May 23), Greece (June 20), Yucatán (July TBD), Sardinia (August TBD), and Turkey (September TBD). 

Beth’s Bites

• Coin-Op Game Room North Park recently launched a menu right up my alley—hot dogs. Nothing but hot dogs. There’s a chili cheese dog, a TJ dog, a Chicago dog, and a veggie dog. They even paired each hot dog with a suggested cocktail (for example, the Short King cocktail goes with the NY Dog). I’m speechless with joy and currently stocking up on quarters. 
• The high holy day May the Fourth, is quickly approaching, and Star Wars fans can get their annual fix at California Wild Ales in OB. They’re bringing back beers like Jabba the Hop, C3-POrter, Darth Citrius, and the Mangolorian, plus a few surprises.
• Speaking of what to drink in May, Thursdays at Cutwater are looking sweet. It’s agave season at their tasting room, and every Thursday this month, they’re offering a different experience, each guided by a master of the craft. Things kick off May 2 with a tequila tour and tasting with co-founder and master distiller Yuseff Cherney, followed by a guided tasting on May 9 with head of innovation Gwen Conley, tequila cocktail class on May 16 with beverage ambassador Laura Price, and mezcal cocktail class on May 23 with bartender Hayley Wilcox. Sign up for each class on their site.

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 A New Iteration of Katsuya Coming to Westfield UTC appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Long Story Short food 2

Credit: Deanna Sandoval

“We’re just two broke-ass cooks with a couple of toaster ovens in the back,” says Elliott Townsend, egregiously understating what he and partner (in business and life), Kelly, are doing at Long Story Short inside of Vino Carta in Solana Beach.

Each week the pair host a pop-up dinner inside the wine shop with ingredients sourced from Chino Farm in Rancho Santa Fe to craft their menu. Occasionally they use ingredients from Specialty Produce, but they make it clear that they don’t have a relationship with anyone else.

As for how they manage to manifest a new menu every few weeks, Kelly and Elliott rely on a memory bank full of flavors and cooking techniques learned over years in restaurant kitchens. “It’s totally cerebral,” Elliott says. No prep lists or notes required, unless they’re doing a large tasting event. Sometimes, a menu won’t even come to them until they’ve arrived at the farm.

As Vino Carta’s resident chefs, it helps that they’re the only two cooks in the Long Story Short kitchen. Menu planning is “so spontaneous it’s probably a fault of ours, but it seems to be working for us,” Elliott says.

During a weeknight in August I pop in for dinner: charred Spanish octopus and chorizo mingle with roasted corn and tarragon salsa. Cured yellowtail is paired with sliced figs and an ephemeral hint of habanero. Cherry tomatoes-so-good-they’ll-make-you-weep and mozzarella with crusty bread sop up tears of joy.

Long Story Short food 1

Credit: Deanna Sandoval

Since they run a bite-sized operation, they can roll with inconsistent product availability, unlike larger restaurants with more fixed menus. Take local spot prawns, for example.

“There are only a handful of vessels that go fishing for them,” Elliott explains. They might have spot prawns on the menu one week, “and then the fishermen tell you they’re not going out this week anymore because of weather or something.” The same applies to produce.

“Sometimes the sun can be very unforgiving and you don’t have the ability to get something common like strawberries, or something that you would think is available at all times,” Elliott says. “There’s a lot of different variables that determine what’s edible today.”

Before Long Story Short served its inaugural Solana Beach menu in fall 2021, Elliott and Kelly spent the majority of the pandemic hosting pop-up dinners in their backyard and around San Diego. They started frequenting Vino Carta’s Little Italy location when they began getting into the natural wine scene, and to source bottles for the pop-ups, Kelly says.

Their penchant for natural wine was a souvenir from the three-month European honeymoon. They stopped in Paris, Copenhagen, Florence, to name a few. “I think we drank wine every day,” Kelly says. The two San Diegans met on the first day of culinary school. Kelly grew up in Point Loma. Elliott is from National City.

The pandemic afforded the pair an opportunity to focus on the food they really wanted to cook: hyperlocal and inspired by their tenure as chefs and partners. “During quarantine we both became out of a job, and didn’t really hate it,” Elliott says. Kelly was at Juniper & Ivy, and Elliott was at Cowboy Star.

Then they learned that Vino Carta’s co-owner, Patrick Ballow, was a neighbor. The wine shop’s Solana Beach location had a small kitchen, and was just about to open. A collaboration was born.

Long Story Short food 3

Credit: Deanna Sandoval

Next year, when their lease at the wine shop expires, they hope to open up an all-tasting menu restaurant somewhere within San Diego’s city limits, where they’ll have a team around them to help shepherd their alchemy.

“Our dynamic is ‘Kelly cooks like an Italian grandma, and I’m a ‘tweezer boy,'” Elliott says. Kelly does really rustic, timeless food rooted in tradition, Elliott says. “Like a proper nonna.” Then, Elliott adds modern and artistic flair. Being their own bosses means they can let their creativity run feral.

“Kelly usually comes up with the ideas, she’s really fast at thinking of flavors and what goes together,” Elliott says. “And Elliott takes it to the finishing point,” Kelly adds.

“My family couldn’t cook a damn thing, so I took it upon myself to cook,” Kelly says. For Elliott, his family culture taught him that food was not only a source of nourishment, but of community. “We’re both from the city. We love it dearly, we’re born and bred here,” Elliott says. “And we hope that translates through our food.”

The post Long Story Short, You Should Go appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Mongolian Hot Pot food 1.jpeg

Courtesy of Mongolian Hot Pot

A decade and a half is practically geriatric in restaurant years. For an industry where establishments open and shutter quicker than California’s avocado season, 15 years marks something to celebrate.

Take Mongolian Hot Pot in Clairemont Mesa. Since 2007, the family-run restaurant has carved a solid place in the community for its Mongolian-style hot pot, in which diners swish thin slices of proteins like lamb, beef and tofu chunks, as well as veggies around in simmering herbal broth at their table.

The place is now run by co-owners and brothers Mike Wu and Peter Yang. Full brothers with different names, Peter took Yang to honor their maternal grandfather, while Mike assumed their dad’s family surname.

“What we specialize in is our broth, 18 hours cooked, 30-something spices,” Peter says. Broth comes in original or spicy. Undecided, or chili-curious? Order half-and-half and get both. Today’s chicken broth-based recipe is the same as they used on day one.

Since then, their communal style, DIY-experience has survived a fire, a recession, and Covid-19. They opened just days before the Witch Creek Fire would consume parts of the Ramona area, San Pasqual Valley, and Rancho Bernardo, where Peter and Mike lived with their parents at the time.

“You could still smell the fresh paint and the new wood in the restaurant,” Mike says. The day the fire started, flames woke them up at 5 a.m., just 20 feet from their house. “The flames were higher than the house… and we just bolted,” Peter adds.

They evacuated from Rancho Bernardo with their pointy-eared, curly-tailed Norwegian Elk Hound named Wolfy, and slept in the restaurant. Their parents stayed at a friend’s house. It would be a week before the ash cleared and air quality stabilized, and they could return home.

Mongolian Hot Pot food 2.jpeg

Courtesy of Mongolian Hot Pot

“Luckily our house stood,” Mike says. “Our neighbor’s houses were completely destroyed.” The Witch Creek fire would incinerate 365 homes in Rancho Bernardo.

“Our parent’s house was also where we stored our backup spices that we imported, so if the house went up in flames, our biggest worry at the time was ‘holy crap, how are we gonna continue the business?’” Mike says. During those years, some of the spices required for Mongolian Hot Pot’s broth, like roasted black cardamom, and angelica root, weren’t available in San Diego, even at specialty food markets, Peter says.

Before Mike and Peter’s parents moved the family to San Diego, a plan that had always been in the works, they lived in Hainan (an island and China’s southernmost point) by way of Inner Mongolia to the north. There, their parents worked in architecture and interior design.

Here in the U.S., the language barrier and convoluted certification processes made it tough to navigate those same industries in their new home country. They instead acquired a small Chinese restaurant, and have since operated Japanese and Thai restaurants before opening Mongolian Hot Pot.

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During the aughts, aside from a national fondue restaurant with locations in the Gaslamp and La Jolla, the hot pot concept was still new to many San Diegans. There was a learning curve to this way of dining. “Besides Melting Pot, it was a very foreign thing to many people,” Peter says. “They were like, ‘Where’s the chocolate? Where’s the cheese?'”

Sometimes customers would undercook the meat. “We had to watch them, like, ‘oh no, you have to wait until the colors change,'” Peter says. Or they’d overcook ingredients altogether. So they made placards to indicate proper cook times of each ingredient, and walked customers through the process.

These days, they don’t have to watch customers so closely anymore. And the menu now also offers a vegetarian broth. “Fifteen years later and we still have customers who come in from when we first opened,” Mike says. Customers used to bring their babies back then, he adds. “Now they’re going to college.”

The post Celebrating 15 years of Mongolian Hot Pot appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Tara Monsod recipe

“When I think of home, this is one thing that I think of,” says executive chef Tara Monsod of Animae in San Diego’s Marina District when asked about her chicken tinola recipe.

It’s the ultimate comfort food, an indigenous soup that’s full of flavor and a very simple one-pot meal. Chef Tara equates it to traditional chicken noodle soup recipes but with a Filipino twist.

So, what better way to kick off the fall season than with a warm, comforting and satisfying soup recipe. “Growing up, my mom would always make a large pot of chicken tinola when I was sick,” says Chef Monsod. “A bowl of chicken tinola feels like a hug from my mom and instantly transports me back to our family home in Los Angeles.”

A riff on her mother’s recipe (which has itself gone through variations over the years), the power behind this soup is its use of ginger and enough leafy greens to give your immune system a nice boost.

Though it can be difficult to find the original ingredients like Chayote (an edible plant belonging to the gourd family), finger chili leaves (Thai pepper leaves), and malunggay leaves (a plant native to India), chef Tara emphasizes that any of the greens can be substituted with your favorite ingredients. If you can, though, seek out the ingredients at local Asian markets to get those authentic flavors.

To make chef Tara’s recipe, follow the steps below and enjoy:

Chef Tara Monsod’s Chicken Tinola

Ingredients

3 lbs Chicken Legs or Wings

6 tbsp Neutral Cooking Oil

6 each Garlic, Minced

1 each Onion, Large Dice

3 each 2-inch pieces Ginger, peeled and minced

3 each Green Papaya, Large Dice (Chayote if unavailable)

2 bunches Moringa Leaves (spinach if unavailable)

2 each Yellow Pepper

2 tbsp Fish Sauce

Salt to taste

2 Qt Water (extra if want more broth)

Instructions

1). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2). In a pot, sear chicken until lightly brown on all sides. Set aside.

3). Add onion and garlic into the pot. Sweat to help remove brown fond on pot.

4). Add chicken back into the pot and cover with water. Simmer for 45 mins – 1 hour, until chicken is tender.

5). Remove chicken and strain broth. Combine chicken and broth together in new pot.

6). Salt to taste. Then add yellow peppers, green papaya and simmer until papaya is tender.

7). Add moringa and fish sauce.

8). Serve with rice and enjoy!

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Chef Tara Monsod’s Chicken Tinola appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

styrofoam ban

San Diego’s relationship with polystyrene (a.k.a. styrofoam) is complicated. After a two-year intermission that included a lawsuit and an environmental impact report, San Diego City Council is expected to vote on the Polystyrene Foam and Single Use Plastics Ordinance (referred to as the “Styrofoam ban”) this fall.

If passed, the law would prohibit businesses from selling or distributing containers, trays, cups, lids, or similar single-use items made of polystyrene. Same goes for single-use plastic utensils and straws, unless requested, and foam egg cartons, coolers, and pool toys (adios pool noodles, maybe.)

Additionally, businesses who chose not to comply would receive a written warning at first before imposing fines—the least of which would amount to around $100—until the issue was resolved.

The California Restaurant Association (CRA), which filed the lawsuit, proposed that a study be conducted to see whether the switch would cause environmental damages that would outweigh its benefits. It also argued that forcing restaurants that currently use foam to switch to a more expensive alternative is unfair.

So when the polystyrene ban was initially introduced and went into effect in 2019, the organization—as well as a food industry foam manufacturer and a few local restaurants—sued San Diego, halting enforcement of the ban.

As a result, the city procured a report to evaluate “the environmental impact that replacement products will have at local landfills, along beaches and to air and water quality.” The law’s intention is to shrink the volume of plastics littering city streets and waterways.

According to the city’s environmental services director Renee Robertson, polystyrene “does not biodegrade, but instead breaks down and blows in the wind and floats on water, where it can be ingested by birds, fish and other animals.”

In the analysis, which came out this past July, the environmental impact report found what supporters already believed: The benefits of banning foam outweigh its potential damages. And, the potential greenhouse gas emissions spike, would not be enough to halt the ban.

However, while styrofoam products are environmentally abusive, some restaurants stand to be overwhelmingly impacted—our corner taco shops and other smaller independently owned restaurants for example. For these folks, the math at present just doesn’t add up, even if they wanted to ditch the foam.

National City – food spread

Restaurant operations are already a wobbly game of feast-or-famine from the start, and every penny saved (or lost) is acutely felt, especially since Covid-19. In some instances, non-foam options can cost nearly more than twice the per-unit cost.

For example, let’s say that restaurant X uses at least 100 takeout containers per day, and is open seven days a week. A quick scan of 100-count, 9×9 foam containers at Costco are currently priced at 18 cents per unit, while a paper-based container option costs 32 cents per unit.

The difference between foam and paper in this instance is $295 a month, or an average increase of $4,800 a year. Then there’s labor, rent, utilities expenses, the fluctuating cost of ingredients, plus workers comp, and line items for stuff like grease removal, to name a few.

“I think the impact will be felt most in your local takeaway spot. The taco shop, the Thai place, your orange chicken spot,” Keith Lord, chef and co-owner of local restaurant operations and logistics consultancy, Strategy Fourteen. “No one will notice when the sushi take out spot gets a little more spendy. Everyone will notice when their taco price goes up,” he says.

On the other hand, some restaurants have already baked eco-friendly methods into their business model. Amar Harrag, founder of the newly formed Be Saha Hospitality, says his restaurants in Old Town (Tahona) and North Park (Wormwood) use as many paper products as possible. “The difference between using compostable and paper to-go containers versus non-environmentally friendly options is minimal and a small cost every business should bear,” he says.

And while the city does recycle polystyrene, styrofoam recycling is complicated. In the recycling ecosystem, foam is the last one picked for the team. The outcast, the other; there isn’t much of a market for it. Some experts say that although it’s possible to recycle foam, the current methods for recycling and processing the material is too expensive.

Current city council members did not respond to a request for comment before publication, or stated they’d plan to review the ordinance this fall. When asked, a CRA representative also opted not to comment at this time.

Proponents of the ban include environmental groups like the Surfrider Foundation. In 2015 the organization introduced a list of ocean-friendly restaurants that don’t use foam products, among other standards, including Eat Blue Poke in National City and Herringbone in La Jolla.

Beyond restaurants, foam permeates daily life. It’s used in building insulation, to buoy newbie surfers eager for their first pop-up, in airplane construction—the list is endless. If passed, San Diego will join more than 100 cities with foam restrictions already in place, including Imperial Beach, Encinitas, Del Mar, and Solana Beach.

The post The Styrofoam Ban is Back on the Table appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Gaslamp history

Many of the neighborhoods we live in and buildings that surround us have stories to tell. While most of these colorful pasts are hidden inside books and reference guides, some are brought to life by the bars and restaurants that have found homes in these local spots, allowing us to consume our history alongside a beer or a steak.

Here are eight restaurants that pay tribute to the histories of the buildings they now occupy, in tasty ways, of course:

From a Brothel to Madam Bonnie’s

According to Sandee Wilhoit, a historian and Gaslamp tour guide, The Hotel Lester expanded in 1915 with 23 rooms for tourists visiting the Panama-California Exposition. In the early 1920s, Bertha “Bonnie” White moved to San Diego in hopes of opening a “respectable” brothel to provide for her large extended family. While she was madam of the Hotel Lester from 1930-1940, Bonnie found success in her business. In 1940, a new police chief was elected into office who did not take kindly to her type of business and promptly shut it down. Now, the location hosts Madam Bonnie’s, a new bar and restaurant that taps into its colorful past by focusing on craft cocktails to continue the “respectable” debauchery of the Gaslamp Quarter.

Hotel Dewitt

Oceanside Historical Society

From a WWII Communication Center to The Switchboard Restaurant 

The Switchboard Restaurant is tucked within the Fin Hotel in Oceanside, which was commandeered as a switchboard center for the future Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base in support of the war effort during World War II. The Oceanside Historical Society’s director, Kristi Hawthorne, shared that The Fin Hotel was one of the first hotels along the 101 Highway, built in 1927 as the Keisker Hotel. Now, the Marine veteran-owned restaurant serves as an ode to the original switchboards used for communication during the war, the bar lined with brass toggle switches.

From a Military Mess Hall to Stone Brewing Liberty Station 

The Liberty Station location of Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens is located in the building that used to be the mess hall at the Naval Training Center. One of the first locations built at NTC, the Mess Hall began serving recruits in 1923, cooking up dishes like Spanish rice and pineapple upside-down cake, as described in Jennifer A. Garey’s book San Diego’s Naval Training Center. The city’s NTC station was the only base with a program for mess management specialist training and won awards for food service excellence along with training graduates that went on to bake at the White House. In the late 1990s, the Naval Training Center transitioned into the community hub we know today as Liberty Station. Nowadays, those with a military ID can enjoy some hoppy IPAs at Stone Brewing for a discounted price.

El Campo Santo Cemetery 1888

From a Cemetary to Oculto 477, a Spooky Speakeasy

Located next to El Campo Santo Cemetery is Tahona, home to speakeasy Oculto 477 which pays tribute to the 477 bodies buried nearby. Fred Grand, president of the Old Town Chamber of Commerce, confirmed that El Campo Santo Cemetery is one of San Diego’s oldest cemeteries, established in 1849 and in use until 1897. As the city grew, the cemetery was reduced in size to make way for a streetcar line and the streets that we use today.

A nearby historic plaque reads “Remembering the more than 20 Men, Women and Children who lie buried beneath San Diego Ave. Only Assemblyman Edward L. Greene was exhumed and placed within the new boundary of El Campo Santo Cemetery. These graves were discovered with the use of ground penetrating radar in 1993. The spirits Oculto 477 plays into its proximity to the cemetery, with names like Garden of Death and Oculto Zombie.

From the Carriage Works building to GARAGE Kitchen + Bar

According to the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation, on December 23, 1869, John D. Backesto purchased lots from Alonzo Horton for $300.00 that eventually became the Carriage Works building and now, GARAGE Kitchen + Bar. In 1902 Daniel W. Lyons and Newell Mathews purchased the space and carried a complete line of Studebaker vehicles, including buggies and large wagons. GARAGE Kitchen + Bar is outfitted with original wood, brick, and rusted metal to pay tribute to its past.

Babcock Story Bar

Coronado History from E. S. Babcock and Hampton L. Story to the Babcock & Story Bar

The iconic Hotel Del Coronado has tapped into Coronado’s history with the Babcock & Story Bar, named for visionary founders E. S. Babcock and Hampton L. Story. According to the Coronado Historical Association, the peninsula was purchased in 1885 by Elisha S. Babcock, Jr., Hampton L. Story, and Jacob Gruendike for $110,000. While neither Babcock nor Story had experience in the hotel business, they were so impressed with the natural beauty of Coronado that they decided to build a magnificent hotel to be “the talk of the western world,” as reported by The Del’s historian, Gina Petrone. The Babcock & Story Bar’s large outdoor patio offers up views of the natural beauty that inspired the development of Coronado by its founders.

From a Fictitious Brochure Babe to Miss B’s Coconut Club

The Journal of San Diego History shares a compelling history of Mission Beach in an article by Zelma Bays Locker in 1975 which begins, “Meet Miss B. She is an alluring young lass who wears only a swimsuit and a provocative smile…Her fetching likeness adorns the cover of a real estate advertising brochure.” That 1914 brochure is for San Diego’s then new beach resort area and when the page is turned, Miss B’s full name is revealed: Mission Beach. Miss B’s Coconut Club on Mission Blvd uses the fictitious beauty as their muse for their vacation-inspired drinks, decor, and dishes.

Native American Heritage at Rincon Reservation Road Brewery

The Rincon Economic Development Corporation shares that Rincon Reservation Road Brewery was named after the trail their ancestors traveled over 14,000 years ago along the San Luis Rey River that ran from Warner Hot Springs to Oceanside. Rincon Reservation Road Brewery (3R Brewery) and its beer offerings pay homage to the heritage of the Native Americans and tell the story of the rich history of the tribe. The Valley Center location is on the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians reservation.

The post How These 8 Restaurants Pay Homage to Their Past appeared first on San Diego Magazine.