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ST. PATRICKS DAY | COMUN KITCHEN AND TAVERN | MARCH 17, 2015

This is what happens when a few Irish and Mexican guys get together and open a restaurant! You will not find green beer here, but... you will find flavors that will high 5 your taste buds, and ice cold whiskey-ritas that will cool you down during this hot spell as well as whet your palate.

Call us crazy cuz we are! $5 corned beef tostadas & $5 jameo shots and whiskey-ritas all damn day! yup noon-11pm on Tuesday March 17th, 2015 unless a mob of green wearing leprechauns demand we stay open.

For more info on Comun Kitchen and Tavern click here!

We are located on 935 J. Street. San Diego, CA 92101 | (619 358-9707 | www.comunsd.com

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APRIL 15, 2015 | CAJA OCHO N°3

CAJA OCHO is a dining journey for those who want to take their time to understand the plates in front of them, speak with the chef about his creations, grasp the inspiration and get to know the qualities of the ingredients that make up the flavors of a dish. This crowd will find a refreshing take on dining out in San Diego. It isn’t just about a pretty plate. It’s about the thought process, the creativity and satisfaction of the individual bite.

8 PEOPLE • 8 COURSES • $80 PER PERSON

7PM - 9PM

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North America's Most Exhilarating Dining Destination Straddles the Border

North America's Most Exhilarating Dining Destination Straddles the Border

On a recent Saturday afternoon, the line to place an order at TJ Oyster Bar moved as languidly as a stray cloud in the Southern California sky. The menu sprawled across one wall, detailing tacos and tostadas and seafood cocktails, but it still took several minutes for everyone, including me, to narrow down their final decisions once they'd reached the register. The tiny space — wedged into an aging strip mall in Bonita, a town about twelve miles from central San Diego — holds only seventeen seats. My wait paid off with some stunners, including a fried fish taco that admirably avoided any innovations or dubious makeovers. A crescent of battered tilapia came plucked directly from the fryer and onto the tortilla, cooled by cabbage, chopped tomato, and a streak of crema.

If I'd dressed TJ's taco myself I probably would have added half the cabbage — the way I did at Tacos El Fenix, the most famous taco shack in Ensenada, the coastal town in Mexico's Baja California about 85 miles south of San Diego. At El Fenix's curbside stand, the cooks dunk slivers of angelito (angel shark) or cazón (dogfish) in tempura batter and fry them in a circular vat of lard. They hand over the crackly chunks on plain tortillas to the throngs of customers, who then adorn their lunch with vegetables and squeezes of lime, green and red salsas, crema, and tangy, tomato-tinged mayo. The family behind El Fenix is said to have invented the fish taco generations ago; it has certainly mastered the details.

  Fried fish, shrimp, and grilled fish tacos and house special (mixed seafood) tostada at TJ Oyster Bar

Fish tacos have long been the culinary mascots of San Diego and Baja California. That won't change anytime soon, but restaurant cooking in the region is also undergoing a pride-of-place revolution. Some forward thinkers have labeled their gourmandized approach "Baja Med," but that kind of branding can suggest stuffing tortillas with lamb tagine or falafel. What's happening is more about Mexican and American chefs cultivating a heightened appreciation of the coastline's extraordinary bounty. They're embracing a subtle fusion of influences that emerges from innate cultural shifts and respectful curiosity, not from gimmickry. To taste how chefs on both sides of the fence are finessing local flavors is to eat in stereo, to experience the broader community's fullest depth and context.

And the quality of the street food up and down the coast belies the speed with which it is served; seeking them out yielded some of the most remarkable meals of my trip. Taken as a whole, the Baja scene makes for one of North America's most exhilarating dining destinations.

Taken as a whole, the Baja scene makes for one of North America's most exhilarating dining destinations.

Fine dining in the Baja lexicon has stronger roots south of the border: Benito Molina and Solange Muris opened Manzanilla in Ensenada in 2000, gilding the local catch with flavors of the Mediterranean (the area produces first-rate olive oil) and Asia (Chinese immigrants first began populating Baja California in the 1920s). A year later, Laura Reinert and Jair Tellez founded Laja, known for its poetic multicourse menus and use of local produce (some grown on site), in the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja's wine country. When it comes to modern local flavors, San Diego revels in more laidback milieus where chefs take inspiration from Mexican flavors and spin them with American individuality.

 SAN DIEGO

Cantina Mayahuel

Not every memorable bite of Mexican food I had in San Diego reflected the region specifically. At Cantina Mayahuel in the University Heights area, Tuesdays and Fridays bring two ambrosial specials: Oaxacan mole negro, smoky and layered, and Puebla's famous mole poblano, with a cinnamon whiff that weaves through the chiles and nuts and garlic. The two sauces, draped over a boneless chicken breast, resemble a yin-yang of melted milk and dark chocolates. La Fachada, a venerable taco stand in the historic Barrio Logan, mixes and matches meat preparations beloved throughout Mexico: carnitas, lengua, tripa, or cabeza (head meat) and masa vessels such as lozenge-shaped huaraches, stuffed gorditas (the standout here, along with tacos), and mulitas, which are essentially tortilla sandwiches.

But one can easily find expressions of Baja's seafood bounty in every tier of San Diego restaurants — particularly in form of ceviche tostadas, which trail right behind fish tacos in popularity. Among the global flavors served at buzzy Juniper and Ivy, chef-owner Richard Blais and his crew craft tiny tostadas, a pink and green pastiche of ahi tuna, pickled onion, and micro greens anchored by dabs of limey, creamy "shark sauce." Local chef Chad White bounced over to Tijuana in 2013 to help open a gastropub called La Justina before returning to San Diego last July with his latest, Común Kitchen & Tavern. Tostadas feature heavily on his Baja-inspired menu: Some hew traditional (ceviche with tomato and avocado, mahi mahi with crushed peanut salsa); others traipse into imaginative realms (carnitas with sour orange marmalade, beef heart tartare with egg yolk and dehydrated scallion). I was most taken by White's riff on pork al pastor, crisp rectangles of belly embellished with charred pineapple and garnished with handsomely scorched masa crackers.

 Above: Pork belly with charred pineapple, avocado puree, and scorched masa crackers at Común Kitchen and Tavern;

Below: Crazy tostada at Mariscos Nine Seas and mole negro and mole poblano at Cantina Mayahuel

The crazy tostada (that's the actual name) heaved out the window of the Mariscos Nine Seasfood truck is a kitchen sink hodgepodge: It's amazing the two fried tortillas retain their snap under the deluge of shrimp, chopped octopus, swai (Vietnamese catfish), mussels, and oysters. The tostada drew stares from the group gathered in the empty lot of a closed grocery in the South Park community, where the truck typically moors. The mellow crowd lingered contentedly, leaning on the truck's bumper or squatting on a low wall nearby. Most customers ordered tacos. I tried those as well: one enfolding bits of smoked marlin tangled with vegetables and cheese particularly impressed. As part of the order, the cook handed me a cup of seafood broth, sweetly aromatic and garnished with a small celery stalk.

ENSENADA AND TIJUANA

The tostadas at La Guerrerense, a street cart in Ensenada, are something else altogether. When three of us walked up to the stand, we asked proprietress Sabina Bandera what we should order, and she composed one of her signatures: a fine mince of clams and sea urchin spread over a fried tortilla, topped with octopus and avocado slices and then finished with a condiment she calls chilitos de mi jardín, a peanut and chile oil salsa. Imagine the best sushi meal you've ever had, but with the impeccable seafood buoyed by warm Mexican flavors. That was the brilliance of this $8 tostada.

La Guerrerense is no uncharted discovery. The big boys of food television — Bourdain, Zimmern, Bayless — have all paid their respects on camera. Bandera looked up and flashed an effortless smile when I readied to take a photograph. She's accustomed to attention; she deserves it. Once I'd finished half slurping-half scarfing my tostada, I ate magnificent raw clams and scallops on the half shell, dabbed with other salsas made from mango and tamarind and a spicy, wet avocado mash dubbed "guacachile."

Above: Octopus gorditas and grilled cheese with lamb birria; Below: A cook slicing adobada at Taconazo and La Guerrerense's tostada with clams, sea urchin, and octopus, with peanut and chile oil salsa

It was an inimitable introduction to the food of Baja California. But then, I had excellent guides to show me the way. I was with Eater's San Diego editor, Candice Woo, and her friend Angel Miron, who owns a culinary tour company called Let's Go Clandestino. He'd volunteered to accompany us for the day. As a first timer in the area, several friends in San Diego had suggested I visit Baja with some knowledgeable company. I'm glad I did, though I would also return solo now without a second thought.

The current state of Tijuana: "It may not be pretty, but it isn't scary."

After La Guerrerense, the three of us swung by El Fenix for the iconic fish tacos. For dinner, we headed to Tijuana. Brooding warehouses and forlorn industrial parks on the outskirts gave way to the bustling city center and tree-lined streets. The city has recovered since the height of the drug-related violence (between 2006 and 2010) that destroyed tourism. The leisure industry has been on the upturn again for the last few years. Angel, who grew up on both sides of the border, summed up the current state of Tijuana: "It may not be pretty, but it isn't scary."

And the evening's haven was actually quite dapper — a room lined with recycled woods, concrete, and corrugated tin, the kind of aesthetic that would blend right into urban America. Laja chef-owner Jair Tellez launched Verde Y Crema, Tijuana's current hot spot, in the spring of 2014; his onsite chef is 26-year-old Martin Vargas, who cooks most of the food over olive wood hauled from Guadalupe Valley. The menu reflects Baja's abundance but adopts the gastropub vernacular: squiggly pig-ear chicharrones, blue corn gorditas stuffed with octopus, roasted beet tacos, and, yes, Korean tacos. A grilled cheese bulked up with lamb birria went just over the line with salt but still satisfied alongside shots of not-too-smoky mezcal that the restaurant bottles itself. The two-dozen brews on tap reflected Baja's new craft beer boom, a mirror reflection of San Diego's frothy scene.

We spilled into the night for our final stops at two taquerias specializing in adobada, sliced pork marinated in chiles and spices and cooked, similar to gyro meat, on a revolving spit. Tacos El Franc is one of the city's late night classics, and the people watching — all classes, all ages, locals and visitors — pulled focus from the food. Among other tacos covered in soupy stewed offal, the punchy adobada lived up to its billing. At Taconazo just down the block, the pork was even more aggressively seasoned, but not unpleasantly so. And the star attraction came with a twist. To include with each adobada taco, the cook nicked off a sliver from a whole pineapple impaled on top of the spit. It bit into the taco and thought of Chad White's pork belly with charred pineapple at Común. For a region so defined by boundaries, the crisscrossing inspirations seem borderless.

ESSENTIALS

SAN DIEGO

TJ Oyster Bar: 4246 Bonita Road, Bonita, California; (619) 267-4577; tjoysterbar.com

Mariscos Nine Seas: 3030 Grape Street, San Diego; (619) 279-0010

Común Kitchen & Tavern: 935 J Street, San Diego; (619) 358-9707; comunsd.com

Juniper & Ivy: 2228 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego; (619) 269-9036; juniperandivy.com

La Fachada: 20 25th Street, San Diego; (619) 236-8566

Cantina Mayahuel: 2934 Adams Avenue, San Diego; (619) 283-6292

ENSENADA AND TIJUANA

La Guerrerense: 1st Street and Alvarado, Ensenada; +52 (646)-119-4530; laguerrerense.com

Tacos El Fenix: Calles Espinoza and Juarez (Calle 5), Ensenada, Baja California

Birrieria Soto: Calles Espinoza and Juarez (Calle 5), Ensenada, Baja California

Verde Y Crema: Orizaba 3034 Col Neidhart, Tijuana; +52 (664) 681-2366; verdeycrema.com

Tacos El Franc: Calle 8 and Boulevard Sánchez Taboada, Tijuana, Baja California

El Taconazo: Calle Galleana and Boulevard Sánchez Taboada, Tijuana, Baja California

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Single? So What. Anti-Vday 02.14.15

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NYE 2015 | COMÚN SD

PRE GAME | NYE'15 street chic eats wednesday 12.31.14 | 5pm . 7pm . 9pm prix fixe $35.00 | 4 course * doesn’t include beverages, tax, or gratuity - al a carte menu available! - drink specials all night long! - ball drop tijuana punch toast! - book reservations call 619.358.9707 amuse. carrot . avocado adobada . queso anejo . radish . morita ash choose one appetizer. dorado . agua chile negro . chicharron . red onion vampiro tostada . chorizo . carnitas . pollo . queso monterey camote asada . yogurt . burnt oats . avocado . chile choose one entree. al pastor . pork belly . pineapple . toasted masa . aguacate pescado veracruzana . smoked tomato . olive . caper . chile salt roasted squash . toasted fideo . frijole picadillo dessert. champurado . toasted concha brulee . almond crema

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EATER AWARDS: CHAD WHITE | 2014 CHEF OF THE YEAR

This year’s winners for restaurant of the year and more.

It is time now—drumroll, trumpets, gongs—to announce the winners of the 2014 Eater Awards.

In over a dozen categories in 24 cities, the winners comprise a diverse group of the finest and most interesting chefs, operators, and characters in the continent that have defined this year in dining. We applaud them and all the worthy nominees in each category.

To recap, Eater's local editors in 24 cities nominated candidates for five major local categories: Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, So Hot Right Now Restaurant, and Stone Cold Stunner. Eater readers then voted to narrow the field to a final three in each category. From that final three, the Eater editorial team chose one to move forward and the Eater.com braintrust got together to decide the national winners.

Without further ado, here's who came out on top in San Diego's 2014 Eater Awards.

Restaurant of the Year  Nominees: Común Kitchen & Tavern, Puesto at The Headquarters, Juniper & Ivy, Ironside Fish & Oyster and Don Chido Finalists: Puesto at The Headquarters, Juniper & Ivy, Ironside Fish & Oyster and Don Chido (tie)  Winner: Juniper & Ivy

Chef of the Year 

Nominees: Hanis Cavin, Richard Blais, Chad White, Jason McLeod, Joe Magnanelli  Finalists: Jason McLeod, Richard Blais, Chad White   

Winner: Chad White, Común Kitchen & Tavern

So Hot Right Now  Nominees: The Patio on Goldfinch, Table No. 10, Común Kitchen & Tavern, Bottega Americano, Ironside Fish & Oyster Finalists: Bottega Americano, Común Kitchen & Tavern, Ironside Fish & Oyster Winner: Bottega Americano

Bartender of the Year  Nominees: Jen Queen of Comun Kitchen & Tavern, Trevor Easter, Anthony Schmidt, Eric Johnson, Christian Siglin  Finalists: Christian Siglin, Eric Johnson, Trevor Easter  Winner: Christian Siglin, Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant

Stone Cold Stunner  Nominees: Puesto at The Headquarters, The Patio on Goldfinch, Ironside Fish & Oyster, OB Warehouse, Juniper & Ivy  Finalists: Ironside Fish & Oyster, The Patio on Goldfinch, Puesto at The Headquarters, OB Warehouse (tie)  Winner: Ironside Fish & Oyster

Bonus Category:  Saddest Shutter of the Year: Farm House Cafe

[chefchadw]

EATER AWARDS: CHAD WHITE | 2014 CHEF OF THE YEAR

This year’s winners for restaurant of the year and more.

It is time now—drumroll, trumpets, gongs—to announce the winners of the 2014 Eater Awards.

In over a dozen categories in 24 cities, the winners comprise a diverse group of the finest and most interesting chefs, operators, and characters in the continent that have defined this year in dining. We applaud them and all the worthy nominees in each category.

To recap, Eater's local editors in 24 cities nominated candidates for five major local categories: Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, So Hot Right Now Restaurant, and Stone Cold Stunner. Eater readers then voted to narrow the field to a final three in each category. From that final three, the Eater editorial team chose one to move forward and the Eater.com braintrust got together to decide the national winners.

Without further ado, here's who came out on top in San Diego's 2014 Eater Awards.

Restaurant of the Year  Nominees: Común Kitchen & Tavern, Puesto at The Headquarters, Juniper & Ivy, Ironside Fish & Oyster and Don Chido Finalists: Puesto at The Headquarters, Juniper & Ivy, Ironside Fish & Oyster and Don Chido (tie)  Winner: Juniper & Ivy

Chef of the Year 

Nominees: Hanis Cavin, Richard Blais, Chad White, Jason McLeod, Joe Magnanelli  Finalists: Jason McLeod, Richard Blais, Chad White   

Winner: Chad White, Común Kitchen & Tavern

So Hot Right Now  Nominees: The Patio on Goldfinch, Table No. 10, Común Kitchen & Tavern, Bottega Americano, Ironside Fish & Oyster Finalists: Bottega Americano, Común Kitchen & Tavern, Ironside Fish & Oyster Winner: Bottega Americano

Bartender of the Year  Nominees: Jen Queen of Comun Kitchen & Tavern, Trevor Easter, Anthony Schmidt, Eric Johnson, Christian Siglin  Finalists: Christian Siglin, Eric Johnson, Trevor Easter  Winner: Christian Siglin, Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant

Stone Cold Stunner  Nominees: Puesto at The Headquarters, The Patio on Goldfinch, Ironside Fish & Oyster, OB Warehouse, Juniper & Ivy  Finalists: Ironside Fish & Oyster, The Patio on Goldfinch, Puesto at The Headquarters, OB Warehouse (tie)  Winner: Ironside Fish & Oyster

Bonus Category:  Saddest Shutter of the Year: Farm House Cafe

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Eater Awards 2014 Restaurant of the Year | Común Kitchen and Tavern

Choose the best new restaurant of the past year.

Next Monday, Eater will present the 2014 Eater Awards, our fourth annual celebration of all that's made San Diego's restaurant scene turn the past twelve months. Winners will be selected on both the local and national levels in five major categories, the voting for which begins right now. Here's how the voting works across the board: Eater editors have named nominees for each of five major categories. Eater readers (that's you!) will vote, narrowing the nominees to three finalists. From those three finalists, the Eater editorial team will select a winner. Ready to play your part? This poll will be open for 24 hours; voting irregularities will be strictly policed. Vote and spread the word!

JUNIPER & IVY

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Juniper & Ivy

2228 Kettner Blvd San Diego, CA, 92101858-481-3666

 FOURSQUARE OPEN TABLE

Last Seen On: The Hottest Restaurants in San Diego Right Now, November 2014

15 PLACES / EDITED BY CANDICE WOO / NOV 6 2014, 10:00A

IRONSIDE FISH & OYSTER

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Ironside Fish & Oyster

1654 India St San Diego, CA, 92101619-269-3033

 FOURSQUARE OPEN TABLE

Last Seen On: The Hottest Restaurants in San Diego Right Now, November 2014

15 PLACES / EDITED BY CANDICE WOO / NOV 6 2014, 10:00A

DON CHIDO

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Don Chido

527 5th Ave San Diego, CA, 92101619-232-8226

 FOURSQUARE OPEN TABLE

Last Seen On: The Hottest Restaurants in San Diego Right Now, November 2014

15 PLACES / EDITED BY CANDICE WOO / NOV 6 2014, 10:00A

PUESTO

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Puesto

789 West Harbor Drive San Diego, CA, 92101619-233-8880

 FOURSQUARE OPEN TABLE

Last Seen On: The Hottest Restaurants in San Diego Right Now, November 2014

15 PLACES / EDITED BY CANDICE WOO / NOV 6 2014, 10:00A

COMÚN KITCHEN & TAVERN

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Común Kitchen & Tavern

935 J St San Diego, CA, 92101

 FOURSQUARE OPEN TABLE

Last Seen On: The Hottest Restaurants in San Diego Right Now, November 2014

15 PLACES / EDITED BY CANDICE WOO / NOV 6 2014, 10:00A

 SHARE(799)

  TWEET(39)

  What is San Diego's Restaurant of the Year?

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Eater Awards 2014 Chef of the Year for

Who killed it in the kitchen this year?

Next Monday, Eater will present the 2014 Eater Awards, our annual celebration of all that's made San Diego's restaurant scene turn over the past twelve months.

Winners will be selected on both the local and national levels in five major categories; here's how the voting works across the board: Eater editors have named nominees for each of five major categories. Today, you're voting for Chef of the Year.

Eater readers (that's you!) will vote, narrowing the nominees to three finalists. From those three finalists, the Eater editorial team will select a winner. The poll for restaurant of the year has now closed; the three finalists are Puesto at The Headquarters, Juniper & Ivy and Ironside Fish & Oyster.

Ready to play your part? This poll will be open for 24 hours; voting irregularities will be strictly policed. Vote and spread the word!

 Who is San Diego's Chef of the Year?

 Hanis Cavin, Carnitas' Snack Shack

 Richard Blais, Juniper & Ivy

 Joe Magnanelli, CUCINA urbana

 Chad White, Común Kitchen & Tavern

 Jason McLeod, Ironside Fish & Oyster

[chefchadw]

Comer Conmigo - Guest Chef Dinner - Nate Appleman - Rodrigo Bueno - Chad White

Event Description: Purchase Tickets by clicking here! Perhaps you have not had the chance to venture across the border, into sights, sounds and flavors the defy boundaries and leave you breathless. Or, if you have, you already know why the excitement sweeping the United States over cuisine from Mexico just, w. Dell, makes sense.

Join Chefs Chad White, Nate Appleman and Rodrigo Bueno at Común for a six-course dinner with paired tequila and wines that blend Baja comfort food with eclectic style and borderless creativity. Menu: RECEPTION Chad White Agua Chile + Callo de Hacha Salsa negro, lime, red onion, cucumber, chicharrón Nate Appleman Shrimp Escabeche romaine, cotija, salsa Cardini Rodrigo Bueno Plantain Tostones + Crab Salad Tortilla Ashes Salt,Avocado, Chipotle Salsa DINNER Chad White Fennel + Hiramasa Fennel and jamaica cured yellowtail, fennel, avocado puree, amarillo citrus salsa, masa Nate Appleman Mejillones + frijoles Ahogado Mussels, black beans, chile de arbol, onions and bolilo bread Rodrigo Bueno Octopus+Mango Talla Cauliflower Puree & Green Mango Salad Chad White Pavo + Pommegranate Fried turkey, smoked walnut crema, picadillo con offal y frutas, poblanos Nate Appleman Roasted lamb chop + braised neck Salt roasted pumpkin, pepitas, pickled grapes and oregano Rodrigo Bueno Fried Mozzarella Pop + Peanut Cajeta Fresh Cheese Cream, Peanut Palanqueta, Amaranth About Your Hosts: A local San Diego favorite with an eye toward producing eclectic urban style & Baja influenced food, unlimited in scope or boundary. Chef Chad White’s wild creativity, authentic sense of flavor and style and organic fearlessness drive his kitchen, pushing expectations and boundaries, food outside the bounds, flavor beyond expectation, with delight all but guaranteed.  White served as Executive Chef / Owner Sea Rocket Bistro in North Park, where he made his mark in San Diego as the “Seafood Maverick” among some of the cities best chefs. Chef Chad launched Plancha a unique Pop Up traversing restaurant celebrating his travels in baja, cooking, hunting and fishing with his south of the border amigos. His newest ventures include La Justina on Avenida Revolucion Tijuana, B.C.  Chef Nate Appleman’s soulful cooking has garnered him national praise. In 2009, he received the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef award, the Food & Wine Best New Chef recognition as well as two prestigious book awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals: Book of the Year and First Book: The Julia Child Award for his cookbook A16 Food + Wine. Appleman is a Food Network regular with appearances as a challenger on Iron Chef America, The Next Iron Chef seasons 2 and 5, and Chopped All-Stars among others. During his 2011 Chopped All-Stars appearance he out-competed some of Food Network’s most notable culinary talent, ultimately winning the title of Chopped All-Stars Champion.  Chef Rodrigo Bueno's first executive chef job was at Roots Magic Club in Mexico City. He worked closely with Chef Regis Lacombe, a Four Seasons Executive Chef. They had a wonderful working relationship and during his time with Chef Lacombe he found himself learning new techniques, creating VIP menus for celebrities staying at the hotel, and really honing his skills as a fine dining chef. He left to become Executive Chef of a new Italian restaurant, Cantucci, a job he couldn’t pass up. When the opportunity to work at One & Only Palmilla arose, Bueno saw it as a chance of a lifetime. He started as a supervisor at Agua, and six months later was named Executive Sous Chef where he has spent the last six years before coming to Rancho Pescadero. Bueno lives in nearby Todos Santos and is most inspired by the organic products and on-site garden, and the amazing array of fresh seafood that he gets to see and work with each day. The outrageous sunsets help, too.

[chefchadw]

BREWS | CHEWS | VIEWS

Ive foolishly been invited to join a cool group of peeps at Tom Ham's Lighthouse to help KICK OFF #sdbw14 San Diego Beer Week with BREWS, CHEWS & VIEWS this sunday November 10 | Sample Craft Beers and Local Bites at a Beautiful Location

From what I hear Chef Hanis Cavin is building some type of smoker contraption aka a

PIG TORTURE CHAMBER.

 call me mental, but i'm going to "PORK IT UP" too.

0range Cured Pork Cheek

chile negro marmalada, ginger pickled carrot, smoked orange chicharron salsa, burnt onion, cilantro.

PAIRED WITH LOST ABBEY RED BARN ALE

 oh... did i mention DONUT BAR will be there? I might drug the chef and switch booths!

 see you there: get tix by clicking here!

[chefchadw]

Comer Conmigo: Dinner. Tequila. Wine. 3 Chefs.

Featuring Chefs Chad White, Nate Appleman and Rodrigo Bueno and Sponsored By Casamigos Tequila

Event Description:

Perhaps you have not had the chance to venture across the border, into sights, sounds and flavors the defy boundaries and leave you breathless. Or, if you have, you already know why the excitement sweeping the United States over cuisine from Mexico just, w. Dell, makes sense. Join Chefs Chad White, Nate Appleman and Rodrigo Bueno at Común for a six-course dinner with paired tequila and wines that blend Baja comfort food with eclectic style and borderless creativity. Menu: RECEPTION Chad White Agua Chile + Callo de Hacha Salsa negro, lime, red onion, cucumber, chicharrón Nate Appleman Shrimp Escabeche romaine, cotija, salsa Cardini Rodrigo Bueno Plantain Tostones + Crab Salad Tortilla Ashes Salt,Avocado, Chipotle Salsa DINNER Chad White Fennel + Hiramasa Fennel and jamaica cured yellowtail, fennel, avocado puree, amarillo citrus salsa, masa Nate Appleman Mejillones + frijoles Ahogado Mussels, black beans, chile de arbol, onions and bolilo bread Rodrigo Bueno Octopus+Mango Talla Cauliflower Puree & Green Mango Salad Chad White Pavo + Pommegranate Fried turkey, smoked walnut crema, picadillo con offal y frutas, poblanos Nate Appleman Roasted lamb chop + braised neck Salt roasted pumpkin, pepitas, pickled grapes and oregano Rodrigo Bueno Fried Mozzarella Pop + Peanut Cajeta Fresh Cheese Cream, Peanut Palanqueta, Amaranth About Your Hosts: A local San Diego favorite with an eye toward producing eclectic urban style & Baja influenced food, unlimited in scope or boundary. Chef Chad White’s wild creativity, authentic sense of flavor and style and organic fearlessness drive his kitchen, pushing expectations and boundaries, food outside the bounds, flavor beyond expectation, with delight all but guaranteed.  White served as Executive Chef / Owner Sea Rocket Bistro in North Park, where he made his mark in San Diego as the “Seafood Maverick” among some of the cities best chefs. Chef Chad launched Plancha a unique Pop Up traversing restaurant celebrating his travels in baja, cooking, hunting and fishing with his south of the border amigos. His newest ventures include La Justina on Avenida Revolucion Tijuana, B.C.  Chef Nate Appleman’s soulful cooking has garnered him national praise. In 2009, he received the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef award, the Food & Wine Best New Chef recognition as well as two prestigious book awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals: Book of the Year and First Book: The Julia Child Award for his cookbook A16 Food + Wine. Appleman is a Food Network regular with appearances as a challenger on Iron Chef America, The Next Iron Chef seasons 2 and 5, and Chopped All-Stars among others. During his 2011 Chopped All-Stars appearance he out-competed some of Food Network’s most notable culinary talent, ultimately winning the title of Chopped All-Stars Champion.  Chef Rodrigo Bueno's first executive chef job was at Roots Magic Club in Mexico City. He worked closely with Chef Regis Lacombe, a Four Seasons Executive Chef. They had a wonderful working relationship and during his time with Chef Lacombe he found himself learning new techniques, creating VIP menus for celebrities staying at the hotel, and really honing his skills as a fine dining chef. He left to become Executive Chef of a new Italian restaurant, Cantucci, a job he couldn’t pass up. When the opportunity to work at One & Only Palmilla arose, Bueno saw it as a chance of a lifetime. He started as a supervisor at Agua, and six months later was named Executive Sous Chef where he has spent the last six years before coming to Rancho Pescadero. Bueno lives in nearby Todos Santos and is most inspired by the organic products and on-site garden, and the amazing array of fresh seafood that he gets to see and work with each day. The outrageous sunsets help, too.

Date: Monday, November 17, 2014 Time: 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Location: Comun Kitchen & Tavern Attire: Upscale Chic

$175

PURCHASE TIX | CLICK HERE!

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Mi Casa Su Casa Presents: FORBIDDEN FRUIT guest chef dinner NOV 13. 6pm

So its NOVEMBER already which means "MUSTACHE RIDES" and San Diego Beer Week!

To welcome this... I've invited a couple of amigos / amigas to come and hangout in the kitchen at Común Kitchen and Tavern for a night. 

Chef Hanis Cavin | Chef/Owner of Carnitas Snack Shack will be helping cook up one of Cook Pigs Ranch oh so fatty swines in various ways. Head to Tail if you will. This dinner will be paired if you so choose to partake with Julian Hard Cider. A fitting paring as apples and berries are typically found in bed with pigs all over this country. For those who are as sick as I and as partially as loosened as Chef Hanis this MIGHT seal the deal. A butcher will indeed butcher a Piggy right in-front of your eyes so you can see just exactly how one might remove a pigs head to make tacos.

5 courses $52 big ones | ALL Inclusive for food

5 courses + 5 ciders $78 big ones | ALL inclusive for ALL

November 13, 2014 | 6PM

Its simple follow this link to purchase your tickets

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Chef Chad White Opens in the East Village Late Spring 2014

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Chad White Opens Eatery In TIJUANA, B.C.

Tijuana Welcomes LA JUSTINA a Baja Gastro Bar to Avenida Revolución

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Chad White introduces Craft Pizza Company to UTC

CRAFT PIZZA COMPANY                                             Is a modern artisan kitchen. Our Formula is built with fresh sustainable delicious ingredients, because pizza that is good for you can taste good too.

First Look: Craft Pizza Company

By Darlene Horn

ZAGAT

CLICK HERE:Check out what Zagat has to say about Craft Pizza Company's 1st location at the Westfield mall food court in UTC La Jolla, California.

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SAN DIEGO BAY FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL & LA PLANCHA POP UP AT ROMESCO'S

La Plancha Pop Up Dinner at Romesco

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, celebrating its 10th year, kicked off last evening with the sold out La Plancha Pop Up Dinner: Celebration of Baja & Tequila Tasting at Romesco Baja Med in Bonita. The dinner was a collaboration of Baja and San Diego chefs, including Javier Plascencia of Mision 19, Chad White of Plancha Baja Med, Jason Knibb and Rachel King of Nine-Ten, and Jack Fisher of Sea 180. Over 100 guests enjoyed six incredible courses with tequila pairings selected by Chef Marcela Valladolid of Hacienda de la Flor and Food Network's Mexican Made Easy. I was there to photograph the event, but managed to taste each unique, phenomenal and exquisitely presented course from the tiny space allotted for my food photography setup. Generous diners offered me a chair at their table and the server made sure to slip me a few shots of tequila during the evening.  

First Course

Shaved Octopus

Smoked chayote caponata, petite herbs, black garlic

Chef Javier Plascencia/Mision 19

Tequila Hacienda de Flor Reposado

Second Course

Burrata

Broccoli, daikon, percorino-kombu froth, morita-sesame salsa

Chef Chad White/Plancha

Tequila Hacienda de Flor Anejo

Third Course

Maine Sea Scallop

Mace, charred apple, celery, apple dashi emulsion

Chef Jason Knibb/Nine-Ten

Tequila Hacienda de Flor Blanco

Fourth Course

Pork Belly

Avocado Seed, chorizo glaze, black beans, pickled quince, orange and mustard seed

Chef Chad White/Plancha

Tequila Hacienda de Flor Reposada

Fifth Course

Slow Roasted Beef Cheek

Sonora asado tabla, brides mole, roasted onions and carrots, Chochoyones

Chef Javier Plascencia/Mision 19

Tequila Hacienda de Flor Extra Anejo

Sixth Course

Huckleberry Sorbet

Pine cream, pinenut crumble, glazed berries and fennel

Chefs Jason Knibb and Rachel King/Nine-Ten

Tequila Hacienda de Flor Blanco

THANK YOU DENISE FOR COVERING OUR FUN EVENT AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHY!