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| The site of Pacific Standard |
Pacific Standard Coastal Kitchen is set to open in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood on July 11. With a kitchen helmed by San Diego native and former Top Chef alum Giselle Wellman, the restaurant is excited to release its initial launch menu. See it here first!
Anchoring the northern end of San Diego’s flourishing Little Italy neighborhood, Pacific Standard Coastal Kitchen is downtown’s newest harbor side eatery perched at the corner of Pacific Highway and Hawthorn Street. The restaurant comes to fruition though a collaboration between Southern California-based hotelier T2 and veteran restaurant developers, New School—who draw on Executive Chef Giselle Wellman’s expertise to curate a menu influenced by the surrounding Little Italy community. Located at 2137 Pacific Highway, the concept breathes new life into the site of one of the neighborhood’s most distinctive landmarks, an iconic art-deco restaurant complex that formerly housed ‘Fat City’ and ‘China Camp’ restaurants, and offers picturesque bay views from its expansive 4,100 square-foot indoor/outdoor property.
“Over the past few years I’ve seen incredible growth and a re-energized passion throughout the local culinary community,” says Wellman. “I’m thrilled to be back home, and to be in the kitchen with an amazing team.”
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| Chef Ami Cisneros |
Highlights of the newly released dinner menu at Pacific Standard include Shrimp Toast with grilled Old Bay jumbo shrimp, sofrito, lemon confit, pea tendrils and Fresno chili; The PS Salad with red endive, Upland watercress, roquefort, dried cherries and hazelnut dressing; Fish & Chips with San Diego Bay lager battered rockfish, house-cut fries, fresh herb tartar sauce and malt vinegar; and Risotto with roasted wild mushrooms, whipped mascarpone, and tableside parmesan-reggiano (see full dinner menu below).
Placing heavy emphasis on West Coast varietals and producers, expert Sommelier Hayden Felice (Tom Colicchio’s Craft, New York; Ludo Lefebvre’s Trois Mec, Los Angeles) pours a predominantly local wine and beer list, sourced from craft, boutique and classic producers - offering nearly 30 by the bottle offerings along with 20 varietals available by the glass and over a dozen craft beers.
Pacific Standard’s 4,100 square-foot restaurant property repurposes one of Little Italy’s most distinctive landmarks: the iconic art-deco complex that was long emblazoned by the glowing neon lights of the city’s former ‘Fat City’ and ‘China Camp’ restaurants. Upholding the building’s exterior art-deco architecture, guests are greeted by Pacific Standard’s bold geometric façade, complete with a 60-foot tall tower topped by a blue and white stripped ornament as an ode to the property’s former ‘Top’s Nightclub.’
Pacific Standard introduces modern, coastal chic design influences into the interior space through the use of materials including hand-blown glass light fixtures, white marble countertops, chevron-print leather bar stools, coastal-inspired artwork and two 16-foot long natural walnut live edge communal tables. Two expansive outdoor patios with views of the harbor and bayside, plus an adjoining courtyard featuring a 20-foot linear fire pit and lounge seating, bring the outdoors in to create an open, airy environment throughout the space.
New School has also brought their spirits industry veteran, Dino Balocchi (Longman & Eagle, Chicago; Dirty Laundry, Los Angeles), and Sommelier Hayden Felice (Craft, New York; Trois Mec, Los Angeles), to curate a playful selection of craft cocktails ranging from pre-dinner aperitifs to boozy brunch sippers, to punchbowls, alongside Pacific Standards’ lineup of local beers and an all West Coast wine list.
Pacific Standard is located at 2137 Pacific Coast Highway in San Diego’s downtown Little Italy neighborhood. For more information, visit pacificstandardkitchen.com
