Parc Bistro-Brasserie has taken over the space that previously housed Croce's Park West and will open in the heart of Bankers Hill as early as this May. Owned by longtime San Diego restaurateur Garo Minassian (Harry's Bar & Grill La Jolla), Parc will offer classical French cuisine from Executive Chef Donald Lockhart, as well as its own private wine label.
Garo Minassian hails from Montreal, Canada, and attended the Culinary Institute of Florence, Italy, graduating with honors. Traveling across Europe, then North America, he plied his trade as an apprentice and journeyman chef, gaining a wealth of experience in the hotel and restaurant industry before determining that his calling was not limited to the kitchen, but in managing the properties and people with whom he worked.
Minassian’s San Diego career began in a partnership that successfully launched Scalini’s in the Del Mar/Rancho Santa Fe are in 1987. Riding on the success of Scalini, Garo created Bistro Bacco in the San Diego Gaslamp District in 1995. In 2003, Garo opened Grappa Restaurant in San Marcos before partnering with Dan Miller to own and operate the famed Harrys Bar and Grill in La Jolla, which closed last year after nearly 20 years in the UTC area.
"Parc will be a hub for the community to enjoy great food in a relaxed atmosphere," said Garo. "I am excited to share my passion for French food and French culture with the Banker’s Hill community."
Parc's kitchen will be in the skillful hands of Chef Donald Lockhart who was most recently at Cusp Restaurant in La Jolla. Chef Lockhart has worked with Julia Child, Michele Richard, and has cooked at the James Beard House in New York.
Parc Bistro-Brasserie is located at 2760 Fifth Avenue Suite #100 in Bankers Hills. For more information and to view the launch menu, visit parcbb.com.
