Chef Tommy Fraioli Leaves Bird Rock's Beaumont's To Take Executive Chef Role At East Village's Incoming 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

February 8, 2017

Chef Tommy Fraioli left his position as Executive Chef of Beaumont's Eatery in Bird Rock this week to take the helm in the kitchen of the controversial 10 Barrel Brewing Co. project, a gigantic brewpub from a subsidiary of beer behemoth Anheuser Busch coming soon to San Diego's East Village.

Tommy Fraioli joined Beaumont's Eatery in 2013. Prior to that he cooked with Chef Chad White at the now-defunct Sea Rocket Bistro and also won the coveted Chef of the Fest honor at the 2012 San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival. There is no word yet on who will take over the kitchen at Beaumont's. For 10 Barrel, Tommy will prepare a gastropub-style menu akin to the company's other eateries.

"I am flying to Portland as we speak to start training at 10 Barrel's other location and get a feel for the culture of the brewery," said Fraioli. "I will start working on the menu out there."

The San Diego craft beer industry has been less than receptive to the 10 Barrel Brewing Co. location coming to 1501 E Street in the East Village. Although founders Garrett Whales, Jeremy Cox and Chris Cox still run the operations at the decade-old brewery, the Oregon-based 10 Barrel was purchased in 2014 by Anheuser Busch InBev, a multinational beverage and brewing company that produces Budweiser, Miller, Stella Artois, and many more as the largest beer maker in the world. Local brewers see the project as "Big Beer" moving in on their territory. In addition to its original brewery and brewpub in Bend, Oregon, 10 Barrel now has locations in Portland, Denver, and Boise, Idaho, with more anticipated for the future. 

The San Diego 10 Barrel has been designed by Scott | Edwards Architecture, which also oversaw the construction of the Portland outpost. An old warehouse on the corner of 15th & E Streets is being transformed into a 10,450 square-foot eating and drinking destination, which will offer two floors with a rooftop deck dining area and a bar with patio games, a 20 BBL brewhouse, an open air first floor bar and dining room, and at least 15 taps offered of 10 Barrel core brews and the R&D concoctions brewed onsite. The mostly-from-scratch menu will be similar to the Portland pub with twists by Chef Tommy and dishes constructed with local products from farms and purveyors. 

For more information on 10 Barrel Brewing Co. San Diego, visit 10barrel.com/pub/san-diego and check out the below menu from Portland to get an idea of what's coming when the space opens as early as this March.