Downtown San Diego's incoming InterContinental Hotel has an all-star culinary team working on the launch of several unique dining & drinking concepts, with news breaking today that the resort's signature restaurant, Vistal, would open this summer with a kitchen helmed by longtime San Diego star chef Amy DiBiase.
We announced earlier this year that the InterContinental San Diego had hired San Diego chefs Paul McCabe and Amy DiBiase to oversee the culinary program at the newly developed luxury property. The resort will have a total of five distinctive dining venues, each with views of the bayfront, including signature restaurant, Vistal, with DiBiase leading the kitchen as executive chef. DiBiase brings over 10 years of San Diego-specific experience to Vistal, following her most recent stint with Grand Restaurant Group and the opening of Tidal at Paradise Resort & Spa in 2013.
Fusing their individual flairs and expertise into one, DiBiase and McCabe have created Vistal as a tribute to the seaside communities and diverse cultures that encompass San Diego’s past and present. The two award-winning chefs hope to seamlessly blend their contrasting takes on the region’s core flavors, presenting bright, bold combinations influenced by the Baja peninsula, Pacific islands, Mediterranean fishing villages and beyond for a refreshing new perspective on coastal Southern California cuisine. The name "Vistal: is an ode to the dual interpretations of DiBiase and McCabe, their resulting shared vision, and the remarkable views of San Diego Bay from the 3rd floor dining room and patio.
The menu will include fresh and local dishes such as blue prawns with purple sweet potato gnocchi and roasted poblano; gold spotted bass with yam greens and lobster-coconut broth; and local abalone with smoked onion sabayon and uni. All ingredients will be locally sourced with sustainability methods and measures top of mind. The restaurant will also have a full list of craft cocktails, an extensive spirits collection, local and international beers, and a curated wine selection with plenty of options available by glass or bottle.
"Local cuisine means something a little different to every San Diegan - even Paul and I have varying interpretations based on our experiences here," said Vistal Executive Chef Amy DiBiase. "With Vistal, we wanted to present various perspectives on Southern California flavors in a way that more accurately represents our city and reflects the diverse people who live here."
With gleaming views overlooking the bayfront, Vistal’s design will be reminiscent of San Diego’s endless summer with modern drift décor in aquatic tones and seafoam shades. An imposing 29-seat bar will be angled towards the USS Midway, which will be framed by the dining room’s panoramic windows and embodied in subtle nautical elements such as metal dock cleat purse hooks. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors will let the sea breezes in, leading from the main dining room to a west-facing terrace offering tabletop seating, firepit lounge areas, and an elevated new perspective of San Diego Bay. Back inside, a chef’s table seating 14 will sit beside large exhibition kitchen windows. Diners will be able to catch additional glimpses of the culinary team at work along a hallway leading to two water-view private dining rooms and a large private event terrace. Vistal’s local sourcing extends to its accents and art with works by various Southern California artists, including an installation of flying fish made from Arbor Collective skateboards out of Venice Beach.
Vistal is set to open on August 28, as well as the fourth floor outdoor pool bar, followed by the debut of California's first outpost of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse by year's end. In early 2019, San Diego's Consortium Holdings hospitality company (Craft & Commerce, Ironside Fish & Oyster, Born & Raised) will open a 19th floor rooftop lounge and nightlife-geared concept tentatively called The Reading Club. There will also be a ground level Starbucks outpost. All retail portions of the hotel will be managed by the San Diego-based Reef Real Estate Services.
InterContinental San Diego is located at 901 Bayfront Court. For more information, visit VistalSD.com, InterContinentalSanDiego.com and check out Vistal's draft menu below.
