Over the past 27 years, Tracy Borkum's Urban Kitchen Group - which operates Cucina Urbana in Bankers Hill, Cucina Sorella in Kensington, Artifact at Mingei, and Cucina Enoteca locations in Del Mar, Irvine, and Newport Beach - has earned a reputation as a leader in the Southern California hospitality industry. Earlier this year, Urban Kitchen Group acquired Waters Fine Foods Cafe in Bay Park, which is being used as a new catering and commissary kitchen. Tracy Borkum and Chef Partner Tim Kolanko will also bring market-inspired and modern coastal cooking to downtown La Jolla with the opening of The Kitchen at the newly renovated Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
Urban Kitchen Group's latest endeavor is the opening of Gold Finch, a 1,400 square-foot modern Jewish Deli opening later this week on the ground floor of the new, $100 million Muse office campus in the Torrey Pines area of La Jolla. As far as the name, "Gold" represents Golders Green and "Finch" represents Finchley - two iconic London neighborhoods where founder Tracy Borkum spent her early childhood learning the essence of her European Jewish heritage.
Serving breakfast and lunch, the restaurant will offer traditional Jewish deli favorites like bagels, knish, pastrami & corned beef sandwiches, smoked white fish, potato latkes, matzo ball soup, and challah bread French toast. There will also be more contemporary offerings like shakshuka with poached eggs in a green tomatillo sauce with spinach and za'atar; and chicken schnitzel with artichoke, tomato, arugula, and lemon caper vinaigrette. The menu is inspired by Borkum mother, aunts and grandmother's cooking, along with Chef Partner Tim Kolanko, and chefs Jeff Armstrong, Frankie Becerra and Adrian Mendoza's interpretations of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.
Gold Finch will open on Wednesday, September 21, at 3040 Science Park Road in San Diego's Torrey Pines area. For more information, visit urbankitchengroup.com/goldfinch-deli and check out the menu below.
