Chef Travis Swikard, who owns and operates Michelin-recognized Callie restaurant in San Diego's East Village, is opening a new French bistro within an office park in La Jolla.
In 2018, Chef Travis Swikard returned to his hometown of San Diego after a decade-long stint in New York City, where he rose the ranks of French Master Chef Daniel Boulud's culinary empire to become the company's second in command. In a media frenzy of a homecoming, Swikard teamed up with his former employer, San Diego's Cohn Restaurant Group, and immediately announced the impending opening of a Mediterranean-inspired, California-driven restaurant in the East Village.
Three years and a pandemic later, Callie Meditteranean-fusion restaurant unveiled in the 6,500 square-foot space that previously housed Bottega Americano in a rather rough section of San Diego's East Village. The restaurant almost immediately became a popular dining destination and received highly-coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition within its first few months of operation.
Swikard has now signed a lease to take over a 6,000 square-foot, free-standing space in La Jolla Commons office park in La Jolla. Like Callie, his yet-to-be named "Provençal brasserie" will be designed by Los Angeles-based Studio UNLTD. Expect 24 foot-tall windows, an onsite garden, and a menu of classic-meets-modern French cuisine. Inspired by the French-Italian Riviera where France and Italy meet, Swikard describes the food at his incoming restaurant as "cuisine soleil," or cuisine of the sun. What that means, only time will tell.
