"The first solo restaurant for San Diego native Travis Swikard, who spent a decade in Manhattan working alongside acclaimed French chef Daniel Boulud, features dishes from across the sunny Mediterranean with a California twist. The Mediterranean feast ($75 a person, $115 with wine pairings) is an approachable way to sample five of Callie’s greatest hits. Start with the dips and vegetable crudite to see Swikard adding his California touch to traditional dishes: the labneh is made with avocado, and roasted poblanos are added to the baba ghanoush. On the raw section of the menu, slices of kanpachi are served with a green Israeli hot sauce and black lime that adds a kick to the fish. A star menu item is the Aleppo chicken, a half chicken marinated overnight in yogurt and spices, then charred with coriander honey which gives it a sweet crust, and topped with sumac pickles." - Archana Ram, Marie Tutko
