Inside the Opening of Chef Claudette Zepeda’s New San Diego Restaurant | Eater San Diego

"Housed in a former 1930s roadside motel in the laid-back, Bohemian beach community of Leucadia, partners Claudette Zepeda, Jason Janececk, and Brittany Corrales have created a warm, gold-lit 65-seat room lined with wine bottles, old records and curios that reference Mediterranean, Asian and other inspirations; Design 4 Corners (the sister duo behind Waverly) conceived a timeless space with Moroccan-style pedestal two-tops, cozy corner banquettes, turquoise French double doors and a lush patio bordered by potted ficus trees. Chef Claudette Zepeda — whose two-decade journey includes serving as chef de cuisine at Javier Plascencia’s Bracero, a high-profile stint as executive chef at El Jardín, and appearances on Top Chef, Top Chef Mexico, and Iron Chef — offers a personal reflection of her Mexican American heritage and extensive world travels. A self-proclaimed "border kid," who grew up in San Diego while her parents hail from Tijuana, she says: "I love that people want to see specific flavors and flags planted in my food, but as a curious creative who has traveled the world, I am inspired by everything and everyone around me." On the table are various mezzes to eat with torn pieces of pita, braised meats served alongside blistered tortillas, and coarse-grained tostadas for ceviche and crudo; playful dips link Baja California’s Mediterranean climate to broader influences, including nutty pistachio dukkah with garlicky toum and Calypso bean hummus (known as vaquitas in Mexico) dressed with spicy zhoug and fragrant za’atar. Zepeda shows a mastery of barra fría and often merges flavors from Peru, Japan and Mexico’s Pacific coast: the yellowtail crudo arrives in a nuanced lemongrass-coconut leche de tigre with a kick from an emulsion of spicy carrot and chile chiltepín, built with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower petals and coconut chips drizzled with chive oil; rock crab ceviche–stuffed chiles güeros sit on an umami-rich chile serrano ponzu that recalls upscale Sinaloan raw bars. A Fabergé egg riff sees sushi wrapped around an egg and placed over beef wagyu tartare — a pool of spicy sweet glaze and edible flowers surrounds it — and once the layers of soft yolk, egg white, rice and panko breadcrumbs are revealed, "the party begins: Take a piece of nori to pinch off some of egg, then drag it through the tartare and sauce for something that feels like a hand roll unlike one you’ve ever experienced before." Main dishes veer toward familiar but refined flavors: a $41 pibil lamb shank, tender and mahogany-stained with Yucatán notes, is served with Calypso beans and pickled wild mushrooms (in place of the more traditional pickled red onions) and meant to be eaten with warm corn tortillas; a tender duck confit with curry mole pairs two pastes and approaches in one dish alongside whipped beans and tamal cakes. Desserts use local Little Fox ice cream for whimsical "Super Sexy Sundaes," and Matilda’s revenge layers Principal Trunchbowl ice cream with flourless chocolate cake bits, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. The beverage program invites diners to sip fruity Crémant de Bourgogne and yeasty, bubbly pét-nat from the Mosel, and an approachable wine list that highlights women winemakers encourages lingering over Rhone, Burgundy, North Coast California and even Placerville bottles; as Zepeda puts it, "It’s an invitation to sit inside my living room listening to music that matches the energy of my food." The overall tone is finely composed but casual and welcoming, priced accessibly, and reservations are available on Resy; open Wednesday–Sunday 5 p.m.–10 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays." - Bill Esparza