Baja California Galvanizes Gaslamp Seafood and Cocktail Bar | Eater San Diego

"Opening Friday, August 3, I visited Juan Tequila Bar & Restaurant, a 2,000-square-foot Fourth Avenue space remodeled into an urban, upscale bar and lounge with leather seats, marble-topped tables, and a dramatic concrete bar embedded with sparkling lights. Owned by Gustavo Giardelli, Jose Dabdoub, Shaker Kan, and Daniel Garibay (El Zarape), the eatery spotlights creative cocktails and regional seafood, presenting a snapshot of Baja that blends Baja’s ocean bounty with Southern California produce and foraged ingredients. Consulting chef Melissa Mayer developed the menu, completed by Craig Jimenez (SuperNatural Sandwiches); highlights include a custom-made oyster bar and a Spanish-inspired pinxto cart serving Baja cheeses and charcuterie alongside small progressive plates such as barely-seared scallop with tomato, lobster lacquer, epazote, and burnt walnut, and ponzu-cured spot prawn with habanero butter, feta milk, cilantro, and guanciale chicarone. The bar program, influenced by the late Cervantes Magaña and now run by Jason Breedlove and Diana Danalia, features creative cocktails like the Driftwood—an Old Fashioned variation with chili-infused mezcal, Mexican whiskey, cacao, amaro, and peach—and the El Zapatero, a tropical riff on a sherry cobbler with tequila, sherry, pineapple, and strawberry." - Candice Woo