Cafe Califas
Restaurant · Barrio Logan ·
Wood fired pizza, paella, and small plates al fresco
Wood fired pizza, paella, and small plates al fresco
"Housed in a renovated 4,500-square-foot house on Logan Avenue, Cafe Califas is a 90-seat, casual, community-oriented hangout in Barrio Logan that owner-chef Mario Maruca largely restored himself; with most seating al fresco on a wide front patio and a spacious back deck and a mostly outdoors kitchen, the space showcases an enviable collection of equipment — a wood-fired pizza oven, smoker, Santa Maria grill and fire pit for huge pans of paella. Maruca, who previously ran the Italian food truck Caliano by Spinelli, will serve a Moroccan-style vegan/vegetarian paella with optional proteins, a variety of Neapolitan pizzas and nostalgic pizza fritta (fried pizza dough dusted with sugar), plus grilled skirt steak with onions and chiles, braised and roasted pork belly, "cowboy beans" (stewed pinto beans served with steak and grilled toast) and seasonal specials. His family's importing business from Nocera Inferiore will supply premium olive oil and other Italian products to use on the menu and sell at the restaurant, and a deli case inside will stock salads, roasted vegetables and grab-and-go pizza. A satellite bar on the patio will pour beer and wine and specialize in Baja-inspired sangria made with fresh juices, and Maruca plans to host pizza and paella parties, guest-chef collaborations and rent the outdoor space for private events; Cafe Califas will open starting at noon Tuesday through Sunday at 2219 Logan Avenue." - Candice Woo
"Chef/partner Mario Maruca is aiming to put “California culture on a plate, from San Louis Obispo to Cabo” with Cafe Califas, a new Logan Avenue restaurant opening in the heart of Barrio Logan by late April/early May. The concept will feature a seasonally changing small-plates menu priced to encourage ordering multiple dishes, with a small indoor kitchen but most dining and cooking taking place outdoors on the 4,500-square-foot property; the front patio will serve as the main seating area and Maruca is building a backyard kitchen suite with a wood-fired oven, smoker, and grills inspired by Deckman’s En El Mogor and his own home set-up. Drawing on his experience with wood fire, the menu will include both traditional and unconventional pizzas, roasted and smoked whole proteins, and grilled local vegetables—part of his mission to offer “a lot of good food, cooked simply, over wood fire”—and he plans to make the space community-oriented by hosting guest chefs for monthly wood-fired paella collaborations." - Candice Woo
Emmett T.
Patricia F.
Jennifer H.
Peter B. W.