Nathan Lingle EXECUTIVE CHEF, KITCHEN 1540 Q: If you could eat one thing in SD for the rest of your life (not from your restaurant), what would it be? Nathan Lingle: So this is an easy answer and I was recently laughing about this. I have had the opportunity to live and work in many regions of the US and as a chef or cook there are items you eat everyday based on that region. In San Diego it is for sure a taco. Every day I eat at least one taco, from traditional to gourmet. Vermont it was cheese, New York it was pizza, Miami it was Cuban coffee, Naples it was conch chowder, San Francisco it was sour dough etc.
KITCHEN 1540 L'Auberge Del Mar 1540 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014 858.793.6460 | www.laubergedelmar.com/kitchen-1540
Brad Hightow REGIONAL EXECUTIVE CHEF, FLORENT Q: If you could eat one thing in SD for the rest of your life (not from your restaurant), what would it be? Brad Hightow: If I could eat one thing in SD for the rest of my life it would have to be the Bucatini Pasta at Cucina Urbana. Q: Name your three can't live without ingredients (to cook with, either for fun or at your restaurant, and not counting salt and pepper). BH: Hot sauce, lump blue crab, and bacon.
Q: Name your three can't live without ingredients (to cook with, either for fun or at your restaurant). NL: Fennel, shaved, braised, seed, pollen, pernod. I just love it. Shallots, the flavor of both spring onion and hints of garlic make this the first ingredient in so many dishes and preparations. I love them sautéed in whole
butter, fried, pickled and with raw mushrooms. Mushrooms have so many colors, textures and flavors. They are so versatile. They can be as simple as part of the mire poix for fish fume or the star of the plate. I enjoy that there are varieties that can be farmed and tamed, but also varieties that must still be hunted with only mothernature saying it’s time. Q: Tell us about your favorite dish at Kitchen 1540! NL: My favorite dish right now is the Burrata and Beet Salad with a tasting of citrus. With a lot of the dishes in Kitchen we try to keep the core of the dish the same through the year, but change it to be hyper seasonal. This dish has been on the menu in many forms; the California Burrata staying consistent but the supporting ingredients changing with the seasons. We have had apples, tomatoes, melons, summer squashes and now beets and citrus, peas and then shoots most likely next!
Marcel Childress EXECUTIVE CHEF, RUSTIC ROOT Q: If you could eat one thing in SD for the rest of your life (not from your restaurant), what would it be? Marcel Childress: The Triple Threat Pork Sandwich at Carnitas’ Snack Shack. It has pork loin schnitzel, pulled pork, and bacon. I’m getting married soon, so I have to lay off of it. Q: Name your three can't live without ingredients (to cook with, either for fun or at your restaurant). MC: Pork. Any kind of pork. When I cook for myself, I prefer pork belly. I also like our bacon jam. We include it on our burger, which food writer Troy Johnson named as a must try in San Diego. I also like Alaskan halibut, but I have to go back home to Seattle to get a decent fish. Q: Tell us about your favorite dish at Rustic Root. MC: The 16 oz. Tomahawk Steak for sure. It’s served in a big glass dome, and when you lift it, the aroma of the steak hits you right in the face. It’s very simple to cook. But we love the presentation. Nobody else serves it like that. Q: What is the most unique dish you enjoy making? MC: The Sticky Pork Belly. We braise it for two-and-a-half hours, and then we cool it down overnight. The next day we deep fry it, and when we pull it out, we glaze it with brown sugar soy. It’s delicious.
Q: Tell us about your favorite dish at Florent! BH: My favorite dish is definitely the Nashville Hot Quail because it's a cool twist on the southern staple, Hot Chicken. Q: What is the most unique dish you enjoy making? BH: The Maryland Crab Cake. I’m from Maryland and it’s a little taste of home! FLORENT 672 Fifth Ave San Diego, CA 92101 619.595.0123 www.florentsd.com
RUSTIC ROOT 535 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 619.232.1747 | www.rusticroot.com
LOCALE MAGAZINE 37