Modern Turkish Restaurant Taking Over El Zarape Space
I can hardly hear chef Seckin Sage Anlasbay over the hubbub on his end of the phone call. “I’m sorry, I’m going to the airport,” he explains. “I’m going to Europe right now, and I’ll be there to buy some stuff for the restaurant.”That place is Bosforo Restaurant & Bar, which will open in January 2025 in the former El Zarape Mexican Cantina space. Chef Seckin, as he’s better known, hails from the Çukurova region of southern Turkey, but has called San Diego home since 2011. He also operates Pizza Bosforo, a mobile catering company that specializes in wood-fired pizza, and Bosforo will be his first brick-and-mortar restaurant. He says the new space will feature a mix of modern Turkish and Italian cuisine, including the same wood-fired pizza favorites he’s created over the years, plus craft cocktails, live music, and raki, a traditional Turkish spirit. Bosforo will also feature charcoal-fired kebabs, a variety of Turkish mezzes and flatbreads, as well as other fusion dishes. It will be modeled after a modern Turkish meyhane, or local bar where meals are both communal and lively, and Seckin says to expect twists on traditional cocktails, like a raki-infused negroni and pomegranate and sumac martini.The space is currently under renovation, but the sign out front explains, “‘Bosforo’ is the Italian and Spanish version of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Bosforo aims to bring the flavors of Turkish cuisine and wood-fired pizza, offering a unique culinary journey that reflects the rich heritage of the Mediterranean.” Sekin adds that just as the Bosphorus bridges Europe and Asia, he likewise aims to bridge multiple cultures through his fusion cuisine that’s meant to be shared. Seckin has been in Istanbul for a few weeks and says he’s still working on logos, branding, and other design details. He hopes to have more information in the coming days. But if his Instagram reels are any indication, deliciousness is on its way. “ Each dish reflects my roots,” he says. “I can’t wait for you to experience it.”Courtesy of San Diego Brewers GuildSan Diego Restaurant News & Food EventsSan Diego Beer Week Returns This NovemberSan Diego Beer Week (SDBW) by the San Diego Brewers Guild is back again, starting November 1 and running through November 10. Every day, craft beer will be celebrated across the Capital of Craft, with breweries, bars, and restaurants running specials and hosting events, but the main event will be on November 9. The Capital of Craft Beerfest starts at 1 p.m. at Kilowatt Brewing in Kearny Mesa, with VIP access beginning at noon. Follow #SDBW on Instagram for more details, and get tickets to the Beerfest right here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @loveletterspizza_sdBeth’s BitesHappy 8th birthday, Pop Pie Company! On Tuesday, October 8, Pop Pie is throwing a one-day-only special collaboration event with Brad Wise (Trust Restaurant Group), Phillip Esteban (White Rice, Wildflour), and Charlie Knowles (Bica) with special pies for a limited time. I always think pie is better than cake, so this is my kind of birthday. Name change alert! Earlier this month, we broke the news that Somewhere Pizza is opening next to Scrimshaw Coffee. It will now be called Love Letters Pizza as an ode to the neighborhood and community. The never-ending flow of trash and sewage from the Tijuana River is… very gross, to say the least. To stem the runoff into the Tijuana Estuary, Pure Project is launching a crowdfunding campaign to install a trash boom (basically a trash catcher) to stop an additional 6,800 lbs. of waste every month. For more information or to donate, visit their website here.Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].The post Modern Turkish Restaurant Taking Over El Zarape Space appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
An Evening With Chefs Yotam Ottolenghi & Claudette Zepeda
It’s no accident that two-thirds of Yotam Ottolenghi’s North American book tour stops are in California.“There are only two places in the world that have a Mediterranean climate. One of them is the Mediterranean, and the other is California,” he says. “I think one of the reasons why California has such great food is because it’s got this climate, and this climate that kind of creates these wonderful ingredients, and from great ingredients comes great food.”Ottolenghi is an Israeli-born British chef and author, best known for his writing for The Guardian and The New York Times; cookbooks like Jerusalem, Simple, and Flavour; his innovative approach to cooking vegetables; and his ability to easily break down recipes for even the most amateur home cook. Ottolenghi Comfort is his latest book and the one he’s touring the world to promote. On Wednesday, October 9, he’ll arrive on stage at the Balboa Theater in San Diego for the tour’s fourth stop, along with host Claudette Zepeda as part of UC San Diego’s ArtPower series. Zepeda says she hasn’t officially met Ottolenghi in person yet, but “we’ve been in each other’s worlds,” she laughs. The event itself will be “a mixture of food and stand-up comedy,” she says, explaining that the first part of the evening will be a Q&A session between the two chefs, followed by a demo by Ottolenghi, who will prepare a dish from the book and then select an audience member. “They’ll get to create their interpretation of it, and then blindfold-test one other audience member who hasn’t seen what we’ve been doing and have them pick which is their favorite.”Zepeda says it’s a visual method to show how different the same dish can present itself through the eyes of two different people. Plus, it’s a way to create a more engaging event for her hometown crowd that isn’t the typical book release party. Ottolenghi says it’s a taste of what the audience members can expect, promising more surprises at each stop.The London-based food star wants people to know that while cooking should be taken seriously, it doesn’t have to be overly precious or scary. “I’m not very fussy when it comes to food,” he promises, eschewing the label of food snob. Ottolenghi Comfort is meant to reflect that, focusing on nostalgic recipes and simple but hearty dishes to feed the heart and soul. Zepeda advises those who plan on attending to come hungry—literally and figuratively. “I’m just excited to welcome everyone into this part of my life,” she says. “I hope everyone comes out with an open mind and hungry belly.”Tickets for Yotam Ottolenghi’s Comfort tour stop in San Diego are available here. Courtesy of WASTEDSan Diego Restaurant News & Food EventsIt’s Time For WASTED, A Save the Food FestivalKitchens for Good (KFG) and Big Table are reuniting for WASTED, a two-night event to raise funds for KFG, raise awareness of how much food gets wasted each day, and show consumers what they can do about it. Wednesday, October 9 is the 21+ WASTED Dinner Experience at Liberty Station’s Building 177, and the official all-ages festival takes place on Sunday, October 13 at Liberty Station’s South Promenade. Guest chefs include Marcus Twilegar (Dockside Fish), William Eick (Matsu), Amanda Palomino (KFG), Christina Ng (Berry Good Food), and many more. Tickets for each event are available here, and both come with guarantees of deliciousness, learning, and what sounds like a lot of fun. View this post on Instagram A post shared by El Cajon Boulevard BIA (@elcajonboulevard)Beth’s BitesIf you’re like me, you’re anxiously awaiting the Padres’ postseason glory, which will definitely happen, and they definitely won’t blow it. Hopefully, they’re incentivized by Puesto’s buy-one-get-one taco deal (available at various locations the day after a postseason Padres win). Might I recommend Joe Musgrove’s signature adobada taco, just to push the whole theme (and hopefully team) all the way home?We promised it would happen, and now it has—Brewjeria Company is officially open at 241 Third Avenue in Chula Vista. Little SaigonStroll The Boulevard will take place on Friday, October 11, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will feature food, drink, art, and live entertainment starting at 46th Street and moving to Euclid Avenue. You can find more info here.Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].The post An Evening With Chefs Yotam Ottolenghi & Claudette Zepeda appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
Photos: The 2024 Old Globe Gala Black & White Masquerade
The 2024 Old Globe Gala, themed “Black & White Masquerade,” took place on September 21, 2024, outside The Old Globe Theatre’s Copley Plaza. The annual black-tie event included a three-course meal by Urban Kitchen Group, cocktails by Snake Oil Cocktail Company, and dancing. There was also a special performance by Tony Award winner Aaron Tveit, known for his roles in Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Sweeney Todd.The iconic theater also recently announced its 2025 season, which includes world premiere musicals, West Coast and San Diego premieres, and two of Shakespeare’s popular comedies. Highlights include the musical comedy Regency Girls; Huzzah!, a musical from the creators of Legally Blonde and Mean Girls, Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe; Empty Ride by Keiko Green; House of India by Deepak Kumar; and The Janeiad by Anna Ziegler. Two West Coast premieres, Deceived by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson and Small by Robert Montano, will run alongside San Diego premieres of Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and One of the Good Ones by Gloria Calderón Kellett. The annual Shakespeare Festival will feature All’s Well That Ends Well and The Comedy of Errors.Photos courtesy of The Old Globe The post Photos: The 2024 Old Globe Gala Black & White Masquerade appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
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