June in San Diego is…well June. A thing we all call “June Gloom” seems to settle in and makes this city, for the better part of the month resemble San Francisco in summertime, minus the chilly wind howling off the bay. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing, but everyone here (including myself) seems to question on a daily basis when the grey stuff will lift and we can start our summertime fun in the sun. Today was your stereotypical June day in San Diego, except for we were making the (horns please) world’s largest Caprese salad!

Now I would think that the first question would be “how big is the world’s biggest caprese salad?”, I know that was what I was asking myself when I opted in to help on this project. Well, let me tell ya…it’s 24 feet, 7+ inches to be exact. Of course once this hits the Guinness Book of World Records it will grow in size and complexity, but for now 3 Little Italy chefs celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the Little Italy Mercado own the title.

So here it was, 9 am on a Saturday morning an hour before I am suppose to help make this salad and it is misting…hard. Suppose it beats the heat and when making a giant salad that consists of buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and tomatoes the weather was a gift from above. We all met and quickly introduced ourselves and then it was off to shop the farmers market (Mercado) for the tomatoes and basil for the salad.

With the guidance and support from Catt White, the 3 chefs (Eric Bauer from Anthology, someone’s whose name I forget and will post when I find it out and myself, Robert Conaway from the Glass Door) did a meet and greet with the local farmers, snagging some of the finest product I have seen in years here in San Diego and headed for the corner of State and Date streets, where we would be assembling the masterpiece.

With all the fanfare and support from the community, there was a cause behind the making of this salad. Tickets were sold for 3 dollars to support Washington elementary school, the only elementary school in downtown San Diego. So we have 2 great reasons for taking part in this, 1 is to help raise some money for the school, the other is to celebrate Catt’s hard work and determination that has gotten the Mercado through it’s first year…my hat is off to you!

10 am rolls around and the 3 of us commence the coring and slicing of the tomatoes, chiffonading the basil and slicing up the fresh mozzarella cheese. Under dreary skies a crowd gathers, with the help of Little Italy’s honorary mayor whose announcements over the loudspeakers must have been heard at taco stands throughout Tijuana. In little over an hour we were almost done…just spritz some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad and we are good to go…but how is this thing going to be authenticated?

Well…let me tell ya how. Catt breaks out a industrial tape measure and lays it out along the length of the table…24 feet 7+ inches. I had asked one of my staff members to drop off my camera bag so I could get some shots of the final masterpiece…12 or so minutes of fame in a 15 minute world is just fine by me, as long as the cause is good. So without further a do…here is the world’s largest Caprese salad.

Happy Birthday Little Italy Mercado!

cheers!

chefRob

Here is a write-up from our local NBC affiliate, enjoy!

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/around_town/dining/Thatsa-Lotsa-Mozzarella.html

Thanks…chefRob

The Glass Door restaurant has made the top 10 for Best Hotel Restaurant in San Diego! With your help, we can be #1 (and I think we should be, IMHO). Please click the Best of image above and vote once a day for the Glass Door, we have just 5 days until the end of the poll!

Many thanks,

chefRob

David Nelson picks the Glass Door as best breakfast in San Diego!

Most of the time, a chef will overlook breakfast and solely focus on dinner, as it has the pizazz and the notoriety that so many chefs seek. When I was back in culinary school I was taught to make every meal, and every service period the best it can be, and I have tried to instill this into my staff like it was instilled into me. I am thrilled that David loved his food experience with us and I am striving to bring some new items and some old favorites to the Glass Door’s breakfast menu and for our summer rooftop brunch…oops, did I just leak that out?

So to David, thanks again and hope to see ya all soon.

Best,

chefRob

Beginning tomorrow and running through Sunday night the Porto Vista hotel (where the Glass Door resides) will be opening our rooftop deck. This is the only rooftop venue in Little Italy and is the best rooftop venue in all of downtown San Diego.

The deck offers guests large cabanas to lounge around in, music to chill out to, a bar with beer, wine and cocktails and some snack platters from the award winning Glass Door restaurant. We think you’ll enjoy yourself so much that we will toss in the view for free…yes free! A pretty bold statement for a recession don’t ya think?

Hope to see you all soon and have a safe holiday weekend.

chefRob

After sleeping on a very comfortable couch, we woke to get a early start on a long day of driving. I think we were both glad to bail EP, dinner was so so and we had no time for any sightseeing. So we hit the freeway prior to the morning rush and we are off.

It is amazing to me that it takes 1 entire day to get from Dallas to El Paso. It that same amount of time, we will pass through New Mexico (not really new and not really Mexico as the shirt says), Arizona and California before arriving back in San Diego.

Our main destination today is Tombstone AZ. Looking at the map before we left, I wanted to stop somewhere off the beaten path, somewhere that I would not normally go…and that is Tombstone.

The drive through New Mexico was uneventful, no stops except for gas and for Steven to grab a nasty red and yellow tied dyed shirt with the above slogan emblazoned across the front of it. A border checkpoint later and we pass into Arizona.

Tombstone for lunch, then on to Tucson, Yuma and the California state line by nightfall. We cut through some mountains and arrive at the turnoff for Tombstone all by 11 am.

For the non-history buffs out there, Tombstone is an old western town that has a special place in Western American history. The OK corral and it’s infamous gunfight pitting Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday against a gang led by Ike and Billy Clayton is here. Not much has changed, and it’s theme park like feel is limited to the daily reenactment of the gunfight and character actors who relentlessly roam the streets. Hunger sets in so we begin to ask the locals where we should go to grab a bite.

Food wise on this trip we are batting .000 and I have little hope of finding anything decent here. I put my chef hat aside and decide to dive in, get some grub and get outta town. I’m not going to make it all the way to Tucson on Chicharones and Cheladas. So we are told of this saloon that all the locals go to…and we decide to give it a shot, what the hey they have cold tap beer.

Beer sometimes can wash away the imperfections of a lousy meal, or perhaps just dull the pain of it all. So I order a large bud light, sit back and watch an aging Elvis take the stage. WTF, Elvis in Tombstone??? I am beginning to think that this is going to be a two beer meal. I am offered a menu from our barkeep and I open to take a look. Since I do not do burgers I opt for the ribs, BBQ’ed and served with veggies…OK I’ll bite on that. I was certainly not ready for what arrived, pre-cooked ribs, canned green beans (yes they were a dark green/brown color) without even a hint of seasoning. Perhaps a third beer is in my future…

Well it was not. 2 beers and a meal that a mobile home park would love means it’s time to split, and not a moment too soon. I run around town a bit, snapping some photo’s of a place I am unlikely to return to and we are back on the road to Tuscon. Tuscon, unfortunately is not a stop on our trip…what a mistake. There are some great restaurants there, looks like that is another trip all together. We pass though with nary a scratch as rush hour had not started yet.

The Saguaro cactus dominate the landscape here, and is a welcome sight after mile after mile of shrub land. With my camera sitting on my lap, we arrive at sunset. I love to photograph sunsets, the end of another day…the different colors scattered around the atmosphere and the silhouettes of everything on the land seem to always grab my attention.

The wind has picked up a bit and as we are speeding towards Yuma we realize that there is a ton of blowing sand and small rocks…everywhere! Not a good scenario when you are tired beyond belief and you have been driving all day long. Caffeine is now the mission so we frantically search for something that resembles coffee. We find the last Starbucks between AZ and San Diego, whip in and snag some juice. The wind is blowing around 40+ mph, which is brutal trying to walk and dealing with all the wind whipped sand and small rocks.

The wind lasted from the California state line to Ocotillo in San Diego county. It was a long and tiring drive, keeping the car straight with all the blowing wind, dodging wayward desert plants ripped from the ground and trying to stay awake took its toll. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of a cold Hinano awaiting me in San Diego. By midnight, I would have my beer. I sat back, took a couple of sips and started to conceptualize my next culinary road trip…

chefRob

Basically, we (Glass Door) offer a 100 USD gift certificate for 50 USD (not a bad deal) and Fox5 runs ads for a week promoting our offer. With your TV appearance, you then sell your offer, we had 150 certificates to the first people who click a link and purchased one online beginning at 8am PDT.

Advertising+live demo+100 for 50=a lucky 150 people.

Enjoy and hope to see you all soon here at the restaurant. I was up at 4 am so now it’s time for a nap .

PS – catching up on all the unfinished posts…restaurant has been busy.
chefRob

I think many people outside the industry think that these events are pulled off without a hitch, just show up and cook…Well, kinda. I’m gonna take you on a ride, er my ride to get the Glass Door restaurant to this event…and what a ride it is!

Day 1

So it all started Thursday, while we were filleting the salmon that I intended to use for the event. Fileting salmon is an almost zen-like experience. Cutting these majestic fish, making sure that you, or the person you have trained is getting the most product from the carcass. It has give up its life for you, so no need in wasting anything and show it a little respect. Salmon fillets curing, should be ready by Sunday. Deal with a bust Thursday nights dinner service.

Day 2

Friday…chef’s birthday. Now, I “officially” do not have or celebrate birthdays anymore (did I ever really?) so I tend to keep a low profile around 1 May. Needless to say the word got out, so after “hiding” in my office I go upstairs to 2 wonderful birthday cakes (thanks Chenais & Taraneh!) and some vodka and tequila (thanks Michelle and Moe). Saturday rolls around and, well I am hung over. I do not really drink distilled spirits too much so, for a beer and wine drinker is was a most unpleasant day.

Day 3 – is a wash..

We worked on fine tuning the Chinese chive crepe recipe to work in a pancake dispenser. We would need 400 of them. Along with a small staff, our kitchen is extremely small. Busy Saturday night did not afford us too much time on the event, so it will be an early morning on Sunday.

Day 4 – D Day

So it’s 8 am, and I arrive at the hotel. Desperately looking for my stash of Yerba Mate I search for something to eat for brekkie. Chef’s seem to eat really bad, and that is especially true when you are working long hours. I think it comes from the fact that you do not want to “sit down” for a meal, and that you are sick and tired of looking at, and eating the same food day in and day out. Yes, that effects us chefs too.

9:30 am

We pull the salmon out of the cure to find, much to my amazement that my guy cured the salmon skin side down! Now that may not sound like a big deal, but what it means is that the product was not ready to go. No salmon, no dish, no benefit! So, now that the Yerba Mate has kicked in, I decide to switch to poke. I have done poke years back in San Francisco and it was a hit, tuna is an easy sell. We pull a case of saku blocks from the refrigeration storage unit downstairs and feverishly dice the case.

1:00 pm

Time to pack up and go! We toss all the food and the wine we are pairing into Pete’s Chevy and hot the road for the 5 minute trip to Balboa park.

So on this day there was another event schedules, some healing or wellness festival, which drew a huge crowd. Traffic was out of control and a normal 5 minute trip took 45. Our emotions were in high gear from the menu change in the morning and now this…I need a beer, stat!

We arrive, set up takes around 10 minutes, and it’s time for the group photo. There are a couple types of chefs, for those who may not know. First there are the chefs that have chosen this career because they like feeding people and creating exciting flavors/textures. Then there are the ones with ego’s. So as we make our way through the event I have the opportunity to chat with a couple of local chefs. Nathan from 1/4 kitchen and a couple of others. All were nice and seemed motivated to be helping out this great cause over some PR stunt and face time with the locals. We had quick, but very focused conversations on food and the event.

Back in the ’90’s when I was doing these types of benefits in San Francisco, it had an almost circus type feel. 1000’s of people would attend to see Jeremiah Tower, Bradley Ogden, Mark Franz, Hubert Keller, Barbara Tropp and a whole “A” list (if you will) of chefs. Ego’s and posturing were the game back then, and it really made the event. Here in San Diego, there is no Jeremiah, no Bradley (though he consults around town), no Mark, no Barbara. Myself and the chef who organized the event had worked in NorCal, otherwise it was a bunch of young chefs.

Now they, being young and all might not know the proper way to handle yourself at an event like this so here is a chef tip…do not turn your nose up at another’s food! It’s not about the food, you moron! It is turning out as a group of food service professionals and supporting a great cause. Maybe the heat has gotten to some of the chefs here, and since I grew up in San Diego and have done benefits with the fathers of modern American cooking I find it amusing and appalling at the same time. Some people’s kids I guess…

So the event was a success, we all had a great time, had a couple of drinks (yes I found a beer on arrival) and are looking forward to doing it again next time around. If you have never been to this event, please attend one next year on San Diego or other top cities nationwide. Helping kids to get proper nutrition is what it is about, and hanging out with foodies and chefs is not a bad way to spend a day. Now it’s off to Azuki sushi for some great fish, beer and sake!

Cheers!

chefRob

Arriving in El Paso, under the cover of darkness can be surreal. Living and growing up in San Diego, I am used to a border town and the security that takes place when you approach the border. The one thing that interests me is that the freeway, and for the most part the city of El Paso run parallel to Juarez, MX. In San Diego you drive into Tijuana, coming from the north and not along side it before entering. Guess I like looking to my left and seeing MX, and to my right the USA.

So after a long drive in from Dallas, with the disappointment of not finding our BBQ restaurant in Abilene and the Odessa meteor crater being closed we were hoping for a great dinner at Cafe Central, a James Beard nominated restaurant in the heart of ol’ El Paso.

iPhones being iPhones…the GPS wasn’t on as it usually is (least I had reception in West Texas!). So we again found ourselves at the correct GPS destination, but no restaurant. Fc@k! Not again I am thinking to myself. I plan well, especially when it comes to restaurants when traveling and I have been shut down hard on the trip so far. So I do something I don’t like doing…I call.

As a chef, I am always on the phone…vendors, managers, staff, owners, customers, electricians, blah…blah…blah the list goes on so I try to not use the phone when ever possible. After talking to the Maître d’ I come to find out that we are just around the corner. We adjust our direction and head for the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant.

Downtown El Paso reminds me of downtown San Diego when I was a kid. It’s old, it’s derelict, it’s vacant. Now don’t get me wrong, I like that feel and all but El Paso was like flashing back on San Diego 20+ years ago. A city center without the one piece that makes a city a city, people. No one lives down this way, no one was out on the streets, buildings empty, boarded up or in some stage of renovations. A James Beard nominated restaurant down here…mmm.

Cafe Central was a bit busier that I thought it would be for a Monday night. Mariachi’s strumming guitars and fiddles, amber lighting bathing the dining room and attentive bread service. We walked in, met the chef and the GM, exchanged pleasantries and sat, very hungry from our day driving.

As a chef, I try and be as polite as possible to my fellow culinarians. I do not bash, I do not berate and I will not talk smack…unless someone has started the war first. From my memory, this is what we had;

• App – Fried mozzerella balls with marinara dipping sauce.
• App – Sampler. Spice Rubbed Sashimi of Saku Tuna, Tuna Tare Tare Wonton “Tacos”, Asian Squid Salad, Pickled Ginger & Radishes
• App – Lump Crab & Avocado Tower with Lavash Cracker & Greens
• App – Cream of Green Chile soup
  
• Entree – Broiled Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass on Sweet Ginger Jasmine Rice
• Entree – Special. Filet tips, mash and some brown sauce…sorry I forgot as it was not mine!
• Drinks – a couple of beers.

OK…so I picked the descriptions from their menu. Soup was good, sampler was OK, fried mozzarella balls…please, Sea Bass OK, but not worth the $$$, filet tips, pass, ahi tower, pass, beers cold, keep!

So overall, for El Paso I am sure that this is “the bomb” restaurant, and by the looks of the place it is great for folks from EP or Juarez to come for a special night out. James Beard nominated, congratulations! Count your starts that you are in Texas, you would not get noticed here in Cali.

So time to bolt…pay the tab and it’s back to the empty parking lot. Guess the parking lot is for the restaurant now as the hotel above was closed (for a while by the looks of it) for renovations.

We find a Hilton off the freeway, check in, watch a movie and crash out. Morning comes way to quick, run down for the free brekkie and the race is back on! El Paso, Texas to San Diego, California in 14 or so hours. Oh what will this part bring? I researched no restaurants from this point on, so it’s wildcatting our way through some uncharted culinary territory, stay tuned.

chefRob