Callie restaurant (Robb Report)
East Village, design, restaurants, Callie
‘Dining in Beauty’
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Field judges from the prestigious Robb Report recently named what they considered to be the “10 most beautiful restaurants that opened in the U.S. in 2021.”
Callie in the East Village made the cut. It was one of only two restaurants in California that were named, with the other being Soulmate in West Hollywood.
The restaurant opened in early summer last year to the tune of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine produced by chef Travis Swikard, who earned his chops at the acclaimed Boulud Sud in New York City.
Design standouts include splashes of yellow set against rich natural woods; curvy beams above the bar; and a large terrazzo table that draws attention to the private dining room. By pure coincidence, “Callie” means “most beautiful” in Greek.
While we’re on the subject of eye-popping restaurants, we would be remiss to not toss out some of our favorite picks listed below, even though they’ve been around for a year or longer.
The steakhouse, Born & Raised in Little Italy, is a venture by CH Projects that greets with dramatic Art Deco columns, opulent Italian marble, and walnut-wood accents. We adore it.
Provisional Kitchen in the Gaslamp Quarter swoons with its communal layout and stately architectural features. The restaurant resides inside the Pendry hotel and specializes in seasonal fare.
Stunning, unbeatable views of the downtown skyline and San Diego Bay bring luxurious visuals into the dining room at Mister A’s in Bankers Hill. But the buttoned-down white-linen ambiance will soon change. Chef and longtime owner Bertrand Hug recently sold the iconic restaurant to general manager Ryan Thorsen, who promises to give the rooftop dining room a redo that will resemble a modern, inviting French brasserie.
Food and architecture beautifully unite at Madison in University Heights. A sophisticated bar lounge flows into a dining room clad in intricate wood joinery that forms a majestic, arched ceiling. The space was designed by Archisects in Mission Hills.
