important to you?
SR: Menus should reflect the place from
which they come. There are many rea-
sons for using locally sourced ingredients.
Nothing speaks of place the way ingredi-
ents do. Local ingredients travel less and so
they are better for the environment. Since
they travel less, they tend to be fresher,
which means that they are better tasting
and more nutritional.
In addition, you often know the person
who grows or raises the products you use,
which builds the community and helps
the local economy. For us, menus have the
ability to change as seasonal items become
available, and the menu changes several
times a year.
MB: What are some of your favorite
dishes at Oceana?
SR: The shrimp ceviche is a very popular
dish and one that I think reflects our prox-
imity to both Mexico and the ocean. Beef
is big out in the West and our steaks are cut
from cattle born, raised and butchered here
in California.
MB: What’s one dish in which the
locally sourced ingredients used are
particularly exciting?
SR: In San Diego, we are very fortunate
to have many farmers nearby. One of our
local produce companies will drive out to
local farmers and bring items for us to run
on our menus. It is very much like having
a weekly private farmers market just for
our restaurant.
In the summer, we use salmon from the
Pacific. We pair our salmon dish with aspar-
agus and organic potatoes from our weekly
farmers market.
MB: Are there any upcoming events that
our readers should know about?
SR: Once a month, we do intimate pair-
ing dinners in our private dining room where
we partner with local breweries, specialty dis-
tillers and a variety of wineries. We also host
Sunday brunches at Oceana Coastal Kitchen
and the Catamaran offers holiday brunches
for special occasions including Mother’s Day,
Easter and Thanksgiving. n
It’s always a delicious day at
Nathan Petty
Bienvenue! The French Gourmet welcomes you for breakfast,
lunch or dinner. Sit back and enjoy a fine glass of wine or a
mouth-watering pastry from our Bakery. The French Gourmet
serves some of the finest cuisine in the San Diego area and
provides a comfortable and unpretentious dining experience.
Breakfast & Lunch Daily: 8am – 3pm • Dinner: Tues – Sun 4pm – Close
Bakery Opens Daily at 7am
960 Turquoise Street • San Diego, CA 92109 • (858) 488-1725 • thefrenchgourmet.com
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