Thursday, March 28, 2024

A Taste of Blue Bridge Hospitality

An evening of culinary delights to showcase the artistry and talents of Blue Bridge Hospitality (BBH) restaurants and chefs in the form of a tasting walking tour up and down Orange Avenue was a night of success and delights for all. Blue Bridge Hospitality hosted this evening of tasting primarily for members of the media, hospitality figures and “hyperlocal” Coronado figures.

Taste of Blue Bridge

I began my journey by exchanging my invitation for my Blue Bridge Bites Map and set out on a walkabout of offerings of Coronado’s best BBH bites, sips and sights with my 10-year-old daughter in tow. The evening was geared toward members of the media as a way to highlight the offerings of some of Blue Bridge’s finest chefs.

Stake skewer
Stake skewers

We started at Stake Chophouse & Bar with a Skewer of Charcoal Grilled Pork and Wagyu Beef. It was tender, flavorful and not too spicy, paired with champagne as a welcome toast to kick off the evening. We stayed on the same side of the street and moved to Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge, which was out of order on the map but easier to keep a 10-year-old happy knowing there was ice cream sooner than later.

Leroy's BBQ quail
Leroy’s BBQ quail

At Leroy’s, I sampled sweet and slightly spicy BBQ Quail with Pea Tendrils, Peas, and Green Tomato Relish. The quail was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The “Sip” was Leroy’s Signature Sangria. My Coronado Times coworker, Dani Schwartz, was the sipper at all of the stops and she described the sangria as having good flavor with a touch of spice.

Crafted cakes
Crafted cakes

Next up was an interruption of savory with sweet. Crafted Baked Goods displayed their “not so real” gorgeous cakes which were used in theater productions while sampling white and chocolate cake both with Italian buttercream frostings. My daughter and I had a split decision on favorites here. I chose the chocolate. We followed it up with a Mootime Creamery Mini Moo Sundae. Delicious as always.

Getting back on track, we crossed the street to West Pac Noodle Bar.

The Ahi Poke Shooter turned out to be my favorite sampling of the evening. With fresh ahi, baby red pepper, purple cabbage, jicama, yellow and orange carrots atop rice with wasabi, it was refreshing, light and a perfect combination of flavors. Dani commented that the Stone Brewing + Sake Mule was light and refreshing. A perfect pairing.

Lil Piggys poppers
Lil Piggy’s poppers

Everyone should have pizza after ice cream and that’s what we did. Village Pizzeria was also host to Lil Piggy’s Bar-B-Q pop-up. We sampled the “Hippie” pizza which was vegetarian on the thin New York style hand-tossed crust. Lil Piggy’s served up cheese filled, bacon wrapped jalapenos. Need I say more? They handed out a much-needed bottle of ice cold water to extinguish the jalapeno fire! Delicious!!

Maretalia $20 wine menuWe wrapped up the walkabout at Maretalia Ristorante with Ricotta and Fava Bean Ravioli served with Green Garlic Pesto. It was a perfect combination. Executive Chef Ronnie Schwandt shared with me details about the upcoming renovation of the restaurant. Removing walls to open up for more ocean views and moving the bar to the front of the restaurant along with color changes and other renovations all expected to be completed by end of June. The “sip” at Maretalia was one of four wines, a choice of two whites and two reds. Dani and a friend each chose a different one of the two whites offered and they both enjoyed their choices. During happy hour Monday-Saturday from 3-7pm, they offer a $20 Wine Menu with two reds, two whites and two sparklings to choose from at $20 per bottle.

I am convinced that David Spatafores’ Blue Bridge Hospitality Group is committed to providing Coronado, its residents and visitors with top quality dining experiences. My taste buds would agree.

 



Chris Kelly
Chris Kelly
Chris is a native San Diegan who has had business ties to Coronado from when the bridge still had a toll. She vowed to herself one day she would make the island her home. Chris has been an entrepreneur for over two decades as a business owner and business/life strategist and coach. Her work has been seen in magazines, blogs, The Seattle Times and The Huffington Post.Have news to share? Send tips, story ideas or letters to the editor to: [email protected]

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