The Dish: Callie named one of 10 most beautiful new restaurants in the U.S.

Callie Restaurant, which native San Diego chef Travis Swikard opened last June in the East Village, was named by The Robb Report as one of the 10 most beautiful restaurants that opened in the U.S. in 2021.

Compiled by the luxury media outlet’s restaurant writer Jeremy Repanich, the list celebrated the architecture of 10 new restaurants in the country from New York to Seattle and from Miami to West Hollywood.

Repanich wrote that San Diego’s downtown and East Village communities are a “mixed bag” of ballpark restaurants and noisy tourist-filled bars. Michelin-recognized Callie, by comparison, stands out in the region for its thoughtful and unique design by Los Angeles-based architecture firm Studio Unltd that matched Swikard’s culinary vision of “Mediterranean with a Southern California soul.

“There are splashes of yellow, rich natural woods and a stunning set of beams above the bar that mimic a cresting wave. And a beautiful, large terrazzo table adds a stunning anchor to the private dining room,” he wrote.

Also featured on the top 10 list are Soulmate in West Hollywood; Tomo near Seattle; The Continental in Nashville; March in Houston; Carbone in Miami; Saga in New York City; Bar Blondeau in Brooklyn; Le Bon Nosh in Atlanta; and Harvey House in Madison, Wis.

A rendering of the new Shake Shack restaurant at The Beacon center in Carlsbad.

(Shake Shack)

Shake Shack opens in Carlsbad

Shake Shack opened its fifth San Diego County location Wednesday in Carlsbad. The new restaurant is in the new The Beacon La Costa shopping center at 7740 El Camino Real, Suite K.

The new location features online ordering via the Shake App, a Shack Track walk-up window for pre-orders and indoor and outdoor seating. Besides Shake Shack’s traditional menu, the location serves several local beers, including Stone Delicious IPA, Cali Creamin’, Alesmith .394 and Modern Times Orderville.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. To order online, visit shakeshack.com/location/carlsbad-ca.

Naegi’s Japanese karaage fried chicken sandwich is now being served from a food truck in Oceanside.

(William Eick)

Naegi food truck hits the road

Naegi, the Japanese-style karaage fried chicken sandwich business run by Matsu restaurateur William Eick, has relaunched in a food truck.

Besides the chicken sandwiches, which are served on Eick’s own house-baked Hokkaido Bread Co., the Naegi menu features other sandwiches and vegetable and salad side dishes. The food truck is being manned by chef Michael Barnett.

The truck is now serving from 3 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Fridays at South O Brewing, 1575 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside. More stops will be added soon. Visit instagram.com/eatnaegi.

Dining forecast: Healthier fare in 2022

After two years of indulging in comfort food during the pandemic, American restaurant-goers are expected to embrace healthier options when they dine out in 2022, according to the American Restaurant Association’s just-released What’s Hot Culinary Forecast for this year.

Diners can expect to see many more plant-based proteins on menus this year. This is driven by several factors, including diner preference, rising animal protein costs and supply chain shortages. Diners will also see more use of less expensive cuts of animal protein, such as chicken thighs versus wings and beef chuck instead of loin. Menus will also be pared down to reduce food waste and costs.

Because so many Americans have embraced home-delivery and take-home dining options since the pandemic began, many new innovations will be seen in meal packaging, such as zero-waste and reusable containers as well as more heat-sealing and tamper-proof packaging.

Other trends include more alcohol-infused desserts, upscaled potato chips and the use of more alternative sweeteners such as maple and coconut sugars. The top five global regions that will influence new cuisine this year are Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore); South America (Argentina, Brazil and Chile); the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic); North Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Libya); and West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana and Western Sahara).

The report was based on a survey of 350 professional chefs in the American Culinary Federation. The study can be found at restaurant.org.

Pam Kragen writes about restaurants for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Email her at pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com.