Cellar Hand, the first full-service restaurant venture by the Perr Family, the family behind Pali Wine Co., a family-owned winery crafting exceptional wines in Santa Barbara County, is opening on Thursday, June 6 in the vibrant heart of San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood. 

With the Hillcrest Farmers Market just beyond Cellar Hand’s doors and San Diego County boasting more local farms than any other county in the country, each vibrant dish at Cellar Hand reflects California’s bounty.

Farm-to-Table Excellence

The menu begins with crudos and conservas, boasting rotating varieties of both fresh and preserved local seafood including rockfish, bluefin tuna, scallops, mussels and more. A “For Dipping” section features dishes infused with Mediterranean influence, perfectly paired with housemade 24-hour fermented pita.

Leveraging personal relationships with local farms including Chino, Dasquito, Hakuma, Valdivia, and Cyclops farms, Cellar Hand will feature vegetable-centric dishes determined by our farmers’ seasonal crop.

Lastly, the mains feature local pork and beef sourced from Thompson Heritage Ranch and seafood from legendary fishmonger Tommy Gomes, with dishes like Grilled Whole Rockfish with labne, cucumber, radish, and red ruby grapefruit, and Thompson Heritage Berkshire Pork with bulgarian feta mousse and radishes.

Cellar Hand is a passion project for the Perr family. With a proven track record in the wine industry, Nick and Carmen bring a second generation of energy committed to sustainability, craftsmanship, and community.

Curated Wines and Local Connections

Drawing on their extensive experience, the team has thoughtfully curated a wine list from friends and like-minded winemakers, as well as from their own cellar. This selection spans ancient vines, zippy naturals, lesser-known varieties, and crowd-pleasing favorites, ensuring a diverse offering for every palate.

“With Cellar Hand, we’re bringing to life our vision of a dining experience that not only showcases but celebrates the abundant flavors and talents of California,” states Nick and Carmen Perr.

“Our goal is to forge deep connections with the land and its artisans, farmers, and stewards, creating a space where every meal and glass reflects the passion of our region. Choosing Hillcrest for its dynamic and diverse community was a natural fit, mirroring our commitment to a warm, inviting atmosphere.”

Cellar Hand is committed to preparing hyper-local, sustainably-sourced seafood, championed by Kendall’s connections to San Diego’s network of fishers.

The group’s commitment to California cuisine, by way of amplifying local artisans, lends itself to a conscientious dining experience. The team’s relationships extend to farmers, fishers, ceramicists, winemakers, coffee roasters, and bakers.

“The approach to our menu is minimal and very personal,” says Chef Logan Kendall. “I’ve been fortunate to forge relationships with incredible local purveyors like Maek Ceramics and local legend Tommy Gomes over the years, and collaborate with them to curate goods and dishes for Cellar Hand.”

See you there!

“We’re excited to finally welcome guests into our beautiful space, where we’re committed to only utilizing San Diego-grown flavors that will anchor the restaurant.”

Designed by San Diego based architectural design firm Tecscape Design, the space features a 960 square foot dining room that seats 60 anchored by a central indoor-outdoor bar, with a 1,100 square foot outdoor patio that seats 60.

Guests can observe Chef Kendall and his team firing pita through the exposed kitchen, enjoy beverages around outdoor fire pits, and admire artwork created by Nick Perr.

Located at 1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, Cellar Hand will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 PM to 10 PM with future plans to extend hours for weekend brunch. Anticipate events, including winemaker dinners and tastings, as Cellar Hand vows to celebrate local culinary traditions.

Visit the website here for more info and follow them on Instagram for updates.

See you there, San Diego!

SAN DIEGO — Padres fans didn’t even hesitate, booing Juan Soto the moment his name was announced in the pre-game starting lineups Friday night. The boos got louder with every step he took towards home plate, and were thunderous when he stepped into the batter’s box.

Soto hardly was solely responsible for the Padres’ embarrassing 2023 season that saw them fail to make the postseason. He wasn’t the one who vowed the Padres would win their first World Series after joining the team two years ago. Yet, he epitomized the fans’ frustration over their grossly underachieving 82-80 season.

Now that Soto is absolutely thriving in a New York Yankees’ uniform, putting up the kind of the numbers the Padres envisioned, the sellout crowd at Petco Park voiced their anger and frustration, loud and clear.

“It’s kind of tough for me because (the fans) were there every day for me,’’ Soto said before the game. “I know I tried my best. I played hard every game. But I didn’t play at my best, you know?

“And that’s one of the things I was kind of sad about, because I couldn’t show them how great I can be.’’

Soto was supposed to be the slugger that finally ended the Padres’ World Series drought, with expectations reaching surreal heights. Instead, the streak is 55 years and counting with no end in sight.

“For me, I think it’s just baseball,’’ Soto said, when asked to explain what happened. “At the end of the day, even if you have the best team on paper, you’ve got to go out and try to win games. But stuff happens.

“We didn’t have the luck on our side in 2023. We have some games when there was nothing we can do. But it is what it is. Now, it’s in the past.

“I just learn from it. Definitely, I learned a lot of things last year that is going to help me this year, and it’s going to help the group I’m around. I just take it and keep moving forward.’’

Soto, who was traded to the Padres from the Washington Nationals on Aug. 2, 2022, was never the difference-maker the Padres envisioned. They wanted to try one last year with Soto, but with financial woes that included a loan to help make payroll last fall, the Padres traded him to the Yankees on Dec. 6.

In New York, Soto has been the player the Padres thought they were getting to lead them to the promised land when they traded four prized prospects to Washington.

Soto, 25, entered Friday as the favorite to win the American League MVP award, hitting .312 with 13 homers and 41 RBI, with a .409 on-base percentage, .563 slugging percentage and .972 OPS. He has been one of the game’s most dangerous hitters with runners in scoring position, hitting .357 with a .619 slugging percentage, with three homers and 28 RBI. He added to his totals Friday night, launching a two-run home run in the third inning.

The Padres were waiting for the same production during his San Diego stint, but he hit .265 with a .893 OPS, with 41 homers and 125 RBI. Certainly good numbers, but short of expectations.

So the Padres shipped him to New York, and while players can wilt under the New York spotlight, Soto has thrived.

“He’s been pretty awesome,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “What I’ve enjoyed is what I believe is a really good teammate and a guy that’s been a really good person in our room.

“He’s about winning and all of those intangible things, the behind-the-scenes things, that’s what’s gotten me the most excited.’’

Several Padres players and coaches don’t share the same sentiments, with some questioning why Soto’s intensity and skills have accelerated since joining the Yankees. But everyone in the Padres’ clubhouse kept their public opinions positive.

“He’s been having a hell of a season,’’ Padres third baseman Manny Machado said. “So, I’m excited to see him again and see what he’s been doing first-hand. He was a big part of our last two seasons, here.’’

The Padres tried several times to sign Soto to a contract extension during his stay, but nothing ever came close to materializing before he was traded.

“Man, this is a great city, it’s a great fan base, a great team,’’ Soto said. “But at the end of the day, we just couldn’t get it done, and keep moving forward.’’

The Yankees will also try to sign him to an extension before he’s a free agent, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said last week. Yet, with free agency so close, there’s little chance he’ll consider signing before the Yankees and Mets engage in a potential bidding war that could top $500 million.

“I love it here, it’s a great city, it’s an unbelievable group in there,’’ Soto said. “I’m excited. I’m more than happy where I am right now.

“It’s just a great vibe we have in there.’’

It was the same mantra Soto expressed with the Padres, saying all the right things — how much he loved San Diego and that he didn’t want to be traded. Yet, the Padres knew they had no choice but to trade him if they wanted to slash their payroll and be competitive.

“I know that’s what he wanted, he expressed that publicly and privately that he wanted to be here,’’ Machado said. “The lines just never aligned.’’

Said Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., one of Soto’s closest friends on the team: “Now that we’re facing each other, we’re not friends anymore. No, I love Juan. He’s a great guy. He’s a great baseball player. …

“I’m definitely not surprised what he’s doing. I knew he’d rise to the occasion. He’s that type of player.’’

Certainly, Soto should become the highest-paid free agent not named Shohei Ohtani this winter. The Mets badly crave him, knowing he can be their version of Aaron Judge. The Yankees would love to keep him, seeing the impact he has made on this year’s 35-17 team. Who knows if someone else will surprise and jump into the bidding, knowing the paycheck will start at $500 million after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer in 2022 from the Nationals?

“We’re going to be open to everybody,’’ Soto says, “everybody. We ain’t closing any doors. Whoever wants to talk about deals and stuff, I’m open to deal with it.

“But that’s going to be in the future.

“Right now, I’m a Yankee.’’

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

You can learn a lot about your city training for a marathon. On average, it takes 20 weeks to go from zero to 26.2 miles. For my training program, I averaged around 30 miles per week as I was ramping up, and got closer to 50 near race day. Spread out across three to five runs a week, there’s a lot of our city to take in.

My long runs often went from my cottage in Ocean Beach up through Point Loma, around Harbor Island, past the airport, down toward the Embarcadero, and past Seaport Village before turning around.

I was never alone on these runs. Free-spirited souls played guitar and spun fire on the beach near my home as groups of cyclists whizzed past me in Point Loma. Families gathered for picnics along Spanish Landing Park and the sounds of planes arriving with travelers hoping for a sunny vacation lingered overhead.

At Waterfront Park, skin-tight neon outfits and barely-there tops during CRSSD made way for cowboy-hat-wearing locals yee-hawing their way through Boots in the Park. My favorite days consisted of watching sailboats float by on the bay and megayachts visiting San Diego for the week.

No matter what month I was running, one thing was always clear: Our city loves the sun and everything under it. We’re active, but more than that, we’ve grown up here and gathered here because there’s just no place like it. Even on its worst days, this is still a place you want to come home to.

This issue is a love letter to San Diego. This month we gush over our favorite surf spots while calling out what loving those breaks means about you. Sure, Tourmaline is a longboarder’s heaven, but we’re betting you’re enjoying a few early bird specials these days. We check out the skate fashion of today’s youngsters hoping to become the next Tony Hawk, or at least land their next backside heelflip.

We hit South Mission Beach hoping to find the spirit of volleyball, and explore a new aquaponics system helping Pala Reservation grow more than 1,600 plants at a time while using 90 percent less water and land.

If you love the sun (and this issue), keep an eye out for a rebrand of our Hikey Bikey Beer newsletter, launching this month. We’re calling it Everything Under the Sun. It will still focus on active lifestyle content, but will include more things like surfing, running, climbing, sailing, pickleball, and all the things that get our heart rates up outside.

For me, after crossing the finish line for my first marathon, it was this city that I was the most grateful for. Training for the longest run of your life is just a little bit easier with nearly perfect weather year-round and all your friends outside keeping you company.

So, here’s to more adventures under the sun.