In big San Diego food news, local chef Brandon Brooks will be taking the helm at Sessions Public starting tomorrow, May 4.
What do you have planned for the kitchen?
What I’m working on right now is taking their philosophy and expanding on it. When you walk into Sessions, you don’t really feel like you’re in Point Loma anymore; I get the vibe of being in the Northwest, especially with some of the game components they have on the menu, like venison meatballs and duck fat fries. I want to continue to play with that idea, while keeping the rustic approach to the food, which is something I’ve always felt was my touch. We’ll start doing more in-house, especially when it comes to breaking down whole animals.
What are you expecting from your first few days?
I’ll actually spend the first week or two learning the kitchen and seeing how it works. I’ll need to watch my cooks and see what their skill levels are. I have one sous chef and three cooks, so before we start making some menu changes I’ll want to make sure that everybody is capable and comfortable in executing them.
Who helped you get where you are today?
I definitely want to give a shout out to Mike and Staci at Ritual Tavern in North Park. I feel that was the place where I was able to get my foothold in San Diego food, and I learned a lot about working with beer as well. I feel that Ritual and Sessions have a similar vibe, and it’ll be exciting heading up a kitchen again. Also big thanks to Hanis Cavin from Carnitas’ Snack Shack for keeping me busy pouring beer in the “pig pen” while I was looking for a new kitchen.
Any plans for upcoming events?
We definitely want to get some great beer dinners going, but with there being so many out there, we’re going to start looking at creative ways to put a spin on them. I’d like to do a dinner with Societe, while also reaching out to some of the newer guys like Rip Current. We’re also talking about another Trencherman event so we can show people the enjoyment you can have while pairing beer and food.
How do you see the local food scene continuing to intertwine with the beer scene?
Well, I think it’s reached a point in this city where not having good beer options means you’re shooting yourself in the foot. The best chefs understand that, and I think we’re going to see a lot more collaboration between them. For example, chefs Hanis Cavin from Carnitas’ Snack Shack and Olivier Bioteau from Farm House Cafe are putting on a Societe “Hog and Brew” beer dinner Monday, the 13th. And at a recent Chef Celebration dinner, Jsix executive chef Christian Graves brought some of his homebrew for everyone to try. There are lots of creative chefs out there, and I think we’ll start seeing more high-end, unique events come from it.