juniper & ivy

let me start by saying that juniper &ivyis my favorite restaurant in san diego.  they opened in march 2014 and i’ve been 9 times already.  we always seem to take new people with us each time, exposing them to the culinary delights that this restaurant has to offer.  this time we brought our friends marybeth, philip, and veronica.  i do love when we take an odd number of people because that means extra pieces for me…lol!  the restaurant is located on kettner between juniper andivy(hence the name).  the first thing you notice is the ambiance; the space is very modern and has a lofty feeling but with wood accents that give it a very warm and inviting vibe.  you’ll also notice that it is very busy, this is one of a few new places in little italy that has opened in the last 12 months that is helping to invigorate the sd food scene.  the big open space of the restaurant and bar has one small downside — it can be a bit loud here.  if you are sensitive to background noise, ask to sit on the outside patio.

incredible dinner at juniper &ivylast night. they're doing some really cool stuff there. everything was great, but whatever you do don't miss the carne cruda asada with quail egg, the heirloom tomato with feta ice cream, and the morels with green garlic aioli and beer powder. fantastic service too! blais even came out to say hi when he heard there was a table full of atlantans there (if you're ever in atl his restaurant the spence is worth a visit).

my friend alyssa (who used to write for this blog!) recently came back to san diego to visit with her husband, j, and her two adorable little ones. she made plans to go to juniper &ivyand invited me along! i’ve been interested in trying out juniper &ivyfor so long and was glad to get the chance to hang out with my best good friend and to eat tasty delicious things. juniper andivyis one of chef richard blais’ restaurants, in case you have no idea (though i bet you do). i’ve never watched top chef (i know, that’s probably weird for a food blogger, but oh well) but i know there was a lot of excitement around the opening of this restaurant. the restaurant has a fun, open space and an open kitchen if you’d like to have a show with your meal. we had kiddies with us so we sat in a little corner. we got there quite early (about 5:30pm) and beat the crowds that evening.  instead of fancy white napkins, you get a kitchen towel. i wanted to steal it and take it home with me.  [ juniper &ivymenu ] i poured over the menu trying to figure out what it was that i wanted to order. minion had been here a few months ago and told me about a disappointing dish he tried, which was a pork chop. i scolded him and told him to not order pork chops in the future. most restaurants can’t seem to get pork chops right!  there were no pork chops on the menu this evening. the menu changes so often though that

as one can likely guess from their enormous bar, juniper andivytake their drinks seriously. they have a very extensive wine list, which they have cleverly divided into "tried and true" wines for the more traditional and "leap of faith" wines for the more adventurous. in addition, they also have a few daily wine picks printed on the food menu. they also offer a great collection of cocktails...richard blais has created a pretty great thing for himself at juniper andivyand is obviously doing very well with it. the risk he took in building such a massive space is no doubt paying off in spades. fortunately, blais and his team manage to keep the food quality at the highest level and living up to his top chef reputation.

u-t san diego recently named juniper &ivy2014 restaurant of the year. according to the paper, chef blais can be found working in the restaurant up to five nights a week, when he is not off shooting “top chef” or his new show “the hungry games.” chef blais has put his mark on this exciting restaurant, and i’m elated about the opportunity to eat his food.

juniper &ivyis designed by atlanta, georgia-based the johnson studio, an award-winning international restaurant architecture firm known for its unique designs. the 90+ year-old warehouse space that is the setting for juniper &ivyused to house a former roofing company. the intent was to preserve the integrity of the rustic raw shell while introducing modern elements. key design features include exposed sawtooth redwood ceiling, beams & trusses, sealed in natural patina; completely open expo kitchen, designed to highlight the talent and energy of the culinary team, and dining areas featuring natural hickory-stained tabletops, elevated grey leather booth spaces, and white lacquered tables to contrast with the warm hickory, to name a few.

the juniper andivykitchen is helmed by celebrity chef richard blais, winner of bravo’s top chef all-stars and successful restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality.