Encore to Spotlight Champagne & Caviar in the Gaslamp

Grid View

Here's a peek into the large restaurant project currently underway at the corner of Sixth Avenue and F Street in the Gaslamp.

Encore Champagne Bar & Dining Room is being developed by Ken Irvine (Irvine Hospitality Group), who's also helping the Cohn Restaurant Group to open SEA 180 in Imperial Beach; for this new downtown kitchen, Irvine has hand-picked chef Ryan Studebaker.

Studebaker, formerly at Gingham and most recently the exec chef at Solace and The Moonlight Lounge, says he's looking forward to the creative freedom this gig will afford him and the opportunity to introduce a concept that doesn't yet exist in San Diego.

Encore will focus on champagne and sparkling wine; the first section of the 4,000-square-foot space (they're calling it Act I) will feature a U-shaped bar with a refrigerated champagne display behind it. Classic cocktails and craft beer will also be poured.

A passageway past a champagne cellar leads to Act II, the dining room with an open kitchen and a six-seat chef's counter. Studebaker's seasonal menu will be champagne-friendly mostly sharable plates from tapas to oysters, salads and larger plates of local fish and steak. Encore will have a substantial caviar program, with tasting options for every budget.

The restaurant will have a large outdoor patio and serve lunch, dinner and brunch on Saturday and Sunday; it's slated to debut by late December.
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