Exec Chef Named For Tom Ham's Lighthouse Revamp

Our grateful thanks to the tipster who let us know that Tom Ham's Lighthouse, which is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation, has signed up a new executive chef.

Eater spoke with the recently-installed chef in charge, Lance Repp (Rancho Valencia, La Valencia), who's currently finalizing the restaurant's menu, which he says will be anchored in Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on seafood and local produce.

Before he took the gig, the chef had been traveling all over the country, researching restaurants with the intent to open his own place in San Diego, and was in negotiations to take over an existing downtown restaurant space for a concept he called craft-focused bar with "small plates using high-end ingredients".

His personal venture has been put on hold while he focuses the food for Tom Ham's Lighthouse, which is aiming for a mid-May re-opening. Repp said he was drawn to take on this project because of its long history in San Diego (open for over four decades) and the family-run aspect of the restaurant, whose owners also run the waterfront's Bali Hai.
· Tom Ham's Lighthouse [Official Site]
· All Chef Shuffles Coverage on Eater [~ESD~]