Encinitas' Union Kitchen & Tap Due Downtown in April

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Eric Leitstein, who opened Encinitas' Union Kitchen & Tap Room in 2011, is bringing a second version of his restaurant to the 5th Avenue spot vacated by Donovan's Prime Seafood.

Scheduled to open later this month, the new downtown Union is headed up by chef Sean Langlais; Jason Gethin, who helmed Union's North County kitchen, moved on to open his own restaurant in the East Village.

Langlais told Eater that this Union will launch in stages; they plan to start off lunch and dinner with an abbreviated menu of Union signature dishes and some of his own creations. A corner of the 8,000-square-foot space will be dedicated to a cheese and charcuterie station and two bars will serve all local beer, barrel-aged cocktails and more. Their license allows for live music and entertainment, so the communal table-filled lounge will reconfigure to accommodate bands, DJs and more.

A back section of the space, which can seat 100, will be used as a private dining room or for overflow; it'll be activated a month or so after the initial opening along with an expanded menu from Langlais, who plans give this downtown outpost more of a seafood focus (from sushi to shellfish) and do a weekend brunch.
· Union Kitchen & Tap [Official Site]
· Eater Tracking Coverage [~ESD~]