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Ciro's Pizzeria & Beerhouse shuttered its Pacific Beach eatery (the Gaslamp outpost is still open) a little over a week ago and the new proprietors are already hard at work on a speedy switcheroo of the space.
Amy Ballester and her brother Andrew are behind Crushed, a new brunch-centric restaurant that they intend to open by early October. Ballester, who has been in the food and beverage industry for 15 years, was most recently the assistant GM at the nearby BUB's Bar & Grill and also lives in PB. Ballester has been searching for a spot in the neighborhood to do her own project and Location Matters' Paul Ahern helped her score the prime location at 967 Garnet Avenue, where she's working to lighten and brighten up the space and adding a beach-themed mural done by a local artist, plus new maple wood communal tables.
At Crushed, brunch isn't just reserved for weekends; the eatery will open daily at 8 a.m. with an all-day menu that'll feature omelets, sliders, pasta and more as well as breakfast beers and mimosas. Ballester says that she's hoping the concept will appeal to the surrounding community as well as members of the food industry who are usually working during brunch service. A small plates menu of tapas-style dishes and sharable plates, including flatbreads, will kick in at 4 p.m.
