City Council Green Lights Two-Story Steakhouse in Little Italy

The fate of a Little Italy restaurant project was decided yesterday by the San Diego City Council at the second and final public hearing to address concerns over Born & Raised, a new steakhouse proposed for a stretch of India Street that happens to be in the Lindbergh Field flight path. The construction plan, which includes adding a rooftop dining area to the one-story building that formerly housed Nelson Photo, had garnered some concerns about airport land use, but the City Council ultimately voted to green light the venture at Tuesday's meeting.

Born & Raised is hospitality collective CH Projects' thirteenth concept and fourth endeavor in the neighborhood; the group is also working on revamping Little Italy's Craft & Commerce, and adding an adjacent tiki bar called False Idol.

The steakhouse spans 8,000-square-feet, which includes the aforementioned rooftop that will feature a dining terrace and urban garden. Designed with a mid-century modern aesthetic by BASILE Studio (KINDRED, Ironside), the restaurant will run a serious meat program that centers around its own dry-aging room. CH Projects' co-founder Arsalun Tafazoli tells Eater that Born & Raised should be delivered in September.