You can now go “casual global” with OB Warehouse, the latest addition to the Ocean Beach restaurant scene.
After months of anticipation, David and Lesley Cohn of the Cohn Restaurant Group opened the OB Warehouse on Aug. 7.
“This project has been a long time in the making, and we’re incredibly pleased to bring this fun, world-cuisine dining option to the area,” said David Cohn. “Ocean Beach is a vibrant community known for its character and originality, and we’ve created a menu and design that complements the neighborhood.”
Starting with one small diner in 1982, the Cohn Restaurant Group now owns and operates 21-plus restaurants within the San Diego area and two locations on Maui. While each restaurant varies wildly in terms of cuisine, ambiance and design aesthetic, they all share the same philosophy being “obsessed with hospitality.”
Located at 4839 Newport Ave. in the former Portugalia building, the new second-floor, 6,000-square-foot eatery and bar exudes a modern, industrial atmosphere. OB Warehouse’s creative interiors boast communal seating, an expansive central bar and a chic outdoor patio.
The innovative menu by chef Amiko Gubbins uses fresh California ingredients and flavor influences from around the globe in dishes like the savory Moroccan-spiced rub flatiron and Hoisin chicken potstickers.
The OB Warehouse mingles Asian influences with those from the Mediterranean, Morocco and the Middle East. The eatery serves up a wide range of inventive starters, salads, flatbreads, entrees and desserts, like the coconut tapioca and bittersweet chocolate cake.
The bar menu features a range of hand-crafted, warehouse-themed cocktails like The Welder, an easy-drinking blend of Kolsch beer, Pavan liqueur, grapefruit juice and lemon juice; and the Forklift, made with Kappa Pisco, St. Germain, orange juice and a dash of lychee syrup.
The beverage menu also offers an extensive list of 50-plus unusual wines from around the world, including varietals from Lebanon, Slovenia, and Greece, as well as 20-plus draft beer options focusing on unique craft beers with a heavy regional emphasis.
The vision for this curated and eclectic space comes from Philippe Beltran, the Cohn Restaurant Group’s go-to designer. His repertoire includes 100 Wines Hillcrest, BO-beau kitchen + garden, BO-beau kitchen + bar and the newly revamped Indigo Grill. Known for his soulful “old-meets-new” aesthetic, Beltran added warmth to the industrial space with procured treasures found on his international travels.
Gubbins’ culinary career began by watching her traditional Japanese mother in the kitchen. But her formal training first took life in La Jolla under Ulf Anders and William Gustaf, whom she credits for cultivating her immense appreciation for food and quality ingredients.
After spending time in the kitchens of Cilantros and Pacifica Del Mar, Gubbins served as executive chef of Cafe Japengo, where she took home the award for Best Asian Food for eight years. Soon after, she branched out on her own as chef and owner of the critically acclaimed Parallel 33 in San Diego’s Mission Hills neighborhood.
For more information, call (619) 222-1700, or visit www.obwarehouse.com.
