David and Lesley Cohn of the Cohn Restaurant Group are pleased to announce that OB Warehouse, the latest venture in their growing list of 21+ award-winning restaurants, is opening its doors on August 7th.
Nestled in the heart of Ocean Beach on the second floor of the former Portugalia building at 4839 Newport Avenue, the 6,000 square-foot OB Warehouse brings a casual new eatery to the coastal town’s growing culinary scene. With an innovative global menu by acclaimed Chef Amiko Gubbins and exciting industrial design by Philippe Beltran, OB Warehouse’s creative interiors boasts communal seating, an expansive central bar and a chic outdoor patio.
“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,” says David Cohn. “Ocean Beach is a vibrant community known for it’s character and originality, and we’ve created a menu and design that complements the neighborhood.”
MENU DETAILS
Imagined by Chef Amiko Gubbins, the Cohn Restaurant Group’s “Special Ops – Food & Flavor,” OB Warehouse offers fresh California ingredients that mingle with influences from Asia, the Mediterranean, Morocco and the Middle East. Serving a wide range of inventive starters, salads, flatbreads, entrees and desserts, many designed with sharing in mind, Gubbins presents several signature menu items, such as the Golden “SoCal” Crabcakes with honey red chili aioli, the Merguez Sausage Flatbread topped with oven roasted tomato, feta cheese and harissa, as well as the Royal Goan Shrimp Curry served with toasted basmati rice and crispy shallots. To perfectly complement an array of savory dishes, Gubbins has crafted several desserts such the Coconut Tapioca with crispy phyllo and lemongrass pink guava coulis, and Bittersweet Chocolate Cake finished with espresso sauce and a candied lemon twist.
OB Warehouse’s bar program features a range of hand-crafted, warehouse-themed cocktails such as The Welder, an easy-drinking blend of Kolsch beer, Pavan liqueur, grapefruit juice and lemon juice, as well as 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+ unusual wines from around the world including varietals from Lebanon, Slovenia, and Greece, and 20+ draught beer options, focusing on unique craft beers with a heavy regional emphasis.
DESIGN OVERVIEW
The vision for this curated and eclectic space comes from the unique mind of Philippe Beltran, the Cohn Restaurant Group’s go-to designer, whose 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. Upon entering the second-floor restaurant, guests are transported into an inviting loft-like expanse where vintage artifacts seamlessly blend with modern design.
Within the open-concept OB Warehouse, Beltran created various distinct spaces. The front dining room showcases items such as push carts from India, oversized tables sourced from an old shoe factory in Portugal and a 1960’s gym bench repurposed as lounge seating in a section overlooking the busy Newport Avenue below. Victorian-era doors, crystal sconces and bronzed damask wallpaper add an unexpected feminine appeal in the communal dining area. Oversized lighted marquee signs display ‘Food’ and ‘Drinks’ from the ceiling, flanked by an old discarded windmill hanging from exposed rafters above. A colossal typewriter key installation and antique pedal car loom over the expansive U-shaped bar and the room’s focal feature, a bisected 1965 Airstream trailer, functions as a peekaboo display into the working kitchen.
At the heart of every Philippe Beltran design is a commitment to repurposing lost and forgotten resources from right in our own backyard. Beltran found local inspiration by reclaiming materials such as discarded scraps of metal, found at the former Ironside Metal Works shop in Little Italy, to line the underside of the oversized bar, as well as recycled wood from an old warehouse downtown.
CHEFS
Amiko Gubbins| Special Ops – Food & Flavor, Cohn Restaurant Group
Amiko’s 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, who 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 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. During her time there, Amiko earned numerous awards including, Best Asian, Best Ethnic, Best Fusion and the prestigious Gold Medallion Award for “Chef of the Year.” After her time at Parallel 33, Amiko went to work as the personal chef for music icon Lenny Kravitz before working with Specialty Produce where she selected the freshest produce from the Santa Monica Farmers Market for daily use by local chefs. Most recently, Amiko served as Executive Chef for Sysco San Diego where she brought her culinary experience to the company’s vast restaurant base. In her spare time Amiko practices yoga, surfs and performs in the Encinitas Guitar Orchestra.
Chef Elias Gonzales | Chef de Cuisine, OB Warehouse
Born and raised in San Diego, Chef Elias Gonzales has worked in kitchens throughout the area with some of the city’s most noted culinary talents such as Antonio Friscia, Christian Graves and Dwayne Gayle. Gonzales’ culinary career first began when he worked as a dishwasher at a small Italian bistro in San Diego. He was then offered an opportunity to work with Harrah’s Entertainment where he quickly climbed the ranks as a cook. Following his work there, Gonzales moved to Stingaree in the Historic Downtown Gaslamp District and was promoted to a Sous Chef position. Elias then advanced his career by earning the title of Executive Sous Chef at the Hotel Solamar. Here he took on increased responsibility,
