Juniper and Ivy is located in a converted warehouse at the northern edge of Little Italy in San Diego.
Owner Michael Rosen opened it in 2014 with celebrity chef and Top Chef All-Stars winner Richard Blais, initially describing the cooking as “left-coast cookery.”
The menu features sophisticated but playful American food built around seasonal West Coast ingredients, with the menu changing frequently according to what local farmers and fishermen supply.
Its longtime chef Anthony Wells, who is from West Virginia, joined the opening team as sous chef in 2014, worked his way up to executive chef, and was named a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: California. The restaurant itself received a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2019.
The inside of Juniper and Ivy is industrial but polished. It occupies a converted 1920s-era warehouse, and much of that character is still visible: very high ceilings, massive exposed redwood beams, concrete, exposed ductwork and an overall open, airy layout. The industrial elements are softened by warm wood tables, curved upholstered booths, camel-colored leather chairs, modern artwork and low lighting.
Elote Arancini: The elote arancini were crisp, golden fried rice balls that combined the Italian snack with Mexican street corn flavors. They were served over a creamy, slightly spicy lime mayo with chile de árbol oil, then finished with what appeared to be crumbled cheese and fresh greens. The crisp exterior gave way to the softer rice filling, while the creamy sauce added richness underneath.
Melons & Feta: The melons and feta was the lightest of the dishes, pairing chunks of watermelon with feta, thin ribbons of cucumber and wedges of pale melon. The menu also listed lemon balm, mojito snow and chocolate mint, with the icy green mojito component adding a cold, herbaceous contrast to the sweet fruit and salty cheese. It was essentially a more elaborate take on a watermelon-and-feta salad.
Michelada Ceviche: The michelada ceviche combined pieces of octopus and shrimp with cucumber and other diced vegetables in a bright, chile-forward liquid inspired by the flavors of a michelada. A large sesame-avocado crisp stood upright over the seafood, while blue corn chips provided another crunchy element. It was colorful and textural, moving between tender seafood, fresh vegetables and crisp chips
Wagyu Sliders: The Wagyu sliders were a more straightforward comfort-food option: small beef patties topped with melted American cheese and deeply cooked tallow onions on glossy sesame buns. The beef and onions made these particularly rich, with the cheese leaning into the classic cheeseburger profile rather than trying to make the sliders overly elaborate. Pickles served alongside helped cut through some of that richness.
Everything was so good that we had to get dessert, too.
Dubai Yodel: The Dubai Yodel takes inspiration from the viral Dubai chocolate combination of chocolate, pistachio and kataifi. A chocolate shell surrounds the dessert, with pistachio ganache providing a rich, nutty center. Pistachio snow and crunchy chocolate kataifi crumbs add contrasting textures, while the sauce underneath brings another creamy element. It is an elaborate, plated interpretation of the now-familiar pistachio-filled Dubai chocolate bar.
Have you been?
Grade: A
