Tracy Borkum Isabel Cruz Deborah Scott Terryl Gavre Karen Krasne Su
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THE FirsTLadiEs oF by ARCHANA RAM photography by MADISON PARKER Food Su-Mei Yu Founder, Saffron Thai (opened in 1985) Terryl Gavre Proprietor, Cafe 222 (opened in 1992); partner, Market Restaurant + Bar (2006); coproprietor, Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant (2010) Karen Krasne Owner and executive pastry chef, Extraordinary Desserts (opened in 1988) Tracy Borkum Principal, Urban Kitchen Group, including Cucina Urbana (opened in 2009), Cucina Enoteca (2013), and Cucina Sorella (2016) Isabel Cruz Former chef-owner and now shareholder, The Mission (opened in 1990); chef-owner, Coffee Cup Deborah Scott Executive chef and partner, Cafe (1998); chef-owner, Isabel’s Cohn Restaurant Group (since Cantina (2000); founder, 1995), including Coasterra, Barrio Star (2010) Island Prime, and more 92 SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2018 NOVEMBER 2018 SDMAG.COM 93 To say San Diego’s restaurant scene one and I had turkey in Mission Beach little started adding SU-MEI YU A friend dinner on the menu, in a one-bedroom things to the menu. of mine was helping I gave my wedding ring has gone through an evolution in the and I would eat it apartment with my I was so tired that me put together the “ last few decades is an understatement. every night because I two kids. They stayed my boyfriend would Saffron concept. for my security deposit. Gone are the days of just California burritos didn’t want to throw with my parents at hit the ceiling with He said, “You gotta I let them hold on to it away. This guy used and surf ’n’ turf. Now we have Michelin-level first because it was too a broom to wake me give some bread.” I to walk by and feel hard. I was waking up up. Half the time, he’d said, “We don’t eat it until they felt like I chefs, award-winning design, a fine dining scene sorry for me in there to bake muffins and have to physically get bread in Thailand.” wasn’t going to run out that rivals that of many big cities, and more by myself; he’d bring scones, and little by me out of bed. He said, “They’ll ask “ me magazines. I’d of business and leave than 7,000 restaurants in our county. ¶ Diners be in there reading them without paid rent. are eating out more, experimenting more, and magazines because no —Isabel Cruz expecting more—in quality, presentation, and one was coming in yet. experience. But now everyone’s a critic, thanks It was seven years of o waiting it out. to Instagram and Yelp. Add to that California’s In Little Italy I SCOTT That was very “ convoluted regulations for small businesses. Just ballsy of you, to do that think I was the look to the closing of Cafe Chloe (RIP) for proof. in that kind of area! first restaurant No matter how good the food and ambience GAVRE But I was young that wasn’t may be, it seems like it’s harder than ever to and had nothing to lose. When Bud Fischer Italian. Here I keep a restaurant open. ¶ But there’s a group of gave me my lease, I come, this gay trailblazers who appeared on the scene more didn’t have any money than 20 years ago, opening restaurants before it for the $5,000 security woman with was trendy, shaping our city’s food scene when deposit. We were all combat boots and broke when we started; shorts. I’d call my we didn’t have one. Several are still slinging I spent every nickel dishes today, and many of them are women. ¶ I had. He explained produce guy and Here, Senior Editor Archana Ram sits down the consequences say, 'I want black and I said, “My dead with Tracy Borkum, Isabel Cruz, Terryl Gavre, body will be in the plantaians and Karen Krasne, Deborah Scott, and Su-Mei Yu freezer anyway. I got chapulines.' And nowhere to go! This to discuss the struggles they faced to open their they’re like, 'What is all I have.” I was restaurants, what it’s like to be a woman in a willing to live in the is she talking“ male-centric industry, the new challenges they’re back room for many, about?' tackling, and how they continue to thrive. many years, which is now our prep room. We —Deborah Scott were young, we didn’t have families; I put for bread! What are nothing about Thai scene is. The computer, everything in storage you gonna do?” “I’m food! iPhone, Instagram, ARCHANA RAM Tell me a vision, something putting lentils on and you made it work. gonna cook rice.” Facebook revolutionized about those early original and creative. the menu. No one ate SCOTT Remember days when you all Nowadays you don’t “Rice?! People don’t San Diego’s food scene. Now there’s so much lentils. Or look at Eleanor Widmer? first launched your have that time. Rent is eat rice in America!” It opened an avenue for new blood that brings how popular Brussels YU She knew nothing! restaurants. too high, costs are too people to try it. And 90 so much to the table. I said, “I’m going to sprouts are today! No GAVRE DEBORAH SCOTT In high. teach them.” People I was afraid of percent of people don’t San Diego when we one ate that then. her. cook. Little Italy I think started was not the ISABEL CRUZ I gave wanted butter and SCOTT If I couldn’t sell I was the first San Diego of today. my wedding ring for sugar for their rice! We YU Back then, with GAVRE Everybody does the chapulines, I would restaurant that wasn’t my security deposit. couldn’t sell Sriracha Italian food it was want to go out to TRACY BORKUM It was walk around the dining Italian. Here I come, I let them hold on to because people didn’t salty spaghetti with eat, but it’s not just so much easier. It room with chapulines this gay woman with it until they felt like understand spicy. I meatballs and red restaurants. Grocery wasn’t easy—it never flatbread. It was free, combat boots and I wasn’t going to run opened in 1985. People sauce. El Indio was stores and prep meals has been—but it was so they’d try it. I said, shorts. I’d call my out of business and would come into my making lots of money are taking over the more fun. produce guy and say, “I “You just have to pick leave them without restaurant and ask with little taquitos business. There are so TERRYL GAVRE want black plantains More the little legs out of paid rent. I finally got me if I cooked cats for a dime. Coconut? many other places for and chapulines.” And innocent. your teeth.” it back after years. I or dogs. That’s the They had never heard people to get pretty they’re like, “What is BORKUM The GAVRE In the got divorced anyway—I negative part of it. But of it. That’s what’s good food. We have to she talking about?” challenges we had beginning at Cafe 222, didn’t care! But that’s I educated Maureen changed in San Diego. adapt the businesses; All of us here have were convincing I’d have days when I how we did it. On a Clancy and Antonia We’re always a little bit we have to be more that—we were pioneers people to try a new had only a few guests. shoestring. I lived Allegra, who were food behind, and we catch delivery and pick-up in what we do. We had food item. I remember I was sitting on table above The Mission writers. They knew up with whatever the friendly … 94 SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2018 NOVEMBER 2018 SDMAG.COM 95 and the team spirit. freak show poster. between my time at down, everybody is at someone wrong. GAVRE My dream part that’s been I felt the same way SCOTT I was an English university, I spent a losing. Everyone should Mike, my chef at was to have a little sad. It’s more about about it in college and major at Old Dominion year at home in San know about that and Island Prime, tells a place where all running a business. during my years in University in Norfolk, Diego and decided I be afraid. story of when he came the employees had One day I was telling to Indigo Grill and France. I didn’t know Virginia, and I worked wanted to learn how YU When we started Thanksgiving together my managers, “We’re applied for a job. He it was my calling at Steak n’ Ale in to cook. I worked my doing this, you think and we’d do holidays not allowed to take you until I opened my own goes, “Deb, you are so Virginia Beach. I loved way through the ranks you’re a good cook, and close and go to a brewery; I can’t late-night pastry shop. politically incorrect. literature, but the at a local Italian you’re a good baker. bowling. In the early drink with you, and you I liked the idea of restaurant. After You asked me where I restaurant was right You think, “This is years we did that. can’t drink because sleeping in mornings that, I had this innate lived, you asked me if up my alley. Talking to going to be fun!” And CRUZ I know—I used to it’s sponsored.” I said and having time to passion for everything I was married.” Once, no to about 10 things guests from all walks you realize it’s really do that, too! exercise, do things for hospitality.