Restaurant, 1887 on the Bay, Takes Fine Dining To New Levels

CORONADO'S NEWEST RESTAURANT
IS ALSO ONE OF THE OLDEST

   CORONADO – Lights, camera, action! One of the oldest restaurants in Coronado has just become the newest. The Boathouse 1887, formerly the Coronado Chart House, is taking fine dining to the highest level of culinary proficiency as “1887 on the Bay.”

   On June 14, the restaurant officially opened, introducing guests to 1887 on the Bay’s world famous chef, new management, a new menu and hours, and a new name, and all of this framed in a history that is truly unique.

   Marty Jensen and partner Michael Baker have brought in one of the best chefs in the country, Jess LeDesma. The new chef hails from San Francisco and Hawaii, and is founder of the KOA Restaurant Group. LeDesma has studied under celebrity chefs at American venues such as the Waldorf Astoria in New York, the Fairmont Hotels in California, as well as fine dining venues throughout Asia. He opened the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay and the Forbes Mill Steakhouse in Los Gatos before founding KOA.

   To assist LeDesma, Roger Boomer has taken over management of the restaurant. Boomer’s credits include 35 years of managing fine dining restaurants that include 20 years with the Chart House chain (eight of those at Coronado Peohe’s) and Candela’s. His emphasis will be focused on creating the ultimate service experience to go with the ultimate food experience.

   The upstairs part of the restaurant, the “Crew’s ‘ Lounge,” continues to enjoy weekly live music, an extended happy hour and an exotic, smaller version of the restaurant’s menu.

   Meanwhile, downstairs in the historic building, diners experience an unrivaled food adventure. “Our food can be described as global waterfront cuisine,” said LeDesma. “Our guests are going to feel like they’ve just eaten at a big city restaurant without the giant price tag. I’ve worked hard to perfect a menu that offers a wide selection of the freshest and best-prepared items. ‘Simple but elegant,’ has been my key to success in this industry,” he said, “and that’s what you’ll find here.

   “To make this the institution I believe it can be, it needed to have some things that were unquestionably the best of the best,” said LeDesma. “I’m proud of our entire menu, but we have an exclusive for our meat. Our steaks are plant-specific, so we know that all our meat selections have been well groomed and we’ll get them from the same place every time – Snake River Farms Family, in Boise, Idaho.

   In fact, Chef LeDesma is one of only three chefs allowed access to this specially farmed strain of beef. The other two chefs are the legendary Wolfgang Puck, and Thomas Keller of the French Laundry.

   The new menu features a variety of steak and seafood entrees. Handmade soups adorn the starter menu along with some very attractive salads and seafood items that include fresh oysters from local farms. Main course meals range from $19-35. LeDesma offers guests the finest and freshest fish from Hawaii, Japan, and the East Coast.

   The new chef has designed an 1887 Private Locker that includes rare culinary treats not appearing on the menu. The private locker includes unique beef suggestions for his guests who want that “butter knife beef experience,” as he puts it.

   “I can do an 18-course meal for private gatherings with 48-hour notice,” said LeDesma. “We call it in Japanese, Omakase, where the customer dines at the Chef’s Captain’s Table and receive the best the chef has to offer that evening. In addition, we hope to make the rarely visited Boathouse cupola, the very top of the 126-year-old building, available for private parties of four.

   “In celebration of the July Fourth fireworks show in Glorietta Bay,” said LeDesma, “we’re offering a rare evening for six, upstairs in the crows’ nest, that will include the most amazing food and wine pairings available from the private locker served at a private table in the Crew’s Lounge, and the best and loftiest seat in the house for the fireworks display. We are auctioning off this evening with bids starting at $5,000, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Coronado Schools Foundation. It won’t be anything less than the greatest evening imaginable.”

   The history of the building is staggering. It was constructed in 1887 as a prototype for the Hotel del Coronado, a template allowing construction teams to hone their skills for an undertaking just across the street that would be built within a year. It has become one of the few icons of Coronado, alongside the Hotel del Coronado and the Coronado Bridge.

   Inside both the entrances to 1887 on the Bay are newly created, articulately and visually designed historical timelines to give visitors a look at the history of this unique and treasured structure that was the first home of Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the Coronado Yacht Club, and the San Diego Yacht Club.

   Steaks on the menu rely on a special, new grill used only by major league restaurants such as Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris. Infrared heat from the Montague Steakhouse Broiler is extremely hot, allowing LeDesma to sear the meat and lock in the juices in classic French style.

   “We’ve taken a big leap,” said owner Marty Jensen, “and are aiming at making this restaurant the best steak and seafood restaurant you can go to anywhere in San Diego. We’re looking to appeal to a greater audience with the sheer quality of our food, service, and ambience.”

   The Crew’s Lounge is open every day at 3 p.m., serving lite fare and full bar. Large screen TVs have been added to the Lounge and music will continue to be available on Thursday nights. At 5 p.m. the full menu will be available. Dinner is served daily, from 5-11 p.m.

   For more information on 1887 on the Bay, or to bid on the July Fourth Extravaganza, call (619) 435-0155 or visit www.1887onthebay.com.

This article prepared by Joe Ditler and Part-Time PR, serving Coronado's public relations needs. For more information write or call josephditler@san.rr.com, or (619) 435-0767.