SANDPIPER READY TO SOAR
AFTER A COUPLE OF PIVOTS, LA JOLLA SHORES RESTAURANT HAS SETTLED INTO A GROOVE AND ATTRACTED A CROWD
Over the past nine months, the restaurant space at 2259 Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla Shores has undergone many changes, including a new name and concept, a chef change and new hours of service.
But judging from the happy and locals-heavy crowds turning out these days at Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters, the need for change is done. Sandpiper has become a hometown favorite and a hidden gem for visitors, with free parking and walkins cheerfully accepted.
Last summer, Sandpiper took over the space formerly occupied by Galaxy Tacos, a casual but gourmet tacqueria that opened in 2015 and closed in November 2021.
George Hauer and chef Trey Foshee (co-owners of George’s at the Cove) were the founders of Galaxy Tacos, but they decided to close it 18 months ago.
In its place, they launched Sandpiper, which mixes a fresh oyster program with Santa Mariastyle wood-grilled seafood, land proteins and vegetables, and a global wine list.
Founding chef Christina Rivera moved on last fall. Marty Fay is now Sandpiper’s executive chef, his wife Jessica Valero Cervera is the pastry chef, and Cody Smith is not only the new sous chef, he also rooms with Fay and Cervera.
The restaurant’s extensive wine list is a big draw for locals.
Heavy on French, Italian and Californian wines, the list was curated by sommelier Evan Vallee, who is also the restaurant’s general manager. He is one of just 10 advanced sommematcha
liers in San Diego.
To help build a loyal clientele, Sandpiper offers a $60 slow-grilled prime rib with skillet potato special on Friday and Saturday nights only.
The restaurant is also now offering periodic sixcourse wine-pairing chef ’s table dinners co-created by Fay and Vallee.
The dinner menu offers traditional plated entrees, but it’s more fun to graze with a friend in a smallplates style to try out more options.
Some of the restaurant’s don’t-miss dishes on the current dinner menu are the Crispy Shrimp, with lightly tempura-fried shrimp with spicy Sichuan chili aioli, sesame seeds and scallions; the skillet corn cake with spicy
agave; the charred cabbage with Calabrian chili butter; the grilled octopus with avocado and charred kale salad and burnt habanero salsa; and the Korean-style Angus tri-tip bo ssam.
Lunch service was added last week on Wednesdays through Saturdays, with the flavor profiles of the dinner menu but in smaller and, in some cases, sandwichstyle portions.
Good bets are the Crispy Chicken sandwich with Sichuan aioli, marinated tofu banh mi with beef roll sausage and chicken liver mousse, shrimp po’boy sandwich and Wild Isles salmon burger.