THE DELTA’S HIPPEST RESTAURANT — AND ITS CRAZY CREATIVE CHEF
The most common comment chef-owner Eric Lee hears when a new diner steps into his Cast Iron Trading Co. is “Hey, this reminds me of a hip/cool restaurant I know in (insert hip/cool big-city here).” It’s always said with a tone of surprise, he says, when folks discover such a fab spot in … where are we again? Stockton?
Yup, on the ground floor of downtown Stockton’s historic Belding Building, where an art collection rotates on the exposed-brick walls and the furniture was built by Lee and crew, foodie delights abound. There are Breakfast Totchos (Tater Tots-style nachos, $6.75), bourbonbarbecue pork sliders (two for $8.50) and carrot-parsnip fries ($4.50), plus a solid selection of craft brews.
Cast Iron is part of a convergence of cool in the slowly revitalizing downtown area, thanks in large part to high prices in the Bay Area pushing people farther east. A lifelong foodie and Stockton native, Lee, 36, and a business partner started Cast Iron as a pop-up shop in the equally cool Stockmarket, Stockton’s lively market and maker fair. Their brick-and-mortar eatery debuted in the fall of 2016.
Naturally, we had questions — about the restaurant’s evolution, its ever-changing menu and its chef. And Lee was happy to answer.
Q
How’d you get into this business? Do you have a culinary background?
A
Well, yes and no. I come from what I consider a foodie family. We’ve always taken an interest in craft food and drinks — all things craft and cool. I never went to culinary school, but I’ve worked in restaurants — both front-of-the-house and back-of-thehouse — since I was in high school and have always been drawn to cool restaurants and creative spaces.
“While I have some kitchen experience, I grew up in this age of the Food Network and celebrity chefs, people like Anthony Bourdain who really showed us what food is all about as a culture. I feel like you pick up so much from those shows, from YouTube tutorials and videos and cookbooks. That’s been my culinary school and I just go on being creative from there.
Q
What’s your approach to the food?
A
I’d say we’re elevated pub food. We try and take advantage of the fact that we’re in the Central Valley and there’s great local stuff, but we’re not exactly Chez Panisse. Because of the price point, we can’t go all seasonal or all organic all the time. There’s definitely a push toward more vegetarian and vegan items and I see us trending more in that direction. I think the industry is doing that as a whole. I always tell people, vegan is the next bitcoin.
Q
Tell us about some of the dishes.
A
The Brussels sprouts taco has been a big hit and it’s a staple of ours. We’re also doing a StocktoTaco. It’s an al pastor, jackfruit taco with an avocadocashew crema and pineapple pico do gallo and radish.
Q
What’s it like being part of the downtown revitalization?
A
It’s been good. A lot of people would consider us pioneers, businesses that are really taking advantage of downtown Stockton’s affordability. It really gave us the opportunity to do this here and curate top-to-bottom — everything from the aesthetics to the menu. We have live music on Friday nights, we host art shows, we’re doing a pop-up ramen night, we’ve had guest chefs here. It’s fun to be able to have that creative license. We hear people say, ‘I don’t feel like I’m in Stockton. It reminds me of a hip restaurant in S.F. or L.A.’ Eventually, we hope that stigma goes away and it’s like, hey, this is just Stockton!
Q
What’s next?
A
I’ve acted as executive chef from day one, but I’m kind of at the point where I can pass on that responsibility. I have some really talented people working here now. I’m still the one in charge and making the decisions, but now I want to be a restaurateur and not just stuck in the kitchen. We have a really popular salad dressing and fry dipping sauce, our Green Godzilla dressing, and I’m hoping to bottle that in the near future.
Q
Any tips for other cool places to eat, drink or play in Stockton?
A
I tend to stay downtown pretty often. I’m definitely a fan of the craft coffeehouses down here like Trail Coffee, Terra Coffee Roasters, Red’s. There’s a ton of great ethnic cuisine, because it’s such a diverse population. Channel Brewing Co. is right next to us in the Belding Building. There’s a new barbershop that just opened up, Golden Rose. And of course, the Stockmarket. It’s an awesome event in Stockton.