Cellar Hand - Hillcrest

Cellar Hand is partnering with Avocado Bliss in Valley Center to highlight avocado and ruby grapefruit in not one, but two dishes. “The first dish we’re going to highlight is a crudo with bluefin tuna, ruby grapefruits, avocado, grapefruit oil, sumac and nigella seeds,” explains chef Ashley McBrady. They’ll also serve a double chocolate, avocado-pistachio crepe cake with strawberries and avocado slices as part of the campaign, which McBrady says perfectly fits the restaurant’s hyper-local focus. “Anything we can do to continue to support our local farming community and educate our guests on the importance of eating local food is a benefit for us and follows our goals and ethos at Cellar Hand.”

Cori Trattoria Pastificio - North Park

Chef and Sicily native Accursio Lota has worked in restaurants across Italy and the United States for decades, winning global pasta championships and accolades along the way. But Lota says it’s important to give back, and Unfork the Planet is one way he hopes to do so.

“At Cori, we’re all about cooking with heart and honoring where our ingredients come from. Joining the campaign was an easy yes—regenerative farming means better food, stronger communities, and a healthier planet,” he says. Cori’s dish, called “Porchetta di Testa,” features thinly sliced pig head porchetta, radicchio, Castelvetrano olives, sourdough crostini, fennel, and extra virgin olive oil. “[It’s] a way to celebrate whole-animal cooking and spotlight heritage pork from Thompson Heritage Ranch. The dish brings together ingredients that reflect our roots and values and deep respect for the land and the farmers behind it.”

Kingfisher - South Park

“I worry about our climate change, and being able to feed my kids organic, sustainably sourced food is very important to me,” says Kingfisher co-owner Kim Phan. That’s why she and chef David Kim decided to create a special wild-caught yellowtail dish specifically for this initiative. Phan hopes this will help raise awareness and expand access to healthy, local food to other families. The main concept behind the dish is reimagining byproducts as core ingredients, including a cauliflower stem velouté sauce and pickled mustard green stems used in Kingfisher’s Baja striped sea bass entree.

Finca - North Park

Chef Joe Bower says he’s still finalizing the Finca dish for Unfork the Planet, but promises that it will highlight the often unrecognized efforts of farmers as integral parts of the restaurant experience. “It is the farmer’s deeply rooted and often generational skill and diligence that provide San Diego with some of the best produce in the world,” he says. “It is imperative that we praise the work of these people and put a spotlight on the best and most sustainable practices. We—chefs—stand on their dusty shoulders, and I am proud to support [them] in any way that I can.”

Herb & Wood - Little Italy + Herb & Sea - Encinitas

Aidan Owens is the culinary director and executive chef at both Puffer Malarkey Collective restaurants. Their menus focus on using refined techniques to prepare seasonal and coastal ingredients, all in a relaxed but still refined atmosphere. It can be a hard balance to pull off, but Owens says it’s important for restauranteurs to remain vigilant not only in the preparation of ingredients but the sourcing of them as well. 

“Regenerative agriculture is the future of food—and the planet,” he explains. “It’s a way to heal the soil, restore ecosystems, and bring balance back to a food system that’s been out of alignment for too long.” By participating in Unfork the Planet, both kitchens can directly support farmers aligned in their mission of creating a food system that gives back more than it takes.

Cesarina - Point Loma + Elvira - Ocean Beach

Chef Cesarina Mezzoni likes to keep things simple, both in the ingredients she uses and the culture at Cesarina and Elvira. “We’ve always believed that amazing food starts with amazing ingredients—and that means taking care of the land they come from,” she explains. When it came time to pledge support to Unfork the Planet, it was a no-brainer. She chose to offer two best-selling dishes—the carbonara pasta at Elvira and the funghi pasta at Cesarina—to raise funds for and awareness of the benefits of regenerative farming. “Regenerative farming isn’t just good for the planet—it’s vital for the farmers who make what we do possible,” she explains. “Eat well, do good—it’s that simple.”