Made from Scratch: The Story of Our Flavors & Experiences

Let’s take a look at the talent behind The Shed’s creations in an interview with head chef and co-founder, Scotty.

Q: Growing up, what was your favorite dish?

A: “Steak and potatoes and we ate it A LOT. I’m sure we had other foods, but I rarely remember chicken, fish, or pork.”

 

Q: How does your background influence the flavors you use and the dishes you make?

A: Our flavors are always evolving so I think my background has more impact on the quality of our ingredients. Growing up, we had a vegetable garden and raised out own cattle. The freshness of produce, quality proteins,  and not using frozen foods are all staples of The Shed. 

 

Q: When did you discover your passion for the culinary arts?

A: My third year at the country club when I found myself yelling at a fellow line cook (Anthony), for burning the Parmesan puffs. That night, I realized “This matters to me”. 

 

Q: Who are your biggest inspirations in the restaurant and culinary scene?

I was fortunate to work with a few chefs who were always willing to pass along knowledge. Chefs Damien Joseph and Robert Blakeslee. Chef Blakeslee taught me the fundamentals and he bought me my first culinary study book, Jacques Pépin’s Complete Techniques. Chef Joseph brought creativity, precision, and the idea that food is an expression, meant to felt not just consumed. . 

And, of course, Anthony Bourdain. There’s nothing I could say about the man that hasn’t been said already. 

Q: What is your favorite thing to make?

Risotto. It takes time and attention to be perfect. It’s malleable and adaptable, it can be creamy, savory, crispy.  I could make an entire menu highlighting risotto. 

Q: What are your hopes for the future of The Shed?

Expansion. Not just in physical locations, but in promoting the ideal of getting back to real, well-cooked food. We cook what we love and strive to do it to the best of our ability. Too many restaurants, and their patrons, have come to accept, and even expect, mediocrity. We aim to change the standard of what is considered ‘acceptable’ dining. Let the cooks cook, the drinks flow, and our experiences grow. 

Want to be part of the story? Stop by The Shed to learn more about its story and the dishes people are raving about.

The Shed Kitchen ‘Must-Try’ Dishes

We’re serving up something good and we want you to be a part of it. No gimmicks, no fancy plating, and definitely no showmanship. We’re just making bar food like you’ve never seen bar food made before. 

Each of our dishes is riddled with complexity. What could just be a burger we make into a painstaking creation. But with each dish, we get to show our customers that THIS is how food should be made. Here are some of our ‘must-try’ dishes. 

 

Just the Tip Burger

To start, our Just the Tip burger is sandwiched between two brioche buns that have been grilled to golden, crunchy perfection. The bun doesn’t just serve as a resting place for the other ingredients or a transportation device so that your hands don’t get messy. The bun acts as a slightly sweet and pillowy neutralizer for the onslaught of flavors hiding inside. Within the bun, we have thin-cut slices of tri-tip cooked to mid-rare with a warm red center and a crisp interior. Our tri-tip is sous vide for three hours at exactly 133 degrees. This cooking method allows us to maintain the juiciness of the steak and deliver a consistently perfect flavor. The tri-tip is topped with what we call frizzled onion which is crunchy crispy onion slivers meant to offset the tenderness of the steak. Finally, we pour on our homemade chimichurri for a bit of color and added moisture. And there is, the best burger in San Diego, or at least we think so. 

Birria Quesadilla

Our birria quesadilla features a golden and crispy tortilla stuffed with tender, slow-cooked birria beef marinated for hours in rich and flavorful spices. Our 14” flour tortilla also holds cilantro and onion to really bring out the Mexican food flavors we love so much. Gooey, melted cheese oozes out of the perfectly grilled tortilla with each bite. For many, a quesadilla is a comfort food or an easy meal for when you have nothing but cheese and tortillas in your fridge. For us, it is a delicacy. It’s warm and spices, hearty and flavorful and big enough to share with your greedy tablemates who wish they had ordered that instead.  

Duck and Cover

Once again, our simple brioche bun becomes a trusty wingman for a delicious serving of meat hidden inside with our Duck and Cover sandwich. Despite the name, this is a chicken sandwich, but not your average run-of-the-mill chicken sandwich. Our chicken is hand-battered in buttermilk and seasoning and sous vide for hours is a rich and flavorful duck fat. The duck fat brings a deeply complex flavor that elevates the dish above a ‘chicken sandwich’. Once crispy, the chicken breast is served over top a bed of shredded lettuce, topped with pickles and placed inside a ranch-smeared brioche bun. Name a better flavor combination, we dare you. On the side, we offer hand-cut fries, plain or with Cajun seasoning. 

 

There they are—our favorites. But don’t just take our word for it. Come by and try it for yourself. Stick with the ole reliables, or branch out and try our other menu options.