Vince Meehan | Downtown News

On June 18, Little Italy will be abuzz with hungry foodies scurrying about the streets for the 7th annual Taste of Little Italy. Nearly 30 restaurants, pubs and bistros will be serving samples of their favorite appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Among those participating in this year’s festival is Little Italy’s Indigo Grill.

Deborah Scott, a partner of the Cohn Restaurant Group (CRG), is the executive chef at the Indigo Grill. Scott and CRG also own many other such high-profile local restaurants in the region, such as The Prado, Vintana, C Level and Island Prime, as well as the popular food trucks Chop Soo-ey and Patty Melt.

Celebrity chefs are the new rock stars of San Diego, and Scott is at the top of that list, having been featured in San Diego Magazine, San Diego Home & Garden, Condé Nast Traveler, Sunset, and Food & Wine Magazine.

Scott moved to San Diego from Virginia in the early ‘90s and decided to drop roots here in order to follow her dream of being a chef.

“My partner was in the military and I ended up following her out here to San Diego,” she said. “But pulling up stakes and moving to a new town every two years was not an option if I wanted to get serious about being a restaurateur. So we split up and went our separate ways, with me staying in San Diego.”

A few years later, Scott landed the head chef role at Hillcrest’s former Kemo Sabe, where she caught the eye of restaurateurs David and Lesley Cohn.

“It was hard to break up with my partner, but in hindsight, it was exactly the right thing to do,” Scott said.

Her cooking philosophy is to showcase lots of spice and flavor, but she said presentation is paramount.

“I’m all about presentation and I insist that my chefs follow suit,” she said. “I’m the type of person who finds it difficult to keep my input in check, but you need to let your chefs develop their own styles and personalities, so I’m learning to leave them alone. But when it comes to presentation, that is where I do not compromise.”

Scott enjoys living in Bay Park, which she describes as a fun and vibrant place to live.

“The area has its own cool personality which I really enjoy,” she said. “I like to have a bite at places like Baci or Luce, and then go grab a beer at the High Dive bar. There’s a fun vibe to this place that I really like. And having Bay Park Fish Company right there is awesome, it doesn’t get any better!”

Indigo Grill will be serving a fresh ceviche at the Taste of Italy with a couple of surprises thrown in, she said, adding that she relishes the chance to be involved in the Taste event.

“I always make it a point to be a part of the community, whether that means being in the chamber of commerce, Kiwanis or tasting festivals like this,” Scott said. “Being a part of a family is important to me and I want to give back.”

For more information on the CRG, visit cohnrestaurants.com. To buy tickets for the Taste of Little Italy, taking place June 18 from 5 to 9 p.m., visit littleitalysd.com.v