Eric Leitstein and OMG Hospitality Group felt the timing was right to bring elevated dining to Pacific Beach.
Leitstein has taken over Backyard Kitchen & Tap at 832 Garnet Ave., re-purposing it into Union Kitchen and Tap, offering the best of new American food, local craft beers, wines, and hand-crafted cocktails. The remodeled 6,000-square-foot locale boasts a spacious layout with a lounge-like atmosphere offering indoor and outdoor dining options, a lively main bar with multiple TVs, and a comfortable lounge space for groups and parties.
“It was an existing business that we changed the DBA (Doing Business As) and the concept on,” said Leitstein, CEO and co-founder of OMG Hospitality Group formed in 2008 and named after his children Olivia, Mason, and Gavin. “Our goal has always been to elevate the food in our beach restaurants.”
Added Leitstein: “We’re excited to be in PB where the community is supporting our elevated dining and craft cocktail menus, which is part of who we are.”
He characterized his restaurant-bars cuisine as “new American fare with a Southern twist,” pointing out all their sauces are made from scratch while the menu features tasty items like shrimp and gumbo, along with prime steaks, salads, flatbreads, and crab cakes.
OMG now encompasses seven restaurants – Union Kitchen & Tap in Encinitas, Union Kitchen & Tap Gaslamp, PB AleHouse, Union Kitchen & Tap in PB, Waterbar, Moe’s, and Molly’s in Mission Beach. Leitstein is also affiliated with Sandbar and The Fish Shops.
Known for its refined and contemporary take on timeless classics, dinner at Union Kitchen and Tap now includes shrimp and grits made with Andouille sausage, roasted tomato, aged white cheddar, Anson Mills grits, and chives; Union Gumbo made with Andouille, smoked chicken, okra, jasmine rice and finished with scallions; Watermelon Salad made with heirloom cherry tomato, cucumber, avocado, ricotta salata, arugula, and sherry shallot vinaigrette; and Prime Steaks including 12 ounce Prime New York Strip, 7-ounce Filet Mignon and 18 ounce Prime Bone-in Ribeye served with maitre d’ butter and Union Steak Sauce. Additional menu offerings include salads, sides, and decadent desserts such as Aunt Dubo’s Peanut Butter Pie and Molly’s Homemade Carrot Cake.
The time was ripe for change in the PB dining scene, contended Leitstein. “The dynamics of PB and Garnet, of the whole beach community, have changed,” he said adding, “There are more young professionals now, not just students. PB has become more gentrified because of the rents and being more expensive. It’s no longer an inexpensive ZIP Code. Which is why we felt the timing was right to put in elevated dining on Garnet.”
Leitstein talked about another change at Union Kitchen PB. “We do live entertainment on Friday nights with jazz and more acoustic-style bands,” he said pointing out the bar-restaurant is “no longer a nightclub but more of a lounge,” with a fire pit outside establishing “a casual setting to have a nice meal.” He noted Union Kitchen PB “still has a sports feeling,” and is also home base for University of Michigan Wolverines fans.
The eatery’s beverage program features a selection of draft and canned beers, wines, and craft cocktails. Highlights include the Purple Haze made with illegal mezcal, ginger liqueur, prickly pear, lime, and sage; California Soul made with Tito’s, lavender, coconut, guava, agave, and lemon; Good Vibrations made with freshly juiced cucumber, grapefruit, lime, ginger, and your choice of spirit; and 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten made with blackberry-infused Bulleit Bourbon, cider, lemon, and cinnamon. A selection of the cocktails has also been created to be offered as non-alcoholic.
Leitstein noted OMG Hospitality is also big on supporting all three communities – Encinitas, the Gaslamp Quarter, and Pacific Beach – hosting Union Kitchen eateries. “We like to give back to the communities we’re in,” he said. “We hire locally. We have over 500 employees: That’s a give back. We help support people living in the community while trying to create a (dining) experience that people want to come back to.”
UNION KITCHEN AND TAP
Where: 832 Garnet Ave.
Hours: Tuesdays-Fridays dinner 4-10 p.m., Saturdays-Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for brunch and 2-10 p.m. for dinner. Closed Mondays.
Info: 858-263-7850. The bar is open nightly until 2 a.m. for cocktails, beer, and wine. Additional weekly programming includes $1.25 oysters and $5 shaken martinis from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesdays; half-priced wines by the glass and bottle on Wednesdays from 4-8 p.m.; live music on Thursdays; and a DJ on Fridays.
