Foodie Flashes – July 2023

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

The Rail (formerly the Brass Rail) In Hillcrest changes hands

San Diego’s historical LGBT bar, The Rail, is under new ownership as of late June, and with the possibility of reintroducing drag brunches on weekends.

New owners Urbano Pelicon and his friend/business partner Isaac Vargas purchased the business from Gayle Santillan, who along with various family members ran the bar for more than 30 years. Prior to that, the bar dates back to 1934, when it originally operated downtown. It moved to Hillcrest in 1963. Until a rebranding effort in 2016, the bar was well known as The Brass Rail.

“Even though The Rail has always been a gay bar, this is the first time that it is gay-owned,” Pelicon said, noting that the building’s landlord requested the bar continue catering to the LGBT community.

“We are going to continue the legacy,” he added.

Pelicon and Vargas arrive at the table with industry experience; Pelicon was a manager for several years at the former Numbers bar in Hillcrest, and Vargas currently manages Cannonball in Mission Beach.

Pelicon said that “sometime after Pride weekend,” he plans on serving food again from the small kitchen that has been dormant since October.

“We might do drag brunches again and serve bar food once we start opening for happy hour — but not right away.”

For now, The Rail will be open from 9 pm to close, Wednesday through Sunday. As for any new physical changes to the space, Pelicon said there will only be some minor, decorative improvements made to the interior, since the bar was given an extensive refresh in 2017 under the former ownership. 3796 Fifth Ave., thebrassrail.com.

Heavy loads of fish and chips

If you’re a glutton for classic fish and chips, you could end up scoring the meal for free at Shakespeare Pub & Grille in Mission Hills.

The British-owned pub presents “The Great White Whale Challenge” to willing takers who can scarf down a two-pound filet of battered cod, two pounds of “proper chips,” and a jumbo side of green peas in 45 minutes or less. If successful, the meal is on the house and you get a complimentary “I Did It” T-shirt.

Although if you fill to the gills and can’t obliterate the loaded plate, be prepared to fork over $45.95 for the attempt.

“We get one or two people on average each week who try it,” said Shakespeare bar manager Sean Mackin. “About 40 percent of the participants overall pass the test.”

Mackin advises participants to alert the pub ahead of time if entering the contest during peak hours. Otherwise, the kitchen can usually accommodate last-minute requests. He also added that the challenge is for customers 21 years or older. And yes, he assures that plenty of house-made tartar sauce is included with the meal. 3701 India St., 619-299-0230, shakespearepub.com.

Pacify your sweet tooth at gay-owned Sugalab in Ocean Beach

After belting out fabulous desserts throughout her career for companies such as Jamul Casino and Surf Rider Pizza, pastry chef Rachael Musico finally fulfilled a dream earlier this year by opening Sugalab.

Launched with the creative-marketing support of her wife, the couple took over the former Wild Things Pizza & Beer in Ocean Beach to create a bakery complete with indoor seating for 30 people.

Since then, Musico has enticed customers with everything from cakes (sold whole or by the slice), warm brownie sundaes, floats made with “old-school” sodas, and ice cream sandwiches constructed with house-made cookies.

In celebration of San Diego LGBT Pride this month, the pastry chef offers a rainbow layer cake that has randomly appeared on her menu since opening. It too can be purchased whole or by the slice.

Sugalab’s top sellers so far include Oreo cake, funfetti cupcakes, and a butter beer float inspired by Harry Potter. Some of the rarer, more nostalgic items that rotate through include German chocolate cupcakes and pineapple upside-down cake, which will stick around through the end of summer. 2163 Abbott St., 619-228-9255, sugalab.com.

Hyped chicken

Diehard fans of the popular chain, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, camped out overnight for the recent opening of its Chula Vista outpost. When the doors opened in the morning, the eatery’s chicken fingers encased in batter and secret spices were flying out of the kitchen in “very large numbers,” according to one of our trusty sources who scored herself a few fingers, crinkle-cut fries and Cane’s zesty dipping sauce.

The Louisiana-based company was founded in 1996 and today flaunts more than 500 locations in and outside of the country. Within San Diego County, it has other locations in Mira Mesa and Santee, both of which attracted crazed fanfare when they first opened. 512 H St., Chula Vista, 619-210-0568, raisingcanes.com.

Two Mission Valley newcomers

The ever-expanding commercial landscape in Mission Valley has made room for a spacious location of Breakfast Company, which mirrors its original operation in the Gaslamp Quarter. The restaurants fall under the Rise & Shine Hospitality Group, founded more than a decade ago by entrepreneur and LGBT-friendly philanthropist Johan Engman. The group also owns all local outlets of Breakfast Republic, Fig Tree Cafe, and Eggies, in addition to Feast & Fareway in Coronado.

Customers can expect a hearty menu containing choices such as fried rice Benedict with crispy ham, chicken confit and grits, peach-almond French toast, and mashed potato waffles with cheese sauce, eggs, and spicy sausage. Several vegan and vegetarian options are also available, along with beer, cocktails and fresh-roasted coffee drinks. 8590 Rio San Diego Drive, breakfast-company.com.

If you descend into the valley with a hankering for Cuban food, Havana Grill’s newest location appeases with various takes on the Cubano sandwich, plus dishes such as mango-citrus salmon, seared steak with Gulf shrimp, and classic ropa vieja (shredded beef in wine, tomato sauce and olives). The restaurant has received numerous accolades from food critics and the public ever since opening a few years ago in Clairemont Mesa. It uses organically grown produce, non-GMO oils, and hormone-free meats. 1652 Camino del Rio North, 619-915-5699, havanagrillrestaurants.com.

–Frank Sabatini Jr. has been writing about food in San Diego for over 35 years. He launched his own food blog during the pandemic,“The Hash Star,” which you can follow at thehashstar.com. He can be reached at frank.sabatini92108@gmail.com.