Solid beers from a veteran San Diego brewery helped Burgeon Beer Co. build a sizable fan base shortly after debuting in Carlsbad in 2016. Over the years, the company has enacted a series of cellar expansions to meet demand, and opened a pair of satellite locations to extend its reach to inland North County and San Diego proper. The latter “branch” goes by the name The Arbor. Opened in April 2021 at the base of a downtown high-rise, it mirrors the wood-rich, nature-driven motif and IPA- and lager-heavy tap list of its North County mothership, but it has something none of Burgeon’s other spots possess–a kitchen.
Having on-site eats has always been a significant value-added for brewery-owned venues. Burgeon’s owners were excited to add culinary capabilities, but admittedly a bit nervous, as none of them had any restaurant experience, much less experience opening and running a brand-new eatery. Fortunately, they were able to turn to a friend and collaborator with extensive background pairing craveable cuisine with craft beer, chef-entrepreneur Jesus de la Torre.
“Chef Chuy” teamed with Burgeon to move his existing business, The Good Seed Food Co., into The Arbor, where he put together a menu of new and proven dishes like ribeye tacos, seafood jambalaya and his signature dry-rubbed “stupid” chicken wings. That bill of fare went over well, but was soon replaced by that of another chef who took over the kitchen when de la Torre and his family relocated out-of-state at the end of 2021. A few short months later, there was more movement at the top when Burgeon promoted its lead cook to head the kitchen on a permanent basis. He’s been in control ever since.
“We have had three different chefs, and our menu has changed as each chef has implemented their own vision,” says Burgeon co-founder Matthew Zirpolo. “Our current chef, Anthony Peer, initially worked with us as a line cook and has the unique hindsight of knowing what has and hasn’t worked in the past. With this knowledge and his incredible talents he has been able to implement a new menu that has been very well received.”
After being handed the reins to The Arbor’s kitchen, Peer (pictured above) took a retrospective look at dishes from its previous menus, then went about applying his own spins to those that had proven successful. After introducing his reimagined offerings, he shifted his energies to developing all-new recipes, leaning on his love of bold flavors and experience with different styles of Asian cookery.
“The one thing I knew from the start was that the food had to match the beers,” says Peer. “Our brewing team is always releasing dynamic IPAs full of tropical and resiny notes, and to me, the menu had to keep up with that. The dishes had to be bright both visually and from a flavor perspective.”
Peer’s menu is an eclectic mix of casual snacks, salads and mostly hand-held mains that feature fresh, from-scratch ingredients and changes with the seasons. Late last year, quesabirria flautas based on the chef’s food memories from growing up in San Diego’s South Bay were a huge hit with patrons. The current menu now features a similar version stuffed with tinga chicken and served with an avocado crema.
And now that the weather is warming up, Peer will have access to a wealth of vegetables that aren’t always available. Often seasonal produce is the stuff of accouterments, but Peer also likes to make them the star attraction. Case in point, Cambodian cauliflower that’s twice-roasted and served with mint, Fresno chiles, curry aioli and a cilantro vinaigrette. It’s the chef’s favorite dish he’s created so far this year, and it’s also been a fan-fave, as have fish and shellfish-based dishes.
“Anytime we have seafood on the menu it sells fast,” says Peer. “Our Szechuan salt-and-pepper calamari has been flying, and we recently put our tuna poke back on the menu with a chili crisp aioli. This version is easily the most popular we’ve put out. I’m also working on a Filipino-style ceviche using coconut and calamansi that I’m very excited about.”
Other dishes on the horizon included a curry fried chicken sandwich, Hawaiian staple loco moco and nasi goreng (Indonesian-style fried rice). Hearty, satisfying pasta dishes, including a cheesy, calabrian chili-studded sacchetti will be introduced during fall and winter. And like every dish at The Arbor, they will each be presented with an ideal beer pairing printed right on the menu.
The current menu recommends the aforementioned calamari with Burgeon’s Juice Press hazy IPA, poke with New Zealand-hopped pilsner Clever Kiwi, and cauliflower with Burl brown ale. So what’s Peer’s favorite beer-and-food pairing of them all?
“The chicken karaage with our Japanese rice lager was my absolute favorite. That’s a dish I’ve been wanting to do since I worked at Underbelly, and we finally made it happen in March,” says Peer. “Not to brag, but our chicken karaage is the best in San Diego and the brewing team nailed the lager recipe. Richly flavored, crispy fried chicken thigh with lots of garlic, ginger and soy and a rice lager to wash it down is the perfect match.”
The Arbor by Burgeon Beer Co. is located at 1326 Kettner Boulevard in downtown San Diego’s Little Italy community
Arbor Chicken Tinga Flautas
Yield: 6 servings
Chef Peer is sharing one of his favorite dishes off The Arbor’s current menu, chicken tinga flautas. He likes to pair these fried, highly seasoned delights with a freshly poured glass of Burgeon’s Mexican-style lager, Invita, which won a silver medal at the 2022 World Beer Cup.
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
- ½ cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo
- ¼ cup garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 12 8-inch flour tortillas
- vegetable oil for frying
- Avocado Crema (recipe follows)
- pickled onions, for garnish
- cotija cheese, for garnish
- cilantro leaves, for garnish
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the cut chicken thighs in an oven-safe dish. Place the chipotle, garlic, oregano and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir the chicken stock into the mixture. Once fully combined, pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until fork tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let stand for 1 hour.
Once the chicken has cooled, drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Shred the meat and place in a mixing bowl. Mix in the cheese. If the mixture feels dry, add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Portion the chicken mixture into 2½-ounce portions, place them on a plate and refrigerate.
To assemble the flautas, place a portion of the tinga mixture in the center of a tortilla. Spread out the mixture so it’s shaped like a cigar, roll the tortilla tightly (like a rolled taco), then seal it with a toothpick on each end. Repeat the process until all of the tinga mixture has been used up.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Gently place a flauta in the oil and fry until the tortilla is evenly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining flautas.
To serve, place 3 flautas on a plate, top with a spoonful of crema, pickled onions, cotija cheese and cilantro. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Avocado Crema
- Yield: 2 cups
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ avocado, diced
- ½ serrano pepper, diced
- ½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbsp garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
- salt to taste
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you prefer a brighter-tasting crema, add extra lime juice.
Recipe courtesy Chef Anthony Peer, Executive Chef, Burgeon Beer Co.