Not prim, but Proper

Proper = a study in urban gastropubbery

What the hell is a gastropub? I mean, really, between restaurant, bistro, café, grill and eatery—just to name a few—there’s no shortage of clever monikers for places that all do the same thing: serve food. And yet, Proper Gastropub perfectly epitomizes what that term really should mean. Though Proper isn’t quite the snug hole-in-the-hedgerow some of its British counterparts may be (it’s tucked practically inside Petco Park), it excels at focusing on gastronomy within the cozy confines of a friendly bar—the key element in successful gastropubbery.
Why does bar food have to be only fried and repetitive? “Ass-tropubs” would be the more applicable term for most joints serving both booze and grub. (You’re welcome, America; you can totally use it.)

Proper easily could have been a mediocre ballpark restaurant, serving up filling and forgettable fare, or perhaps tossing in a few chesty ladies for a pub bonus. Instead, it’s a terrific restaurant worth visiting, whether the Padres are actively making me cry or not.

It’s a bar with a well-endowed beer menu—from the ubiquitous Chimay to the confusing Banana Bread Beer and a dusting of domestic pilsners (swill to some, a great way to wash down baseball food to others). Proper is an ideal place to put down a pint and watch a game. But who says your only ballpark options have to be hot dogs or whatever Randy Jones is cooking up? Proper gives the sports fan with a more demanding palate plenty of options.

I don’t see any reason to ever turn down risotto, and Proper serves it in cake form, topped with a fried egg, some nutmeg-spiked creme fraiche and a bit of fried sage. I really love hot dogs, I do, but I would totally buy these if some shouty guy walked around Petco tossing them at my head. The little starch cakes are creamy, rich and toothsome enough to make a perfect IPA-absorbing small plate.

Proper shares kitchen space with its next-door neighbor, Wine Steals, so they have plenty of wine to go along with the beer selection. And, along with traditional pub fare like shepherd’s pie, burgers and fish and chips, they have wraps and pizzas for more sporting fare.

Yet, don’t miss the opportunity to go bonkers and order the Cocoa Crusted Pork Belly. Fear not—Proper wants to fill your belly with good, honest grub, without any pinkies in the air. There’s no pretension, so branch out and try the seductive piece of piggy. It doesn’t taste chocolaty, but there’s an earthiness and barely there cocoa flavor that goes well with meat and beer.

The who-can-clog-your-heart-faster mac-and-cheese war among restaurants doesn’t appear to be waning anytime soon, and why should it? Even bad macaroni-and-cheese is better than most things in life. Proper makes its own version, the Black and Tan, which has the faint tang of beer, though none is listed among its ingredients. The smoky cheddar and punchy gruyere aren’t shy about sharing a dish with generous chunks of bacon, roasted garlic and a rich binding of béchamel. Surprising little bursts of grape tomato could have been a mushy after-thought but instead brighten up the decadent dish, making this one a definite contender for best cheesy-noodle bake.

More boisterous than stodgy, Proper’s a great place to grab a drink before a game (or during—the upstairs patio puts you practically face-to-face with Petco’s video screen), but it’s most certainly not a dining gimmick dropped into a baseball stadium. They’ve absolutely nailed the balance of friendly neighborhood pub that serves more than just chicken wings. Executive chef Sean Magee and his team are bringing proper food to Downtown, with enough dartboard attitude to appeal to the most serious barflies.     

Write to jennym@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.